In the dry Namib Desert on the west coast of Africa, one type of beetle has found a special way of surviving. When the morning arrives, the Namib Beetle collects water drops on its bumpy(起伏不平的) back, then lets the water roll down into its mouth, allowing it to drink in an area without flowing water.

Shreerang Chhatre wants to use what nature has developed to help the world’s poor. Chhatre is an engineer at MIT who works on fog harvesting, the equipment that, like the beetle, attracts water drops. This way, poor villagers could collect clean water near their homes, instead of spending hours carrying water from distant wells or rivers.

Access to water is a serious global issue. According to the World Health Organization and UNICEF, nearly 900 million people worldwide live without safe drinking water. The burden of finding and transporting water falls heavily on women and children. “As a middle-class person, I think it’s terrible that the poor have to spend hours a day walking just to obtain a basic necessity,” Chhatre says.

A fog-harvesting machine consists of a fence-like mesh panel(網(wǎng)狀面板), which attracts drops, connected to containers into which water falls. Chhatre has improved the materials used in these machines. He is continuing his work at MIT Sloan and the Legaturn Center in order to develop a workable business plan for applying fog-harvesting machines.

Interest in fog harvesting dates back to the 1990s, and has increased since new research on the Namib Beetle became famous in 2001. A few technologists saw potential in the concept for people. One Canadian charitable organization, FogQuest, has tested projects in Chile and Guatemala.

But fog harvesting remains in its childhood, technologically and commercially, as Chhatre readily recognizes. “It still faces some open problems,” he says. “But it’s a work in progress.” After all, the water that fills our rivers and lakes comes from air.

1.Which of the following is TRUE of Shreerang Chhatre?

A. He is an African engineer.

B. He is researching on the Namib Beetle.

C. He has made the first fog-harvesting machines to use.

D. He is trying to put fog-harvesting machines to use.

2.Why is Namib Beetle mentioned in the passage?

A. To describe the severe conditions in Namib Desert.

B. To introduce the diversity of species in Namib Desert.

C. To inform how animal nature can be used to benefit people.

D. To raise the awareness of accessing clean drinking water in poor areas.

3.The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refers to _________.

A. UNICEF B. the beetle

C. fog harvesting D. a Canadian charitable organization

4.The author’s main purpose in writing the text is to ________.

A. stress the importance of saving water

B. show the Namib Beetle’s special way of surviving

C. introduce a new machine for collecting water from air

D. inform people of the serious water problem in Africa

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