Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.
There are many theories of aging, but virtually all fall into the category of hypotheses with a minimum of supporting evidence. One viewpoint is that aging occurs as the body's organ systems become less efficient. Thus failures in the immune system, hormonal system, and nervous system could all produce characteristics that we associate with aging. Following a different vein, many current researchers are looking for evidence at the cellular and sub cellular level. It has been shown that cells such as human fibroblasts (generalized tissue cells) grown in culture divide only a limited number of times and then die. Only cancer cells seem immortal in this respect. Fibroblast cells from an embryo divide more times than those taken from an adult. Thus some researchers believe that aging occurs at the cellular level and is part of the cell's genetic makeup. Any event that disturbs the cell's genetic machinery such as mutation, damaging chemicals in the cell's environment, or loss of genetic material, could cause cells to lose their ability to divide and thus bring on aging. Other theories of aging look at different processes. 
Chronological aging refers to the passage of time since birth and is usually measured in years. While chronological age can be useful in estimating the average status of a large group of people, it is a poor indicator of an individual person's status because there is a tremendous amount of variation from one individual to the next in regard to the rate at which biological age changes occur. For example, on the average, aging results in people losing much of their ability to perform strenuous activities, yet some elderly individuals are excellent marathon runners.
Another type of aging is cosmetic aging, which consists of changes in outward appearance with advancing age. This includes changes in the body and changes in other aspects of a person's appearance, such as the style of hair and clothing, the type of eyeglasses, and the use of a hearing aid. Like chronological aging, it is frequently used to estimate the degree to which other types of aging have occurred. However, it is an inaccurate indicator for either purpose because of variation among individuals and because a person's appearance is affected by many factors that are not part of aging, including illness, poor nutrition, and exposure to sunlight.

  As explained in this passage, the theory of aging which examines the cellular level would NOT assign which of the following as a cause of aging?

     

The Alaska pipeline starts at the frozen edge of the Arctic Ocean. It stretches southward acros the largest and northernmost state in the United States, ending at a remote ice-free seaport village nearly 800 miles from where it begins. It is massive in size and extremely complicated to operate. The steel pipe crosses windswept plains and endless miles of delicate tundra that tops the frozen group. It weaves through crooked canyons, climbs sheer mountains, plunges over rocky crags, make it way through thick forests, and passes over or under hundreds of rivers and streams. The pipe is 4 feet in diameter and up to 2 million barrels or 84 million gallons of crude oil can be pumped through it daily. Resting on H-shaped steel racks called “bents,” long sections of the pipeline follow a zigzag course high above the frozen earth. Other long sections drop out of sight beneath spongy or rocky ground and return to the surface later on. The pattern of the pipeline’s up-and-down route is determined by the often harsh demands of the arctic and subarctic climate, the tortuous lay of the land, and the varied compositions of soil, rock, or permafrost permanently frozen ground. A little more than half of the pipeline is elevated above the ground. The remainder is buried anywhere from 3 to 12 feet, depending largely upon the type of terrain and the properties of the soil. One of the largest in the world, the pipeline cost approximately $8 billion and is by far the bigges and most expensive construction project ever undertaken by private industry. In fact, no single busines could raise that much money, so 8 major oil companies formed a consortium in order to share the cost. Each company controlled oil rights to particular shares of land in the oil fields and paid into the pipeline –construction fund according to the size of its holdings. Today, despite enormous problems o climate, supply shortages, equipment breakdowns, labor disagreements, treacherous terrain, a certain amount of mismanagement, and even theft, the Alaska pipeline has been completes and is operating.

According to the passage, 84 million gallons of oil can travel through the pipeline each_____.

