The introduction of non-indigenous“exotic”species is now seen as a major threat to biodiversity.In 1825,a particularly vigorous female clone of itadori (called Japanese knotweed)was introduced into Holland and later distributed throughout Europe by the plant collector and nurseryman,Von Seibold.British gardeners loved it and by 1 886 it was even found growing on cinder tips in South Wales.By the turn of the century,the plant had colonized many other sites,and gardeners were advised against planting it in shrubberies.By 1 994,it was almost everywhere——railways,riversides,hedgerows,cemeteries-swamping a wide range of habitats and displacing rare species.Botanists‘ fears that the plant is still spreading and may yet colonize other new habitats have generated recent attempts to eradicate it bymechanical and chemical methods,all in vain as yet.
The evidence stacked against Japanese knotweed is damning.But there is a deep anxiety that behind the desire to correct human ecological cook—ups——often manifest as a passion to save endangered species and vulnerable ecosystems——is a thinly disguised xenophobia;that we are simply seeing yet another form of ecological imperialism which defines what is“natural”based on human preferences.
But whatever our reaction to“problem‘’or alien species is,it must involve moral decisions.And who should make such decisions and to what degree they are accountable must also be up for review.The conclusions of scientists and other sections of society may differ vastly about what to do about the introduced animals and plants that have become a common feature of everyday life.For example,the scheme to control rabbits in Australia by deliberately spreading the disease myxomatosis was a success in that huge numbers of rabbits were wiped out for the greater good——the”health“of Australian ecosystems.But would inflicting such a horrifically slow agonizing death on sentient creatures win popular support if it were proposed today?
Scientists of biodiversity are by their very nature concerned with the organization of species into systems and not necessarily with the interests and well-being of individual,particularly those that are seen as a threat to the maintenance of those systems.Yet there is a growing feeling for the democratization of decisions concerning nonhuman life.The movement towards environmental values must surely involve a movement away from imperialism and a search for a relationship with nature as it truly is,rather than aswe would design it.Then,when Our lawns have long disappeared,we may yet come to honor the humble dandelion.
1. Botanists have generated attempts to remove the Japanese knotweed because———
[A]it threatens the local biodiversity
[B]it is regarded as exotic
[C]it's SO vigorous as to spread everywhere
[D]it checks other plants growth
2. 111 the author's opinion.the attempt to eradicate the Japanese knotweed__.
[A] is worthy of praises
[B]reflects people‘s desire to protect ecological biodiversity
[C]shows people‘s passion to say endangered species and vulnerable ecosystems
[D]is biased by human preferences
3. what does the Word“xenophobia”(Line 3,Para.2)mean?
[A]The ecological disorders.
[B]The passion to save the endangered ecosystem.
[C]The ecological imperialism.
[D]The fear for alien species.
4. As for what to do about alien species,the author thinks——。
[A]who should make such decisions is open to doubt
[B]the decisions should be based on scientists‘conclusions
[C]decision making should involve more people other than scientists
[D]it's morally unacceptable to eradicate all alien species
5. According to the text,which of the following is true?
[A]To eliminate alien species for the sake of the indigenous ones is acceptable.
[B]Human‘s efforts to correct ecological disorders are actually based on ecological study.
[C]People‘s attitudes towards alien species involve moral considerations.
[D]Human have to design nature to protect biodiversity.
核心詞匯
species n.種類 clone n.無性繁殖 hedgerows n.灌木樹籬
cemetery n.墓地 vain n.徒勞 manifest v.表明
sectionn n.部分,界 humble口巧。卑微的 dandelion n.蒲公英
文章翻譯
非本上的外來物種的傳入現在被視為是對生物多樣性的一個主要威脅。1825年,一種具有相當旺盛生命力的itadori(稱為虎杖)雌性克隆植物被引進荷蘭,并隨后由植物收藏家和園丁Von Seibold推廣到全歐洲。英國的園丁們很喜歡它,到1886年在南威爾士甚至都能看到它們長在煤渣上。到20世紀初,這種植物已經侵占了其他一些地方,園丁們被告知不要把它種在灌木林里。到1994年,這種植物幾乎到處都是——鐵道、河岸、灌木籬墻、公墓,覆蓋了很大一片地方,并取代了一些稀有品種。植物學家們擔心這種植物還會不斷繁殖并可能搶占新的生存空間。這種憂慮促使人們用機械和化學的方法來嘗試根除它,但至今為止仍徒勞無功。
不利于虎杖的依據是確定無疑的,但還存在一層更深的憂慮。那就是在糾正人類給生態(tài)帶來的災禍的愿望背后——通常表現為一種挽救瀕臨滅絕的動物和脆弱的生態(tài)系統(tǒng)的激情——是一種未經多少掩飾的仇外情結。那憂慮還在于我們看到了另一種生態(tài)帝國主義,以人類的喜好來決定什么是“自然的”。
但是無論我們對“問題”或外來物種的反應如何,它都必須包含道德的決定。誰應該做這樣的決定以及他們對這樣的問題應負責的程度也必須被重新認識?茖W家和其他社會部門的結論的不同可能很大部分在于如何對待已經成為日常生活共同特色的外來的動植物。例如,澳大利亞通過故意散布多發(fā)黏液瘤病來控制兔子的數量并取得了成功。大量的兔子為了更大的利益——澳大利亞生態(tài)系統(tǒng)的“健康”——而被消滅。但是如果在當今這種造成反應靈敏的生物如此恐怖地、緩慢痛苦地死亡的提議再被提出來的話,它還會得到人們廣泛的贊同嗎?
