閱讀材料：

　　In the past century, the steady growth of the human population and the corresponding increasing in agriculture and pesticide use have caused much harm to wildlife in the United States birds in particular. Unfortunately for birds, these trends are likely to continue, with the result that the number of birds in the United States will necessarily decline.

　　在過去的一個世界，人類數量的增加以及隨之而來的農業生產的發展和殺蟲劑的增加使得很多美國的野生動物受到了影響，而這種問題在鳥類上表現得更為明顯。更加不幸的是，由于人口數量、農業生產和殺蟲劑使用的趨勢不會改變，美國的鳥類數量將會必然地隨之下降。

　　First, as human populations and settlements continue to expand, birds natural habitats will continue to disappear. Forests, wetlands, and grasslands will give way to ever more homes, malls, and offices. As the traditional areas suitable for birds keep decreasing, so will the size of the birds populations that depend on those vanishing habitats.

　　首先，隨著人口數量和居住面積的不斷擴張，鳥類天然的棲息地持續地減少。森林、濕地和草原都變成的住宅、商場和寫字樓。隨著那些傳統的適宜鳥類棲息的地方持續減少，失去賴以生存棲息地的鳥類，數量自然是減少的。

　　Second, agricultural activities must increase to keep pace with the growing human population. The growth of agriculture will also result in the further destruction of bird habitats as more and more wilderness areas are converted to agricultural use. As a result, bird populations in rural areas will continue to decline.

　　第二，為了能夠滿足增長的人口數量，農業活動也必須隨之增加。農業的增加的代價是進一步破壞鳥類的棲息地，越來越多的荒地變成了農業用地。因而，鳥類在鄉村的數量也隨之持續減少。

　　Third, as human settlements expand and agriculture increases, the use of chemical pesticides will also increase. Pesticides are poisons designed to kill agricultural and home garden pests, such as insects, but inevitable, pesticides get into the water and into the food chain for birds where they can harm birds. Birds that eat the poisoned insects or drink contaminated water can die as a result, and even if pesticides do not kill birds outright, they can prevent them from reproducing successfully. So, pesticides have significantly contributed to declines in bird population, and because there will continue to be a need to control agricultural pests in the future, this decline will continue.

　　第三，隨著人類居住地的擴展和農業的發展，化學農藥的使用也增加了。農藥是用來殺死諸如昆蟲之類的生長在農田或者菜園的害蟲的有毒物質。不可避免的是，這些農藥會進入水系和食物鏈，進而傷害鳥類。鳥類會吃被毒死的昆蟲或者喝污染了的水。這樣會導致鳥類的死亡，即便不會不會導致鳥類的立刻死亡，也會影響鳥類的繁殖。所以，殺蟲劑會對鳥類的數量有非常嚴重的影響。同時，因為即便是在將來，還是需要殺蟲劑來控制農業害蟲，所以，鳥類數量減少的趨勢難以改變。

　　閱讀部分需要提取的觀點是：

　　- Main point: 三個原因導致鳥類數量減少

　　- Sub point 1: 人類居住地的增加

　　- Sub point 2: 農業用地的增加

　　- Sub point 3: 殺蟲劑的使用

　　聽力材料：

　　The passage claims that there will be fewer and fewer birds, but the arguments used to support this claim are unconvincing.

　　閱讀文章聲稱鳥類的數量會越來越小，但是所使用的理由都是沒有說服力的。

　　First, its true that urban growth has been bad for some types of birds, but urban development actually provides better and larger habitats for other types. So much so, that city and suburban dwellers often complain about increased bird populations seagulls at landfills, pigeons on the streets and so on. Even birds like hawks and falcons can now be found in cities, where they prey on the increasing populations of pigeons and rodents. So, its not going to be a story of uniform decline of bird populations in the future. Some populations may shrink, but others will grow.

　　首先，確實城市的發展對于一些鳥類是不利的，但是城市的發展事實上也為其他的鳥類提供了更大更好的棲息地。這樣發展，城市的居民常常抱怨鳥類數量過多：堆填區的海鷗，大街上的鴿子，等等等等。甚至那些不常出現在城市里的鳥類，比如鷹類也出現在城市，這是因為他們可以捕捉數量不斷增加的鴿子和嚙齒類動物。所以，將來不會是所有鳥類的數量都在減少。有一些的數量在減少，但是其他的在增加。

　　As for agriculture, its true that it too will increase in the future, but not in the way assumed by the reading passage. The truth is, in the United States, less and less land is being used for agriculture every year. Increases in agricultural production have resulted from and will continue to result from the introduction of new, more productive varieties of crops. These new crops produce more food per unit of land, and as a result, theres no need to destroy wilderness areas.

