Read the following passage and answer the given question. Providing stable…
2017
Read the following passage and answer the given question.
Providing stable freshwater supplies is a priority for every country in the world. Yet stable supplies are increasingly hard to come by in many countries, as water-related risks increase. For example, recent droughts threatened GDP growth in the United States. Monsoon floods killed hundreds and displaced thousands in India. Increased competition for water may impact energy production in China, and the list goes on.
World Resources Institute’s Aqueduct project recently evaluated, mapped, and scored water risks like these in 100 river basins and 180 nations – the first such country-level water assessment of its kind. We found that 36 countries face extremely high levels of baseline water stress. This means that more than 80 percent of the water available is withdrawn annually by agricultural, domestic, and industrial users, leaving businesses, farms, and communities vulnerable to scarcity. Such situations severely threaten national water security and economic growth – especially if a country does not have adequate water-management plans in place. This information is highly relevant for a country’s economy, environment, and communities.
It’s also important for countries to understand the underlying natural factors that drive their water-related risks and respond accordingly. Extremely high levels of baseline water stress, for example, don’t necessarily mean that a country will fall victim to scarcity. Armed with the right information, countries facing extremely high stress can implement management and conservation strategies to secure their water supplies.
Singapore, for example, has the highest water stress ranking. The country is densely populated and has no freshwater lakes or aquifers, and its demand for water far exceeds its naturally occurring supply. Yet the country is consistently held up as an exceptional water manager. Singapore invests heavily in technology, international agreements, and responsible management, allowing it to meet its freshwater needs. Advanced rainwater capture systems contribute 20 percent of Singapore’s water supply, 40 percent is imported from Malaysia, grey water reuse adds 30 percent, and desalination produces the remaining 10 percent of the supply to meet the country’s total demand. These forward-thinking and innovative management plans provide a stable water supply for Singapore’s industrial, agricultural, and domestic users – even in the face of significant baseline water stress.
Singapore is held up as an example of water management. Match the strategy (a–c) with the actual practice (i–iii).
Strategy | Practice |
|---|---|
a. Use of technology | i) Import from Malaysia |
b. International agreement | ii) Rainwater capture |
c. Responsible management | iii) Desalination and grey water use |
- A.
a – ii, b – i, c – iii
- B.
a – ii, b – iii, c – i
- C.
a – iii, b – i, c – ii
- D.
a – i, b – ii, c – iii
Attempted by 1 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Concept
In a match-the-following comprehension item, each label on the left must be paired with the practice on the right that the passage explicitly links to it. The correct mapping is fixed by what the text states, not by guesswork: read the sentence that names each strategy and see which concrete practice it describes.
Application
The passage states that Singapore meets its water needs through three named approaches — technology, international agreements, and responsible management — and then describes the concrete practices behind them. Pair each strategy with the practice the passage attaches to it:
Strategy | Practice in the passage | Why |
|---|---|---|
a. Use of technology | Rainwater capture | “Advanced rainwater capture systems” are an engineered, technology-driven method. |
b. International agreement | Import from Malaysia | Water bought from another country rests on a treaty/agreement between the two nations. |
c. Responsible management | Desalination and grey water use | Reusing grey water and desalinating supply are deliberate, sustainable management choices. |
This gives the mapping a – ii, b – i, c – iii.
Cross-check
Test the pairing against the passage once more: import from Malaysia is the only practice involving a second country, so it must belong to the international-agreement strategy; rainwater capture is the engineered system, so it fits the technology strategy; the remaining pair – grey water reuse and desalination – then matches responsible management. All three line up, confirming a – ii, b – i, c – iii.