Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:

　　Over vast areas of every continent,the rainfall and vegetation necessary for life are disappearing.Already more than 40 percent of the earth's land is desert or desertlike.About 628 million people—one out of seven—live in these dry regions.In the past,they have managed to survive,but with difficulty.[ZZ(Z]Now largely through problems caused by modern life,their existence is threatened by the slow,steady spread of the earth's deserts.

　　Scientists still do not understand all the complex problems of the desert,but there have been many ideas for saving the land.Sandi Arabia has planted 10 million

　　trees to help keep the sand from taking over fertile areas.The Israelis are aga

　　in using some of the water collection systems left by the ancient people in the

　　Negev desert.They plan to water their orchards with the extra water.Some Sahel farmers still raise cattle on their poor farm land,but before the cattle are sold,

　　they are taken to greener lands in the south to get fat.

　　26. What is the article mainly concerned?

　　A.The problem of spreading desert.

　　B.The rainfall and vegetation in desert areas.

　　C.The water collection systems.

　　D.The difference between modern life and ancient life.

　　27. “one out of seven” refers to____.

　　A.more than a third of the lands' earth

　　B.the percentage of the earth's land that is desert-like

　　C.the number of people who live in dry regions

　　D.a day of a week

　　28. In paragraph 2,“they are taken to the greener lands in the south.”They

　　refers to____.

　　A.the Sahel farm land B.the farmers

　　C.the cattles D.the trees

　　29. How many ideas for saving the land are described?

　　A.Five. B.Two.

　　C.Four. D.Three.

　　30. Which of the following statements is true, according to the passage?

　　A.The earth's desert are slowly spreading.

　　B.One out of 10 people lives in dry regions.

　　C.Their life in the desert is threatened now by traditional problems.

　　D.New water wells can solve the problem in Africa's desert.

　　Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:

　　Telephone, television, radio, and telegraph all help people communicate with

　　each other. Because of these devices, ideas and news of events spread quickly all

　　over the world. For example, within seconds, people can know the results of an

　　election in another country. An international football match comes into the homes

　　of everyone with a television set.News of a disaster such as an earthquake or a

　　flood can bring help from distant countries within hours, help is on the way. Because of modern technology like the satellites that travel around the world, information travels fast.