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  3. The history of modern pollution problems shows that most have resulted from negligence and ignorance. We have an appalling tende

The history of modern pollution problems shows that most have resulted from negligence and ignorance. We have an appalling tende

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问题     The history of modern pollution problems shows that most have resulted from negligence and ignorance. We have an appalling tendency to interfere with nature before all of the possible consequences of our actions have been studied in depth. We produce and distribute radioactive substances, synthetic chemicals, and many of other powerful compounds before fully comprehending their effects on living organisms. Our education is dangerously incomplete.
    It will be argued that the purpose of science is to move into unknown territory, to explore, and to discover. It can be said that similar risks have been taken before, and that these risks are necessary to technological progress.
    These arguments overlook an important element. In the past, risks taken in the name of scientific progress were restricted to a small place and a brief period of time. The effects of the processes we now strive to master are neither localized nor brief. Air pollution covers vast urban areas. Ocean pollutants have been discovered in nearly every part of the world. Synthetic chemicals spread over huge stretches of forest and farmland may remain in the soil for decades. Radioactive pollutants will be found in the biosphere for generations. The size and persistence of these problems have grown with the expanding power of modern science.
    One might also argue that the hazards of modern pollutants are small compared with the dangers associated with other human activity. No estimate of the actual harm done by smog, fallout, or chemical residues can obscure the reality that the risks are being taken before being fully understood.
    The importance of these issues lies in the failure of science to predict and control human intervention into natural processes. The true measure of the danger is represented by the hazards we will encounter if we enter the new age of technology without first evaluating our responsibility to the environment.
According to the passage, the risks brought about by modern science are greater than those by earlier scientific efforts because______.
选项 A、the effects may be felt by more people for a long time
B、technology has produced more dangerous chemicals
C、science is progressing faster than ever before
D、the modern pollutants have been localized
答案A
解析 推理题。根据第三段内容可知，在过去，以科学进步的名义所冒的风险被限制在一个小地方和一个短暂的时期内。我们现在努力掌握的程序的影响既不是局部的，也不是短暂的。空气污染覆盖了大部分城市地区。几乎在世界的所有地方都会发现海洋污染物。分布在大片的森林和农田的化合物可能残留在土壤里几十年。放射性污染物将会世代出现在生物圈。随着现代科学的不断扩张，这类问题的大小和持久性也有所增加。据此可推断答案是A。
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