10．Our planet Earth is comparatively small，with only about 24，902miles around the equator（赤道）．Its surface area may seem largest at 196，935，000sq．miles，but of this，70% is covered by sea．The actual land surface covers some 57，500，000sq．miles-29% of the total surface area．
Once again，this seems vast until we take into account the largely uninhabited（未居住的） regions such as the huge wastes of the Arctic and Antarctic，the deserts and wetlands．These regions are not always totally uninhabited，but they can usually support only very small populations．
At present there is still enough space on Earth for humans and wildlife，but what of the future？Our world cannot grow any larger，yet the human population keeps growing every year!As of July 2008，there were almost 6.7billion（十亿） people on the planet，and current estimates（估计） suggest that the population could be as high as 9.1billion by as soon as 2050．
While the birthrate is slowing a little in parts of the Northern Hemisphere，in many other parts of the world，including developing countries，populations continue to grow．This population explosion is responsible for most world environmental problems today； so whether our main concern is to breathe cleaner air，to drink purer water，to eliminate（消除） pollution，to protect wildlife and countryside，to produce more food to eat or to reach a higher standard of living generally，our chances of achieving any of these things become faint as the population increases sharply．The Earth's resources are vast but limited．We have a tendency to look to the shortterm，rather than seeing the bigger picture of the future．
This is why it is so important that young people learn about looking after the planet-so that future generations of adults act responsibly with regard to the environment and create a future that is continuable，both for humans and all the other species with which we share our world．
59．What does the author worry about？C．
A．How to find ways to live in uninhabited regions．
B．The Earth is turning smaller and smaller．
C．Whether there is enough space for creatures in the future．
D．What people will live on in the future．
=60．According to the text，we can infer thatA．
A．the population will increase by 0.6billion every ten years
B．the birthrate around the equator is a little low
C．population explosion is caused by environmental problems
D．more population brings more resources
61．What does the underlined word"faint"mean？B．
A．Important．B．Slight．C．Necessary．D．Interesting．
62．Which of the following ideas is suggested by the author？C．
A．Taking strong measures to control the birthrate．
B．Saving the Earth's natural resources．
C．Calling on the young to care for the planet．
D．Protecting the endangered species．
分析 本文属于说明文阅读，作者通过这篇文章主要向我们描述了作者担心未来是否有足够的生物空间，号召年轻人爱护地球．
解答 59．C．细节理解题．根据第三段：At present there is still enough space on Earth for humans and wildlife，but what of the future？Our world cannot grow any larger，yet the human population keeps growing every year可知作者担心未来是否有足够的生物空间；故选C．
60．A．推理判断题．根据第三段：As of July 2008，there were almost 6.7billion（十亿） people on the planet，and current estimates（估计） suggest that the population could be as high as 9.1billion by as soon as 2050可知．人口将增加0.6billion每十年；故选A．
61．B．词义理解题．根据倒数第二段：our chances of achieving any of these things become faint as the population increases sharply可知我们获得这些东西的机会变得微弱的人口的急剧增加；意为微弱；故选B．
62．C．推理判断题．根据最后一段：adults act responsibly with regard to the environment and create a future that is continuable，both for humans and all the other species with which we share our world可知作者号召年轻人爱护地球；故选C．
点评 考察学生的细节理解和推理判断能力，做细节理解题时一定要找到文章中的原句，和题干进行比较，再做出正确的选择．在做推理判断题不要以个人的主观想象代替文章的事实，要根据文章事实进行合乎逻辑的推理判断．
