Practice Tests Unit 9, 10, 11 English 12
Unit 9: DESERTS
I. Choose the word which has the underlined part pronounced differently from the rest.
1. a. grasses b. stretches c. comprises d. potatoes
2. a. lie b. wide c. circle d. comprise
3. a. compound b. route c. house d. south
4. a. dune b. hummock c. shrub d. buffalo
5. a. west b. between c. growth d. which
6. a. three b. south c. southern d. both
7. a. remained b. explored c. separated d. travelled
8. a. loose b. smooth c. food d. flood
9. a. enormous b. rough c. enough d. double
10. a. society b. geography c. dry d. sandy
II. Choose the word which is stressed differently from the rest.
1. a. comprise b. sandy c. circle d. northern
2. a. Aborigines b. expedition c. kilometer d. scientific
3. a. corridor b. enormous c. mystery d. separate
4. a. remain b. hummock c. explore d. between
5. a. territory b. Australia c. geography d. society
III. Choose a, b, c, or d that best completes each unfinished sentence, substitutes the
underlined part, or has a close meaning 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 / an
7. Deserts can be defined as areas that receive ________ average annual precipitation of less
than 250 mm.
a. a b. an c. the d. Ø
8. A _______ is a landscape or region that receives very little precipitation.
a. dune b. desert c. sandy area d. shrub land
9. Deserts are often composed of ________ and rocky surfaces.
a. water b. trees c. oil d. sand
10. Three great stretches of sandy deserts almost circle the center of Australia.
a. dunes b. valleys c. lands d. areas
11. Deserts are also classified by their ________ location and dominant weather pattern.
a. geographical b. aerial c. sandy d. facial
12. Thanks to pictures taken by satellites, deserts have not ________ a mystery in our time.
a. hidden b. intended c. remained d. attained
13. Deserts take ________ one-third of the Earth's land surface.
a. up b. on c. over d. after
14. 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
15. 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
16. More and more ________ are very excited at discovering as many interesting things in
the deserts as possible.
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Practice Tests Unit 9, 10, 11 English 12
a. explores b. explorations c. explorers d. exploratory
17. Can you make a ________ estimate of how much our expedition in the desert may be?
a. rough b. roughly c. roughing d. roughen
18. I want to work as an interpreter in the future, ________, I am studying Russian at
university.
a. but b. so c. however d. therefore
19. 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
20. When she got the news from her family, she could not do anything, ________ cry.
a. but b. and c. so d. however
21. Mrs. Lindon has ________ that she is unable to get a job.
a. but not enough education b. so little education
c. however little education d. such little education
22. That small car, ________, is advertised in many current magazines.
a. so inexpensive and comfortable
b. however inexpensive and comfortable
c. inexpensive but comfortable
d. and inexpensive but comfortable
23. We live in the same building, ________ we have hardly seen each other
a. and b. therefore c. but d. so
24. I went to buy a Rolling Stones CD, ________ the shop didn't have it.
a. and b. but c. therefore d. so
25. Anna needed some money, ________, she took a part-time job.
a. furthermore b. moreover c. however d. therefore
26. Julie has a guitar ________ she plays it really well.
a. and b. so c. but d. therefore
27. My fingers were injured, ________ my sister had to write the note for me.
a. and b. however c. so d. but
28. The concert was cancelled, ________ we went to a nightclub instead.
a. so b. however c. so on d. but
29. The Simpson Desert is in ________ north of ________ Lake Eyre.
a. Ø / Ø b. the / the c. a / the d. the / Ø
30. In the northern part of the Simpson Desert, the dunes are separated by _______ of low,
open shrubland.
a. streets b. ways c. corridors d. lines
31. San Francisco is built on 40 hills and some are very ________.
a. short b. steep c. plain d. stable
32. A ________ is a small raised area of ground, like a very small hill.
a. slope b. hummock c. dune d. shrub
33. We used to climb up the crest of the hill to get a good view of the surroundings.
a. top b. foot c. middle d. face
34. To ________ a desert is a danger activity which requires careful preparation for risks.
a. comprise b. circle c. remain d. explore
35. Scientific ________ help to explore some places and discover more and more remote
parts of the world.
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Practice Tests Unit 9, 10, 11 English 12
a. survey b. lead c. research d. expedition
36. The wind that blows in the desert comes ________ far away waters.
a. for b. with c. in d. from
37. Some sand dunes may be over 200 meters ________ height.
a. with b. at c. on d. in
38. If you look on a map you will see that there is a desert next ________ the Rocky
Mountains in the United States.
a. of b. to c. with d. for
39. This is an expensive ________ very useful book.
a. but b. so c. therefore d. however
40. ________ long it takes, I will wait for you.
a. However b. But c. So d. Therefore
41. I must say that you have done very well. ________, you should be aware that you still
have a lot of thing to learn.
a. Therefore b. So c. But d. However
42. _______ that we stopped for a rest.
a. But we were tired b. So tired were we
c. However we were tired d. Therefore, we were tired
43. He is only sixteen, and ________, he is not eligible to drive a car.
a. nevertheless b. but c. therefore d. however
44. Maria tried to read a novel in French ________ the book was too difficult for her to
understand.
