“Theworld'senvironmentissurprisinglyhealthy.Discuss.”Ifthatwereanexaminationtopic,moststudentswouldtearitapart,offeringalonglistofcomints:fromlocalsmogtoglobalclimatechange,fromthefellingofforeststotheextinctionofspecies.Thelistwouldlargelybeaccurate,theconcernlegitimate.Yetthestudentswhoshouldbegiventhehighestmarkswouldactuallybethosewhoagreedwiththestatement.Thesurpriseishowgoodthingsare,nothowbad.Afterall,theworld'spopulationhasmorethantripledduringthiscentury,andworldoutputhasrisenhugely.soyouwouldexpecttheearthitselftohavebeenaffected.Indeed,ifpeoplelived,consumedandproducedthingsinthesamewayastheydidin1900(or1950,orindeed1980),theworldbynowwouldbeaprettydisgustingce:smelly,dirty,toxicanddangerous.Buttheydon't.Thereasonswhytheydon'tandwhytheenvironmenthasnotbeenruined.havetodowithprices.technologicalinnovation,socialchangeandernmentregulationinresponsetopopularpressure.Thatiswhytoday'senvironmentalproblemsinthepoorcountriesought.inprinciple,tobesolvable.Rawmaterialshavenotrunoutandshownosignofngso.Logically.onedaytheymust:thenetisafinitece.Yetitisalsoverybigandmanisveryingenious.Whathashappenedisthateverytimeamaterialseemstoberunningshort,thepricehasrisenand.inresponse.peoplehavelookedfornewsourcesofsupply,triedtofindwaystouselessofthematerial,orlookedforanewsubstitute.Forthisreasonpricesforenergyandformineralshavefalleninrealtermsduringthecentury.Thesameistrueforfoodpricesfluctuate,inresponsetoharvestsnaturaldisastersandpoliticalinstability;andwhentheyrise,ittakessometimebeforenewsourcesof eavailable.Buttheyalwaysdoassistedbynewfarmingandcroptechnology.Thelong-termtrendhasbeendownwards.Itiswherepricesandmarketsdonotoperateproperlythatthisbenigntrendbeginstostumble,andthegenuineproblemsarise.Marketscannotalwayskeeptheenvironmenthealthy.Ifnooneownstheresourceconcerned.noonehasaninterestinconservingitorfosteringit:fishisthebestexampleofthis.Accordingtotheauthor,moststudents believetheworld'senvironmentisinanundesirableagreethattheenvironmentoftheworldisnotasbadasitisthoughttobegethighmarksfortheirgoodknowledgeoftheworld'sappearsomewhatunconcernedaboutthestateoftheworld'senvironmThehugeincreaseinworldproductionandpopulation hasmadetheworldaworsecetolivehashadapositiveinfluenceonthehasnotsignificantlyaffectedthehasmadetheworldadangerouscetoliveOneofthereasonswhythelong-termtrendofpriceshasbeendownwardsisthat technologicalinnovationcanpromotesocialpoliticalinstabilitywillcauseconsumptiontonewfarmingandcroptechnologycanleadtonewsourcesare ingFishresourcesarediminishingbecause nonewsubstitutescanbefoundinlargetheyarenotownedbyanyparticularimpropermethodsoffishinghaveruinedthefishingwaterpollutionisextremelyTheprimarysolutiontoenvironmentalproblemsis toallowmarketstooperatetocurbconsumptionofnaturaltolimitthegrowthoftheworldtoavoidfluctuationsinbenign在文中的意思是“溫和的”的意思。例如：We'retakingrelativelybenignmedicinesandwe'returningthemintopoisons.我們服的藥相對來說藥性溫和，但是我們卻在把它們變成。Thisplungecameinatimeofrelativelybenigneconomicconditions.這次出現(xiàn)在相對良好的經(jīng)濟環(huán)境下。substituteReduced-caloriecheeseisagreatsubstituteforcreamcheese.mingonasasubstitute,hescoredfourcrucialgoalsforCameroon.作為替補fluctuatePricesfluctuatefromyeartoyear.物價年年波動。再比如：Bodytemperaturecanfluctuateifyouareill.人患病后體溫可能comint的意思為“抱怨，。例如：There'sbeenarecordnumberofcomplaintsaboutthestandardofserviceonBritain'srailways.有關英國鐵路服務水平的空前的多。又如：Peoplehavebeenreluctanttomakeformalcomintstothe.人們不愿向作出正式。genuineTherewasariskofgenuinerefugeesbeingreturnedtoVietnam.存在將真正的難民遣返回越南的風險。又比如：They'reconvincedthepictureisgenuine.他們確信這幅畫是真品。 絕”，由此可推斷，大多數(shù)學生認為全球環(huán)境并不令人