A metaphor and a simile both describe something using a comparison to something else, but a metaphor does it an implied way, and a simile does it explicitly by using the word like or as.
Example of a simile: She looked like a cat that had just been thrown in the water.
Example of a metaphor: She was a blank slate, ready to start anew.
Answer:
urgent or critical
Explanation:
if there is an acute water shortage, it wouldn't be a high pitched water shortage, a keen or quick water shortage, or a sharp pain.
Pick the one that makes the most sense!
If you choose 3, it would be: The lack of rain in some places had led to a critical shortage of water.
