Madagascar is the world’s fourth largest island _____ over 225, 000 square miles.
at
10
Roughly ninety per cent of its animal and plant life is found nowhere else _____ the planet.
on
10
Its carrot-shaped baobab trees and strange-looking lemurs make even the most well-travelled visitors wide-eyed _____ amazement and delight.
with
20
Since the first humans arrived _____ Madagascar around 2,300 years ago, nearly ninety per cent of the island’s original forest has been lost.
in
10
Nearly ninety per cent of the island’s original forest has been lost - either cut down _____ use as timber or burned to create room for crops and, more recently, cattle.
for
15
Since 2,300 years ago, most of the island’s original forest has been burned to create room _____ crops and, more recently, cattle.
for
5
Alarmed ecologists identified Madagascar as a region _____ danger.
in
25
Alarmed ecologists identified Madagascar _____ a region in danger and demanded that the cutting and burning stop.
as
15
_____ 2002, they celebrated when a new environmentally friendly president, Marc Ravalonmanana, was elected.
In
5
Only seven years later, in 2009, he was replaced by a new leader _____ little interest in the environment.
with
20
Only seven years later, he was replaced by a new leader with little interest _____ protecting the environment.
in
20
In 2009, he was replaced _____ a new leader with little interest in protecting the environment.
by
10
Needing money, the new government made it legal to sell wood _____ hardwood trees.
from
25
The new government made it legal to sell wood from hardwood trees which had already been cut down or had fallen _____ storms.
during
20
The loggers continued to rob the forests _____ wood from living trees.
of
25
_____ reality they did little to control the loggers who continued to rob the forests of wood from living trees.
