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1、Feelingblueaboutworld Feelingblueaboutworld?“Cheerup,”sayssciencewriterMattRidley.“Theworldhasneverbeenabetterplacetolivein,anditwillkeepongettingbetterbothforhumansandfornature.” Ridleycallshimselfarationaloptimist—rational,becausehe’scarefullyweighedtheevidence;optimistic,becau
2、sethatevidenceshowshumanprogresstobebothunavoidableandgood.Andthisiswhathe’ssetouttoprovefromauniquepointofviewinhismostrecentbook,TheRationalOptimist.Heviewsmankindasagrandenterprisethat,onthewhole,hasdonelittlebutprogressfor100,000years.Hebackshisfindingswithhardfactsgatheredthro
3、ughyearsofresearch. Here’showheexplainshisviews. 1)Shoppingfuelsinvention ItisreportedthattherearemorethantenbilliondifferentproductsforsaleinLondonalone.Evenallowingforthemanypeoplewhostillliveinpoverty,ourowngenerationhasaccesstomorenutritiousfood.moreconvenienttransport,bigge
4、rhouses,bettercars,andofcourse,morepoundsanddollarsthananywholivedbeforeus.Thiswillcontinueaslongasweusethesethingstomakeotherthings.Themorewespecializeandexchange,thebetteroffwe’llbe. 2)Brilliantadvances Onereasonwearericher,healthier,taller,cleverer,longer-livedandfreerthanever
5、beforeisthatthefourmostbasichumanneeds—food,clothing,fuelandshelter—havegrownalotcheaper.Takeoneexample.In1800acandleprovidingonehour’slightcostsixhours’work.Inthe1880sthesamelightfromanoillamptook15minutes’worktopayfor.In1950itwaseightseconds.Todayit’shalfsecond. 3)Let’snotkillou
6、rselvesforclimatechange Mitigating(减轻)climatechangecouldprovejustasdamagingtohumanwelfareasclimatechangeitself.Achildthatdiesfromindoorsmokeinavillage,wheretheuseoffossil-fuel(化石燃料)electricityisforbiddenbywell-meaningmembersofgreenpoliticalmovementstryingtosavetheworld,isjustasgre
7、atatragedyasachildthatdiesinafloodcausedbyclimatechange.Ifclimatechangeprovestobemild,butcuttingcarboncausesrealpain,wemaywellfindthatwehavestoppedanose-bleedbyputtingatourniquet(止血带)aroundournecks. 63.WhatisthethemeofRidley’smostrecentbook? A.Weaknessofhumannature. B.Concernabo
8、utclimatechange. C.Import
