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  3. If Europeans thought a drought was something that happened only in Africa, t

If Europeans thought a drought was something that happened only in Africa, t

游客2025-03-18  35
问题     If Europeans thought a drought was something that happened only in Africa, they know better now. After four years of below normal rainfall (in some cases only 10 percent of the annual average), vast areas of France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Britain and Ireland are dry and barren. Water is so low in the canals of northern France that waterway traffic is forbidden except on weekends. Oyster growers in Brittany report a 30 percent drop in production because of the loss of fresh water in local rivers necessary for oyster breeding. In southeastern England, the rolling green hills of Kent have turned so brown that officials have been weighing plans to pipe in water from Wales. In Portugal, farmers in the southern Alentejo region have held prayer meetings for rain—so far, in vain.
    Governments in drought plagued countries are taking drastic measures. Authorities in hard hit areas of France have banned washing cars and watering lawns. In Britain, water will soon be metered, like gas and electricity. "The English have always taken water for granted," says Graham Warren, a spokesman of Britain’s National Rivers Authority. "Now they’re putting a price on it. " Even a sudden end to the drought would not end the misery in some areas. It will take several years of unusually heavy winter rain, the experts say, just to bring existing water reserves up to their normal levels. [br] The British government intends to______,
选项 A、forbid the car washing service
B、increase the price of the water used
C、end the misery caused by the drought
D、charge fees for the use of water
答案 D
解析 本题是一道具体细节题。问英国政府试图做什么。利用查阅式阅读法，我们发现文章第二段第三句指出，在英国，像煤气和电一样，用水马上就要装水表了。这一句话的意思在下一句华伦的话中得到了解释：“英国人总不把水当成一回事，现在他们也对水定价收费了。”因此，本题的正确答案应是D“收水费”。A“禁止洗车业务”。文章第二段第二句指出这是法国某些旱灾严重的地区所做的事情。B“提高水价”；C“结束因干旱造成的痛苦”；这两个选择项也是错误的。
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