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词数：381 words
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上期划线句答案
Bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria) can wipe out bacteria-based bioreactors, costing huge amounts of time and money, but it is likely they wouldn’t infect mirror bacteria, because they wouldn’t recognize their molecules.
噬菌体（感染细菌的病毒）可以摧毁用细菌制成的生物反应器，造成巨大的时间和金钱损失，但它们很可能无法感染镜像细菌，因为它们无法识别镜像细菌的分子。
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本期内容
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双语阅读
Para.1
Climate change has made three-quarters of the Earth's land permanently drier in the last three decades, a landmark United Nations (UN) report has warned. 77.6% of Earth's land has become drier in the last three decades compared to the 30 years prior, with drylands expanding by an area larger than India to cover 40.6% of the land on Earth, except for Antarctica.
Para.2
And the findings, released in a new report by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), warn that if the trend continues, up to five billion people could live in drylands by the century's end — causing soils to deplete, water resources to dwindle, and vital ecosystems to collapse.
Para.3
For the first time, the aridity crisis has been documented with scientific clarity, revealing an existential threat affecting billions around the globe. Ibrahim Thiaw, the UNCCD executive secretary, said in a statement. Droughts end. When an area's climate becomes drier, however, the ability to return to previous conditions is lost. The drier climates now affecting vast lands across the globe will not return to how they were and this change is redefining life on Earth.
Para.4
Yet despite being a growing concern among scientists, documenting the extent of the planet's drying due to climate change has been a challenge, largely, the report claims, due to the complexity of interwoven factors, conflicting results, and the muddying effect of scientific caution. To move past this deadlock, the authors behind the new report used advanced climate models, standardized methodologies and an extensive review of the existing literature and data to get a clear picture of the growing drying trend.
Para.5
Yet the report's authors say that if action is taken, the future need not look so bleak. The comprehensive roadmap they offer for tackling the crisis — besides drastically reducing carbon emissions to halt the trend — includes improved monitoring of aridity, better uses of land and water, and fostering resilience and cooperation within and between communities around the world. Without concerted efforts, billions face a future marked by hunger, displacement, and economic decline, Barron Orr, the UNCCD's chief scientist, said in the statement. Yet, by embracing innovative solutions and fostering global solidarity, humanity can rise to meet this challenge. The question is not whether we have the tools to respond — it is whether we have the will to act.
本文节选自：LiveScience（生活科学）
发布时间：2024.12.9
作者：Ben Turner
原文标题：'An existential threat affecting billions': Three-quarters of Earth's land became permanently drier in last 3 decades
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写作句总结
背记本文第五段。
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阅读理解题
According to the UN report, what are some of the potential consequences of continued land drying?
A. Increased rainfall and expansion of forests
B. Improved soil fertility and increased water resources
C. Depleted soils, dwindling water resources, and collapse of vital ecosystems
D. Economic growth due to new agricultural techniques
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全文概括
A new UN report reveals that three-quarters of Earth's land has permanently dried over the past three decades due to climate change, an area exceeding India's size. This aridification trend threatens billions of people by the century's end, potentially leading to resource depletion and ecosystem collapse. The report, however, offers a roadmap for addressing the crisis, emphasizing emission reduction, improved land and water management, and global cooperation. While the severity of the situation is undeniable, the report stresses that swift action can still mitigate the worst impacts.
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