2014年12月大学英语六级仔细阅读试题4

　　Questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.

　　Meat eaters in developed countries will have to eat a lot less meat, cutting consumption by 50%, to avoid the worst consequences of future climate change, new research warns.

　　The fertilizers used in farming are responsible for a significant share of the warming that causes climate change.

　　A study published in Environmental Research Letters warns that drastic changes in food production and at the dinner table are needed by 2050 in order to prevent disastrous global warming.

　　It's probably the most difficult challenge in dealing with climate change: how to reduce emissions from food production while still producing enough to feed a global population projected to reach 9 billion by the middle of this century.

　　The findings, by Eric Davidson, director of the Woods Hole Research Centre in Massachusetts, say the developed world will have to cut fertilizer use by 50% and persuade consumers in the developed world to stop eating so much meat.

　　Davidson concedes it's a hard sell. "I think there are huge challenges in convincing people in the west to reduce portion sizes or the frequency of eating meat. That is part of our culture right now," he said.

　　Researchers have been paying closer attention in the past few years to the impact of agriculture on climate change, and the parallel problem of growing enough food for an expanding population. Some scientists are at work growing artificial meat which would avoid the fertilizers and manure (粪肥)responsible for climate change.

　　Nitrous oxide (一氧化二氮) , released by fertilizers and animal manure, is the most potent of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change. The UN's climate body has called for deep cuts to those emissions.

　　Growing feed crops, for cattle and pigs, produces more of those emissions than food crops that go directly into the human food chain. Eating less meat would reduce demand for fertilizers as well as reduce the amount of manure produced.

　　Davidson also suggests changes in current farming practice. For example, such as growing winter ground cover crops would help absorb nitrogen (氮) and prevent its release into the atmosphere.

　　In reaching his conclusion, Davidson draws on figures from the Food and Agricultural Organization suggesting the world population will reach 8.9 billion by 2050. Meat consumption is also projected to increase sharply to 89kg per person a year in rich countries. Such a trajectory (发展轨迹)would put the world on course to more severe consequences of climate change.

　　Davidson is not suggesting people give up meat entirely. "The solution isn't that everyone needs to become a vegetarian. Simply reducing portion sizes and frequency would go a long way," he said. So would switching from beef and pork, which have a high carbon footprint (碳排放量), to chicken or fish.

　　61. What is the hardest task in coping with the future climate change?

　　A. To persuade people to reduce portion sizes or the frequency of eating meat.

　　B. To balance between food production and emissions of greenhouse gases.

　　C. To produce enough food for an expanding global population.

　　D. To change the current farming practice.

　　62. Which of the following statements is NOT a suggestion made by Davidson?

　　A. Decrease the use of fertilizers.

　　B. Cut the meat consumption.

　　C. Plant winter ground cover crops.

　　D. Grow artificial meat.

　　63. We can infer that one benefit of eating less meat is that it can reduce

　　A. the planting of food crops

　　B. the demand for fertilizers

　　C. the emissions of nitrous oxide

　　D. the amount of manure produced

　　64. What may be the most preferred diet by Davidson?

　　A. Less beef but more fish.

　　B. Only vegetables.

　　C. Some vegetables and some pork.

　　D. Less chicken but more vegetables.

　　65. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

　　A. Stop Eating So Much Meat

　　B. Stop Using Fertilizers

　　C. Control the Future Climate Change

　　D. Control the World Population

　　新的研究警告说：为了避免未来气候变化出现最糟糕的后果，发达国家的食肉者们不得不要少吃很多肉，将消费量削减50%。

　　农业中的肥料要为导致气候变化的天气变暖负很大的责任。

　　一项发表在《环境研究快报》上的研究警告说为了防止灾难性的全球变暖，在粮食生产和餐桌上都需要在2050年之前发生巨大的改变。

　　在应对气候变化中这可能是最困难的挑战：如何存粮食生产中减少排放.而同时生产足够的粒食来养活到本世纪中期预计达到90亿的全球人口。

　　马萨诸塞州的伍兹霍尔研究中心主任埃里克 戴维森的这些发现表明发达世界要将肥料的使用量减少50%，并且劝告发达世界的消费者不要再吃这么多肉。

　　戴维森同意这很难推行。他说：“我觉得说服西方人减少吃肉的份量和次数存在巨大的挑战。现在这已经成为了我们的文化。”

　　研究者们在过去几年一直密切关注农业对气候变化的影响，以及为扩张的人口种植足够的粮食这个并行问题。一些科学家正致力于培育人造肉.从而避免导致气候变化的肥料和粪肥。

　　由肥料和动物粪便释放的一氢化二氮，是导致气候变化的最强的温室气体。联合国气候机构已呼吁要大幅减少它们的排放。

　　为养猪、牛等牲畜所种植的饲料作物，与能够直接进入人类食物链的粮食作物相比，会排放更多的一氧化二氮。少吃肉将减少对于肥料的需求.还会减少产生的粪肥量。

　　戴维森还建议改变现有的耕种方式。例如，种植冬季地被作物可以帮助吸收氮，防止其释放到大气中去。

　　为了得出他的结论，戴维森引用了粮食和农业组织的数字，表明世界人口到2050年将达到89亿。肉类消费在富裕国家也预计急剧增加到每人每年89公斤。这样一个发展轨迹将使世界面临气候变化更为严重的后果。

　　戴维森不是建议人们完全不吃肉.他说：“解决办法不是大家都成为素食者。仅仅减少份量和次数就会大有帮助。”同样有帮助的是将牛肉和猪肉换成鸡肉或者鱼肉.因为前两者的碳排放量更高.