新视野大学英语 读写教程第一册 unit9-b

Section B

Trends for the 21st Century

What problems will our world encounter in the next 1,000 years? Social scientists and economists¹, farming experts and environmentalists pose this question and examine data, information from surveys.
In every field, experts examine changes to understand the state of the field. To understand a country's economy, economists check growth in an industry such as steel. To understand the state of business, they may look at the number of building permits for new houses. The information learned shows increases or decreases. Important trends emerge in each field.
Population
Population is important to every person on Earth. People tend to live longer in most places. In Central Europe, however, life span is dropping because health care is not what it was a few years ago. Factors affecting general health include excessive smoking and drinking of alcohol and polluted water supplies.
The population explosion on our planet has been increasing at an alarming rate but the percentage of increase is decreasing. One out of every five people on Earth is Chinese, yet China's growth rate has slowed. As the number of women going to school increases, the growth rate declines.
Food Production
The production of grain seems to be decreasing mainly because of climate changes. Natural disasters like storms and floods have washed away many crops.
With less land for cattle and sheep, less meat like beef and lamb is being produced. Production of chicken, turkey and fish has increased, however. The amount of ocean fish has not increased, but fish farm production has.
Fish farming is very efficient: producing a kilogram of fish utilizes³ less than 2 kilograms of feed, but it takes 2.2 kilograms of feed to produce 1 kilogram of chicken. One kilogram of beef requires 7 kilograms of grain. People, therefore, may eat less red meat in the future and more fish.
Energy
Using fossil fuels for energy has not altered very much but wind energy use is increasing significantly. Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Britain, and America have large wind power projects. China, India, Mexico, New Zealand, and Ukraine are also developing wind power.
Energy from nuclear power plants is steadily⁴ increasing but the problem of dangerous waste limits growth in many regions. Because many electrical companies consider nuclear energy too expensive, the trend is toward less dangerous sources of energy.
While natural gas use increases, use of coal as fuel is decreasing. Natural gas, an outstanding energy fuel, can be used to heat homes, make electricity, and power cars.
Economics
As countries around the world trade more with one another, more products are available. But the fast development of world economy will bring about many new problems. With fewer trees, the paper industry is producing more paper from recycled materials but, unfortunately, damages the planet. The paper-making process uses large amounts of water, burns fossil fuels and produces much chemical waste.
Automobile⁵ production is down; bicycle production is up. Crowded highways, high gasoline costs, and ease of bicycling are three reasons for this change.
Health
Three major health trends exist as we begin the new century. Health care is better than ever. Medical research breakthroughs include finding tumors early, and saving lives through CAT scans and surgery. Surviving cancer is a new trend. HIV/AIDS, however, is spreading quickly all over the world.
The third major trend is toward an attitude of indifference⁶. People seem to have forgotten ways to keep diseases under control. Although medical science had achieved control over several dangerous diseases, some are returning. For instance, tuberculosis⁷, once a dangerous killer⁸, was cured. Now the disease is appearing again.
Nature
Pollution continues to affect our forests and water. The bird population is decreasing because of oil spills and spreading cities. Seas and oceans are changing. Trees are cut down, more soil washes away, and water quality is affected⁹. Many of these trees are in our rain forests where thick areas of plants and trees, home for many birds and animals, are disappearing.
Conclusion
Our challenges for this new century are clear. The problems of numerous inhabitants on this small planet will continue to be important to each of us. These challenges show that all of us need to be involved in solving the problems. May we find new ways to accomplish the task.

Words: 708
NEW WORDS

trend
n. a general direction or course of development 趋势

expert
n. a specialist 专家
a. having much skill 熟练的；有经验的

pose
vt. ask 问
vi. stand or sit in a particular position to be drawn¹⁰, photographed, etc. 摆出姿势（供人画画、拍照等）

data
n. facts; information 资料；数据

survey
n. the act of finding out information about sth.; study 调查
vt. look at or consider as a whole 查看；鉴定

growth
n. 1. development; increase 发展；增长
2. growing of produce; the fact of being grown (as a crop) 种植；长势
3. the act or rate of growing and developing 成长

decrease
n. reducing; becoming less 减少；下降
v. reduce, become less 减少；下降

tend
v. be likely 趋向于；可能

factor
n. influence that helps to produce a result 因素；要素

excessive
a. too much; too great 过分

alcohol
n. (very strong) wine （烈性）酒

pollute
vt. make (air, water, soil, etc.) dangerously impure¹¹ or unfit for use 污染

planet
n. a large body in space that moves round a star, especially the sun 行星

decline
v. 1. become worse or less 降低；变得不如以前
2. refuse usually politely; being unwilling（婉言）拒绝
n. process of becoming worse or less 降低

