In the US and Britain, the slogan around colleges was “Save water. Shower with a friend.” Now, Wuhan University has come up with another system for the campus bathhouse. It charges students for the amount of time in a shower. Before entering the bathhouse, students pay for the amount of time they want in the shower with cash or their student ID card. The clock starts ticking the minute the tape is turned on. It pauses when a button is pressed for soap. An integrated circuit(IC) card reader at each tap shows the time. No money, no water. The benefits of the new system can be seen with the old system, which charged 1 yuan for each person regardless of time in the shower. The university used about 320 tones of water daily under the old system, but only 160 tons now.
Many students use the new system but opinions on it are divided. Some students say it is bad because bathing had become a sort of race. Many people using it for the first time are not sure how long they need to shower. Some might be embarrassed if their time is up and they’re still covered in soap. They have to ask the bathhouse worker to help them buy extra time.
“It’s a flaw in the system that you can not buy extra time on the ID card,” said Ren, a freshman in Wuhan University. The university is also considering some students’ suggestions that they be allowed to pay after they’ve finished the shower. Not surprisingly, some are complaining about losing the hour shower. But many students say the move helps them develop a water-saving sense.
Without the time limits, most students tended to shower for 30 to an hour in the bathhouse.
Some even used the hot water to wash their clothes. “In my experience, 10-20 minutes is enough,” said Dai Zhihua, a third-year student who usually takes 8 minutes.
A similar system has been installed in other universities. Shanghai Normal University introduced it at its Fengxiang Campus in September. The bathing fee there is 0.2 yuan per minute. One male student responded by setting a record with a two-minute shower.
51. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
A. Students pay for the amount of time they want in the shower.
B. The clock times all through while the student is bathing except when the bather paused for soap.
C. If money runs out, there will be no water.
D. Having finished bathing, the student has to pay for it.
52. The underline word “flaw” (Paragraph3) most probably means______.
A. perfection B. advantage C. pity D. fault
53. Since the new system has performed, ______ of water can be saved.
A. a quarter B. one third C. one half D. two thirds
54. It can be inferred from the passage that______.
A. the new operation can solve the water crisis.
B. The new operation can raise students’ environmental awareness.
C. a similar operation has been set in other universities.
D. The university has saved a lot of water by using the new system.
55. In which column can you find this passage?
A. People. B. Society. C. Campus Life. D. Lifesty
