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.

　　 Australians have evidently realized the fact that water means life and we need to he more thoughtful in our use of this rather precious resource．Since the year 2000, Australians have managed to reduce their use of water by 14% ． In the most populous city, Sydney, they've managed to use less water in 2007 than in 1974, even though the city grew by l． 2 million souls in this period．

　　 Across the country nearly 20% of all households have water tanks．That would probably be due, in large part, to the various state governments offering generous rebates． In NSW, for example, where 24,000 households have taken up the offer, you can get $1,500 AUD back if you fix a 7,000 + litre tank and have it attached into your toilet and washing machine．

　　 Creywater use has taken off too． The Australian Bureau of Statistics suggest that it's now the second most common source of water in Australia, with over half of the country's homes reusing water from their washing machines, showers and baths． The state of Victoria leads with 70% using greywater, and Queensland, coming close behind with 63%．

　 Up in the northern state of．Queensland, some of their dams have been below 20%． Sydney's main dam is only at 56% of its potential capacity．

　 The country's ongoing drought（干旱） has seen more than 95% of the length of the Murray- Darling Basin （ the two major river systems that supply the nation's 'food basket' ） regarded as ' degraded', Supply of water has become such an issue that hydro-electric power（水力发电） output has dropped 7% in a recent 9 year period for the states of NSW, Victoria and Tasmania．Not good for promoting our uptake understanding of renewable energy in these climate changing times．But at least the message is getting through about making every drop count．

72．The underlined word "rebate" in paragraph 2 probably means　　　　　　 ．

A． discount or allowance　　　　　 　　　　　 B． water tanks for free

C． agreements or payment　　　　　 　　　　 D． washing machine of high quality

73． Which of the following statements is TRUE?

　 A． The state of Victoria is playing a leading role in greywater use．

　 B． More water has been used in Australia with the growing population．

　 C． The state of Queensland gets its water mostly from the north of its state．

　 D． Some of the dams in Queensland are too weak to hold potential water．

74． We can learn from the last paragraph that　　　　　 ．

A． the country's water shortage is partly due to continuous drought

B． large quantities of water are being used to produce electricity

C． the author hopes water resource could be used to the fullest

D． the author disagrees with the use of renewable energy

75． The passage is likely to appear in　　　　 ．

　 A． a scientist's diary B． a history paper

C． a travel guidebook　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D． a newspaper

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 usable 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.

Hunan 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 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 you home. To start with, use the same glass for drinking water all day. Wash it only once a day. Run your dishwasher 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.

60. 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.

61. 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.

63. The last paragraph is intended to_______.

A. show us how to fix leaks at home

B. tell us how to run a dishwater

C. prove what drinking glass is best for us.

D. suggest what we do to save water at home

64. The text is mainly about________.

A. why paving roads reduce our water

B. how much we depend on water to live

C. why droughts occur more in dry climates

D. how human activity affects our water supply

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

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 (裂缝) 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. why paving roads reduces our water            

B. how much we depend on water to live

C. why droughts occur more in dry climates     

D. how human activity affects our water supply