Write an essay of 160200 words based on the following drawing. In your essay, you should

1) describe the drawing briefly,

2) explain its intended meaning, and then

3) state your point of view.

You should write neatly on ANSWER SHEET 2. (20 points)

It is a thought-provoking cartoon, in which numerous people are crowding on earth. The drawing aims to alarm us that resources on earth are far from enough to sustain our exploding population.

It goes without saying that this message is very true. The 20th century has not only witnessed a huge hike in population, but also the emergence of crises resulting from fighting for restricted resources. Take crude oil for example, it is so immensely consumed in daily life and industrial production that its role is fundamental in today’s global economic and political stage. People of different nations even initiate wars to obtain more oil fields, an activity which can be best exemplified by the complicated scenario in the Middle East. Other examples include more disputes over the sharing of water resources, as well as the lack of food and other necessities in most African countries.

Indeed, a large population with limited resources casts a shadow on mankind’s future existence in this planet. Therefore, it is prime time that we took positive steps with the strength of all human beings to hold back this grim tendency. Evidently, sustainable development needs a population with a reasonable exploitation of natural resources. (200 words)

在这幅发人深思的图中我们可以看到地球上面簇拥着无数的人。这幅漫画意在给我们敲响警钟，即地球上的资源已经无法供应呈爆炸式增长的人口了。

毫无疑问，这里传递的信息是非常真实的。过去的20世纪不仅见证了人口数量的迅速增长，同时因为争夺有限资源而导致的危机也开始浮现。以原油为例，由于其在人们的日常生活和工业生产中的巨大消耗量，石油在当今的全球经济和政治舞台中扮演了重要角色。来自不同国家由于人们为了争夺油田不惜开战，其最好的例子就是中东地区复杂的局势。其他的例子包括由于水资源短缺导致的纷争，以及大多数非洲国家的食品和其他生活必需品的匮乏而引起的骚乱。

实际上，剧增的人口和地球有限的资源之间的反差给人类未来的生存投上了阴影。因此，该是我们采取有效措施，集中全人类的力量来阻止这种严峻的趋势发展的时候了。显而易见，提倡可持续发展意味着合理的人口数量和对自然资源的合理开发。