Mother Earth got a bad health report from the United Nations (UN) this week, and the scientific team that conducted the exam didn’t hesitate to deliver the bad news. Joyce Msuya, director of the UN report, said, “The Earth stands at a crossroads. Its illnesses are still treatable, but not for much longer. If we continue along our present path, it will lead to a bleak future.”
According to the report, the Earth is suffering from biodiversity loss, population explosions, land degradation (退化) and air and water pollution.
Biodiversity helps regulate (调控) climate, clean air and water, form and keep soil, and reduce the effects of natural disasters. Yet, populations of species (物种) are declining and the extinction (灭绝) rates are rising. Presently, 42 percent of land-based animals, 34 percent of freshwater animals, and 25 percent of sea animals are at risk for extinction while 70 percent of our food depends directly on them.
However, the population is on track to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050. Without great and urgent changes in production and consumption patterns, the planet will not be able to support it by mid-century.
As for the Earth itself, 10 out of 14 land places have seen a decrease in productivity. Forty percent of wetlands have been lost to agriculture and urban development since 1970. Farm land is becoming less rich and useful, due in part to traditional farming systems. In most places, water quality has worsened “significantly” since 1990, poisoned by chemical pollution. One in three people still lacks access to safe water.
Joyce Msuya noted that the report provides multiple methods to treat the globe, many of them by using methods and technologies that already exist. For example, biodiversity loss and land pollution can be stopped by changes in consumption, agricultural practices, and redistribution of food.
“The world has the means to rescue our earth. What’s missing is the political will to act, with the necessary speed and size,” said Joyce Msuya.
【小题1】What does the underlined word “bleak” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Bright. | B．Hopeless. | C．Uncertain. | D．Near. |
| A．Summarize the previous paragraph. |
| B．Provide background for the readers. |
| C．Introduce a new topic for discussion. |
| D．Outline the key points to be developed. |
| A．They prevent natural disasters. |
| B．They stop the climate changes. |
| C．They help clean up the environment. |
| D．They supply enough food for us directly. |
| A．The public has not realized the Earth’s illness yet. |
| B．Biodiversity loss and land pollution can be stopped. |
| C．We have already had all the means to save the Earth. |
| D．Governments lack the will to take quick and big action. |
