Question

Vast parts of Earth should be left wild

To avoid mass extinctions of plants and animals， governments should protect a third of the oceans and land by 2030 and half by 2050， with a focus on areas of high biodiversity． So say leading biologists in an editorial in the journal Science．

This isn't just about saving biodiverse areas， says Jonathan Baillie of the National Geographic Society，one of the authors． It is also about saving ourselves by protecting_____ natural systems， or ecosystems，and their benefits to us， known as ecosystem services． "We are learning that the large areas that remain are important for providing services for all life． The forests， for example， are_____ for absorbing and storing carbon，" says Baillie．

At present， just 3.6 per cent of the planet's oceans and 14.7 per cent of land is protected by law． At the 2010 Nagoya Conference of the Convention on Biological Diversity， governments agreed to protect 10 per cent of the oceans and 17 per cent of land by 2020．

But this isn't nearly enough， says Baillie． In the editorial， he and his coauthor， Ya﹣Ping Zhang of the Chinese Academy of Sciences， want governments to set much bigger_____ at the next major conference on biodiversity in 2020．

"We have to enormously_____ our ambition if we want to avoid an extinction crisis and if we want to maintain the ecosystem services that we_____ benefit from，" says Baillie． "The trends are in a_____direction， it's just we have to move much faster．"

It is hard to work out how much space is needed to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem_____， the pair say， because there is so much we don't know about life on Earth ﹣ like how many species there are．

_____，  most estimates suggest that between 25 and 75 percent of high biodiversity regions or major ecosystems should be protected．Therefore，we， including governments，should be_____  when setting goals and strategies．

"There is no doubt that we need far more land and sea_____ for conserving and retaining nature，"says James Watson at the University of Queensland in Australia． "Targets like 50 per cent are in the right ball park when it comes to the minimal_____ of area needed to conserve biodiversity．"

But Watson and others stress that which areas get protected is even more important than the overall percentage． "The key thing is to protect the right areas，" says Jose Montoya of the Station for Theoretical and Experimental Ecology in Moulis， France． "If we_____ protect a proportion of the territory，governments will likely protect what's easy， and that's usually areas of_____ biodiversity and ecosystem service provision．"

In fact， a third of the 3.6 percent of land that is already meant to be protected is actually being_____，Watson's team reported last month． So only_____ areas to be protected isn't enough．

1.A. stricter    B. wider    C. safer    D. simpler

2.A. unique    B. sufficient    C. critical    D. fit

3.A. examples    B. values    C. awards    D. objectives

4.A. increase    B. achieve    C. lack    D. frustrate

5.A. barely    B. currently    C. roughly    D. thoroughly

6.A. opposite    B. fixed    C. complex    D. positive

7.A. approaches    B. management    C. benefits    D. degradation

8.A. Therefore    B. Furthermore    C. However    D. Otherwise

9.A. concerned    B. changeable    C. firm    D. cautious

10.A. deserted    B. secured    C. measured    D. distributed

11.A. damage    B. cost    C. amount    D. standard

12.A. completely    B. merely    C. virtually    D. desperately

13.A. mass    B. tropical    C. marine    D. low

14.A. exploited    B. expanded    C. restored    D. discovered

15.A. developing    B. covering    C. declaring    D. utilizing

Answer

1. B

2. C

3. D

4. A

5. B

6. D

7. B

8. C

9. A

10. B

11. C

12. B

13. D

14. A

15. C

【解析】

本文主要讲述为了避免动植物大规模灭绝，政府应该保护三分之一的海洋和海洋，到2030年为止，到2050年为一半，重点是生物多样性高的地区。

1.考查形容词辨析。A. stricter更严格的；B. wider更宽广的；C. safer更安全的；D. simpler更简单的。根据上文 To avoid mass extinctions of plants and animals， governments should protect a third of the oceans and land by 2030 and half by 2050，with a focus on areas of high biodiversity可知为了避免动植物大规模灭绝，政府应该保护三分之一的海洋和海洋，到2030年为止，到2050年为一半，重点是生物多样性高的地区，说明我们应该保护更宽广的（wider）自然生态系统，故选B。

2.考查形容词辨析。A. unique独一无二的；B. sufficient足够的；C. critical至关重要的；D. fit合适的。本句The forests， for example，are （2）for absorbing and storing carbon，" says Baillie。句意是例如，森林对于吸收和储存碳是至关重要的（critical），"Baillie说。故选C。

