Passage 1

The concept of obtaining fresh water from icebergs that are towed to populated areas and arid regions of the world was once treated as a joke more appropriate to cartoons than real life. But now it is being considered quite seriously by many nations, especially since scientists have warned that the human race will outgrow its fresh water supply faster than it runs out of food.

Glaciers are a possible source of fresh water that has been overlooked until recently.

Three-quarters of the Earth's fresh water supply is still tied up in glacial ice, a reservoir of untapped fresh water so immense that it could sustain all the rivers of the world for 1,000 years. Floating on the oceans every year are 7,659 trillion metric tons of ice encased in 10,000 icebergs that break away from the polar ice caps, more than ninety percent of them from Antarctica.

Huge glaciers that stretch over the shallow continental shelf give birth to icebergs throughout the year. Icebergs are not like sea ice, which is formed when the sea itself freezes, rather, they are formed entirely on land, breaking off when glaciers spread over the sea. As they drift away from the polar region, icebergs sometimes move mysteriously in a direction opposite to the wind, pulled by subsurface currents. Because they melt more slowly than smaller pieces of ice, icebergs have been known to drift as far north as 35 degrees south of the equator in the Atlantic Ocean. To corral them and steer them to parts of the world where they are needed would not be too difficult.

The difficulty arises in other technical matters, such as the prevention of rapid melting in warmer climates and the funneling of fresh water to shore in great volume. But even if the icebergs lost half of their volume in towing, the water they could provide would be far cheaper than that produced by desalinization, or removing salt from water.

Passage 2

Fast food restaurants are popping up all over the world. While individuals have different motivations for going to fast food Chains, there are specific reasons why they have become so popular and remain so.

When it comes to restaurant dining, fast food is nearly cheap as it gets, so price is one of the primary reasons people frequent them. Finding inexpensive dining out options is especially important to families, which make up a large percentage of fast food customers. Many chains offer value meals or items for less than a dollar, counting on customers with budget sensitivity to be attracted to these options.

Fast food is simple to obtain and practically on every corner, providing a quick way to purchase a meal. As people have less and less time to dedicate to cooking meals, they turn more to the simplest available option. Since fast food establishments have drive-through windows, diners don't even have to get out of their cars to pick up food. With the augment of healthier meal options at fast food chains, they’ve become even more popular.

Many fast food restaurants offer guilty pleasures on their menus, such as French fries and bacon. These elements are comfort food for many people and can be filling as well as tasty. Unfortunately, the reason fast food tastes so good is often because it's loaded with fat and sodium, but due to the outcry from customers who are increasingly health-conscious, changes in the way some items are prepared are being made which may or may not affect their taste.

Fast food restaurants spend a large amount of money on marketing their meals to consumers, and it seems to be effective. Teens, adults and parents are all separate targets of advertising, and children are also a major marketing demographic with toys and special meals aimed events, and publicize contests as another way to get diners through their doors.