3、Despite the high technology and investment(投资)in flood defences by the Envirunment Ageney.(环保局)，there is no way to stop all flooding-sooner or later nature will produce something that will beat even the strongest defences.
    Warning people of this danger is very important if we are to prevent the greal loss of life seen fifry-three years ago. Indeed if the Flood Warning system that currently exists had been around on that eold, stormy night in January 1953 ,many lives would have been spared.
    The Environment Ageney took over the mle of flood warning in 1995 from the police who had to go door to door or sound alarms to get the news not.The service is being constantly improved and a combination of better technology and increased investrnent following the Easter Floods of 1998 has led to the creation of Floodline and an autornatie(自动)messaging systenl that can warn thousands of people in very little time.
    The Flood Warning team in Kent has also sent letters to the people living close to the rivers or the sea and invited them to join the AVM(automated voiee messaging)systern. Anyone chooeing to take up this free service will receive a recorded message directly to their home, business or pager telling them of the level of warming, giving  them as much time as possible to carry out their flood plan and save iterns that cannot be replaced if lost or daraged, such as photographs or children’s farorite toys.
1.Choose the earrect statements from the following according to the passage.
a.Many people lost their lives in the flood in 1953.
b.The Flood Warning system was already in use in 1953.
c.Flood defences can stop all flooding.
d.The Environrnent Agcney began to warn people of flood in 1995.
e.Floodline was crcated after the Easter Floods of 1998.
A.a,b,c               B.b,c,d               C.a,c,c             D.a,d,e
2.What does the underlined word“pager”nean in the passage?
A.A boy employed to acrry luggage in lsotels.
B.A picce of equipment designed to rcceive and show messages.
C.A page of papers written to offer messages.
D.A person invited to write pages pages of messages.
3.People can easily get information and advice about flood any time of the day from______.

A.automatic messaging system
B.Floodline 0845 988 1188
C.the Flood Warning team in Kent
D.automsted voice messaging system
4.The best title for this passage may probably be_______.
A.Envinoupent Ageney
B.Technology In Flood Defences
C.Flood Warning System
D.Easter Floods