The payments are a __________ to his usual salary.

Claims of a "water apartheid," where poor people pay more for water than the rich, are bound to attract attention. But what are the economics behind the problem, and how can it be fixed？ In countries that have trouble delivering clean water to their people, a lack of infrastructure is often the culprit. People in areas that are not served by public utilities have to rely on costlier ways of getting water, such as itinerant water trucks and treks to wells. Paradoxically, as the water sources get costlier, the water itself tends to be more dangerous. Water piped by utilities - to the rich and the poor alike - is usually cleaner than water trucked in or collected from an outdoor tank.

The problem exists not only in rural areas but even in big cities, said Hakan Bjorkman, program director of the UN agency in Thailand. Further, subsidies made tolocal water systems often end up benefiting people other than the poor, he added.

The agency proposes a three-step solution. First, make access to 20 liters, or 5 gallons, of clean water a day a human right. Next, make local governments accountable for delivering this service. Last, invest in infrastructure to link people to water mains.The report says governments, especially in developing countries, should spend at least 1 percent of gross domestic product on water and sanitation. It also recommends that foreign aid be more directed toward these problems. Clearly, this approach relies heavily on government intervention, something Bjorkman readily acknowledged. But there are some market-based approaches as well.

By offering cut-rate connections to poor people to the water mainline, the private water utility in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, has steadily increased access to clean water, according to the agency&39;s report. A subsidy may not even be necessary, despite the agency&39;s proposals, if a country can harness the economic benefits of providing clean water.

People who receive clean water are much less likely to die from water-borne diseases - a common malady in the developing world - and much more likely to enjoy long, productive, taxpaying lives that can benefit their host countries. So if a government is trying to raise financing to invest in new infrastructure, it might find receptive ears in private credit markets - as long as it can harness the return. Similarly, private companies may calculate that it is worth bringing clean water to an area if its residents are willing to pay back the investment over many years.

In the meantime, some local solutions are being found. In Thailand, Bjorkman said, some small communities are taking challenges like water access upon themselves. "People organize themselves in groups to leverage what little resources they have to help their communities," he said. "That&39;s especially true out in the rural areas. They invest their money in revolving funds and saving schemes, and they invest themselves to improve their villages. "It is not always easy to take these solutions and replicate them in other countries, though. Assembling a broad menu of different approaches can be the first step in finding the right solution for a given region or country.

A new study has identified pollution as the world’s No. 1 killer. Study organizers say pollution is responsible for more premature deaths than war, (1) , natural disasters, smoking and disease. By premature death, the researchers mean dying before the average age of death within a population group. Many of these deaths can be (2) . A report on the study was published in the medical journal Lancet. The researchers looked at pollution levels, both inside enclosed buildings and in the world around us. They (3) that pollution killed about 9 million people in 2015. That would (4) one of every six deaths worldwide. Karti Sandilya helped to prepare the report. He said “Pollution (5) fundamental human rights, such as the right to life, health, well-being, safe work as well as protections of children and the most (6) .” The report said the large majority of pollution-related deaths take place in developing countries. The researchers say leaders in those countries are more concerned about building their economies and public services than environmental (7) . Some of the most affected countries are Bangladesh, China, Haiti, India, Pakistan, North Korea and South Sudan. But Richard Fuller, another writer of the report, said pollution is tied to slow economic development in both rich and poor nations. He said “There is this myth that finance ministers still live by, that you have to let industry pollute or else you won’t develop. What people don’t realize ... people who are sick or dead cannot (8) to the economy. They need to be looked after.” The report said that 9 million premature deaths a year is only a(9) estimate. It says the actual number is likely to be much higher. A separate study by the World Bank said reducing pollution must be a top goal. It says that solving this problem would lead to solutions to other crises, including (10) and rising temperatures on Earth’s surface. I’m Jonathan Evans.

A、peau

B、beau

C、peu

D、pour

Part II Reading Comprehension (25 minutes) Section A Directions: In this part there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once. 注意：请在答题处填入相应的字母编号！字母一定要大写！ I used creative emulation to help me attain my goal of playing tennis on the pro circuit. I used several methods to ____11____ emulate those players who were winning pro tournaments. I would read every tennis book I could find in the library and bookstores. I examined back ____12____ of every tennis magazine looking for articles on techniques. I would watch top pros on television. I would videotape pro matches and play them back, sometimes in slow ____13____. I would go to see pros play in person. As I studied I made ____14____. I wrote most of these ideas in my ____15____ journal, which consisted of several motebooks and thousands of index cards. I used this journal to help me ____16____ what I had observed. This process ____17____ me from a third string player on a second rate college tennis team to someone who could win a few ____18____ tournaments on the pro circuit. Along the way I developed one of the best ____19____ to learning tennis there is. Shortly after finishing my Ph.D., I ____20____ a goal of starting a part-time business lecturing and conducting seminars. I used the same creative emulation to help me reach my goal. A. facilities F. personal K. observations B. established G. creatively L. distribute C. uniquely H. motion M. apply D. converted I. profound N. approaches E. issues J. minor O. beliefs 11. __________