We get fresh water through the water cycle. Over and over again, water moves from the oceans and river to the clouds. Then it falls on the land as rain or snow, and moves back into the oceans and rivers. Then the cycle begins again. The water cycle has four parts. The first part is evaporation. When water is hot, it evaporates. This means it changes from a liquid into a gas called water vapor and moves into the air. The next part of the water cycle is condensation. When water vapor gets cold, it turns into small drops of water. These become clouds. When the clouds become very heavy, they cause the next part of the water cycle, precipitation. Rain and snow are two kinds of precipitation. The final part of the cycle is collection. Water from precipitation goes into the earth and into rivers, lakes, and oceans. People use this water for drinking, too.