The weakening of the human connection to nature might be good for economic growth but is bad for people. A tipping point was reached in 2020 when human-made materials—such as steel, concrete and plastic-were found to weigh more than all life on Earth. Continuing to grow concrete forests rather than real ones is shortsighted. simply being in the nearest wood has such health benefits that the Woodland Trust successfully lobbied for it to be prescribed by doctors.
Yet slipping from popular culture is the wonder and beauty of the natural world. For every three nature-related words in hit songs of the 1950s, researchers found, there was only slightly more than one 50 years later. It is not a moment too soon that teenagers will be able to take a natural history test, given that for decades children have been able to name more video game characters than wildlife species.
Part of remedying this social disease would be for parliament to pass a "right to grow" law, allowing anyone to turn underused public spaces into vegetable and fruit gardens. The idea is for people to get back in touch with the soil-while producing food sustainably.
Vegetable planting has a respectable tradition. In April 1649, locals responded to high prices and food shortages by cultivating vegetables on common land in Southern England. The practice of throwing seed bombs to turn vacant plots of land green took off in 1970s New York, and has been revived(使复活)by green-thumbed(有园艺才能的)social media influencers who defy local US regulations in a war on ugly spots in cities.
Apart from the urgent task of providing more healthy nutrients to those who increasingly can't afford them, publicly accessible fruit and vegetable gardens connect what we eat to where it comes from-the means of production, if you will. They can make unlovely spaces lovely, and marry use and beauty as well as help promote a sense of community. Plants are also, of course, our first defence against species loss and climate change. Such planting is a small step for humanity-—in the right direction.
46. What does the author want to emphasise in the first paragraph?
A) The year 2020 was a big turning point in human history.
B) Economic growth benefits people little in the long run.
C) It is unwise to weaken the human connection to nature.
D) It is harmful to mankind to use human-made materials.
47. What did researchers find about popular culture?
A) It is increasingly detached from the natural world.
B) It is filled with all kinds of video game characters.
C) It is especially appealing to the taste of teenagers.
D) It is still impacted by the hit songs of the 1950s.
48. What does the author propose people do?
A) Take measures to ensure sustainable food development.
B) Reconnect with nature through the right to grow.
C) Stand by the parliament in fighting social diseases.
D) cover public spaces with fruit trees and vegetable plants.
49. What do we learn from the passage about vegetable planting?
A) It all started in 1649 in Southern England.
B) It is protected by US government regulations.
C) It has long been used to increase food supply and improve urban landscape.
D) It has been popularised worldwide with the increasing influence of social media.
50. What can publicly accessible fruit and vegetable gardens do apart from their practical functions?
A) raise people's environmental awareness. C) Act as the first defence against natural disasters.
B) add to the great variety of plant species. D) Enhance people's community spirit.
答案解析：
由题干中的关键词“first paragraph”定位到第一段。第一段提到“削弱人与自然的联系可能对经济增长有利，但对人类有害”，并指出“继续建造混凝土森林而非真正的森林是短视的”，强调削弱人与自然联系是不明智的，所以选C。
由题干中的关键词“popular culture”定位到第二段第一句。第二段提到“自然世界的奇妙与美丽正在从流行文化中消失”，并举例说明1950年代热门歌曲中与自然相关的词汇数量大幅减少，表明流行文化与自然世界日益脱节，所以选A。
由题干中的关键词“propose people do”定位到第三段。第三段提到“解决这一社会疾病的部分方法是议会通过‘种植权’法律，允许任何人将未充分利用的公共空间变成蔬菜和水果花园”，即作者建议人们通过“种植权”重新与自然建立联系，所以选B。
由题干中的关键词“vegetable planting”定位到第四段和第五段。第四段提到1649年英国南部居民通过种植蔬菜应对粮食短缺，1970年代纽约通过“种子炸弹”绿化空地;第五段提到公共可及的蔬果花园能提供健康营养、美化空间、促进社区感，并帮助应对物种丧失和气候变化，说明种植蔬菜长期用于增加食物供应和改善城市景观，所以选C。
由题干中的关键词“publicly accessible fruit and vegetable gardens”“apart from their practical functions”定位到第五段。第五段提到公共蔬果花园能“促进社区感”(help promote a sense of community)，即增强人们的社区精神，所以选D。
