雅思阅读Academic The US City and the Natural Environment 有答案

经典word整理文档，仅参考，双击此处可删除页眉页脚。本资料属于网络整理，如有侵权，请联系删除，谢谢！AcademicReading20-Passage1TheUSCityandtheNaturalEnvironmentA)Whilecitiesandtheirmetropolitanareashavealwaysinteractedwithandshapedthenaturalenvironment,itisonlyrecentlythatbeguntoconsiderthisrelationship.Duringourowntime,thetensionbetweennaturalandurbanizedareashasincreased,asthespreadofmetropolitanpopulationsandurbanlanduseshasreshapedanddestroyednaturallandscapesandenvironments.B)Therelationshipbetweenthecityandthenaturalenvironmenthasactuallybeencircular,withcitieshavingmassiveeffectsonthenaturalenvironment,whilethenaturalenvironment,inturn,hasprofoundlyshapedurbanconfigurations.Urbanhistoryisfilledwithstoriesabouthowcitydwellerscontendedwiththeforcesofnaturethatthreatenedtheirlives.Naturenotonlycausedmanyoftheannoyancesofdailyurbanlife,suchasbadweatherandpests,butitalsogaverisetonaturaldisastersandasfloods,fires,andearthquakes.Inordertoprotectthemselvesandtheirsettlementsagainsttheforcesofnature,citiesbuiltmanydefencesincludingfloodwallsanddams,earthquake-resistantbuildings,andstorageplacesforfoodandwater.Attimes,suchprotectivestepsshelteredurbanitesagainsttheworstnaturalfuries,butoftentheirownactions–suchasbuildingundertheshadowofvolcanoes,orinearthquake-pronezones–exposedthemtodangerfromnaturalhazards.C)Citypopulationsrequirefood,water,fuel,andconstructionmaterials,whileurbanindustriesneednaturalmaterialsforproductionpurposes.Inordertofulfilltheseneeds,urbanitesincreasinglyhadtoreachfarbeyondtheirboundaries.Inthenineteenthcentury,forinstance,thedemandsofcitydwellersforfoodproducedringsofgardenfarmsaroundcities.Inthetwentiethcentury,asurbanthedemandforfooddrovetheriseoflargefactoryfarms.Citiesalsorequirefreshwatersuppliesinordertoexistengineersbuiltwaterworks,dugwellsdeeperanddeeperintotheearthlookingforgroundwater,anddammedanddivertedriverstoobtainwatersuppliesfordomesticandIntheprocessofobtainingwaterfromdistantlocales,citiesoftentransformedthem,makingdesertswheretherehadbeenfertileagriculturalareas.D)Urbaniteshadtoseeklocationstodisposeofthewastestheyproduced.Initially,theyplacedwastesonsiteswithinthecity,pollutingtheair,land,andwaterwithindustrialanddomesticeffluents.Ascitiesgrewlarger,theydisposedoftheirwastesbytomoredistantlocations.Thus,citiesconstructedseweragesystemsfordomesticwastes.Theyusuallydischargedthesewageintoneighbouringwaterways,oftenpollutingthewatersupplyofdownstreamcities.Theairandthelandalsobecamedumpsforwastedisposal.Inthelatenineteenthcentury,coalbecamethepreferredfuelforindustrial,transportation,anddomesticuse.Butwhileprovidinganinexpensiveandplentifulenergysupply,coalwasalsoverydirty.Thecitiesthatuseditsufferedfromairreducedthecleaningtasksofhouseholdersweregreatlyincreased.E)Inthelatenineteenthandearlytwentiethcenturies,reformersbegandemandingurbanenvironmentalcleanupsandpublichealthimprovements.Women'sgroupsoftentooktheleadinagitatingforcleanairandcleanwater,showingagreaterconcernthanmeninregardtoqualityoflifeandhealth-relatedissues.Thereplacementofthehorse,firstbyelectrictrolleysandthenbythecar,broughtaboutsubstantialimprovementsinstreetandairsanitation.Themovementsdemandingcleanair,however,andreductionofwaterwaypollutionwerelargelyunsuccessful.Onbalance,urbansanitaryprobablysomewhatbetterinthe1920sthaninthelatenineteenthcentury,butthecostofimprovementoftenwastheexploitationofurbanhinterlandsforwatersupplies,increaseddownstreamwaterpollution,andgrowingautomobilecongestionandpollution.F)Inthedecadesafterthe1940s,cityfromheavytheysoughttocopewithincreasedautomobileusage,pollutionfromindustrialproduction,newvarietiesofchemicalpesticidesandthewastesofanCleanerfuelsandsmokecontrollawslargelyfreedcitiesduringthe1940sand1950softhedensesmokethattheyhadfrom.Improvedurbanairqualityresultedlargelyfromthesubstitutionofnaturalgasandoilforcoalandthereplacementofthesteamthegreatincreasesinautomobileusageinsomelargercitiesproducedthenewphenomenonofsmog,andairpollutionreplacedsmokeasamajorconcern.G)Duringthesedecades,thesuburbanout-migration,whichhadbeguninthenineteenthcenturywithcommutertrainsandstreetcarsandacceleratedbecauseoftheavailabilityandconvenienceoftheautomobile,nowincreasedtoatorrent,puttingmajorstrainsontheformerlyruralandundevelopedmetropolitanfringes.Toagreatextent,suburbanlayoutsignoredenvironmentalconsiderations,makinglittleprovisionforopenspace,producingendlessrowsofresource-consumingandfertilizer-dependentlawns,contaminatinggroundwaterthroughleakingseptictanks,andabsorbingexcessiveamountsoffreshwaterandenergy.Thegrowthoftheoutercitysincethe1970sreflectedacontinuedpreferenceonthepartofmanypeopleinthewesternworldforspace-intensivesingle-familyhousessurroundedbylawns,forprivateautomobilesoverpublictransit,andforthedevelopmentofpreviouslyuntouchedareas.Withoutbetterplanningforlanduseandlifewill,asithasinthepast,continuetodamageand