READING 2 The Importance of Water

The Importance of WATER

Read the following article. Pay special attention to the words in bold. 9.3

How much water should you drink? Four glasses a day? Eight glasses a day? There’s no easy answer to that question. You sometimes hear, “Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day.” We probably need the equivalent1 of eight glasses of fluid2 a day. We get some water from the food we eat. Watermelon, for example, is 90 percent water. If you drink milk, juice, soda, tea, or coffee, you’re also getting water from these sources. Be careful with soda and some juices. They can contain a lot of sugar, which isn’t good for you. The best source of water is water!

Water makes up about 60 percent of your body weight. Many factors determine your need for water: your health, your physical activity, and even where you live.

When you’re sick, you need to drink plenty of fluids. Having a fever, vomiting, or even taking medicine for a cold can cause you to lose some fluids from your body. Drinking water will keep you hydrated3 .

Physically active people lose a lot of water through sweat. They also lose sodium. Some athletes use sports drinks because they contain not only water but also sodium. The problem with some commercial sports drinks is that they contain a lot of sugar. There are a few alternatives4 to sports drinks: coconut water, chocolate milk, and watermelon juice. However, for most people, water is the best option.

Do you live in a hot or humid climate? Then you probably lose water through sweat. Do you live in a cold climate? Then your house is probably heated in the winter. Heated air dries your skin, so you need some water to replace what you lose.

A lot of people use bottled water. However, there isn’t much proof 5 that bottled water is better than tap water. One thing is for sure: drinking water is important.

1 equivalent: same amount as 2 fluid: liquid 3 hydrated: having enough water or other liquid in your body 4 alternative: another choice 5 proof: evidence that something is true

A boy drinks water during a training session at the Guangzhou R&F Football Academy in Meizhou in southern China’s Guangdong province.