Sentence Completion

Topic: The Desalination Process.

Skill: Scanning for specific details and synonyms.

Directions: Complete the sentences below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Passage:

The Desalination Process. As fresh water becomes scarcer, many coastal nations are turning to desalination—the process of removing salt from seawater. The most common method is reverse osmosis. In this process, seawater is forced through a semi-permeable membrane at high pressure. The membrane allows water molecules to pass through but blocks the larger salt ions. However, this method requires a significant amount of energy, usually derived from fossil fuels, which raises environmental concerns. Additionally, the leftover brine, which is highly concentrated salt water, is often pumped back into the ocean, potentially harming marine ecosystems.

Questions:

1. In reverse osmosis, seawater is pushed through a __________ using high pressure.

2. The process is criticized because it uses a lot of energy, which typically comes from __________.

3. The waste product known as __________ can be dangerous to marine life when returned to the sea.

Tips for Sentence Completion

• Check the Word Limit: If the instructions say "NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS," writing three words will score zero—even if the meaning is correct.

• Don't change the words: In standard completion tasks, you must use the words exactly as they appear in the text. Do not change the tense or make singular words plural.

• Prediction is key: Before looking for the answer, guess the part of speech. Do you need a noun? A number? An adjective?

  • Example: "The process requires ________." (You likely need a noun here).