Mostforestfiresarecausedbyhumancarelessness,negligence,orignorance.Forestfireprevention,therefore,ismainlyaproblemofcreatingabetterunderstandingoftheimportanceofforests,anawarenessofthedangeroffireinthewoods,andasenseofpersonalresponsibilitytosafeguardtheforestsfromdanger.Thisisnotaneasyjob.Acitydweller,usedtopavedstreet,doesnoteasilychangehissmokinghabitswhenhegoesintothewoods.
Carelesssmokersareresponsibleforthousandsofforestfireseachyear.Manyofthesearestartedwhencigarettebuttsandmatchesaretossedfromautomobiles.Othersarecausedbyhunters,hikers,fishermen,orwoodsworkerswhoarecarelessindisposingoftheirsmokingmaterial.TheForestServicehaspostedrulesinmanyoftheNationalForeststhatprohibitsmokingexceptincertaindesignatedareas.Manyofthestateshavelawsagainstthrowinglightedmaterialsfromautomobiles.Thepreventionofsmoker-causedfires,however,dependsuponchangingtheattitudesandbehaviorofmillionsofpeoplewhosmokeinhazardousarea.
Themostimportantnaturalcauseoffireislightning.Thisaccountsfor11percentofforestfiresonprotectedlandfortheentirenation.Inthewesternstates,lightningcausesamuchhigherpercentageoffirethanitdoesintheeast.
Advancesinknowledgeoffireweatherarehelpingforestprotectionforcestoknowwhentobealertforlightning-causedfires.Adequateandwell-equippedforcescancontrolthemquicklyandholdthedamagetoaminimum.Experimentsin“seeding”thundercloudstopreventorcontrolthelightningitselfhavebeeninprocessformanyyears,butnewbreakthroughsareneededforanysignificantreductioninthelightningstarts.
1.Thepassageischieflyabout
A.smokinginforests
B.thechiefcauseofforestfireandtheirprevention
C.changingtheattitudesandbehaviorofmillionsofpeople
D.advancesinknowledgeoffireweather
2.Preventingsmoker-causedforestfiresismainlyaproblemof——.
A.buildingtheproperknowledgeandhabitsinhumanbeings
B.safeguardingtheforestfromfire
C.postingrulesinforests
D.holdingthedamagetominim