How should a river be used? Should it provide clean drinking water for the people living nearby? Should it be used as a source of hydroelectric power for cities downstream? Should it be used for fishing, rafting, or transporting goods from place to place? Should it be used for watering crops? Or should it remain in its natural state, unaffected by the activities of humans? These questions have never been answered to everyone's satisfaction. All over the world, rivers have been dammed, drained, and diverted for watering, transportation, energy production, and recreation. Farmers are irate when they can't use river water for their crops. Those who make their living from fishing are unhappy when farmers take the water or when farm pesticides and fertilizers pollute it. Strong and sometimes even violent disagreements occur over how best to use this limited resource.
Why does the first paragraph ask a series of questions?
a) to persuade the reader to support river conservation movements
b) to help readers decide what our rivers should really be used for
c) to show the reader the conflicting demands on our water resources
d) to show readers the water problems created by prior appropriation