单选题
阅读下面的短文，文中有15处空白，每处空白给出了4个选项，请根据短文的内容从4个选项中选择1个最佳答案。

{{B}}Water{{/B}}
From the beginning, water has furnished man with a source of food and a highway to travel upon. The first civilizations arose{{U}} (51) {{/U}}water was a dominant element in the environment, a challenge{{U}} (52) {{/U}}man's ingenuity. The Egyptians invented the 365-day calendar in response to the Nile's annual flooding. The Babylonians, {{U}}(53) {{/U}}were among the most famous law-makers in ancient times, invented laws{{U}} (54) {{/U}}water usage. Water inspired the Chinese to build a 1,000-{{U}} (55) {{/U}}canal, a complex system which, after nearly 2,500 years, remains still practically{{U}} (56) {{/U}}and still commands the astonishment of engineers. But{{U}} (57) {{/U}}never found complete solutions to their water problems. The Yellow River is also known as "China's Sorrow"; it is so unpredictable and dangerous{{U}} (58) {{/U}}in a single flood it has caused a million{{U}} (59) {{/U}}. Floods slowed the great{{U}} (60) {{/U}}of the Indus River Valley, and inadequate drainage ruined{{U}} (61) {{/U}}of its land. Today water dominates man{{U}} (62) {{/U}}it always has done. Its presence continues to{{U}} (63) {{/U}}the location of his homes and cities; its violent variability can{{U}} (64) {{/U}}man or his herds or his crops; its routes links him{{U}} (65) {{/U}}his fellows; its immense value may add to already dangerous political conflicts. There are many examples of this in our own time.

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】这个句子的主语是the Babylonians，谓语是后面的invented laws...。可见，逗号后面的成分要做补充说明用。根据已有的信息，我们可以推出这里who是正确的，它同后面的部分组成一个非限制性的定语从句，修饰主语。注意，that虽然也可以引导定语从句，但它不能引导非限制性定语从句。

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】当一个名词修饰另一个名词时，该名词往往用其单数形式(当然并非总是如此，下面这样的句子也是有人说的：We had a two weeks holiday.)。根据这一原则，1000-后接mile，像上文的the 365-day calendar中的365-day就是遵循了这一原则。又如：a four-hour ride, a twenty-mile trip, a five-room house, a six-storey building。

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】death是可数名词，也是不可数名词。作可数名词时，是指某种类型的死(如：He died a natural death.)，也可指死了多少人。damage是不可数名词，它的复数形式damages主要用在法律领域，指损害赔偿，如：The court ordered him to pay $ 1,000 damages to the person he had hurt. ruin是不可数名词。可数形式ruins常指“遗迹”、“废墟”等，如：The majestic ruins of Rome impressed her immensely. 可以看出，在这三个选项中，只有deaths是合适的。cause是使役动词，可以说“...it caused a million people to die. ”但不可以说*“...it caused a million people.”所以填入people是错误的。

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】量词many, a lot of, lots of和much是一个连续统一体。具体地说，many只修饰可数名词，much只修饰不可数名词，而a lot of和lots of处于两者之间，既可限定可数名词，也可限定不可数名词。lots of比a lot of在口气上更随便些。下面是一些具体的用a lot of和lots of的例子：I remember a lot of things. /A lot of our land is used to grow crops for export./ There are lots of things I could do./ I want lots of food. 英语中没有lot of和a lots of这样的量词，land在此处是不可数名词，因此，唯一合适的选择是much。

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】正确的答案是填入as，此处的as引导的是表示方式的状语从句，整个句子的意思是说“今天，水就像它一直控制人类一样仍然在控制着人类”。由于原文前后两个句子之间没有一种因果关系，所以填入for或because都是不对的。而whereas一词通常表示对比关系，如：The boys are singing whereas the girls are dancing. 所以填入这个词在语义上是不合适的。

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】这个句子的意思是说，水的存在决定着人们选择安家建城的位置。govern和control都有“控制”和“支配”的意思。govern可以是人的支配，也可以是自然法则或自然力量的控制或支配。所以，govern是一个合适的词。lead的意思是“引导；领导”。influence的意思是“影响”。

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】中所说，cause是使役动词，只说“...can cause man. or his herbs or his crops”句子不完整。violate一词的后面可以跟a rule，a law，但不能是man。damage一词的后面常跟物质的东西，如a house，a village，crops等，也不能接man。所以只有kill一词是正确的选择。注意kill可以跟“活着的东西”，所以kill his crops在语义上完全成立。又如：The cold weather has killed the flowers.