Doyou know that forests cover an estimated 38 percent of the total land surface -组卷网

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Do you know that forests cover an estimated 38 percent of the total land surface of the European Union (EU)? And that these extensive areas covered with trees and underbrush need to be protected so they can continue to do good for the environment for the next generation? Now the EU has just come up with is ambitious new “Forest Strategy”.

Forests can fight against climate change and prevent biodiversity loss They can reduce the impacts of climate change by cooling down cities, protecting us from heavy flooding, and reducing drought impacts. They are valuable ecosystems that are home to a major part of the world’s plants and animals. But forests also improve our health and well-being through functions like water regulation, erosion (侵蚀) control and air purification. And they serve as ideal settings for “recreation, relaxation and learning, as well as securing livelihoods”.

This new European- wide forest conservation vision takes in an impressive commitment to plant a minimum of three billion additional trees over the next decade. This is an ambitious plan but a long overdue one because forests have been battered by severe weather and human impacts, particularly the demand for wood over the last ten years. As the EU Observer puts it,“extreme weather events and the increasing demand for forest services and products, driven by wood-based bioenergy and international trade, have accelerated tree cover loss in the last decade.”

This EU strategy takes into account the complexity of ; forest sustainability. Observation, knowledge exchange, ongoing monitoring and close cooperation between public and private organizations and individuals are also key elements in this new continent- wide forest protection strategy.

This is a future- focused blueprint, designed to protect these precious green areas, and ensure that the trees and greenery are here to stay!

【小题1】Why are two questions raised in the beginning?

A．To tell us the EU’s forest coverage.

B．To call on people to protect forests.

C．To explain the reason for the strategy.

D．To encourage more forest expansion.

【小题2】What does the author intend to show in paragraph 2?

A．The urgency of the strategy.

B．The importance of forests.

C．The background of the strategy.

D．The environmental role of forests.

【小题3】What does the underlined word “battered” in paragraph 3 mean?