2015年军考英语专升本模拟题一

2015年军考专升本模拟题一UsingLandWiselyAveryimportantworldproblem,—infactIaminclinedtosayitisthemostimportantofallthegreatworldproblemswhichfaceusatthepresenttime—istherapidlyincreasingpressureofpopulationonlandandonlandresources.Itisnotsomuchtheactualpopulationoftheworldbutitsrateofincreasewhichisimportant.Itworksouttobeabout1.6percentperannumnetincrease.Intermsofnumbersthismeanssomethinglikefortytofifty-fivemillionadditionalpeopleeveryyear.Canadahasapopulationoftwentymillion—ratherlessthansixmonths'climbintheworldpopulation.TakeAustralia.TherearetenmillionpeopleinAustralia.So,it,takestheworldlessthanthreemonthstoaddtoitselfapopulationwhichpeoplesthatvastcountry.Letustakeourowncrowdedcountry—EnglandandWales:forty-fivetofiftymillionpeople—justaboutayear'ssupply.Bythistimetomorrow,andeveryday,therewillbeaddedtotheearthabout120,000extrapeople—justaboutthepopulationofthecityofYork.Iamnottalkingaboutbirthrate.Thisisnetincrease.Togiveyousomeideaofbirthrate,lookatthesecondshandofyourwatch.Everysecondthreebabiesarebornsomewhereintheworld.Anotherbaby!Anotherbaby!Anotherbaby!Youcannotspeakquicklyenoughtokeeppacewiththebirthrate.Thisenormousincreaseofpopulationwillcreateimmenseproblems.ByA.D.2000,unlesssomethingdesperatehappens,therewillbeasmanyas7,000,000,000peopleonthesurfaceofthisearth!Sothisisaproblemwhichyouaregoingtoseeinyourlifetime.Whyisthisenormousincreaseinpopulationtakingplace?ItisreallyduetothespreadoftheknowledgeandthepracticeofwhatiscomingtobecalledDeathControl.YouhaveheardofBirthControl?DeathControlissomethingratherdifferent.DeathControlrecognizestheworkofthedoctorsandthenursesandthehospitalsandthehealthservicesinkeepingalivepeoplewho,afewyearsago,wouldhavediedofsomeoftheincrediblyseriouskillingdiseases,astheyusedtobe.Squalidconditions,whichwecanremedybyanimprovedstandardofliving,causedalotofdiseaseanddirt.Medicalexaminationsatschoolcatchdiseasesearlyandensurehealthierschoolchildren.Scientistsareatworkstampingoutmalariaandothermoredeadlydiseases.Ifyouareseriouslyillthereisanambulancetotakeyoutoamodernhospital.Medicalcarehelpstokeeppeoplealivelonger.Weusedtothinkseventywasagoodage;noweighty,ninety,itmaybe,arecomingtoberecognizedasanormalageforhumanbeings.PeoplearelivinglongerbecauseoftheDeathControl,andfewerchildrenaredying,sothepopulationoftheworldisshootingup.ImaginethepositionifyouandIandeveryoneelselivingonearthsharedthesurfacebetweenus.Howmuchshouldwehaveeach?Itwouldbejustovertwelveacres—thesortofsizeofasmallholding.Butnotallthatisusefullandwhichisgoingtoproducefood.Wecancutoutone-fifthofit,forexample,asbeingtoocold.Thatislandwhichiscoveredwithiceandsnow—AntarcticaandGreenlandandthegreatfrozenareasofnorthernCanada.Thenwecancutoutanotherfifthasbeingtoodry—thegreatdesertsoftheworldliketheSaharaandtheheartofAustraliaandotherareaswherethereisnoknownwatersupplytofeedcropsandsotoproducefood.Thenwecancutoutanotherfifthasbeingtoomountainousorwithtoogreatanelevationabovesealevel.Thenwecancutoutanothertenthaslandwhichhasinsufficientsoil,probablyjustrockatthesurface.Now,outofthetwelveacresonlyaboutfourareleftassuitableforproducingfood.Butnotallthatisused.Itincludeslandwithenoughsoilandenoughrainfallorwater,andenoughheatwhich,atpresent,wearenotusing,suchas,forexample,thegreatAmazonforestsandtheCongoforestandthegrasslandsofAfrica.Howmuchareweactuallyusing?Onlyalittleoveroneacreiswhatisrequiredtosupportonehumanbeingonanaverageatthepresenttime.Nowwecometothenextpoint,andthatis,thehavesandthehave-notsamongstthecountriesoftheworld.Thestandardshareperpersonfortheworldisalittleovertwelveacresperhead;potentiallyusable,aboutfouracres;andactuallyusedabout1.1acre.WeareveryoftentoldinBritaintotaketheUnitedStatesasanexampleofwhatisdoneorwhatmightbedone.EverylittleAmericanisbornintothisworldwithaheritageofthehomecountry,thecontinentalUnitedStates,ofjustabouttheworldaverage—abouttwelveacres.WecanestimatethatprobablysomesixacresofthetotaloftwelveoftheAmericanhomelandiscultivableinthesenseIhavejustgivenyou.Buttheamountactuallyused—whattheAmericanscallimprovedlandincropsandpastureonfarms—isthreeandahalfacres.SotheAmericanshaveoverthreetimestheworldaverageoflandonwhichtoproducefoodforthemselves.Onthatlandtheyproducemorefoodthantheyactuallyrequire,sotheyhaveasurplusforexport.NowsupposewetaketheUnitedStatesgreatneighbourtothenorth,Canada.EveryCanadianhas140acrestoroamaroundin.Alotofitisawayinthefrozennorth,butthereisstillanenormousareaoflandinCanadawaitingtobesettledanddeveloped.Theofficialfigureistwenty-twoacres.TheCanadiansuseatthemomentfouracres,andtheytoohavealargefoodsurplusavailableforexport.Nowturntoourowncountry.Includinglandofallsorts,thereisjustoveroneacreperheadintheUnitedKingdomofGreatBritainandNorthernIreland.Thatiswhywehavetobesoverycarefulwithit.Howmuchdoweactuallyuse?Justoverhalfanacretoproducefood—thatisasfarmland.ThestoryismuchthesameifyouseparateoffNorthernIrelandandScotlandandjusttakeEnglandandWales.Inthisverycrowdedcountry,wehaveonly0.8acresperheadoflandofallsortstodoeverythingwithwhichweneed.Thatiswhywehavetothinksover