TheThreeGorgesDam(三峡大坝)，thelargestdamintheworldisalsothelargestengineeringprojectonthesurfaceoftheearth.ItaimstomakethemotherofallfloodstheYangtzeRiverintoatamerivermakeelectricityandpowermuchofeasternandcentralChinawithhis18200megawatts(兆瓦)electricity.Itwillcreateahugedeepwaterlakeandmakeitpossiblefor10000tonoceangoingshipstosail1500milesinlandfromthePacifictothecityofChongqingwithits15millionpeoplemakingittheworld’slargestseaport.Constructionhasalreadystarted.Thedamwillbeabout6860feetwideand611feethighataspotcalledSandoupingnearYichang.
Itisobviousthatsuchagrandprojectwilldoagreatdealofgood.Themostimportantisfloodcontrol.Bybuildingadaminsteadofnewcoalplantstomeetitsgrowingdemandforelectricity.Chinawillgiveoffmuchlesspoisonousgasesintotheair.
Howeversomescientistsdon’tagreetotheproject.TheysaythatChongqinganddozensofothercitiesalongtheriverwillputmuchwasteintothereservoir(水库)whichcandoharmtopeoplefishandotherlivingthingsthatdependontheriver.Sedimentation(沉积)thedamageofabreach(决口)areproblemstoo.
TheThreeGorgesDamcouldbeconsideredwhenitisfinishedin2009aneweighthwonderoftheworldastosizealone.
1.Whichisnotthepurposetobuildsuchahugedam?
A.Tomakeelectricity. B.Topreventfloods.
C.Toimprovenavigation.D.Tomakeitawonder.
2.Wheredoesthedamlie?
A.NearChongqing. B.NearYichang.
C.InChongqing. D.InWuhan.
3.Somescientistsfearthatwhenthedamisbuilt__________.
A.thebalanceofnaturemaybeproved
B.largeshipswilldestroythedam
C.theYangtziRivermaybetoocrowded
D.therivermightbepolluted
4.AccordingtothepassagewhichofthefollowingstatementsisNOTright?
A.ChinawilldependontheYangtziRiverthethirdlargestriverintheworldforelectricity.
B.Somescientisthaveconsideredtheeffectsontheenvironmentafterthedamissetup.
C.Itwilltakemanyyearstobuildthedambecausepeoplewanttoseewhetheritwillbesafeandstrongenough.
D.Chongqingwillbecomet