VII. Read the passage carefully, then choose the correct answer.

Reading is still the best source of information available and it can give you a great edge and distinct advantage in life, the secret to a successful life is information, the answers to nearly all our problems are documented in text somewhere. As Mark Twain quoted, "The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read".

Books can stimulate and excite your imagination as well as arousing your curiosity, everything that exists and has ever existed is documented and can be found in a book, reading can teach you new skills, ideas and give you a new positive outlook on life. Books can take you out of your world and away from your personal perspectives and difficulties for a while as they let you into the private mind, the ideas and opinions of others.

Reading has many benefits and a book can serve more than one useful purpose at the same time.

It is a form of relaxation while at the same time it can stimulate your mind, reading can help you to feel better, books can be our teachers, mentors and inspirations. You can learn and better your life just by reading a book, authors and good writers can take you to places and imaginary worlds where no other form of entertainment or technology can rival.

The mass extinction we are experiencing now is a thousand times (41)_________ than the average rate over the last 65 million years.