A bull grazes on dry wheat husks (外皮) in Logan, Kansas, one of the regions hit by the record drought that has affected more than half of the US and is expected to drive up food prices.
Leading water scientists have issued one of the sternest warnings yet about global food supplies,saying that the world's population may have to switch almost completely to a vegetarian diet over the next 40 years to avoid catastrophic shortages.
Adopting a vegetarian diet is one option to increase the amount of water available to grow more food in an increasingly climate-unstable world, the scientists said. Animal protein-rich food consumes 5 to 10 times more water than a vegetarian diet. One third of the world's arable (可耕的) land is used to grow crops to feed animals. Other options to feed people include eliminating waste and increasing trade between countries in food surplus and those in deficit.
'900 million people already go hungry and 2 billion people are malnourished in spite of the fact that per capita food production continues to increase,' they said. 'With 70% of all available water being in agriculture, growing more food to feed an additional 2 billion people by 2050 will place greater pressure on available water and land.'
The report is being released at the start of the annual world water conference in Stockholm, Sweden, where 2500 politicians, UN bodies, non-governmental groups and researchers from 120 countries meet to address global water supply problems.
Competition for water between food production and other uses will intensify pressure on essential resources, the scientists said. 'The UN predicts that we must increase food production by 70% by midcentury. This will place additional pressure on our already stressed water resources, at a time when we also need to allocate more water to satisfy global energy demand—which is expected to rise 60% over the coming 30 years—and to generate electricity for the 1.3 billion people currently without it,' said the report.
Overeating, undernourishment and waste are all on the rise and increased food production may face future constraints from water scarcity.
'We will need a new recipe to feed the world in the future,' said the report's editor, Anders Jagerskog.
A separate report from the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) said the best way for countries to protect millions of farmers from food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia was to help them invest in small pumps and simple technology, rather than to develop expensive, large-scale irrigation projects.
'Farmers across the developing world are increasingly relying on and benefiting from small-scale, locally-relevant water solutions. These techniques could increase yields up to 300 and add tens of billions of US dollars to household revenues across sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia,' said Dr. Colin Chartres, the director general.
What can be inferred from the water scientists' warning? ______
由题干中的the water scientists' warning定位到第二段。定位段指出，一些水科学带头人已经发布了关于全球粮食供应的最高级别警报，指出为了避免灾难性的粮食紧缺，在未来的40年，世界人口的饮食可能不得不几乎全转换为素食，故答案为C。 [参考译文] 在堪萨斯州罗根，一头公牛正在吃干麦糠。罗根是受到史上最严重旱灾袭击的地区之一，这次旱灾对大半个美国都造成了影响，也因此可能迫使粮价上涨。 一些水科学带头人已经发布了关于全球粮食供应的最高级别警报，指出为了避免灾难性的粮食紧缺，在未来的40年，世界人口的饮食可能不得不几乎全转换为素食。 科学家们指出，素食的饮食习惯是在日益不稳定的气候条件下增加用来生产更多食物的可用水资源总量的一种选择。富含动物性蛋白质的食物比素食多消耗5到10倍的水分。世界上1/3的可耕地都被用来种植喂养动物的粮食。其他选择包括减少浪费和增加粮食过剩国家与粮食短缺国家之间的交易。 科学家们说：“尽管人均粮食产量在持续增加，但已有9亿人在挨饿，20亿人营养不良。到2050年，70%的可用水资源用于农业生产，来供养额外的20亿人口，这将会在可用水资源和土地上造成更大的压力。” 这个报告是在瑞典斯德哥尔摩的年度世界水资源大会开幕时发布的。这个大会有来自120个国家的2500位政治家、联合国机构、无政府组织和研究学者共同讨论世界水资源供给问题。 科学家们指出，粮食生产和其他用途对水资源的竞争增加了基础资源的压力。该报告指出：“联合国预测，到本世纪中叶，我们必须增加70%的粮食产量。这会给本就紧张的水资源造成更大的压力。与此同时，我们需要分配更多的水资源来满足世界能源的需求，而这一需求在未来30年里预计会增加60%，以满足目前没有使用电的13亿人口的供电需求。” 过度饮食、营养不良和浪费的现象都在增多，因为水资源短缺，粮食产量的提高在未来可能会受到限制。 该报告的编辑Anders Jagerskog指出：“将来我们需要一个新的食谱来供养这个世界。” 另一份来自国际水管理协会的报告指出，在非洲撒哈拉沙漠以南地区和南亚地区，防止农民遭受粮食危机的最好方法是帮助他们投资小型水泵和简单的技术，这远远好于开发昂贵的、大规模的灌溉工程。 总负责人Colin Chartres博士指出：“发展中国家的农民越来越依赖并且获益于小规模的、本地化的水力解决方案。在非洲撒哈拉沙漠以南地区和南亚地区，这些技术可以增加高达300%的粮食产量，并使家庭收入增加几百亿。”
What can be done to increase the food supply according to the scientists? ______
由题干中的increase the food supply和scientists定位到第三段第一句。由定位句可知，科学家们指出，素食的饮食习惯是在日益不稳定的气候条件下增加用来生产更多食物的可用水资源总量的一种选择，故答案为D。
According to the fourth paragraph, ______.
由题干中的the fourth paragraph定位到第四段。由定位段第一句可知，科学家们指出，尽管人均粮食产量在持续增加，但已有9亿人在挨饿，20亿人营养不良，故答案为A。
In regard to water supply problems, the report said ______.
由题干中的water supply problems和the report said定位到第六段。由定位段第一句可知，粮食生产和其他用途对水资源的竞争增加了基础资源的压力，故答案为C。
According to the report from IW MI, what is the best solution to food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia? ______
由题干中的IWMI定位到倒数第二段。定位段指出，在非洲撒哈拉沙漠以南地区和南亚地区，防止农民遭受粮食危机的最好方法是帮助他们投资小型水泵和简单的技术，这远远好于开发昂贵的、大规模的灌溉工程，故答案为A。