Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa. It is
also the second largest lake in the world. It is an important lake because it
is one of the sources(源头) for the longest river in the world, the
Nile River. Lake Victoria provides a source of water, food, and power(电力) for several African countries. Lake Victoria is a
big part of African life.
Unfortunately, Lake Victoria has a problem. It is
shrinking. There are several power stations at Lake Victoria in Uganda.
These are on the Nile River, and besides producing power, they keep the water
of the lake at a certain level. For the past forty years, that level has been
11.9 meters. Over the last several years, the water level has dropped by about
2.5 meters. There seem to be several reasons for this drop.
One possible reason is drought(干旱). Drought has been very bad in the area since 2000.
Lake Victoria gets all of its water from rain, so the drought means less water
in the lake.
However, some environmentalists believe that the real
problem is the power plants(工厂) on Lake Victoria.
Uganda depends on those power plants for most of its power, and they made the
power plants larger in 2000. Many people believe the power plants have been
taking too much water off Lake Victoria. As a result, they have been asked to
use less water until Lake Victoria goes back to its old level.
Whether the low water level is caused by drought or
power plants, the result is the same. This is already a poor area of Africa,
where many people live a really hard life. People, animals and plants around
Lake Victoria will suffer even more from low water levels on the lake. Many
people need Lake Victoria for fishing or growing food. Fish need the water to
live, and animals need it for water. Plants around the lake will die without
the water, and then more animals and people will suffer. Unless the lake fills
soon, many people will suffer and die.
1.Lake Victoria is __________.
A.an important
lake in Africa
B.the largest
lake in the world
C.the source of
water, food and power for America
D.the only
source for the Nile River
2.What does “It is shrinking” most probably
mean?
A.It is
becoming larger.
B.It is
becoming more beautiful.
C.It is
becoming smaller.
D.It is
becoming more useful.
3.The water level of Lake Victoria is now __________.
A.2.5 meters B.11.9 meters C.14.4 meters D.9.4 meters
4.Which of the following is NOT true according to the
passage?
A. Rain water is the only source for the lake.
B. There has been little rain in the lake area since
2000.
C. The power plants in Uganda provide water for the
lake.
D The power plants in Uganda were made larger in 2000.
5.According to the passage, how can we solve the
problems around Lake Victoria?
A.People must
build more power plants.
B.More sources
of water must be found.
C.Every country
should offer some money to Africa.
D.All the
people living in the area should move to another place.