英语听力：自然百科 圣河之旅 The Ganges 恒河—33

 Basically India has the ability to turn off the taps on the river Ganges at this point. But India’s neighbor has paid high price. Since the barrage¹ was completed in the 1970’s, the Bangladesh government says the water flowing into the country has been reduced and parts of Bangladesh have suffered drought² and even famine³. The water of Ganges is a life and death issue here. What we found particularly astonishing is when this barrage was being built it was told about until it’s today as the part of the India’s religious duty to the river. It was a religious requirement to create this barrage and regulate⁴ and control the flow of the sacred river Ganges. The thought, the rest of the river Ganges flows on from here through India could dry out, was just sacrilegiously unthinkable. The Holy River Ganges flows on from here through India towards the city of Kolkata had to have enough water. From Farakka, the river flows about 160 miles through the city of Kolkata before flowing out into the bay of Bangola Sacar Island.

1 barrage   

n.火力网，弹幕

参考例句：

• The attack jumped off under cover of a barrage.进攻在炮火的掩护下开始了。
• The fierce artillery barrage destroyed the most part of the city in a few minutes.猛烈的炮火几分钟内便毁灭了这座城市的大部分地区。

2 drought   

n.旱灾，干旱，久旱

参考例句：

• The plants are growing in again,despite the drought.尽管干旱，植物又长出来了。
• The ground is as hard as stone after the drought.长期干旱后土地硬得就像石头一样。

3 famine   

n.饥荒；严重的缺乏

参考例句：

• We're collecting for the famine victims.我们正在为遭受饥荒的灾民募款。
• Famine stared us in the face.饥荒迫在眉睫。

4 regulate   

vt.管理，控制，调节，调校，调整

参考例句：

• This system can regulate the temperature of the room.这种系统能调节室内温度。
• They regulate the flow of water by the sluice gate.他们用水闸门控制水的流量。