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Wilderness
"In wilderness(荒野) is the preservation of the world." This is a famous saying from a writer regarded
as one of the fathers of environmentalism. The frequency with which it is borrowed mirrors a heated
debate on environmental protection: whether to place wilderness at the heart of what is to be preserved.
As John Sauven of Greenpeace UK points out, there is a strong appeal in images of the wild, the
untouched; more than anything else, they speak of the nature that many people value most dearly. The
urge to leave the subject of such images untouched is strong, and the danger exploitation(開發(fā)) brings to
such landscapes(景觀) is real. Some of these wildernesses also perform functions that humans need-the
rainforests, for example, store carbon in vast quantities. To Mr.Sauven, these "ecosystem services" far
outweigh the gains from exploitation.
Lee Lane, a visiting fellow at the Hudson Institute, takes the opposing view. He acknowledges that
wildernesses do provide useful services, such as water conservation. But that is not, he argues, a reason
to avoid all human presence, or indeed commercial and industrial exploitation. There are ever more
people on the Earth, and they reasonably and rightfully want to have better lives, rather than merely
struggle for survival. While the ways of using resources have improved, there is still a growing need for
raw materials, and some wildernesses contain them in abundance. If they can be tapped without reducing
the services those wildernesses provide, the argument goes, there is no further reason not to do so. Being
untouched is not, in itself, a characteristic worth valuing above all others.
I look forwards to seeing these views taken further, and to their being challenged by the other
participants. One challenge that suggests itself to me is that both cases need to take on the question of
spiritual value a little more directly. And there is a practical question as to whether wildernesses can be
exploited without harm.
This is a topic that calls for not only free expression of feelings, but also the guidance of reason. What
position wilderness should enjoy in the preservation of the world obviously deserves much more serious
thinking.
1. John Sauven holds that_____.
A. many people value nature too much
B. exploitation of wildernesses is harmful
C. wildernesses provide humans with necessities
D. the urge to develop the ecosystem services is strong
2. What is the main idea of Para. 3?
A. The exploitation is necessary for the poor people.
B. Wildernesses cannot guarantee better use of raw materials.
C. Useful services of wildernesses are not the reason for no exploitation.
D. All the characteristics concerning the exploitation should be treated equally.
3. What is the author's attitude towards this debate?
A. Objective.
B. Disapproving.
C. Sceptical.
D. Optimistic.
4. Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
A.
B.
C.
D.
CP: Central PointP: PointSp: Sub-point(次要點)C: Conclusion
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