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  3. Letter to the editor: If the water level in the Searle River Delta continues to

Letter to the editor: If the water level in the Searle River Delta continues to

游客2025-02-25  8
问题 Letter to the editor: If the water level in the Searle River Delta continues to drop, the rising sea level w II make the water saltier and less suitable for drinking. Currently, 40 percent of the water from upstream tributaries is diverted to neighboring areas. To keep the delta’s water level from dropping any further, we should end all current diversions from the upstream tributaries. Neighboring water utilities are likely to see higher costs and diminished water supplies, but these costs are necessary to preserve the delta.
Which of the following would, if true, indicate a serious potential weakness of the suggested plan of action?
选项 A、Desalination equipment would allow water from the delta to be used for drinking even it f became saltier.
B、Water level is only one factor that affects salinity in the delta.
C、The upstream tributaries’ water levels are controlled by systems of dams and reservoirs.
D、Neighboring areas have grown in population since the water was first diverted from upstream tributaries.
E、Much of the recent drop in the delta’s water level can be attributed to a prolonged drought that has recently ended.
答案 E
解析 This question requires us to find a potential weakness of the plan suggested. That is, the question requires us to find a reason that ending all current diversions from the Searle River’s upstream tributaries might not be a good idea.
Note that the plan is designed to keep the delta’s water level from dropping further. While there are costs to executing this plan, the letter claims that these costs are necessary to preserve the delta.
The letter begins with a discussion of how the dropping water levels in the delta will lead to saltier and less potable water, but it is unclear what role this plays in the letter’s argument. That is, we do not know whether this is the primary reason for the concern about the delta’s water levels. Given the information provided, it could be just one of many concerns. Given the letter says that the costs are necessary to preserve the delta, it appears to be just one among multiple concerns.
A    If the sole reason for wanting to keep the delta’s water level from dropping further is to ensure that the river can provide drinking water, then this answer choice might suggest a weakness in the plan. That is, the plan itself would be unnecessary. Note, however, that the main reason given for the plan is to preserve the delta, not to ensure drinkability of the water. Bearing this in mind, there may still be reasons to carry out the plan even if the claim made in this answer choice is true.
B    The plan does not necessarily need to be able to solve the problem of increased salinity on its own. Even if it cannot, the plan may be an important part of solving the problem. Furthermore, there may be other reasons besides salinity for implementing the plan. This choice, therefore, does not give us a good reason to believe that the plan is not necessary.
C    This choice gives us a potential explanation of how the upstream water has been diverted. It does not, however, present a weakness in the proposed plan.
D    This choice suggests a reason that there may be costs to implementing the proposed plan; most clearly, the growing population will need water that it could get from the river. Nevertheless, the letter indicates that these costs are necessary to preserve the delta.
E    Correct. This gives us reason to think that the water levels may actually fix themselves. That is, the level will not continue to decline even if the plan is not carried out. The letter indicates that the specific reason to carry out the plan is to prevent the water level from dropping any further. So if the plan turned out to be unnecessary for preventing such a drop in water level, then the costs of the plan would have made the plan itself undesirable.
The correct answer is E.
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