65. What is not the reason to save water?

A. There are more and more people in the world. B. The water resources are limited.

C. Agriculture needs more water　　　　　　　　 D. The water is very important for us.

64. What can we do to save water?

A. find more water resources　　　　　　 B. use less water everywhere, every time

C. realize the importance of saving water　 D. unlock economic benefits of being water efficient

63. Can you infer where this passage is from?

A. newspaper　　 B. TV programme　　 C. Radio broadcast　　 D. Internet

62. When Obama announced this plan, Vice President Joe Biden ______.

A. had taken his trip back home in Wilmington, Delaware　　 B. was leaving for Latin America

C. was on holiday in Boston, Massachusetts　　　　　　　　 D. was right present in Washington

C

It's time to be water efficient!

As populations increase across Australia and the rest of the world, demand for water will also increase. If we don't reduce each individual's demand for water(both directly and through embodied water)the water situation will become dire.

It is obvious that we cannot increase demands for water much more without detrimental(有害的)effects to the environment, society and the economy.

It's all too easy to blame someone else for the water situation -”if 70% of water is used for agriculture then that's what we should target” - but it's not that easy. We all depend on the food and resources that agriculture provides, and while there are definitely opportunities to increase water efficiency on the farm, the solution will take more than that.

We each share responsibility for the sustainable management of our water resources, which means using less water at home, in the workplace, at school, on holidays, on the farm, … everyone, everywhere, every time.

It's time to become water efficient! This involves reassessing our relationship with water, and learning to use it more sparingly. On the most basic level, it requires a behavioral change, and assigning a value to water that truly reflects its worth.

We can also unlock economic benefits of being water efficient. There are many real world examples given in the case studies on this site.

Everybody has a responsibility to save water, if future generations are to enjoy a similar standard of living to the one we enjoy now. In fact, many of the impacts associated with water use are likely to have an effect on our own lives!

.au has been designed to help you respond to the challenge to become water efficient. It acts as a central repository for relevant information and further advice, so that you can actually achieve significant savings. It also showcases those companies with products that will assist you in your goal.

61. Obama's plans of extensive high-speed rail system include the following except ______.

A. improving America's existing rail line　 B. creating its high-speed rail system of world class

C. making its current train service faster　　 D. strengthening America's economy

60. Which of the following is true to the passage?

A. High-speed rail is doing a lot for America.

B. High-speed rail is already doing much for Spain.

C. Now China has many more miles of high-speed rail service than any other country.

D. President Obama wants to change the situation that America has no high-speed rail service.

59. In Spain, more people would ______ if they traveled from Madrid to Seville.

A. take the rail　　　 B. drive their cars　　　　　 C. go by air　　 D. ride their bikes

58. The underlined word “means” in the fifth paragraph refers to　　　　　 .

A. the definition of “Have a meal!”　　 B. the way of strengthening the friendship

C. the meaning of a meal　　　　　　 D. the dinner set used for a meal

B

[Washington, 16 April 2009] President Barack Obama wants the United State to join other industrialized countries in having an extensive high-speed rail system. The president has announced his plan to accelerate the development of high-speed rail in the U.S.

President Obama says high-speed rail could do for America what it is already doing for other countries, including China and Spain. “A high-speed line between Madrid and Seville is so successful that more people travel between those cities by rail than by car and airplane combined. China, where service began just two years ago, may have more miles of high-speed rail service than any other country just five years from now,” he said.

High-speed rail only serves America's Northeast corridor, between Washington, D.C. and Boston, Massachusetts. But plans are under way to extend the rapid movement to other areas of the country.

Before leaving for Latin America, Mr. Obama outlined his two-part strategy for accelerating those plans. “Improving our existing rail lines, to make current train service faster, but also identifying potential corridors for the creation of world-class high-speed rail,” he said.

Congress included $8 billion for rail development in the economic stimulus(刺激)legislation it passed in February. Mr. Obama is including another $5 billion for high-speed rail in his federal budget. High-speed rail has had mixed political support in the past. But President Obama says it could strengthen the US. economy, in addition to improving the country's transportation system. He says the United States should not be left behind while other nations are moving ahead with high-speed rail.

“So it is being done. It is just not being done here. There is no reason why we cannot do this. This is America. There is no reason why the future of travel should lie somewhere else, beyond our borders,” he said.

The president was joined at the announcement by Vice President Joe Biden, who, in 35 years at a U.S. Senator, is said to have taken almost 8.000 rail trips between Washington and his home in Willington, Delaware.

57. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Westerners will share the food in their plates with each other.

B. Chinese would like the free meal so they never pay the bill.

C. Westerners don't value the friendship so they never pay the meal for others.

D. Chinese attitudes towards the meal seem more complicated than westerners'.

56. What does “go Dutch” mean?

A. They will pay for the meal separately. 　B. Either part will pay for the meal.

C. They will go to Dutch for a meal. 　D. They can enjoy a meal free of charge.