Directions: There are 7 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C, and D. You should decide on the best choice.

Passage 2

The most precious fluid on earth is not oil, but water. Water is basic to life and health. A person can survive several days or even weeks without food, but only a short time without water. Over 1 billion people worldwide have no access to safe drinking water. There are few challenges as important as conserving the world’ s usable water and supplying clean drinking water and water for irrigation to those who need it. Yet this work is not getting done. Humans are depleting the earth’ s store of usable water at a rate that will soon threaten our food supply. Poor water management already kills millions of people a year and condemns hundreds of millions to hunger.

The technology exists to solve these problems. Providing slums with drinking water and sanitation, for example, is easy to do and a cost-effective way to prevent deaths and disease. But because those who suffer are poor, their access to water is rarely a political priority. There is now an opportunity for progress. More than 100 water ministers from around the world, along with thousands of water experts from villagers to scientists, have gathered in the Netherlands. The conference will be useful if it can persuade governments and international banks to pay more attention to conservation and fair distribution of water.

In 1980, the U. N. set a goal of safe drinking water for all by 1990. Because of international prodding, about two billion new people received clean drinking water over the subsequent 14 years. A new commitment is urgently needed to spread these health gains, help poor farmers and conserve the world’ s precious supply of usable water.