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  3. One of the most pressing challenges that the United States—and indeed, the world—will face in the next few decades is how to all

One of the most pressing challenges that the United States—and indeed, the world—will face in the next few decades is how to all

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问题     One of the most pressing challenges that the United States—and indeed, the world—will face in the next few decades is how to alleviate the growing stress that human activities are placing on the environment. The consequences are just too great to ignore. Wildlife habitats are being degraded or disappearing altogether as new developments take up more land. Plant and animal species are becoming extinct at a greater rate now than at any time in Earth’s history. As many as 30 percent of the world’s fish stocks are over-exploited. And the list goes on.
    Yet, there is reason to have hope for the future. Advances in computing power and molecular biology are among the tremendous increases in scientific capability that are helping researchers gain a better understanding of these problems. Recent developments in science and technology could provide the basis for some major, and timely actions that would improve our understanding of how human activities affect the environment.
    One priority for research is improving hydrological forecasting. It has been estimated that the world’s water use could triple in the next two decades. Already, widespread water shortages have occurred in parts of China, India, North Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula. The need for water also is taking its toll on freshwater ecosystems in the United States. Only two percent of the nation’s streams are considered in good condition, and close to 40 percent of native fish species are rare to extinct. Using a variety of new remote sensing tools, scientists can learn more about how precipitation affects water levels, how surface water is generated and transported, and how changes in the landscape affect water supplies.
    To prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases in plants, animals, and humans, more study is needed on how pathogens, parasites, and disease-carrying species—as well as humans and other species they infect—are affected by changes in the environment. The overuse of antibiotics both in humans and in farm animals has contributed to the growth of antibiotic-resistant micro organisms. Researchers can take advantage of new technologies in genetics and computing to better monitor and predict the effects that environmental changes might have on disease outbreaks.
    Humans have made alterations to Earth’s surface—such as tropical deforestation, reduction of surface and ground water, and massive development—so dramatic that they approach the levels of transformation that occurred during glacial periods. Such alterations cause changes in local and regional climate, and will determine the future of agriculture. Recent advances in data collection and analysis should be used to document and better understand the causes and consequences of changes in land cover and use.
The poor condition of streams in the U. S. can be attributed to______.
选项 A、overfishing of native fish species
B、lack of up-to-date monitoring equipment
C、the demand for water in the U.S.
D、the global water shortage
答案C
解析 属事实细节题。题目中的关键词stream出现在第三段第五句(全国只有2％的河流被认为处于良好的状态……)，它的上文即是导致河流状况不好的原因：对水的需求给美国淡水生态系统也造成了危害。由此可知，选项C正确。选项A是结果，不是原因；选项B在文中没有涉及；选项D与本段第三句不符，句中只提到了几个国家，并非全球。
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