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  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

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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.  
According to the passage, the preservation of rain forests______.
选项 A、may hamper a developing country in its fight against poverty
B、benefits developed countries rather than developing countries
C、should take priority over the control of human population
D、will help improve the living conditions in developing countries
答案A
解析 本题是一道具体细节题。问按照文章内容，雨林地区的保护如何。利用查阅式阅读法，根据文章第二段第二句、第三句，许多人认为赤道地区的发展中国家应该采取更多措施来保护雨林和其他自然区域，但是发展中国家可能会因此陷入贫困，由于人口的急剧增长，利用这些地区是一种暂时可避免贫困和饥荒加剧的方法。因此，本题的正确答案应是选择项A“可能会阻碍发展中国家解决贫穷问题”。
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