Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:
The Amazon Rainforest, often referred to as the "lungs of the Earth," is the largest tropical rainforest in the world, covering over 5.5 million square kilometers. It is a vital part of the global ecosystem, home to an estimated 390 billion individual trees divided into 16,000 species. The rainforest plays a crucial role in absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen, thus helping to regulate the Earth's climate.
The Amazon is also a treasure trove of biodiversity. It is estimated that one in ten known species in the world live in the Amazon Rainforest. This includes a myriad of plants, animals, and insects that are found nowhere else on Earth. The forest is home to jaguars, sloths, river dolphins, macaws, and poison dart frogs, among many others.
Deforestation, however, poses a significant threat to this unique ecosystem. Large areas of the rainforest are being cleared for agriculture, mining, and urbanization. This not only leads to the loss of habitat for countless species but also contributes to climate change by releasing stored carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
(A) The Amazon Rainforest is often called …………….
(i) the heart of the Earth (ii) the lungs of the Earth (iii) the brain of the Earth (iv) the soul of the Earth
(b) The Amazon Rainforest covers ……………...
(i) 3.5 million square kilometers (ii) 4.5 million square kilometers (iii) 5.5 million square kilometers (iv) 6.5 million square kilometers
(c) One in ten known species in the world lives in ………………..
(i) the Sahara Desert (ii) the Amazon Rainforest (iii) the Arctic Circle (iv) the Australian Outback
(d) Deforestation in the Amazon leads to …………...
(i) loss of habitat for species (ii) increased carbon dioxide release (iii) contribution to climate change (iv) all of the above
(e) The word in the passage which means the same as ‘unique' is…………
(i) common (ii) myriad (iii) crucial (iv) exclusive