Recently the Gallup Organization released its findings about public opinion on global warming. It’s not good news for activists,

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问题     Recently the Gallup Organization released its findings about public opinion on global warming. It’s not good news for activists, Fully 48% of respondents believe that the threat of climate change is exaggerated, up from 31% in 1999. In keeping with this wishful thinking, more Americans believe that scientists have greater doubts about climate change (not true) while fewer Americans think that the effects of global warming are already being felt. In sum, you can say that fewer Americans are worried about the environment when it really counts.
    You can mark this down to crisis fatigue. We certainly are feeling that about the Gulf oil spill, where a general sense of gloom prevails over viable (可实施的) calls to action. Is the whole planet going to be like that one day,a state of perpetual disaster? Or are we seeing ourselves in Nature’s mirror? If it is the latter—and I think it is—we don’t have to feel so paralyzed.
    For centuries,human beings looked at Nature as basically a source of endless abundance. We were supposed to be the stewards (管理员) of Nature .taking care of it as it provided for us. What did this say about human nature? That we were the favored species in Creation,that all other creatures were lesser, and that we had every reason to be optimistic about the future. Nature, like God, was infinite in its ability to sustain us.
    Today all those beliefs have been seriously eroded. Few people seriously connect the ecology with a divine creation. The ecology is a vast system governed by finite laws. Rather than acting as stewards,we ruthlessly plunder (掠夺) the limited resources that remain. Even the threat of outright catastrophe doesn’t cause us to change our ways. Yet as we grab more and more from the feast table, people are not in a festive mood. They feel quite depressed and anxious about Nature. (In relation to the Gulf oil spill, for example, about half of Americans believe that the affected beaches will never return to their former clean state, while almost 60% believe that the damaged animal populations will never return to their old numbers. ) Clearly,the present state of belief can’t be endured forever—never-ending gloom can only lead to more numbness,denial,and helplessness.
    The question, then, is whether a new set of beliefs about Nature can emerge. The old religious-based values are not going to return. The only answer is to look in the mirror again and see who we really are. We are also capable of empathy,bonded at a basic level, gifted with foreknowledge of the future , and imbued with love of the natural world. Finding God within ourselves offers a new way. Every step on that path reduces our destructive effect on Nature and brings us closer to loving union with her.  
What can we learn from the findings about public opinions on global warming?

选项 A、48% of respondents believe that the threat of climate change is serious.
B、In 1999, about 31% of residents consider climate change should be highlighted.
C、Americans believe that scientists have greater concerns about climate change.
D、More Americans think that climate change is not that threatening.

答案D

解析 事实细节题。定位句指出,被调查者认为气候变化的威胁言过其实,D)“美国人认为气候变化没那么危险”与原文相符,为本题答案。A)“48%的受访者认为气候变化的问题很严重”,不符合原文。原文中的exaggerated一词说明,他们认为气候变化对人的威胁被夸大了,故排除;B)“在1999年,大约31%的居民认为气候变化问题应该得到重视”,这一点是与文中1999年有31%的人认为气候变化的威胁被夸大了的信息张冠李戴,故排除;C)“美国人认为专家应该更加关注气候变化问题”,与原文不符,故排除。
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