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中国对全球绿化的巨大贡献，大部分来自保护和扩大森林等的一系列举措，而印度大部分新增绿化面积来自粮食作物的集约种植。本文节选自2019年《自然可持续发展》的调查研究报告，作者艾比·他博（Abby Tabor）是美国宇航局艾姆斯研究中心的一名研究员。
The greening phenomenon was first detected using satellite data in the mid 1990s by Ranga Myneni of Boston University and colleagues,but they did not know whether human activity was one of its chief,direct causes.This new insight was made possible by a nearly 20-year-long data record from a NASA instrument orbiting the Earth on two satellites.It’s called the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer,or MODIS,and its high-resolution data provides very accurate information,helping researchers work out details of what’s happening with Earth’s vegetation,down to the level of 500 meters,or about 1,600 feet,on the ground.
“This long-term data lets us dig deeper,”said Rama Nemani,a research scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center,in California’s Silicon Valley,and a co author of the new work.“When the greening of the Earth was first observed,we thought it was due to a warmer,wetter climate and fertilization from the added carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,leading to more leaf growth in northern forests,for instance.Now,with the MODIS data that lets us understand the phenomenon at really small scales,we see that humans are also contributing.”
China’s outsized contribution to the global greening trend comes in large part(42%)from programs to conserve and expand forests.These were developed in an effort to reduce the effects of soil erosion,air pollution and climate change.Another 32%there—and 82%of the greening seen in India—comes from intensive cultivation of food crops.
Land area used to grow crops is comparable in China and India—more than 770,000 square miles—and has not changed much since the early 2000s.Yet these regions have greatly increased both their annual total green leaf area and their food production.This was achieved through multiple cropping practices,where a field is replanted to produce another harvest several times a year.Production of grains,vegetables,fruits and more have increased by about 35~40%since 2000 to feed their large populations.
How the greening trend may change in the future depends on numerous factors,both on a global scale and the local human level.For example,increased food production in India is facilitated by groundwater irrigation.If the groundwater is depleted,this trend may change.
“But,now that we know direct human influence is a key driver of the greening Earth,we need to factor this into our climate models,”Nemani said.“This will help scientists make better predictions about the behavior of different Earth systems,which will help countries make better decisions about how and when to take action.”
The researchers point out that the gain in greenness seen around the world and dominated by India and China does not offset the damage from loss of natural vegetation in tropical regions,such as Brazil and Indonesia.The consequences for sustainability and biodiversity in those ecosystems remain.
Overall,Nemani sees a positive message in the new findings.“Once people realize there’s a problem,they tend to fix it,”he said.“In the 70s and 80s in India and China,the situation around vegetation loss wasn’t good;in the 90s,people realized it;and today things have improved.Humans are incredibly resilient.That’s what we see in the satellite data.”
（569 words）
Words
Phrases and Expressions
Proper Names
Exercises
Ⅰ.According to Text A,answer the questions by choosing A,B,C or D.
1.What have the colleagues in Boston University first detected?
A.There is the greening phenomenon.
B.What’s happening with Earth’s vegetation.
C.Whether human activity was one of its chief,direct causes.
D.A NASA instrument is orbiting the Earth on two satellites.
2.What does MODIS data make us understand?
A.A warmer,wetter climate is leading to more leaf growth in northern forests.
B.Fertilization from the added carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is leading to the greening phenomenon.
C.The greening phenomenon is at really small scales.
D.The greening of the Earth was first observed.
3.What do researchers point out?
A.The gain in greenness seen around the world offset the damage from loss of natural vegetation in tropical regions,such as Brazil and Indonesia.
B.The consequences for sustainability and biodiversity in those ecosystems does not remain.
C.The greening phenomenon dominated by India and China does not offset the damage.
D.There is no damage from loss of natural vegetation in tropical regions.
4.What is the real factor for the greening phenomenon around the world?
A.China’s programs to conserve and expand forests.
B.India’s intensive cultivation of food crops.
C.Both A and B.
D.A warmer,wetter climate.
5.What’s the author’s attitude toward this new finding?
A.Positive B.Negative C.Unconcerned D.Indifferent
Ⅱ.Fill in the blanks with the words or expressions given below.Change form where necessary.Each word can be used only once.
1.We know ourselves that our behavior is____a complicated cluster of the situation and our personal natures.
2.The increase in pay costs was more than____by higher productivity.
3.Emotional trauma is one of the quickest and easiest ways to____your energy reserves in an instant.
4.The new airport will____the development of tourism.
5.Farmers were supposed to get an income____to that of townspeople.
6.Mill’s point is that the higher pleasures do require____and appreciation and education.
7.There is a big increase in U.N.aid to help developing countries____their forests.
8.This helps you____problems before your customers do.
9.By the 1970s,these were causing extensive damage to_______.
10.The study on____diversity should be strengthened.
Ⅲ.Translate the following sentences into Chinese.
1.The index system of sustainability measure of water environment is constructed by wetland water environment structure,the state of wetland functions and human factors.
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2.And there are actually multiple versions of some of the plays.And perhaps the most famous of all lines from one of the plays is from Hamlet.
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3.In the United States,our challenge is to create a more stable and more resilient financial system,with stronger protections for consumer and investors.
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4.Scientists use the word“biodiversity”to describe the existence of many kinds of plants,animals and other organisms.
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5.I do so because I realize that everything that I have attained in my career is in a large part due to her unconditional love and support.
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Ⅳ.Translate the following sentences into English.
1.但是，不是所有的人都喜欢这样的社会现象。
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2.阿诺德能察觉到老人脸上的某种悲伤。
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3.火箭发射了两颗通信卫星。
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4.这些工厂在那个周末关闭以节省能源。
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5.这本书预期将占据畅销书榜首的位置。
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