THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA ARE ONE OF THE DRIEST REGIONS ON EARTH

Exercise 19:The Middle East and North Africa are one of the driest regions on earth. Nearly two-thirds of the region isdesert. The Sahara Desert of northern Africa is the largest desert in the world.Desert air (1) ____ little moisture, so few clouds form over the land. Without clouds to block the sun,temperatures may reach as (2) ____ as 125°F during the day. At night, without the clouds to contain the heat, thetemperature can fall to as low as 125°F.Extreme temperatures (3) ____ with little rainfall make desert life difficult for people, plants, and animals. (4)____, some life forms have adapted to even the most severe desert (5) ____, Camels are able to survive longperiods without food or water. Many desert plants have long, shallow (6) ____ systems. This allows the plants toreach out to collect water over great distances. Other desert plants have taproots. Taproots grow very deep (7)____ they can tap sources of underground water. Plant life in the desert is usually spread out over great distances.This is (8) ____ deserts are often described as barren, or lifeless.When many people think of a desert they often think of endless miles of hot sand, but a desert does not have tobe hot or sandy. Most of the land of the Middle East and North Africa is hot, dry desert land, (9) ____ somedeserts look very different. Most of Antarctica is a desert but there is no sand on the continent and the climate ofAntarctica is (10) ____ coldest on earth.1. A. contains B. comprises C. consists D. includes2. A. much B. far C. long D. high3. A. locate B. combine C. explore D. separate4. A. Therefore B. So C. However D. But5. A. environment B. place C. society D. atmosphere6. A. leave B. bark C. root D. branch7. A. as B. because C. but D. so8. A what B. why C. how D. when9. A. since B. as C. so D. but10. A. a B. an C. the D. Ø