Question

Recently，scientists attending a meeting in Chicago presented new studies showing how food and its production affect global warming.They offered some suggestions for how to eat in a more environmentally friendly way.

For many years，scientists have warned us that our planet is getting warmer.If current trends continue，animals may start to die off and life could get very difficult for everyone.The temperature is rising because humans have been releasing massive amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere，which surround the planet and keep heat from escaping.One of these gases is carbon dioxide.

Most carbon dioxide we produce comes from the process of making and eating food，the scientists reported in Chicago.The production of meat contributes to a lot of carbon dioxide.And much of meat’s contribution comes from beef，which is responsible for releasing even more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

The process of making a hamburger，for example，requires a lot of energy.A cow has to be fed and raised，and cow’s wastes are a major source of greenhouse gases.After the cow is killed，the meat has to be processed and shipped to a consumer，which takes fuel.And most of the cow won’t even be used for meat people eat.

By the time a hamburger finally lands on a dinner plate，it has taken a heavy toll on the environment.It is believed that the process of making a half?pound all?beef burger adds about 19 times the weight of hamburgers in carbon dioxide.

The message is clear：We can greatly reduce the production of greenhouse gases by eating less beef.Other kinds of meat like pork and chicken do less harm to the environment—at least in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases released.Nathan Pelletier，a scientist at Dalhousie University in Canada，reported that if everyone in industrial countries ate chicken instead of beef，we would cut the Earth’s greenhouse gases by more than half.

All kinds of meat，the scientists reported，are harder on the planet than vegetables.To grow and eat a pound of potatoes，for example，sends less than one quarter pound of carbon dioxide into the air.So shifting our diet to less meat and more vegetables may do the world some good.

1.The text mainly tells us ________.

A．what we eat can affect the whole planet

B．the way we live affects the environment

C．how we can save energy on the Earth

D．how we can produce environment?friendly food

2.What is likely to happen if the climate is getting warmer according to the passage?

A．Sea level will continue to rise sharply.

B．Human beings won’t have enough food.

C．It would be very hard for man to survive.

D．All the animals and plants will disappear.

3.Why does the author mention the process of making a hamburger?

A．To show meat is usually part of a hamburger.

B．To illustrate that our food contributes to greenhouse gases.

C．To prove making a hamburger is a complex process.

D．To suggest a lot of energy is needed to make hamburgers.

4.The author believes one effective way to fight global warming is ________.

A．we should eat no pork and no chicken

B．we should eat more chicken than beef

C．we should eat not meat but vegetables

D．we should eat less meat and more vegetables

5.Which of the following statements would Nathan Pelletier agree to?

A．Eating pork and chicken is more environmentally friendly.

B．Meat consumption is the main cause of greenhouse gases.

C．People in industrial countries consume more beef than fish.

D．Eating more beef is a more efficient way to save more energy.

 

Answer 1

1.A

2.C

3.B

4.D

5.A

【解析】

1.主旨大意题。文章的第一段通常表明文章的话题。结合本文第一段和全文的内容可判断出文章的话题是食物对全球气候的影响。

2.细节理解题。根据文章第二段的内容可知，如果全球变暖的趋势持续下去，动物可能开始灭绝，人类的生存更加困难。C项的陈述与第二段中的“life could get very difficult for everyone”意义相符。

3.推理判断题。第三段的第一句告诉我们：科学家们认为，人类在食物生产的过程中制造了大量的二氧化碳，而二氧化碳正是造成温室效应的气体之一。在第四段中作者用制作汉堡的例子来证明自己的观点。

4.细节理解题。根据最后一段的内容可知，科学家发现所有的肉类对地球的危害都比蔬菜大，饲养动物比种植蔬菜消耗的能量多得多。因此，如果我们能少吃肉多吃蔬菜，就会对地球有益。D项的陈述符合最后一段的意思。

5.推理判断题。根据文章倒数第二段中Nathan Pelletier所说的话可知，鸡肉比牛肉释放的温室气体要少一些。