随着全球人口不断增长，加上气候变化的影响，水资源将越来越稀缺。为了解决这个问题，迫切需要新的技术，而新加坡在研发相关技术方面走在了前列。
Using technology to solve water shortage
by Zahra Jamshed
Rapid urbanization and rising global temperatures are making access to natural water sources increasingly hard to come by. Today, a quarter of the world lives in areas of high water stress. Experts say we're consuming natural resources faster than the earth can replenish（重新装满） them.
rapid /ˈræpɪd/ adj. 快速的
urbanization /ˌɜːb(ə)naɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 城市化（由urban加后缀-ize变成动词urbanize，再加后缀-ation变成名词）
global /ˈɡləʊb(ə)l/ adj. 全球的、全世界的
access /ˈækses/ n. 使用权、使用机会
source /sɔːs/ n. 来源、源头
increasingly /ɪnˈkriːsɪŋli/ adv. 越来越
come by 获得、得到
water stress 指水不够用
consume /kənˈsjuːm/ v. 消耗、使用
resource /ˈriːsɔːs/ n. 资源
Singapore uses about 1.6 million tons of water every day – a number it expects could double in the next four decades. That kind of consumption is piling pressure on the Asian city state to address growing concerns about global water scarcity. So it's building new technology to prepare itself for a future where obtaining clean water will be even more difficult.
Singapore /ˌsɪŋəˈpɔː(r)/ n. 新加坡
ton /tʌn/ n. 吨
double /ˈdʌb(ə)l/ v. 翻倍
decade /ˈdekeɪd/ n. 十年
consumption /kənˈsʌmpʃ(ə)n/ n. 使用、使用量
pile /paɪl/ v. 堆、堆积
pressure /ˈpreʃə(r)/ n. 压力
state /steɪt/ n. 国家
address /əˈdres/ v. 处理、应对
concern /kənˈsɜːn/ n. 担心、担忧
scarcity /ˈskeəsəti/ n. 短缺、稀缺
obtain /əbˈteɪn/ v. 获得
"What we have become used to as reliable water, may quickly change – so we have to be prepared, we have to be thinking about the infrastructure in advance," said Shane Snyder, executive director of the Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University. "There's a big drive to control our own future – and that is largely dependent on the technologies we're developing."
reliable /rɪˈlaɪəb(ə)l/ adj. 可依靠的（由rely加后缀-able变成形容词）
infrastructure /ˈɪnfrəˌstrʌktʃə(r)/ n. 基础设施
in advance 提前
executive /ɪɡˈzekjutɪv/ director 执行主任
drive /draɪv/ n. 决心、雄心
largely /ˈlɑːdʒli/ adv. 基本上、在很大程度上（由large加后缀-ly变成副词）
dependent /dɪˈpendənt/ on 依赖于、取决于
One development: a small, black sponge（海绵） called carbon fiber aerogel（气凝胶） that the university says can clean waste water on a mass scale. The sponge absorbs 190 times its weight in waste, contaminants（污染物） and microplastics.
carbon /ˈkɑːb(ə)n/ n. 碳
fiber /ˈfaɪbə(r)/ n. 纤维
mass /mæs/ adj. 大批的、大量的
scale /skeɪl/ n. 规模
absorb /əbˈzɔːb/ v. 吸收
microplastic /ˈmaɪkrəʊˌplæstɪk/ n. 微塑料、塑料微粒（由plastic加上表示微小的前缀micro-）
The material is being further developed for commercial use by Singapore-based startup EcoWorth Technology. CEO Andre Stoltz said the company will first enter Singapore's waste water market before eventually developing this material for use on a global scale. "We believe its potential impact is very big," Stoltz said, adding that the product allows the company "to convert waste products to something of worth."
material /məˈtɪəriəl/ n. 原材料
commercial /kəˈmɜːʃ(ə)l/ adj. 商业的
-based 后缀，意思是“总部在…的”
startup /ˈstɑːtʌp/ n. 初创公司（由start和up组成）
eventually /ɪˈventʃuəli/ adv. 最终
potential /pəˈtenʃ(ə)l/ adj. 潜在的
impact /ˈɪmpækt/ n. 影响
convert /kənˈvɜːt/ v. 转变、转换
of worth 有价值的
Another company, WateRoam, is already taking innovation from Singapore to the rest of the region. Founded in 2014, WateRoam says it has developed a lightweight, portable filtration（过滤） device that they say has already provided clean drinking water to more than 75,000 people across Southeast Asia.
innovation /ˌɪnəˈveɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 创新
found /faʊnd/ v. 创办
lightweight /ˈlaɪtweɪt/ adj. 重量轻的（由light和weight组成）
portable /ˈpɔːtəb(ə)l/ adj. 便携的
device /dɪˈvaɪs/ n. 设备、装置
WateRoam CEO David Pong said one of the most innovative aspects of the product is its simplicity. "We're going with a no-frills（只有基本功能的） approach because we're looking at water as a basic problem and a basic commodity. As a result, we needs basic technology to solve this problem," Pong said. "We want people who are laymen（外行） – not specialists or engineers – to be able to pick up this product and intuitively（直观地） know how to use it."
innovative /ˈɪnəvətɪv/ adj. 创新的
aspect /ˈæspekt/ n. 方面
simplicity /sɪmˈplɪsəti/ n. 简单、简单性
approach /əˈprəʊtʃ/ n. 方法、途径
commodity /kəˈmɒdəti/ n. 商品
specialist /ˈspeʃ(ə)lɪst/ n. 专家、专业人士（由special加上表示人的后缀-ist）
The water filtration device is no bigger than a bicycle pump, yet it can provide clean water to villages of 100 people for up to two years, according to the company.
yet /jet/ conj. 然而
"We've been very blessed to have access to clean drinking water," Pong said. "It's a privilege that we should be able to bring forth to the rest of the region, and we should advocate that clean water is an essential aspect for life on earth."
blessed /ˈblesɪd/ adj. 有福的
privilege /ˈprɪv(ə)lɪdʒ/ n. 特权、优待
advocate /ˈædvəkeɪt/ v. 倡导
essential /ɪˈsenʃ(ə)l/ adj. 基本的
（如果您发现某些行的最后一个单词被分成两半了，请把您使用的浏览器升级到最新版本就能正常显示了。）
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