More Rural Research Is Needed
1 Agricultural research funding is vital if the world is to feed itself better than it does now. Dr. Tony Fischer, crop scientist, said demand was growing at 2.5% per year, but with modern technologies and the development of new ones, the world should be able to stay ahead1。
2 “The global decline in investment in international agricultural research must be reversed if significant progress is to be made towards reducing malnutrition and poverty,” he said.
3 Research is needed to solve food production, land degradation2 and environmental problems. Secure local food supplies3 led to economic growth which, in turn, slowed population growth. Dr. Fischer painted a picture of the world’s ability to feed itself in the first 25 years, when the world’s population is expected to rise from 5.8 to 8 billion people. He said that things will probably hold or improve4 but there’ll still be a lot of hungry people. The biggest concentration of poor and hungry people would be in sub-Saharan Afiica and southern Asia in 2020, similar to the current pattern. If there is any change, a slight improvement will be seen in southern Asia, but not in sub-Saharan Afiica. The major inqjrovement will be in East Asia, South America and South-East Asia.
4 The developing world was investing about 0.5%, or $8 billion a year, of its agricultural gross domestic product(GDP)on5 research, and the developed world was spending 2.5% of its GDP. Dr. Fischer said more was needed from all countries.
5 He said crop research could produce technologies that spread across many countries, such as wheat production research having spin-offs for Mexico, China or India6.
6 “Technologies still need to be refined for the local conditions but a lot of the strategic research can have global application, so that money can be used very efficiently,” Dr. Fischer said.
7 Yields of rice, wheat and maize have grown impressively in the past 30 years, especially in developing countries. For example, maize production rose from 2-8 tonnes per hectare between 1950 and 1995. But technologies driving this growth, such as high-yield varieties, fertilisers, and irrigation, were becoming exhausted. “If you want to save the land for non-agricultural activities, for forests and wildlife, you’re going to have to increase yield,” Dr. Fischer said.
词汇:
funding 为……提供资金,拨专款 moder 调制解调器
malnutrition 营养不良 degradation 降级,(土地)贫瘠化
gross 总的,全部的 domestic 国内的
gross demostic product国内生产总值 spin-off 有用的副产品
strategic 战略的 application 应用 hectare 公顷
注释:
1.... but with modern technologies and the development of new ones, the world should be able to stay ahead:……但由于有了现代技术和新技术的开发,世界应该能够不断前进。ones指代前面的technologies。
2.land degradation:土地贫瘠化
3.secure local food supplies:稳定的当地粮食供应
4.He said that things will probably hold or improve …:他说情况很可能保持现状或有所改善……hold:保持。
5.invest ... on:这是一个固定动词用法,意思是“把……投资于”。
6.He said crop research could produce technologies that spread across many countries, such as wheat production research having spin-offs for Mexico, China or India:他说粮食研究会开发出新技术,这些新技术又会传播到许多国家,例如小麦生产研究的成果已经在墨西哥、中国或印度得到应用。spread across:传播到。having spin-offs for ...是现在分词短语,修饰wheat production research。
练习:
1.Paragraph 1 _____
2.Paragraph 3 _____
3.Paragraph 4 _____
4.Paragraph 7 _____
A The Same or Improved Food Supply Situation in 2020
B Research Focus on Increased Yield
C More Research Funding Needed
D Local Situations Analyzed
E Increase in Investment on Agricultural Research
F Sustained Development of Modem Technologies
5.Dr. Fischer claims that agriculture will continue to develop _____.
6.Land can be saved for other purposes _____.
7.The investment can be regarded as efficient _____.
8.The global decrease in investment should be changed _____.
A if we can drive yield up
B when Mexico, China and India join in the project
C if we want to fight against malnutrition and poverty
D when we use modern technologies and develop new ones
E when the developed world helps the developing world
F when strategic research can be utilized worldwide
答案与题解:
1.E 本段谈及粮食需求以每年2.5%的速度递增,所以农业研究资金的投入至关重要。
2.A 本段引用了费舍的观点,如果能进行农业研究,在本世纪第一个25年中,即使世界人口从58亿增加到80亿,粮食供应的格局和现在大致相同或有所改善。
3.C 本段指出,农业研究的资金投入还要增加。
4.B 本段的中心思想是提高农作物的单位面积产量。过去30年的实践证明提高单位面积产量是可能的。
5.D 本题答案的依据是第一段第二句的后半句:... with modern technologies and the development of new ones, the world should be able to stay ahead.
6.A 答案可在最后一段找到。原句是:If you want to save the land for non-agricultural activities, for forests and wildlife, you’re going to have to increase yield ...
7.F 第六段有这么一句话:... a lot of the strategic research can have global application, so that money can be used very efficiently,提示我们,选项F是答案。
8.C 答案可在第二段找到。原句是:The global decline in investment in international agricultural research must be reversed if significant progress is to be made towards reducing malnutrition and poverty ...
译文:需要进行更多的农业研究
如果世界人民想比现在吃得更好,农业研究资金的投入至关重要。农业科学家托尼·费舍博士说过需要每年增长2.5%,但由于有了现代技术和新技术的开发,世界应该能够不断前进。
他说:“要想在减少营养不良和贫困方面取得巨大的进步,就必须扭转全球对国际农业研究投入下滑的趋势。”
解决粮食生产、土地贫瘠化和环境污染问题,必须进行研究。稳定地当地粮食供应可以促进经济增长,放慢人口增长速度。费舍博士描绘说,世界有能力在人口由58亿增加到80亿的头25年实现粮食供应充足。情况很可能保持现状或有所改善,但仍会有大批人口处于饥饿当中。2020年贫穷和饥饿人口最大集中地位撒哈拉以南的非洲部分和南非,这与目前情况类似。如果有什么变化的话,也只是在南亚有稍微改善,而不是在撒哈拉以南的非洲。执意要改善地区将是东亚、南美和东南亚。
发展中国家每年将农业国内生产总值的大约0.5%(80亿美元)用于研究,发达国家则用2.5%的国内生产总值进行研究。费舍博士说,所有国家都需要更多的资金。
他说粮食研究会开发出新技术,这些新技术又会传播到许多国家,例如小麦生产研究的成果已经在墨西哥、中国或印度得到应用。
他说:“技术仍需因地制宜进行改进,但许多战略性研究可以在全球应用,所以可以非常有效地利用财力。”
在过去30年中,大米、小麦和玉米的产量大幅度增长,尤其是在发展中国家,例如,1950年到1995年,玉米产量由每公顷2吨增加到每公顷8吨。但是,推动高产的技术,不如高产新品种、化肥以及灌溉,正在消耗殆尽。费舍博士说:|如果你想腾出土地做非农业用途,保护森林和野生动物,就必须提高单位面积产量。”
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