高潔

Droughts have triggered economiclosses of 1 $124 billion and2 more than 1.5 billionpeople between 1998 and 2017，according to a UN report.

But even these figures， it said， are “most likely 1）gross under-estimates”.

Global warming has now intensified droughts in southern Europe andwestern Africa， the UN report said with “some confidence”. And the number of3 is set to “grow dramatically” unless the world acts， an official said.

About 130 countries could face a greater risk of droughts this 4under a high-emission 2）scenario cited by the UN.

Another 23 countries will confront water shortages 5 populationgrowth， with 38 nations 6 by both， it said.

Droughts —like a virus —tend to 7 a long time， have a widegeographic reach and cause knock-on damage， an official said.

“It can indirectly affect countries which are not actually 8 thedrought through food insecurity and the rise of food prices，” an official said.

The UN expects more frequent and severe droughts in most of Africa，central and south America， central Asia， southern Australia， southern Europe，Mexico and the United States.

1） gross adj. 嚴(yán)重的

2） scenario n. 設(shè)想；可能發(fā)生的情況

詞組加油站

tend to 表示“傾向于；有助于”。

例句：I tend to prefer figurative painting to abstractart.我傾向于愛(ài)好印象派繪畫(huà)，而不喜歡抽象藝術(shù)。

參考答案：1. at least 2. hit 3. victims 4. century5. because of 6. affected 7. last 8. experiencing