Lake Powell, the second largest human-made reservoir (水库) in the US, has lost nearly 7% of its potential storage capacity since it     1     (build) in 1963.

In addition to water     2     (lose) due to years of drought, the US Geological Survey found, Lake Powell     3     (face) an average annual loss in storage capacity of about 33,270 acre-feet per year between 1963 and 2018. That’s enough water     4     (fill) the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall about 1,600 times.

The capacity of the reservoir is becoming smaller because of sediments (沉淀物)     5     (flow) in from the Colorado and San Juan rivers. Those sediments settle at the bottom of the reservoir     6     decrease the total amount of water that the reservoir can hold. It’s bad news for a region     7     has already faced water shortages and extreme wildfires due to the drought.

Lake Powell is     8     important reservoir in the Colorado River Basin. Both Lake Powell and nearby Lake Mead, the nation’s largest reservoir, are drying up     9     an alarming rate. In August, the government declared a water shortage on the Colorado River for the first time after Lake Mead’s water level decreased to a record low, leading to cuts in water consumption for the     10     (state) in the Southwest that began in January.

China is much more concerned about livelihood projects. Another project of     1    (channel) water from China’s Yangtze River to the Hanjiang River     2     (begin) construction in June this year. With a total     3     (invest) of 59.8 billion yuan, the project is a supplement to the middle route of the country’s South-to-North Water Diversion Project.

The new project is expected     4     (enhance) the water allocation (分配) capacity of the Hanjiang River Basin to     5     (far) ensure water supply to the dry north. The South-to-North Water Diversion Project transfers water from China’s water-rich south     6     the dry north through the middle, eastern and western routes. The middle route, the most prominent one due to     7     (it) role in feeding water to the nation’s capital, begins at the Danjiangkou eservoir in the Hanjiang River in central province of Hubei and runs northeastward to Beijing and Tianjin. It started supplying water in December 2014.

China has stepped up the water project construction. 10,644 new water projects     8     (value) at 414.4 billion yuan started construction in     9     first five months of the year. The money     10     is invested in the country’s water project construction will be over 800 billion yuan this year, according to the official data.

In southern China, there is a famous road     1    (build) across Poyang Lake, which lies in the north of Jiangxi Province, China and is known as China’s second     2     (large) lake. People in China also call it “the most beautiful road under the water.”

This road is sure     3     (attract) a lot of attention towards the end of May every year. A lot of people come out of     4     (curious). The water level of the lake is so close to the surface of the road,     5     makes the view ahead broad and bright when people drive along. It’s as though they were taking a boat across the lake. The feeling is     6     (simple) wonderful!

For the next few months, this road is not above the surface    7    under the water. When the water level of Poyang Lake starts to go up, the road surface becomes unseen. However, drivers can still drive across the lake safely     8     watching the guardrails(防撞护栏) fixed on either side of the road. For thrill-seeking motorists, it’s like     9     (drive) an amphibious(水陆两栖的) super car. Then in a few days, the entire road     10     (flood) with the continuously rising water. A few months later, the road will reappear.

The Taj Mahal is    1    (wide) considered one of the most beautiful buildings ever    2    (create). It is not only a permanent monument to Shah Jahan’s love for his wife but also one of the long-lasting artistic    3    (achievement) of the ancient India.

The Taj Mahal’s familiar round tops are surrounded with four towers, from    4    Indians are called to pray. Each tower    5    (build) with a slight outward lean(倾斜) to protect those round tops in case one of them should fall down. Two red sandstone buildings are also set up on either side of the main building. One, to the west, is a church.    6    other is a guesthouse. All these buildings are set within a beautiful garden, complete with a huge pool to reflect the beauty of the Taj Mahal in the water.

The inside of the main building is a striking (if smallish) space that    7    (invite) some leisurely exploration.    8    the best part of any visit to the Taj Mahal should be spent looking at the building from the outside. The white stonewalls change in color to match the mood of the world outside-a phenomenon so    9    (amaze) that it should be enjoyed in    10    (variety) conditions, such as in the rosy sunrise or in the magical light of a full moon.

Lushan National Park, in the south of Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province, is a well-known tourist attraction both in China and abroad. It has appealed     1     countless visitors on account of its natural views and cultural relics.

The national park covers an area of 500 square kilometers and has more than 90 mountain peaks (山峰). The tallest one of these is Hanyang Peak which has a     2     (high) of 1,473.4 meters. The park-owes its reputation to its     3     (wonder), elegant and impressive highlights such as waterfalls and rocks. There are 12 main scenic areas, together with 37 attractions. The major     4     (spot) include Wulao Feng, Sandie Spring, etc.

Wulao Feng,       5     is located in the southeast of Lushan, is 1,436 meters above sea level. Its five parallel mountain peaks once formed a single one, and standing on the top, you will     6     (reward) with an amazing view of the distant mountains, trees, lakes, and a seemingly endless sky.

Sandie Spring     7     (lie)below Wulao Feng and drops through three rough tiers (层) with a fall of 155 meters. The upper part is like snow     8     (fall) down to the pond; the middle reach wanders and twists, dancing in the air;the lower level looks like a dragon running in the pond. This is thought     9     (be) the best of the Lushan waterfalls. It is said that you are not     10     true visitor here if you miss Sandie Spring.

The classical gardens of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, date back to the 6th century     1     the city was founded     2     the capital of the Wu Kingdom. Today, more than 50 of these gardens are still in     3     (exist), nine of which are regarded as the finest embodiments (化身) of Chinese “Mountain and Water” gardens.

Built in the 11th century on the site of an     4     (early) destroyed garden, Canglang Pavilion has the longest history among all the existing classical gardens in Suzhou. Naturally     5     (lay) out and well designed, it is called one of the four best gardens in Suzhou. The garden looks simple but natural. Without complex     6     (decorate), it combines buildings with scenery so well     7     the whole garden appears to be naturally endowed (赋予). Since many of the     8     (origin) features of the garden have been preserved, the garden has a high historical and artistic value.

The classical gardens of Suzhou     9     (be) the most vivid specimens(样本)of culture from the East Yangtze Delta region in the 11th to 19th centuries. The underlying philosophy, literature, art, and craftsmanship     10     (show) in the architecture, gardening as well as the handcrafts perfectly reflect the monumental achievements of the social, cultural, scientific, and technological developments of this period.

Four ancient Chinese irrigation (灌溉) sites have been honored as World Heritage Irrigation Structures,     1    has brought the total number of irrigation projects in China on the list to 23.

Tianbao Weir (堰), one of the newly     2     (award) projects, is situated in Fujian Province. With a history of over 1, 200 years, the weir is the     3     (old) existing water project specifically aimed at stopping saltwater and storing freshwater.

Longshou Canal and Ancient Luohe River Irrigation District in Shaanxi Province is said to be the first underground canal in China’s history. The canal is a major branch of the Yellow River,     4     (provide) irrigation for local farms in the face of     5     (dry) and water shortage.

The Weirs of Baishaxi Stream Project in east China’s Zhejiang Province is made     6    of 36 weirs, 21 of which still offer irrigation water. The project covers 45 kilometers of the Baishaxi Stream and has a total water level drop of 168 meters.

Sangyuanwei Polder Embankment (堤) System     7     (locate) in south China’s Guangdong Province, which was first built     8    the 10th century. The embankment extends for 64.8 km and the system provides irrigation, drainage canals and water     9     (pathway).

The ancient irrigation projects are treasures of the development of Chinese water culture     10    of great value for the development of Irrigation agriculture in China.