SOLVING DEFORESTATION PROBLEMS

As more and more countries around the globe move towards industrialization in an attempt to
compete in the globe market, an environmental crisis over deforestation— the cutting down, burning, and
general damaging of forests— is looming for mankind. Over the last several decades, environmental
specialists have proposed various strategies aimed at slowing down this process of deforestation in
developing countries. Many of these proposals are indeed valuable ideas in that they are realistic
attempts to address some of the causes of the forestation, such as farming, cattle ranching, and
commercial logging. All of them rely on government involvement of some kind.

There are three broad categories of solutions: state economic policies, internal agreements,
and international programs. ■ A) Economic policies generally attempt to limit the activity of small
farmers through government actions. ■ B) Government actions can include the clear and proper definition
and enforcement of property rights, meaning that squatting, or illegally setting on land, would be more
difficult. ■ C) Subsidies can be used to encourage conservation. That is, money may be paid to
supplement the income of those farmers who make an effort to reduce the usual amount of damage to the
forest that their farms cause. In addition, taxes can act as deterrent to undesirable land use. ■ D) For
example, certain kinds of agriculture, like the slash-and-burn method, as well as cattle ranching, may be
taxed to discourage these activities.

An internal agreement may be made between governments and indigenous or native people
living in the moist rainforests and open woodlands of the tropics, where the vast majority of this
forestation is occurring. Such an agreement would allow people to carry on traditional activities adapted
for some economic benefit. One example is the rubber-tappers in Brazil. These native people draw sap
from rubber trees in the rainforests, without damaging or killing the trees. The sap, in turn, is sold to
rubber companies, thereby providing the native people with economic benefits.

Finally, international agreements usually involve the exchange of monetary aid in return for
government action to protect its forests. One such plan seeks to help pay a nation’s debt in exchange for
restrictions on certain kinds of activities in rainforests. This is appealing for a poor country such as
Brazil, which has an international debt of $160 billion. Instead of selling logging concessions to pay
down that obligation, the government receives money for banning or restricting logging in its forests.
There is also the proposal of a global fund created in order to grant money to countries that choose to
protect their environments. While all of these ideas could possibly work, it remains to be seen whether
there will be any real progress in rainforest conservation.

It is clear that something must be done to protect the forests of the world. If the current rate
of deforestation continues, the world’s rainforests will vanish within 100 years, causing numerous adverse
effects on global climate and eliminating the majority of plant and animal species on the planet.
Deforestation significantly increases the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere
each year, which in turn causes an increase in global temperatures. Also, scientists speculate that the
tropical rainforests, though covering only seven percent of the Earth’s dry surface, contain more than half
of the 5 million to 80 million species of plants and animals that comprise the “biodiversity” of the planet.
The loss of species resulting from radical climate change will have a drastic effect. The Earth is losing
species every day that could potentially prevent cancer or lead to a cure for AIDS. In addition, other
organisms are losing species they depend upon, and thus face extinction themselves. Unless some form
of concrete solution for deforestation is enacted quickly, the survival of all creatures living on Earth could
be in jeopardy.

21. According to paragraphs 3and 4, what is the main difference between an internal agreement and an
international agreement?

(A) International agreements are more effective than internal agreements

(B) An international agreement is between countries; an internal agreement

(C) Internal agreements benefit governments; international agreements benefit indigenous groups

(D) Internal agreements are more effective than international ones

22. The word “obligation” in paragraph 4 could best be replaced by

(A) promise (B) relationship (C) guarantee (D) debt

23. In paragraph 1, what does the word “them” refer to?

A) The causes of deforestation (B) Decades (C) Proposals (D) Developing countries

24. Look at the four squares ■ that indicate where the following sentence could be added to paragraph 2:

Deforestation by a peasant farmer is often done to raise crops for subsistence and is driven by the
basic human need for food

Where would the sentence best fit? Choose the square ■ where the sentence should be added to the
passage

(A) Line 2 (B) Line 4 (C) Line 6 (D) Line 10

25. Why does the author mention rubber-tappers in paragraph 3?

(A) To provide an example of an internal agreement

(B) To provide an example of an international agreement

(C) To provide an example of a state economic policy

(D) To provide an example of why Brazil is a poor nation

26. According to the passage, what are the major adverse effects of deforestation?

(A) An increase in carbon dioxide and decrease in biodiversity

(C) Loss of plant and animal species and an increase in global debt

(D) An increase in global debt and human diseases

27. Which of the following sentences best expresses the essential information of the highlighted sentence?
Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

(A) In coming decades, environmental scientists will suggest several strategies for stopping deforestation
in third-world countries

(B) Environmental scientists, in recent years, have suggested that deforestation slows down the process of
development in various countries

(C) In recent decades, several methods for countering deforestation in poor countries have been suggested
by experts on the environment.

(D) Experts on the environment have been concerned about the impact of deforestation on the Earth’s
biodiversity in recent decades

28. From the passage, it can be inferred that

(A) state economic policies are more effective than international agreements

(B) indigenous peoples in the tropics depend on forestry to make money

(C) the three types of solutions mentioned will save the rainforests

(D) deforestation is not a very serious problem

29. The word “deterrent” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to

(A) fine (B) penalty (C) incentive (D) discouragement

30. The word “this” in paragraph 4 refers to

(A) a poor country (B) a nation’s debt (C) an international agreement (D) an obligation

31. The word “rate” in paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to

(A) price (B) grade (C) level (D) evaluation

32. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below.
Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in
the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not
presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage.

First Sentence: Several plans for slowing down the adverse environmental effects produced from
deforestation have recently been proposed by experts on the environment.
(A) All of these strategies depend on funding (D) The rubber-tappers of Brazil are a good example
and assistance from national governments around of a native group adapting traditional practices to
the world. today’s global economy.

(B) One of these plans calls for governments to (E) The Earth is constantly losing plant species that
provide economic incentives for responsible could one day lead scientists to cures for cancer
land use and economic disincentives for or AIDS.
harmful land use.

(C) Another plan suggests indigenous peoples (F) A third strategy involves richer nations offering
and governments compromise and adapt tradi- financial aid and incentives to poorer countries
tional farming methods to modern for protecting their own forests.
environmental and economic situations