    A. month    B. day    C. week    D. year

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to choose the word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 26 to 30.
The joys and tribulations of being a pet owner! During our lifetime most of us have some experience of either owning a pet or being in close contact with someone who does. Is there such a thing as “the ideal pet”? If so what characterizes the ideal pet? Various (26)_______ influence one‟s choice of pet, from your reasons for getting a   pet (27)_______ your lifestyle. For example, although quite a few pets are relatively cheap to buy, the cost of (28)_______ can be considerable. Everything must be taken into account, from food and bedding, to vaccinations and veterinary bills. You must be prepared to spend time on your pet, (29)_______ involves shopping for it, cleaning and feeding it. Pets can be demanding and a big responsibility. Are you prepared to exercise and housetrain an animal or do you prefer a more independent pet? How much spare room do you have? Is it right to lock an energetic animal into a (30)_______ space? Do you live near a busy road which may threaten the life of your pet? Pets such as turtles and goldfish can be cheap and convenient, but if you prefer affectionate pets, a friendly cat or dog would be more appropriate. People get pets for a number of reasons, for company, security or to teach responsibility to children. Pets can be affectionate and loyal and an excellent source of company as long as you know what pet suit you and your lifestyle.
(29).....................

 Choose the word or phrase among A, B, C or D that best fits the blank space in the following passage:

"The Southwestern States of the United States suffered one of the worst droughts in their history from 1931 to 1938. The drought (1)…. the entire country. Few food crops could be grown. Food became (2)…., and prices went up (3)….  the nation. Hundreds of families in the Dust Bowl region had to be moved to farms in other areas with the help of the federal government. In 1944, drought brought great damage to (4)…. all Latin America. The drought moved to Australia and then to Europe, (5)…. it continued throughout the summer of 1945. From 1950 to 1954 in the United States, the Southwest suffered a (6)….. drought Hundreds of cattle ranches had to ship their cattle to other regions because (7)… lands had no grass. The federal government again (8)….. an emergency drought-relief program. Ít offered farmers (9)…. credit and seed grains (10)… low prices."

7. because (7)… lands had no grass.

Read the following passage and mark A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the blanks from 46 to 50.
What make a good souvenir?
On my desk at home, I have a collection of souvenirs; objects that remind me of places I‟ve visited and important events in my life. These objects include a model boat that I saw being carved from a piece of wood on a Caribbean island, a piece of lava that emerged hot from a volcano in the year I was born, and a shell (46)_______ on my favourite childhood beach.
Unlike everything else, from which memory and detail fades, it is as if the longer you hold on to certain objects, the (47)_______ their associations with the past become, and the sharper the recollections that gather around them. They are, (48)_______ , real souvenirs, encapsulations not only of the place, but of your time in the place. But these days, the term “real souvenirs” sounds like a contradiction in terms, and this is because the objects sold to tourists as souvenirs are often cheap mass-produced imports that have nothing to do with the place at all.
It‟s often the (49)_______ that the best souvenirs, like my shell, are found rather than purchased, but browsing for souvenirs can also be a fun holiday activity. But if you are buying souvenirs on holiday this summer,  make sure they (50)_______ the reality test. A good souvenir is not just made in the area where it is bought, it also says something about the culture of that area. It is something made by local people using sustainable local materials, and because you are effectively supporting the local economy, it shouldn't come too cheap, either.
(47).........................

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to choose the word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 26 to 30.
The joys and tribulations of being a pet owner! During our lifetime most of us have some experience of either owning a pet or being in close contact with someone who does. Is there such a thing as “the ideal pet”? If so what characterizes the ideal pet? Various (26)_______ influence one‟s choice of pet, from your reasons for getting a   pet (27)_______ your lifestyle. For example, although quite a few pets are relatively cheap to buy, the cost of (28)_______ can be considerable. Everything must be taken into account, from food and bedding, to vaccinations and veterinary bills. You must be prepared to spend time on your pet, (29)_______ involves shopping for it, cleaning and feeding it. Pets can be demanding and a big responsibility. Are you prepared to exercise and housetrain an animal or do you prefer a more independent pet? How much spare room do you have? Is it right to lock an energetic animal into a (30)_______ space? Do you live near a busy road which may threaten the life of your pet? Pets such as turtles and goldfish can be cheap and convenient, but if you prefer affectionate pets, a friendly cat or dog would be more appropriate. People get pets for a number of reasons, for company, security or to teach responsibility to children. Pets can be affectionate and loyal and an excellent source of company as long as you know what pet suit you and your lifestyle.
(30).....................

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions. 

It is not easy to choose a career today. Hundreds of students are leaving schools and universities every year  to  seek  employment  in  the  various  professions,  though  employment  opportunities  are  not  increasing proportionately. As a result, there is a lot of unemployment.   

