雅思阅读真题（Part 2）
摩天大楼种菜：垂直农场能否养活未来城市
本篇也叫：垂直农场、摩天大楼种菜、垂直农业、高楼种地、空中农场、垂直农耕
Part 2 · 考频：中频 · 最近考试：2023.2.25/2010.7.15
本篇为雅思阅读真题（Part 2）《Skyscraper farming》，共 13 题，2023.2.25/2010.7.15雅思考试真题回忆，页面提供完整原文、题目、答案与解析，并支持在线机考模式免费练习。本页同时提供 Markdown 版本 供 AI 助手与搜索引擎直接读取。
文章讨论全球耕地退化、人口增长与粮食危机背景下，科学家提倡在摩天大楼里用多层货架种植蔬菜的“垂直农场”。哥伦比亚大学教授迪克森·德波米耶称一座20层垂直农场可养活5万人，并给出供养纽约、伦敦等城市所需数量；日本已小规模实践，但初期投资和运营成本高昂。
With a global food crisis predicted, a group of scientists is advocating an innovative alternative to conventional farming that could radically transform the way that food is produced
A
Today's environment scientists are in no doubt that the world's resources of fertile sol are rapidly deteriorating, and that new land for agriculture is becoming ever more sparse Intensive farming urbanisation, desertification and sea-level rises are all putting growing pressure on the planers agricultural land and therefore on food supplies. Currently 24 per cent of the worlds 11.5 billion hectares of cultivated land has already undergone human- induced soil degradation particularly through erosion, according to a recent study by the UK Government Office for Science.
B
The global population is expected to exceed nine billion by 2050 - up a third from today's level and studies suggest that food production will have to go up by 70 per cent if we are to feed all of those new mouths This means that scientists will have to develop new ways of growing crops if we are to avoid a humanitarian crisis. Indeed, UN Food and Agriculture Organization figures suggest that the number of undernourished people is already growing. And with escalating climate change, crop yields in many areas have been projected to decline
C
With this in mind, some scientists and agricultural experts are advocating an innovative alternative to traditional farming whereby skyscrapers packed with shelf-based systems for growing vegetables on each storey -known as 'vertical farms' - could hold the key to revolutionising agriculture. Columbia University professor Dickson Despommier claims that vertical farming could boost crop yields many times over. A single 20-storey vertical farm could theoretically feed 50 000 people, according to Despommier. And if the theory translates Into realty as proposed. 160 skyscraper-sized vertical farms could feed the entire population of New York City, while 180 would be needed to feed London, 289 to feed Cairo and 302 to feed Kolkata.
D
It's a compelling vision, and one that has already been put into practice in Asia. Albeit on a smaller scale But there are problems, such as initial investment and operating costs that are too great' says a spokesman for Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Nevertheless Tokyo-based mushroom producer Hokuto Corporation is a model example of how a vertical farm can be profitable. With 28 vertical mushroom farms operating across the country, it produces some 68,000 tonnes of mushrooms annually. Vertical mushroom fams have more advantages than ground-level farms,' says Hokuto's Ted Yamanoko. Yamanoko goes on to highlight the relative cost-effectiveness of his organisation's farming practices together with reduced emissions of greenhouse gases
E
And the impact of vertical farms could extend beyond feeding established urban populations. Despommier sees them as being capable of helping centres of displaced persons - such as refugee camps - in much the same way that Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) units are deployed in emergency situations. "Developing an emergency response system for crop production inside specially constructed modular and highly transportable greenhouses would allow for humanitarian interventions, at least tor refuges that are forced out of their countries by political tumor, he says. If you have three or four storeys of food already growing some place, they could become mobile units that could be picked up by helicopters and dropped into the middle of a crisis zone. The food would be ready to pick and eat. It could be designed to supply people with all the nutrition they need to make it through the crisis."
