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  3. If Europeans thought a drought was something that happened only in Africa, they know better now. After four years of below norma

If Europeans thought a drought was something that happened only in Africa, they know better now. After four years of below norma

admin2012-07-17  75
问题     If Europeans thought a drought was something that happened only in Africa, they know better now. After four years of below normal rainfall (in some cases only 10 percent of the annual average), vast areas of France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Britain and Ireland are dry and barren. Water is so low in the canals of northern France that waterway traffic is forbidden except on weekends. Oyster growers in Brittany report a 30 percent drop in production because of the loss of fresh water in local rivers necessary for oyster breeding. In southeastern England, the rolling green hills of Kent have turned so brown that officials have been weighing plans to pipe in water from Wales. In Portugal, farmers in the southern Alentejo region have held prayer meetings for rain—so far, in vain.
    Governments in drought plagued countries are taking drastic measures. Authorities in hard hit areas of France have banned washing cars and watering lawns. In Britain, water will soon be metered, like gas and electricity. "The English have always taken water for granted," says Graham Warren, a spokesman of Britain’s National Rivers Authority. "Now they’re putting a price on it. " Even a sudden end to the drought would not end the misery in some areas. It will take several years of unusually heavy winter rain, the experts say, just to bring existing water reserves up to their normal levels.
What does the author mean by saying "they know better now"?
选项 A、They know more about the causes of the drought.
B、They have a better understanding of the drought in Africa.
C、They have realized that the drought in Europe is the most serious one.
D、They have realized that droughts hit not only Africa but also Europe.
答案D
解析 本题是一道句子含义类问题。问作者说they know better now这句话的意思是什么。原文第一句指出，如果欧洲人认为干旱仅是发生在非洲的事，他们现在该更明白点了(该醒悟了)。紧接着，第一段从欧洲几个国家缺水这一现实，说明了干旱也正威胁着欧洲。因此，本题的正确答案应是D“他们已经意识到干旱不仅侵袭非洲而且也已经开始侵袭欧洲了”。
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