PTE Reading: Fill in the Blanks practice

The ancient city of Petra was carved directly into rose-coloured sandstone cliffs by the Nabataeans more than two thousand years ago. Its location made it a vital {} on trade routes linking Arabia, Egypt and the Mediterranean. Merchants who passed through paid {} that enriched the kingdom enormously. Clever engineers built channels to {} scarce rainwater across the dry valley. After a series of earthquakes, the city was gradually {} and lay forgotten by outsiders for centuries.

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Each year a tree adds a new ring of wood, and the {} of these rings reveals a great deal about the past. Wide rings form in warm, wet seasons, while narrow ones {} that the year was cold or dry. By measuring the rings carefully, scientists can {} the exact age of a piece of timber and even reconstruct the climate of distant centuries. The method has become an invaluable {} for archaeologists dating ancient wooden structures.

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Volcanic eruptions can dramatically alter the global climate for years afterwards. When a large volcano erupts, it ejects vast {} of ash and sulphur gases high into the atmosphere. These particles reflect sunlight back into space, which can temporarily {} surface temperatures across whole continents. Historical records show that such cooling sometimes ruined harvests and triggered {}. Despite the damage, the ash that settles eventually enriches the soil and makes nearby farmland remarkably {}.

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Honeybees communicate the location of food through a remarkable behaviour known as the waggle dance. A returning worker performs this dance to {} the direction and distance of a flower patch to her hivemates. The angle of her movement relative to the sun {} where the food lies. Other bees follow closely and then {} the same site to gather nectar. This elegant system allows a colony to {} resources with astonishing efficiency.

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The Silk Road was never a single road but a sprawling network of routes connecting East and West. Along these paths, traders exchanged not only goods but also ideas, religions and {}. Caravans carried silk westward and returned with silver, glass and horses, creating mutual {} between distant empires. Cities that lay along the route grew wealthy and {} as centres of learning. The eventual rise of sea trade caused the overland routes to slowly {} in importance.

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Coffee is one of the most widely traded commodities in the world, yet its journey is surprisingly fragile. The plants thrive only in a narrow band of tropical highlands with stable temperatures and reliable {}. As the climate warms, many traditional growing regions are becoming less {} for cultivation. Farmers are being forced to plant at higher altitudes or {} hardier varieties. Without such adaptation, experts predict that global supply could {} sharply within a few decades.

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The human sense of smell is far more powerful than most people realise. Tiny molecules drifting in the air bind to {} inside the nose, which send signals straight to the brain. Because this pathway connects directly to memory centres, a single scent can {} vivid recollections from childhood. Smell also plays a quiet but crucial role in {} spoiled food and detecting danger. Losing this sense, doctors note, can seriously {} a person's enjoyment of eating.

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Renaissance painters transformed European art by mastering the illusion of depth on a flat surface. Using a technique called perspective, they could make distant objects appear to {} into the background convincingly. Careful study of light and shadow allowed them to give figures a striking sense of {}. Wealthy patrons eagerly {} these works to display their status and taste. The innovations of this period continue to {} artists and architects today.

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Mangrove forests grow where land meets the sea, thriving in salty water that would kill most other trees. Their tangled roots {} the coastline against storms and powerful waves. These same roots trap sediment and create sheltered nurseries where countless young fish can {} safely. Mangroves are also remarkably efficient at storing carbon, helping to {} climate change. Sadly, coastal development and pollution continue to {} these valuable ecosystems at an alarming rate.

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The invention of the mechanical clock quietly reshaped the rhythm of daily life in medieval Europe. Before its arrival, people measured time loosely by the sun and the ringing of church bells. Public clocks allowed towns to {} work, markets and meetings with new precision. This shift gradually encouraged a culture that valued {} and careful scheduling. Over time, the relentless ticking of the clock came to {} how societies thought about productivity itself, an influence that remains {} in the modern workplace.

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