　　對于農業來說，確實需求會越來越大，但是農業的增長并不是以閱讀所提及的方式實現的。在美國，實際上用在農業領域的土地每年都在減少。農產品產量的增加是因為引進了新的、產量更高的農作物品種，而這種趨勢將會持續。這些新的農作物有更高的畝產量，因而，就沒有必要破壞原有荒地用作農耕了。

　　And third, while its certainly true that traditional pesticides have been destructive to birds, its incorrect to project this history into the future. Now that, people are aware of the possible consequences of traditional pesticides, two changes have occurred. First, new and much less toxic pesticides have been developed, and thats important. Second, and perhaps more importantly, there is a growing trend to develop more pest resistant crops, crops that are genetically designed to be unattractive to pests. Pest resistant crops greatly reduce the need for chemical pesticides, and best of all, pest resistant crops dont harm birds at all.

　　第三，盡管傳統的殺蟲劑的確會給鳥類帶來損害，但是用過去推測未來的想法是站不住腳的。現在人們已經意識到了傳統殺蟲劑可能帶來的危害，因而采取了兩個措施。首先，已經研究出了新型的、毒性更小的殺蟲劑，這是很重要的一個改變。而第二點可能是更為重要的，就是現在正在研究能夠抵抗蟲害的作物。通過設計，使得農作物在基因上具有不吸引害蟲的能力。抗蟲害作物能夠極大的減少對化學殺蟲劑的需求。更為重要的是，抗蟲害作物對鳥類是完全無害的。

　　聽力部分需要提取的觀點是：

　　- Main point: 閱讀部分的主張是站不住腳的

　　- Sub point 1: 人類的居住地的擴張不會導致所有鳥類數量的下降，有的會增加

　　- Sub point 2: 因為新品種作物的種植，農業用地會越來越少

　　- Sub point 3: 新型殺蟲劑的毒性變小，并且正在研制新型抗蟲害作物，將來殺蟲劑不會繼續傷害鳥類

　　閱讀材料：

　　In the past century, the steady growth of the human population and the corresponding increasing in agriculture and pesticide use have caused much harm to wildlife in the United States birds in particular. Unfortunately for birds, these trends are likely to continue, with the result that the number of birds in the United States will necessarily decline.

　　在過去的一個世界，人類數量的增加以及隨之而來的農業生產的發展和殺蟲劑的增加使得很多美國的野生動物受到了影響，而這種問題在鳥類上表現得更為明顯。更加不幸的是，由于人口數量、農業生產和殺蟲劑使用的趨勢不會改變，美國的鳥類數量將會必然地隨之下降。

　　First, as human populations and settlements continue to expand, birds natural habitats will continue to disappear. Forests, wetlands, and grasslands will give way to ever more homes, malls, and offices. As the traditional areas suitable for birds keep decreasing, so will the size of the birds populations that depend on those vanishing habitats.

　　首先，隨著人口數量和居住面積的不斷擴張，鳥類天然的棲息地持續地減少。森林、濕地和草原都變成的住宅、商場和寫字樓。隨著那些傳統的適宜鳥類棲息的地方持續減少，失去賴以生存棲息地的鳥類，數量自然是減少的。

　　Second, agricultural activities must increase to keep pace with the growing human population. The growth of agriculture will also result in the further destruction of bird habitats as more and more wilderness areas are converted to agricultural use. As a result, bird populations in rural areas will continue to decline.

　　第二，為了能夠滿足增長的人口數量，農業活動也必須隨之增加。農業的增加的代價是進一步破壞鳥類的棲息地，越來越多的荒地變成了農業用地。因而，鳥類在鄉村的數量也隨之持續減少。

　　Third, as human settlements expand and agriculture increases, the use of chemical pesticides will also increase. Pesticides are poisons designed to kill agricultural and home garden pests, such as insects, but inevitable, pesticides get into the water and into the food chain for birds where they can harm birds. Birds that eat the poisoned insects or drink contaminated water can die as a result, and even if pesticides do not kill birds outright, they can prevent them from reproducing successfully. So, pesticides have significantly contributed to declines in bird population, and because there will continue to be a need to control agricultural pests in the future, this decline will continue.