grain
n. 1. a seed of rice, wheat, or other such food plants 谷粒
2. crops from food plants like rice or wheat 谷物；谷类
3. a small hard piece 颗粒

climate
n. 1. the regular condition of the weather at a region over a period of years 气候
2. condition of opinions （舆论）状况

disaster
n. sudden serious hard times 灾害，灾难

lamb
n. 1. the meat of young sheep 羊肉
2. a young sheep 小羊；羔羊

◆turkey
n. 1. the meat of furkey 火鸡肉
2. a bird like, but larger than a chicken, used for food 火鸡

amount
n. quantity; total 量
vi. (to) equal to 等于；达到

efficient
a. working well and without waste 效率高的

utilize² (英utilise)
vt. use; make use of 使用

▲fossil
n. a part or print of a very old animal or plant, kept forever in rock, ice, etc. 化石
a. of fossil化石的

alter
v. change; make or become different 改变

nuclear
a. being, using, or producing the great power that is got by breaking up atoms 原子核的；核动力的；应用核能的

steady
a. 1. firm; not shaking 稳固的
2. regular; not changing wildly 平稳的
3. not likely to change 稳定的

steadily
ad. in a steady way 稳定地

region
n. quite a large area or part 地区

outstanding
a. excellent well-known; important 优秀的；突出的

product
n. sth. made or produced 产品

available
a. able to be got, used, etc. 能够得到的

▲recycle
vt. process sth. so that it can be used again （废物）再利用；废物回收

chemical
n. chemical matter 化学物质
a. of chemistry 化学的

highway
n. (AmE) main road; (BrE) highroad 公路

ease
n. 1. ability to do sth. easily 轻易，不费力
2. state of being comfortable and without worry or anxiety 安逸

▲breakthrough
n. advance or discovery 突破

◆tumor (英tumour)
n. a mass of quickly growing diseased cells in the body 肿瘤
surgery
n. 1. medical operation 外科手术；手术
2. treatment of diseases or injuries by operation on the body 外科

cancer
n. diseased growth in the body 癌症

indifferent
a. not interested 不感兴趣；冷漠的

indifference
n. lack of interest; non-concern 不关心；冷漠

instance
n. an example 例子

■tuberculosis
n. a serious spreading disease that attacks especially the lungs 肺病

conclusion
n. 1. opinion resulted from reasoning; final decision 结论
2. end; established situation 结束；结局

numerous
a. many 无数的

inhabitant
n. a person or an animal that lives in a place 栖居者

involve
vt. cause (sb. or sth.) to be part of, included in, mixed with, or deeply concerned in (sth. or doing sth.) 使卷入，陷入

accomplish
vt. succeed in doing 完成
PHRASES AND EXPRESSIONS

at an alarming rate
at a shocking speed 以惊人的速度

wash away
destroy by flood, etc.（被洪水）破坏

involve in
get sb. or sth. into a difficult situation or condition; cause to be mixed up in 使卷入，陷入

May...
I/We hope very much that ... 愿……
PROPER NAMES

Denmark
丹麦（地名）

Netherlands
荷兰（地名）

Britain
不列颠（英格兰、威尔士和苏格兰的总称）

India
印度（地名）

Mexico
墨西哥（地名）

New Zealand
新西兰（地名）

Ukraine
乌克兰（地名）

CAT scan
computerized axial topography scan 计算机化Ｘ射线轴向分层造影扫描；CAT扫描

1 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 utilize   

vt.使用，利用

参考例句：

• The cook will utilize the leftover ham bone to make soup.厨师要用吃剩的猪腿骨做汤。
• You must utilize all available resources.你必须利用一切可以得到的资源。

3 utilizes   

v.利用，使用( utilize的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• One highly successful approach utilizes a triplet aspheric lens array. 一种很成功的方法是利用一个三合非球面透镜阵列。 来自辞典例句
• The first utilizes a blend of finely ground ceramic powders. 第一种用的是一种磨细的陶瓷粉末混合物。 来自辞典例句

4 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

5 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

6 indifference   

n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎

参考例句：

• I was disappointed by his indifference more than somewhat.他的漠不关心使我很失望。
• He feigned indifference to criticism of his work.他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。

7 tuberculosis   

n.结核病，肺结核

参考例句：

• People used to go to special health spring to recover from tuberculosis.人们常去温泉疗养胜地治疗肺结核。
• Tuberculosis is a curable disease.肺结核是一种可治愈的病。

8 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

9 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

10 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

11 impure   

adj.不纯净的，不洁的；不道德的，下流的

参考例句：

• The air of a big city is often impure.大城市的空气往往是污浊的。
• Impure drinking water is a cause of disease.不洁的饮用水是引发疾病的一个原因。