Summarize in not more than 120 words, describing the life in deserts.

1
As what geographers have estimated, about twenty percent of the earth's surface is occupied
by deserts. A majority of us view deserts as one unique kind of landscape -- areas with little
or no rainfalls.
In actual fact, there are differences between the deserts, though in varying degrees. While it is
common for laymen like us to see deserts as rocky or covered with gravel or pebbles, there
are some where large sand dunes inhabit. Despite the fact that rainfall is minimal,
temperatures do change in deserts, ranging from seasonal ones to daily changes where
extreme hotness and coldness are experienced in the day and night.

Unfavourable conditions in the deserts, especially the lack of water, have discouraged many
living things from inhabiting these landscapes. Nevertheless, there are exceptionally
surviving ones which through their superb tactics, have managed to live through and are still
going strong. One such kind is the specialist annual plants which overcome seasonal
temperature changes with their extremely short, active life cycles. In events of sudden rain,
the plant seeds pullulate and grow very quickly to make full use of the rain water. Their
flowers bloom and set seeds that ripen quickly in the hot sun too. Once the water runs dry, the
mother plant dies, leaving behind the drought-resistant seeds, waiting patiently for the next
rainy season to arrive.

The Cacti, a native in American deserts, adapts to the dry surroundings by having unique
body structures. The plant has swollen stems to help store water that carries it through
months. By having sharp pines instead of leaves, water loss through respiration is minimized.
Besides, these pointed pines also help the plant ward off grazing animals, thus enhancing its
survival period.

Besides plants, there are also animals with distinct surviving tactics in deserts too. For
instance, Skinks ( desert lizards ) metabolize stored fats in their bulbous tails, producing
water to supplement their needs, just like what camels do with the stored food in their humps
during long journeys through deserts. Antelopes like the addax, have very low water needs
and hence are able to tolerate the conditions in deserts, extracting moisture from the food they
eat.

Finally, there are the sandgrouses ( desert birds ) which do not have special features to
overcome the drought-like nature in deserts. Hence, to survive in these hot, dry deserts, they
need to spend a large part of their time flying in search of waterholes.
Answer

Despite the dry conditions in the deserts, some plants and animals still manage to survive
there. One of them is the specialist annual plants. Their short life cycles allow them to
germinate, grow and produce seeds during short rainy seasons. These seeds are drought-
resistant and are able to wait for the next rainy season before starting their life cycles again.
The Cacti adapts to the dry weather by having swollen stems for water storage and pine-like
leaves to minimize water loss through respiration. Skinks generate water from stored fats in
their tails and antelopes which requires very little water, survives in deserts by extracting
water from food they eat. Finally, sandgrouse with no adaptive features turn to waterholes
constantly for help. ( 119 words )

gravel Small pieces of rocks and stones

pullulate breed or spread prolifically or rapidly.

bulbous like a bulb

1
Summarize in not more than 120 words, the various communicative methods practiced by

animals in the wild. 2

Communication is part of our everyday life. We greet one another, smile or frown, depending
on our moods. Animals too, communicate, much to our surprise. Just like us, interaction
among animals can be both verbal or non-verbal.
Singing is one way in which animals can interact with one another. Male blackbirds often use
their melodious songs to catch the attention of the females. These songs are usually rich in
notes variation, encoding various kinds of messages. Songs are also used to warn and keep
off other blackbirds from their territory, usually a place where they dwell and reproduce.

Large mammals in the oceans sing too, according to adventurous sailors. Enormous whales
groan and grunt while smaller dolphins and porpoises produce pings, whistles and clicks.
These sounds are surprisingly received by other mates as far as several hundred kilometers
away.

Besides singing, body language also forms a large part of animals' communication tactics.
Dominant hyenas exhibit their power by raising the fur hackles on their necks and shoulders,
while the submissive ones normally "surrender" to the powerful parties by crouching their
heads low and curling their lips a little, revealing their teeth in friendly smiles.

Colors, which are most conspicuously found on animals are also important means of
interaction among animals. Male birds of paradise, which have the most gaudy colored
feathers often hang themselves upside down from branches, among fluffing plumes,
displaying proudly their feathers, attracting the opposite sex.

The alternating black and white striped coats of zebras have their roles to play too. Each
zebra is born with a unique set of stripes which enables its mates to recognize them. When
grazing safely, their stripes are all lined up neatly so that none of them loses track of their
friends. However, when danger such as a hungry lion approaches, the zebras would dart out
in various directions, making it difficult for the lion to choose his target.

