搜索
新世纪大学英语综合教程4第四册课文原文.txtManintheRealmofNatureNaturenurturesmankindunselfishlywithitsrichresources.Yet,manissocarriedawayinhistransformationofnaturethatheisunawarethatitalsohaslimitationsandneedsconstantcare.Nowwornbytheexcessivedemandsofmankind,natureisunabletomaintaintheecologicalbalanceneeded.Humanityisfacedwiththeproblemofhowtostop,oratleasttomoderate,thedestructionofMotherNature.AlexanderSpirkinHumanbeingsliveintherealmofnature.Theyareconstantlysurroundedbyitandinteractwithit.Manisconstantlyawareoftheinfluenceofnatureintheformoftheairhebreathes,thewaterhedrinks,andthefoodheeats.Weareconnectedwithnaturebybloodtiesandwecannotliveoutsidenature.Manisnotonlyadwellerinnature,healsotransformsit.Humanityconvertsnature'swealthintothemeansofthecultural,historicallifeofsociety.Manhassubduedanddisciplinedelectricityandcompelledittoservetheinterestsofsociety.Notonlyhasmantransferredvariousspeciesofplantsandanimalstodifferentclimaticconditions,hehasalsochangedtheshapeandclimateofhisenvironmentandtransformedplantsandanimals.Associetydevelops,mantendstobecomelessdependentonnaturedirectly,whileindirectlyhisdependencegrows.Ourdistantancestorslivedinfearofnature'sdestructiveforces.Veryoftentheywereunabletoobtainthemerestdailynecessities.However,despitetheirimperfecttools,theyworkedtogetherstubbornly,collectively,andwereabletoattainresults.Naturewasalsochangedthroughinteractionwithman.Forestsweredestroyedandtheareaoffarmlandincreased.Naturewithitselementalforceswasregardedassomethinghostiletoman.Theforest,forexample,wassomethingwildandfrighteningandpeopletriedtoforceittoretreat.Thiswasalldoneinthenameofcivilisation,whichmeanttheplaceswheremanhadmadehishome,wheretheearthwascultivated,wheretheforesthadbeencutdown.Butastimegoesonmankindbecomesincreasinglyconcernedwiththequestionofwhereandhowtoobtainirreplaceablenaturalresourcesfortheneedsofproduction.Scienceandman'spracticaltransformingactivitieshavemadehumanityawareoftheenormousgeologicalroleplayedbytheindustrialtransformationoftheearth.Atpresentthepreviousdynamicbalancebetweenmanandnatureand第1页新世纪大学英语综合教程4第四册课文原文.txtbetweennatureandsocietyasawhole,hasshownominoussignsofbreakingdown.Theproblemoftheso-calledreplaceableresourcesofthebiospherehasbecomeparticularlyacute.Itisgettingmoreandmoredifficulttosatisfytheneedsofhumanbeingsandsocietyevenforsuchasubstance,forexample,asfreshwater.Theproblemofeliminatingindustrialwasteisalsobecomingincreasinglycomplex.Moderntechnologyisdistinguishedbyaneverincreasingabundanceofproducedandusedsyntheticgoods.Hundredsofthousandsofsyntheticmaterialsarebeingmade.Peopleincreasinglycovertheirbodiesfromheadtofootinnylonandothersynthetic,glitteringfabricsthatareobviouslynotgoodforthem.Youngpeoplemayhardlyfeelthis,andtheypaymoreattentiontoappearancethantohealth.Buttheybecomemoreawareofthisharmfulinfluenceastheygrowolder.Astimegoesonthesyntheticoutputofproductionturnsintowaste,andthensubstancesthatintheiroriginalformwerenotverytoxicaretransformedinthecycleofnaturalprocessesintoaggressiveagents.Todaybothnaturalscientistsandphilosophersareaskingthemselvesthequestion:Isman'sdestructionofthebiosphereinevitable?Theman-naturerelation–thecrisisoftheecologicalsituation–isaglobalproblem.ItssolutionliesinrationalandwiseorganizationofbothproductionitselfandcareforMotherNature,notjustbyindividuals,enterprisesorcountries,butbyallhumanity.Oneofthewaystodealwiththecrisissituationintheman-naturesystemistousesuchresourcesassolarenergy,thepowerofwinds,therichesoftheseasandoceansandother,asyetunknownnaturalforcesoftheuniverse.Buttoreturntoourtheme,thebittertruthisthatthosehumanactionswhichviolatethelawsofnature,theharmonyofthebiosphere,threatentobringdisasterandthisdisastermayturnouttobeuniversal.HowaptthenarethewordsofancientOrientalwisdom:liveclosertonature,myfriends,anditseternallawswillprotectyou!Extinctions,PastandPresentManandwildlifearesupposedtoliveinharmony,buthumanintrusionhasdrivenalargenumberofspeciestoextinction.Itishightimethatwetookupthecauseofwildlifeconservation;otherwise,thepriceforustopayinthe第2页新世纪大学英语综合教程4第四册课文原文.txtfuturewillbeextremelyhigh.Inthefollowingessay,theauthorcallsforaglobalfundforwildlifeconservation.RichardLeakeyIspentsomeofthemostexcitingdaysofmylifeworkingontheeasternshoresofKenya'sLakeTurkanasearchingforthefossilizedremains(遗体)ofourearlyancestors.Wedidnotalwaysfindwhatwewanted,buteverydaytherewasmuchmoretodiscoverthanthetracesofourownancestors.Thefossils,somequitecomplete,othersmerefragments,spokeofanotherworldinwhichtheancestorsofmanyoftoday'sAfricanmammals(哺乳动物)wanderedtherichgrasslandandforestedgesbetween1.5millionand2millionyearsago.TheenvironmentwasnottoodifferentfromthewettergrasslandsofAfricatoday,butitwasfullofamazinganimalsthatarenowlongextinct(绝种的).ThatwastruenotjustforAfrica.Thefossilrecordtellsthesamestoryeverywhere.Itisestimatedthatmorethan95％ofthespeciesthathaveexistedoverthepast600millionyearsaregone.So,shouldwebeconcernedaboutthecurrentrateofextinction(灭绝),whichhasbeenacceleratedbytheconstantexpansionofagricultureandind