The introduction of non-indigenous“exotic”species is now seen as a major threat to biodiversity.In 1825，a particularly vigorous female clone of itadori (called Japanese knotweed)was introduced into Holland and later distributed throughout Europe by the plant collector and nurseryman，Von Seibold.British gardeners loved it and by 1 886 it was even found growing on cinder tips in South Wales.By the turn of the century，the plant had colonized many other sites，and gardeners were advised against planting it in shrubberies.By 1 994，it was almost everywhere——railways，riversides，hedgerows，cemeteries-swamping a wide range of habitats and displacing rare species.Botanists‘ fears that the plant is still spreading and may yet colonize other new habitats have generated recent attempts to eradicate it bymechanical and chemical methods，all in vain as yet.

The evidence stacked against Japanese knotweed is damning.But there is a deep anxiety that behind the desire to correct human ecological cook—ups——often manifest as a passion to save endangered species and vulnerable ecosystems——is a thinly disguised xenophobia;that we are simply seeing yet another form of ecological imperialism which defines what is“natural”based on human preferences.

But whatever our reaction to“problem‘’or alien species is，it must involve moral decisions.And who should make such decisions and to what degree they are accountable must also be up for review.The conclusions of scientists and other sections of society may differ vastly about what to do about the introduced animals and plants that have become a common feature of everyday life.For example，the scheme to control rabbits in Australia by deliberately spreading the disease myxomatosis was a success in that huge numbers of rabbits were wiped out for the greater good——the”health“of Australian ecosystems.But would inflicting such a horrifically slow agonizing death on sentient creatures win popular support if it were proposed today?

Scientists of biodiversity are by their very nature concerned with the organization of species into systems and not necessarily with the interests and well-being of individual，particularly those that are seen as a threat to the maintenance of those systems.Yet there is a growing feeling for the democratization of decisions concerning nonhuman life.The movement towards environmental values must surely involve a movement away from imperialism and a search for a relationship with nature as it truly is，rather than aswe would design it.Then，when Our lawns have long disappeared，we may yet come to honor the humble dandelion.

1. Botanists have generated attempts to remove the Japanese knotweed because———

[A]it threatens the local biodiversity

[B]it is regarded as exotic

[C]it’s SO vigorous as to spread everywhere

[D]it checks other plants growth

2. 111 the author’s opinion.the attempt to eradicate the Japanese knotweed__.

[A] is worthy of praises

[B]reflects people‘s desire to protect ecological biodiversity

[C]shows people‘s passion to say endangered species and vulnerable ecosystems

[D]is biased by human preferences

3. what does the Word“xenophobia”(Line 3，Para.2)mean?

[A]The ecological disorders.

[B]The passion to save the endangered ecosystem.

[C]The ecological imperialism.

[D]The fear for alien species.

4. As for what to do about alien species，the author thinks——。

[A]who should make such decisions is open to doubt

[B]the decisions should be based on scientists‘conclusions

[C]decision making should involve more people other than scientists

[D]it’s morally unacceptable to eradicate all alien species

5. According to the text，which of the following is true?

[A]To eliminate alien species for the sake of the indigenous ones is acceptable.

[B]Human‘s efforts to correct ecological disorders are actually based on ecological study.

[C]People‘s attitudes towards alien species involve moral considerations.

[D]Human have to design nature to protect biodiversity.

核心词汇

species n.种类 clone n.无性繁殖 hedgerows n.灌木树篱

cemetery n.墓地 vain n.徒劳 manifest v.表明

sectionn n.部分，界 humble口巧。卑微的 dandelion n.蒲公英

非本上的外来物种的传入现在被视为是对生物多样性的一个主要威胁。1825年，一种具有相当旺盛生命力的itadori(称为虎杖)雌性克隆植物被引进荷兰，并随后由植物收藏家和园丁Von Seibold推广到全欧洲。英国的园丁们很喜欢它，到1886年在南威尔士甚至都能看到它们长在煤渣上。到20世纪初，这种植物已经侵占了其他一些地方，园丁们被告知不要把它种在灌木林里。到1994年，这种植物几乎到处都是——铁道、河岸、灌木篱墙、公墓，覆盖了很大一片地方，并取代了一些稀有品种。植物学家们担心这种植物还会不断繁殖并可能抢占新的生存空间。这种忧虑促使人们用机械和化学的方法来尝试根除它，但至今为止仍徒劳无功。

