Question

The amount of water in the world is finite(有限的). The number of people is growing fast and water use is growing even faster. Global water consumption rose six times between 1900 and 1995—more than double the rate of population growth.

As important as quantity is quality—with pollution increasing in some areas，the amount of useable water declines.

And the wider effects of water shortages are just as frightening as the prospect of having too little to drink.

Seventy percent of the water used worldwide is used for agriculture. Much more will be needed if we are to feed the world's growing population. And consumption will rise further as more people expect Western－style lifestyles and diets—one kilogram of grain－fed beef needs at least 15 cubic metres of water，while a kilo of cereals(谷物)needs only up to three cubic metres.

New technology can help，however，especially by cleaning up pollution and so making more water useable，and in agriculture，where water use can be made far more efficient.

Drought－resistant(抗旱的)plants can also help.

The optimists say“virtual water”may save the day—the water contained in crops which could be exported from water－rich countries to dry ones. But the amounts involved would be huge，and the energy needed to transport the water would be enormous(巨大的).

In any case，it is not just us who need water，but every other species that shares the planet with us. We have to rethink how much water we really need if we are to learn how to share the earth's supply. While dams and other large－scale schemes play a big role worldwide，there is also a growing recognition of the value of using the water we already have more efficiently rather than harvesting ever more from our rivers. For millions of people around the world，getting it right is a matter of life and death.

1. Which of the following statements on water consumption is NOT true?

A. Agriculture consumes more than haft of the water used in the world.

B. The growing population worsens the water shortage situation.

C. Lifestyles play an important role in water consumption.

D. The Western way of agriculture uses more water than the Asian way.

2. “Virtual water” refers to the water that ________.

A. is hidden in crops

B. is saved in agriculture

C. can be transported

D. can be reused with the aid of the Internet

3. In the last paragraph，the author mainly ________.

A. criticizes big projects such as dams

B. criticizes the use of river water

C. calls for the protection of other species

D. calls for the more efficient use of water

4. What's the main idea of the text?

A. Water is mainly wasted in agriculture.

B. Water pollution is threatening our health.

C. Shortage of water is a very serious problem.

D. Population growing influences water use.

Answer 1

1. 解析：选D。推理判断题。根据第四段第一、二、三句可分别推出A、B、C三项；文章并没有比较两种农业方式的用水量。

2. 解析：选A。具体信息题。根据第七段“The optimists say ‘virtual water’ may save the day－the water con tained in crops which could be exported from water－rich countries to dry ones”可得出答案。

3. 解析：选D。意图态度题。在最后一段，作者认为人类应该跟地球上其他生物共享自然资源。除了修筑大坝、开发河流等人工工程外，更重要的是更有效地运用已有的水资源。

4. 解析：选C。主旨大意题。本文主要介绍了水缺乏的问题以及人们利用水的情况，提出人类应该好好节约用水，所以C项符合。

5. 解析：选B。细节理解题。根据第一段倒数第四句“...that tedious documentation of violence, has taught us absolutely nothing”可知记录文件资料对我们什么益处也没有。