1 . Erhai Lake is the second largest freshwater lake in Dali City, Yunnan Province. It’s a famous attraction, as well as Dali’s main source of drinking water.

The lake used to be seriously polluted due to the rapid development of tourism and the local economy. In 2019, the local authorities began to build environmental protection system for the lake — the Erhai Lake Ecological Corridor — to protect it from being polluted and to restore its natural ecosystem.

The project contains five parts: a 129-km road encircling the entire lake, a pipe system to stop wastewater flowing into the lake, the relocation of 1,806 households who lived within the protection area of the lake, the restoration of the lake’s wetlands and ecosystem, and the construction of experimental fields for wetland-restoration research.

By the end of 2020, the road encircling the lake had been basically completed. A 12-km section of the corridor has been open to the public for free since September 2020 for a test operation. The project, which is a public-private partnership, has a total investment of 9.8 billion yuan. Local authorities of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture and Dali City are the main source of public funds. The corridor is described as a “pearl necklace” surrounding the lake, with the villages located along the shore of Erhai Lake being the “pearls”. These villages will benefit from the project economically, as they will be linked and gain access to enhanced transportation and tourism around the lake.

According to staff members of the project, the lake’s water quality has already improved a lot during the construction of the corridor. More migratory birds (候鸟) fly to the lake and there is less algae (海藻) in the water. It also provides a good place to exercise and go sightseeing for both the city’s residents and tourists.

1. Why was the Erhai Lake Ecological Corridor built?

A．To treat wastewater.	B．To protect wildlife.
C．To attract more tourists.	D．To preserve local ecology.

2. Which of the following is involved in the project?

A．Removing wastewater from Erhai Lake.

B．Conducting research into wetland restoration.

C．Encouraging residents to settle around Erhai.

D．Promoting construction in the protection area.

3. What do we know about the “pearls” from paragraph 4?

A．They focus on the pearl industry.	B．They provide tourism opportunities.
C．They bring benefits to the Erhai Lake.	D．They profit from the Erhai Lake Ecological Corridor.

4. What do staff members think of the project?

A．It needs improving.	B．It works unexpectedly.
C．It turns out to be good.	D．It has advantages and disadvantages.