Articles & Prepositions 1 + Answers

Complete the following passage with the correct articles or prepositions. Put an “X” if no article or preposition is needed. (10 marks)

 

Since the earliest times, trees have always been very useful and important to man who made use of them 1) ____ numerous ways for his daily life. Even today there are so many useful ways in which trees continue to serve man.

 

They provide man 2) ____ food, fuel 3) ____ burning and building material in the form of wood. 4) ____ trees, it would be impossible to build houses, boats and even bridges. Furniture such as tables, chairs and cupboards is also made 5) ____ wood.

 

In the tropics, where it is very warm throughout the year, trees protect man from the fierce heat of the sun. They are also useful in preventing good and fertile top soil from being washed away 6) ____ heavy rains which are so common in 7) ____ tropics.

 

If there are no trees or vegetation of some sort to hold back the soil with their roots, heavy rains will wash away the rich surface soil which is so essential 8) ____ agriculture. The result is that 9) ____ land becomes useless and unproductive.

 

There are many desert areas in the world. A long time ago, these areas must have been very rich, fertile areas, but 10) ____ ignorant people in ancient times cut down trees indiscriminately and they never bothered to plant new ones. Strong winds gradually blew away rich surface soil and eventually the land was turned into useless deserts where nothing can grow.

 

 

 

Articles and prepositions (10 marks)

 

1. in	6. during / by
2. with	7. the  ( some : wrong)
3. for	8. for / to
4. Without	9. the (a : wrong)
5. from / with / of	10. X / the