不利于虎杖的依据是确定无疑的，但还存在一层更深的忧虑。那就是在纠正人类给生态带来的灾祸的愿望背后——通常表现为一种挽救濒临灭绝的动物和脆弱的生态系统的激情——是一种未经多少掩饰的仇外情结。那忧虑还在于我们看到了另一种生态帝国主义，以人类的喜好来决定什么是“自然的”。

但是无论我们对“问题”或外来物种的反应如何，它都必须包含道德的决定。谁应该做这样的决定以及他们对这样的问题应负责的程度也必须被重新认识。科学家和其他社会部门的结论的不同可能很大部分在于如何对待已经成为日常生活共同特色的外来的动植物。例如，澳大利亚通过故意散布多发黏液瘤病来控制兔子的数量并取得了成功。大量的兔子为了更大的利益——澳大利亚生态系统的“健康”——而被消灭。但是如果在当今这种造成反应灵敏的生物如此恐怖地、缓慢痛苦地死亡的提议再被提出来的话，它还会得到人们广泛的赞同吗?

从事生物多样性研究的科学家本质上是关心作为一种系统存在的物种的，而并不关心单个生物的利益和生存状态，特别是那些被视为对维护生态系统造成威胁的生物。但现在存在一种渐长的情绪要求对非人类生物所做的决定的民主化。争取环境价值的运动必须确实包含远离帝国主义的运动以及对人与自然关系的探索，这种关系是真实存在的而不是由人类自己设计出来的。于是，当我们大片大片的草地消失的时候，我们才可能来尊敬卑贱的蒲公英。

1. A 推断题。由题干关键词BotanisE和the Japanese kmotweed定位文章第一段。该段首句讲到外来物种对生物多样性造成了威胁，接着以虎杖为例来支持这一论点，指出这一物种占领了很大一片地方，并取代了一些稀有品种，由此可推知，铲除虎杖的原因就是它威胁了生物多样性，正确答案为A.

2. D 态度题。第一段讨论了人们普遍接受的一种观点，并以铲除虎杖的尝试为例来支持这种观点，第二段提出了由这一事例引发的思考和作者自己的看法——虎杖的命运反映了人们为维护本地生物多样性而表现出的一种排外心理，即人们按照自己的喜好来维护那些所谓“自然”的东西，故选D.其余选项A(值得称道)，由文中的invalid(徒劳)可知作者并不看好这种做法。B(反映了人们保护生态多样性的愿望)和c(展示了人们保护濒危物种和脆弱的生态系统的热情)均非作者的想法。

3. D 语义题。由题干关键词xenophobia定位第二段。该段中被考查词xenophobia的前后句都是对其的解释。主要内容是：人们表现出的为挽救脆弱的生态系统的激情，是一种未经多少掩饰的xenophobia情结，那忧虑还在于我们看到了另一种生态帝国主义。结合上文我们知道，这种植物是外来的，当其发展影响到本土的植物时人们就尝试根除它，由此可推测xenophobia意为“排外主义，仇外”，故选D.

4. C 推断题。作者在第三、四段中就如何对待外来物种提出了自己的看法：在第三段中指出由谁作出决定，以及他们对此问题应负多大责任，都是值得商榷的问题;第四段中更加明确地提出决策民主化的观点，综合推断可知正确答案为C.其余三项A(由谁来做这样的决定仍有待商榷)没有C全面，B(这些决定应该以科学家的结论为基础)与文意相悖，D(铲除所有外来物种在道德上是无法接受的)说法过于绝对。

5. C 细节题。本题可从选项入手，A(为了本土物种而铲除外来物种是可以接受的)与文中提到的生态帝国主义和考虑道德因素相悖，可排除;B(人们纠正生态混乱的种种努力实际上都以生态系统研究为基础)文章并未提到，可排除;C(人们对外来物种的态度涉及道德因素)符合文意，故为答案;文章结尾处指出，人们在探索环境价值的过程中应该积极地探索与大自然的关系，而不是凭着人类的喜好去设计自然，故D错误。