Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answ

For questions 1-4, mark

Y (for YES) if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage;

N (for NO) if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage;

NG (for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage.

For questions 5-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.

The Choice: Doomsday or Arbor Day

Environmental issues affect every life on this planet from the smallest parasite to the human race. The reason for this is simple. A single disruption in the Earth's delicate balance can mean certain destruction of the very place that cradles the lives of many species. One such issue that requires consideration is deforestation. Trees have been or are being cut down at increasingly high rates. If this is not stopped many unfavorable and irreversible effects could result.

Why Trees Matter

To understand why deforestation is such a pressing and urgent issue, forests must first be given credit for what they bring to global ecosystems and the quality of life that all species maintain. Tropical Rainforests presently give a place to call home for 50%—90% of all organisms, 90% of our relatives, the primates, and 50 million creatures that can live no place but the rich rainforests. Not only are other species at risk, but the human race also benefits from what the trees give. From something as minor as the spices that indulge food to life-giving medicines, the rainforests amplify and save lives. The forests give life, not only to other species, but they help to prolong the human race.

Population Growth and Deforestation

So this leads into a very confusing question of the 20th century. Why are these trees being torn down？ The World Wide Forest Report found that when the Roman Empire was in control of Europe 90% of the continent was forested. Today 500,000 hectors vanish in a single week. There is no one easy answer as there are many causes at the root of deforestation. One is overpopulation in cities and developing countries. Population is continually growing in the third world. Some had land until increases in population forced them off it and they became landless peasants that are forced to look for land in the untouched forests. This movement to the forests is in some ways a result of government pressures. In place of implementing programs to help the poor these governments concentrate on the cheapest and easiest way to keep poverty out of sight and give the poor no other choice but to force other species out and themselves in. The poor are pushed in further and further and destroy more every time they must move on.

Logging and Deforestation

The small farmer plays a big role, but it is modem industry that too cuts down the trees. The logging industry is fueled by the need for disposable products. 11 million acres a year are cut for commercial and property industries. Peter Heller found that McDonald's needs 800 square miles of trees to make the amount of paper they need for a year's supply of packaging. British Columbia is reported to manufacture 7, 500,000 pairs of chopsticks a day, and there is also the high demand for fuel wood. Logging does too have its repercussions(影响).

Cattle Grazing and Deforestation

Another of the more devastating forces behind deforestation is cattle grazing. With the international growth of fast food chains this seems to be an evident factor in the clearing of trees today. Large corporations looking to buy beef for hamburger and even pet food seek cheap prices and are finding them with the growth of cattle grazing. In the Amazon r

A．Y

B．N

C．NG