Sustainable development is applied to just about everything from energy to clean water and economic growth, and as a result it has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way the concept is put to use. This is especially true in agriculture, where sustainable development is often taken as the measure of progress without a proper appreciation of historical and cultural perspectives.

　　To start with, it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout history, and will continue to do so. Medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed, clothed and sheltered a mainly rural society with a much lower population density than it is today. It had minimal effect on biodiversity, and any pollution it caused was typically localized. In terms of energy use and the nutrients captured in the product it was relatively inefficient.

　　Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial revolution. Competition from overseas led farmers to specialize and increase yields. Throughout this period food became cheaper, safer and more reliable. However, these changes have also led to habitat loss and to reducing biodiversity.

　　All this means that agriculture in the 21st century will have to be very different from how it was in the 20th. This will require thorough thinking. For example, we need to move away from the idea that traditional practices are certainly more sustainable than new ones. We also need to abandon the notion that agriculture can be “zero impact”. The key will be to abandon the rather simple and static(稳定的)measures of sustainability, which centre on the need to maintain production without increasing damage. Instead we need a more dynamic interpretation, one that looks at the pros and cons of all the various way land is used. There are many different ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield: energy use, environmental costs, water purity, carbon footprint and biodiversity. It is clear, for example, that the carbon of transporting tomatoes from Spain to the UK is less than that of producing them in the UK with additional heating and lighting. But we do not know whether lower carbon footprints will always be better for biodiversity.

　　What is important is recognizing that sustainable agriculture is not just about sustainable food production.

1.How do people often measure progress in agriculture?

A. By its impact on the environment             B. By its contribution to economic growth

C. By its productivity                          D. By its sustainability

2.Specialization and the effort to increase yields have resulted in               .

A. Localized pollution                          B. The shrinking of farmland

C. the decrease of biodiversity                 D. competition from overseas3. What does the author think of traditional farming practices?

　　A. They are not necessarily sustainable　　         B. They have not kept pace with population growth

　　C. They have remained the same over the centuries   D. They are environmentally friendly

4.What will agriculture be like in the 21st century?

　　A. It will abandon traditional farming practices　　    B. It will mainly keep traditional farming

　　C. It will go through complete changes 　　     D. It will cause zero damage to the environment

5.What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?

　　A. To remind people of the need of sustainable development.

　　B. To urge people to rethink what sustainable agriculture is.

　　C. To advance new criteria for measuring farming progress.

　　D. To suggest ways of ensuring sustainable food production.

Sustainable development is applied to just about everything from energy to clean water and economic growth, and as a result it has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way the concept is put to use. This is especially true in agriculture, where sustainable development is often taken as the measure of progress without a proper appreciation of historical and cultural perspectives.

　　To start with, it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout history, and will continue to do so. Medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed, clothed and sheltered a mainly rural society with a much lower population density than it is today. It had minimal effect on biodiversity, and any pollution it caused was typically localized. In terms of energy use and the nutrients captured in the product it was relatively inefficient.

　　Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial revolution. Competition from overseas led farmers to specialize and increase yields. Throughout this period food became cheaper, safer and more reliable. However, these changes have also led to habitat loss and to reducing biodiversity.

　　All this means that agriculture in the 21st century will have to be very different from how it was in the 20th. This will require thorough thinking. For example, we need to move away from the idea that traditional practices are certainly more sustainable than new ones. We also need to abandon the notion that agriculture can be “zero impact”. The key will be to abandon the rather simple and static(稳定的)measures of sustainability, which centre on the need to maintain production without increasing damage. Instead we need a more dynamic interpretation, one that looks at the pros and cons of all the various way land is used. There are many different ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield: energy use, environmental costs, water purity, carbon footprint and biodiversity. It is clear, for example, that the carbon of transporting tomatoes from Spain to the UK is less than that of producing them in the UK with additional heating and lighting. But we do not know whether lower carbon footprints will always be better for biodiversity.

　　What is important is recognizing that sustainable agriculture is not just about sustainable food production.

71. How do people often measure progress in agriculture?

A. By its impact on the environment　　　　　　　　　　　　

B. By its contribution to economic growth

C. By its productivity　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

D. By its sustainability

72. Specialization and the effort to increase yields have resulted in　　　　　　　 .

A. Localized pollution 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. The shrinking of farmland

C. the decrease of biodiversity　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. competition from overseas

73. What does the author think of traditional farming practices?

A. They are not necessarily sustainable　　　　　　　　　

B. They have not kept pace with population growth

C. They have remained the same over the centuries　　

D. They are environmentally friendly

74. What will agriculture be like in the 21st century?

A. It will abandon traditional farming practices　　　

B. It will mainly keep traditional farming

C. It will go through complete changes 　　　　　　　　

D. It will cause zero damage to the environment

75. What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?

A. To remind people of the need of sustainable development.

B. To urge people to rethink what sustainable agriculture is.

C. To advance new criteria for measuring farming progress.

D. To suggest ways of ensuring sustainable food production.

阅读理解

阅读下面短文，从每题所给四个选项中选出最佳答案。

　　From 1950 to 1980, the so－called “Green Revolution” swept the world．World food production doubled with the introduction of a new method of agriculture. It brought about new types of grain like wheat and corn, and the wide use of chemical fertilizers and farm machinery. These factors were the cause of the early, great success of this “revolution”. However, the Green Revolution methods no longer appear to be so successful. Though the population continues to grow, food production has failed to keep up with it.

