8. According to paragraph 9, the ground’s absorption of excess water is a factorin desertification because it can

　　A.Interferewith the irrigation of land

　　B.Limitthe evaporation of water

　　C.Requiremore absorption of air by the soil

　　D.Bringsalts to the surface

　　9. Allof the following are mentioned in the passage as contributing todesertification EXCEPT

　　A.Soilerosion

　　B.Globalwarming

　　C.Insufficientirrigation

　　D.Theraising of livestock

　　10. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in thehighlighted sentence in the passage?

　　A.Desertificationis a significant problem because it is so hard to reverse and affects largeareas of land and great numbers of people.

　　B.Slowingdown the process of desertification is difficult because of population growththat has spread over large areas of land.

　　C.Thespread of deserts is considered a very serious problem that can be solved onlyif large numbers of people in various countries are involved in the effort.

　　D.Desertificationis extremely hard to reverse unless the population is reduced in the vast areasaffected.

　　11. Itcan be inferred from the passage that the author most likely believes which ofthe following about the future of desertification?

　　A.Governmentswill act quickly to control further desertification.

　　B.Thefactors influencing desertification occur in cycles and will change in thefuture.

　　C.Desertificationwill continue to increase.

　　D.Desertificationwill soon occur in all areas of the world.

　　12. Look at the four squares [■] thatindicate where the following sentence can be added to the passage.Where wouldthe sentence best fit?

　　Thiseconomic reliance on livestock in certain regions makes large tracts of landsusceptible to overgrazing.

　　■【A】The raising of livestock is a major economic activity in semiaridlands, where grasses are generally the dominant type of natural vegetation. ■【B】Theconsequences of an excessive number of livestock grazing in an area are thereduction of the vegetation cover and the trampling and pulverization of thesoil. ■【C】This is usually followed by the drying of the soil and acceleratederosion.■【D】

　　13. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage isprovided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices thatexpress the most important ideas in the passage. Some answer choices do notbelong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in thepassage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.

　　Manyfactors have contributed to the great increase in desertification in recentdecades.

　　A.Growinghuman populations and the agricultural demands that come with such growth haveupset the ecological balance in some areas and led to the spread of deserts.

　　B.Asperiods of severe dryness have become more common, failures of a number ofdifferent crops have increased.

　　C.Excessivenumbers of cattle and the need for firewood for fuel have reduced grasses andtrees, leaving the land unprotected and vulnerable.

　　D.Extensiveirrigation with poor drainage brings salt to the surface of the soil, a processthat reduces water and air absorption.

　　E.Animaldung enriches the soil by providing nutrients for plant growth.

　　F.Grassesare generally the dominant type of natural vegetation in semiarid lands.

　　tpo2閱讀真題part2答案

　　1-6.BBAADC

　　7-12.DDCACB

　　13.ACD