Erhai Lake in Dali city is the second largest freshwater lake of 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. Since 2018, local authorities have been building an environmental protection system for the lake, the Erhai Lake Ecological Corridor (生态廊道), to protect it from being polluted and to improve local ecosystem. The project contains five parts: a 129-km road around the entire lake, a pipe system to stop waste water flowing into the like, the removal of 1,806 families who lived within the protection area, the protection of the lake’s wetlands and ecosystem, and the construction of experimental fields for wetland research.

By the end of 2020, the road around the lake had been basically completed. A 12-km part of the Corridor has been open to the public for free since September 2020 for a test operation. 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 benefit from the project financially, as they are linked and gain access to 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 wild birds fly to the lake and there is less unwanted plants in the water. It is also providing a good sight-seeing place for both the city’s residents and foreign tourists.

【小题1】Why was the Erhai Lake Ecological Corridor built?

A．To protect the wild birds.	B．To treat waste water.
C．To attract foreign tourists.	D．To preserve local ecology.

【小题2】Which of the following is involved in the project?

A．Encouraging residents to settle around Erhai.

B．Helping scientists conduct wetland research.

C．Removing the waste water from Erhai Lake.

D．Promoting construction in the protection area.

【小题3】What do we know about the “pearls” from Paragraph 3?

A．They provide tourism opportunities.	B．They focus on the pearl industry.
C．They bring benefits to the city area.	D．They make a profit from the project.

【小题4】What do staff members think of the project?

A．It works unexpectedly.	B．It needs improving.
C．It turns out to be good.	D．It brings side effects.