|
Section B
Trends for the 21st Century
What problems will our world encounter in the next 1,000 years? Social scientists and economists, 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 utilizes 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 steadily 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.
Automobile 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 indifference. 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, tuberculosis, once a dangerous killer, 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 affected. 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 drawn, 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 impure 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
utilize (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
|