Insects such as the wasps, armed with poisonous bites or stings, normally have brightly
painted bodies to remind other predators of their power. Hoverflies and other harmless insects
also make use of this fact and colored their bodies brightly in attempts to fool their predators
into thinking that they are as dangerous and harmful as the wasps too.
Answer

Animals make use of various kinds of communicative methods. Male blackbirds sing to
attract female ones and also to keep other blackbirds off their dwellings. Mammals in the
oceans like whales, 'sing' to interact with their mates far away too. Dominating hyenas raise
their fur hackles in attempts to exhibit power while submissive ones crouch their heads and
'smile' to express respects. Birds of paradise attract female partners by displaying their
colorful feathers while the stripes of zebras not only enable them to recognize each other, but
also divert the predator's attention in times of danger. Finally, dangerous wasps are brightly
colored to warn off others while some harmless ones try to fool their predators by using the
same principle.
( 119 words )

dwell to live in a particular way

conspicuously very noticeable and tending to attract attention

gaudy unpleasantly bright in colour

2
Make a summary of not more than 120 words, describing the various means of transportation.

3
The means of transportation has changed and improved over many centuries. Long ago,
during the times of the kings and knights, animals such as horses, buffaloes and camels were
used by man for transportation purposes. These animals no doubt did save man from
traveling by foot, they took a long time to complete the journeys, especially when
transporting goods.
In 1825, George Stephenson's opening of the first railway marked a significant progress in
the history of transportation. Railways were in popular demand because they could carry
more people and loads. More importantly, they ran faster than animals. Railways improved
the communication networks and hence, imports and exports of goods and people traveling
out of their towns or even countries to work were made possible. Unfortunately, since the
invention of motor vehicles, the popularity of railways has declined.

Motor vehicles were first invented in the eighteenth century. These vehicles were preferred
by many people as they do not run on tracks and hence do not have fixed routes. Travelers
can then plan their own routes to suit their convenience. This is especially so when the
destinations are places like small towns or remote areas. In these places, few or even none of
the trains ever reach them; so traveling by the motor vehicle would solve this problem. Over
many years of modifications, the motor vehicle is now one of the most commonly used
means of transportation. Today, we travel in cars, taxis, buses, lorries or vans almost every
day.

Another form of transportation is by water. It may be the slowest but definitely the cheapest
form of bulk transportation. Though over the centuries of innovations, water transportation
has improved from the ancient wind dependent yachts to the modern motor driven ships,
journeys by water are still characterized by the dangers and unpredictability of meeting
natural disasters like the storms.

The evolution of world transportation has reached its pinnacle with the invention of airplanes.
Transportation by planes is the easiest and fastest. Planes gliding smoothly in the air, are not
obstructed by seas, hills, buildings and so on. Though convenient, this means of transport is
the most expensive. Despite the popular demand, the transportation network of the planes is
still not a balanced and complete one till today. Developed countries tend to make use of air
transportation more frequently than the less developed ones as they do more exporting and
importing of goods and also have more people traveling to and fro their countries. Hence, the
networks in these developed countries are denser.
Answer

In ancient times, man made use of animals like the horses to transport themselves and goods.
The journeys usually took a long time. Trains were preferred to animals since its invention, as
they carry more people and goods and travel faster. Motor vehicles proved more superior to
trains as they do not run on rails. Hence, they are able to reach small towns and remote areas
where tracks are not available. Traveling via waters man be slow but it is the cheapest form of
bulk transportation. However, journeys by water are often characterized by the danger of
meeting a storm. Traveling by plane is the most convenient but expensive way and thus we
do not use it for daily purposes. ( 120 words )

loads things to be done

bulk in large amounts

pinnacle the most successful or admirable part of a system or achievement

3
4
Summarize in not more than 120 words, the advantages and disadvantages of advertisements.

We are bombarded by many advertisements every day. Vendors try all means and ways to
gain our attention and sell us their products or services. Advertisements appear everywhere;
on television programs, radios, in the papers, magazines, pamphlets and so on.
Advertisements are actually very useful though we sometimes feel annoyed when they
interrupt our favorite television programs. They provide us with free information on the
products and services. There are two types of advertisements. The informative advertisements
are the ones which provide us with the details of the products or services. This information is
especially useful if the product or service is new. For instance, when we need to buy a
computer, advertisements describing the latest models and their different functions would be
extremely helpful. However, only a minority of the advertisements are informative ones.
Many of them belong to the second category -- the persuasive kind. These advertisements not
only tell us more about the products, at the same time, they persuade customers to buy them
by claiming that their products are superior to the rivalry ones. These claims may sometimes
be untrue.

