第一段
①Though often viewed as a problem for western states, the growing frequency of wildfires is a national concern because of its impact on federal tax dollars, says Professor Max Moritz, a specialist in fire ecology and management.
单词&词组
be viewed as 被视为……
wildfire n. 不易扑灭的大火，野火；大火灾
specialist n. 专家
ecology n. 生态，生态学
本段翻译
日益频繁的森林大火尽管常常被视为西部州的棘手问题，但由于它对联邦税款的不良影响而变成了一件举国关切之事，林火生态与管理专家马克斯·莫里茨教授说。
第二段
①In 2015, the US Forest Service for the first time spent more than half of its $5.5 billion annual budget fighting fires－nearly double the percentage it spent on such efforts 20 years ago.②In effect, fewer federal funds today are going towards the agency's other work-such as forest conservation,watershed and cultural resources management,and infrastructure upkeep-that affect the lives of all Americans.
单词&词组
budget n. 预算
in effect 事实上，实际上
forest conservation 森林保护
watershed n. （森林地带的）集水区
infrastructure n. 基础设施
upkeep n. 保养，维修
本段翻译
2015年，美国林务局首次将其年度预算总额55亿元中的过半用于抗击林火——几乎是20年前在这方面支出比例的两倍。事实上，现在更少的联邦基金被投放到该机构的其他工作，诸如森林保护、集水区及文化资源管理、以及基础设施养护等，这些工作影响到全美国人民的生活。
第三段
①Another nationwide concern is whether public funds from other agencies are going into construction in fire-prone districts.②As Moritz puts it, how often are federal dollars building homes that are likely to be lost to a wildfire?
单词&词组
nationwide a. 全国范围的，全国性的
prone a. 易于发生某事的；很可能……的
put v. 说，表达
本段翻译
另一件举国关切之事是，来自其他机构的公共基金是否被用于火灾易发区建设。以莫里茨的话来讲就是，联邦资金用于建设那些可能会被毁于林火的家园的频率如何。
第四段
①“It’s already a huge problem from a public expenditure perspective for the whole country,” he says.
②“We need to take a magnifying glass to that. Like, ‘Wait a minute,is this OK?’Do we want instead to redirect those funds to concentrate on lower-hazard parts of the landscape?”
单词&词组
public expenditure 公共支出
expenditure n. 开支，支出
magnify v. 放大
redirect v. 使改变用途，重新使用
concentrate v. 使集中于，使汇聚于
hazard n. 危险，隐患
landscape n. 地形，地貌
本段翻译
“从公共支出角度看，这对整个国家来说已然是一个巨大的难题，”他说，“对此，我们要用放大镜来看待。比如，等一下，这样做可行吗?'我们要反过来，将这些资金转向，集中用于该地景的低风险区域吗?”
第五段
①Such a view would require a corresponding shift in the way US society today views fire, researchers say.
单词&词组
corresponding a. 相应的，由此引起的
shift n. （想法、做法等的）转变，改变
本段翻译
这种观念需要当今美国社会在看待火灾的方式上做出相应改变，研究者说。
第六段
①For one thing, conversations about wildfires need to be more inclusive.②Over the past decade, the focus has been on climate change-how the warming of the Earth from greenhouse gases is leading to conditions that worsen fires.
单词&词组
inclusive a. 包容广阔的，范围广的
climate change 气候变化
greenhouse gases 温室气体
worsen v. （使）变得更差，（使）恶化
本段翻译
首先，关于森林大火的晤谈应该更具包容性。在过去的十来年间，晤谈一直聚焦于气候变化——温室气体所致的地球变暖如何诱发火灾恶化的环境。
第七段
①While climate is a key element, Moritz says, it shouldn’t come at the expense of the rest of the equation.
单词&词组
key element 关键要素
at the expense of 以……为代价
equation n. 影响因素，综合体
本段翻译
尽管气候是一个关键要素，但它不应以牺牲其他影响因素作为代价，莫里茨说。
第八段
①“The human systems and the landscapes we live on are linked, and the interactions go both ways," he says.
②Failing to recognize that, he notes, leads to "an overly simplified view of what the solutions might be.
