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(缺乏). 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 only when it is full. Help your parents fix any leaks(滴水) 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. Throwing batteries away.

C. Paving parking lots. D. Throwing rubbish into lakes.

2.What can be inferred from the text?

A. All water shortages are due to human behavior.

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

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. prove what drinking glass is best for us

D. suggest what we do to save water at home

4.The text is mainly about _________________.

A. how human activity affects our water supply

B. how much we depend on water to live

C. why droughts occur more in dry climates

D. why paving roads reduces our water

If you have a cat, you already know that a cat isn’t a dog that doesn’t have to be walked. If you’re about to bring a cat into your family, you need to understand that basic fact. The common wisdom is that dogs are friendlier than casts.

In recent years, scientists who have done DNA studies have offered a better way to understand cats. Unlike other animals that people feed, cats domesticated themselves, and, in a way, trained humans. Cats decided to live close to humans because doing so benefited the casts themselves.

Studies show that cats have lived with humans for about 12,000 years, since people first settled down and started farming. When people started storing grain, mice arrived and started eating the grain. Clever cats figured out that mice settlements where people stored grain were easy for hunting, so they started hanging around. Cats did what they needed to do to get the people to let them stay, but they kept up their independence. Over time, cats allowed humans to get a bit closer to them. Later, the farmers did befriend the cats. Certainly, it didn’t do them any harm because they could see the cats were really helping them out by eating mice.

Today, about a third of American families have cats. In most of those homes, the cats are still more interested in pleasing themselves than in pleasing their human families. A dog may do anything it can to make you happy, but kitty will teach you to make kitty happy.

1.Compared with dogs, cats are______.

A. colder B. friendlier

C. more warm-hearted D. more frightening

2.According to the text, why do cats decide to stay close to humans?

A. To be useful to themselves B. To protect grain from mice

C. To rely on humans for food D. To keep up their independence

3.What may be the best title for the text?

A. A common point between dogs and cats

B. The reasons why people like dogs

C. A disadvantage of raising cats

D. The basic fact about cats.

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