戴爾美語練功坊 托福閱讀實力測驗題 5/20 - 英檢

戴爾美語練功坊 托福閱讀實力測驗試題(5/20日)

Solving Deforestation problems

As more and more countries around the globe move towards
industrialization in an attempt to compete in the global market, an
environmental crisis over deforestation --- the cutting down, burning
and general damaging of forests --- is looming for mankind. Over the
last several decades, environmental specialists have proposed various
strategies aimed at slowing down this process of deforestation in
developing countries. Many of these proposals are indeed valuable
ideas in that they are realistic attempts to address some of the causes
of deforestation, such as farming, cattle ranching, and commercial
logging. All of them rely on government involvement of some kind.

There are three broad categories of solutions: state economic policies,
internal agreements, and international programs. Economic policies
generally attempt to limit the activity of small farmers through
government actions. Government actions can include the clear and
proper definition and enforcement of property rights, meaning that
squatting, or illegally settling on land, would be more difficult. Subsidies
can be used to encourage conservation. That is, money may be paid to
supplement the income of those farmers who make an effort to reduce
the usual amount of damage to the forest that their farms cause. In
addition, taxes can act as a deterrent to undesirable land use. For
example, certain kinds of agriculture, like the slash-and-burn method,
as well as cattle ranching, may be taxed to discourage these activities.

An internal agreement may be made between governments and
indigenous or native people living in the moist rainforests and open
woodlands of the tropics, where the vast majority of this deforestation
is occurring. Such an agreement would allow people to carry on
traditional activities adapted for some economic benefit. One example
is the rubber-tappers in Brazil. These native people draw sap from
rubber trees in the rainforest, without damaging or killing the trees.
The sap, in turn, is sold to rubber companies, thereby providing the
native people with economic benefits.

Finally, international agreements usually involve the exchange of
monetary aid in return for government action to protect its forests. One
such plan seeks to help play a nation's debt in exchange for restrictions
on certain kinds of activities in rainforests. This is appealing for a poor
country such as Brazil, which has an international debt of $160 billion.
Instead of selling logging concessions to play down that obligation, the
government receives money for banning or restricting logging in its
forests. There is also the proposal of a global fund created in order to
grant money to countries that choose to protect their environments.
While all of these ideas could possibly work, it remains to be seen
whether there will be any real progress in rainforest conservation.

It is clear that something must be done to protect the forests of the world.
If the current rate of deforestation continues, the world's rainforests
will vanish within 100 years, causing numerous adverse effects on global
climate and eliminating the majority of plant and animal species on the
planet. Deforestation significantly increases the amount of carbon dioxide
(CO2) released into the atmosphere each year, which in turn causes an
increase in global temperatures. Also, scientists speculate that the tropical
rainforests, though covering only seven percent of the Earth's dry
surface, contain more than half of the 5 million to 80 million species of
plants and animals that comprise the " biodiversity " of the planet.
The loss of species resulting from radical climate change will have a
drastic effect. The Earth is losing species every day that could potentially
prevent cancer or lead to a cure for AIDS. In addition, other organisms
are losing species they depend upon, and thus face extinction themselves.
Unless some form of concrete solution for deforestation is enacted
quickly, the survival of all creatures living on Earth could be in jeopardy.

Translation (譯文)
著全球越來越多國家邁入工業化並企圖在全球市場中與他國較勁之同時, 一項對於砍伐森林之環境危險也已引起人類的注意. 對於森林之危害包括, 砍伐, 焚燬, 及對森林一般之破壞. 在過去數十年間, 環境保護專家針對了開發中國家毀壞森林之過程提議各式各樣的策略以其減緩其破壞速度. 其中有許多的建議的確是相當有參考價值的想法, 在此中他們真實地試圖說明一些毀損森林的原因 , 諸如農業, 牛群放牧, 及商業伐木等. 所有這些都端賴政府某種程度的投入方能將情勢逆轉.

目前有三個範疇的解決之道, 國家經濟政策, 內部協議, 及國際計畫. 經濟政策著眼於透過政府的行動試圖限制其小農夫的活動. 政府行動可涵蓋其清楚及適度之定義級財產權的實施, 此意味著違章建築或非法佔據土地都將變得更困難. 獎勵金可以使用來鼓勵加強保育. 那也就是說, 對於那些努力減少他們農地對於森林的破壞的農民 , 錢可以來支付並補貼農民的收入. 此外, 稅賦亦可充當任意使用土地的阻礙物. 例如, 某些種類的農業, 像是砍伐燃燒方式及牛群的放牧也許都可藉由課稅來阻止這些破壞森林的活動.
內部協議可以經由政府及長年居住在潮濕雨林中及熱帶的森林區的原住民或當地人民來制定-此區乃是絕大多數破壞森林發生之區域. 此項協議將允許人們繼續進行當地傳統之主要的經濟活動. 其中一例就是在巴西的橡膠樹. 這些原住民在熱帶雨林裡, 從橡膠樹切割擷取汁液, 而不損害或造成該橡膠數的死亡. 接著, 這汁液賣給橡膠公司, 藉此提供當地民眾經濟收入利益.

