Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D.
听力原文: Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon dropped nearly 46%from August 2008 to July 2009—the biggest annual decline in two decades, the government said Thursday. (30)Analysis of satellite imagery by the National Institute for Some Research shows an estimated 7008 square kilometers of forest were cleared during the 12-month period, the lowest rate since the government started monitoring deforestation in 1988.
The numbers have been falling since 2004. when they reached a peak of 27000 square kilometers cleared in one year, according to the space research institute. The government credited its aggressive monitoring and enforcement measures for the drop, as well as its promotion of sustainable activities in the Amazon region, an area in northern Brazil the size of the US west of the Mississippi River. (31)But Paulo Gustavo, environmental policy director of Conservation International, said a main factor is the drop in world prices for beef, soy and other products that drive people to clear land for agriculture in the rainforest.
(32)Satellite images from the space research institute have allowed government inspectors to increase enforcement, the government said. The Brazilian Environment Institute reported confiscating about 230 000 cubic meters of wood,414 trucks and tractors and 502000 hectares of land linked to illegal deforestation activities from August 2008 to July 2009. Amazon deforestation causes 75% of Brazil's greenhouse gas emissions, according to the National Inventory of Greenhouse Gases.
(27)
A. It has been decreasing largely since 1988.
B. It has been out of control for two decades.
C. It has been improved in 2004.
D. It has basically met with government monitoring.
A.The director probably isn't able to make an exception.B.The director probably won't
A. The director probably isn't able to make an exception.
B. The director probably won't see her.
C. The director usually isn't very helpful.
D. The director usually isn't responsible for part-time students.
Genetically Modified (转基因的) crops are everywhere. It seems even in Europe, strict laws designed to keep the European Union free of GM crops and products are not working, instead are posing problems for the EU: Farmers' representatives say that supplies of animal feed for poultry and pigs are being refused entry at European ports when found to contain even trace amounts of GM material.
Under Europe's "zero-tolerance" laws on GM, introduced in 2007, the presence of even a few seeds of GM material will rule out an entire shipment. The animal feed industry says that the laws are unworkable because GM material is almost unavoidable, given today's global supply chain. "Though we understand the consumer concern in Europe, we don't understand zero tolerance because it closes down trade," says Pekka Pesonen, secretary general of Copa-Cogeca, a federation of groups representing 15 million EU farmers in total. He claims that European pig and poultry farmers will go out of business unless the EU adopts a more practical checking approach by setting a standard -say 0.5 percent beneath which GM is tolerated. Pesonen says such "tolerances" operate for other pollution, including pesticides and heavy metals. So why not for GM material, much of which has been cleared for human consumption elsewhere in the world?
Last year 200 000 tons of conventional animal feed mainly soy and corn—were refused entry to the EU when they were found to contain small amounts of GM corn varieties. Then flax (亚麻) from Canada was found to contain traces of a GM variety named CDC Triffid that was withdrawn from commercial sale in 2001. Following a prohibition on flax more than 100 shipments were rejected, but trade is slowly resuming. The rejected tonnage is only a small part of the 32 million tons of feed imported each year. But it leads to delays to subsequent contracts, higher prices and reluctance by importers to risk further shipments.
Prices will be higher still this year, says Pesonen, owing to natural disaster in South America and a growing market for American farmers selling crops to Asia, which accepts mixed shipments. Increasing numbers of GM crop varieties are on the way. At present, around 30 varieties are grown around the world, but that is predicted to double twice by 2015, making screening more difficult than ever.
A further conflict arises because all the European officials are due to be replaced in February. A spokeswoman for the health commission, which introduced the zero-tolerance policy to satisfy widespread questionings in Europe about the safety of GM crops, says that intensive discussion on feed imports have already taken place. "Once the new commission is established, it will have to consider how to proceed on this matter," she says.
European laws against GM products ______.
A. manage to function
B. bring troubles to farmers
C. help farmers to get safe animal feed
D. allow food with insignificant amount of GM
A.A track called Park Life.B.A drama directed by Keith Edwards.C.A TV series called No
A track called Park Life.
B. A drama directed by Keith Edwards.
C. A TV series called North Whale.
D. A movie starring Clint Eastwood.