Leadinu water scientists have issued one of the sternest warnings yet about global food supplies, saying that the world's population may have to switch almost completely to a vegetarian diet over the next 40 years to avoid catastrophic shortages.

　　Adopting a vegetarian diet is one option to increase the amount of water available to grow more food in an increasingly climate-unstable world, the scientists said. Animal protein-rich food consumes 5 to 10 times more water than a vegetarian diet. One third of the world's arable(適于耕種的) land is used to grow crops to feed animals. Other options to feed people include eliminating waste and increasing trade between countries in food surplus and those in deficit.

　　"900 million people already go hungry and 2 billion people are malnourished in spite of the fact that per capita food production continues to increase," they said. "With 70% of all available water being in agriculture, growing more food to feed an additional 2 billion people by 2050 will place greater pressure on available water and land. "

　　The report is being released at the start of the annual world water conference in Stockholm, Sweden, where 2,500 politicians, UN bodies, non-governmental groups and researchers from 120 countries meet to address global water supply problems.

　　Competition for water between food production and other uses will intensify pressure on essential resources, the scientists said. "The UN predicts that we must increase food production by 70% by mid-century. This will place additional pressure on our 'already stressed water resources, at a time when we also need to allocate more water to satisfy global energy demand--　which is expected to rise 60% over the coming 30 years--and to generate electricity for the 1.3 billion people currently without it," said the report.

　　Overeating, undernourishment and waste are all on the rise and increased food production may face future constraints from water scarcity.

　　"We will need a new recipe to feed the world in the future," said the report's editor, Anders Jagerskog.

　　A separate report from the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) said the best way for countries to protect millions of farmers from food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia was to help them invest in small pumps and simple technology, rather than to develop expensive, large-scale irrigation projects.

　　"Farmem across the developing world are increasingly relying on and benefiting from small-scale,locally-relevant water solutions. These techniques could increase yields up to 300% and add tens of billions of U. S. dollars to household revenues across sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia. " said Dr. Colin Chartres, the director general.

　　仔細閱讀專項訓練選項：

　　1. What can be inferred from the water scientists' warning?

　　A. The record drought forces half of the U. S. to go hungry.

　　B. The record drought drives up food prices m the U. S.

　　C. Severe food shortage may happen without proper measures.

　　D. A vegetarian diet is the only option to avoid disastrous shortages.

　　2. What do the scientists say can be done to increase food supply?

　　A. Grow more animal protein-rich food.

　　B. Turn pastures into arable lands.

　　C. Promote trade between countries self-sufficient in food.

　　D. Increase the amount of water for food production.

　　3. According to the water scientists' report,

　　A. per capita food production has been increasing

　　B. reduced food supply will make more people malnourished

　　C. 70% of water will be used to feed 2 billion people by 2050

　　D. researchers begin to seek solutions to tackle water problem

　　4. In regard to the problem of water supply, scientists believe

　　A. more water should be allocated to satisfy energy demand

　　B. food production must be increased to 70% by mid-century

　　C. energy demand will intensify pressure on water resources

　　D. electricity generation must be increased by 60% 30 years later

　　5. What does the IWMI say is the best solution to food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia?

　　A. Applying small pumps and simple technology.

　　B. Launching large-scale irrigation projects.

　　C. Increase the local household revenues.

　　D. Investing in a new expensive irrigation project.

　　仔細閱讀專項訓練答案：

　　1.C)。由題干中的inferred和water scientists’warnin9定位到原文第二段....saying that the world’s population may have to switch almost completely to a vegetarian diet over the next 40 years to avoid atastrophic shortages.

