Since 1788, there has, of course, been opportunity for selection of Australian food plantswhich might have led to the production of varieties that were worth cultivating. But Australian plants have probably “missed the bus”. Food plants from other regions were already so far in advance after a long tradition of cultivation that it seemed hardly worth starting work on Australian species. Undoubtedly, the native raspberry, for example, could, with suitable selection and breeding programs, be made to yield a high-class fruit; but Australians already enjoy good raspberries from other areas of the world and unless some dedicated amateur plant breeder takes up the task, the Australian raspberries are likely to re main unimproved.
And so, today, as the choice of which food plants to cultivate in Australia has been largely decided. and as there is little chance of being lost for long period sin the bush, our interest in the subject of Australian food plants tends to relate to natural history rather than to practical necessity.
Questions 1-3
Complete the partial summary below. Choose ONE or TWO words from the passage for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 1-3 on your answer sheet.
Despite the large numbers of wild plants that could be used for food. only one, the ... (1) ... is being grown as a cash crop. Other edible plants in Australia, however much potential they have for cultivation, had not gone through the leng thy process of ...(2)... that would allow their exploitaion, because Aborigines were not farmers. Thus species such as the ... (3) ... which would be an agricultural success had it not had to compete with established European varieties at the time of European settlement are of no commercial value.
练习四
Developing Environmental Management Strategies
Strong and sustainable economic activity depends on healthy environmental management. It is being increasingly recognized by the public, government and industy that there is a need to shift smoothly from a “react and cure” approach to an “anticipate and prevent” approach. The mechanism governing this change started to appear three to four years ago and the momentum for change has been gathering steadily ever since.
Whilst the need to embrace these changes is almost universally accepted, the mechanisms for change and the priorities for action have been far from clear. The public and the media point to anecdotal evidence of lack of progress or setbacks, over a bewildering range of topics. These incidents are catalogued by local and national pressure groups to enhance their own campaigns for change. The Government, under pressure from the European Community, has introduced legislation which, although progressive, often appears to industry to be fragmented and diffcult to digest.
There is, therefore, a clear and often expressed need on the part of British and European management for techniques to identify and prioritize the key environmental issues for allocation of resources and action. The technique emerging as the most effective is a strategy which involves the formulation of a policy statement setting out the organization's philosophy on the environment and the aims to be achieved. A detailed assessment of the environmental status and performance of the operation is then undertaken, key issues identified and targets set. The performance of the operation or unit is regularly audited to measure progress to wards the targets set. This environmental strategy is often called an Environmental Management System or simply referred to as an Environmental Audit.
The need for environmental strategies
Over the past few years, the incentives for introducing such an Environmental Risk Management Strategy have changed as public attitude has evolved, insurance markets have hardened and national legislation has been enacted. Environmental Risk Management Strategies may therefore be implemented for reasons of insurance, market forces, acquisitions, national legislation or Environmental Accreditation Schemes.
The basic elements of the Environmental Strategies currently being proposed by most authorities are as follows:
Environmental strategy
An Environmental Strategy is a documented plan, comprising the drawing up of an Environmental Policy and an Initial Environmental Assessment, which provides prioritized recommendations for action and targets to be achieved. This is followed by regular audits to measure progress towards the targets.
Environmental policy
An Environmental Policy is a statement of the overall aims and principles of action of an organization with respect to the environment. It may be expressed in general terms, but it may also include quantitative targets.
Initial environmental assessment
An Initial Environmental Assessment is a comprehensive assessment of the environmental impact as a result of an organization's activities. It leads to a report to top management in which the key issues are identified and priorities for action allocated. This initial Environmental Assessment is referred to in the Draft British Standard as an Environmental Effects Inventory and in the Draft Eco-Audit scheme as an Environmental Review. The topics covered in Initial Assessments may include a review of management systems, a historical review of the site, assessment of emissions and impact on air, water and land as well as control and monitoring of emissions. Noise, odours, recycling, disposal and duty of care will usually come into the assessment, as will raw materials management, savings, transportation, storage, water conservation, energy management and products planning. Other important aspects of the assessment are the prevention and mitigation of accidents, unexpected and foreseen pollution and of course staff information, t he relationship with the public and the need for Environmental Audits.
An Environmental Audit is systematic, documented, periodic and an objective evaluation of how well the organization's systems are performing, assessed against
internal procedures and compliance with internal policies and statutory requirements. Both the Draft British Standard and Draft Eco-Audit scheme stipulate that the audits should be carried out by personnel independent of the plant or process being audited.
Environmental statements
Under the UK Environmental Protection Act the details declared in the application for Authorization to Operate are included in a Register which is open to the public. Such legislation also exists in many of the European Community countries.
The Eco-Audit scheme also proposes that organizations which are accredited under
the scheme should regularly publish an environmental statement containing fact
u al information and data on the environmental performance of each site.
Questions 1-6
The paragraph below is a summary of the first part of the reading passage. Complete the summary by choosing one or two words from the reading passage to complete the spaces 1-6. Write the words in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.
The first one has been done for you as an example.
Summary: Developing Environmental Management Strategies
Example Answer
There has been a steady movement
towards morefficient, proactive ... environmental management
Whilst the ...1... is generally accepted, the means have yet to be agreed. Attempts at introducing ...2... have, so far, been ineffective. Techniques are currently being defined for allocating...3... to act on key environmental issues. Policies are formulated, detailed assessments conducted and performance measure d. These evaluations, or ...4..., are carried out objectively by ...5... personnel and ...6... against both internal and external criteria.
