Cambridge IELTS 5 Test 3 Reading Passage 2 Translation of the original text Disappearance Delta
The second article is about the disappearing Nile Delta. The article is divided into six paragraphs. First, it introduces the current situation of the erosion of the delta, then analyzes the various reasons for this situation, and finally proposes short-term and long-term solutions to the problem, which is a typical structure of raising, analyzing and solving problems. The following is the translation of each paragraph.
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Cambridge IELTS 5 test 3 passage 2 Nile Delta
Cambridge IELTS 5 Test 3 Read Passage 2 Answer Analysis Disappearance Delta
Cambridge IELTS 5 Test 3 Passage 2 Read the original translation
Part A
The fertile land of the Nile delta is being eroded along Egypt’s Mediterranean coast at an astounding rate, in some parts estimated at 100 metres per year. In the past, land scoured away from the coastline by the currents of the Mediterranean Sea used to be replaced by sediment brought down to the delta by the River Nile, but this is no longer happening.
The fertile land in the Nile Delta along Egypt's Mediterranean coast is being eroded at an alarming rate. In some places, it is estimated to reach 100 meters/year. In the past, the land along the coastline washed away by the Mediterranean current would be replaced by the sediment brought to the delta by the River Nile, but this situation no longer occurred.
Part B
Up to now, people have blamed this loss of delta land on the two large dams at Aswan in the south of Egypt, which hold back virtually all of the sediment that used to flow down the river. Before the dams were built, the Nile flowed freely, carrying huge quantities of sediment north from Africa’s interior to be deposited on the Nile delta. This continued for 7,000 years, eventually covering a region of over 22,000 square kilometres with layers of fertile silt. Annual flooding brought in new, nutrient-rich soil to the delta region, replacing what had been washed away by the sea, and dispensing with the need for fertilizers in Egypt’s richest food-growing area. But when the Aswan dams were constructed in the 20th century to provide electricity and irrigation, and to protect the huge population centre of Cairo and its surrounding areas from annual flooding and drought, most of the sediment with its natural fertilizer accumulated up above the dam in the southern, upstream half of Lake Nasser, instead of passing down to the delta.
So far, people have blamed the soil loss in the delta on the two large dams in Aswan, southern Egypt. These dam articles come from the old roast duck IELTS, which actually intercepted all the sediments flowing down the river in the past. Before the dam was built, the Nile River flowed freely, bringing a large amount of sediment from inland Africa northward to the Nile Delta. This situation lasted for 7000 years, and finally formed 22000 square kilometers of fertile soil. The annual floods have brought new soil rich in nutrients to the delta region, replacing those washed away by seawater, and meeting the demand for fertilizer in Egypt's richest food growing areas. However, when the Aswan Dam was built in the 20th century to provide electricity and irrigation, and to protect the huge population center in Cairo and its surrounding areas from annual floods and droughts, most of the sediment and its natural fertilizers were piled up on the southern part of the dam, half of the upper reaches of Lake Nasser, rather than down to the delta.
Part C
Now, however, there turns out to be more to the story. It appears that the sediment-free water emerging from the Aswan dams picks up silt and sand as it erodes the river bed and banks on the 800-kilometre trip to Cairo. Daniel Jean Stanley of the Smithsonian Institute noticed that water samples taken in Cairo, just before the river enters the delta, indicated that the river sometimes carries more than 850 grams of sediment per cubic metre of water – almost half of what it carried before the dams were built. ‘I’m ashamed to say that the significance of this didn’t strike me until after I had read 50 or 60 studies, ’ says Stanley in Marine Geology. ‘ There is still a lot of sediment coming into the delta, but virtually no sediment comes out into the Mediterranean to replenish the coastline. So this sediment must be trapped on the delta itself.’
But now, it turns out that the story goes beyond that. The sediment free water gushing from the Aswan Dam washed away the silt and sand and eroded the riverbed and river banks during the 800 km journey to Cairo. Daniel Jean Stanley of the Smithsonian Institute noted that before the river entered the delta, water samples collected in Cairo showed that every cubic meter of water in the river sometimes carried more than 850 grams of sediment - almost half of the sediment before the dam was built. "I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't realize the importance of this discovery until I read 50 or 60 studies", Stanley said in Martin Geology, "There are still a lot of sediments entering the delta, but actually no sediments entering the Mediterranean Sea to supplement the coastline. Therefore, these sediments must be trapped in the delta itself".
