Cloze activity
Land
Australia's soils are ____ and __________, and are susceptible to
degradation by agricultural activities. Salinity occurs when the ______ table
rises, bringing natural _____ to the surface (in sufficient quantity, these salts
are ______ to most plants). When trees or other deep-rooted vegetation are
replaced with ___________ that uses less water, the water ______ may rise
to cause dryland ________. Dryland salinity ___________ biodiversity,
through loss of habitat on ______ and in water, and also impacts on water
resources, ________, ________ and roads. Areas near water are often worst
affected because they occupy the _______ parts of the landscape where
saline ____________ first reaches the surface.
In 2000, about 46,500 sq kms (4.6 million hectares) of ____________ land
were already affected with a high salinity hazard or in an area at high risk from
shallow watertables. The cost to agricultural _____________ was estimated
at $187 million in 2000, which was less than the cost of other _______ of soil
__________, such as over $1 billion due to acidity in the same year.
However, the costs of salinity go further as it can impact on ___________, as
well as ______ and fauna. The salt contained in rising groundwater levels can
damage bitumen and concrete and so affect ______, footpaths, housing,
pipelines and other _______. In 2000, about 11,800 kms of streams and lake
edges, as well as 1,600 kms of rail and 19,900 kms of roads were _________
or at risk.
Out of order missing word list for the cloze activity:
salts
groundwater
affected
pipelines
structures
houses
replaced
shallow
agricultural
flora
changes
table
threatens
degradation
land
lowest
data
salinity
forms
roads
difficult
toxic
assets
productivity
water
old
Answer:
Australia's soils are old and shallow, and are susceptible to
degradation by agricultural activities. Salinity occurs when the
water table rises, bringing natural salts to the surface (in
sufficient quantity, these salts are toxic to most plants). When
trees or other deep-rooted vegetation are replaced with
vegetation that uses less water, the water table may rise to
cause dryland salinity. Dryland salinity threatens biodiversity,
through loss of habitat on land and in water, and also impacts on
water resources, pipelines, houses and roads. Areas near water
are often worst affected because they occupy the lowest parts of
the landscape where saline groundwater first reaches the
surface.
In 2000, about 46,500 sq kms (4.6 million hectares) of
agricultural land were already affected with a high salinity
hazard or in an area at high risk from shallow watertables. The
cost to agricultural productivity was estimated at $187 million in
2000, which was less than the cost of other forms of soil
degradation, such as over $1 billion due to acidity in the same
year.
However, the costs of salinity go further as it can impact on
structures, as well as flora and fauna. The salt contained in
rising groundwater levels can damage bitumen and concrete
and so affect roads, footpaths, housing, pipelines and other
assets. In 2000, about 11,800 kms of streams and lake edges,
as well as 1,600 kms of rail and 19,900 kms of roads were
affected or at risk.