1 . Imagine a world without insects. It might sound good at first without creepy-crawly bugs and annoying flies in your apartment. However, the consequences would be disastrous.
The number of insects has dropped by more than half in the past decades, according to British biologist Dave Goulson, author of Silent Earth: Averting the Insect Apocalypse. As insects make up most of the known species on this planet, this data is not good news.
Insects are indeed on the path to extinction, according to the first global scientific review of insect population decline, which was published in the journal Biological Conservation in January 2019. The researchers say intensive agriculture has been the main cause of the decline. Pesticides (杀虫剂), in particular, destroy insect habitats. Urbanization and climate change are also significant factors. “Unless we convert our ways of producing food, insects will go down the path of extinction in a few decades.”
What would happen to Earth without insects? It’s almost impossible to predict, but the consequences would be far—reaching. We need insects to pollinate (授粉) crops, recycle plant and animal material, keep the soil healthy and much more. Without insects, many animals would have nothing to eat, and the predators (捕食者) of those animals would go hungry as well. The ecosystem would be thrown off balance.
“If insect species losses cannot be halted, this will have catastrophic consequences for both the planet’s ecosystems and for the survival of mankind,” said Sanchez-Bayo, one of the authors of the review. The first step to halt this process is “to engender a society that values the natural world, both for what it does for us and for its own sake”, Sanchez—Bayo suggests. “The obvious place to start is with our children, encouraging environmental awareness from an early age.”
1. What’s people’s general impression of insects?
| A．Quite unpleasant. | B．Very interesting. |
| C．Extremely helpful. | D．Unexpectedly disastrous. |
2. What does the underlined word in paragraph 3 probably mean?
| A．Change. | B．Abandon. | C．Expand. | D．Simplify. |
3. Why are insects so important to Earth according to this article?
| A．Insects ensure the earth’s diversity. |
| B．Insects maintain the earth ecosystem. |
| C．Insects make the soil dry and healthy. |
| D．Insects help slow down climate change. |
4. What can we do to stop insect species losses according to Sanchez-Bayo?
| A．Exploit nature in a gentle way. |
| B．Change our way of producing food. |
| C．Educate younger generation to be aware of it. |
| D．Provide insects with enough habitats and food. |