a. so that b. therefore c. but d. and
45. To get from Vancouver to Victoria, you can fly, __ you can ride the ferry.
a. or b. but c. so d. however
46. I bought a bottle of wine ________ we drank it together.
a. therefore b. so c. and d. but
47. The waiter was not very nice, ________, the food was delicious.
a. however b. but c. so d. and so
48. ___ hard he worked, he could earn enough money to support the family.
a. But b. However c. Therefore d. Whatever
49. The hill was so ________ that it took us more than five hours to climb up.
a. sloping b. enormous c. arid d. stable
50. A ________ is a large animal that lives in deserts and is used for carrying goods and
people.
a. slope b. dune c. spinifex d. camel
51. Most deserts are enormous sandy areas.
a. mysterious b. narrow c. immense d. aerial
52. ________ sand covers only about 20 percent of Earth's deserts.
a. A b. An c. The d. Ø
IV. Error Identification.
53. Desert is a large area of land that has very little water however very few
A B C
plants growing on it.
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Practice Tests Unit 9, 10, 11 English 12
D
54. Rain falls occasionally in deserts so desert storms are often violent.
A B C D
55. The Nile River, the Colorado River, but the Yellow River flow through
A B
deserts to deliver their sediments to the sea.
C D
56. Deserts may have underground springs, rivers, or reservoirs they lie
A B
close to the surface, or deep underground.
C D
57. Most plants in deserts have adapted to sporadic rainfalls in a desert
A B C
environments.
D
58. In the Simpson Desert there are difference types of dunes
A B C D
59. Sahara is named after Simpson in 1929
A B C D
60. Space seem to have no limit in the desert
A B C D
V. Read the passage carefully and choose the correct answer.
The Sahara desert in north Africa stretches eastwards from the Atlantic to the Red Sea and
southwards from the Mediterranean to the grasslands and tropical forests of equatorial
Africa. It has an area of about 8 million square kilometres and is the world's largest desert
region. The world’s highest temperatures have been recorded in the Western Sahara. The
traditional inhabitants have been the nomadic Berbers and Arabs moving from oasis to oasis:
but vast areas remain totally uninhabited. There is the evidence of recent severe draughts in
parts of Nigeria and neighbouring countries to suggest that the Sahara is expanding
southwards. On the other hand, there are plans to irrigate some areas; also, the desert has
valuable deposits of oil, iron ore phosphates and uranium.
61. The passage tells us that the Sahara desert _______.
A. contains grasslands and tropical forests
B. is between two oceans to the east and west
C. covers one eighth of Africa
D. has the Red Sea on its eastern boundary
62. The Sahara desert covers an area of _________.
A. more than 8 million square kilometers.
B. less than 8 million square kilometers.
C. approximately 8 million square kilometers.
D. 8 million square kilometers.
63. The Berbers and the Arabs of the Sahara _______.
A. moved to the area in fairly recent times
B. fight over the right to settle in oasis areas
C. inhabit most areas of the Sahara desert
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Practice Tests Unit 9, 10, 11 English 12
D. have not settled in the desert but moved around
64. The word “expanding” is closest in meaning to which of the following?
A. widening B. climbing C. increasing D. gaining
65. We can assume from the passage that the Sahara may prove useful in the future
because_____.
A. it is growing and expanding towards the south
B. there are large amounts of necessary minerals there
C. it may be used to irrigate neighbouring countries
D. it will probably continue to remain uninhabited
VI. Choose the sentence which has the closest meaning to the original one.
66. Slippery as the roads were, they managed to complete the race.
a. The roads were so slippery that they could hardly complete the race.
b. The roads were slippery but they managed to complete the race.
c. The roads were slippery so they could hardly complete the race.
d. The roads were so slippery; therefore, they could hardly complete the race.
67. They decided to go for a picnic though it was very cold.
a. Because it was very cold, they decided to go for a picnic.
b. However cold it was, they decided to go for a picnic.
c. If it had been cold, they would not have gone for a picnic.
d. It was very cold so they decided to go for a picnic.
68. Both Peter and Mary enjoy scientific expedition.
a. It is not Peter, but Mary, that enjoys scientific expedition.
b. Peter enjoys scientific expedition. Therefore, does Mary.
c. However Peter enjoys scientific expedition and Mary does.
d. Peter enjoys scientific expedition, and so does Mary.
69. Because it was an interesting novel, I stayed up all night to finish it.
a. I stayed up all night to finish the novel, therefore, it was interesting.
b. Unless it were an interesting novel, I would stay up all night to finish it.
c. Though it was an interesting novel, I stayed up all night to finish it.
d. So interesting was the novel that I stayed up all night to finish it.
70. He cannot afford a new computer.
a. The new computer is so expensive that he cannot buy it.
b. Therefore, he would buy a new computer.
c. So, he would buy a new computer.
d. The new computer is so expensive but he can buy it
VII. Fill in each numbered blank with one suitable word or phrase.
A desert is hot, dry, sandy place, a desert is (71)_________a beautifull land of silence and
space. The sun shines, the wind (72)_________and time and space seem endless. Nothing is
soft. The sand and the (73)__________are hard, and many of the plants such as the
(74)__________, have hard needles (75)________ of leaves
71. A too B also C with D for
72. A blow B blew C blows D blowing
73. A water B land C rocks D cloud
74. A cactus B pine C grass D coconut
75. A inspite B although C because D instead
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