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  3. In 2002, environment ministers from around the world gathered in the Hague for a major summit on the Convention on Biological Di

In 2002, environment ministers from around the world gathered in the Hague for a major summit on the Convention on Biological Di

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问题     In 2002, environment ministers from around the world gathered in the Hague for a major summit on the Convention on Biological Diversity — an international treaty designed to protect the world’s plants, forests and wildlife. With rainforests being clear-cut in tropical countries, endangered species nearing extinction around the world, and the seas steadily being fished out, the ministers agreed it was time to take action. In a declaration, they vowed to strengthen their efforts to put in place measures to halt biodiversity loss, which is taking place at an alarming rate by the year 2010.

    Fast forward to 2010, the international year of biodiversity — things aren’t getting better. In fact, for wildlife around the world, they’re getting much, much worse. In a study published in Science, a team of scientists and environmentalists from around the world assessed the state of global biodiversity and found that it has been in steady decline.
    The study compiled more than 30 different indicators of biodiversity, including any changes in species’ population numbers and the extent of preserved habitat. In nearly every category, the news reveals biological depression. Despite our best intentions, we are leaving the planet poorer and less diverse than we found it. "The state of biodiversity is definitely showing a rapid decline, " says Matt Foster, director of conservation outcomes for Conservation International and one of the lead authors on the Science paper. "And the pressure just keeps increasing. "
    Ironically, even while biodiversity has deteriorated, the study indicates that policy responses to endangered species and habitat loss have actually improved. The amount of protected land has steadily increased around the world, as has the area of sustainably managed forests. Meanwhile, a growing number of countries have signed onto global pacts designed to limit the spread of invasive species, and the world is spending more than it ever has on biodiversity aid. And thanks to efforts like the new Science study, researchers are getting an increasingly clearer picture of the impact of human activity on Earth.
    Yet things are still getting worse — habitats are still being destroyed, and a growing, richer population is taking space and resources away from wildlife. The effect goes beyond endangered animals; human beings rely on a healthy, diverse planet too, and when the Earth suffers, so do we. The Science study found that the populations of vertebrate(脊椎动物的)species used for economic purposes by people had declined 15% since 1970, as has the population of birds and amphibians(两栖动物)used for food and medicine. More than 100 million poor people now live in remote areas with threatened ecosystems, and will be particularly vulnerable to the further degradation of a disturbed planet. Foster says, "We all benefit from biodiversity and we all hurt when it’s lost."
What can we know about the Hague summit in 2002?
选项 A、Scientists and environmentalists were asked to assess the state of global biodiversity.
B、Protecting the rainforests in tropical countries was the top issue of the summit.
C、Concrete measures of environment protection were devised.
D、The summit was aimed at discussing the issue of biodiversity.
答案D
解析 事实细节题。第一段指出2002年，各国环境部长齐聚海牙参加讨论生物多样性公约的全球高峰论坛，这一国际公约旨在保护植物，森林和野生动物。由此看出海牙2002年的会议主要讨论生物多样性问题，[D]项正确。[A]项在文中找不到依据。热带雨林遭受大量砍伐是诸多生物多样性流失迹象之一，文中未说是首要问题，故[B]项错误。第一段最后一句指出各国部长们发誓到2010年前要采取更加有力的措施以拯救正以惊人速度丧失的生物多样性。但没有说制定了具体的措施，故[C]项错误。
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