Question

WORST DESERT ON EARTH
I felt utterly drained as I trudged onward under the blinding, ferocious sun. It was the second day of our first week of expedition to cross China’s vast Taklamakan Desert but my strength was already fading. I had heard stories of countless caravans of people, who entered this shimmering ocean of sand, lost their way and never returned. Undaunted, I led fourteen enthusiasts and set off to undertake the first crossing of the full length of the desert. It was a race against time to finish, before the start of the penetrating cold Central Asian winter. By the end of our first week, we had covered nearly 70 miles. Now we were faced with another test, massive sand mountains upto 10000 feet high lay across our route. Mazar Tagh, an ancient settlement now in ruins, was 210 miles ahead. We had planned to meet our support party there for our first supply.Fully aware that our expedition could not cross the desert entirely without help, I had formed a support party of six to assist our main team. They were to travel along the Silk Road up to 200 miles to our south. They were asked to monitor our progress and enter the desert to supply us at the three most 15 accessible points of our journey. Though my knees had become particularly painful, they were not my prime concern. The camels needed up to nine gallons of water every three days and there was no possibility of such a large quantity of water being carried. Our lives and success of the expedition rested upon a huge gamble- that we would be fortunate enough to find an oasis. Centuries ago, melt water rivers from mountains to the south flowed to the Taklamakan Desert. By skillfully channeling the water to their lands, people then managed to cultivate the lands. Though these rivers dried up, some hidden water was still there. The only clues of these oases were patches of white salt crust on the sand. But my map did not show them, nor could the local people tell us where they might be. They were the desert’s best-kept secrets. Luckily, before sunset, we saw the telltale salt crust and decided to camp there for the night. The locals started digging and after a while beckoned us over. At the bottom of the almost six-foot deep hole, a pool of water was gradually seeping through the dark, moist sand. Standing in the hole, a man scooped some water into his hands and sipped it. “Ella yukshee!” he said with a broad grin. That night, the camels drank.
Answer the following questions:
1. How many gallons of water did the camels require to drink every three days? 2. What instruction did the narrator give to the support party?
3. Why did the narrator and the other men in the team look for an oasis?
4. Hidden pools of water are one of the best-kept secrets of Taklamakan desert. What does the passage tell you about the changing ecology of the region?​

Answer 1

Answer:

1)The camels needed up to nine gallons of water every three days.

2).Fully aware that our expedition could not cross the desert entirely without help, I had formed a support party of six to assist our main team.

3)Our lives and success of the expedition rested upon a huge gamble- that we would be fortunate enough to find an oasis.

4) Centuries ago, melt water rivers from mountains to the south flowed to the Taklamakan Desert.