The concept of 'ecological footprint' has gained prominence as a metric for assessing human impact on the environment. It quantifies the amount of biologically productive land and water area required to support a given population's consumption patterns and waste absorption. While this measure offers a tangible way to compare sustainability across nations, critics argue that it oversimplifies complex environmental interactions. For instance, it often neglects the varying technological efficiencies in different regions, which can significantly alter the actual resource demand. Moreover, the footprint does not account for the depletion of non-renewable resources, such as fossil fuels, which are not regenerated within a human timescale. Consequently, relying solely on this indicator may lead to misguided policy decisions that fail to address underlying ecological degradation.
❓ According to the passage, what is a primary limitation of the ecological footprint as a measure of environmental impact?
A. It fails to consider the consumption patterns of a population.
B. It overlooks regional differences in technological efficiency and non-renewable resource depletion.
C. It provides a comparison of sustainability across nations that is too complex.
D. It focuses exclusively on waste absorption rather than resource use.
✅ 正确答案
It overlooks regional differences in technological efficiency and non-renewable resource depletion.
IELTS Reading Tips
Skim the questions first, underline keywords, then locate in the passage
Watch for paraphrasing; correct answers are often reworded
Be wary of absolute statements (all, always, never) — usually wrong
Pay attention to content after transition words (however, but, yet)
Manage time: about 20 minutes per passage; skip difficult questions first