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  3. In the United States, the need to protect plant and animal species has become a highly controversial and sharply political issue

In the United States, the need to protect plant and animal species has become a highly controversial and sharply political issue

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问题     In the United States, the need to protect plant and animal species has become a highly controversial and sharply political issue since the passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973. The act, designed to protect species’ living areas, and policies that preserve land and forests competes with economic interest. In the 1990’s, for example, the woodcutters in the Western United States were challenged legally in their attempt to cut trees for timber in the Cascade Mountains. The challenge was mounted to protect the endangered spotted owl (猫头鹰), whose remaining population occupies these forests and requires the intact, ancient forest for survival. The problematic situation set the interests of environmentalists against those of corporations and of individuals who stood to lose jobs. After months of debate and legal battles, the fate of the woodcutters—and the owls—was still undecided in mid-1992.
    Similar tensions exist between the developed and the developing nations. Many people in industrialized nations, for example, believe that developing nations in tropical regions should do more to protect their rain forests and other natural areas. But the developing countries may be impoverished (使穷困)，with populations growing so rapidly that using the land is a means to temporarily avoid worsening poverty and starvation.
    Many of the changes to Earth that concern scientists have the potential to rob the planet of its biological richness. The destruction of Earth’s ozone layer (臭氧层)，for example, could contribute to the general process of impoverishment by allowing ultra-violet rays to harm plants and animals. And global warming could wipe out species unable to quickly adapt to changing climates. Clearly, protecting Earth’s biological diversity is a complex problem. But solutions to humanity’s current problems will come only through coordinated international efforts to control human population, stabilize the composition of the atmosphere, and preserve intact Earth’s complex web of life.  
Why does the author say that the protection of endangered species is a highly controversial issue?
选项 A、Because people can’t agree as to what species to protect.
B、Because it is difficult to find an effective way to protect such species.
C、Because it affects the interests of certain groups of people.
D、Because it is a major problem involving a series of legal procedures.
答案C
解析 本题是一道具体细节题。问作者为何说濒危物种的保护问题是一个颇有争议的问题。利用查阅式阅读法，我们可以在文章第一句和第二句中找到相关的信息。这两句话指出，在美国，自从1973年通过了《濒危物种保护法》之后，对动植物的保护已经成了一个引起高度争议的问题。此法案目的是为了保护濒危物种的生活区域和自然保护区及森林，却与经济利益相冲突。因此，本题的正确答案应是C“因为它影响了某些人的利益”。
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