Using too much water or throwing rubbish into our rivers are clear ways that humans can put our water supply in danger, but we also affect our water supply in less obvious ways. You may wonder how paving (铺砌) a road can lead to less useable fresh water. A major part of the water we use every day is groundwater. Groundwater does not come from lakes or rivers. It comes from underground. The more roads and parking lots we pave, the less water can flow into the ground to become groundwater.

Human activity is not responsible for all water shortages (短缺).Drier climates are of course more likely to have droughts (干旱) than areas with more rainfall, but in any case, good management can help to make sure there is enough water to meet our basic needs.

Thinking about the way we use water every day can make a big difference, too. In the United States, a family of four can use 1.5 tons of water a day! This shows how much we depend on water to live, but there's a lot we can do to lower the number.

You can take steps to save water in your home. To start with, use the same glass for your drinking water all day. Wash it only once a day. Run your dishwasher (洗碗机) only when it is full. Help your parents fix any leaks in your home. You can even help to keep our water supply clean by recycling batteries instead of throwing them away.

1.Which of the following is most likely to lead to less groundwater?

A. Using river water.

B. Paving parking lots.

C. Throwing batteries away.

D. Throwing rubbish into lakes.

2.What can be inferred from the text?

A.It takes a lot of effort to meet our water needs.

B.All water shortages are due to human behavior.

C.There is much we can do to reduce family size.

D.The average family in America makes proper use of water.

3.The last paragraph is intended to ________.

A. show us how to fix leaks at home

B. tell us how to run a dishwasher

C. suggest what we do to save water at home

D. prove what drinking glass is best for us

4.The text is mainly about ________.

A. why paving roads reduces our water

B. how human activity affects our water supply

C. why droughts occur more in dry climates

D. how much we depend on water to live

I had five hours in the company of First Great Western(FGW) last weekend, on a train full of passengers, all the way from Cornwall to London. I got to know some of my fellow passengers rather well. Not through talking to them, you understand.

There was the youth who was explaining to his friend exactly how he enjoyed a party with his friends last night. Opposite him was a young woman who was very excited to be going to Lanzarote for her summer holiday. And then there was the man who I took to be a car mechanic(汽车修理工); so detailed and technical was his conversation about a second-hand Audi. Everyone had a different, noisy ringtone, and none of the mobile phone conversations I was forced to hear was interesting.

By the end of the journey, I was silently complaining about the modern world, and feeling mad with FGW who, at the very moment when our carriage fell silent, would make an announcement about the buffet car (a carriage where food and drinks are sold) either opening or closing.

FGW seems to be campaigning against peace and quietness, having removed quiet carriage spaces where passengers were requested not to use mobiles so that their trains could carry more passengers. How so? I cannot understand why FGW takes no notice of passengers like me, who have suffered a lot from hearing endless telephone conversations. I have no interest in the smallest details of others’ lives. Making people listen to boring mobile phone conversations should be regarded as a rude act.”

Every train carriage should, in theory, be quiet. Why can’t that be the standard? It is possible to change public custom and practice. It was not so long ago that sidewalks were littered with dog waste:now it’s a general rule that dog owners clean it up after their pets. And once we restore peace and quietness to trains, we can then move on and stop people bringing fast food onto them, too.

1.How did the author get to know the three passengers?

A.From their phone conversations.

B.Through introductions.

C.In informal conversations.

D.By using a mobile phone.

2.At the end of the journey, the author ______.

A.became satisfied with FGW’s service

B.felt uneasy about the silence

C.was filled with anger

D.went to the buffet car

3.What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 4?

A.He is in support of the decision of FGW.

B.He believes FGW will have more passengers.

C.He dislikes hearing others’ phone conversations.

D.He thinks it’s rude to listen to others’ conversations.

4.The author mentioned the rule of cleaning up dog mess to show ____.

A.dog mess has become a serious problem

B.quiet carriages can become the standard

C.noise in carriages is as troubling as dog mess

D.changing public custom and practice is difficult

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