单选题 The United Nations declared last Friday that Somalia's famine is over. But the official declaration means little to the millions of Somalis who are still hungry and waiting for their crops to grow. Ken Menkhaus, professor of political science at Davidson College, said it was profoundly disappointing to be discussing another Somali famine, after he worked in the country during the 1991 — 1992 one. Each famine, he said, has distinct characteristics, and this one unfold in slow motion over the past couple of years. That's at least partly because the Somali diaspora sent money home that delayed the worst effects. Menkhaus was among four experts on Somalia and famine who spoke at the Radcliffe Gym Monday evening. Who gathered for the event, "Sound the Horn: Famine in the Horn of Africa. " Paul Farmer, Kolokotrones University Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine, drew on his experience treating malnourished people in Haiti, where he has worked for decade, and said the human and social context of home, and aid to families should be part of wearing the child, he said. Similarly, broader agricultural interventions and fair trade policies are needed to boost local agricultural economies. Though famine is often thought of as a natural disaster, Monday's speakers said that is a false impression. Though Somalia suffered through a severe drought, with today's instant communications, transport systems can move massive amounts of food. Given today's global food markets, famine is too often a failure of local government and international response. "In today's 21st-century world, just about everything about famine is man-made. We're no longer in a world of man against nature. " said Robert Paarlberg, adjunct professor of public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. Ethiopia, which was also affected by the recent drought, fared much better this time because of reforms implemented after the 2001 one. Likewise, Paarlberg said, northern and central Somalia, regions that fall outside of the influence of the Al-Shabaab militia, also fared better. There were several man-made features of this famine, which affected more than 10 million people and killed between 50, 000 and 100, 000, half of them children under age 5. The largest man-made feature was the role of the Al-Shabaab militia that rules the region and that kept food aid from reaching those in need. But the international community isn't blameless. As early as November 2010, an international famine early warning system was predicting the failure of rains in the region, but the international community didn't respond fully until an official famine was declared in July 2011. On top of that, U. S. anti-terrorism laws cut off food aid because Al-Shabaab, listed as a terrorist group, was taking some of it. Though the United Nations has declared the famine over, that was based on statistical measures, such as the number of people dying each day and the number of children who are malnourished. Though the official famine may be over, both U. N. officials and Monday's speakers said the crisis continues for the people of Somalia. Almost a third of the population remains dependent on humanitarian assistance, crops growing from recent rains will take months to reach maturity, and herds of cows, goats, and other animals were greatly reduced during the crisis. Michael Delaney, director of humanitarian response for Oxfam America, warned that the world will have another chance to get its response fight, because the warning signs are pointing to an impending famine in Africa's Sahel, the arid, continent-spanning transition zone just below the Sahara Desert.
单选题 The current Somali famine is different from the 1991 -1992 one in that______.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】解析:细节题。根据文中第二段可知,在1991年至1992年爆发饥荒期间,曾在该国工作的戴维森学院政治学教授肯·曼克浩斯称,再讨论一场索马里饥荒真令人深感失望。他说,每次饥荒都有截然不同的特征,而这次饥荒在过去几年里缓慢地显现出来。这部分归因于在国外的索马里人给家里寄钱,推迟了最糟结果的发生。据此可知,这次饥荒与1991年至1992年的那次不同,因为最糟结果发生得更慢。B项(最糟糕的结果来得更慢)正确。
单选题 In treating the malnourished patients, attention should be paid to the following EXCEPT______.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】解析:排除题。根据文中第三段可知,保罗·法默是科洛科特罗尼斯大学全球健康与社会医学教授,他在海地工作过几十年。凭借在海地给营养不良的人治疗的经验,他说应像关注病人那样关注饥饿状态下人们的处境及社会背景。他说,一个营养不良的孩子通常表征了家庭的贫困,因此对家庭的援助应该成为给孩子治疗的一部分。同样,为了提高当地的农业经济,需要扩大农业的干预范围以及实施公平的贸易政策。据此可知,在治疗营养不良的病人时,C选项“无视贫困的迹象”是文中未提及的内容。故选C。
单选题 What is implied by "We're no longer in a world of man against nature?"
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】解析:推理题。根据文中第五段可知,如今已是21世纪,与饥荒相关的一切几乎都是人为的。我们所处的世界已不再是人类与大自然相抗争的阶段。据此可知,题中的话暗指我们生活的世界里,许多事件都是人为的。B项(我们生活在很多人为事件的世界里)正确。
单选题 Regarding the current famine in Somalia, who's to blame most?
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】解析:细节题。根据文中第七段可知,最大的人为因素是控制该地区的青年党民兵组织,他们令那些处于危难中的人无法得到援助的食品。但是,国际社会并非是无可指责的。早在2010年11月,国际饥荒早期预警系统就发出该地区雨量缺乏的预测,但国际社会没有给出充分回应,直至2011年7月,官方宣布发生了饥荒。不仅如此,美国的反恐怖主义法律也阻碍了对索马里的食品援助,因为援助的食品中一部分落入被列为恐怖组织的青年党手中。据此可知,关于目前索马里的饥荒,最应受指责的是青年党民兵组织,B项正确。
单选题 What problem still remains from the current Somali famine?
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】解析:细节题。根据文中倒数第二段可知,尽管联合国宣布饥荒已经结束,但这只是基于统计数据得出的结论,例如每天的死亡人数,以及营养不良的儿童数量。尽管官方认为的饥荒可能已经结束,但联合国官员和周一的发言人都说,对于索马里人民来说,这场危机仍在持续。几乎三分之一的人仍然依靠人道主义援助。由于近期的降雨,庄稼得以生长,但还需要几个月的时间才能成熟。在这场危机期间,牛、羊和其他动物的数量大量减少。据此可知,D选项(当前的索马里饥荒仍然存在的问题是牛、羊和其他动物的数量在这场危机期间大量减少)是正确答案。