Q96. Updated reading and writing fill in the blanks

Reading and Writing fill in the blanks practice exercise. Below is text with blanks. Choose the correct word for each blank to complete the text. 

One of the crazier ideas for dealing with global warming is to sprinkle the oceans with iron filings. One reason the sea (unlike the land) is not covered with plants is that it lacks (1……………) nutrients—iron, in particular. Add iron, the theory goes, and you will promote the growth of algae. These will (2…………..) carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and then conveniently sink when they die. Thus, over the course of a few decades, the concentration of the gas in the atmosphere will return to preindustrial levels. Presto! Problem solved.

The law of unintended (3………………..) argues against doing any ‘such thing, of course. But an experiment carried out a decade ago in the Southern Ocean suggests that the underlying idea is sound—and at a conference in Oxford this week, John Munford, an independent British researcher, suggested that a more (4…………..) version of the “fertilise the oceans ”project might indeed help to stop climate change.

Mr Munford’s proposal is to harvest the algae, rather than allowing them to die and sink. He notes that many species of algae (5………….) a far denser punch energy-wise than the plants now used as energy crops. In particular, they produce oils of the sort valued as biodiesel, and are attracting a lot of attention from scientists and entrepreneurs looking for fuels to replace mineral oil.

1. Central, crucial, decisive, imperative
2. Soak, engage, absorb, employ
3. Consequences, penalties, price, reprisal
4. Reserved, modest, plain, evident
5. Press, pack, cram, push

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