2. 外语
  3. In the United States, the need to protect plant and animal species has become a highly controversial and sharply political issue

In the United States, the need to protect plant and animal species has become a highly controversial and sharply political issue

admin2012-07-17  47
问题     In the United States, the need to protect plant and animal species has become a highly controversial and sharply political issue since the passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973. The act, designed to protect species’ living areas, and policies that preserve land and forests competes with economic interest. In the 1990’s, for example, the woodcutters in the Western United States were challenged legally in their attempt to cut trees for timber in the Cascade Mountains. The challenge was mounted to protect the endangered spotted owl (猫头鹰), whose remaining population occupies these forests and requires the intact, ancient forest for survival. The problematic situation set the interests of environmentalists against those of corporations and of individuals who stood to lose jobs. After months of debate and legal battles, the fate of the woodcutters—and the owls—was still undecided in mid-1992.
    Similar tensions exist between the developed and the developing nations. Many people in industrialized nations, for example, believe that developing nations in tropical regions should do more to protect their rain forests and other natural areas. But the developing countries may be impoverished (使穷困)，with populations growing so rapidly that using the land is a means to temporarily avoid worsening poverty and starvation.
    Many of the changes to Earth that concern scientists have the potential to rob the planet of its biological richness. The destruction of Earth’s ozone layer (臭氧层)，for example, could contribute to the general process of impoverishment by allowing ultra-violet rays to harm plants and animals. And global warming could wipe out species unable to quickly adapt to changing climates. Clearly, protecting Earth’s biological diversity is a complex problem. But solutions to humanity’s current problems will come only through coordinated international efforts to control human population, stabilize the composition of the atmosphere, and preserve intact Earth’s complex web of life.  
The author’s purpose in writing this passage is______.
选项 A、to describe the difficulties in solving humanity’s current problems
B、to present the different views on humanity’s current problems
C、to analyze the contradiction between countries in dealing with humanity’s current problems
D、to point out that humanity’s current problems can only be solved through the cooperation of nations
答案D
解析 本题是一道考查作者写作目的的问题。利用浏览式阅读法通读全文，根据文章最后一句，但是解决目前人类的各种问题的方法只有通过协调一致的国际合作和努力。因此，本题的正确答案应是D“要解决人类目前面临的各种问题只有通过国际合作”。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/qbXO777K
0

在职攻硕英语联考

相关试题推荐
随机试题
最新回复(0)