Question

How Saving Wildlife Benefits Humans

It’s no secret that we’ve lost an overwhelming number of species within that last four decades. These species have all but _____ due to overpopulation, deforestation, consumer culture, climate change, animal exploitation, and other harming sources — all brought about by mankind.

One of the first great rules of terrestrial (陆地的) biology is “no species is forever.” _____, this rapid loss of species today is estimated to be between1,000and 10,000 times higher  than the natural extinction rate. As increasingly accepted theories have argued, we are now in the midst of the sixth great _____.

The Earth consists of plants, animals, water,  land, the atmosphere, and humans.  Biodiversity (生物多样性) _____ the health of the planet and has a great impact on all our lives. Reduced biodiversity means a future where food supplies are vulnerable (易受攻击的) to pests and disease, and fresh water is  in short supply. If biodiversity _____ impacts  our lives in such big  ways, then our conservation (环保) efforts don’t just benefit the environment, they benefit us, too.

One convincing benefit that comes from wildlife conservation efforts is that it ensures food _____. Wildlife conservation promotes agricultural biodiversity, which plays an important role in building a secure and healthy food system. When agricultural biodiversity is _____ and land  is cleared for agriculture, extensive habitat loss takes place, as well as undocumented loss of species and massive soil erosion (侵蚀).

Another benefit that comes from wildlife conservation is that these _____ protect human health. Conservation International reportsthat “more than 50 percent of modern medicines and more than 90 percent of traditional medicines  come from wild plants  and animals.” _____,  a   world that promotes healthy ecosystems and biodiversity provides crucial buffers (缓冲) between disease and humans. A number of studies have _____ reduced diversity among mammal (哺乳动物 ) species and overall decreases in biodiversity to an increase in the transmission ( 传 播 ) of animal-born diseases to humans.

Perhaps the most convincing benefit that comes from wildlife conservation is that it provides us with _____ whether it be economically or socially. Increasing biodiversity and  healthy ecosystems improve agricultural productivity, thereby allowing farms to become more _____. Healthy ecosystems that are home to unique species _____ tourists from around the world, which helps the local economy and invites in a new fusion of investment.

Our unsustainable, unconscious, self-interested relationship with the environment has led us into an extremely destructible world. If we do not take action and _____ changing our ways, we   are at risk of losing more vital and _____ ecosystems and biodiversity,  or at least until the sixth  great extinction claims one final species: our own.

1.A.changed B.existed C.disappeared D.evolved

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

3.A.extinction B.destruction C.evolution D.immigration

4.A.threatens B.localizes C.strengthens D.endangers

5.A.infrequently B.potentially C.regionally D.directly

6.A.management B.inspection C.development D.security

7.A.identified B.cultivated C.exploited D.valued

8.A.initiatives B.consequences C.intentions D.contributions

9.A.In addition B.After all C.In particular D.By contrast

10.A.adapted B.turned C.adjusted D.linked

11.A.protections B.opportunities C.services D.nutrients

12.A.standard B.welcome C.scarce D.profitable

13.A.discourage B.attract C.forbid D.protect

14.A.feel like B.keep on C.set about D.argue for

15.A.irreplaceable B.unpredictable C.unlimited D.imbalanced

Answer

1.C

2.B

3.A

4.C

5.D

6.D

7.C

8.C

9.A

10.D

11.B

12.D

13.B

14.C

15.A

【解析】

这是一篇议论文。因为各种人类活动，很多动植物濒临灭绝。人们应该采取措施保护生物多样性和生态系统，这样也能让人类自己受益：可以确保食物安全、保护人类健康、更是给人类自己机会。

1.考查动词词义辨析。句意：由于人类带来的人口过剩，森林砍伐，消费文化，气候变化，动物开发和其他危害源，这些物种几乎都消失了。A. changed改变；B. existed存在；C. disappeared消失；D. evolved涉及。前文we’ve lost an overwhelming number of species说明该空意为“消失”，故选C。

2.考查副词词义辨析。句意：然而，据估计，今天物种的快速流失比自然灭绝率高1,000至10,000倍。A. Furthermore此外；B. However然而；C. Therefore因此；D. Otherwise否则。空白前后是转折关系，意为“然而”。故选B。

3.考查名词词义辨析。句意：越来越被接受的理论认为，我们现在正处于第六大灭绝中。A. extinction灭绝；B. destruction毁灭；C. evolution进化；D. immigration移民。前文this rapid loss of species today is estimated to be between1,000and 10,000 times higher than the natural extinction rate. 说明该空意为“灭绝”，故选A。

