Summer floods are an annual occurrence for many cities across China. According to the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, in 2012, urban flooding affected 184 cities, while in 2013 the number was 234, and last year it was 125, it said. Now, new measures are being introduced to reduce loss of life and the economic damage caused by flooding.
One of the most effective measures to increase the efficiency of storm drains in cities would be to reduce the storm-water runoff and raise the levels of water filtration（过滤）and conservation in urban areas, experts said. To solve the problem of urban flooding once and for all, the central government has decided to push forward the "Sponge City" program, which in part borrows the experiences of low-impact development from the United States and Canada in recent years.
The program will allow at least 60 percent of rainwater to soak into the ground, rather than being discharged into rivers. The level of filtration could be further raised in some areas with low levels of rainfall to increase the use of rainwater. The project includes the development of residential communities with storage ponds, filtration pools and wetlands, plus roads and squares built with materials that will allow storm water to soak into the ground more effectively, according to the guideline.
"It would require a major shift in ideas about urban construction. Rainwater should be regarded as a resource, rather than a burden to be dealt with. Concepts of urban construction should shift from the destruction of the ecosystem to its renewal," Chen Zhenggao, Minister of Housing and Urban-rural Development, told a work conference in May. "If the urban runoff cannot be effectively filtered into the ground, the floods that follow will cause the direct loss of life and property," he said. He also believes low-impact development represents the future of the country's urbanization drive. "It（the dealing with storm water）is an issue of public security. Thus it should be a compulsory requirement when new urban areas are being planned and built," he said.
【小题1】The purpose to build a "Sponge City" is to________.| A．reduce the storm-water runoff in urban areas |
| B．raise the levels of water filtration and conservation |
| C．address the problem of urban flooding permanently |
| D．achieve low-impact development with borrowed experiences |
| A．At most 60% of rainwater is to soak into the ground. |
| B．The level of filtration could be increased in areas with more rainfall. |
| C．Residential communities should be replaced by ponds, pools and wetlands |
| D．Roads should be built with materials allowing water to soak into the ground |
| A．Floods take place because of the shift of the ecosystem |
| B．Floods will not happen when, urban runoff is filtered into rivers. |
| C．New urban construction concept means replacement of the ecosystem. |
| D．Low-impact urban development is a must to solve the issue of public security. |
| A．Summer floods have always been an issue for cities |
| B．"Sponge City" program is set to soak up urban floodwater. |
| C．Rainwater should be regarded as a resource rather than a burden. |
| D．Low-impact development can change the situation of urban ecosystem |