Part D
Once north of Cairo, most of the Nile water is diverted into more than 10,000 kilometres of irrigation canals and only a small proportion reaches the sea directly through the rivers in the delta. The water in the irrigation canals is still or very slow-moving and thus cannot carry sediment, Stanley explains. The sediment sinks to the bottom of the canals and then is added to fields by farmers or pumped with the water into the four large freshwater lagoons that are located near the outer edges of the delta. So very little of it actually reaches the coastline to replace what is being washed away by the Mediterranean currents.
To the north of Cairo, most of the Nile's water is diverted to irrigation canals of more than 10000 kilometers, and only a small part directly reaches the sea through the river in the delta. Stanley explained that the water in the irrigation canal is either static or very slow, so it cannot carry sediment. Sediments sink into the bottom of the canal and are then added to the fields by farmers or pumped with water into four large freshwater lagoons located on the outer edge of the delta. Therefore, only a few actually reach the coastline to replace what has been washed away by the Mediterranean current.
Part E
The farms on the delta plains and fishing and aquaculture in the lagoons account for much of Egypt’s food supply. But by the time the sediment has come to rest in the fields and lagoons it is laden with municipal, industrial and agricultural waste from the Cairo region, which is home to more than 40 million people. ‘Pollutants are building up faster and faster,’ says Stanley.
Farms on the delta plains and fisheries and aquaculture in the lagoons account for most of Egypt's food supply. However, when sediment settles down in fields and lagoons, it is already full of waste from the municipal, industrial and agricultural areas of Cairo. There are 40 million people living in this area. "Pollutants are accumulating faster and faster," Stanley said
Based on his investigations of sediment from the delta lagoons, Frederic Siegel of George Washington University concurs. ‘In Manzalah Lagoon, for example, the increase in mercury, lead, copper and zinc coincided with the building of the High Dam at Aswan, the availability of cheap electricity, and the development of major power-based industries, ’ he says. Since that time the concentration of mercury has increased significantly. Lead from engines that use leaded fuels and from other industrial sources has also increased dramatically. These poisons can easily enter the food chain, affecting the productivity of fishing and farming. Another problem is that agricultural wastes include fertilizers which stimulate increases in plant growth in the lagoons and upset the ecology of the area, with serious effects on the fishing industry.
According to his investigation of the sediments in the delta lagoon, Frederic Siegel of George Washington University agrees with the above view. "For example, the growth time of mercury, lead, copper and zinc in Manzalah lagoon is exactly the same as the construction of Aswan Dam, the provision of cheap power, and the development and construction of major power infrastructure industries," he said. Since then, the density of watermarks has greatly increased. Lead from engines using leaded fuels and other industrial sources has also increased dramatically. These toxic substances can easily enter the food chain and affect the productivity of fisheries and agriculture. Another problem is that fertilizers contained in agricultural wastes will stimulate the growth of plants in the lagoon and destroy the ecology of the area, which will have a serious impact on fisheries.
Part F
According to Siegel, international environmental organisations are beginning to pay closer attention to the region, partly because of the problems of erosion and pollution of the Nile delta, but principally because they fear the impact this situation could have on the whole Mediterranean coastal ecosystem. But there are no easy solutions. In the immediate future, Stanley believes that one solution would be to make artificial floods to flush out the delta waterways, in the same way, that natural floods did before the construction of the dams. He says, however, that in the long term an alternative process such as desalination may have to be used to increase the amount of water available. ‘In my view, Egypt must devise a way to have more water running through the river and the delta, ’ says Stanley. Easier said than done in a desert region with a rapidly growing population.
According to Siegel, international environmental organizations began to pay more attention to the region. This is partly due to erosion and pollution in the Nile Delta, but mainly because they are worried that this situation may have an impact on the entire Mediterranean coastal ecosystem. But there is no simple solution. Stanley believes that in the short term, one solution would be to create artificial floods to scour the delta waterways, just as natural floods did before the dam was built. But in the long run, he said, alternative processes such as desalination might have to be used to increase the amount of water available. Stanley said, "I think Egypt must design a method to make more water flow through rivers and deltas." This is easier to say than it is to do in the rapidly growing desert areas.
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