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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."
According to the passage, the improvement of policy responses to endangered species and habitat loss can be seen from______.
选项 A、the control of fishing scope
B、the increase of rainforests area
C、the increase of protected land
D、the spread of invasive species
答案C
解析 事实细节题。第四段指出，这项研究还指出应对物种濒危和栖息地丧失的政策已得到改善。全球受保护土地面积和可持续管理森林的面积都在持续增加。同时越来越多的国家已经签署旨在限制侵略性物种传播的国际条约。全球投入的保护生物多样性的资金比以前都多。[C]项是措施之一，故为答案。
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