 The inability of the various professions to absorb all those seeking employment makes the choice of a career more difficult. Before one leaves school or university, one has many plans, confident that choosing a career will not be difficult. But when, the time comes to choose a career, one finds that there are others with better qualifications waiting to enter the same profession.  Disillusioned, one then looks for  any  kind of employment.  In this way,  many  who  wanted  to  become  police  inspectors or field  assistants  in  the  rubber estates in this country,  become  teachers  instead,  and many who  wanted  to  become  teachers,  have  become shop assistants. The lack of institutions where people could acquire the skills necessary for a particular career makes the choice of a career even more difficult. For example, if one desires to become a journalist, one has to receive some training and instruction in a school of journalism. But if there is no such school, one is compelled to think of some other career.

_______ makes the choice of a career even more difficult.

Read the following passage and choose the correct answer in each sentence.
The British public is excited about the opening of Aarhus Clothing's first UK-based store. The Danish company has gained a reputation for achieving consistently high rates of customer — 139 —. It quickly became a well-known brand in its home country. — 140 —.
Aarhus Clothing launched its first German store two years ago, after which the company quickly moved into Belgium and the Netherlands. With the inauguration of a flagship store on London’s Oxford Street next month, the company hopes to stand out in the — 141 — UK market.
Designer Mads Jensen told reporters, “Our products have been sought after in Europe for many years now because they are simple and — 142 —. As they are basic and long-lasting, we expect them to be just as popular in the UK.”

139...............

Choose the item among A, B, C or D thai best answers the question about the passage:

"Desert is the term applied to regions of the earth that are characterized by less than 254 mm (10. inches) of annual rainfall, an evaporation rate that exceeds precipitation, and, in most cases, a high average temperature. Because of a lack of moisture in the soil and low humidity in the atmosphere, most of the sunlight penetrates to the ground. Daytime temperatures can reach 55° c (131° F) in the shade. At night the desert floor radiates heat back to the atmosphere, and the temperature can drop to near freezing. Deserts are caused by a combination of climate patterns and geological features.
 Because so little water moves through the desert soil to carry nutrients away, desert soils are naturally fertile. Crops are grown on desert lands with water provided by irrigation from rivers or wells. Such transformations of deserts are not without problems. Evaporation of the irrigation water results in the accumulation of salt on the surface soil, eventually rendering it useless for further crop production. By tapping reservoirs of fossil water deep beneath the desert, humans are, in effect, mining water. Once this water is gone, it is irreplaceable. Burning and overgrazing of semiarid lands on the periphery of deserts can irreversibly damage the plants that concentrate moisture and hold the soil together, thus enabling deserts to encroach on arable land. This encroachment, a serious world problem, is called desertification. A 1984 report of a desertification study made for the United Nations stated that 35 percent of the earth’s land surface was at least threatened by such processes."

1. What are the causes of the formation of deserts?

Fill in each numbered blank with one suitable word or phrase.

Desert biomes are the (1) _____ of all the biomes. In fact, the most important characteristic of a desert is that it receives very little (2) _____. Most deserts receive less than 300 mm a year compared (3) _______ 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 (4) _____ drastically from day to night because the air is (5) _____ dry that heat escapes rapidly at night. The daytime temperature averages 38°C (6) _____ in some deserts it can get down to -4°C at night. The temperature also varies greatly depending on the (7) _____ of the desert. Since desert conditions are so severe, the plants that live there need to have (8) _____ to compensate for the lack of water. Some plants, such as cacti, (9) _____ 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 (10) _____ only during periods of rain.

(8) _____

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

   Orchids are unique in having the most highly developed of all blossoms, in which the usual male and female reproductive organs are fused in a single structure called the column. The column is designed so that a single pollination will fertilize hundreds of thousands, and in some cases millions, of seeds, so microscopic and light they are easily carried by the breeze. Surrounding the column are three sepals and three petals, sometimes easily recognizable as such, often distorted into gorgeous, weird, but always functional shapes. The most noticeable of the petals is called the labellum, or lip. It is often dramatically marked as an unmistakable landing strip to attract the specific insect the orchid has chosen as its pollinator. To lure their pollinators from afar, orchids use appropriately intriguing shapes, colors, and scents. At least 50 different aromatic compounds have been analyzed in the orchid family, each blended to attract one, or at most a few, species of insects or birds. Some orchids even change their scents to interest different insects at different times.

