3/11 Rain

Farmers pray for rain in times of drought. Most of us have experience of wanting the heavens to open for our garden to be watered during ​ (a)   . However, none of us can imagine ​ (b)   lasting two million years. U.K. geologist and forensic scientist Alastair Ruffell has discovered that 200-300 million years ago, before the single landmass of Pangea separated into continents, Earth did see ​ (c)   it rained non-stop for up to two million years. Dr Ruffell said this helped forge the development of flora and fauna all over the globe. He believes the precipitation may have been sparked by ​ (d)   following a series of massive volcanic eruptions.

• an excessively dry spell
• a prolonged period of rain
• an era during which
• a huge rise in humidity

Dr Ruffell and his team ​ (a)   conducted on strata of rock in the Eastern Alps in Europe in the 1970s and 80s. The data showed unusual layers deposited in ancient rock that dated back over 200 million years. Ruffell said this led to ​ (b)   that the wet period may have been, "the trigger that enabled dinosaurs, and possibly the other members of our modern ​ (c)   fauna, to diversify and dominate the land". He added: "It may have been one of the most important events in the history of life, in terms of its role in allowing not only ​ (d)   , but also the origins of most key classes that form the modern fauna of…turtles, crocodiles, lizards and mammals."

• based their findings on research
• growing evidence
• land-based
• the age of dinosaurs

Match the following

• 1. times of drought

• percipitation may have been sparked by

• 1. and fauna

• for our garden to be watered during an

• 1. eruptions

• following a series of massive volcanic

• 1. a huge rise in humidity

• farmers pray for rain in

• 1. excessively dry spell

• forge the development of flora

Match the following:

• 1. in ancient rock

• evidence that the wet period may

• 1. of rock

• turtles, crocodiles, lizard and

• 1. dominate the land

• research conducted on strata

• 1. have been the trigger

• diversify and

• 1. mammals

• unusal layers deposited