阅读理解.
On a one-acre site alongside many shrimp boats stands a $2.2 million assembly（组合体）
of pipes, sheds , and humming machinery - a plant in Texas to make sea water suitable to drink.
The plant is an experimental project built as the former of the state’s $150 million, full-scale
sea water desalination （脱盐）plant planned for construction in 2010.
Desalting sea water is expensive, mostly because of the energy required. The cost runs at
about $650 per acre-foot, but it only costs $200 to purify（净化） the same amount of fresh
water.
However, it is a growing field around the world as drinkable water becomes less and less in
the earth.
About two-thirds of the world’s desalinated water is produced in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and
North Africa. Perth, Australia, is looking to meet a third of its fresh water demand by removing
salt from sea water.
In March, Israel showed off its plant at the Mediterranean port of Ashkelon that can process
87 million gallons of fresh water a day. Singapore opened a sea water desalination plant in 2005
hoping it will meet at least 10 percent of its water needs. Two months ago, General Electric Co.
announced a $220 million contract to build a plant in South Africa.
Global output is still relatively minute - less than 0.1 percent of all drinking water. But according
to a recent report by Global Water Intelligence, the worldwide desalination industry is expected to
grow 140 percent over the next ten years, with $25 billion in investment by 2010, or $56 billion
by 2015.
1. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Some countries stopped desalinating sea water because it’s too expensive.
B. Singapore is the only country that has put desalinating sea water into practice.
C. Purifying fresh water is much cheaper than desalinating sea water.
D. Desalinating sea water should be controlled by the government.
2. What is the passage mainly about?
A. Many countries are trying to desalt sea water.
B. How sea water is turned into fresh water.
C. The present and future of desalting sea water.
D. The world is in great need of fresh water.
3. The word “minute” underlined in the last paragraph most probably means “_____”.
A. exact
B. close
C. real
D. tiny
4. The author’s attitude towards the desalination industry can be described as _____.
A. pessimistic
B. optimistic
C. satisfied
D. worried
