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The Price of Existence
原文
Snap! Half the population of the universe disappears. Thanos (灭霸) smiles at the mountains, sadly content. The screen fades to black. Hushed whispers fill the movie theater: "This can't be the end ... I can't believe they did that ..." While we are busy mourning the loss of our favorite Avengers (复仇者), or thanking Marvel (漫威) for keeping them alive, I want to take a detour into Thanos' thought process. He believed that overpopulation would lead to a heavy burden on the environment and an eventual extinction of the planet. In order to prevent that, he chose to eliminate (消灭) half the population of the entire universe.
Except there is a problem, at least as far as humanity is concerned. You see, humans reproduce (生育) rather quickly, especially in the last few decades. If half of humanity disappeared now, we would be left with around 3.8 billion people. That's the human population of Earth around 1970. Considering how far medical science has improved, infant mortality rates (死亡率) have gone down while life expectancy (预期寿命) has risen since the 1970s. So theoretically, we've only lost about 30 years' worth of population growth. Does that mean Thanos has to come back in 2042 to snap his fingers again?
Putting aside the fact that Avengers: Infinity War (《复仇者联盟：无限战争》) is fiction, we are indeed facing quite the problem with overpopulation. In 2017, the United Nations published a report claiming that the human population is projected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050. Hopefully by now, everyone believes in global warming (if you don't, you can stop reading) and humanity's contribution to it. If we were to continue damaging and abusing our environment in 2050 as we do today, we would very realistically run out of resources within a few decades. Or we would make the planet uninhabitable (不适合居住的). Of course, we wouldn't have Thanos around to halve our population every 30 or so years, so we do need to start making lifestyle changes in order to ensure the continuation of the planet.
This would be the part where I repeat everything you have already been told about environmental sustainability and responsibility, so I won't. Instead, I am going to leave you with the question: "If you possessed the Infinity Gauntlet (无限手套), would you help control overpopulation by snapping your fingers?"
---选自《英语周报》2018-2019《高中阅读专版》第01期（基础版）
教案
Pre-reading
- What do you know about World Environment Day?
Note: World Environment Day (WED), falls on June 5 every year. Since it was established in 1972, WED has developed into a global platform for raising awareness on emerging environmental issues such as marine (海洋的) pollution, human overpopulation and global warming.
2. Who is the man in the picture? Do you agree with his reasoning? Why or why not?
Note: He is Thanos (灭霸), a fictional character in various Marvel Cinematic Universe (漫威电影宇宙) films, including Avengers: Infinity War (《复仇者联盟：无限战争》).
Language study
1. Considering how far … So theoretically, we've only lost about 30 years' worth of population growth.
① considering prep. used to mention a particular condition or fact about sth. 考虑到；就……而言
e.g. Considering the weather, we arrived at the airport quickly.
② theoretically adv. used to say what is supposed to be true in a particular situation 从理论上讲
→ theoretical adj. 理论的
→ theory n. 理论
③ worth n. amount of sth. that a specific sum of money will buy; amount of sth. that will last a specific length of time 值某金额的量；能持续某段时间的量
e.g. ten dollars' worth of gasoline
one week's worth of supplies
→ worthwhile adj. 值得（花时间、钱或精力）的
→ worthless adj. 无价值的
2. This would be the part where I repeat everything you have already been told … so I won't.
l where引导定语从句，先行词可以是一个表示地点的名词，也可以是抽象名词，例如本句中的part，另外常见的抽象名词还有position, point, case等。
e.g. What's the name of the village where he comes from?
The job has put me in a position where I can learn more.
Language study
Complete each sentence with one word in its correct form.
mourn worth project abuse sustainability
1. Michael ___________ the trust we had shown in him.
2. The little girl looked ___________, near to tears.
3. Sales figures are ___________ to rise by five percent next month.
4. Cycling is a(n) ___________ form of transport.
5. I love children and consider teaching a(n) ___________ career.
Key:
1. abused 2. mournful 3. projected 4. sustainable 5. worthwhile
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 考虑到她因病缺席了一个月的课程，能跟上其他同学是很不容易的。(considering)
2. 据报道，已为2018年世界杯生产了价值400万美元的纪念品。(worth)
3. 随着信息时代的到来，纸质媒体也到了需要改变的时候了。(where)
Key:
1. Considering she was absent from school for a month because of sickness, it is not easy for her to keep up with other students.
2. It is reported that 4 million dollars' worth of souvenirs have been produced for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
3. With the advent of the information age, print media has reached the point where changes are needed.
Reading comprehension
Choose the best answer.
1. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the article?
A. The world population has reached 7.6 billion so far.
B. The world population is estimated to double in 30 years.
C. Humans are the major cause of global warming.
D. Life expectancy has risen thanks to the advancement of medical science.
2. What can be inferred from the article?
A. Thanos has no choice but to eliminate half the population of the universe in Infinity War.
B. Thanos would be welcome if we had him around.
C. Natural resources on Earth are decreasing day by day now.
D. It would be impossible to live on Earth in 2050 even if we made lifestyle changes.
3. What's the author's purpose in writing this article?
A. To criticize Thanos for wiping out half the population of the universe.
B. To inform readers of the causes of overpopulation.
C. To remind readers of the consequences of global warming.
D. To warn people to change their lifestyles to promote sustainable development.
Key: 1-3 BCD
After reading
Each year, World Environment Day (WED) has a new theme to advocate environmental causes. " Beat Plastic Pollution" is the theme for 2018. What theme would you like to choose for the 2019 WED? Why? Exchange your ideas with your classmates.
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