The word economy has run into a brick wall. Despite countless warnings in recent years about the need to address a potential hunger crisis in poor countries and an energy crisis worldwide, world leaders failed to think ahead. The result is a global food crisis. Wheat, corn and rice prices have more than doubled in the past two years. And oil prices have increased more than three times since the start of 2004. These food-price increases, combined with increasing energy costs, will slow if not stop economic growth in many parts of the world and will even affect political stability. Practical solutions to these problems do exist, but we'll have to start thinking ahead and acting globally.

Here are three steps to ease the current food crisis and avoid the potential for a global crisis. The first is to promote the dramatic success of Malawi, a country in southern Africa, which three years ago established a special fund to help its farmers get fertilizer and seeds with high productivity. Malawi's harvest doubled after just one years. An international fund based on the Malawi model would cost a mere $10 per person annually in the rich world, or $10 billion altogether.

Second, the U.S. and Europe should abandon their policies of paying partly for the change of food into biofuels. The U.S. government gives farmers a taxpayer-financed payment of 51 cents per gallon of ethanol(乙醇) changed from corn. There may be a case for biofuels produced on lands that do not produce foods ---- tree crops, grasses and wood products ---- but there's no case for the government to pay to put the world's dinner into the gas tank.

Third, we urgently need to weather-proof die world's crops as soon and as effectively as possible. For a poor farmer, sometimes something as simple as a farm pond ---- which collects rainwater to be used in dry weather ---- can make the difference between a good harvest and a bad one. The world has already committed to establishing a Climate Adaptation Find to help poor regions climate-proof vital economic activities such as food production and health care but has not yet acted upon the promise.

76. An international fund based on the Malawi model would______.

A. cost each of the developed countries $10 billion per year

B. aim to double the harvest in southern African countries in a year

C. decrease the food prices as well as the energy prices

D. give poor farmers access to fertilizer and highly productive seeds

77. With the second step, the author expresses the idea that ______.

A. it is not wise to change food crops into gas

B. it is misleading to put tree crops into the gas tank

C. we should get alternative forms of fuel in any way

D. biofuels should be developed on a large scale

78. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. A rain-collecting pond is a simple safeguard against dry weal.

B. A Climate Adaptation Fund has been established to help poor.

C. The world has made a serious promise to build farm ponds.

D. It makes a great difference whether we develop wood products or not.

79. In the passage, the author calls on us to______.

A. slow down but not to stop economic.

B. develop tree crops, grasses and wood products

C. achieve economic growth and political stability

D. act now so as to relieve the global food shortage

76. D      77. A      78. A       79. D  

世界经济已经濒临脆弱。尽管近年来，在贫穷国家出现的饥饿危机和全球的能源危机等现象已对人类做出警告，但是人类还是没有提前作好准备。导致目前出现食物危机。谷类、玉米和水稻在过去的两年时间里价格已经翻了两番。并且自2004年起，世界原油价格也已经翻了三倍。食物价格危机连同能源危机将会减慢或抑制世界经济的增长，甚至会影响到政治稳定问题。现在我们已经开始采取行动，但是更需要做的是提前想到并付诸行动。
对于目前的食物危机和可能引发的全球危机分以下三步解决措施：第一，借助非洲国家马拉维的成功案例。三年前马拉维建立的专项基金用于免费提供给农民肥料和种子，仅一年时间马拉维的收成翻了一番。建立马拉维模式的国际基金每年每人要花费大约10美元，累计大约100亿美元。
第二，美国和欧洲国家应该废弃食物转化生物燃料的部分征税政策。美国出台的规定有由玉米转化的每加仑乙醇需付给农民51美分的税。那就可能出现原本该做为生产食物的木做物、草和树木都用于生物燃料上。但是我们总不可能用燃气罐替代食物吧。
第三，我们急需能抵制恶劣天气的作物。其实对于一个穷困的农民来说，事情往往很简单，他只需一个池塘用来雨天积攒雨水可以在旱天来灌溉，这就是丰收与歉收的区别。目前世界已拟定“气候适应”政策，帮助贫困的环境恶劣地区缓解经济，例如，食物生产和健康护理等，但是目前还未按承诺实施。