Part A: Reading Comprehension

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Though 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.

In 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. In 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.

Another nationwide concern is whether public funds from other agencies are going into construction in fire-prone districts. As Moritz puts it, how often are federal dollars building homes that are likely to be lost to a wildfire?

“It’s already a huge problem from a public expenditure perspective for the whole country,” he says. “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?”

Such a view would require a corresponding shift in the way US society today views fire, researchers say.

For one thing, conversations about wildfires need to be more inclusive. Over 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.

While climate is a key element, Moritz says, it shouldn’t come at the expense of the rest of the equation.

“The human systems and the landscapes we live on are linked, and the interactions go both ways,” he says. Failing to recognize that, he notes, leads to “an overly simplified view of what the solutions might be. Our perception of the problem and of what the solution is becomes very limited.”

At 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. But 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.

“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.”

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. 

答案解析 (Answers & Explanations)

36. [B] consumed a record-high percentage of budget.
解析：第二段首句指出，在2015年，美国森林局“首次（for the first time）将其55亿美元年度预算的一半以上用于扑灭火灾——几乎是20年前的两倍”。“首次超过一半”且“是以前的两倍”，对应选项B“消耗了创纪录高比例的预算”。

37. [D] guarantee safer spending of public funds.
解析：第四段中 Moritz 说我们需要对联邦资金的使用“拿一个放大镜来看看（take a magnifying glass to that）”。他接着自问自答：“等一下，这样可以吗？难道我们不应该将这些资金重新定向（redirect those funds），集中用在危险性较低的区域（lower-hazard parts）吗？”结合第三段提到的资金被错误投入了“易发生火灾的地区（fire-prone districts）”，他呼吁拿放大镜看，是为了改变资金的错误流向，从而“保证公共资金的更安全支出（guarantee safer spending of public funds）”，选D。

38. [C] other factors should not be overlooked.
解析：第七段中 Moritz 表示：“虽然气候是一个关键因素，但它不应该以方程式中的其他部分为代价（it shouldn’t come at the expense of the rest of the equation）”。“方程式的其他部分”就是指影响野火的其他因素（比如下文提到的人类系统），这意味着“其他因素不应被忽视（other factors should not be overlooked）”，选C。

39. [D] understand the interrelations of man and nature.
解析：第八段中 Moritz 说：“人类系统和我们居住的景观是相互联系的，而且这种互动是双向的（interactions go both ways）”。接着指出，“未能认识到这一点（Failing to recognize that），会导致一种过于简化的观点……”。因此，这种简化的观点是由于未能“理解人与自然的相互关系（understand the interrelations of man and nature）”导致的，选D。

40. [B] come to terms with.
解析：第九段中 Balch 教授指出，人们仍然把火当作需要完全控制的东西，但“承认火在人类生活中的必然存在（acknowledging fire’s inevitable presence）”才是至关重要的态度。在最后一段她又呼吁“要了解在今天人类与火的联系”。这说明人类不能盲目排斥火，而是要承认它、学会与火共存。选项B“come to terms with”意为“妥协/接受/适应”，完美契合文章主旨。

核心长难句精解 (High-Light)

1. 插入语与定语从句的嵌套：
"In 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."
【解析】两个破折号之间的内容是对 `other work`（其他工作）的具体举例。破折号之后的 `that` 引导定语从句，由于其先行词被长长的插入语隔开了，这里需要特别注意 `that` 实际上修饰的是前面的 `other work`。

2. 动名词短语作主语与后置形容词短语：
"But 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."
【解析】句子的主语是动名词短语 `acknowledging... in human life`（承认火在人类生活中的必然存在）。系动词是 `is`，表语是 `an attitude`。在表语后面，形容词短语 `crucial to developing...` 作后置定语修饰 `attitude`。在 `practices` 后又跟了一个 `that` 引导的定语从句。

3. 宾语从句中的介词搭配：
"It is really important to understand and try and tease out what is the human connection with fire today."
【解析】`tease out` 意为“梳理出/探究出”。其后跟着由 `what` 引导的宾语从句。这句话点明了本文的核心思想：停止盲目灭火，重新梳理并接受人与火的共存关系。