Choose from the list the best phrases to fill the spaces. Some of the phrases on the list are unsuitable.

VANISHING FORESTS

A recent report from the United Nations indicates that the world's tropical forests are vanishing faster (01) ....................... Up to 50 million acres a year are disappearing, almost the area of West Germany, 50 per cent more than expected. The World Resources Institute, (02) ......................, says (03) ...................... was "a tragedy for the biological richness of the earth and an ominous signal for the climatic conditions of the future." About 100 forest species become extinct every day, with irreparable loss of part of the world's genetic resources. The report says that deforestation accounts for a third of the world's emissions of carbon dioxide, the biggest cause of global warming.

The loss of the forests is largely the result of overpopulation. Hungry landless masses in Africa, South America and Asia compete with commercial logging for the available resources. At the moment, the landless masses are winning. The overwhelming bulk of the wood and timber of tropical forests is burnt where it stands. (04) ...................... , only 17 per cent goes for industrial use. The rest is used for firewood. The concept (05) ...................... is predominant. It is the central reality of the deforestation crisis. In 1988, 60 million acres of Rondonia in the Brazilian Amazon was burnt for grazing and cropland. Billions of dollars worth of timber went up in smoke, wasted because there was no ready economic market for it. The forest was seen to have more value as agricultural land (06) ...................... .

A. that natural forest is spare land ready for agriculture

B. than as woodland

C. which compiled the report

D. that it is wasteful

E. than as standing forests to be harvested

F. than previously thought

G. that there would be little timber remaining

H. that the rising rate of deforestation

Exercise Answers

CAE Index

©English Teaching Systems February 2005