Save water, save lives
A BOTTLE of water may not seem like much to you, but it can save the day for people who live in drought-hit (遭受旱灾) areas in China.
In the past few months, some places in southwest China experienced a serious drought. In Yunnan, Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou and Chongqing, there has been very little rain since last autumn. Crops died, the land cracked, and wells (井) and rivers dried up. More than 20 million people are having difficulty finding safe drinking water.
After learning about the drought, many people around the country helped by giving water, money and other resources.
Last week, China asked every member of the Communist Youth League (团员) and Young Pioneers (少先队员) to give one bottle of water to the drought-hit area. Students in primary schools and middle schools quickly joined the activity.
“A bottle of water isn’t much, but thousands of bottles will be of great use,” said Zhang Zihao, a middle school student at Tongling No 1 Middle School in Anhui.
In Yuhua Primary School in Xi’an, 900 students bought over 100 bottles of water with their pocket money. They also wrote their wishes on the bottles.
The serious drought has also made students realize the importance of saving water.
Students from Nanshan Middle School in Huizhou in Guangdong went on the street to tell people to take part in water-saving activities.
“I heard that some children in drought-hit areas don’t have enough drinking water. They have to drink muddy (泥泞的) water. I feel really sad about that,” said one student. “I decided to take a shower twice a week instead of every day to save water.” he said.

1. 1.

   Why did a serious drought happen in Southwest China?
                                                                          

2. 2.

   What does the underlined（划线的）word “cracked” probably mean in Chinese?
                                                                          

3. 3.

   What did people do after learning about the drought?
                                                                          

4. 4.

   Is a bottle of water helpful for the people in drought-hit areas?
                                                                          

5. 5.

   What can you learn from the passage?
                                                                          

 He_______ (save) money to buy something he likes next year, isn't he?

Want to save money when travelling by train?
Here are some ways：
Day Returns
This ticket can save you up to 45％ on the standard fare（费用）. You have to travel after the rush hour period Monday—Friday, but can travel at any time on Saturday or Sunday.
Big City Savers
These are special low-priced tickets on certain trains. You have to book in advance（提前）－at the latest by 16：00 the day before you travel. It’s first come, first served.
Weekend Returns
Weekend Returns are available（有售）for most trips over 60 miles. Go on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, and return the same weekend on Saturday or Sunday, and save up to 35％ on the standard fare.
Monthly Returns
These are available for most trips over 65 miles. Go any day and return within a month. Monthly returns save you up to 25％ on the standard fare.
Family Rail Card
For 20 pounds this rail card allows you to take a second adult and up to 4 children for only 3 pounds each when you buy single or return tickets. You can travel as often as you like until the card becomes out of date.
【小题1】How many ways does the writer tell us to save money when travelling by train?