③Our perception of the problem and of what the solution is becomes very limited.”
单词&词组
interaction n. 相互作用，相互影响
simplified a. 简化的
perception n. 认识，观念，看法
本段翻译
“人类系统与我们所赖以生存的地景相互关联，而且，两者间的相互影响是双向的，”他说。不能认识到这一点会导致“对可能性解决措施的看法过于简化，对问题的认知以及对问题解决办法的认知变得极其有限，”他指出。
第九段
①At the same time, people continue to treat fire as an event that needs to be wholly controlled and unleashed only out of necessity, says Professor Balch at the University of Colorado.
②But acknowledging fire's inevitable presence in human life is an attitude crucial to developing the laws, policies, and practices that make it as safe as possible, she says.
单词&词组
treat as 把……视为
out of necessity 出于必要
unleash v. 发泄，突然释放，使爆发
necessity n. 必然，必要
inevitable a. 必然发生的，难以避免的
presence n. 存在，出现
本段翻译
然而，人们仍旧把火灾视为需要全面控制且唯有必要方可释放的事件，科罗拉多大学鲍尔奇教授说。但是，承认火灾在人类生活中的必然存在这一态度对于形成确保火灾尽可能安全的法律、政策、惯例至关重要，她说。
第十段
①“We’ve disconnected ourselves from living with fire,” Balch says. “It is really important to understand and try and tease out what is the human connection with fire today.”
单词&词组
disconnect v. 使分离，使脱离
tease v. 梳理
tease out 梳理，疏通
本段翻译
“我们已将自身从与火灾共存中剥离开来，”鲍尔奇说。“理解并尽力梳理出当今人类与火灾之间关联非常重要。”
五道题
36. More frequent wildfires have become a national concern because in 2015 they_____.
A．exhausted unprecedented management efforts
B．consumed a record-high percentage of budget
C．severely damaged the ecology of western states
D．caused a huge rise of infrastructure expenditure
37. Moritz calls for the use of "a magnifying glass" to _____.
A．raise more funds for fire-prone areas
B．avoid the redirection of federal money
C．find wildfire-free parts of the landscape
D．guarantee safer spending of public funds
38. While admitting that climate is a key element, Moritz notes that _____.
A．public debates have not settled yet
B．fire-fighting conditions are improving
C．other factors should not be overlooked
D．a shift in the view of fire has taken place
39. The overly simplified view Moritz mentions is a result of failing to _____.
A．discover the fundamental makeup of nature
B．explore the mechanism of the human systems
C．maximize the role of landscape in human life
D．understand the interrelations of man and nature
40. Professor Balch points out that fire is something man should _____.
A．do away with
B．come to terms with
C．pay a price for
D．keep away from
参考答案
BDCDB
答案解析
36、第一段明确指出：日益频繁的森林大火因其对联邦税款的不良影响而发展为举国关切之事，第二段①句例证其对联邦税款的不良影响：2015年，美国林务局首次将超过一半的预算用于对抗森林大火，故[B]正确。
37、第四段②句直指莫里茨建议：要用放大镜来看待“是否将联邦资金投人林火易发区建设”这个全国性大问题；③④句进而以正反设问的方式解释说明抽象概念“用放大镜看待”：等一等，这么投放可行不可行?要不要将其投向该地景的低风险区域?换而言之，要多提问、多审思以确保联邦资产的投向准确无误，故[D]正确。
38、第七段明确指出莫里茨观点：气候尽管是一个关键要素，但不应以牺牲其他影响因系为代价，故[C]正确。
39、第八段首先指出人文与地景的关系：相互关联、相互影响；随后指出不认识这一关系的后果：对可能性解决措施的看法过于简化，故[D]正确。5
40、第九段间接引用鲍尔奇教授之言指出：现如今的人们认为火灾是可以被全面控制的，而事实是，人们必须承认火灾是不可避免之物；第十段直接引用鲍尔奇教授之言指出：现如今的人们业已切断与火灾的关联，而事实是，理解人与火灾的关联并梳理好这一关联至关重要。由此可见，鲍尔奇教授认为火灾不可避免、人与火灾密不可分、人类应与火灾和谐共存，故[B]正确。
