The land surrounding the Euphrates River has been irrigated and is one of Syria's most successful agricultural regions. Along the way, the river travels through the ancient city of Thapsacus, once a Roman outpost. Soon two tributaries, the Balikh and the Khabur, flow in from the east. After the Euphrates passes Dayr az Zawr, the river flows into a wider valley. Islands with vegetation appear. When the Euphrates crosses into Iraq at Abu Kamal, there are even more cultivated islands, and large irrigation water

wheels dot the landscape.

The Euphrates River _____ the surrounding lands.

Mercury is so close to the Sun that its surface is very hot. During the day, the temperature can climb as high as 800 degrees Fahrenheit. But because Mercury has no atmosphere to hold in the heat, at night the temperature can drop to nearly 300 degrees below zero.

The climate is _____ .

In Chiang Mai, huge crowds gather to enjoy the spectacular Songkran parades, with dancers, floats, and bands. A Songkran Queen is chosen to lead the celebrations. The noisy, colorful parade moves through the city as spectators throw water at everyone.

The celebrations are _____ .

Ranofer stood alone in the dark courtyard, holding his piece of bread. Half a loaf. It barely covered his palm, and the emptiness in his stomach felt as big as the whole temple of Amon. The emptiness in his heart matched it. Gebu's last warning had needed no underscoring. On dragging feet he padded into the storeroom, felt his way to the big water jar and drank thirstily. Afterward he searched, though without hope, for another bite of something—a forgotten onion, a mouthful of stewed lentils left from Gebu's meal. The storeroom yielded nothing more except the tantalizing fragrance from boxes and kegs all sealed and forbidden him.

He was still _____ .

EMTs usually work for hospitals or as part of police or fire departments. Working in teams of two, EMTs drive an emergency vehicle to the person who needs help. Once they get there, they need to give the patient the right treatment until they can get him to the hospital.

They must be _____ .

The Civil War, fought between 1861 and 1865, was the darkest and most critical period in American history. It was a bloody, brutal, and bitter war. Three million soldiers fought at a time when the population numbered only thirty-one million. More than six hundred thousand died—nearly as many Americans as died in all other wars combined—two thirds of them from illness and disease. Frequently families were torn apart as brother fought brother.

It was a _____ time in American history.

They had, of course, no stored-up strength to call on, when their days were hard, so they made camp in poor fashion that night. John and Francis could scarcely erect the tent, after the terrible tramping. And Catherine sobbed with weariness into the soup kettle that barely steamed over the wretched greasewood fire. It was bitter cold, and coyotes howled, as they will on frosty nights when the stars are bright. There was no hope of building a fire that would keep alive all night. So John crept into the tent for warmth.

They were all _____ .

The Asians brought with them curry and other spices that added new tastes to Caribbean cooking. In Jamaica, curried goat is a favorite dish. In Trinidad, roti, an Indian flat bread, and curried vegetables, fish, and meat dishes are particularly popular.

Curry is _____ in the Caribbean.

Day and night, carts and carriages rumbled through the streets of New York City. Traffic jammed the crooked lanes, and the hodgepodge of houses was confusing. In 1811, John Randel, a surveyor, proposed a street system for the remaining open lands of Manhattan Island. Streets running from east to west would be straight, and numbered in order.

He wanted to _____ the rest of New York City.

The Gulf Stream, for example, carries warm water from the Gulf of Mexico to England, producing that country's mild climate. The Labrador peninsula in Canada is at about the same latitude as England. Its coast is washed by the cold Labrador current. As a result, Labrador has harsh, cold winters, and its harbors are blocked by ice for more than half the year.

Ocean currents affect a country's _____ .

The hognose snake, which lives in sandy regions of the eastern, western, and southern United States, is harmless and has no fangs or poison. It usually feeds on toads, frogs, and lizards. When this snake comes face-to-face with its own predators, it puts on quite a show. First, it pretends to be a venomous snake. It rears up as if to strike, hisses, and coils its tail. If this doesn't frighten off the attacker, the hognose will fall to the ground and appear to have convulsions. Finally it rolls onto its back and hangs its mouth open so that it looks dead.

The snake _____ predators.

Cooperative ownership combines the advantages of home ownership with the convenience of apartment living. Under the cooperative form of ownership, an apartment building is managed and run as a corporation. The buyer purchases stock in the corporation that runs the building and, thereby, receives an apartment. The value of the apartment determines the amount of stock purchased. The buyer receives a lease that grants them exclusive right to possession of the apartment.

It is meant to be a _____ arrangement.

Darienne checked her watch. It was a lovely watch, one in her extensive collection of watches; a circle of jade-like stone with four tiny diamonds to mark 12, 3, 6, and 9. She admired her wrist, which was slim, and her hands, which were exquisite. She admired her blouse, which had tight sleeves blurry with water-colored leaves and spinning falling flowers. The neck was high, with two bands

of dark red, and the general effect was of a girl from Victorian times, a girl of wealth and leisure, of beauty and grace.

Darienne's clothes and jewelry were _____ .

Both humans and animals need salt in their diets to be healthy. In fact, adults need about 2.3 grams—or a thimbleful—a day, and children need about half as much. The body needs salt for the nerves and brain to function successfully. Salt is also needed to maintain a proper balance between the fluid portion of the blood and the number of molecules dissolved in it. Without this balance,

the body's cells would absorb too much water and burst. So the body tries to maintain a certain concentration of salt in water.

The balance of salt and fluid is _____ .

When Peter was finished with the bike, he wiped his hands on the grease cloth and asked Max if he would check it over for him. Max seemed astonished at first, but agreed to do it. He went over the bike and scrutinized every detail of Peter's repair job.

Peter wanted Max's _____ .

During Sean's first year the days were the longest I had ever known. I was lonely and isolated, always exhausted. Adding to my isolation was the fact that I didn't know anyone else with a baby. I had lost touch with my high school friends, most of whom had moved away, and our neighbors were older couples with grown children. I spent all my time with the baby, doing everything I could think of to comfort him, entertain him, love him.

I felt _____ .

A team of U.S. scientists visited Punta Arenas to investigate the story. They found no proof that the ozone hole had blinded the rabbits. Yet they did not discount the negative effects of prolonged exposure to UV rays: severe sunburns, skin cancer, lower resistance to disease, and, yes, cataracts.

The UV rays of the sun can be _____ .

Igloos did not need to last long. Hunting conditions forced Eskimos to move often, abandoning their old igloos and building new ones. An igloo was used for an average of one month, but it usually could be made to last as long as it was needed. It did not take long to build and gave excellent protection from a hostile climate while it lasted.

Igloos were _____ .

This Diana of Bremen was a most innocent old ship, and seemed to know nothing of the wicked sea, as there are on shore households that know nothing of the corrupt world. And the sentiments she suggested were unexceptionable and mainly of a domestic order. She was a home. All these dear children had learned to walk on her roomy quarter deck.

She was a(n) _____ .