READING PRACTICE:Read the passage. Then answer the questions. A Fossils are rare. Most of us will never find the skeleton of a dinosaur in our yards or even in the wild. And even when we do find the fossil of some ancient creature, it is usually just a small shell or an unrecognizable part of something that lived hundreds of millions of years ago. A well-preserved fossil is a beautiful object, however, and many people would be happy to display one in their homes. In the past, it was difficult to purchase fossils. These days, however, the Internet means rare or unusual fossils may be just a mouse-click away. This fact, combined with fossils' relative rarity, makes them an attractive target for people seeking to make money by selling fakes.B Although fossils are generally rare, there are places where they are surprisingly widespread. In some of these locations, it is possible to find a great many fossils just lying among the rocks. The vast majority of them are just ugly pieces of broken bone. To the untrained eye, in fact, they may even look like chunks of rock. Some of these low-quality fossils are sold illegally, especially over the Internet, but what collectors are really interested in are high-quality fossils. People want to have a fossil that they can recognize, such as one of a complete animal or insect. And for those with plenty of money, the most valued and desired fossil is a well-preserved, complete dinosaur. C The problem is that the demand for high-quality fossils far exceeds the supply. As a result, more and more fake fossils are flooding the market. Most of the fakes that are sold online or to unsuspecting tourists are completely artificial and even easy for knowledgeable amateurs to spot. But some of the best fake fossils are made from real fossils, and these can be hard to recognize as fake. For example, fossils from individuals of the same species found in different places and at different times can be joined to form a complete animal. Alternatively, pieces of completely different animals may be joined to make a "new species." The discovery of a new fossil species is a major scientific event, so people making fake fossils realize that a very rare fossil might be worth thousands of dollars. Consequently, extremely realistic fakes have become quite common in recent years. In fact, some fake fossils are so well made that scientists have been fooled at first.D In 1999, paleontologists announced the discovery of a fascinating new dinosaur called Archaeoraptor. This species seemed to be a clear link between dinosaurs and birds. News of the find was published in serious scientific journals and was widely reported in the popular media, too. However, after closer examination, it turned out that the fossil was a fake made by joining the tail of dinosaur together with the arms of a primitive bird. Archaeoraptor is now considered one of the most successful scientific hoaxes of the past century.E Apart from embarrassing some scientists, what is the danger of fake or illegal fossils? The biggest problem is that people collecting fossils to sell on the Internet cause enormous damage to the regions in which the fossils are found. Many fossils that are important to science are destroyed in an effort to get to the most attractive specimens. Moreover, even when these fossils are collected with good intentions, a great deal of valuable information is lost. In addition to the fossil itself, scientists need to know exactly where a fossil was found in order to know how old it is and what kind of environment the animal lived in. Fortunately, governments are starting to realize the value of their fossil resources and are making an effort to protect them. The word "widespread" in paragraph B is closest in meaning to _____.