英语四级考试长篇阅读答案卷二

2016年6月英语四级考试长篇阅读答案（卷二）SectionBDirections:Inthissection,youaregoingtoreadapassagewithtenstatementsattachedtoit.Eachstatementcontainsinformationgiveninoneoftheparagraphs.Identifytheparagraphfromwhichtheinformationisderived.Youmaychooseaparagraphmorethanonce.Eachparagraphismarkedwithaletter.AnswerthequestionsbymarkingthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet2.CouldFoodShortagesBringDownCivilization?FormanyyearsIhavestudiedglobalagricultural,population,environmentalandeconomictrendsandtheirinteractions.Thecombinedeffectsofthosetrendsandthepoliticaltensionstheygeneratepointtothebreakdownofgovernmentsandsocieties.YetI,too,haveresistedtheideathatfoodshortagescouldbringdownnotonlyindividualgovernmentsbutalsoourglobalcivilization.Icannolongerignorethatrisk.Ourcontinuingfailuretodealwiththeenvironmentaldeclinesthatareunderminingtheworldfoodeconomyforcesmetoconcludethatsuchacollapseispossible.

Asdemandforfoodrisesfasterthansuppliesaregrowing,theresultingfood-priceinflationputsseverestressonthegovernmentsofmanycountries.Unabletobuygrainorgrowtheirown,hungrypeopletaketothestreets.Indeed,evenbeforethesteepclimbingrainpricesin2008,thenumberoffailingstateswasexpanding.Ifthefoodsituationcontinuestoworsen,entirenationswillbreakdownataneverincreasingrate.Inthe20thcenturythemainthreattointernationalsecuritywassuperpowerconflict;todayitisfailingstates.Statesfailwhennationalgovernmentscannolongerprovidepersonalsecurity,foodsecurityandbasicsocialservicessuchaseducationandhealthcare.Whengovernmentslosetheircontrolonpower,lawandorderbegintodisintegrate.Afterapoint,countriescanbecomesodangerousthatfoodreliefworkersarenolongersafeandtheirprogramsarehalted.Failingstatesareofinternationalconcernbecausetheyareasourceofterrorists,drugs,weaponsandrefugees（难民），threateningpoliticalstabilityeverywhere.Thesurgeinworldgrainpricesin2007and200—andthethreattheyposetofoodsecurityhasadifferent,moretroublingqualitythantheincreasesofthepast.Duringthesecondofthe20thcentury,grainpricesrosedramaticallyseveraltimes.In1972,

forinstance,theSoviets.Irecognizingtheirpoorharvestearly,quietlycorneredtheworldwheatmarket.Asaresult,wheatpriceselsewheremorethandoubled,pullingriceandcompricesupwiththem.Butthisandotherpriceshockswereevent-drivendroughtintheSovietUnion,crop-shrinkingheatinthe.CornBelt.Andtheriseswereshort-lived:pricestypicallyreturnedtonormalwiththenextharvest.Incontrast,recentsurgeinworldgrainpricesistrend-driven,makingitunlikelytoreversewithoutareversalinthetrendsthemselves.Onthedemandside,thosetrendsincludetheongoingadditionofmorethan70millionpeopleayear,agrowingnumberofpeoplewantingtomoveupthefoodchaintoconsumehighlygrain-intensivemeatproducts,andthemassivediversion（转向）of.graintotheproductionofbio-fuel.Asincomesriseamonglow-incomeconsumers,thepotentialforfurthergrainconsumptionishuge.Butthatpotentialpalesbesidethenever-endingdemandforcrop-basedfuels.Afourthofthisyear's.grainharvestwillgotofuelcars.Whataboutsupply?Thethreeenvironmentaltrendstheshortageoffreshwater,thelossoftopsoilandtherisingtemperaturesaremakingitincreasinglyhardtoexpandthe

world'sgrainsupplyfastenoughtokeepupwithdemand.Ofallthosetrends,however,thespreadofwatershortagesposesthemostimmediatethreat.Thebiggestchallengehereisirrigation,whichconsumes70%theworld'sfreshwater.Millionsofirrigationwellsinmanycountriesarenowpumpingwateroutofundergroundsourcesfasterthanrainfallcanrefillthem.Theresultisfallingwatertables（地下水位）incountrieswithhalftheworld'speople,includingthethreebiggrainproducersChina,Indiaandthe.Aswatertableshavefallenandirrigationwellshavegonedry,China'swheatcrop,theworld'slargest,hasdeclinedby8%sinceitpeakedat123milliontonsin1997.ButwatershortagesareevenmoreworryinginIndia.Millionsofirrigationwellshavesignificantlyloweredwatertablesinalmosteverystate.Astheworld'sfoodsecurityfallstopieces,individualcountriesactingintheirownself-interestareactuallyworseningthetroublesofmany.Thetrendbeganin2007,whenleadingwheat-exportingcountriessuchasRussiaandArgentinalimitedorbannedtheirexports,inhopesofincreasinglocalfoodsuppliesandtherebybringingdowndomesticfoodprices.Vietnambanneditsexportsforseveralmonthsforthesamereason.Suchmovesmayeliminatethefearsofthoselivingintheexportingcountries,but

theyarecreatingpanicinimportingcountriesthatmustrelyonwhatisthenleftforexport.Inresponsetothoserestrietions,grain-importingcountriesaretryingtonaildownlong-termtradeagreementsthatwouldlockupfuturegrainsupplies.Food-importanxietyisevenleadingtoneweffortsbyfood-importingcountriestobuyorleasefarmlandinothercountries.Inspiteofsuchtemporarymeasures,soaringfoodpricesandspreadinghungerinmanyothercountriesarebeginningtobreakdownthesocialorder.Sincethecurrentworldfoodshortageistrend-driven,theenvironmentaltrendsthatcauseitmustbereversed.Wemustcutcarbonemissionsby80%fromtheir2006levelsby2020,stabilizetheworld'spopulationateightbillionby2040,completelyremovepoverty,andrestoreforestsandsoils.Thereisnothingnewaboutthefourobjectives.Indeed,wehavemadesubstantialprogressinsomepartsoftheworldonatleastoneofthesethedistributionoffamily-planningservicesandtheassociatedshifttosmallerfamilies.Formanyinthedevelopmentcommunity,thefourobjectiveswereseenaspositive,promotingdevelopmentaslongastheydidnotcosttoomuch.0therssawthemaspoliticallycorrectandmorally

appropriate.Nowathirdandfarmoresignificantmotivationpresentsitself:meetingthesegoalsmaynecessarytopreventthecollapseofourcivilization.Yetthecostweprojectforsavingcivilizationwouldamounttolessthan$200billionayear,1/6ofcurrentglobalmilitaryspending.Ineffect,ourplanisthenewsecuritybudget.【题干】Themorerecentsteepclimbingrainpricespartlyresultsfromthefactthatmoreandmorepeoplewanttoconsumemeatproducts.【答案】F【题干】Socialorderisbreakingdowninmanycountriesbecauseoffoodshortages.【答案】A【题干】Ratherthansuperpowerconflict,countriesunabletocopewithfoodshortagesnowconstitutethemainthreatt