Part A: Reading Comprehension

Text 2

The UK is facing a future construction crisis because of a failure to plant trees to produce wood, Confor has warned. The forestry and wood trade body has called for urgent action to reduce the country’s reliance on timber imports and provide a stable supply of wood for future generations. Currently only 20 per cent of the UK’s wood requirement is home-grown while it remains the second-largest net importer of timber in the world.

Coming at a time of fresh incentives from the UK government for landowners to grow more trees, the trade body says these don’t go far enough and fail to promote the benefits of planting them to boost timber supplies. “Not only are we facing a carbon crisis now, but we will also be facing a future construction crisis because of a failure to plant trees to produce wood,” said Stuart Goodall, chief executive of Confor. “For decades we have not taken responsibility for investing in our domestic wood supply, leaving us exposed to fluctuating prices and fighting for future supplies of wood as global demand rises and our own supplies fall.”

The UK has ideal conditions for growing wood to build low-carbon homes and is a global leader in certifying that its forests are sustainably managed, Confor says. While around three quarters of Scottish homes are built from Scottish timber, the use of home-grown wood in England is only around 25 per cent. The causes of the UK’s current position are complex and range from outdated perceptions of productive forestry to the decimation of trees by grey squirrels. It also encompasses significant hesitation on behalf of farmers and other landowners to invest in longer-term planting projects.

While productive tree planting can deliver real financial benefits to rural economies and contribute to the UK’s net-zero strategy, the focus of government support continues to be on food production and the rewilding and planting of native woodland solely for biodiversity. Goodall added: “While food production and biodiversity health are clearly of critical importance, we need our land to also provide secure supplies of wood for construction, manufacturing and contribute to net zero.”

“While the UK government has stated its ambition for more tree planting, there has been little action on the ground. Confor is now calling for much greater impetus behind those aspirations to ensure we have enough wood to meet increasing demand.”

26. It can be learned from Paragraph 1 that the UK needs to

[A]

increase its domestic wood supply. 

[B]

reduce its demand for timber. 

[C]

lower its wood production costs. 

[D]

lift its control on timber imports. 

27. According to Confor, the UK government’s fresh incentives

[A]

can hardly address a construction crisis. 

[B]

are believed to come at a wrong time. 

[C]

seem to be misleading for landowners. 

[D]

will be too costly to put into practice. 

28. The UK’s exposure to fluctuating wood prices is a result of

[A]

the government’s inaction on timber imports. 

[B]

inadequate investment in growing wood. 

[C]

the competition among timber traders at home. 

[D]

wood producers’ motive to maximise profits. 

29. Which of the following causes the shortage of wood supply in the UK?

[A]

Excessive timber consumption in construction. 

[B]

Unfavourable conditions for growing wood. 

[C]

Outdated technologies of the wood industry. 

[D]

Farmers’ unwillingness to plant trees. 

30. What does Goodall think the UK government should do?

[A]

Subsidise the building of low-carbon homes. 

[B]

Pay greater attention to boosting rural economies. 

[C]

Provide more support for productive tree planting. 

[D]

Give priority to pursuing its net-zero strategy. 

答案解析 (Answers & Explanations)

26. [A] increase its domestic wood supply.
解析：细节题。第一段提到，英国目前只有 20% 的木材需求是本土种植的，它仍然是世界第二大木材净进口国。因此，贸易组织呼吁紧急采取行动以“减少该国对木材进口的依赖，并为子孙后代提供稳定的木材供应”。“减少进口依赖、提供木材”本质上就是要求“增加国内木材供应（increase its domestic wood supply）”，选A。

27. [A] can hardly address a construction crisis.
解析：细节题。第二段首句指出，贸易机构认为政府的这些新的激励措施“不够奏效（don’t go far enough），并且未能在提升木材供应方面发挥作用（fail to promote the benefits of planting them to boost timber supplies）”。结合前后文，木材供应不足会导致建筑危机，既然这些措施无法提升木材供应，也就“几乎无法解决建筑危机（can hardly address a construction crisis）”，选A。

28. [B] inadequate investment in growing wood.
解析：细节推理题。第二段引用 Stuart Goodall 的话说：“几十年来，我们一直没有承担起投资国内木材供应的责任（not taken responsibility for investing in our domestic wood supply），这使我们暴露在不断波动的价格之中……”。由此可见，面临价格波动的后果正是因为“对种植木材的投资不足（inadequate investment in growing wood）”，选B。

29. [D] Farmers’ unwillingness to plant trees.
解析：细节题。第三段最后一句总结了导致英国目前处境的原因之一：“它（原因）还包括农民和其他土地所有者在投资长期种植项目方面的严重犹豫（significant hesitation on behalf of farmers and other landowners to invest...）”。“犹豫/不投资”即对应选项 D 中的“农民不愿意种树（Farmers’ unwillingness to plant trees）”，选D。

30. [C] Provide more support for productive tree planting.
解析：主旨推断题。第四段指出，政府目前的支持焦点在于食品生产和“仅仅为了生物多样性”的植树造林。Goodall 补充说：“虽然食品和生物多样性很重要，但我们的土地还需要为建筑和制造业提供有保障的木材供应……”。最后一段呼吁“需要更大的推动力（greater impetus）”来确保木材供应。因此，Goodall 认为政府应该“为生产性（经济性）的植树提供更多支持（Provide more support for productive tree planting）”，选C。

核心长难句精解 (High-Light)

1. 分词短语作状语：
"Coming at a time of fresh incentives from the UK government for landowners to grow more trees, the trade body says these don’t go far enough and fail to promote the benefits of planting them to boost timber supplies."
【解析】句首的 `Coming at...` 是现在分词短语作时间/背景状语，主句的主语是 `the trade body`。在主句中，`these` 指代前文的 `fresh incentives`，谓语是并列的 `don't go` 和 `fail to promote`。这句话说明了在政府出台新政策的背景下，贸易机构对其效果的批评。

2. leaving 引导的结果状语及并列结构：
"For decades we have not taken responsibility for investing in our domestic wood supply, leaving us exposed to fluctuating prices and fighting for future supplies of wood as global demand rises and our own supplies fall."
【解析】`leaving...` 是现在分词短语作结果状语，表示由于没有投资国内木材带来的恶果。在 `leaving` 后面跟了复合宾语结构 `leaving us exposed... and fighting...`。句末由 `as` 引导时间状语从句（随着全球需求上升和自身供应下降）。

3. The causes... range from... to... 结构：
"The causes of the UK’s current position are complex and range from outdated perceptions of productive forestry to the decimation of trees by grey squirrels."
【解析】这句话的谓语是并列的 `are` 和 `range from... to...`。`range from A to B`（范围从A到B）清晰地列举了导致英国木材危机复杂原因的两端：观念上的落后（对生产性林业的过时认知）到自然界的破坏（灰松鼠对树木的大量啃食）。