最後, 國際間的協議通常包括金錢援助俾使交換其政府採取行動保護森林. 此計畫尋求支付協助該國清償債務作為交換以期使破壞雨林行動得以遏阻. 此協議引起窮國---巴西的高度興趣, 因該國有高達 $ 一千六百億的外債. 並非出售伐木之開採權以支付債務, 巴西政府收到此金緣用以禁止或限制森林區之砍伐. 另外, 還有一個專門設計為了給予那些選擇來保護環境的政府金援的全球基金的建議. 然而, 固然這些的方案可能都行得通, 但一切都須由雨林保育的實際進展來看出其成效.

的確, 我們對於保護世界的森林必須有所作為. 假如以目前的破壞森林的速率持續下去, 那麼世界上雨林將在100年內消失殆盡, 因而導致對於全球氣候產生不利的影響, 也會使地球上大多數的動植物種類滅絕. 砍伐森林每年都重大地增加排放到大氣中二氧化碳的數量, 如此一來將導致全球溫度的上升. 而且, 科學家們也推估著, 雖然雨林只佔有地球乾燥表面約七 % , 但是它卻涵養著組成地球生物多樣性的二百五十萬到四百多萬種動植物. 導源於氣候劇烈變遷而失去這些物種將造成一個嚴重的影響. 地球每天都正失去潛在性可能預防癌症或治療愛滋病的物種. 此外,
其他的生物也正失去其賴以為生的物種, 進而導致其面臨絕跡. 除非對於砍伐森林之具體解決辦法可以盡快地執行, 否則存活於地球的萬物其生存都將陷入絕境.

Vocabulary：
1. industrialization (n.) 工業化
2. attempt (n.) (v.) 嘗試 ; 企圖
3. compete (v.) 競爭 = vie ; contest ; rival , emulate ; contend ; pit
4. deforestation (n.) 砍伐森林
5. afforestation (n.) 造林
6. mankind (n.) 人類 = human beings ; humanity ; humankind
7. loom (v.) 隱現; 逐漸浮現 = emerge
8. strategy (n.) 戰略 ; 策略 = stratagem ; scheme ; tactics
9. ranch (v.) 放牧 = graze ; pasture ; herd
10. log (v.) (n) 伐木 ; 原木 logging (n.) 伐木
11. category (n.) 範疇 ; 種類 categorize (v.)
→ fall into the category of …. 分類
12. solution (n.) 解決之道
13. internal (n.) 內部的 = interior ; inside
14. proper (adj.) 適當的 = appropriate ; suitable ; pertinent ; apropos ;
apposite; applicable ; germane ; apt
15. enforce (v.) 實施 ; 執行 = execute ; perform ; effectuate ; fulfill
16. squat (v.) 違章建築
17.illegal (adj.) 違法的 = illicit ; illegitimate ; unlawful
18. subsidy (n.) 津貼 ; 補助金 = grant ; stipend ; allowance
19. supplement (v.) 增添 ; 補充 = replenish
20. effort (n.) 努力 = endeavor ; exertion ; struggle ; striving
→ make efforts / endeavors to …
21. deterrent (n.) 制止物 ; 阻斷物 = obstacle ; stranglehold ; hindrance ;
impediment ; blockage
22. undesirable (adj. ) 不合意的
23. slash (v.) 砍 ; 劈 = hack ; hew ; chop ; gash
25. slash-and-burn (n.) 刀耕火種法(指將地上的草木燒成灰當肥料之耕作方法)
26. rubber-taper (n.) 採集橡膠汁液者 tap (v.) 開洞 ; 開發
27. discourage (v.) 阻止 ; 使氣餒 = deter ; dissuade
28. adapt (v.) 適應 = adjust ; accommodate ; orientate
29. indigenous (adj.) 土著的 = aboriginal ; native
30. moist (adj.) 潮濕的 = humid ; wet ; damp ; dank ; arid 乾燥的
31. vast (adj.) 巨大的 = huge ; tremendous ; massive; enormous ;
immense ; mammoth ; colossal ; prodigious ;
gigantic ; gargantuan ; stupendous
32. sap (n.) 汁液
33. monetary (adj.) 金錢的 = fiscal ; financial ; pecuniary
34. restrict (v.) 限制 = limit ; confine ; circumscribe
35. appeal (v.) 吸引 = attract ; charm ; allure ; seduce ; entice
36. concession (n.) 特許權 ; 讓與 concede (v.)
37. obligation (n.) 義務; 責任 = compulsion ; responsibility ; liability;
accountability
38. grant (v.) 給予 = impart ; confer ; bestow
39. adverse (adj.) 不利的 = unfavorable ; inimical ; contrary ;
disadvantageous
39. adversity (n.) 逆境
40. vanish (v.) 消失 = disappear ; dissipate ; evanesce
41. eliminate (v.) 去除 = extirpate ; exterminate ; eradicate ; rid ; root out
42. significant (adj.) 重要的 = crucial ; critical ; pivotal ; vital ; momentous ;
monumental
43. speculate (v.) 推測 = conjecture ; surmise ; guess
思索 = meditate ; ponder ; muse ; ruminate ; deliberate ;
cogitate ; contemplate
44. comprise (v.) 組成 = be made up with ; be composed of ; consist of
45. biodiversity (n.) 生物多樣性
46. radical (adj.) 激烈的 = drastic ; violent ; vehement ; rampant ; furious ;
fierce ; turbulent
47. concrete (adj.) 具體的 = substantial ; tangible ; corporeal
48. enact (v.) 制定 = ordain ; constitute
49. creature (n.) 生物 = organism
50. jeopardy (n.) 危險 = danger ; peril ; hazard ; risk



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