专项练习四 TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN
练习一
It is almost impossible to write of the Arts in Australia without mentioning the building that first put Australia firmly on the world cultural map-the Sydney Opera House. Completed in 1973 after 14 years of much heated discussion and at acost of over $85 million, it is not only the most well-known Australian building in the world but perhaps the most famous design of any modern building anywhere.
Its distinctive and highly original shape has been likened to everything from the sails of a sailing ship to broken eggshells, but few would argue with the claim that the Opera House is a major contribution to world architecture. Set amidst the graceful splendour of Sydney Harbour, presiding like a queen over the bustle and brashness of a modern city striving to forge a financial reputation in a tough commercial world, it is a reminder to all Australians of their deep and abiding love of all things cultural.
The Opera House was designed not by an Australian but by a celebrated Danish architect, Jorn Utzon, whose design won an international competition in the late 1950s. However, it was not, in fact, completed to his original specifications. Plans for much of the intended interior design of the building have only recently been discovered. Sadly, the State Government of the day interfered with Utzon's plans because of concerns about the escalating cost, though this was hardly surprising—the building was originally expected to cost only $8 million. Utzon left the country before completing the project and in a fit of anger vowed never to return. The project was eventually paid for by a State-run lottery.
The size of the interior of the building was scaled down appreciably by a team of architects whose job was to finish construction within a restricted budget. Rehearsal rooms and other facilities for the various theatres within the complex were either made considerably smaller or cut out altogether, and some artists have complained bitterly about them ever since. But despite the controversy that surrounded its birth, the Opera House has risen above the petty squabbling and is now rightfully hailed as a modern architectural masterpiece. The Queen officially opened the building in 1975 and since then, within its curved and twisted walls, audiences of all nationalities have been quick to acclaim the many world-class performances of stars from the Australian opera, ballet and theatre.
TRUE／FALSE／NOT GIVEN
a. The building is possibly the most famous of its type in the world. T F NG
b. The Opera House drew world attention to the Arts in Australia. T F NG
c. Utzon designed the roof to look like the sails of a sailing ship. T F NG
d. A few people claim that it is a major architectural work. T F NG
e. According to the author, Sydney is a quiet and graceful city. T F NG
f. The cost of construction went more than $75 million over budget. T F NG
g. Utzon never returned to Australia to see the completed building. T F NG
h. There is only one theare within the complex. T F NG
i. The Government was concerned about some artists complaints. T F NG
J. Australian artists give better performances in the Opera House. T F NG
练习二
When was the last time you saw a frog? Chances are, if you live in a city, you have not seen one for some time. Even in wet areas once teeming with frogs and toads, it is becoming less and less easy to find those slimy , hopping and sometimes poisonous members of the animal kingdom. All over the world, and even in remote parts of Australia, frogs are losing the ecological battle for survival, and biologists are at a loss to explain their demise. Are amphibians simply over-sensitive to changes in the ecosystem? Could it be that their rapid decline in numbers is signalling some coming environmental disaster for us all?
This frightening scenario is in part the consequence of a dramatic increase over the last quarter century in the development of once natural areas of wet marshland; home not only to frogs but to all manner of wildlife. However, as yet, there are no obvious reasons why certain frog species are disappearing from rainforests in Australia that have barely been touched by human hand. The mystery is unsettling to say the least, for it is known that amphibian species are extremely s ensitive to environmental variations in temperature and moisture levels. The danger is that planet Earth might not only lose a vital link in the ecological food chain (frogs keep populations of otherwise pestilent insects at manageable levels), but we might be increasing our output of air pollutants to levels that may have already become irrversible. Frogs could be inadvertently warning us of a catastrophe.
An example of a species of frog that, as far as is known, has become extinct, is
the platypus frog. Like the well-known Australian mammal it was named after, it exhibited some very strange behaviour; instead of giving birth to tadpoles in the water, it raised its young within its stomach. The baby frogs were actually born from out of their mother's mouth. Discovered in 1981, less than ten years later the frog had completely vanished from the crystal clear waters of Booloumba Creek near Queensland's Sunshine Coast. Unfortunately, this freak of nature is not the only frog species to have been lost in Australia. Since the 1970s, noless than eight others have suffered the same fate.
One theory that seems to fit the facts concerns the depletion of the ozone layer, a well-documented phenomenon which has led to a sharp increase in ultraviolet radiation levels. The ozone layer is meant to shield the Earth from UV rays, but increased radiation may be having a greater effect upon frog populations than previously believed. Another theory is that worldwide temperature increases are upsetting the breeding cycles of frogs.
TRUE／FALSE／NOT GIVEN
a. Frogs are disappearing only from city areas. T F NG
b. Frogs and toads are usually poisonous. T F NG
c. Biologists are unable to explain why frogs are dying. T F NG
d. The frogs' natural habitat is becoming more and more developed. T F NG
e. Attempts are being made to halt the development of wet marshland. T F NG
f. Frogs are important in the ecosystem because they control pests. T F NG
g. The platypus frog became extinct by 1991. T F NG
h. Frogs usually give birth to their young in an underwater nest. T F NG
i. Eight frog species have become extinct so far in Australia. T F NG
j. There is convincing evidence that the ozone layer is being depleted. T F NG
k. It is a fact that frogs' breeding cycles are upset by worldwide increases in temperature. T F NG
练习三
Almost everyone with or without a computer is aware of the latest technological revolution destined to change forever the way in which humans communicate, namely, the Information Superhighway, best exemplified by the ubiquitous Internet. Al ready, millions of people around the world are linked by computer simply by having a modem and an address on the “Net”, in much the same way that owning a telephone links us to almost anyone who pays a phone bill. In fact, since the computer connections are made via the phone line, the Internet can be envisaged as a network of visual telephone links. It remains to see in which direction the In formation Superhighway is headed, but many believe it is the educational hope of the future.
