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The crisis in rural England has come to a head with several longterm problems erupting simultaneously, but how its to be resolved is far from clear.
Farming is in enormous upheaval, especially in the more remote areas. Amalgamations will mean that in 50 years there are fewer traditional farmers and even fewer farms than there are now; ranchstyle farming with a much reduced labor input will be evident, and intensive farming will have an even sharper focus. Against this, there will be more “hobby farmers”, wealthy people who farm for aesthetic and environmental reasons, and parttime farmers who combine farming with employment such as IT consultancy. By then GM crops will be accepted, and, contrary to current public perceptions, could well be benefiting wildlife as they will require far fewer chemical sprays.
Its difficult to predict the impact animal right will have on farming. Since we already have better animal welfare standards than most countries, many British farmers might simply stop rearing animals if the animal rights lobby becomes too powerful; we would then be exposed to cheaper imports from countries with much lower welfare standards. Generally speaking, the farmers who stay in business will be the smart farmers who diversify, and those who find innovative ways of selling their products — like the farmer in the Welsh Marshes who sold his beef herd and is now selling frozen sheeps milk by mail order.
Crime in the country is still lower than in the towns but it is rising at a faster rate, a result of increased mobility and the perception of relatively easy pickings. It is more straightforward to police cities than the countryside and the village bobby will remain a memory. Instead the solutions will be hightech: electronic alarm system, fenced armed with sensors, automatic gates. The social divide between the rich and the poor in rural areas will become more marked, butas with crimedealing with poverty in the countryside is going to be more problematic than in the towns because it is so dispersed.
Transport is a big issue: while its desirable to reduce dependency on cars, there is still no real alternative in the countryside — the railways are at capacity and the network is truncated anyway. I see daily communicating diminishing, though, because of the cost in both time and money. The next 50 years could see many urban problems being solved, and that could mean the countryside benefits as people rediscover the convenience of cities. The English ideal of invincible green suburbs and the garden citied of Ebenezer Howard looks set to be replaced by the continental way of life — or rather the British way of life in towns like Buxton, Bath and York in Georgian times, when the countryside was the playground visited by towndwellers at weekends and for holidays. People who live permanently in the country will do so because the countryside is their passion, and because they like the way working with animals dictates a different timetable and priorities.
1. What does “come to a head” in the first passage mean?
A. come to the first in a series of sequencesB. be in the first of a space
C. become the most critical problemD. need careful thought in head
2. What will be the scene of country in half a century?
A. Farmers wont raise animals anymore.
B. Large number of wealthy people will regard farming in the distant country as an entertainment.
C. People will realize the side effect of GM crops.
D. Country will be transformed into a place without vehicle.
3. Crime rates in the country will soar because
A. Country bears large space which makes thieves hide easily.
B. Thieves consider it a comparatively easier place to get money and it bears greater mobility.
C. Country people are kind and mild.
D. Wealthy people live more in country than in city.
4. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. If farmers wish to survive in farming, they have to get new ways of selling their agricultural products.
B. Crime in country will be gotten rid of by village police.
C. More railways could be added in countryside to reduce transport pressure.
D. English ideal suburb life is due to be consistent forever.
5. Whats the best title for this passage?
A. Farming in England.B. British Agricultural Revolution
C. Crisis in EnglandD. British Country
答案:
1. 【C】come to a head原意指使事物达到定点，在此即指最关键。
2. 【B】从文章第二段可得出明确的答案,特别是从hobby farmers就可以看出。其余三项表述错误。
3. 【B】文章第四段第一句话有清楚说明。
4. 【B】B项表述太绝对, 而且解决乡村犯罪问题比城市要麻烦困难。
5. 【D】整片文章讲述的都是英国乡村, 其他选项都片面。
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