# Notes on environmental discussion - 科目：雅思听力真题（Part 3） - 考频：中频 - 最近考试：2021.8.14 - 题目数：10 - 来源页：https://www.yaquan.site/paper/362df1f2-569d-461a-848a-00b909553341（在线机考练习与音频请访问该页面） - 数据更新：2026-10-29 ## 题目原文 00:00:01,800 Part three. 00:00:07,700 You will hear a student called Pete talking to his classmate Dave about the presentation that he will give on environmental science. First, you have some time to look at questions twenty-one to twenty-five. 00:00:33,140 Now listen carefully and answer questions twenty-one to twenty-five. 00:00:53,820 Are you just leaving the library now? I saw you get there at eight AM. 00:00:59,440 Yeah, I've been there all day. 00:01:01,120 What for? They hire a cute new librarian or something? 00:01:05,820 I wish. No, it's the presentation that I will give in environmental science the day after tomorrow. 00:01:11,460 What's it about? I heard you were really excited about the class. And Dr. Schnee also calls you for the arcane questions, as he calls them. 00:01:21,860 It's about environmental damage in the Yucatán. 00:01:24,420 Excuse me. What? Or is that where? 00:01:28,220 Yucatán. It's a state in southeast Mexico. 00:01:30,880 So what's happening there? 00:01:32,640 Agriculture is having a really adverse impact on the environment. There are too many farmers doing too much farming. It's really destroying the forests and ruining the soil. Deforestation is a major problem there now. 00:01:44,490 How did you learn about this? I don't recall Dr. Schnee saying anything about it in lecture. 00:01:51,140 Yes, but my brother went there last month. You know, to look at the old cities like the Maya Indians built. That's what first got me interested. 00:01:59,080 Your brother Tom? 00:02:00,720 No, Dick. Harry's twin. Anyway, he told me how few trees there were now and how much empty ground that grows almost nothing. He said the place looked more like the desert than jungle in some parts. It brought environmental damage. So I started looking for materials in the library. Here, look at this magazine. 00:02:19,340 What's in it? 00:02:20,440 It's an old issue of National Geographic. It includes interviews with tourists who have been there in the past few years. It's pretty bad. See the photos? 00:02:29,580 I see the photos, but one or two photos don't prove anything. 00:02:33,780 Then read what the article says. Right there. The first thing it points out is how soil samples show it's hard for anything to grow there. It says how an area of twenty-one thousand square kilometers has lost most of its forest in the past ten years. See? There are graphs. As the number of farmers increases, the acres of forest have decreased. It's an inverse relation. 00:02:58,240 Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions twenty-six to thirty. 00:03:11,320 Now listen and answer questions twenty-six to thirty. 00:03:37,040 So how big is that state? I'm sorry, but I've never really learned the metric system. 00:03:43,040 It's bigger than the state of Massachusetts. 00:03:45,070 That's shocking. Anything else? 00:03:47,920 There's lots of else. Scientists say there's a growing area of about ten point five square kilometers where nothing can grow at all. It's like the beginning of a desert. 00:03:57,800 Oh, yes. What Dr. Schnee called desertification. But why can't anything grow there? I've never really studied soil chemistry. 00:04:07,320 I'm just starting to look into that subject. But my sister Marie is a geologist, and she said the problem is that the soil has too much saline with no plants helping to adjust the chemistry. Apparently, that's a common problem with soil types throughout the areas with rainforest. Once you lose the plant cover, it's difficult to bring it back. Reforestation is almost impossible, even if the land is not being used for other purposes. 00:04:29,580 Wait a minute. What is saline? 00:04:32,440 Saline is salt dissolved in water. Scientists who have gone there have taken measurements. They do this by gathering a sample of the soil and running a simple test that shows the ionization of the solution. The geology department in our own university has reviewed the soil at the site too. They're right. It looks pretty bad. The level of salinity is going up, but the plants that would solve that problem can't be planted in soil like that. There is a narrow spectrum of salinity in which the plants will grow. 00:05:01,240 And once you pass the threshold, there is no way to put the problem right? 00:05:06,220 Exactly. It's possible that no one can do anything to stop the trend now. All because of human greed. I- 00:05:13,220 Wait a second. How do you know these scientists can be trusted? What kind of reputation do they have? Are they reliable? 00:05:22,040 Oh, they're definitely reliable. They include four members of the faculty from the geology department right here at MIT. Here, study these photographs and check the damage yourself. That's what Dr. Horst, who wrote the book here, did. He's newly appointed, but Dr. Schnee said that he's brilliant. 00:05:39,760 So where are you going now? 00:05:41,960 I'm headed over to the geography department to borrow a map for my presentation. You know, this whole problem could have been avoided. The farmers there in the Yucatán... 00:05:50,060 Uh, Pete. 00:05:51,000 What? 00:05:51,660 Go take a break. Leave some studying for the rest of us. ## 题目与答案 ### 21. Notes on Environmental Discussion Mexican settlers did too much 21_____ , resulting in destroying the environment. Notes on Environmental Discussion Mexican settlers did too much 21_____ , resulting in destroying the environment. **答案**：farming 原文定位：There are too many farmers doing too much farming. It's really destroying the forests and ruining the soil. Deforestation is a major problem there now ### 22. According to Dick, vegetation problems caused 22_____ . According to Dick, vegetation problems caused 22_____ . **答案**：environmental damage 原文定位：He said the place looked more like the desert than jungle in some parts. It brought environmental damage 同义替换：「caused」↔「brought」 ### 23. A back issue of periodical reported interviews with 23_____ . A back issue of periodical reported interviews with 23_____ . **答案**：tourists 原文定位：It's an old issue of National Geographic. It includes interviews with tourists who have been there in the past few years ### 24. The articles showed that land 24_____ are tough for plant growth. The articles showed that land 24_____ are tough for plant growth. **答案**：samples 原文定位：the first thing it points out is how soil samples show it's hard for anything to grow there 同义替换：「land」↔「soil」；「tough」↔「hard」 ### 25. Large area of 25_____ has disappeared in recent years. Large area of 25_____ has disappeared in recent years. **答案**：21,000 原文定位：It says how an area of twenty-one thousand square kilometers has lost most of its forest in the past ten years 同义替换：「has disappeared」↔「lost」；「in recent years」↔「in the past 10 years」 ### 26. Growing area is about 26_____ . Growing area is about 26_____ . **答案**：10.5 原文定位：There's lots of else. Scientists say there's a growing area of about ten point five square kilometers where nothing can grow at all ### 27. Scientists have taken 27_____ of the soil in the Yucantan. Scientists have taken 27_____ of the soil in the Yucantan. **答案**：measurements 原文定位：Scientists who have gone there have taken measurements. They do this by gathering a sample of the soil and running a simple test that shows the ionization of the solution ### 28. The Geology department has also analysed the 28_____ at the site. The Geology department has also analysed the 28_____ at the site. **答案**：soil 原文定位：The geology department in our own university has reviewed the soil at the site too 同义替换：「analysed」↔「reviewed」 ### 29. The 29_____ in Horst`s book are very useful for study. The 29_____ in Horst`s book are very useful for study. **答案**：photographs 原文定位：Here, study these photographs and check the damage yourself. That's what Dr. Horst who wrote the book here did ### 30. The student needs a 30_____ to do the presentation. The student needs a 30_____ to do the presentation. **答案**：map 原文定位：I'm headed over to the geography department to borrow a map for my presentation --- 以上内容由鸭圈雅思真题库（www.yaquan.site）提供，收录近期雅思考试真题回忆，支持在线机考模式免费练习。