Venice is famous for its canals(运河). The waterways offer a special view on the city, with thousands of water taxis traveling every day.

Between October and January, the city’s main worry is usually flooding. A few days each year the water levels rise and cover low parts of Venice. But now these famous canals are running dry. Being short of rain is partly because of weeks of dry winter weather, but a high-pressure weather system, full moon and sea currents have also caused the drought(干旱).

Traditional water taxis have been influenced by the low water levels. The drought also influences the city’s important water ambulances, which may try very hard to travel on Venice’s canals.

Rivers and lakes in Italy have been short of water this winter—especially in the north of the country. The Alps have received less than half of their usual snowfall this winter. Italy’s longest river, the Po River, runs from the Alps to the Adriatic Sea. It has 61 percent less water than is normal at this time of year. Levels are also low on Lake Garda, meaning it is possible to reach the island of San Biagio on foot.

“We are in a water deficit(缺少) situation that has been building up since the winter of 2020-2021,” Massimiliano Pasqui said. “We need to get much rain in the north-western parts of our country: we need 50 days of rain,” he said. It comes after the country faced its worst drought in 70 years.

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1. What does the underlined word “flooding” mean?（词义猜测）

A    Low water levels.

B    Too much water.

C    Very high lands.

D    Short of rain.