   Once the right insect has been attracted, some orchids present all sorts of one-way obstacle courses to make sure it does not leave until pollen has been accurately placed or removed. By such ingenious adaptations to specific pollinators, orchids have avoided the hazards of rampant crossbreeding in the wild, assuring the survival of species as discrete identities. At the same time they have made themselves irresistible to collectors.

Which of the following is a kind of petal?

Read the passage and choose the best answer.

It can take a long time to become successful in your chosen field, however talented you are. One thing you have to be (1) ____ of is that you will face criticism along the way. The world is (2) ____ of people who would rather say something negative than positive. If you've made up your (3) ____ to achieve a certain goal, such as writing a novel, (4) ____ the negative criticism of others prevent you from reaching your target, and let the constructive criticism have a positive effect on your work. If someone says you're totally in the (5) ____ of talent, ignore them. That's negative criticism. If (6) ____, someone advises you to revise your work and gives you a good reason for doing so, you should consider their suggestions carefully. There are many film stars (7) ____ were once out of work. There are many famous novelists who made a complete mess of their first novel - or who didn't, but had to keep on approaching hundreds of publishers before they could get it (8) ____. Being successful does depend on luck, to a (9) ____ extent. But things are more likely to (10) ____ well if you persevere and stay positive.

(8) ______

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 21 to 25: 
Polar bears are in danger of dying out. Unlike some other endangered animals, it's not hunters that are the problem, it's climate change. Since 1979, the ice cap at the Arctic Circle where the polar bears has reduced in size (21) about 30 percent. The temperature in the Arctic has slowly been rising and this is (22) the sea ice to melt, endangering the polar bears' home. The polar bears' main sources of food are the different types of seals found in the Arctic. They catch them by waiting next to the air holes seals have made in the ice. (23) the bears are very strong swimmers, they could never catch seals in water. This means that the bears really do rely on the ice to hunt.
Polar bears also need sea ice to travel. They can cover a huge territory and often swim from one part of the ice to another. They have been (24) to swim up to 100 km, but when there is less ice, they may have to swim further and this can (25) fatal to the bears. A number of bears have drown in the last few years and scientists believe that it is because they were not able to reach more ice before they became too tired and couldn't swim any further.
(25)....................

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions:
    Although noise, commonly defined as unwanted sound, is a widely recognized form of pollution, it is very difficult to measure because the discomfort experienced by different individuals is highly subjective and, therefore, variable. Exposure to lower levels of noise may be slightly irritating, whereas exposure to higher levels may actually cause hearing loss. Particularly in congested urban areas, the noise produced as a byproduct of our advancing technology causes physical and psychological harm, and detracts from the quality of life for those who are exposed to it.
    Unlike the eyes, which can be covered by the eyelids against strong light, the ear has no lid, and is, therefore, always open and vulnerable; noise penetrates without protection. Noise causes effects that the hearer cannot control and to which the body never becomes accustomed. Loud noises instinctively signal danger to any organism with a hearing mechanism, including human beings. In response, heartbeat and respiration accelerate, blood vessels constrict, the skin pales, and muscles tense. In fact, there is a general increase in functioning brought about by the flow of adrenaline released in response to fear, and some of these responses persist even longer than the noise, occasionally as long as thirty minutes after the sound has ceased.
    Because noise is unavoidable in a complex, industrial society, we are constantly responding in the same way that we would respond to danger. Recently, researchers have concluded that noise and our response may be much more than an annoyance. It may be a serious threat to physical and psychological health and well-being, causing damage not only to the ear and brain but also to the heart and stomach. We have long known that hearing loss is America‟s number one nonfatal health problem, but now we are learning that some of us with heart disease and ulcers may be victims of noise as well. Fetuses exposed to noise tend to be overactive, they cry easily, and they are more sensitive to gastrointestinal problems after birth. In addition, the psychic effect of noise is very important. Nervousness, irritability, tension, and anxiety increase affecting the quality of rest during sleep, and the efficiency of activities during waking hours, as well as the way that we interact with each other.

