In Yemen, you always see one type of vehicle on the road: the water truck．They travel mountain roads and cross deserts to bring Yemanis a good more valuable than oil．It is one that only the rich can afford, with the supply regularly being cut off．Others must rely on scarce rain or charity to fight thirst．

Experts say Yemen is gong to be the first country in the world to run out of water．The capital, Sanaa, will run out of drinking water as early as 2025, says a report by the World Bank．

Hannan, an 18 – year – old from Lashej, said that only the rich could prepare for cuts in supply．“In a good week we’ll have a water supply all week but then the following week there will be water only for a day or two,” she said．

She and her husband, a factory worker, pay 3000 riyals （99yuan） for a week’s supply of water from a touring water truck when the taps run dry．With an income of only 20,000 riyals （660 yuan） a month, this means the family often spend half their money on water．

“There are a lot of people who can’t afford it and they have to rely on their neighbors to help,” she said．

The average person in Yemen survives on one –fifth of what the World Health Organization considers to be enough water．

In Taiz, in the south, tap water is available only once every 45days．In the mountainous Malhan district in the north, women and children climb a 1,500 – m mountain to collect water from a spring, often in the small hours to avoid long queues．

Yemen is located in South – west Asia, bordering the Arabian and the Red seas．Yemeni people have lived on scarce water supplies for thousands of years but that  problem has been made serious by conflict in the area, the fast – growing population and the use of water to grow a drug called qat．With one of the world’s highest rates of population growth – 3．46 percent, Yemen is the poorest Arab country．

The government is considering desalinating （淡化） seawater, but this would be expensive and it may now be too late．The only other solution is to cut down on farming, but that means importing even more food．

1．The passage aims to         ．

      A．analyze the reasons why Yemen lacks water

B．suggest some solutions to the water issue in Yemen

C．present how serious the water problem is in Yemen

D．encourage the world to help Yemenis who are suffering from water shortage

2．When Hannan said that only the rich could prepare for cuts in supply, she meant that        ．

       A．rich people drank more water than the poor

B．rich people could buy water from the water trucks if there was a water supply cut

C．she had a rich neighbor who often helped her during water supply cut

D．the rich were not affected by water supply cut

3．Which of the following may be a reason why Yemen is short of water?

       A．The country has had no rain for a long time．

B．The population of Yemen is growing fast．

C．The government has failed to reduce farming．

D．People can’t afford the water from government water trucks．

4．The best title for the passage is         ．

      A．Never take water for granted

B．The water truck – the commonest sight in Yemen

C．The first country to run out of water in the world

D．No water for Yemen

Disaster(灾难)strikes South-east Asia

The tsunami(海啸)which hit twelve South-east Asian countries on 26 December 2004 was a great disaster. More than 200,000 people died in the tsunami. Not only did people living in Thailand, Indonesia and Sri Lanka die, but many European tourists who were on holiday in these countries also died. Now, we are just beginning to understand how much damage was caused to the environment and to the economy.

The biggest problem after the tsunami has been illnesses which have spread to many people. These illnesses are mostly caused by a lack of clean drinking water. People are drinking dirty water because there is no other water available. This dirty water is making them sick. Also, the hospitals in these poor countries are not big enough to deal with all the people who were hurt in the tsunami.

Many people who live in the areas hit by the tsunami are farmers and fishermen. The tsunami destroyed their homes, their fields and their boats. The salt water from the ocean covered the farmers’ fields, so they can no longer grow food. Also, fishermen are finding that there are fewer fish in the ocean. Now, these people, who were already quite poor, have no way to earn money. No one knows how long it will take for the fish to return, or for the farmers to be able to grow food again. Tourism is also very important in these areas, but many famous tourist areas are destroyed during the tsunami.

 The whole world is helping these countries recover from the tsunami. Many governments have given aid money. UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, has set up 200 places where people can get help. It has also provided clean drinking water. One organization called  Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders) has sent many doctors to care for sick people. In Indonesia, some government officials think that some villages should be moved away from the ocean, and that farmers should learn how to grow different types of food.

No one knows how much money or how much time it will take for this area to recover completely. However, with the help and aid that is being sent to the affected areas, hopefully it won’t take long.

Disaster strikes South-east Asia

In 1981, there were more than 1.3 million elephants in Africa. But in 1991, that number was cut down to 600,000. African elephants are hunted for their valuable ivory tusks(象牙). More have been killed by poachers(偷猎者). Poachers are hunters who kill animals illegally. An adult(成年) elephant eats as much as 300 pounds a day. In their search for food, elephants often move great distances. When they cannot find the grasses they prefer, they may strip(剥光) the land of trees.

Today, the area in which elephants herds live is smaller than it used to be. Many areas in their path have been turned into farms. And some elephants have been killed by farmers for trampling(践踏)their crops.

What can we do here in our country about a threatened animal that lives so far away? Our government has passed a law to protect it. People cannot import or bring in items made from ivory or any part of the elephant’s body.

Most countries throughout the world have also stopped ivory imports. It is hoped that the ban(禁令) on the sale of ivory will help save the African elephant. But the world’s largest land animal needs other help. The countries where these animals live are often poor and unable to manage the herds. If the elephant is to survive, this animal is going to need our support for many years to come.

1.The number of the elephant in Africa in 1991 was      .

  A. the same as that ten years ago     B. more than that ten years ago

  C. a little less than half of that in 1981        D. a little more than half of that in 1981

2.African elephants have been killed mainly because _____.

  A. they eat a lot                     B. they have beautiful tusks

  C. poachers kill for fun              D. there are too many of them

3. The areas where African elephants live are much smaller today because ___.

  A. they tend to live in herds

  B. there are not so many of them today

  C. many of these areas have been turned into farms

  D. farmers have been killing them to save their crops

4.It is mentioned in the passage that our country has ____.

  A. officially stopped ivory imports

  B. banned the killing of elephants in Africa

  C. threatened the elephants that live far away

  D. helped the African countries where elephants live

5. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

  A. Poachers have a license(执照) to hunt for animals.

  B. Elephants do a lot of good for the farmers in Africa.

  C. We live too far away to help to save the African elephants.

  D. The African elephant needs the world’s support for its survival

In 1981, there were more than 1.3 million elephants in Africa. But in 1991, that number was cut down to 600,000. African elephants are hunted for their valuable ivory tusks(象牙). More have been killed by poachers(偷猎者). Poachers are hunters who kill animals illegally. An adult(成年) elephant eats as much as 300 pounds a day. In their search for food, elephants often move great distances. When they cannot find the grasses they prefer, they may strip(剥光) the land of trees.
Today, the area in which elephants herds live is smaller than it used to be. Many areas in their path have been turned into farms. And some elephants have been killed by farmers for trampling(践踏)their crops.
What can we do here in our country about a threatened animal that lives so far away? Our government has passed a law to protect it. People cannot import or bring in items made from ivory or any part of the elephant’s body.
Most countries throughout the world have also stopped ivory imports. It is hoped that the ban(禁令) on the sale of ivory will help save the African elephant. But the world’s largest land animal needs other help. The countries where these animals live are often poor and unable to manage the herds. If the elephant is to survive, this animal is going to need our support for many years to come.
【小题1】The number of the elephant in Africa in 1991 was      .

A．they tend to live in herds

B．there are not so many of them today

C．many of these areas have been turned into farms

D．farmers have been killing them to save their crops

A．Poachers have a license(执照) to hunt for animals.

B．Elephants do a lot of good for the farmers in Africa.

C．We live too far away to help to save the African elephants.

D．The African elephant needs the world’s support for its survival