Water

　　From the beginning, water has furnished man with a source of food and a highway to travel upon. The first civilizations arose ____1_____ Water was a dominant element in the environment, a challenge ____2____ man’s ingenuity. The Egyptians invented the 365-day calendar in response to the Nile’s annual flooding. The Babylonians, ___3___were among the most famous law-makers in ancient times, invented laws ____4____ water usage. Water inspired the Chinese to build a 1,000-___5___ canal, a complex system which, after nearly 2,500 years, remains still practically ____6____ and still commands the astonishment of engineers. But _____7____ never found complete solutions to their water problems. The Yellow River is also known as “China’s Sorrow”; it is so unpredictable and dangerous ____8____ in a single flood it has caused a million ____9____. Floods slowed the great ____10____ of the Indus River Valley, and inadequate drainage ruined _____11______ of its land. Today water dominates man ____12____ it always has done. Its presence continues to ____13_____ the location of his homes and cities; its violent variability can ____14___man or his herds or his crops; its routes links him_____15____ his fellows; its immense value may add to already dangerous political conflicts. There are many examples of this in our own time.

　　词汇：

　　furnish v.提供 annual ['?nju?l] adj.每年的

　　ingenuity n. 聪敏，才智 Babylonian n. 巴比伦人

　　Egyptian n. 埃及人 dominate ['d?mineit] v.主宰，统治

　　calendar n. 日历 variability [?vε?ri?'biliti] n. 多变

　　1. A) where B) the place C) when D) in the place

　　2. A) with B) as C) to D) on

　　3. A) they B) / C) that D) who

　　4. A) regulates B) regulate C) regulated D) regulating

　　5. A) miles B) mile C) mile’s D) miles’

　　6. A) in use B) for use C) by use D) on use

　　7. A) ancient B) the ancients C) ancients D) ancients people

　　8. A) that B)/ C) because D) which

　　9. A) people B) deaths C) damages D) ruins

　　10. A) influence B) effect C) society D) civilization

　　11. A) many B) lot C) much D) a lots

　　12. A) for B) as C) because D) whereas

　　13. A) govern B) control C) lead D) influence

　　14. A) cause B) violate C) kill D) damage

　　15. A) by B) on C) and D) to

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（实习编辑：高奕飞）