Opener问题如下
1. The speaker is talking about the coming global water crisis/water problem.
2. Water is the key component in our daily life, not only for human use, but for energy, industry, agriculture, and livestock.
3. If you look at the earth, you will notice that over 75 % of our blue planet is water. But the problem is only 3% of that water is fresh water.
Transcript:
Today, according to UNICEF, at least 2.6 billion people lack adequate sanitation, while 1.1 billion people live without clean drinking water period. Water is the key component in all of our daily lives no matter where we live, not only for human use, but for energy, industry, agriculture, and livestock. Now if you look at the earth, you’ll notice that over 75% of our blue planet is water. The problem is only 3% of that water is fresh water.
Reading & Interacting
I. Understanding the Text
1. Text Organization
1.1
Paras. 1-2: We need to conserve water aggressively so that scientists can have time to find solutions.
Paras. 3-7: Water is going to be the most important and most contentious resource of the 21st century.
Paras. 8-9: There are solutions, but they take time.
Para. 10: Aggressive conservation is needed to buy us time before scientists find solutions.
1.2
1)Water is on the way to becoming the most important resource of the 21st century. Getting water right is the great challenge the world is confronted with. To meet the challenge conservation should come first; then follow it up with new solutions.
2)To introduce the water problem, the author tells us about what happened one night when he and his seven-year-old daughter were brushing teeth together. In so doing the author tries to introduce the reader to a serious topic in a casual manner. Besides, it also reminds us of the fact that everyone can play a role, even in our daily life, in saving water.
3)He cites the late Nobel Laureate Richard Smalley’s list of humanity’s top 10 problems for the next 50 years.
4)He wants to show the reader how difficult it is for us to find a solution to the water problem.
5)He repeats what he says at the beginning of the article: The water problem can be solved but “The scientists need time.”
2. Comprehension Check
2.1 Focusing on the main ideas
In his 2003 speech at Rice University’s Energy & Nanotechnology Conference, the late Nobel Laureate Richard Smalley highlighted the top 10 problems for the next 50 years. In his list, energy sits at the top, and water comes next. Now, with the price of solar power going down, the dawn of a new energy era is just around the corner. As a result, water is going to be the greatest challenge for humanity.
But the water problem is complicated. First, unlike coal and oil, water cannot be replaced. Second, water is intertwined with every other sector of society. Third, while water demands are growing, climate change is intensifying droughts and floods and water supplies are fluctuating.
There are solutions, such as building water-transfer aqueducts, hydroelectric dams, and desalination plants. But they may be incredibly expensive. It will take time for scientists to find affordable solutions to the water problem. Before that, everyone should do his or her bit to conserve water.
2.2 Digging into detail
1)He means that water is most likely to become a strategic resource like oil that could trigger geopolitical conflict.
2)Because solving the energy and water problems will make the other problems easier to deal with. Abundant energy and water supplies will increase food production and improve the environment. They will also reduce poverty, disease, and so forth.
3)It most probably means energy produced at a low cost.
4)He means that every other sector of society needs water. People need water in their daily life. Energy production requires water for cooling power plants. Industry needs water for all sorts of purposes. Agriculture needs water for irrigation.
5)Yes, he did. Because he said getting freshwater from saltwater at a cheap price would dwarf all other scientific accomplishments.
温馨提示：答案为网友推荐，仅供参考