One of the most pressing challenges the world will face in the next few decades is how to alleviate the growing stress that human activities are placing (1)________ the environment. The consequences are just too great to (2)________. Wildlife habitats are being degraded or disappearing altogether as new developments (3)________ more land. Plant and animal species are becoming (4)________ at a greater rate now than at any time in Earth history. (5)________ many as 30 percent of the world's fish stocks are over-exploited. And the list goes on.
(6)________ there is reason to have hope for the future. Advances in computing power and molecular biology are among the tremendous increases in scientific capability that (7)_____ helping researchers (8)________ a better understanding of these problems. Recent development in science and technology could provide the (9)________ for some major and timely actions that would (10)________ our understanding of how human activities affect the environment.
One priority for research is improving hydrological forecasting. It has been (11)________ that the world's water use would triple in the next two decades. Already, widespread water (12)________ have occurred in parts of China, India, and North Africa. The need for water also is taking its toll on fresh water ecosystems in the United States. Only 2 percent of the nations5 streams arc considered in good (13)________, and (14)________ to 40 percent of native fish species are near to extinct.
To prevent outbreaks of (15)________ diseases in plants, animals and human, more study is needed on how parasites and disease-carrying species—as (16)________ as humans and other species they (17)_________are affected by changes in the environment. The overuse of antibiotics both in humans and in farm animals has (18)________ to the growth of antibiotic-resistant micro-organism. Researchers can take (19)________ of new technologies in genetics and computing to better monitor and (20)________ the effects that environment changes might have on diseases outbreaks.
根据原文可知“人类在未来几十年里将要面临的最严峻的挑战之一是如何降低人类活动带给环境的压力”。“place on”强加于，施加于。故选D。
too...to...太.......而不能......... ，由题意可知“人类活动对环境造成的影响太严重而不能忽略”。ignore忽略。 notice注意到。think认为。emphasize强调。故选 C。
根据原文可知作者意在表达“随着新的开发占据更多的土地，野生动物在逐渐失去其原来的柄息地”。 take over接管，接替 take off起飞，脱下，离开。take down写下，记下。take up占据。故选 D 。
根据上下文可知“动植物物种在以较快的速度灭绝”。extinct灭绝的。dangerous危险的。 risky冒险的。 insecure不安全的。故选C。
as many as 多达。根据原文可知“世界上多达30%的鱼被过度捕获”。故选C。
作者在上文提到了人类活动给环境带来的残酷的威胁，下文介绍先进科技的发展帮助研究人员更好地理解这些问题。可知此处是“yet”，表转折，意在表达“我们仍然要对未来充满希望”。故选B。
根据文中的“Advances in computing power and molecular biology”计算机和生物分子的发展为名词复数。 所以此处用are。故选A。
“a better understanding of these problems”意为“对这些问题有一个更好的了解”。gain获得，收获。故选 C。
根据原文可知“现代科技的发展是我们及时采取行动的基础”， provide a basis for...为……提供基础。 base 基地。ground地面。stage阶段；舞台。故选 A。
根据原文可知“科技的发展会帮助我们及时地采取一些重大行动，这些行动会增强我们进一步了解人类活动对环境造成的影响”。improve提高，改善。help帮助。consolidate巩固。hinder阻止，阻碍。故选 D。
根据原文可知“ It has been estimated that”意为“据估计，全球对水的使用在未来的20 年里将会增至三倍”。 表示对未来的一种推测。故选C。
根据上下文可知“在中国，印度，非洲北部的一些地方，已经出现了水资源短缺的现象”。shortage短缺， 不足，匮乏。supply提供，供应。use使用。pollution污染。故选 D 。
根据上文提到的“对水资源的需求已经影响到了美国的淡水生态系统”，由此可知下文意为“全国只有2% 的水资源处于良好状况”。condition状况，状态。health健康。status地位。situation形式，情形。故选 B。
根据上下文可知“将近 40%的鱼濒临灭绝”。close to近，将近。故选 C。
根据原文可知“为了阻止人类，动植物传染病的爆发，需要进行更多的研究”。infectious传染的。 serious 严重的。unsafe不安全的。apparent显然的，表面的。故选 B。
根据原文可知“为了防止传染性的疾病，寄生虫，携带疾病的物种，以及其感染的人类和其他物种都要 进行研究”。 as well as以及。故选 C。
根据上下文可知“寄生虫和携带疾病的物种会感染、传染人类和其它物种”。infect感染，传染。take拿， 取。effect，influence 影响。故选 A。
根据原文可知“人类和家畜对抗生素的过度使用促进了耐抗生素的微生物的大量出现”。 contribute to 促成， 有助于。referred提及。distributed分散的。 attributed to 归因于。故 选 C。
根据原文可知“研究者利用遗传学的新科技”， take advantage of 利用。故选 B。
根据上下文可知“利用遗传学的现代科技有利于帮助研究人员对环境变化对疾病的爆发带来的影响”。 predict预测。see看到。report报告，报道。guess猜测。故选 D 。