Thirty years ago, Lake Ponkapog in Hartwell, New Jersey, was full of life. Many birds

   Thirty years ago, Lake Ponkapog in Hartwell, New Jersey, was full of life. Many birds and animals lived beside the water, which was full of fish. The lake water is polluted . It is in a color of dirty brown, and it is filled with strange plants.

How did this happen? First,  we must think about how water gets into Lake Ponkapog. When it rains, water comes into the lake from all around. In the past, there were forests all around Lake Ponkapog, so the rainwater was clean.

Now there are many homes around the lake. People often use chemicals in their gardens. They use other chemicals inside their houses for cleaning or killing insects. There are also many businesses. Businesses use chemicals in their machines or shops. Other chemicals fall onto the ground from cars or trucks. When it rains, the rainwater picks up all the chemicals from homes and businesses and then carries them into the lake. They pollute the water and kill the animals.

Boats on the lake are also a problem. Lake Ponkapog is a popular place for motorboats. But oil and gas from boats often get into the lake. So more bad chemicals go into the water this way.

People in Hartwell are worried. They love their lake and want to save it. Will it be possible?

A clean lake must have clean rainwater going into it. Clean rainwater is possible only if people are more careful about chemicals at home and at work. They must also be more careful about gas and oil and other chemicals on the ground. And they mustn’t use motorboats any more on the lake. All these may change people’s lives. Only then can Lake Ponkapog be a beautiful, clean lake again.

1.In the past, the water in Lake Ponkapog was made clean by __________

A. forests          B. rain        C. birds       D. fish

2.Chemicals from homes and businesses_______________

A. are always clean                    B. can help the animals

C. are good for the lake                D. get into the rainwater

3.Clean rainwater will mean____________

A. more boats on the lake              B. more dirty things in the lake

C. a cleaner lake                            D. a dirtier lake

4.To save Lake Ponkapog, people need to _____________

A. be more careful about chemicals   B. use less water

C. grow fewer plants in the gardens   D. use more motorboats on the lake

5.The passage is about____________

A. boats on Lake Ponkapog                   B. why the water is dirty in Lake Ponkapog

C. clean rainwater                             D. dirty lakes

1A  2D  3C  4A  5B