Water and its importance to human life were the centre of the world’s attention last week. March 22 was World Water Day and 1 the theme “Water for Life”.
There are more than one billion people in the world who live without 2 drinking water. The United Nations 3 to cut this number in half by 2015.
Solving such a big problem seems like a(n) 4 challenge. But everyone, 5 teenagers, can do something to help. A teenage girl in the US has set an example to the 6 of her age around the world.
Rene Haggerty, 13, was awarded the 2004 Gloria Barron Prize for her work— 7 discarded(废弃的) batteries（电池）which pollute water.
In 2003, Haggerty went on a field trip to the Great Lakes Science Centre in Ohio. There she saw an exhibit about how 8 in old batteries harm the water of Lake Erie.
Haggerty learnt that 9 the batteries was an easy solution. “I think everybody can do it, because everyone 10 batteries, and it can make a big difference.” With these words, she began to 11 awareness in her area.
She 12 her county government and school board. She got permission to start a recycling programme in schools 13 the public library, hospital, and churches. With the help from her family, friends and local waste-management 14 , she gathered containers, arranged transportation, and made a(n) 15 video.
Over the past two years, she collected four tons of batteries and drew the attention of officials, who were in charge of a battery recycling programme but had made 16 progress.
When asked 17 she feels like a hero, Haggerty is quite __18 . “Not really. Well, maybe for the fish I saved!”
Every year the Gloria Barron Prize is 19 to young Americans aged 8 to 18 who have shown leadership and courage in 20 the public and the planet. Each year ten winners receive US $ 2,000 each, to help with their education costs or their public service work.
1. A. had B. gave C. wrote D. discussed
2. A. enough B. safe C. much D. polluted
3. A. asks B. orders C. hopes D. ensures
4. A. good B. strong C. important D. unreal
5. A. especially B. sometimes C. even D. seldom
6. A. boys B. others C. students D. grown-ups
7. A. collecting B. selling C. buying D. using
8. A. things B. chemicals C. water D. air
9. A. making B. recycling C. reducing D. handling
10. A. uses B. has C. throws D. needs
11. A. tell B. increase C. spread D. inform
12. A. talked to B. listened to C. heard from D. thought about
13. A. and B. besides C. as well as D. as good as
14. A. officials B. workers C. clerks D. experts
15. A. industrial B. agricultural C. scientific D. educational
16. A. much B. no C. some D. little
17. A. if B. how C. when D. why
18. A. proud B. glad C. modest D. worried
19. A. praises B. helps C. supports D. honors
20. A. awarding B. saving C. serving D. favoring