Use of English

Scientists have found signs of life on one (0)__A__ the world’s newest islands, just four years after it was created by a volcanic eruption. Unofficially known (1)____ Hunga TongaHunga Ha’apai, it lies in the kingdom of Tonga, and is already nurturing pink flowering plants and seabirds.

• for

• like

• with

• as

Tonga is (2)____ up of over 170 islands in the Pacific Ocean, east of Australia.

• making

• make

• made

• makes

The unusual island was born (3)____ December 2014 after an underwater volcano erupted, sending a stream of steam, ash and rock into the air.

• from

• on

• at

• in

(4)____ the ash finally settled, it mixed with the seawater and hardened.

• When

• Why

• Where

• Which

A month later, the new island (5)____.

• are formed

• were formed

• was formed

• is formed

Underwater eruptions can sometimes form little islands, but they usually have shorter life-spans. However, this is one of only three new islands that have appeared in the last 150 years and lasted more (6)____ a few months.

• than

• then

• long

• longer

NASA researcher Dan Slayback found a light-coloured, sticky clay mud on the volcanic mass, which was (7)____ that left him confused.

• anything

• something

• nothing

• everything

In 2017 NASA predicted that the island could last between six and 30 years. Now it seems that rain is destroying the ground, so, if heavy rain (8)____, there is a real chance that the island might only be there for a decade or so.

• continued

• will continue

• continues

• continue

Despite this, the fact that (9)____ island exists at all is astonishing.

• an

• a

• -

• the

“We (10)____ one chance to see an island like this since we got modern satellite imagery. It’s a fascinating volcano,” said the volcanologist.

• have only had

• only has

• only have

• had only had