A buld-it-yourself solar still（蒸馏器） is one of the best ways to obtain drinking water in areas where the liquid is not readily available. Developed by two doctors in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it’s an excellent water collector. Unfortunately, you must carry the necessary equipment with you, since it’s all but impossible to find natural substitutes. The only components required, though, are a 5’ 5’ sheet of clear or slightly milky plastic, six feet of plastic tube, and a container— perhaps just a drinking cup — to catch the water. These pieces can be folded into a neat little pack and fastened on your belt.
一个自制的太阳能蒸馏器是在水源不易获得的地区获取饮用水的最佳方式之一。它是由美国农业部的两位医生开发的，是一种出色的水收集器。不幸的是，你必须随身携带必要的设备，因为几乎不可能找到天然的替代品。所需的组件仅有一张5英尺乘5英尺的透明或略带乳白色的塑料片、6英尺的塑料管，以及一个容器——可能只是一个喝水杯——来收集水。这些部件可以折叠成一个整洁的小包，并系在你的腰带上。

To construct a working still, use a sharp stick or rock to dig a hole four feet across and three feet deep. Try to make the hole in a damp area to increase the water catcher’s productivity. Place your cup in the deepest part of the hole. Then lay the tube in place so that one end rests all the way in the cup and the rest of the line runs up — and out — the side of the hole.
要建造一个工作的蒸馏器，使用一根尖锐的棍子或石头挖一个四英尺宽、三英尺深的洞。尽量在潮湿的地区挖洞以提高水收集器的生产力。将你的杯子放在洞的最深处。然后放置管子，使其一端完全放在杯子里，其余部分沿着洞的侧面延伸出来。

Next, cover the hole with the plastic sheet, securing the edges of the plastic with dirt and weighting the sheet’s center down with a rock. The plastic should now form a cone(圆锥体) with 45-degree-angled sides. The low point of the sheet must be centered directly over, and no more than three inches above, the cup.
接下来，用塑料片覆盖洞口，用泥土固定塑料的边缘，并用石头压住塑料片中心。现在塑料应该形成一个45度角的圆锥体。塑料的最低点必须直接位于杯子正上方，且距离不超过三英寸。

The solar still works by creating a greenhouse under the plastic. Ground water evaporates (蒸发) and collects on the sheet until small drops of water form, run down the material and fall off into the cup. When the container is full, you can suck the refreshment out through the tube, and won’t have to break down the still every time you need a drink.
太阳能蒸馏器通过在塑料下创建一个温室来工作。地下水蒸发并在塑料片上聚集，直到形成小水滴，沿着材料流下并滴入杯子。当容器满了时，你可以通过管子吸出饮料，而且每次需要喝水时不必拆解蒸馏器。

1. What do we know about the solar still equipment from the first paragraph?
   A.It’s delicate. B.It’s expensive.
   C.It’s complex. D.It’s portable
   答案：D

2. What does the underlined phrase “the water catcher” in paragraph 2 refer to?
   A.The tube B.The still
   C.The hole D.The cup
   答案：B

3. What’s the last step of constructing a working solar still?
   A.Dig a hole of a certain size B.Put the cup in place
   C.Weight the sheet’s center down D.Cover the hole with the plastic sheet
   答案：C

4. When a solar still works, drops of water come into the cup form .
   A.the plastic tube B.outside the hole
   C.the open air D.beneath the sheet
   答案：D