(1)
Readingcomprehension
Thewordconservationhasathrifty(节俭)meaning.Toconserveistosaveandprotecttoleavewhatweourselvesenjoyinsuchgoodconditionthatothersmayalsosharetheenjoyment.Ourforefathers(祖先)hadnoideathathumanpopulationwouldincreasefasterthanthesuppliesofrawmaterials;mostofthemevenuntilveryrecentlyhadthefoolishideathatthetreasureswere“limitless”and“inexhaustible”.Mostofthecitizensofearliergenerationsknewlittleornothingaboutthecomplicatedanddelicatesystemthatrunsallthroughnatureandwhichmeansthatasinalivingbodyanunhealthyconditionofonepartwillsoonerorlaterbeharmfultoalltheothers.
Fiftyyearsagonaturestudywasnotpartoftheschoolwork;scientificforestrywasanewidea;timberwasstillcheapbecauseitcouldbebroughtinanyquantityfromdistantwoodlands;soildestructionandriverfloodswerenotnationalproblems;nobodyhadyetstudiedlong-termclimaticcyclesinrelationtoproperlanduse;eventheword“conservation”hadnothingofthemeaningthatithasforustoday.
Forthesakeofourselvesandthosewhowillcomeafteruswemustnowsetaboutrepairingthemistakesofourforefathers.Conservationshouldthereforebemadeapartofeveryone’sdailylife.Toknowaboutthewatertableinthegroundisjustasimportanttousasaknowledgeofthebasicarithmeticformulas.Weneedtoknowwhyallwatershedsneedtheprotectionofplantlifeandwhytherunningcurrentofstreamsandriversmustbemadetobenefitthesoilfullybeforetheyfinallyescapetothesea.Weneedtobetaughtthedutyofplantingtreesaswellasofcuttingthem.Weneedtoknowtheimportanceofbigmaturetreesbecauselivingspaceformostofman'sfellowcreaturesonthisplanetisfigurednotonlyinsquaremeasureofsurfacebutalsoincubicvolume(立方)abovetheearth.Inbriefitshouldbeourgoaltorestoreasmuchoftheoriginalbeautyofnatureaswecan.