2012年5月19日雅思范文：农机肥料

 　　Food can be produced more cheaply today by using improved fertilizers and better machinery¹. However, some people think that the methods used to increase production may be dangerous for human health and have negative effects on local communities. What is your opinion?Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience

　　Although the advantages of applying machinery and fertilizers to agriculture are too obvious to be denied , there are after-effects that are certainly not in favor of natural environment and human health. It is probable that, without a continuous string of inventions related to agro-machines and agro-chemical know-how², the current world population could not be sufficiently³ sustained. Nowadays, it is increasingly known that such farming methods nevertheless contribute to undesirable⁴ pollutions and fatal diseases.

　　At a glance, economic benefits abound⁵. To illustrate⁶, better mechanized agriculture allows more land to be farmed by fewer people. Farm work therefore becomes more efficient and less time-consuming. Added to that, the use of new fertilizers creates higher yields because much of available land is made more fertile. As a combined result, food is cheaper, which of course benefits consumers in general. It is easy to see that, thanks to mechanical and chemical technologies, a series of positive changes have been made, ranging from preparing the soil to planting seeds to gathering⁷ the harvest to processing the crop.

　　Looking from a different angle, there are hidden drawbacks to such changes, affecting people's health and the quality of air and water in the community. For one thing, agricultural equipment requires diesel⁸ fuel to operate, which causes air pollution. Thus, the more machines are being used, the more air pollution there is in the countryside. As if it were not bad enough, human health is endangered by the abuse of chemical compounds, eventually leading to water pollution under soil. Worst of all, reportedly some health problems are associated with farm products. Researchers have also sent shocking warnings against the possibility of links between polluted foods and various diseases, including intoxication⁹ and cancer.

　　In sum, it is clear that modernization¹⁰ in agriculture is not always good, inevitably¹¹ giving rise to a mixed feeling of blessings¹² and curses. The truth is that it is next to impossible now to do without machines and fertilizers on farms, especially when the global population is growing rapidly. If nothing else, at this point the world is nervously¹³ expecting the coming of environment-friendly machinery and risk-free fertilizers.

1 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

2 know-how   

n.知识；技术；诀窍

参考例句：

• He hasn't got the know-how to run a farm.他没有经营农场的专业知识。
• I don't have much know-how about engines.发动机方面的技术知识我知之甚少。

3 sufficiently   

adv.足够地，充分地

参考例句：

• It turned out he had not insured the house sufficiently.原来他没有给房屋投足保险。
• The new policy was sufficiently elastic to accommodate both views.新政策充分灵活地适用两种观点。

4 undesirable   

adj.不受欢迎的，不良的，不合意的，讨厌的；n.不受欢迎的人，不良分子

参考例句：

• They are the undesirable elements among the employees.他们是雇员中的不良分子。
• Certain chemicals can induce undesirable changes in the nervous system.有些化学物质能在神经系统中引起不良变化。

5 abound   

vi.大量存在；(in，with)充满，富于

参考例句：

• Oranges abound here all the year round.这里一年到头都有很多橙子。
• But problems abound in the management of State-owned companies.但是在国有企业的管理中仍然存在不少问题。

6 illustrate   

v.举例说明，阐明；图解，加插图

参考例句：

• The company's bank statements illustrate its success.这家公司的银行报表说明了它的成功。
• This diagram will illustrate what I mean.这个图表可说明我的意思。

7 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

8 diesel   

n.柴油发动机，内燃机

参考例句：

• We experimented with diesel engines to drive the pumps.我们试着用柴油机来带动水泵。
• My tractor operates on diesel oil.我的那台拖拉机用柴油开动。

9 intoxication   

n.wild excitement;drunkenness；poisoning

参考例句：

• He began to drink, drank himself to intoxication, till he slept obliterated. 他一直喝，喝到他快要迷糊地睡着了。
• Predator: Intoxication-Damage over time effect will now stack with other allies. Predator:Intoxication,持续性伤害的效果将会与队友相加。

10 modernization   

n.现代化，现代化的事物

参考例句：

• This will help us achieve modernization.这有助于我们实现现代化。
• The Chinese people are sure to realize the modernization of their country.中国人民必将实现国家现代化。

11 inevitably   

adv.不可避免地；必然发生地

参考例句：

• In the way you go on,you are inevitably coming apart.照你们这样下去，毫无疑问是会散伙的。
• Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment.技术变革必然会导致失业。

12 blessings   

n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福

参考例句：

• Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 nervously   

adv.神情激动地，不安地

参考例句：

• He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇，努力忍着不哭出来。
• He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。