高中英语外研版 (2019)必修 第三册Unit 2 Making a difference当堂达标检测题

课时素养达标

　　The need to feed a growing population is putting much pressure on the world’s supply of water. With 97% of the world’s water too salty to be drunk or used in agriculture, the worldwide supply of water needs careful management, especially in agriculture. Although the idea of a water shortage(短缺)seems strange to someone fortunate enough to live in a high rainfall country, many of the world’s agricultural industries experience constant water shortages.

Although dams can be built to store water for agricultural use in dry areas and dry seasons, the costs of water redistribution(重新分配)are very high. Not only is there the cost of the engineering itself, but there is also an environmental cost to be considered. Where valleys(山谷)are flooded to create dams, houses are lost and wildlife homes destroyed. Besides, water may flow easily through pipes to fields, but it cannot be transported from one side of the world to the other. Each country must therefore rely on the management of its own water to supply its farming requirements.

This is particularly troubling for countries with agricultural industries in areas dependent on irrigation(灌溉). In Texas, farmers’ overuse of irrigation water has resulted in a 25% reduction of the water stores. In the Central Valley area of south-western USA, a huge water engineering project provided water for farming in dry valleys, but much of the water use has been poorly managed.

Saudi Arabia’s attempts to grow wheat in desert areas have seen the pumping of huge quantities of irrigation water from underground reserves. Because there is no rainfall in these areas, such reserves can only decrease, and it is believed that fifty years of pumping will see them run dry.

【语篇概述】随着世界人口的增加, 人类对水资源的需求不断增加, 由于世界上97%的水太咸不能饮用和灌溉, 再加上存在对水资源的不合理开采和利用, 很多国家和地区出现不同程度的缺水问题, 对农业造成了极大的影响, 合理地开采利用水资源是当务之急。

Ⅰ. Read the passage and skim the main idea of the text.

It mainly tells us water use management and agriculture.  

Ⅱ. Choose the best answers according to the passage.

1. From the first two paragraphs we learnt that ______.  

A. much of the world’s water is available for use

B. people in high rainfall countries feel lucky

C. the costs of water redistribution should be considered

D. water can be easily carried through pipes across the world

【解析】选C。细节理解题。根据第二段的“. . . the costs of water redistribution are very high. Not only is there the cost of the engineering itself, but there is also an environmental cost to be considered. ”可知需要考虑重新分配水资源所付出的代价。

2. Which of the following is true?

A. The water in Texas has been reduced by 75%.

B. Most industries in the world suffer from water shortages.

C. The underground water in Saudi Arabia might run out in 50 years.

D. Good management of water use resulted from the project in the Central Valley area.

【解析】选C。细节理解题。根据最后一段的“Because there is no rainfall in these areas, such reserves can only decrease, and it is believed that fifty years of pumping will see them run dry. ”可知这些地区的地下水开采只能维持50年, 即50年后, 地下水可能会用完。

3. What is most likely to be discussed in the paragraph that follows?

A. Steps to improving water use management.

B. Ways to reduce the costs of building dams.

C. Measures to deal with worldwide water shortages.

D. Approaches to handling the pressure on water supply.

【解析】选A。推理判断题。文章最后两段讲的是人们在开发利用水资源时, 由于管理不善, 进一步加剧了水资源的短缺, 所以下一段肯定要讲如何提高水资源的开发管理。