F
But it isn't only about increasing food production. Despommier is concerned about the harm which farming has done to the world's landscape over a relatively short time span, particularly the elimination of hardwood forests. Farming is only 12,000 years old, 'he points allow US for the first time to feed everyone on earth and still return land to its original ecological function.' Natalie Jeremijenko, associate professor at New York University, agrees. The challenge that we have now is how we can design urban agriculture systems that not only reduce food miles, but also improve the world's ecosystems,' she says. By significantly reducing the amount of land required for food production, vertical farms could help to enrich biodiversity. And according to Jeremijenko, this can, in turn, help to improve the productivity of conventional farms, as the health of agricultural land is often tied to the health of the surrounding ecosystems. Furthermore, vertical farming could dramatically cut the utilisation of fossil fuels. And also reduce geopolitical tensions in countries where poor farming conditions cause conflict and malnutrition.
想在线练习这套卷子？进入机考练习
答案：an increasing problem for farmers worldwide
原文定位：Today's environment scientists are in no doubt that the world's resources of fertile soil are rapidly deteriorating, and that new land for agriculture is becoming ever more sparse. Intensive farming, urbanisation, desertification and sea-level rises are all putting growing pressure on the planet's agricultural land and therefore on food supplies. Currently 24 per cent of the world's 11.5 billion hectares of cultivated land has already undergone human-induced soil degradation particularly through erosion
答案：a rising demand for food
原文定位：The global population is expected to exceed nine billion by 2050-up a third from today's level and studies suggest that food production will have to go up by 70 per cent if we are to feed all of those new mouths
答案：potential production capabilities of vertical farms
原文定位：Columbia University professor Dickson Despommier claims that vertical farming could boost crop yields many times over. A single 20-storey vertical farm could theoretically feed 50,000 people;160 skyscraper-sized vertical farms could feed the entire population of New York City, while 180 would be needed to feed London, 289 to feed Cairo and 302 to feed Kolkata
答案：a successful application of vertical farming technology
原文定位：It's a compelling vision, and one that has already been put into practice in Asia;Nevertheless Tokyo-based mushroom producer Hokuto Corporation is a model example of how a vertical farm can be profitable. With 28 vertical mushroom farms operating across the country, it produces some 68,000 tonnes of mushrooms annually
答案：the potential to provide urgent relief
原文定位：Despommier sees them as being capable of helping centres of displaced persons-such as refugee camps-in much the same way that Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) units are deployed in emergency situations;they could become mobile units that could be picked up by helicopters and dropped into the middle of a crisis zone. The food would be ready to pick and eat
答案：various environmental benefits of vertical farming
原文定位：By significantly reducing the amount of land required for food production, vertical farms could help to enrich biodiversity;vertical farming could dramatically cut the utilisation of fossil fuels. And also reduce geopolitical tensions in countries where poor farming conditions cause conflict and malnutrition
答案：erosion
原文定位：Currently 24 per cent of the world's 11.5 billion hectares of cultivated land has already undergone human-induced soil degradation particularly through erosion
答案：operating costs
原文定位：But there are problems, such as initial investment and operating costs that are too great
答案：helicopters
原文定位：they could become mobile units that could be picked up by helicopters and dropped into the middle of a crisis zone
答案：Ted Yamanoko
原文定位：Yamanoko goes on to highlight the relative cost-effectiveness of his organisation's farming practices together with reduced emissions of greenhouse gases
答案：Dickson Despommier
原文定位：Despommier is concerned about the harm which farming has done to the world's landscape over a relatively short time span, particularly the elimination of hardwood forests
答案：Dickson Despommier
原文定位：Columbia University professor Dickson Despommier claims that vertical farming could boost crop yields many times over. A single 20-storey vertical farm could theoretically feed 50,000 people
答案：Natalie Jeremijenko
原文定位：By significantly reducing the amount of land required for food production, vertical farms could help to enrich biodiversity. And according to Jeremijenko, this can, in turn, help to improve the productivity of conventional farms, as the health of agricultural land is often tied to the health of the surrounding ecosystems