3.考查名词辨析。A. examples例子；B. values价值；C. awards奖项；D. objectives目标。根据下文when setting goals and strategies。可知在设定目标和策略时。说明我们应该设定更大的目标（objective），故选D。

4.考查动词辨析。A. increase增加；B. achieve获得；C. lack缺少；D. frustrate挫败。本句We have to enormously（4）our ambition if we want to avoid an extinction crisis and if we want to maintain the ecosystem services that we（5）benefit from，" 可知如果我们想要避免灭绝危机，并且如果我们想维持我们目前受益的生态系统服务，我们必须极大地增加（increase）我们的雄心壮志，"故选A。

5.考查副词辨析。A. barely几乎不；B. currently目前；C. roughly大略；D. thoroughly彻底地。本句We have to enormously（4）our ambition if we want to avoid an extinction crisis and if we want to maintain the ecosystem services that we（5）benefit from，" 可知如果我们想要避免灭绝危机，并且如果我们想维持我们目前（currently）受益的生态系统服务，我们必须极大地增加我们的雄心壮志，"故选B。

6.考查形容词辨析。A. opposite；B. fixed；C. complex；D. positive。根据下句 it's just we have to move much faster。"可知只是我们必须加快行动。"说明现在正朝着积极的（positive）方向前进，故选D。

7.考查名词辨析。A. approaches；B. management；C. benefits；D. degradation。本句It is hard to work out how much space is needed to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem（7）， 句意是很难确定需要多少空间来保护生物多样性和生态系统管理（management），故选B。

8.考查副词辨析。A. Therefore；B. Furthermore；C. However；D. Otherwise。本句because there is so much we don't know about life on Earth ﹣ like how many species there are。 （8）， most estimates suggest that between 25 and 75 percent of high biodiversity regions or major ecosystems should be protected。句意是因为有太多我们不了解地球上的生命 ﹣ 就像有多少物种一样。但是，大多数估计表明应该保护25%到75%的高生物多样性地区或主要生态系统。上下句是转折关系，故选C。

9.考查形容词辨析。A. concerned；B. changeable；C. firm；D. cautious。本句Therefore，we， including governments，should be（9）when setting goals and strategies。句意：因此，在制定目标和战略时，我们（包括政府）都应该关注（concerned）。故选A。

10.考查动词辨析。A. deserted；B. secured；C. measured；D. distributed。本句There is no doubt that we need far more land and sea（10）for conserving and retaining nature，"句意是毫无疑问，我们需要更多的土地和海洋来保护自然，"故选B。

11.考查名词辨析。A. damage；B. cost；C. amount；D. standard。根据上句There is no doubt that we need far more land and sea可知我们需要更多的土地和海洋来保护自然，本句是指的最少量（amount）的土地和海洋，故选C。

12.考查副词辨析。A. completely；B. merely；C. virtually；D. desperately。本句"If we （12）protect a proportion of the territory，governments will likely protect what's easy， and that's usually areas of （13）biodiversity and ecosystem service provision。"句意是"如果我们只是（merely）保护一部分领土，政府可能会保护容易的东西，而这通常是生物多样性和生态系统服务供应不足的地区。"故选B。

13.考查形容词辨析。A. mass；B. tropical；C. marine；D. low。本句"If we （12）protect a proportion of the territory，governments will likely protect what's easy， and that's usually areas of （13）biodiversity and ecosystem service provision。"句意是"如果我们只是保护一部分领土，政府可能会保护容易的东西，而这通常是生物多样性和生态系统服务供应不足的（low）地区。"故选D。

14.考查动词辨析。A. exploited；B. expanded；C. restored；D. discovered。本句In fact，a third of the 3.6 percent of land that is already meant to be protected is actually being （14），Watson's team reported last month．句意是事实上，已经意图受到保护的3.6%的土地中有三分之一实际上正在被剥削（exploited），Watson的团队上个月报告说。故选A．

15.考查动词辨析。A. developing；B. covering；C. declaring；D. utilizing根据上句In fact， a third of the 3.6 percent of land that is already meant to be protected is actually being （14），可知事实上，已经意图受到保护的3.6%的土地中有三分之一实际上正在被剥削，说明因此，仅声明要保护的区域是不够的。故选C．