The word ‘congested’ in paragraph 1 could best be replaced by ___.

Read the passage and answer the question by circling the correct answer. 
Accustomed though we are to speaking of the films made before 1927 as "silent," the film has never been, in the full sense of the word, silent. From the very beginning, music was regarded as an indispensable accompaniment; when the Limeira films were shown at the first public film exhibition in the United States in February 1896, they were accompanied by piano improvisations on popular tunes. At first, the music played bore no special relationship to the films; an accompaniment of any kind was sufficient. Within a very short time, however, the incongruity of playing lively music to a solemn film became apparent, and film pianists began to take some care in matching their pieces to the mood of the film. As movie theaters grew in number and importance, a violinist, and perhaps a cellist, would be added to the pianist in certain cases, and in the larger movie theaters small orchestras were formed. For a number of years the selection of music for each film program rested entirely in the hands of the conductor or leader of the orchestra, and very often the principal qualification for holding such a position was not skill or taste so much as the ownership of a large personal library of musical pieces. Since the conductor seldom saw the films until the night before they were to be shown (if, indeed, the conductor was lucky enough to see them then), the musical arrangement was normally improvised in the greatest hurry. To help meet this difficulty, film distributing companies started the practice of publishing suggestions for musical accompaniments. In 1909, for example, the Edison Company began issuing with their films such indications of mood as "pleasant," "sad," "lively." The suggestions became more explicit, and so emerged the musical cue sheet containing indications of mood, the titles of suitable pieces of music, and precise directions to show where one piece led into the next. Certain films had music especially composed for them. The most famous of these early special scores was that composed and arranged for D.W. Griffith's film “Birth of a Nation”, which was released in 1915.

The word "solemn" is closest in meaning to ________.

Fill in each numbered blank with one suitable word or phrase.

Desert biomes are the (1) _____ of all the biomes. In fact, the most important characteristic of a desert is that it receives very little (2) _____. Most deserts receive less than 300 mm a year compared (3) _______ 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 (4) _____ drastically from day to night because the air is (5) _____ dry that heat escapes rapidly at night. The daytime temperature averages 38°C (6) _____ in some deserts it can get down to -4°C at night. The temperature also varies greatly depending on the (7) _____ of the desert. Since desert conditions are so severe, the plants that live there need to have (8) _____ to compensate for the lack of water. Some plants, such as cacti, (9) _____ 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 (10) _____ only during periods of rain.

(3) _____

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.
Are you interested in seeing the beautiful fall foliage of New England but tired of traffic jams and overbooked hotels? Then this year forget the crowds in New England and see the beautiful colors of autumn in the Catskills.
These rugged mountains in New York State, just 90 miles northwest of New York City, are famous for the legendary tales of Rip Van Winkle, and more recently for the summer hotels that sprang up in the region during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. Families trying to escape the heat of New York City found the Catskills to be the perfect place to stay for a month or so each summer. By the late 1950s there were over 500 resorts and hotels offering nighttime entertainment as well as all kinds of outdoor activities. Famous comedians like Jackie Gleason, Joan Rivers, and Sid Caesar all got their start touring the hotel clubs here. Since the introduction of air-conditioning and cheaper air travel, however, families have stopped coming to the Catskills in such large numbers, choosing instead more distant locations at different times of the year. Many of the Catskill hotels closed in the 1970s, but some remain and have expanded and changed their facilities to meet the needs of today's visitors.
Currently, there are many activities available to the traveler besides witnessing the changing colors of the leaves. There is an all-organic sheep farm where visitors can see how a traditional sheep farm operates. There are also hundreds of miles of scenic drives in the area. Route 42, for instance, is an excellent site for spotting bald eagles. For more information on vacations in the Catskills, call the Office of Public Information.

According to the passage, which of the following caused the decline in the number of resorts in the 1970s?

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Although I left university with a good degree, I suddenly found that it was actually quite hard to find a job. After being unemployed for a few months, I realized I had to take the first thing that came along or I'd be in serious financial difficulties. And so, for six very long months, I became a market research telephone interviewer.

