IV. Read the passage and choose the correct answer to complete the passage.
A drought is a period or condition of unusually dry weather within a geographic area where rainfall is normally present. During a drought there is a (1) ______ of precipitation. Droughts occur in all climatic zones. However, its characteristics vary significantly (2) ______ one region to another.
Its (3) ________ depends on the degree of the water shortage, size of area affected, and the duration and warmth of the dry period. In many underdeveloped countries, such as India, people place a great  demand on water supply. During a drought period (4) ________ is a lack of water, and thus many of the poor die.
(5) ________ drought cannot be reliably predicted, certain precautions can be taken in drought-risk areas. These include construction of reservoirs to hold emergency water supplies, education to avoid over cropping and overgrazing, and programs to limit settlement in drought-prone areas.
1. A. addition           B. abundance             C. lack                 D. success
2. A. from                B. at                           C. with                  D. during
3. A. serious             B. seriousness             C. seriously         D. series
4. A. have                 B. there                      C. where               D. these
5. A. Although         B. However                C. Besides            D. Because
 Read the passage and answer the following questions.
New Zealand is a small country in the southern Pacific Ocean. There are two main islands, the North Island and the South Island, as (1) _______ as many smaller islands. New Zealand is 268,000 square kilometres, about the same size as the United Kingdom.
There are four main cities. Auckland, in the north, is the largest city with a population (2) _______ over one million people. Auckland's population includes many different nationalities. For example, there are large groups of European, Maori, Pacific Island, Chinese and Indian people. Together with other smaller groups, they make Auckland an interesting and (3) _______ place to live.
Although Wellington is the capital, the centre of government, it is smaller and (4) _______ than Auckland with a population of 350,000. The main cities in the South Island are Christchurch, known as the Garden City, and Dunedin, which is often (5) _______ to a small Scottish city.
1. A. good                   B. well                      C. better                     D. same
2. A. of                        B. with                      C. to                           D. from
3. A. excitement         B. excited                   C. exciting                 D. excite
4. A. more quiet          B. quietly                    C. most quiet             D. quieter
5. A. compared           B. to compare             C. been compared      D. comparing