The death and life of Iran's Lake Urmia

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难词探意

1. contemporary /kənɪtempəreri/ adj. 当代的；现代的

2. catastrophe /kəɪtæstrəfi/ n. 大灾难；大灾祸

3. conservative /kənɪsзːvətɪv/ adj. 保守的；守旧的

4. advocate /ɪædvəkət/ n. 支持者；提倡者

Iran's Lake Urmia was once the second-largest saltwater lake in the world， covering more than 2，000 square miles at its deepest in the 1990s.In the past two decades，the lake has dried out，shrinking at times to less than 20% of its average size.

It's not a story of climate change， though that certainly contributed. It's a case of water mismanagement. Scientists call it a “contemporaryenvironmentalcatastrophe” to rethink how the resource is managed in water-scarce countries. Researchers blame water overuse and inefficiency in agriculture，new dams and irrigation projects， a bridge cutting across the lake， declining rainfall and rising temperatures for much of the drying out.

“For me this is a really important topic： the environmental problems in the world，” says photographer Maximilian Mann， who traveled to Iran three times to document the bare land once obscured under saltwater. “I was really surprised about the size of the lake and how fast the lake is dying，” he says. “It was really a shock for me to see it. When I was there for the first time， I can remember： I went to a hill and I saw only desert.”

Mann， who lives in Germany， traveled to Iran first in September 2018， and then in November and again in January 2019. His photos are collected from all three trips. In his experience， it was easier to find men who were willing to be photographed because many of the women in rural areas near Lake Urmia are moreconservativethan in cities and don't like being photographed by men. So it's important to gain their belief when he wants to take pictures of them.

Lake researchers andadvocatessay there have been encouraging signs in the past few years.This past spring， massive flooding in Iran helped the lake regain water level as well. Mann's photos were taken before that flooding.

“The floods certainly helped and increased the water levels，” says Amir AghaKouchak， a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of California， Irvine， who has studied the lake. “However， one or a series of floods won't have a long-term impact. The main issue in the basin is that the water demand is much higher than the renewable water in the basin. If the water demand in the basin is not managed， after a while the lake will continue to dry out. And the situation remains really frustrating.”

Reading Check

1. How does the author begin the text?

A. By giving an example. B. By describing an event.C. By making a comparison. D. By conveying an opinion.

2. Why do scientists call Iran's Lake Urmia a “contemporary environmental catastrophe”?

A. To rebuild a new lake in the area.

B. To represent its enormous influence.

C. To ask people to pay attention to climate change.

D. To get people to reflect upon water source management.

3. What plays an important role in Mann's asking women to take photos?

A. Trust. B. Expense. C. Gestures. B. Positions.

4. What is Amir AghaKouchak's attitude toward the future of Iran's Lake Urmia?

A. Unclear. B. Hopeful. C. Neutral. D. Pessimistic.

Language Study

Difficult sentence

In the past two decades， the lake has dried out， shrinking at times to less than 20% of its average size.

【翻译】_____________________________________________________________________________

【点石成金】“in/during the past/last+时间词”在句中作时间状语时，句子常用现在完成时的形式。 “shrinking at times to less than 20% of its average size”为现在分词作结果状语。