VIII. Read the following passage, then choose the correct answer to each of the questions. (2p) 

Early peoples had no need of engineering works to supply their water. Hunters and nomads camped near natural sources of fresh water, and populations were so sparse that pollution of the water supply was not a serious problem. After community life developed and agricultural villages became urban centres, the problem of supplying water became important for inhabitant so facity, as well as for irrigation of the farms surrounding the city. Irrigation works were known in prehistoric times, and before 2000 BC the rulers of Babylonia and Egypt constructed systems of dams and canals to impound the flood waters of the  Euphrates and  Nile rivers, controlling floods and   providing irrigation water throughout the dry season. Such irrigation canals also supplied water for domestic purposes. The  first people to consider the sanitation of their water supply were  the ancient Romans, who constructed a vast system of aqueducts to bring the clean waters of the Apennine Mountains in to the city and built basins and filters a long these mains to ensure the clarity of the water.  The construction of such extensive water-supply systems declined when the Roman Empire disintegrated, and for several centuries local springs and wells formed the main source of domestic and industrial water.

The invention of the force pump in England in the middle of the 16th century greatly extended the possibilities of development of water-supply systems. In London, the first pumping waterworkswascompletedin1562; it pumped river water to a reservoir about 37m above the level of the River Thames and from the reservoir the water was distributed by gravity, through lead pipes, to buildings in the  vicinity. Increased per-capitadem and has coincided with water shortages in many countries. South- east England, for example, receives only 14 per cent of Britain's rainfall, has 30 per cent of its population, and has experienced declining winter rainfall since the 1980s.

In recent years a great deal of interest has been shown in the conversion of sea water to fresh water to provide drinking water for very dry areas, such   as the Middle East. Several different processes, including distillation, electrodialysis, reverseosmos is, and direct-freeze evaporation, have been developed for this purpose. Some of these processes have been used in large facilities in the United States. Although these processes are successful, the cost of treating sea water is much higher than that for treating fresh water.

1. Early peoples didn’t need water supply engineering works because                 .

A. their community life had already developed

B. they had good ways to irrigate their farms

C. there was almost no dry season in prehistoric times

D. natural sources of fresh water nearby were always available

2. The word “impound” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to“               ”.

A. supply                                             B. drain                                               C. provide                               D. irrigate

3. Clean water supply was first taken into consideration by                     .

A. the English people           B. the ancient Romans          C. the Egyptians                  D. the US people

4. For several centuries after the disintegration of the Roman Empire, the main source of water supply was from                                .

A. springs and wells                                                              B. systems of aqueducts

C. dams and canals                                                                 D. water pipes

5. The word“mains”inparagraph1couldbest be replaced by“                        ”.

A. lands                                               B. areas                                              C. pipes                                   D. rivers

6. Which of the following is NOT true about London’s water supply in the middle of the

16th century?

A. Water was pumped from the River Thames.                    B. Water was stored in a reservoir.

C. Water ran from the reservoir to buildings.                        D. Water was conducted through canals.

7. The word “vicinity” in paragraph 2 refers to                      .

A. the cities in South-east England                                      B. the areas along the River Thames

C. the neighborhood around a reservoir                               D. the region where industry developed

8. One of the causes of water shortages in South-east England is                  .

A. water pollution                                                                   B. increased demand

C. water-supply system decline                                            D. water evaporation

9. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a process of conversing seawater to freshwater?

A. Steaming and cooling.                                                      B. Water evaporation.

C. Dissolving chemicals.                                                        D. Purification method.

10. In the passage, the author mainly discusses                    .

A. the development of water supply                                     B. the results of water shortages

C. the water pumping systems                                               D. the fresh water storage