Sri Lanka plans to store and use a billion cubic meters of rainwater each year to support irrigation (灌溉)and power generation. The rainwater would go into the sea if it is not used.

    Sri Lanka is building the new water management system in the country's dry zone. The area covers the northern and eastern parts of the country. It is home to about one-third of Sri Lanka's twenty million people. It is also mainly agricultural land.

    Climate change has severely hurt the area in the past 10 years. The region is also suffering a severe water crisis.

    Experts say the project could use enough water to fill two of the country's largest reservoirs(水库), Victoria and Randenigala.

    The government and donors(捐赠人) are paying for the $675-million project. Work begins this month and should be completed by December 2024. The aim is to help the dry zone better control its water supply for power generation and farming.

    The country's rainfall is 2,000 millimeters per year. Less than half falls in the dry zone. Most of the farming there depends on irrigation. Small water tanks hold water from the region's large reservoirs.

    Mr. Shanmugasivanathan said the dry zone faces the extremes of floods and drought as the rain patterns have changed. But, he said there is no system in place to take flood waters, so drought can happen even in years of floods.

    Lance Gore is a water resources expert with the ADB in the Philippine capital, Manila. He said the organization hopes that the new project will help end poverty in the area. The water expert said more water will increase the earning level of people dependent on agriculture. It also aims to supply safe drinking water to 350,000 people.

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1.Where can they get the water for the new water management system in the country's dry zone?

A From the sea.

B From the rain.

C From a power station.

D From irrigation.

解析：选B。B。细节理解题。由第一，二段可知，该工程是专门为了收集雨水而建，故选B。

2.__________has made the northern and eastern parts of the country suffer more in the past 10 years.

A Building of the project

B Agricultural irrigation

C Climate change

D The growing population

解析：选C。C。细节理解题。由第三段可知，最近10年气候的变化，使该地区的用水形势更加的严峻。

3.How long will this project last?

A Three months.

B One year and three months.

C About 24 years.

D About 9 years.

解析：选D。D。计算题。由第五段可知，此工程于本月开工（2015年的8月），它的预计完工期是2024年的11月，所以应为9年多的时间。

4.Which of the followings is correct according to Mr. Shanmugasivanathan?

A This dry zone only faces drought.

B This dry zone often faces extreme floods.

C This dry zone faces drought in the year of floods.

D This dry zone faces both flood and drought.

解析：选D。D。细节理解题。由倒数第二段可知，该地区由于气候的变化，既遭受旱灾，又遭受水灾。由于没有水利工程，有时候，即使是在水灾的年份也同样会出现旱灾。

5.It is hoped that this water management project will_________in this area.

A supply safe drinking water

B end the poverty

C depend more on agriculture

D need water tanks to hold water

解析：选B。B。细节理解题。由最后一段可知，此工程的目的是要解决这里的贫困问题。供应安全的饮水只是解决贫困的一个方面而已。