從事生物多樣性研究的科學家本質上是關心作為一種系統(tǒng)存在的物種的,而并不關心單個生物的利益和生存狀態(tài),特別是那些被視為對維護生態(tài)系統(tǒng)造成威脅的生物。但現在存在一種漸長的情緒要求對非人類生物所做的決定的民主化。爭取環(huán)境價值的運動必須確實包含遠離帝國主義的運動以及對人與自然關系的探索,這種關系是真實存在的而不是由人類自己設計出來的。于是,當我們大片大片的草地消失的時候,我們才可能來尊敬卑賤的蒲公英。
答案解析
1. A 推斷題。由題干關鍵詞BotanisE和the Japanese kmotweed定位文章第一段。該段首句講到外來物種對生物多樣性造成了威脅,接著以虎杖為例來支持這一論點,指出這一物種占領了很大一片地方,并取代了一些稀有品種,由此可推知,鏟除虎杖的原因就是它威脅了生物多樣性,正確答案為A.
2. D 態(tài)度題。第一段討論了人們普遍接受的一種觀點,并以鏟除虎杖的嘗試為例來支持這種觀點,第二段提出了由這一事例引發(fā)的思考和作者自己的看法——虎杖的命運反映了人們?yōu)榫S護本地生物多樣性而表現出的一種排外心理,即人們按照自己的喜好來維護那些所謂“自然”的東西,故選D.其余選項A(值得稱道),由文中的invalid(徒勞)可知作者并不看好這種做法。B(反映了人們保護生態(tài)多樣性的愿望)和c(展示了人們保護瀕危物種和脆弱的生態(tài)系統(tǒng)的熱情)均非作者的想法。
3. D 語義題。由題干關鍵詞xenophobia定位第二段。該段中被考查詞xenophobia的前后句都是對其的解釋。主要內容是:人們表現出的為挽救脆弱的生態(tài)系統(tǒng)的激情,是一種未經多少掩飾的xenophobia情結,那憂慮還在于我們看到了另一種生態(tài)帝國主義。結合上文我們知道,這種植物是外來的,當其發(fā)展影響到本土的植物時人們就嘗試根除它,由此可推測xenophobia意為“排外主義,仇外”,故選D.
4. C 推斷題。作者在第三、四段中就如何對待外來物種提出了自己的看法:在第三段中指出由誰作出決定,以及他們對此問題應負多大責任,都是值得商榷的問題;第四段中更加明確地提出決策民主化的觀點,綜合推斷可知正確答案為C.其余三項A(由誰來做這樣的決定仍有待商榷)沒有C全面,B(這些決定應該以科學家的結論為基礎)與文意相悖,D(鏟除所有外來物種在道德上是無法接受的)說法過于絕對。
5. C 細節(jié)題。本題可從選項入手,A(為了本土物種而鏟除外來物種是可以接受的)與文中提到的生態(tài)帝國主義和考慮道德因素相悖,可排除;B(人們糾正生態(tài)混亂的種種努力實際上都以生態(tài)系統(tǒng)研究為基礎)文章并未提到,可排除;C(人們對外來物種的態(tài)度涉及道德因素)符合文意,故為答案;文章結尾處指出,人們在探索環(huán)境價值的過程中應該積極地探索與大自然的關系,而不是憑著人類的喜好去設計自然,故D錯誤。
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