從雅思閱讀中學(xué)習(xí)寫(xiě)作

做過(guò)劍橋《雅思真題7》的同學(xué)們應(yīng)該對(duì) The True Cost of Food 這篇文章并不陌生，里面有很多涉及農(nóng)業(yè)的相關(guān)內(nèi)容。農(nóng)業(yè)和我們的生活息息相關(guān)，事關(guān)溫飽這一最基本的人類(lèi)生存問(wèn)題。

此外，農(nóng)業(yè)發(fā)展和科技進(jìn)步息息相關(guān)，雅思寫(xiě)作中科技環(huán)境類(lèi)的主題并不鮮見(jiàn)，自然也會(huì)涉及到食品、農(nóng)業(yè)等相關(guān)內(nèi)容。既然那么重要，各位小伙伴們，沒(méi)打算從我們的閱讀中汲取點(diǎn)營(yíng)養(yǎng)么？

下面我們一起來(lái)精讀其中非常有借鑒意義的一段，即P44的B段。
First mechanization, then mass use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, then monoculture, then battery rearing of livestock, and now genetic engineering--the onward march of intensive farming has seemed unstoppable in the last half-century, as the yields of produce have soared. But the damage it has caused has been colossal. In Britain, for example, many of our best-loved farmland birds, such as the skylark, the grey partridge, the lapwing and the corn bunting, have vanished from huge stretches of countryside, as have even ore wild flowers and insects. This is a direct result of the hedgerows, thousands of ponds, have disappeared from the landscape. The facial filth of salmon farming has driven wild salmon from many of the sea loaches and rivers of Scotland. Natural soil fertility is dropping in many areas because of continuous industrial fertilizer and pesticide use, while the growth of algae is increasing in lakes because of the fertilizer run-off.

第一句中提到 intensive farming 這么一個(gè)術(shù)語(yǔ)，意思是“集約式農(nóng)業(yè)”，是農(nóng)業(yè)隨著技術(shù)進(jìn)步發(fā)展的一個(gè)階段，我們來(lái)看看英文中是如何解釋的：
Intensive farming or intensive agriculture also known as industrial agriculture is characterized by a low fallow ratio and higher use of inputs such as capital and labour per unit land area. This is in contrast to traditional agriculture in which the inputs per unit land are lower.

從中我們可以知道，intensive farming, intensive agriculture, industrial agriculture 其實(shí)是一樣的意思，那么寫(xiě)作時(shí)不就可以替換了嗎？

此外，B段第一句中還介紹了農(nóng)業(yè)發(fā)展的不同階段，從中可知基因工程是目前比較前沿的技術(shù)，是不是覺(jué)得讀了這些，自己對(duì)農(nóng)業(yè)的了解瞬間升級(jí)了，相關(guān)詞匯也增加了？那這些信息寫(xiě)作的時(shí)候有沒(méi)有想著用進(jìn)去呢？

第二句到段尾著重介紹了 intensive farming 帶來(lái)的負(fù)面影響。尤其是第三句中舉了很多鳥(niǎo)類(lèi)的例子，比如 skylark（云雀）、grey partridge（灰鷓鴣）等。這些都是隨著農(nóng)業(yè)技術(shù)的進(jìn)步，而逐漸消失在人們視線中的自然界生物。

這段最后一句寫(xiě)到由于化肥和殺蟲(chóng)劑的持續(xù)使用，天然的肥力下降，化肥的泄露導(dǎo)致湖中藻類(lèi)大量繁殖。那當(dāng)我們寫(xiě)到技術(shù)進(jìn)步對(duì)環(huán)境帶來(lái)的危害時(shí)，這些例子都是很好的素材，不是么？

Fiona 請(qǐng)大家記得一點(diǎn)，舉例子的時(shí)候，其實(shí)是你充分展示自己高大上詞匯的絕佳時(shí)機(jī)，所以平時(shí)要做個(gè)有心人，看到可以用的，記到自己的素材本上。用雅思（閱讀）來(lái)應(yīng)對(duì)雅思（寫(xiě)作），是不是很爽呢？

如果你對(duì)農(nóng)業(yè)技術(shù)這個(gè)話題感興趣，我們?cè)倏纯?wikipedia 上關(guān)于 intensive farming 還有什么相關(guān)內(nèi)容：

Intensive crop agriculture is characterised by innovations designed to increase yield. Techniques include planting multiple crops per year, reducing the frequency of fallow years and improving cultivars. It also involves increased use of fertilizers, plant growth regulators, pesticides and mechanization, controlled by increased and more detailed analysis of growing conditions, including weather, soil, water, weeds and pests.

This system is supported by ongoing innovation in agricultural machinery and farming methods, genetic technology, techniques for achieving economies of scale, logistics and data collection and analysis technology. Intensive farms are widespread in developed nations and increasingly prevalent worldwide. Most of the meat, dairy, eggs, fruits and vegetables available in supermarkets are produced by such farms.

Smaller intensive farms usually include higher inputs of labor and more often use sustainable intensive methods. The farming practices commonly found on such farms are referred to as appropriate technology. These farms are less widespread in both developed countries and worldwide, but are growing more rapidly. Most of the food available in specialty markets such as farmers markets is produced by these smallholder farms.

參考詞匯

intensive farming, intensive agriculture, industrial agriculture (n.) 集約式農(nóng)業(yè)
traditional agriculture (n.) 傳統(tǒng)農(nóng)業(yè)
fallow (n.) 休耕地、休耕；(adj.) 休耕的、不活躍的；(vt.) 使（土地）休耕
cultivar (n.) 培育植物、栽培變種
fertilizer (n.) 肥料
chemical fertilizer 化肥
pesticide (n.) 殺蟲(chóng)劑
insecticide (n.) 殺蟲(chóng)劑
herbicide (n.) 除草劑
mechanization (n.) 機(jī)械化
innovation (n.) 創(chuàng)新，革新
genetic technology (n.) 基因技術(shù)
genetic engineering (n.) 基因工程、遺傳工程
economies of scale (n.) 規(guī)模經(jīng)濟(jì)
sustainable (adj.) 可持續(xù)的
widespread (adj.) 廣泛的、廣泛分布的
vanish (v.) 消失。文中的另一個(gè)同近義詞 disappear (v.)
colossal (adj.) 巨大的，非常的

Further reading

維基百科（Wikipedia）
關(guān)鍵詞：intensive farming
學(xué)術(shù)文章 Genetic engineering hopes and failures

Fiona 推薦大家自己搜集一些關(guān)于 organic farming, factory farming, genetic engineering 等相關(guān)內(nèi)容，劍11的閱讀真題中就提到了 factory farming
 

【定制學(xué)習(xí)方案：400-618-0272】