Question

oases (fertile areas) and farmlands in windy regions can be protected by planting tree fences or grass belts. sand that manages to pass through the grass belts can be caught in strips of trees planted as wind breaks 50 to 100 meters apart adjacent to the belts. small plots of trees may also be scattered inside oases to stabilize the area. on a much larger scale, a \green wall,\ which will eventually stretch more than 5,700 kilometers in length, much longer than the famous great wall, is being planted in northeastern china to protect \sandy lands\--deserts believed to have been created by human activity.
more efficient use of existing water resources and control of salinization (increasing the salt content of soil) are other effective tools for improving arid lands. new ways are being sought to use surface-water resources such as rainwater harvesting or irrigating with seasonal runoff from adjacent highlands. new ways are also being sought to find and tap groundwater resources and to develop more effective ways of irrigating arid and semiarid lands. research on the reclamation (restoring to its original state) of deserts also is focusing on discovering proper crop rotation to protect the fragile soil, on understanding how sand-fixing plants can be adapted to local environments, and on how grazing lands and water resources can be developed effectively without being overused.
if we are to stop and reverse the degradation of arid and semiarid lands, we must understand how and why the rates of climate change, population growth, and food production adversely (negative or damaging) affect these environments. the most effective intervention can come only from the wise use of the best earth - science information available.
questions 1 - 14: match each term from the article to its correct definition. write the letter next to the term.
substrate a dry
drought b destruction
sand fences c physical surface of the soil
marginal lands d degradation of formerly productive land
salinization e long - term lack of precipitation
arid f lands with poor agricultural potential
deterioration g general agreement
adversely h decline in quality
degradation i how vulnerable
consensus j barrier made of wood slats or synthetic fabric
reclamation k oases
desertification l increasing the salt content of the soil
oases m restoring to its original state
susceptibility n negative or damaging

Explanation:

• Substrate: Refers to the physical surface of the soil, which is described in the context of arid land management.
• Drought: A long - term lack of precipitation, a key factor in arid and semi - arid regions.
• Sand fences: Barriers made of wood slats or synthetic fabric to manage sand movement.
• Marginal lands: Lands with poor agricultural potential, often found in arid areas.
• Salinization: Increasing the salt content of the soil, a problem addressed in the text.
• Arid: Dry, a characteristic of the regions discussed.
• Deterioration: Decline in quality, related to the degradation of lands.
• Adversely: Negative or damaging, as in affecting environments negatively.
• Degradation: Degradation of formerly productive land, a major issue.
• Consensus: General agreement, though not explicitly detailed in the text but a common term.
• Reclamation: Restoring to its original state, a goal in desert research.
• Desertification: Degradation of land leading to desert - like conditions.
• Oases: Fertile areas in arid regions, as described.
• Susceptibility: How vulnerable, relevant to understanding land degradation.

Answer:

Substrate - C, Drought - E, Sand fences - J, Marginal lands - F, Salinization - L, Arid - A, Deterioration - H, Adversely - N, Degradation - D, Consensus - G, Reclamation - M, Desertification - B, Oases - K, Susceptibility - I