2022年職稱英語考試閱讀理解習(xí)題(三十六)1

2022年職稱英語考試閱讀理解習(xí)題(三十六)1AftertwoweeksinKarachi,I’mnotsurewhethertolaughortocry.Eitherway,itinvolveswater—orratherthelackofit.

InWesternEuropeortheUS,youonlyhavetoturnonthetapandyou’llseeajetofcoldwater,readytodrink,cookandbathein,orwashthecar.TurnonthetapinKarachiandyou’llbeluckytofillafewbuckets.Until1947thecitywaspartofBritishIndia,whoseengineersbuiltandmaintainedamodestwatersupplynetworkforthecity’s500,000inhabitants.Today,Karachiishometoaround12millionpeople.Halfofthemliveinslumtownships,withlittleornowaterthroughthemains.Eventherichhalfusuallyhavetowaitdaysbeforeanythingticklesthroughtheirpipes.Andthecolouredliquidthatfinallyemergesisusuallytoocontaminatedtodrink.

Halfusuallyhavetowaitdaysbeforeanythingticklesthroughtheirpipes.Andthecolouredliquidthatfinallyemergesisusuallytoocontaminatedtodrink.

Accordingtothestate-ownedKarachiWaterandSewerageBoard,thecityneedsmorethan2,500millionlitresofwatereachday.Theboardcurrentlysupplies1,650millionlitresofwhichnearly40percentislostfromleaks—andtheft.Leaksaredimeadozentowaterutilitiestheworldover,buttheft?

Karachi’sunlikelywaterpiratesturnouttobeordinaryfamiliesstrugglingtogetadequatesuppliesofoneoflife’snecessities.Stealingwatertakesmanyforms.Thesimplestistobuyasuctionpumpandgetitattachedtothewaterpipethatfeedsyourhousefromthemains.Thisshouldmaximizeyourshareofwatereverytimetheboardswitchesonthesupply.Whenthepracticestarted20yearsago,thepumpswouldbecarefullyhiddenordisguisedasgardenornaments.Thesedayspeoplehardlybother.Thepumpsaresowidespreadandwaterboardinspectorssothinonthegroundthatwhenofficialsdoconfiscateapumpitsownersimplybuyareplacement.

Insistingthatpeopleobeythelawwon’tworkbecausemosthouseholdshavelittlealternativebuttosteal.Foritspart,theKarachiWaterandSewerageBoardsaysitwoulddearlyliketomakelifeeasier,butfindsitselfmiredindebtbecausemostresidentseitherwon’tpaywaterchargesorcan’taffordtotheUrbanResourceCentre,aKarachi-basedthinktank,ofthe1.2millionknownconsumersofwateronly750,000arebilled,ofwhomjust163,000actuallypayfortheirsupplies.Theboardmakesaperpetualloss,andthereisnomoneytoimprovethesystemorevenplugtheleaks.Worse,theboardincreasinglyreliesoninternationalloansfrominstitutionssuchastheAsianDevelopmentBank,whichonlymakesitsdebtworse.

Thejokeisthattheownersofthesuctionpumpsendupwithlittle—ifany—extrawater.Yourhouseisinalinewith20otherhouseholdsalltappingintoonehorizontalpipeline.Allyoucanendupdoing,givenyouhavepumpsofequalstrength,isredistributeeachother’sentitlementandpayhigherelectricitybillsintothebargain.

BackhomeinLondon,I’llremembernottocomplainaboutthewatermeter,orthehosepipeban.

1．Accordingtothepassage,peopleinKarachitodaysufferfromashortsupplyofwaterbecause

A.thewatersupplynetworkbuiltin1947hasstoppedtofunction.

B.thecityhasbecomemuchlargerthanbefore.

C.oldnetworkscannotmeettheneedofthecity’sgreatly-increasedpopulation.

D.othercityislongerapartofBritishIndia.

2.NowpeopleinKarachidonothideordisguisethesuctionpumpstheyusetostealwaterbecause

A.thepumpsarenolongerwantedasgardenornaments.

B.watersupplyboardofficialsnolongerconfiscatethem.

C.itdoesnotcostmuchmoneytobuyanewone.

D.manyhouseholdshavethemandthereareveryfewinspectorsaroundtotrytofindthem.

3.Confrontedwithasevereshortageofwatersupply,thecity’sWaterandSewerageBoard

A.triestoimprovethewatersupplysystemwithborrowedmoney.

B.isnotmakinganyefforttoimprovethesituation.

C.urgestheconsumerstoobeythelaw.

D.chargestheconsumersmoreforthewatertheyuse.

4.Whichofthefollowingistrueoftheownersofthesuctionpumps,iftheirneighborshaveequallypowerfulpumpsastheydo?

A.Theygetsomeextrawater.

B.Theyonlypaymoreforelectricity.

C.Theysharewhattheycangetwiththeirneighbors.

D.Theyreplacetheirpumpswithnewones.

5.Whichofthefollowingistrueabouttheauthor