Read the text and answer the following questions. (2)

After flying about 7,000 kilometers southeast from Japan, you will see from the plane a tiny island nation on the beautiful blue ocean. It is called Tuvalu. The country lies in the middle of the Pacific just (a)below the equator, about 1,000 kilometers north of Fiji. It has nine small islands and has a land area of only 26 square kilometers with its highest point just five meters above sea level. Tuvalu has a population of around 11,000 people, most of whom live in the capital city, Funafuti. The Tuvaluans lead a cooperative life, living ( c ) their surroundings and enjoying the benefits of nature. To ( d ), they catch fish in the coastal waters and grow coconuts, bananas, and pulaka in their fields. Such a peaceful way of life has lasted for more than two thousand years, but now it is ( e ) disappearing. For some reason, all the islands are now sinking slowly but steadily into the ocean. They are vanishing from the face of the earth. From February until April, something strange happens on the islands at high tide: seawater comes out through small holes in the ground twice a day. This is because the soil of the islands is made up of sediments of coral reef, and water easily passes through these sediments. Consequently, as the tide rises, the land becomes filled with water like a sponge. This is happening on some parts of the island. Take a look at the pictures below. Normally there is no water in the square but as the tide rises, puddles start to appear. The puddles get bigger and bigger and are joined by other puddles. Very quickly, a large area of land becomes flooded with seawater. The water goes up to a level of 50 centimeters or higher in some areas, and it sometimes takes days for the water to go down. One man said, “We used to drink the well water until about ten years ago, but now we can't drink it. We can't use it for farming, either. The well water has too much salt in it. Seawater crabs are now living inside the well.” Pointing to his pulaka field, he sighed. “We had to give up growing pulaka. Pulaka cannot survive once their roots are soaked with seawater. Growing it here is just a waste of time.” It became difficult to grow many other vegetables on the island as well. As a result, the Tuvaluans ( f ) but to depend on food brought in from foreign countries. They were beginning to lose their traditional way of life. The fact that Tuvalu is surrounded by the sea was once a blessing for the Tuvaluans, but now, that same sea ( g ) take away their homes and way of life. Along the shores were many sandy beaches with palm trees, where children once gathered and played. Such places do not exist anymore. High tides and strong winds have eaten away almost all the sand as well as palm trees which once lined the shores. “We will stay in this country until we die,” said one elderly woman. “Even if it goes down into the sea, I will not leave this island. Our children may have to go away. I want them to live happily in a new place. But I will stay where I am. This is my home.” What this small island nation is facing is not just a local problem but also a global (b)one. It is believed that daily human activities, especially in industrialized countries, have a lot to do with global warming. Every day we produce a huge amount of greenhouse gases by burning things such as fossil fuels and garbage. Many scientists think that this is speeding up global warming, which ( h ) melting of polar ice and rising of the sea level. One report shows that the sea level may rise by as much as 88 centimeters in the next 100 years. Tuvalu is not the only nation that is going to be affected by the rising sea level. If the sea level continues to rise, coastlines of many other larger countries, including some of Japan's, will also be under the sea. Tuvalu is now in a critical stage of its long history. The people will lose their homeland if global warming continues. This means that a unique culture that took thousands of years to build will not be ( i ) to future generations. Can you imagine losing your homeland forever? Such a tragedy may happen to us in the future, if we do not act quickly. The future of Tuvalu and the earth is ( j ). 1 Choose the most appropriate answer for these questions. (1) What happens at high tide from February until April in Tuvalu? ① Seawater becomes full of the land. ② Seawater becomes to fill the land. ③ Seawater fills the land. ④ Seawater gets to be filled with the land. (2) In what place do Tuvaluans live? ① They live in a place as high as Sumiyoshi High School. ② They live in a place higher than 5 meters above sea level. ③ They live in a place lower than 5 meters above sea level. ④ They live under the water. (3) What is believed to have a lot to do with global warming? ① Daily human activities, especially in industrialized countries, are. ② Daily human activities, especially in industrialized countries, has. ③ Daily human activities, especially in industrialized countries, have. ④ Daily human activities, especially in industrialized countries, is. (4) Why didn’t the elderly woman want to leave Tuvalu? ① Because her children have to go away. ② Because it goes down into the sea. ③ Because it is her home. ④ Because she wants to live happily in a new place. (5) Why can’t some Tuvaluans drink well water these days? ① Because the well water has too much salt in it. ② Because the wells have dried up. ③ Because there are too many sea crabs in the wells. ④ Because they don’t feel well. 2 Paraphrase the underlined phrases of (a) and (b). (a) ① a long way from the equator ② on the equator ③ to the north of the equator ④ to the south of the equator (b) ① home ② island ③ nation ④ problem 3 Are the following sentences true or false? Write T or F. (1) Tuvalu lies about 7,000 kilometers southeast of Japan. (2) The islands of Tuvalu are made up of coral reef sediments. (3) There are still a lot of sandy beaches in Tuvalu, where Tuvaluans can enjoy spending time. 4 Fill in the blanks (c) to (j) using idioms from the box on page 4. Change word forms if necessary.