　　There are a number of reasons for this. One reason lies in the cost of the new farming methods. The new kinds of seed produce much more than traditional (传统的) seed, but only under certain conditions. In order to produce as much as possible, farmers must use large amounts of expensive chemical fertilizers. They also need to use expensive insecticides (杀虫剂) since the new grains are more easily damaged by insects. Expensive watering systems are also necessary for these grains, especially in drier areas. Many farmers cannot afford to buy all the chemicals and equipments.

　　Another reason for lower production is that farmers must use more and more chemicals to keep producing the same amount of food. Many farmers cannot afford to buy more, and so production drops. These chemicals have other effects(影响)that are expensive in the long run. They flow into the ground water, causing pollution and health problems. As people learn about these problems, they try to limit the use of chemicals.

　　Finally, the Green Revolution has brought about social problems that have effects on food production. The difficulty lies in the cost of the new agricultural methods. Only the larger landowners can afford the high costs. With the money they make, the large landowners then buy land from the smaller farmers. This way, the large landowners become ever richer and the number of landless poor people increases. Social problems naturally increase in this situation.

　　Clearly, it is time to question the methods of the Green Revolution. Governments and farmers need to look at the long－term effects. They need to find new methods that will better meet the needs of the world's hungry people and will also cause less harm.

1．Chemical fertilizers and insecticides ________.

[　　]

A．destroy watering systems

B．are both expensive and damaging

C．hardly have any effect on people

D．are not always necessary with the new types of grain

2．In some places, the new farming methods have ________.

[　　]

A．increased the differences between rich and poor

B．encouraged small farmers to produce more

C．increased the size of the middle class

D．made large landowners less rich

3．We can infer from this passage that traditional farming methods were ________.

[　　]

A．more expensive

B．the cause of many social problems

C．preferred by the large landowners

D．less damaging to people and the environment

4．The Green Revolution methods are ________.

[　　]

A．damaging only to farmers

B．often unproductive and destructive

C．the most productive that we know

D．the only way to solve the problem of world hunger

In the past, man did not have to think about the protection of his environment. There were few people on the earth, and natural resources seemed to be____36____ .

Today things are___37_____, the world has become too___38____ . We are using up our natural resources too quickly, and at the same time we are___39____ our environment with dangerous chemicals. If we continue to do this, human life on the earth ___40____survive.

Everyone___41_____ today that if too many fish are taken from the sea, there will soon be none left. Yet, with modern fishing__42_____ , more and more fish are caught. We know that if too many trees are cut down, ___43____will disappear and nothing will grow on the land. Yet, we ___44_____to use bigger and more powerful machines to __45____more and more trees.

We realize that if rivers are polluted with waste products from factories, we will die.___46_____, in most countries wastes are ___47______put into rivers or into the sea, and there are _48_____laws to stop this.

We know, too, that if the___49____ of the world continues to rise at the present rate, in a few years, there will not be enough___50_____. What can we do to solve these problems ?

It we eat more vegetables and less___51____, there will be more food available for everyone. Land that is used to grow crops __52_____five times more people than land where animals are kept.

Our natural resources will _53_____longer if we learn to recycle them. The world population will not rise so quickly if people use modern methods of birth__54_______ .

Finally, if we educate people to think about the problems, we shall have a better and clearer ___55____in the future.

1.                A．beautiful        B．unlimited （无限的） C．rare  D．valuable

2.                A．common        B．the same        C．changeable    D．different

3.                A．crowded        B．small           C．dirty D．busy

4.                A．protecting      B．saving          C．polluting  D．fighting

5.                A．may not        B．will not         C．shall not  D．could not

6.                A．wonders        B．realizes         C．consider  D．discovers

7.                A．poles          B．boats           C．methods  D．ideas

8.A mountains     B. the sea       C. trees              D. forests

9.                A．continue        B．have           C．ought    D．will go on

10.               A．grow          B．plant           C．save  D．cut down

11.               A．Thus           B．However       C．Generally speaking   D．Therefore

12.               A．still            B．even           C．also  D．certainly

13.               A．too many       B．a few          C．some D．few

14.               A．production      B．pollution        C．population D．revolution

15.               A．houses         B．vegetables      C．food  D．lives

16.               A．fruit           B．meat           C．fish   D．grain

17.               A．feeds          B．increases       C．supplies   D．helps

18.               A．use            B．stay           C．keep D．last

19.               A．control         B．born           C．plan  D．reward

20.               A．nature         B．sea            C．planet D．forest