　　詳解：推理判斷題。本題考查對水資源科學家警示的理解。定位段指出，一些水科學帶頭人發布了一個關于全球糧食供應的最高級警報，指出為了避免災難性的糧食緊缺，在未來的四十年，世界人口的飲食可能不得不幾乎全轉換為素食，故答案為C)。A)“創紀錄的干旱使得一半美國人挨餓”，文中第一段指出，這次干旱對大半個美國造成影響，故排除;B)“創紀錄的旱災抬高了美國的食物價格”，文中的is expected t0表示人們的預測而不是事實，故排除;D)“素食成為避免災害性食物短缺的唯一選擇”，文中說的這是一種選擇，而不是唯一選擇，故排除。

　　2.D)。由題干中的scientists和increase food supply定位到原文第三段第一句：Adopting a vegetarian diet is one option to increase the amount of water available to grow more food in an increasingly climate-unstable world，the scientists said.

　　詳解： 事實細節題。本題考查科學家對于增加食物供應量的建議。定位句指出，科學家指出，素食的飲食習慣是在逐漸不穩定的氣候條件下增加用來生產更多的食物的可用水資源總量的一種選擇，故答案為D)。A)“出產更多富含蛋白質的動物食物”，該段第二句指出動物蛋白質食物要消耗大量的水資源，故不適宜，排除;B)“退牧還耕”，該段第三句指明世界三分之一的耕種土地用于種植喂養動物的食物，即使耕地多也不是多產食物給人們。故排除;C)“增進與自給自足國家間的貿易往來”，該段最后一句指出要讓那些糧食有剩余和那些有短缺的國家加強貿易聯系，故排除。

　　3.A)。由題干中的the water scientists’report定位到文中第四段第一句：“900 million people already go hungry and 2 billion people are malnourished in spite of the fact that per capita food 　　production continues to increase，”they said.

　　詳解：事實細節題。本題考查對水資源科學家研究報告的理解。文中第四段第一句指出，科學家們說： “盡管人均糧食產量在持續增加，但仍有9億人正在挨餓，20億人營養不良，故答案為A)。B)“糧食供給量減使更多的人營養不良”，文中說的是人均糧食產量在持續增加，而非減少，故排除;C)“到2050年，70%的水將用來解決20億人口的飲水問題”.文中指出是給額外的20億人種植食物，故排除;D)“研究者們開始尋找解決水資源問題的辦法”，水資源科學家研究報告中未提及這一點，故排除。

　　4.c)。由題干中的the problem of water supply和scientists believe定位到文中第六段第一句：Competition for water between food production and other uses will intensify pressure on essential esources，the scientists said.和第三句：…at a time when we also need to allocate more water to satisfy global energy demand…

　　詳解：觀點態度題。本題考查科學家對于水資源供給的態度。文中第六段第一句指出，報告中提到，“聯合國預測，到本世紀中葉，我們必須增加70%的糧食產量。這會給本就緊張的水資源造成更大的壓力”。第三句指出，“與此同時，我們需要分配更多的水資源來滿足世界能源的需求”，故答案為c)。A)“更多的水資源應該分配給能源生產”，這是聯合國報告中陳述的一個事實，而不是科學家們的觀點，故排除;B)“到本世紀中葉，糧食產量必須增加到70%”，這個目標是聯合國制定的而不是水資源科學家所為，故排除;D)“30年后電力資源使用人口將增加60%”，由該段最后一句可知，是增加60%的能源資源而不是使用人口，故排除。

　　5.A)。由題干中的the best solution to food insecurity in sub—Saharan Africa and south Asia定位到原文倒數第二段：A separate report from…Was to help協em invest in small pumps and simple technology，rather than to develop expensive，large—scale irrigation projects.

　　詳解：事實細節題。本題考查解決撒哈拉以南非洲地區及南亞缺水問題的最佳途徑。定位段指出，在撒哈拉以南非洲地區和南亞地區，防止農民遭受糧食危機的最好方法是幫助他們投資建造小型水泵和使用簡單的技術，這遠遠好于開發昂貴的、大規模的灌溉工程，故答案為A)。根據該段最后一句提到的rather than to develop expensive，large—scale irrigation projects，排除B)“發起大規模的灌溉工程”和D)“投資建立昂貴的新灌溉工程”;C)“增加當地人們的收入”，這是改善水資源技術所帶來的接過，故排除。