4.考查动词词义辨析。 句意：生物多样性加强了地球的健康，对我们的生活有很大的影响。A. threatens威胁；B. localizes使局部化；C. strengthens加强增强；D. endangers 危及。根据语境，应该是生物多样性使地球的健康状况增强（strengthen），故选C。

5.考查副词词义辨析。句意：如果生物多样性以这样的方式直接影响我们的生活，那么，我们的环保工作不仅仅有益于环境，也对我们有益。A. infrequently稀少地；B. potentially潜在地；C. regionally地域性地；D. directly直接地。前文Reduced biodiversity means a future where food supplies are vulnerable (易受攻击的) to pests and disease, and fresh water is in short supply.体现的是生物多样性对我们生活的直接（directly）影响。故选D。

6.考查名词词义辨析。句意：野生动物保护工作带来的一个令人信服的好处是它能确保食品安全。A. management管理；B. inspection检查；C. development发展；D. security安全。下文Wildlife conservation promotes agricultural biodiversity, which plays an important role in building a secure and healthy food system.说明是食品安全（security）。故选D。

7.考查动词词义辨析。句意：当生物多样性被开发、土地被开垦为农业用地，栖息地大量丧失，无记录的物种流失和大规模水土流失也在发生。A. identified辨别；B. cultivated耕种；C. exploited开采、开发；D. valued重视。下文land is cleared for agriculture, extensive habitat loss takes place说明该空是说物种多样性被开发（exploit）利用。故选C。

8.考查名词词义辨析。句意：野生动物保护的另一个好处是，这些意图能保护人类健康。A. initiatives主动性；B. consequences结果；C. intentions意图、目的；D. contributions贡献。该处应该是说人们保护野生动物的意图（intention）。故选C。

9.考查介词短语短语辨析。句意：除此以外，一个促进健康的生态系统和生物多样性的世界，在疾病和人类之间提供了至关重要的缓冲。A. In addition除此以外；B. After all毕竟；C. In particular尤其；D. By contrast对比。根据语境，上下文之间应该用除此以外（In addition）连接。故选A。

10.考查动词词义辨析。句意：许多研究将哺乳动物物种多样性和生物多样性总体下降，与动物性疾病向人类传播的增加联系起来。A. adapted改编；B. turned转动；C. adjusted调节；D. linked联系在一起。link sth. to sth.意为“将……和……联系起来”，表示哺乳动物物种多样性和生物多样性总体下降，与动物性疾病向人类传播的增加联系起来。故选D。

11.考查名词词义辨析。句意：也许野生动物保护带来的最令人信服的好处是，无论是经济上还是社会上，它都给我们提供了机会。A. protections保护；B. opportunities机会；C. services服务；D. nutrients营养。根据下文 Increasing biodiversity and healthy ecosystems improve agricultural productivity, thereby allowing farms to become more 12 可知，保护野生动植物给人类提供了机会（opportunity）。故选B。

12.考查形容词词义辨析。句意：增加生物多样性和健康的生态系统能提高农业生产力，从而使农场变得更盈利。A. standard标准的；B. welcome欢迎的；C. scarce缺乏的；D. profitable盈利的。前文improve agricultural productivity说明是盈利的（profitable）。故选D。

13.考查动词词义辨析。句意：拥有独特物种的健康生态系统吸引来自世界各地的游客，有助于地方经济发展，吸引新的投资。A. discourage使气馁；B. attract吸引；C. forbid禁止；D. protect保护。下文which helps the local economy and invites in a new fusion of investment说明吸引了（attract）游客。故选B。

14.考查动词短语辨析。句意：如果我们不立刻采取措施，开始改变我们的方式，我们面临失去更重要的和不可替代的生态系统和生物多样性。A. feel like想要；B. keep on继续；C. set about开始；D. argue for为.......辩护。前文take action说明这里是开始（set about）做事。故选C。

15.考查形容词词义辨析。句意：如果我们不立刻采取措施，开始改变我们的方式，我们面临失去更重要的和不可替代的生态系统和生物多样性。A. irreplaceable不可取代的；B. unpredictable不可预测的；C. unlimited无限制的；D. imbalanced不平衡的。结合上下文以及根据常识可知，生态系统是不可取代的（irreplaceable）。故选A。