EXCERCISES

4 Decide if the statements are true or false. Correct the false ones.

1. Water availability is independent of precipitation patterns.
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2. Evaporation is one of the effects of higher temperatures.
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3. The less water is supplied, the more water agriculture demands.
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4. The timing of stream flow is affected by pollution.
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5. The amount and duration of snow cover are meaningless for irrigation.
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6. Oxygen levels in water are closely related to water temperature.
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7. Timing, intensity and duration of rainfall do not have any effect on water quality.
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5 Read the text below and use this list to put the correct water-cycle components in the proper place inside the picture.

condensation • evaporation • freshwater storage • groundwater storage • precipitation • snowmelt runoff to streams • spring • streamflow • surface runoff • transpiration • water storage in the atmosphere • water storage in ice and snow • water storage in oceans

The movement of water between the land surface, oceans and atmosphere is called the hydrologic cycle. Water in the atmosphere is transported to the land surface and oceans as precipitation (rain or snow). Upon reaching the land surface, water may immediately run off on the ground and reach a water course, or it may infiltrate into the soil where it is later taken up by plants or percolates to groundwater. Surface stream flow and groundwater flow move water from the land surface to lakes and oceans. Water re-enters the atmosphere as vapour, either via evaporation from surface waters (oceans, lakes, etc) or transpiration from plants. Cooler temperatures cause the vapour to condense into clouds where water particles will collide, grow and fall out of the sky again as precipitation. This cyclical movement of water is driven by solar energy. An increase in solar radiation or temperature will effectively speed up the processes within this cycle (evaporation, condensation, precipitation, etc.).

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GLOSSARY

dilution: diluizione
flood: inondazione, allagamento
inland: dell’entroterra
snowmelt: scioglimento della neve
stream flow: corso d’acqua
timing: distribuzione nel tempo
withdrawal: prelievo