C. It has many undiscovered things. D. It is the smallest country in the world.

23. Which of the following should be introduced to animal lovers?

A. Montserrat B. Comoros.

C. French Guiana. D. Liechtenstein

　　B

　　A desert is a beautiful land of silence and space. The sun shines, the wind blows, and time and space seem endless. Nothing is soft. The sand and rocks are hard, and many of the plants even have hard needles instead of leaves.

　　The size and location of the world's deserts are always changing. Over millions of years, as climates change and mountains rise, new dry and wet areas develop. But within the last 100 years, deserts have been growing at a frightening speed. This is partly because of natural changes, but the greatest makers are humans.

　　Humans can make deserts, but humans can also prevent their growth. Mauritania is planting a similar wall around Nouakchott, the capital. Iran puts a thin covering of oil on sandy areas and plants trees. The oil keeps the water and small trees in the land, and men on motorcycles keep the sheep and goats away. The USSR and India are building long canals to bring water to desert areas.

24. In this passage, the underlined word "needles" refers to ________.

　　A. thin, hard, pointed leaf B. long, thin pieces of branches

　　C. small, thin pieces of steel D. small, thin pieces of sticks

25. Which of the following is NOT true?

　　A. The greatest desert makers are human beings.

　　B. The size of the deserts is always changing.

　　C. Deserts have been growing quickly.

　　D. There aren't any living things in the deserts.

26. People in some countries are fighting a battle against ________.

　　A. the growth of deserts B. desert climate

　　C. natural changes D. the disappearance of desert

27. What does the author want to tell us?

　　A. Deserts are lands of hardness, silence and space.

B. The deserts of the world are changing from time to time.