Earth's Water

Earth's Water written by Katherine Scraper. Focus question. Why is water important?

《地球上的水》，凯瑟琳·斯克雷普著。聚焦问题：水为什么很重要？

Water everywhere. Water fills oceans, lakes, and ponds. It flows in rivers, streams, and underground. It is even in the air. Some parts of Earth have snow and ice, which are frozen water.

水无处不在。 水填满了海洋、湖泊和池塘， 它在河流、小溪和地下流淌。 它甚至存在于空气里。 地球上有些地方有雪和冰，它们都是冻结的水。

Water covers most of Earth's surface. Salt water in the oceans makes up much of Earth's water. Earth has much less fresh water. Many plants and animals need this fresh water to survive.

水覆盖了地球的大部分表面。 海洋里的咸水占了地球水资源的很大一部分。 地球上的淡水要少得多。 很多动植物都需要这些淡水才能生存。

Some of this fresh water is above ground, while other fresh water is underneath Earth's surface. What are some ways you use Earth's water?

这些淡水有些在地表， 还有一些淡水藏在地球表面以下。 你使用地球水资源的方式有哪些呢？

Different forms of water. Liquid water is the most common state of Earth's water. It takes the shape of the container it is in. Liquid water is always moving, even if you can't see it move. It flows in rivers and streams, and it crashes as ocean waves.

水的不同形态。 液态水是地球上的水最常见的状态。 它会随着盛放的容器改变形状。 液态水一直都在流动，哪怕你看不到它在动。 它在河流和小溪里流淌，也会化作海浪拍打岸边。

Not all water is liquid. When liquid water gets very cold, it freezes to form ice. Ice is another state of water, solid water. Ice can float on liquid water. People form ice into different shapes. Artists even carve ice to make sculptures.

不是所有的水都是液态的。 当液态水变得非常冷的时候，它会凝固成冰。 冰是水的另一种状态，也就是固态水。 冰可以浮在液态水上面。 人们可以把冰做成不同的形状。 艺术家甚至会雕刻冰来制作冰雕。