Section A Reading in the Context
Read the following passage with ten missing words．Learn to guess the meanings of them from the context and then select one word for each blank from the list of choices given in the word bank following the passage．Each word can be used only once．
America has a water problem．To put it simply，the national network for providing safe，clean water is falling apart．This state of affairs____1__more than our drinking water supplies．Water is used in every sector of industry，grows our food，affects our health and props up our energy system．
The price of this____2__will be high．In Flint，Mich．，the mayor has estimated that it will cost as much as＄1．5 billion to fix or replace lead pipes．We need to do this to improve water quality，protect natural ecosystems and ensure a____3___supply for our cities，agriculture and industry．
The problem is a result of many____4___，including old，leaky pipes；archaic（过时的）pricing；and a remarkable lack of data about how much water we use．
In cities across the country，billions of gallons of water____5___every day through leaky pipes．Houston alone lost 22 billion gallons in 2012．The water system is facing double difficulties．It has reached the end of its service life just as climate change and population growth have increased its burdens．No wonder the civil engineers society gave the nation’s drinking water systems a grade of D in 2013．
Waste water treatment systems are also in____6___need of upgrading．Flooding strains treatment plants and sewer systems in many older cities，causing them to discharge untreated sewage whenever rainfall or snow-melt overwhelm them．
Droughts also endanger water supplies，____7___cities in the West to reach farther or dig deeper to get their water．Outside Las Vegas，Lake Mead，fed by the Colorado River，was recently measured at 39 percent of____8__．
These problems are compounded by an antiquated（陈旧的）system of regulations，dysfunctional（功能失调的）water markets，policies that encourage over pumping，and contracts that discourage conservation by requiring customers to pay for water they don’t use．These approaches depress investment and____9__innovation．
To fix our water systems，we need prices that lead to more____10__water use and invite needed investment，data to track water resources and usage，and much more research and development．
