Lake Urmia is in Iran.One leader there warned that the lake could completely dry out within three to five years. The lake has been drying out for several reasons There has been a decade-long drought. Irrigation has also been taking water for farms Many rivers that once fed the lake are now dammed, too. Recently,Iranian government leaders shared a three-part plan to save Lake Urmia. First, they would start a cloud-seeding program. This would encourage more rainfall. Second they would lower the amount of water used by irrigation. Finally, they would supply the lake with water from other places. Leaders hope to __ the lake. A surround B preserve measure examine

## Step 1<br />The problem is a reading comprehension question that requires understanding the context of the passage. The passage discusses the drying out of Lake Urmia in Iran and the measures taken by the government to prevent it from drying out completely.<br />## Step 2<br />The question asks what the leaders hope to do to the lake. The options provided are 'urround', 'preserve', 'easure', and 'examine'.<br />## Step 3<br />By analyzing the passage, we can see that the leaders are implementing a plan to save the lake, which includes encouraging more rainfall, reducing water usage for irrigation, and supplying the lake with water from other places. This indicates that the leaders' intention is to preserve the lake.<br />## Step 4<br />Therefore, the word that best fits the context of the sentence is 'preserve'.