阅读理解。
The idea of getting fresh water from icebergs that are pulled to populated areas and dry areas of the world
was once treated as a joke more fit for cartoons than real life. But now it is being consid ered quite seriously
by many nations, especially since scientists have warned that the human race will outgrow its fresh water
supply faster than it runs out of food.
Glaciers (冰川) are a possible source of fresh water that has been overlooked until recently.
Three-quarters of the Earth's fresh water supply is still tied up in glacial ice, a reservoir of untapped fresh
water so huge that it could carry on all the rivers of the world for 1,000 years.
Floating on the oceans every year are 7,659 trillion metric tons ofice covered in 10,000 icebergs that break
away from the polar ice caps, more than ninety percent of them from Antarctica.
Huge glaciers that widen over the shallow continental shelf give birth to icebergs throughout the year.
Icebergs are not like sea ice, which is formed when the sea itself freezes, rather, they are formed entirely on
land, breaking off when glaciers spread over the sea. As they flow away from the polar region, icebergs
sometimes move mysteriously in a direction opposite to the wind, pulled by subsurface currents. Because they
melt more slowly than smaller pieces office, icebergs have been known to drift as far north as 35 degrees
south of the equator in the Atlantic Ocean. To hold them and guide them to parts of the world where they are
needed would not be too difficult.
The difficulty appears in other technical matters, such as the prevention of rapid melting in warmer
climates and the guiding of fresh water to shore in great volume. But even if the icebergs lost half of their
volume in drawing, the water they could provide would be far cheaper than that produced by removing salt
from water.
1. Why more countries consider getting fresh water from icebergs now?
A. The population across the world changes too often.
B. The huge glaciers bring too many floods recently.
C. The warning from scientists and the serious situation.
D. There are too many icebergs waiting for being dealt with.
2. The underlined word "overlooked" in Paragraph 2 should mean _____.
A. having a careful look
B. succeeding in passing
C. taking seriously
D. failing to notice
3. What makes getting fresh water from icebergs difficult?
A. The high cost and fewer glaciers.
B. Climate changes and practical actions.
C. The slow moving speed of the icebergs.
D. The time of waiting the icebergs' melting.
4. What is the best title for the passage?
A. lcebergs Cause Global Warming
B. Get Fresh Water From Icebergs
C. Solve the Problem of Water Shortage
D. Look for a Better Way to Get Water