Besides being informative and persuasive, advertisements also help to subsidize the prices of
magazines and newspapers. Our newspapers are sold at a low price of about one dollar,
owing to the advertisements in the papers; otherwise, the price would have been higher.

While advertisements can be good helpers for shopping, they do have their shortcomings.
Most advertisements aim to sell only. Faults of the products or services are usually hidden
from the consumers. Hence, sometimes, we feel deceived if the product or service we bought
does not turn out the way the advertisements claim to be.

Sometimes, advertisements by rival competitors can get very intensive, especially when there
are many firms producing similar products. One common example is the washing powder.
There are so many advertisements for the different brands that customers sometimes get
confused over what they should buy. Furthermore, having more advertisements would mean
that the production cost of the firm would be increased. These rises in cost are usually passed
on to the consumers in the form of higher prices.

Hence, in conclusion, though I do advocate advertisements, I do not deny their flaws. Without
them, we might have to buy things based on incomplete information or go through more
complicated ways before getting to know the products or services. On the other hand, too
many advertisements also complicate our buying decisions. So I would say that we cannot
live without advertisements but we must be careful how we live with them.
Answer

There are two types of advertisements. Informative advertisements provide consumers

information about the products or services. They are especially useful when we are
purchasing new products. The second kind is the persuasive ones which provide us with
products information and also persuade us to buy them by claiming the superiority of their
products. Advertisements also benefit readers of newspapers and magazines by helping to
subsidize the prices. One disadvantage of advertisements is that they sometimes aim to sell
only and cover up the flaws of the advertised products. Consumer may sometimes get
confused over buying decisions when too many advertisements are advertise. Advertising
also raises the production costs which in turn increases the prices of the products too.
( 120words )

persuasive to make someone do or believe something by giving them a good

reason to do it

rivalry competing with others for the same thing

advocate to publicly support or suggesting an idea

4
Summarize in your own words, the advantages and disadvantages of owning a television.

Your account should not be more than 120 words. 5

With the invention of televisions, many forms of entertainments have been replaced. Lively
programs like television serials and world news, have removed from us the need to read
books or papers, to listen to radios or even to watch movies. In fact, during the 1970s, when
televisions were first introduced, cinema theatres suffered great losses as many people chose
to stay in the comforts of their homes to watch their favorite programs.
Indeed, the television brings the world into our house. Hence, by staying at home and
pressing some buttons world happenings are immediately presented before us. Children
nowadays develop faster in language, owing to the early exposure to television programs. At
such tender age, it would be difficult for them to read books or papers. Thus, television
programs are a good source of learning for them. Furthermore, pronunciations by the
newscasters, actors or actresses are usually standardized, hence young children watching
these programs will learn the 'right' pronunciations too. Owning a television is also extremely
beneficial to working parents who are usually too busy or tired to take their kids out for
entertainments. Surrounded by the comforts of their home, the family can have a chance to
get together and watch their favorite television programs.

Of course, we should not be too carried away by the advantages of the television and
overlook its negative points. Watching television programs takes away our need to read. Why
bother to read the papers when we can hear them from the television news reports? Why read
books when exciting movies are screened? The lack of reading is unhealthy especially to
younger children as they will grow up only with the ability to speak but not write. I have a
neighbor whose six-year-old child can say complete sentences like "I like cats," but when told
to write out the sentence, is unable to do so. Not only are the writing skills of children
affected, their thinking capacities are also handicapped. Television programs remove the need
to think. The stories, ideas and facts are woven in the way television planners wanted.
Exposure to such opinions and the lack of thinking opportunities will hinder the children's
analyzing ability.

Despite the disadvantages of watching television programs, personally, I think that choosing
the 'middle path', which is to do selective television viewing and not over indulging in the
habit should be the best solution to reconcile both the merits and demerits of owning a
television.
Answer

The television keeps us informed of the world affairs. Early exposure to television programs
helps to develop language skills of young children. These children can also learn to
pronounce words accurately because of the standardized pronunciation in the programs. In a
family where both the parents are working, the television provides the family an opportunity
to get together at leisure times. One disadvantages of watching television programs is that we
do less reading and hence our writing skills are affected. Younger children may learn to speak
but not write from television programs. Furthermore, television programs often spare
viewers, especially the young ones, from pondering upon opinions presented before them,
which will in turn handicap their ability analyse facts.. ( 119 words )

tender age A young age

newscaster someone who reads out the reports on a television or radio news
program

indulge to allow yourself to have something enjoyable, especially more than is good
for you