I. Write the pronunciation of the underlined letter(s) in each of the following words. Use a dictionary if you need to.

1. desert 6. aerial 11. expedition 16. spinifex

2. animal 7. cactus 12. hummock 17. corridor

3. slope 8. camel 13. route 18. European

4. stretch 9. colony 14. pale 19. Australia

5. plant 10. dune 15. survey 20. aborigine

II. Fill in each blank with an appropriate word from the box.

aerial rainfall desert expeditions hummock colonies crest slopes dunes network

1. The Sahara is the largest on the African continent.

2. Deserts cover about one fifth of the Earth’s surface and occur where is less than 50 cm/year.

3. In areas such as mountain , the soil is shallow, rocky or gravely with good drainage.

4. The Simpson desert remained a mystery until Madigan made a survey in 1929.

5. Some of the sand

6. He had made two in the Sahara can reach 180 metters in height to the Gobi Desert to study desert plants.

7. She half-stumbled over a of grass as she rushed towards her mother.

8. Beneath the city lies a labyrinthine of tunnels.

9. Most of the British in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean achieved independence.

10. It took us over an hour to reach the of the hill.

III. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the word in brackets.

1. The Sahara desert is sparsely covered with various types of _ ranging from grasses, shrubs, and trees. (vegetable)

2. Deserts typically have a plant cover that is sparse but diverse. (enormous)

3. More than a billion people all over the world are under the threat of desert. (expand)

4. Technological progress has boosted the of the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, (explore)

5. The deserts of Patagonia are expanding due to (desert)

6. A wide base will make the structure much more . (stabilize)

7. The soil was and nothing seemed to grow in it. (sand)

8. Deserts have been growing at a speed within the last 100 years, (frighte