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1、feelingblueaboutworld?“cheerup.”sayssciencewritermattridley feelingblueaboutworld?“cheerup.”sayssciencewritermattridley.”theworldhasneverbeenabetterplacetolivein,anditwillkeepongettingbetterbothforhumansandfornature.” ridleycallshimselfarationaloptimist—rational,becausehe’scaref
2、ullyweighedtheevidence;optimistic,becausethatevidenceshowshumanprogresstobebothunavoidableandgood.andthisiswhathe’ssetouttoprovefromauniquepointofviewinhismostrecentbook.therationaloptimist.heviewsmankindasgrandenterprisethatonthewhole,hasdonelittlebutprogressfor100,000years.hebac
3、kshisfindingwithhardfactsgatheredthroughyearsofresearch. here’showheexplainshisviews. 1)shoppingfuelsinvention itisreportedthattherearemorethantenbilliondifferentproductsforsaleinlondonalone.evenallowingforthemanypeoplewhostillliveinpoverty,ourowngenerationhasaccesstomorenutrit
4、iousfood,moreconvenienttransport,biggerhouses,betterears,andofcourse,morepoundsanddollarsthananywholivedbeforeus.thiswillcontinueaslongasweusethesethingstomakeotherthings.themorewespecializeandexchange,thebetteroffwe’llbe. 2)brilliantadvances onereasonwearericher,healthier,talle
5、r,cleverer,longer-livedandfreerthaneverbeforeisthatthefourmostbasichumanneeds-food,clothing,fuelandshelter-havegrownalotcheaper.takeoneexample.in1800acandleprovidingonehour’slightcostsixhours’work.inthe1880sthesamelightfromanoillamptook15minutes’worktopayfor.in1950itwaseightsecond
6、s.todayit’shalfsecond. 3)let’snotkillourselvesforclimatechange mitigating(减轻)climatechangecouldprovejustasdamagingtohumanwelfareasclimatechangeitself.achildthatdiesfromindoorsmokeinavillage,wheretheuseoffossil-fuel(化石燃料)electricityisforbiddenbywell-meaningmembersofgreenpolitical
7、movementstryingtosavetheworld,isjustasgreatatragedyasachildthatdiesinafloodcausedbyclimatechange.ifclimatechangeprovestobemild,butcuttingcarboncausesrealpain,wemaywellfindthatwehavestoppedanose-bleedbyputtingatourniquet(止血带)aroundournecks. 63.whatisthethemeofridley’smostrecentboo
8、k? a.weaknessofhumannature. b.c