阅读理解

Directions: There are 4 passages in this part. For each of them there are four choices marked A., B., C. and D. You should decide on the best choice.


Passage 2

It is easy to miss amid the day-to-day headlines of global economic recession, but there is a less conspicuous kind of social upheaval underway that is fast altering both the face of the planet and the way human beings live. That change is the rapid acceleration of urbanization. In 2008, for the first time in human history, more than half of the world’s population was living in towns and cities. And as a recently published paper shows, the process of urbanization will only accelerate in the decades to come—with an enormous impact on biodiversity and potentially on climate change.

As Karen Seto, the led author of the paper, points out, the wave of urbanization isn’t just about the migration of people into urban environments, but about the environments themselves becoming bigger to accommodate all those people. The rapid expansion of urban areas will have a huge impact on biodiversity hotspots and on carbon emissions in those urban areas.

Humans are the ultimate invasive species—when they move into new territory, they often displace the wildlife that was already living there. And as land is cleared for those new cities—especially in the dense tropical forests—carbon will be released into the atmosphere as well. It’s true that as people in developing nations move from the countryside to the city, the shift may reduce the pressure on land, which could in turn be good for the environment. This is especially so in desperately poor countries, where residents in the countryside slash and burn forests each growing season to clear space for farming. But the real difference is that in developing nations, the move from rural areas to cities often leads to an accompanying increase in income—and that increase leads to an increase in the consumption of food and energy, which in turn causes a rise in carbon emissions. Getting enough to eat and enjoying the safety and comfort of living fully on the grid is certainly a good thing—but it does carry an environmental price.

The urbanization wave can’t be stopped—and it shouldn’t be. But Seto’s paper does underscore the importance of managing that transition. If we do it the right way, we can reduce urbanization’s impact on the environment. “There’s an enormous opportunity here, and a lot of pressure and responsibility to think about how we urbanize,” says Seto. “One thing that’s clear is that we can’t build cities the way we have over the last couple of hundred years. The scale of this transition won’t allow that.” We’re headed towards an urban planet no matter what, but whether it becomes heaven or hell is up to us. 

单选题 What issue does the author try to draw people’s attention to?
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】第一段最后一句the process of urbanization will only accelerate in the decades to come—with an enormous impact on biodiversity and potentially on climate change.其实就是全文的主题句。 全文探讨的是城市化进程加速对生物多样性和环境的危害。
单选题 In what sense are humans the ultimate invasive species?
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】由题干定位至第三段第一句Humans are the ultimate invasive species—when they move into new territory, they often displace the wildlife that was already living there.破折号后面内容“人类踏上新的土地就会代替已经生活在那里的野生动物”即是对前面“人类是最终的侵略物种”的解释。 也就是说人类驱赶其他物种离开它们原先生活的土地。
单选题 In what way is urbanization in poor countries good for the environment?
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】第三段中This is especially so in desperately poor countries, where residents in the countryside slash and burn forests each growing season to clear space for farming.说明， 贫穷国家的城市化是对环境有益的， 因为乡村的居民为了有空地种植农作物而砍伐、 燃烧森林。 森林是野生动物生活的地方， 所以城市化能够为野生动物保留更多土地。
单选题 What does the author say about living comfortably in the city?
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】第三段最后一句Getting enough to eat and enjoying the safety and comfort of living fully on the grid is certainly a good thing — but it does carry an environmental price.表明， 人们享受城市的舒适生活是以环境为代价的。
单选题 What can be done to minimize the negative impact of urbanization according to Seto?
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】最后一段中Seto’s paper does underscore the importance of managing that transition. If we do it the right way,we can reduce urbanization’s impact on the environment.表明， Seto的论文指出控制城市化进程的重要性， 只有控制好这一进程才能减少城市化对环境的危害。