Đề thi thử THPT Quốc gia môn Tiếng Anh trường THPT Trường THPT Chu Văn An - Hà Nội (Đợt 12)

Wang and his wife are just two of the 1.2 million Chinese who are being forced from their homes by the construction of the Three Gorges Dam. 

The Three Gorges Dam is named for three spectacular gorges, or canyons, in central China. When it is completed, the dam will use water power to create electricity. Its builders say it will help prevent flooding by the Yangtze. But it will also be very destructive, changing China’s natural scenery and the lives of many of its people forever. 

For hundreds of years, poets and painters have been inspired by the Yangtze’s winding path and the steep cliffs and flat plains that lie on either side of its waters. But the Yangtze can rise over its banks, causing terrible floods. 

Workers are building a 600-foot-high wall that will stretch across the Yangtze. Then they will install giant generators. These will provide as much energy for the area as 15 large coal-burning power stations. However, many scientists say the dam will be an ecological disaster. It will destroy the natural surroundings (including the stunning gorges) and threaten many fish and animals. 

By blocking the flow of the Yangtze, the dam will create a 370-mile lake, or reservoir, west of the city of Yinchang. It will swallow hundreds of towns and villages. 

The reservoir will also threaten the habitats of hundreds of fish, plants, and animal species. Among the creatures at risk: rare river dolphins, clouded leopards, and Siberian white cranes. The government promises to monitor the environment around the dam and has set aside money to create a protective area for the dolphins. 

But scientists are doubtful about promises. They warn that blocking the river will create sewage backups and perhaps even cause more floods. Some fear that the dam may collapse. Many dams in China have collapsed in the past 20 years. 

China’s culture and history are also endangered by the dam. Ancient pagodas (temples) and other important historic sites will be under water. 

The Chinese who must leave their homes are already feeling the impact of the Three Gorges Dam. These resettlers, or yimin, have no choice but to find new homes and jobs. 

Despite their worries, the Chinese are not permitted to speak out against the project, which is expected to cost more than $24 billion. Journalist Dai Qing landed in prison after she criticized the dam. “There is only one Yangtze River,” she wrote in protest. “And we have already subjected it to many stupid deeds.”