EdwardWilsonisAmerica’s,ifnottheworld’s,leadingnaturalist.InTheFutureofLife,hetakesusonatouroftheworld’snaturalresources(资源).Howaretheyused?Whathasbeenlost?Whatremainsandisitabletocontinuewiththepresentspeedofuse?Wilsonalsopointsouttheneedtounderstandfullythebiodiversity(生物多样性)ofourearth.

Wilsonbeginswithanopenlettertothepioneerinenvironment(环境)protection,HenryDavidThoreau.Hecomparestoday’sWaldenPondwiththatofThoreau’sday.Wilsonwillusesuchcomparisonsfortherestofthebook.Theproblemisclear:manhasdonegreatdamagetohishomeovertheyears.Cantheearth,withhumanhelp,bemadetoreturntobiodiversitylevelsthatwillbeabletosupportusinthefuture?

Biodiversity,Wilsonargues,isthekeytosettlingmanyproblemstheearthfacestoday.Evenouragriculturalcropscangainadvantagesfromit.Amerehundredspecies(物种)arethebasisofourfoodsupply,ofwhichbuttwentycarrytheload.Wilsonsuggestschangingthissituationbylookingintotenthousandspeciesthatcouldbemadeuseof,whichwillbeawaytoreducetheclearingofthenaturalhomesofplantsandanimalstoenlargefarmingareas.

Attheendofthebook,Wilsondiscussestheimportanceofhumanvaluesinconsideringtheenvironment.Ifyouaretocontinuetoliveontheearth,youmaywellreadandactontheideasinthisbook.WelearnformthetextthatWilsoncaresmostabout______Howmanyspeciesaremostimportanttoourpresentfoodsupply?Wilsonsuggeststhatonewaytokeepbiodiversityisto_______.Wecaninferthatthetextis_______EdwardWilsonis_______

A.theenvironmentforplants

B.thebiodiversityofourearth

C.thewastesofnaturalresources

D.theimportanceofhumanvalues

A.Twenty.

B.Eighty.

C.Onehundred

D.Tenthousand.

A.learnhowtofarmscientifically

B.buildhomesforsomedyingspecies

C.makeitclearwhattoeat

D.usemorespeciesforfood

A.adescriptionofnaturalresources

B.aresearchreport

C.abookreview

D.anintroductiontoascientist.

A.apioneerinenvironmentprotection

B.anAmericanscientisti