主题语境：人与自然 主题群：灾害防范 语篇类型：议论文 来源：Scientific American 201808 Word count：384 Flesch Reading Ease：42.6 Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level：11.9 Prepare for Water Day Zero ① Earlier this year alarming headlines blared that Cape Town South Africa was headed for Day Zero—the date when the city’s taps would go dry because its reservoirs would become dangerously low on water. That day—originally expected in mid-April—has been postponed until at least 2019 thanks to water rationing and a welcome rainy season. But the conditions that led to this desperate situation will inevitably occur again hitting cities all over the planet. ② As the climate warms extreme droughts and vanishing water supplies will likely become more common. But even without the added impact of climate change normal rainfall variation plays an enormous role in year-to-year water availability. These ordinary patterns now have extraordinary effects because urban populations have had a tremendous growth: by 2050 the United Nations projects that two thirds of the world’s people will live in cities. Urban planners and engineers need to learn from past rainfall variability to improve their predictions and take future demand into account to build more resilient infrastructure. ③ How did Cape Town get into a Day Zero situation? The city gets its water from six reservoirs in Western Cape province which usually fill up during the rainy season from May through August. But since 2015 the region has been suffering from the worst drought in a century and the water in those reservoirs dwindled (减少) dangerously. Compounding the problem Cape Town’s population has grown substantially increasing demand. The city actually did a pretty good job of keeping demand low by reducing leaks in the system a major cause of water waste and has even won awards for its conservation policies. But the government of South Africa was slow to declare a national disaster in the areas hit hardest by the drought paving the way for the recent crisis. ④ Fortunately steps can be taken to avoid urban water crises. In general a combination of approaches that relies on multiple water sources is probably most effective. Cape Town has already begun implementing a number of projects including tapping groundwater and building water-recycling plants. ⑤ The global community has an opportunity right now to take action to prevent a series of Day Zero crises. If we don’t act many cities may soon face a time when there isn’t a drop to drink. 【文本解析】 1. Main idea 这是一篇议论文，文章围绕“全球面临缺水”这个话题展开。文章一开头以开普敦险些陷入Water Day Zero引入全球缺水的话题。由于气候变暖造成干旱和水源消失，以及全球人口激增，全世界各个国家都面临缺水的危机。文章着重解释了开普敦缺水的原因：连年干旱少雨，人口大幅增加，政府反应滞后等，然后介绍了开普敦已经采取的解决缺水问题的措施。文章最后发出警示，提醒人们从即刻开始采取行动，避免缺水危机。 2. Text structure 全文可以划分为四个部分： ①第一部分：多亏了供水政策和及时的雨季，开普敦得以推迟Water Day Zero。 ②第二部分：由于气候变暖和人口激增，全球面临缺水危机。 ③-④第三部分：开普敦面临缺水危机的原因及其对策。 ⑤第四部分：发出警示：全球必须立刻行动，避免缺水危机。 3. Mind map 4. Summary writing The world faces severe water shortage due to droughts and population growth. Cape Town is a typical example. In addition to the above-mentioned causes the city fell into water crisis because of the government’s untimely warning. Now it is solving the water problem mainly by expanding water supplies. The world should also act now to prevent a global water crisis. (60 words) 本文来源：https://www.wddqw.com/doc/dfb62694773231126edb6f1aff00bed5b8f37345.html