A United Nations agency says the number of North Korean children being treated for severe malnutrition(营养不良) increased more than 30 percent last year.

    The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, prepared the report. It said the number of North Korean children being treated for severe malnutrition jumped by 38 percent between 2013 and 2014. 

    The report says the increase coincided with the beginning of a period of drought, or lack of rain. The findings suggest that the recent drought affecting North Korean crops might have made the children's malnutrition worse.

    The North Korean government has reported that the drought in 2014 left 9 percent of agricultural land impossible to farm. This year, the drought has worsened. All North Korean provinces have had less rain than their historical averages.

    OCHA warned that the malnutrition situation could worsen because of shortages in oral rehydration salts (口服再水化盐) needed to treat diarrhea(痢疾).

    The UNICEF official said the agency provided water purification substances and containers for 1,300 families in Unpha County in North Hwanghae Province. It is considered to be one of the areas most affected by the drought.

    North Korea is facing chronic(长期的) food shortages and growing humanitarian needs. A study from 2012 showed that almost 30 percent of North Korean children under five years of age suffered from chronic malnutrition. Four percent of children of the same age group were affected by serious malnutrition.

    However, the U.N. humanitarian operations are suffering from a severe lack of money. In 2015, the U.N. requested $104 million to provide humanitarian assistance to North Korea, including food aid. It has received only $33 million. 

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1.What number in North Korea has increased over 30 percent than last year?

A The number of children suffering from severe malnutrition

B The number of children being treated for severe malnutrition

C The number of United Nations’ agents in North Korea

D The number of United Nations’ agencies in North Korea

解析：选B。B。细节理解题。由第一段可知, 接受治疗的营养不良儿童人数较之去年上升了30%多。

2.The underlined word ‘coincide’ in paragraph 3 probably means___________.

A happen one after another

B happen at the same place

C happen in different places

D happen at the same time

解析：选D。D。词义猜测题。由本文可知，在干旱时期，儿童营养不良人数就多，所以两者之间是成正比关系的，所以coincide应该表示两者同时发生。

3.Which of the followings is correct according to the North Korean government?

A 9 percent of agricultural land was impossible to farm in 2014.

B The drought in 2014 has worsened the situation in 2015.

C The whole North Korea has had less rain than averages in history.

D Only 9 percent of the agricultural land was farmable in 2015.

解析：选A。A。细节理解题。由第四段的the drought in 2014 left 9 percent of agricultural land impossible to farm.可知， 2014年的干旱使朝鲜9%的耕地无法耕种，故选A。

4._________contributes to the chronic malnutrition of the children in North Korea.

A Growing humanitarian needs

B A severe lack of money

C Chronic shortage of food

D A lack of purified water

解析：选C。C。推理判断题。本题题干上的contribute to的意思为：引起、带来。而根据文章可知，长时间的食品缺乏导致了儿童长期的营养不良。

5.What is the shortage of money in 2015 in aiding North Korea?

A $104 million.

B $33 million.

C $71 million.

D $137 million.

解析：选C。C。细节理解题。由最后一段可知, 美国承诺向朝鲜提供约1亿400万的人道主义援助，而朝鲜现在接受的援助为3300万美元，所以还缺7100万美元, 故选C。