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  3. Degradation of the world’s natural resources by humans is rapidly outpacing the planet’s ability to absorb the damage, a recent

Degradation of the world’s natural resources by humans is rapidly outpacing the planet’s ability to absorb the damage, a recent

admin2023-01-31  20
问题     Degradation of the world’s natural resources by humans is rapidly outpacing the planet’s ability to absorb the damage, a recent UN environmental study has found. The study concludes that without radical action the level of prosperity that millions of people in the developed world count on will be impossible to maintain or extend to poorer countries.
    Water scarcity is the curse of some of the poorest regions on Earth, leaving developing countries increasingly unable to feed themselves, and causing hardship for millions of people. There appears little prospect of this desperate situation being remedied without radical action being taken. Water sources are under increasing threat from population growth, climate change, rapid urbanisation, rising levels of consumption, and the degradation of lands that previously provided a natural replenishment (补充) of water resources.
    The rate of damage to the natural environment was found to increase globally, despite concerted efforts to persuade governments to take measures to improve the condition. "If current trends continue, and the world fails to improve patterns of production and consumption, then the state of the world’s environment will continue to decline," warned UN executive director Achim Steiner.
    He said the tools for improving the environment for millions of people existed in developed countries, but were in danger of not being used.
    The study found that basic measures to tackle some of the key causes of environmental damage were still not being taken. These included measures to reduce air pollution; to control the damage to marine eco-systems, which can have a huge effect on fish stocks on which hundreds of millions of people depend; and to curb the degradation of land where modern agricultural methods were pursued without regard to the longer-term consequences.
    Despite the recent global agreement on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, global carbon output continues to rise. This will put a long-term strain on the ability of developing economies to feed their own people. Climate change is aggravated by the emissions of greenhouse gases from chemical and natural fertilisers used in agriculture which increased by more than a quarter between 2000 and 2010. Other problem areas identified in the report included glaciers, which provide vital water resources for millions of people, but which are shrinking as the climate warms.
    In rich countries, these problems have built up over decades and centuries while economic growth was pursued at the expense of the environment. Subsequent efforts to remedy the environment have met with partial success. But in developing countries, the path of future development has more potential to change, which has encouraged international institutions to devise more sustainable growth pathways that are supposed both to alleviate poverty and preserve the environment.
What should developing countries do in their future development according to the passage?
选项 A、They turn-to developed countries for the assistance they need.
B、They remedy environmental damage by slowing economic growth.
C、They avoid damaging interference from international institutions.
D、They improve people’s livelihood without harming the environment.
答案D
解析 根据题干中的developing countries、future development，以及出题顺序原则定位至末段第3句。本题询问发展中国家在未来的发展中应该怎么做。末段第3句指出国际机构要努力设计出更加可持续的发展道路，以使发展中国家既能减轻贫困，又能保护环境(both to alleviate poverty and preserve the environment)。D项“它们在不损害环境的情况下改善人们的生活”与之语义相符，故为答案。文章未提及A项“他们要向发达国家寻求所需的援助”和B项“他们应通过减缓经济增长来弥补对环境的破坏”的相关信息。文章最后一句指出国际机构要努力为发展中国家设计更加可持续的发展道路，这并不是破坏性的干预，故排除C项“它们避免国际机构的破坏性干预”。
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