阅读理解。
Sustainable development is applied to just about everything from energy to clean water and economic
growth, and as a result it has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way
the concept is put to use. This is especially true in agriculture, where sustainable development is often taken
as the measure of progress without a proper appreciation of historical and cultural perspectives.
To start with, it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout
history, and will continue to do so. Medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed, clothed and sheltered a mainly
rural society with a much lower population density than it is today. It had minimal effect on biodiversity, and
any pollution it caused was typically localized. In terms of energy use and the nutrients captured in the product
it was relatively inefficient.
Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial revolution. Competition from overseas led farmers
to specialize and increase yields. Throughout this period food became cheaper, safer and more reliable. However, these changes have also led to habitat loss and to reducing biodiversity.
All this means that agriculture in the 21st century will have to be very different from how it was in the 20th.
This will require thorough thinking. For example, we need to move away from the idea that traditional practices
are certainly more sustainable than new ones. We also need to abandon the notion that agriculture can be "zero
impact". The key will be to abandon the rather simple and static (稳定的) measures of sustainability, which
centre on the need to maintain production without increasing damage. Instead we need a more dynamic
interpretation, one that looks at the pros and cons of all the various way land is used. There are many different
ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield: energy use, environmental costs, water purity,
carbon footprint and biodiversity. It is clear, for example, that the carbon of transporting tomatoes from Spain
to the UK is less than that of producing them in the UK with additional heating and lighting. But we do not know whether lower carbon footprints will always be better for biodiversity.
What is important is recognizing that sustainable agriculture is not just about sustainable food production.
1. How do people often measure progress in agriculture?
A. By its impact on the environment
B. By its contribution to economic growth
C. By its productivity
D. By its sustainability
2. Specialization and the effort to increase yields have resulted in _____.
A. Localized pollution
B. The shrinking of farmland
C. the decrease of biodiversity
D. competition from overseas
3. What does the author think of traditional farming practices?
A. They are not necessarily sustainable
B. They have not kept pace with population growth
C. They have remained the same over the centuries
D. They are environmentally friendly
4. What will agriculture be like in the 21st century?
A. It will abandon traditional farming practices
B. It will mainly keep traditional farming
C. It will go through complete changes
D. It will cause zero damage to the environment
5. What is the author's purpose in writing this passage?
A. To remind people of the need of sustainable development.
B. To urge people to rethink what sustainable agriculture is.
C. To advance new criteria for measuring farming progress.
D. To suggest ways of ensuring sustainable food production.