　　第三，隨著人類居住地的擴展和農業的發展，化學農藥的使用也增加了。農藥是用來殺死諸如昆蟲之類的生長在農田或者菜園的害蟲的有毒物質。不可避免的是，這些農藥會進入水系和食物鏈，進而傷害鳥類。鳥類會吃被毒死的昆蟲或者喝污染了的水。這樣會導致鳥類的死亡，即便不會不會導致鳥類的立刻死亡，也會影響鳥類的繁殖。所以，殺蟲劑會對鳥類的數量有非常嚴重的影響。同時，因為即便是在將來，還是需要殺蟲劑來控制農業害蟲，所以，鳥類數量減少的趨勢難以改變。

　　閱讀部分需要提取的觀點是：

　　- Main point: 三個原因導致鳥類數量減少

　　- Sub point 1: 人類居住地的增加

　　- Sub point 2: 農業用地的增加

　　- Sub point 3: 殺蟲劑的使用

　　聽力材料：

　　The passage claims that there will be fewer and fewer birds, but the arguments used to support this claim are unconvincing.

　　閱讀文章聲稱鳥類的數量會越來越小，但是所使用的理由都是沒有說服力的。

　　First, its true that urban growth has been bad for some types of birds, but urban development actually provides better and larger habitats for other types. So much so, that city and suburban dwellers often complain about increased bird populations seagulls at landfills, pigeons on the streets and so on. Even birds like hawks and falcons can now be found in cities, where they prey on the increasing populations of pigeons and rodents. So, its not going to be a story of uniform decline of bird populations in the future. Some populations may shrink, but others will grow.

　　首先，確實城市的發展對于一些鳥類是不利的，但是城市的發展事實上也為其他的鳥類提供了更大更好的棲息地。這樣發展，城市的居民常常抱怨鳥類數量過多：堆填區的海鷗，大街上的鴿子，等等等等。甚至那些不常出現在城市里的鳥類，比如鷹類也出現在城市，這是因為他們可以捕捉數量不斷增加的鴿子和嚙齒類動物。所以，將來不會是所有鳥類的數量都在減少。有一些的數量在減少，但是其他的在增加。

　　As for agriculture, its true that it too will increase in the future, but not in the way assumed by the reading passage. The truth is, in the United States, less and less land is being used for agriculture every year. Increases in agricultural production have resulted from and will continue to result from the introduction of new, more productive varieties of crops. These new crops produce more food per unit of land, and as a result, theres no need to destroy wilderness areas.

　　對于農業來說，確實需求會越來越大，但是農業的增長并不是以閱讀所提及的方式實現的。在美國，實際上用在農業領域的土地每年都在減少。農產品產量的增加是因為引進了新的、產量更高的農作物品種，而這種趨勢將會持續。這些新的農作物有更高的畝產量，因而，就沒有必要破壞原有荒地用作農耕了。

　　And third, while its certainly true that traditional pesticides have been destructive to birds, its incorrect to project this history into the future. Now that, people are aware of the possible consequences of traditional pesticides, two changes have occurred. First, new and much less toxic pesticides have been developed, and thats important. Second, and perhaps more importantly, there is a growing trend to develop more pest resistant crops, crops that are genetically designed to be unattractive to pests. Pest resistant crops greatly reduce the need for chemical pesticides, and best of all, pest resistant crops dont harm birds at all.

　　第三，盡管傳統的殺蟲劑的確會給鳥類帶來損害，但是用過去推測未來的想法是站不住腳的。現在人們已經意識到了傳統殺蟲劑可能帶來的危害，因而采取了兩個措施。首先，已經研究出了新型的、毒性更小的殺蟲劑，這是很重要的一個改變。而第二點可能是更為重要的，就是現在正在研究能夠抵抗蟲害的作物。通過設計，使得農作物在基因上具有不吸引害蟲的能力。抗蟲害作物能夠極大的減少對化學殺蟲劑的需求。更為重要的是，抗蟲害作物對鳥類是完全無害的。

　　聽力部分需要提取的觀點是：

　　- Main point: 閱讀部分的主張是站不住腳的

　　- Sub point 1: 人類的居住地的擴張不會導致所有鳥類數量的下降，有的會增加

　　- Sub point 2: 因為新品種作物的種植，農業用地會越來越少

　　- Sub point 3: 新型殺蟲劑的毒性變小，并且正在研制新型抗蟲害作物，將來殺蟲劑不會繼續傷害鳥類