Topic 43: The importance of water

The importance of water
Since the beginning of time, water has continued to be an important thing to all living things. Without water
nothing could
live. We may change our food according to the climate of a place but we find no substitute for water. Man has
always looked for pure fresh water to slake his thirst.

Water not only quenches our thirst but it is also a source of food to us. From the sea we catch large quantities
of fish and other creatures. We use water to irrigate our lands to produce crops. Many parts of the world are
dry and barren because there is no water there. People in such places lead a very hard life. Even the plants and
animals find it a real struggle to survive. They can obtain water only by some means of ingenuity. Water also
helps to increase the fertility of the land in several parts of the world. The alluvium that is brought down by
rivers is very fertile and yields large quantities of crops. Even electricity, which has changed our lives
completely, is produced by water-power in many countries.
Further, water is an important means of communication. We use waterways to carry our goods or trade.
Water transport is cheaper than land transport and in many remote regions, rivers are the only means of
communication. In many countries rivers are used to bring down timber from the hilly regions to the lower
regions where the timber mills are. In this way much money is saved.
It is true, however, that water has also caused much destruction to life and property throughout human
history. Heavy rainfall, swollen rivers and the angry waves of the sea have killed thousands of people and
destroyed homes and crops. Yet, water is indispensable to life, and people everywhere are trying their best to
bring water to places where it is scarce, to control its flow in times of floods and to make greater use of it.
NEW WORDS:
1. substitute (n): vật thay thếế,người thay thếế
2. slake (v): làm nhẹ, làm dịu (đau đớn), làm nguôi
3. quench (v): làm hếết khát
4. irrigate (v): tưới, làm ướt đấết.
5. barren (adj): cằằn cỗi
6. ingenuity (n): tài khéo !éo, tính chấết khéo léo
7. fertility (n): tình trạng mấằu mỡ
8. alluvium (n): đấết phù sa, bôằi tích, đấết bôằ
i

9. yield (v): mang lại, sinh ra, sản xuấế
t
10. timber mill (n): xưởng gỗ
11. indispensable (adj): tuyệt đôếi cấằn thiếết, không thếếthiếế
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