【明報專訊】Can you imagine billions of people are still living without a household toilet? In 2013, the United Nations General Assembly (聯合國大會) officially designated November 19 as World Toilet Day. It is a day to raise awareness and inspire actions to tackle the global sanitation crisis (公共衛生危機), which is a topic often neglected and shrouded in taboos.

The theme of World Toilet Day 2017 is "wastewater". By 2030, the Sustainable Development Goals aim to halve the proportion of untreated wastewater and increase recycling and safe reuse. It is important for everyone's excretion to be contained, transported, treated and disposed of in a safe and sustainable way. If safely treated and reused, it has massive potential to be an affordable and sustainable source of energy, nutrients and water.

(Source: worldtoiletday.info)

■Game １

Pat came across signs that are commonly seen in the toilet. Fill the missing words.

(Answers on next text)

1. A _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ toilet

2. Do not throw p_ _ _ _ t _ _ _ _ _ (抹手紙) and s _ _ _ _ _ _ _ p _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (衛生棉) in the toilet

3. Please f _ _ _ _ after using

■English highway﹕come across

To meet or find somebody/something by chance

e.g. They've come across a few problems that need resolving.

■Game ２

Toilet comes in different ways. Match the following words with the correct description.

(See the picture)

W.C. (Water closet)．

Restroom．

Bathroom ．

．A flush toilet

．With bathing facilities

．A public toilet. Also a place used to literally take a break.

■Glossary

neglect (v) 忽視

shroud (v) 籠罩

taboo (n) 禁忌

halve (v) 把……減半

[Smarties' Power English 第199期]