I knew it wasn't the best company in the world when they told me that I'd have to undergo three days of training before starting work, and that I wouldn't get paid for any of it. Still, I knew that the hourly rate when I actually did start full time would be a lot better than unemployment benefit, and I could work up to twelve hours a day, seven days a week if I wanted. So, I thought of the money I'd earn and put up with three days of unpaid training. Whatever those three days taught me - and I can't really remember anything about them today - I wasn't prepared for the way I would be treated by the supervisors.

It was worse than being at school. There were about twenty interviewers like myself, each sitting in a small, dark booth with an ancient computer and a dirty telephone. The booths were around the walls of the fifth floor of a concrete office block, and the supervisors sat in the middle of the room, listening in to all of our telephone interviews. We weren't allowed to talk to each other, and if we took more than about two seconds from ending one phone call and starting another, they would shout at us to hurry up and get on with our jobs. We even had to ask for permission to go to the toilet. I was amazed how slowly the day went. Our first break of the day came at eleven o'clock, two hours after we started. I'll always remember that feeling of despair when I would look at my watch thinking, 'It's must be nearly time for the break', only to find that it was quarter to ten and that there was another hour and a quarter to go. My next thought was always, 'I can't believe I'm going to be here until nine o'clock tonight.'

The most frightening aspect of the job was that I was actually quite good at it. 'Oh, no!' I thought.

‘Maybe I'm destined to be a market researcher for the rest of my life.' My boss certainly seemed to think so. One day - during a break, of course - she ordered me into her office. 'Simon,' she said, 'I'm promoting you. From tomorrow, you're off telecoms and onto credit card complaints. I'm sure you can handle it. There's no extra pay, but it is a very responsible position.'

Three weeks later, I quit. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

His workplace could be best described as ____.

Choose the letter A, B, C or D to complete the passage below

What do you do well? What do you enjoy doing? Your answers to these two questions will help you identify your (1) _____. An employer will consider you seriously for a spot when you can show them that you know who you are, what you can offer and which you have studied. Sometimes it is difficult to know what your weaknesses are. Clearly not everyone is equally good (2)_____ everything. You may need to improve yourself and so (3) _____ courses in that field could turn a weakness into strength. You will need to (4) _____ some time on your self-assessment. Your honesty and the desire for self-improvement will lead to (5) _____ in getting the right job. Explore the following seven areas to start to get to know yourself: your aptitude, your skills, your personality, the level of responsibility you feel comfortable with, your interests and your needs.

(3)...................

 Choose the word or phrase among A, B, C or D that best fits the blank space in the following passage:

"The Southwestern States of the United States suffered one of the worst droughts in their history from 1931 to 1938. The drought (1)…. the entire country. Few food crops could be grown. Food became (2)…., and prices went up (3)….  the nation. Hundreds of families in the Dust Bowl region had to be moved to farms in other areas with the help of the federal government. In 1944, drought brought great damage to (4)…. all Latin America. The drought moved to Australia and then to Europe, (5)…. it continued throughout the summer of 1945. From 1950 to 1954 in the United States, the Southwest suffered a (6)….. drought Hundreds of cattle ranches had to ship their cattle to other regions because (7)… lands had no grass. The federal government again (8)….. an emergency drought-relief program. Ít offered farmers (9)…. credit and seed grains (10)… low prices."

1. The drought (1)…. the entire country.

Choose the item among A, B, C or D that best answers the question about the passage:

"The deserts of the world are not all covered with sand. Many of them have surfaces of rock or clay or small stones. They are not flat, either; they often have high hills and deep valleys. There is some plant life in many parts of the desert. There is little rain in the desert, but it does fall often enough for most plants. The deserts of the world are not uninhabited. People also live outside oases, but these people are not farmers. They have camels, goats, donkeys, sheep, etc. These animals can live on the desert plants and do not need much water.
 The people of the desert have to move constantly from place to place, they must always look for grass or desert plants for their animals. They usually live in tents. When there is no more food for their animals, they fold up their tents, put them on their camels and donkeys, and move to another place. In good years, when there is enough food for their animals, they trade their skins and their goats and camel hairs with the people of oases for wheat and fruit. But in bad years, when there is not enough food for their animals, the people of the desert would attack the oases people. But they are also hospitable. No man in the desert would ever refuse to give a stranger food and water."

1. According to the passage, deserts are mostly made up of ……