首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
Water is the giver and, at the same time, the taker of life. It covers most of the surface of the planet we live on and features
Water is the giver and, at the same time, the taker of life. It covers most of the surface of the planet we live on and features
admin
2014-02-22
47
问题
Water is the giver and, at the same time, the taker of life. It covers most of the surface of the planet we live on and features large in the development of the human race. On present predictions, it is an cement that is set to assume even greater significance.
Throughout history, water has had a huge impact on our lives. Humankind has always had a rather ambiguous relationship with water, on the one hand receiving enormous benefit from it, not just as a drinking source, but as a provider of food and a means whereby to travel and to trade. But forced to live close to water in order to survive and to develop, the relationship has not always been peaceful or beneficial. In fact, it has been quite the contrary. What has essentially been a necessity for survival was turned out in many instances to have a very destructive and life-threatening side.
Through the ages, great floods alternated with long periods of drought have assaulted people and their environment, hampering their fragile fight for survival. The dramatic changes to the environment that are now a feature of our daily news are not exactly new: fields that were once lush and fertile are now barren; lakes and rivers that were once teeming with life are now long gone; savannah has been turned to desert. What perhaps is new is our native wonder when faced with the forces of nature.
Today, we are more aware of climatic changes around the world. Floods in far-flung places are instant news for the whole world. Perhaps these events make us feel better as we face the destruction of our own property by floods and other natural disasters.
In 2002, many parts of Europe suffered severe flood damage running into billions of euros. Properties across the continent collapsed into the sea as waves pounded the coastline wreaking havoc with sea defenses. But it was not just the seas. Rivers swollen by heavy rains and by the effects of deforestation carried large volumes of water that wrecked many communities.
Building stronger and more sophisticated river defenses against flooding is the expensive short-term answer. There are simpler ways. Planting trees in highland areas, not just in Europe but in places like the Ganges Delta, is a cheaper and more attractive solution. Progress is already being made in convincing countries that the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases is causing considerable damage to the environment. But more effort is needed in this direction.
And the future? If we are to believe the forecasts, it is predicted that two thirds of the world population will be without fresh water by 2025. But for a growing number of regions of the world the future is already with us. While some areas are devastated by flooding, scarcity of water in many other places is causing conflict. The state of Texas in the United States of America is suffering a shortage of water with the Rio Grande failing to reach the Gulf of Mexico for the first time in 50 years in the spring of 2002, pitting region against region as they vie for water sources. With many parts of the globe running dry through drought and increased water consumption, there is now talk of water being the new oil.
Other doom-laden estimates suggest that, while tropical areas will become drier and uninhabitable, coastal regions and some low-lying islands will in all probability be submerged by the sea as the polar ice caps melt. Popular exotic destinations now visited by countless tourists will become no-go areas. Today’s holiday hotspots of southern Europe and elsewhere will literally become hotspots — too hot to live in or visit. With the current erratic behavior of the weather, it is difficult not to subscribe to such despair.
Some might say that this despondency is ill-founded, but we have had ample proof that there is something not quite right with the climate. Many parts of the world have experienced devastating flooding. As the seasons revolve, the focus of the destruction moves from one continent to another. The impact on the environment is alarming and the cost to life depressing. It is a picture to which we will need to become accustomed.
Humankind’s relationship with water has been______.
选项
A、two-sided
B、one-side
C、purely one of great benefit
D、fairly frightening
答案
A
解析
细节推断题。根据题干关键词Humankind’s relationship with water定位到原文第二段。根据第二段中的ambiguous relationship,on the one hand,not always been peaceful or beneficial判定,Humankind与water的关系具有两面性,即积极和消极。故答案为A。
转载请注明原文地址:https://jikaoti.com/ti/cS6YFFFM
0
考博英语
相关试题推荐
ThemostfamouspainterinVictoria’shistoryisEmilyCarr.Whenshewasachild,shediscoveredthatwalkinginthewoods【C1】_
Itisnaturalforyoungpeopletobecriticaloftheirparentsattimesandtoblamethemformostofthemisunderstandingsbetw
WhatMakesa"MillennialMind"?(1)Since1000AD,around30billionpeoplehavebeenbornonourplanet.Thevastmajorityh
Developingapeaceful,understanding,andsupportiverelationshipbetweenparentsandchildrenisnotaneasytask.Failurescan
SupposeyouareapplyingforaPhDprogramataUKuniversity.ProfessorGothhaswrittenarecommendationletterforyouatyou
Faces,likefingerprints,areunique.Didyou【C1】______wonderhowitispossibleforusto【C2】______people?Evenaskilledwrite
ThebeginningsoftheCoca-Colawerebumble.In1886,anAtlantapharmacist,JohnPemberton,madetheoriginalmixture,【C1】_____
Gotmilk?Beveryafraid.Or,preferably,abitskeptical.Somefolksareabouttotrytoconvinceyouthatmilkistoxic.Butt
Atmanycolleges,smokersarebeingrunnotjustoutofschoolbuildingsbutoffthepremises.OnNov.19,theUniversityofKen
各国文明的多样性,是人类社会的基本特征,也是推动世界文明进步的重要动力。当今世界拥有60亿人口,200多个国家和地区,2500多个民族,5000多种语言。由于历史传统、宗教信仰、文化背景、社会制度、价值观念和发展程度的不同,各国国家和地区才具有了各自鲜明的
随机试题
急性炎症反应的特征性改变是
国家机关、国有企业、事业单位中会计主管人员的直系亲属不得在本单位会计机构中担任()工作。
与理财顾问服务相比,综合理财服务更加突出()。
上一堂好课是每位老师追求的目标,而一堂好课的最高境界就是()。
教师认为当地人民政府有关行政部门侵犯其依据我国《教师法》规定享有的权利的,教师可以向()提出申诉。
已知在文件IN.DAT中存有100个产品销售记录,每个产品销售记录有产品代码dm(字符型4位),产品名称mc(字符型10位)、单价dj(整型)、数量sl(整型)、金额je(长整型)五部分组成。其中;金额一单价*数量计算得出。函数ReadDat()是读取这1
打开工作簿文件exc.xlsx,对工作表“‘计算机动画技术’成绩单”内数据清单的内容进行排序,条件是:主要关键字为“系别”“降序”,次要关键字为“总成绩”“降序”,工作表名不变,保存exc.xlsx工作簿。
Readthefollowingpassageanddecidewhichanswerbestfitseachspace.Forquestions26~45,markoneletterA,B,CorDo
Musiccomesinmanyforms;mostcountrieshaveastyleoftheirown.【21】theturnofthecenturywhenjazz(爵士乐)wasborn,Americ
PASSAGETHREEWhichuniversityimprovesthemostintop10?
最新回复
(
0
)