【正文】 cies of fish. Similar large scale efforts to redirect water in other parts of the world have also ended in ecological crisis, according to numerous environmental groups. But many countries continue to build massive dams and irrigation systems, even though such projects can create more problems than they fix. Why? People in many parts of the world are desperate for water, and more people will need more water in the next century. “Growing populations will worsen problems with water,” says Peter H. Gleick, an environmental scientist at the Pacific Institute for studies in Development, Environment, and Security, a research anization in California. He fears that by the year 2025, as many as onethird of the world’s projected billion people will suffer from water shortages. Where Water Goes Only percent of all water on Earth is freshwater, water suitable for drinking and growing food, says Sandra Postel, director of the Global Water Policy Project in Amherst, Mass. Two thirds of this freshwater is locked in glaciers and ice caps. In fact, only a tiny percentage of freshwater is part of the water cycle, in which water evaporates and rises into the atmosphere, then condenses and falls back to Earth as precipitation（ rain or snow） . Some precipitation runs off land to lakes and oceans, and some bees groundwater, water that seeps into the earth. Much of this renewable freshwater ends up in remote places like the Amazon river basin in Brazil, where few people live. In fact, the world’s population has access to only 12,500 cubic kilometers of freshwater—about the amount of water in Lake Superior. And people use half of this amount already. “If water demand continues to climb rapidly,” says Postel, “there will be severe shortages and damage to the aquatic environment.” Close to Home Water woes may seem remote to people living in rich countries like the United States. But Americans could face serious water shortages, too especially in areas that rely on groundwater. Groundwater accumulates in aquifers, layers of sand and gravel that lie between soil and bedrock. （ For every liter of surface water, more than 90 liters are hidden underground） .Although the United States has large aquifers, farmers, ranchers, and cities are tapping many of them for water faster than nature can replenish it. In northwest Texas, for example, over pumping has shrunk groundwater supplies by 25 percent, according to Postel. Americans may face even more urgent problems from pollution. Drinking water in the United States is generally safe and meets high standards. Nevertheless, one in five Americans every day unknowingly drinks tap water contaminated with bacteria and chemical wastes, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. In Milwaukee, 400,000 people fell ill in 1993 after drinking tap water tainted with cryptosporidium, a microbe that causes fever, diarrhea and vomiting. The Source Where so contaminants e from? In developing countries, people dump raw sewage into the same streams and rivers from which they draw water for drinking and cooking。N (for NO) if statement contradicts the information given in the passage。 governments, for instance, would be better off building small scale dams rather than huge and disruptive projects like the one that ruined the Aral Sea. “More than 1 billion people worldwide don’t have access to basic clean drinking water,” says Gleick. “There has to be a strong push on the part of everyone governments and ordinary peopleto make sure we have a resource so fundamental to life.” 1. That the huge water projects have diverted the rivers causes the Aral Sea to shrink. 2. The construction of massive dams and irrigation projects does more good than harm. 3. The chief causes of water shortage are population growth and water pollution. 4. The problems Americans face concerning water are ground water shrinkage and tap water pollution. 5. According to the passage all water pollutants e from household waste. 6. The people living in the United States will not be faced with water shortages. 7. Water expert Gleick has e up with the best solution to water related problems. 8. According to Peter H. Gleick, by the year 2025, as many as ________ of the world’s people will suffer from water shortages. thirds of the freshwater on Earth is locked in________. developed countries, before toxic chemicals are released into rivers and lakes, they should be treated in order to avoid________. Part II Reading Comprehension (Reading in depth) (40 points) Section A (10 points) Direction: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. Choose one word for each blank from the following words in the blank. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once. （ Passage A 和 Passage B 二者選做其一。 2. 結構正確，但整體意思不確切、信息不全或用詞不當，得 1 分。 87. By the time the war broke out 1 分 分 分 88. before he succeeded in making 1 分 分 分 no efforts 1 分 分 分 offering to help me 分 1 分 分 was beyond our expectation 分 1 分 分