In the following passage some words have been deleted. Fill in the blanks with the help of the alternatives given. Select the most appropriate option for each blank.
Comprehension:

Deforestation 1.______ the permanent destruction of forests in order to 2.______ the land available for other uses. It 3.______ around the world, though tropical rain forests are particularly 4.____. If current deforestation levels 5.______ , the world's rain forests may
completely vanish in as little as 100 years, according to National Geographic.