For the people living in the Nile Basin, the river is their life:. This 6,825 km waterway, whose watershed（流域） covers three million square kilometers, flows through mountains ,woodlands, lakes and deserts. Its potential for fishing, tourism and shipping is great—but so are its challenges.

Water shortage , already serious in Egypt and Sudan , will soon influence several other countries in the watershed as well. Today, about 160 million people depend on the Nile River for their living. Within the next 25 yeas ,the district's population is expected to double, adding to the demand brought about by growth in industry and agriculture. The frequent drought（干旱）adds to the urgency.

Water quality is also a problem. Precious soil is washed out to sea. Wastes from industry and agriculture create pollution. Higher concentrations of salt influence irrigated soils. Water-borne diseases continue unchecked. In areas where it's hot and damp, water hyacinths choke off（阻止） lakes, dams and other sections of the river, making it difficult for fishing and other businesses to move forward.

Native people along the narrow area of farmland have watched the sand move closer day by day. They’ve seen the river change course, and their only source（来源） of water thickened with mud. They’re very poor and have few choices.

But a new program, the Nile Basin Initiative （NBI）， is offering very practical assistance. The program is more than just a water-management project. It’s a plan for the social and economic development of a vast district: it concentrates on the needs of the poorest of the poor and the environment that supports them.

    These are whole ecosystem problems, calling for united solutions（解决办法）. Half the Nile Basin's countries are among the world's poorest nations；yet, somehow, they must find the  resources, skills and political will to overcome these challenges.

53. What are the great challenges the Nile Basin faces？

A. The development of .shipping industry.

B. Overfishing of native people.

C. Water shortage and water quality.

D. Increasing population and tourism.

54. The underlined word “hyacinths” （in Paragraph 3） refer to “_______”.

    A. animals                    B. plants                C. rocks                       D. salts

55. The program NBI is mainly aimed at _______ .

A. preventing water pollution                           

B. changing the river course

C. improving living condition of the poor

D. preventing land from becoming desert

56. What would be the best title of this passage？

A. People's Life in Egypt and Sudan

B. Frequent Drought in Egypt and Sudan

C. The Poorest Countries in the Nile Basin

D. The Ecosystem Problems in the Nile Basin

For the people living in the Nile Basin, the river is their life:．This 6,825 km waterway, whose watershed（流域）covers three million square kilometers, flows through mountains ,woodlands, lakes and deserts．Its potential for fishing, tourism and shipping is great—but so are its challenges.

Water shortage , already serious in Egypt and Sudan , will soon influence several other countries in the watershed as well．Today, about 160 million people depend on the Nile River for their living．Within the next 25 yeas ,the district's population is expected to double, adding to the demand brought about by growth in industry and agriculture．The frequent drought（干旱）adds to the urgency.

Water quality is also a problem．Precious soil is washed out to sea．Wastes from industry and agriculture create pollution．Higher concentrations of salt influence irrigated soils．Water-borne diseases continue unchecked．In areas where it's hot and damp, water hyacinths choke off（阻止） lakes, dams and other sections of the river, making it difficult for fishing and other businesses to move forward.

Native people along the narrow area of farmland have watched the sand move closer day by day．They’ve seen the river change course, and their only source（来源） of water thickened with mud．They’re very poor and have few choices.

But a new program, the Nile Basin Initiative （NBI）， is offering very practical assistance．The program is more than just a water-management project．It’s a plan for the social and economic development of a vast district: it concentrates on the needs of the poorest of the poor and the environment that supports them.

    These are whole ecosystem problems, calling for united solutions（解决办法）．Half the Nile Basin's countries are among the world's poorest nations；yet, somehow, they must find the  resources, skills and political will to overcome these challenges.

1．What are the great challenges the Nile Basin faces？

A．The development of .shipping industry.

B．Over fishing of native people.

C．Water shortage and water quality.

D．Increasing population and tourism.

2．The underlined word “hyacinths” （in Paragraph 3） refer to “          ”.

    A．animals               B．plants                  C．rocks                  D．salts

3．The program NBI is mainly aimed at           .

    A．preventing water pollution                                                                                    B．changing the river course

C．improving living condition of the poor

D．preventing land from becoming desert

4．What would be the best title of this passage？

A．People's Life in Egypt and Sudan

B．Frequent Drought in Egypt and Sudan

C．The Poorest Countries in the Nile Basin

D．The Ecosystem Problems in the Nile Basin

Several animal species including gorillas in Rwanda and tigers in Bangladesh could risk extinction if the impact of climate change and extreme weather on their habitats is not addressed, a UN report showed on Sunday.

Launched on the sidelines of global climate negotiations in Durban, the report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization shows how higher temperatures, the rise in sea levels, deforestation and excessive land use have damaged the habitats of certain species, especially in Africa.

“Many ecosystems have already been stressed by increasing population, historical and recent deforestation, unsustainable management practices and even invasive (入侵的) species,” Eduardo Rojas-Briales, assistant director general at the FAO's forestry department, said at the launch of the report.

The most affected areas include mountains, isolated islands and coastal areas, which limit the possibilities for animals to migrate elsewhere and create new habitats.

“The remaining populations become surrounded in very small ecosystems, they have inbreeding (近亲交配) problems ... and at the end these species may disappear,” he added.

Other examples of affected animals included elephants in Mali, lions in the Serengeti and crocodiles in Malawi.

The report said an estimated 20-30 percent of plant and animal species will be at higher risk of extinction due to global warming and a significant proportion of native species may become extinct by 2050 as a consequence.

Other consequences could include the spread of invasive species and infectious diseases, it said.

The report urges more focus on restoration of damaged ecosystems, especially those key to dealing with climate change such as mangroves(红树林), inland waters, forests, savannahs(非洲大草原) and grasslands.

The FAO also called for the creation of migration corridors for animals in areas where their movement was limited.

The organization said while more resources were flowing to biodiversity conservation, more action at the government and policy level was needed.

It also urged local communities to develop projects that mitigate the impact of climate change on wildlife, naming eco-tourism activities as an example.

1.What does the author tell us in Paragraph 2?

A．The theme of global climate negotiations in Durban.

B．The subject of research done by Eduardo Rojas.

C．Causes of damage done to ecosystems.

D．Harmful effects of damage done to ecosystems.

2.Why are animals living in mountains, islands and coastal areas most affected?

A．They are frequently attacked by invasive species and infectious diseases.

B．They have difficulty finding enough food for survival.

C．They can hardly find mates to produce their young.

D．They have little chance of moving to other places.

3.To avoid extinction of some animal species, the UNFAO suggested all the following ways EXCEPT ______.

A．restoring damaged ecosystems

B．limiting world population growth

C．creating movement channels for animals

D．urging governments and local communities to take action

4.What does the underlined word “mitigate” in the last paragraph mean?

A．increase or further improve something.

B．Make full use of something.

C．Make something become less serious.

D．Move from one place to another.

5.What would serve as the best title for the passage?

A．Animals at risk due to climate change.

B．Global warming and its consequences.

C．Climate change and ecotourism.

D．Solutions to animal distinction.