成人英语三级阅读理解(64)

Despite the fact that 75 percent of the Earth's surface is covered by water, only 2.5 percent of it is fresh water. Only 0.3 percent of the fresh water is surface water, found in rivers and lakes. The rest is buried deep in the ground. In many regions of the world, fresh water, both groundwater and surface water, is being used faster than it can be replaced. And now West Asia faces the greatest threat. Over 90 per cent of the region's population is experiencing severe water stress.

尽管地表75%是由水覆盖的，但是其中只有2.5%是淡水。只有0.3%淡水是地表淡水，这些淡水来自河流和湖泊，其余都深埋在地下。在世界的很多地区，淡水，不管是地下水还是地表水，它们的使用速度都快于其再生速度。现在亚洲西部面临着最大的威胁，该地区90%的居民都在经受着严重的缺水压力。