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Unit 9: DesertsChoose the word which has the underlined part pronounced differently from the rest.1. a. grasses b. stretches c. comprises d. potatoes2. a. lie b. wide c. circle d. comprise3. a. compound b. route c. house d. south4. a. dune b. hummock c. shrub d. buffalo5. a. west b. between c. growth d. whichChoose a, b, c, or d that best completes each unfinished sentence, substitutes the underlined part, or has a closemeaning to the original one. 6. ________ Sahara of ________ Africa is the world's largest desert.

a. Ø / the b. The / Ø c. A / an d. The / an7. Deserts can be defined as areas that receive ________ average annual precipitation of less than 250 mm.

a. a b. an c. the d. Ø8. The Sahara contains complex linear dunes that are ________ by almost 6 kilometers.

a. developed b. separated c. lay d. located9. A _______ is a landscape or region that receives very little precipitation.

a. dune b. desert c. sandy area d. shrub land10. Deserts are often composed of ________ and rocky surfaces.

a. water b. trees c. oil d. sand11. Three great stretches of sandy deserts almost circle the center of Australia.

a. dunes b. valleys c. lands d. areas12. Deserts are also classified by their ________ location and dominant weather pattern.

a. geographical b. aerial c. sandy d. facial13. Thanks to pictures taken by satellites, deserts have not ________ a mystery in our time.

a. hidden b. intended c. remained d. attained14. Deserts take ________ one-third of the Earth's land surface.

a. up b. on c. over d. after15. The Simpson Desert was named _______ Mr. Simpson, President of the South Australian Branch of the Royal Geographical

Society of Australia.a. with b. at c. after d. for

16. In 1953, Peveril Meigs divided desert regions ________ Earth ________ categories according to the amount of precipitation they received.a. through / in b. from / with c. on / into d. in / for

17. More and more ________ are very excited at discovering as many interesting things in the deserts as possible. a. explores b. explorations c. explorers d. exploratory

18. Can you make a ________ estimate of how much our expedition in the desert may be?a. rough b. roughly c. roughing d. roughen

19. After Peter had returned from the Sahara desert, he was confined to bed by a ________ disease. a. mystery b. mysterious c. mysteriously d. mysteriousness

20. I want to work as an interpreter in the future, ________, I am studying Russian at university. a. but b. so c. however d. therefore

21. I am going shopping for food this evening ________ I do not have to go at the weekend.a. so b. but c. however d. moreover

22. When she got the news from her family, she could not do anything, ________ cry.a. but b. and c. so d. however

23. Mrs. Lindon has ________ that she is unable to get a job.a. but not enough education b. so little educationc. however little education d. such little education

24. That small car, ________, is advertised in many current magazines.a. so inexpensive and comfortable b. however inexpensive and comfortablec. inexpensive but comfortable d. and inexpensive but comfortable

25. We live in the same building ________ we have hardly seen each othera. and b. therefore c. but d. so

26. I went to buy a Rolling Stones CD ________ the shop didn't have it.a. and b. but c. therefore d. so

27. Anna needed some money, ________, she took a part-time job.

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a. furthermore b. moreover c. however d. therefore28. Julie has a guitar ________ she plays it really well.

a. and b. so c. but d. therefore29. My fingers were injured ________ my sister had to write the note for me.

a. and b. however c. so d. but30. The concert was cancelled ________ we went to a nightclub instead.

a. so b. however c. so on d. butError Identification.31. Desert is a large area of land that has very little water however very few

A B Cplants growing on it. (and)

D32. Rain falls occasionally in deserts so desert storms are often violent.

A B (but) C D33. The Nile River, the Colorado River, but the Yellow River flow through

A (and) Bdeserts to deliver their sediments to the sea.

C D34. Deserts may have underground springs, rivers, or reservoirs they lie

A Bclose to the surface, or deep underground. (that / which)

C D35. Most plants in deserts have adapted to sporadic rainfalls in a desert.

A B C environments. (environment)

DRead the passage carefully and choose the correct answer.

A desert is a hostile, potentially deadly environment for unprepared humans. In hot deserts, high temperatures cause rapid loss of water due to sweating, and the absence of water sources with which to replenish it can result in dehydration and death within a few days. In addition, unprotected humans are also at risk from heatstroke.

Humans may also have to adapt to sandstorms in some deserts, not just in their adverse effects on respiratory systems and eyes, but also in their potentially harmful effects on equipment such as filters, vehicles and communication equipment. Sandstorms can last for hours, sometimes even days.

Despite this, some cultures have made hot deserts 'their home for thousands of years, including the Bedouin, Tuareg tribe, and Pueblo people. Modern technology, including advanced irrigation systems, desalinization and air conditioning, has made deserts much more hospitable, In the United States and Israel for example, desert farming has found extensive use.

In cold deserts, hypothermia and frostbite are the chief hazards, as well as dehydration in the absence of a source of heat to melt ice for drinking. Falling through pack-ice or surface ice layers into freezing water is a particular danger requiring emergency action to prevent rapid hypothermia. Starvation is also a hazard; in low temperatures the body requires much more food energy to maintain body heat and to move. As with hot deserts, some people such as the Inuit have adapted to the harsh conditions of cold deserts.36. The text is about ________.

a. troubles that human beings have to face in a desertb. desert storms and desert inhabitantsc. hot deserts and cold deserts in the United Statesd. desert hospitality and environment

37. Which is not a problem for an unprepared man in a hot desert?a. sandstorm b. loss of water c. irrigation d. heatstroke

38. Sandstorms ________.a. do no harm to machineryb. have effects only on the eyesc. never lasts more than one hourd. have bad effects on both human beings and machinery

39. Which sentence is true?a. No one can survive in both hot and cold deserts.b. Modern technology makes deserts more hospitable.c. In the United States, all deserts are quite uninhabited.d. There are no deserts in Israel.

40. Which is not a problem in cold deserts?

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a. Starvation b. Hypothermia c. Frostbite d. Body heatFill in each numbered blank with one suitable word or phrase.

Desert biomes are the (41) _____ of all the biomes. In fact, the most important characteristic of a desert is that it receives very little (42) _____. Most deserts receive less than 300 mm a year compared (43) __ rainforests, which receive over 2,000 mm. That means that the desert only gets 10 percent of the rain that a rainforest gets! The temperature in the desert can (44)_____ drastically from day to night because the air is. (45) _____ dry that heat escapes rapidly at night. The daytime temperature averages 38°C (46) _____ in some deserts it can get down to -4°C at night. The temperature also varies greatly depending on the (47) _____ of the desert.

Since desert conditions are so severe, the plants that live there need to have (48) _____ to compensate for the lack of water. Some plants, such as cacti, (49) _____ water in their stems and use it very slowly, while others like bushes conserve water by growing few leaves or by having large root systems to gather water or few leaves. Some desert plant species have a short life cycle of a few weeks that (50) _____ only during periods of rain.41. a. coldest b. hottest c. driest d. wettest42. a. rain b. rainfall c. raindrop d. raincoat43. a. with b. for c. about d. in44. a. change b. exchange c. transform d. transfer45. a. such as b. such c. so much d. so46. a. when b. while c. as d. because47. a. part b. region c. area d. location48. a. adaptations b. agreements c. accepts d. achievements49. a. place b. put c. store d. hold50. a. spend b. take c. last d. experience

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