English - Comprehension
Exam Duration: 45 Mins Total Questions : 30
The flu is the common name for influenza. The flu is respiratory sickness. The flu can be mild. The flu can be bad. Sometimes the flu can even cause death. In the U.S., (United States) 5 - 20 percent of the people, or up to 60 million people get the flu each year. Each year, about 200,000 people go to the hospital because of the flu. Each year in the U.S., about 36,000 people die from problems related to the flu. The flu is caused by a virus. A virus is a germ. People can spread the virus. The virus can live in tiny drops of liquid. If you have the virus, you can spread it by coughing. You can get the virus by touching something that has the virus on it and then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. A flu shot can prevent the flu. The nasal flu mist can also prevent the flu. The shot and the nose spray are vaccines. Talk to your doctor about getting a vaccine. You can get information about the flu shot and nasal spray from your local health department. If you get the flu, you might get a headache. You might have a fever. You might have a cough and a runny nose. You might have a sore throat. You might feel very tired. Your body might hurt all over. Some people have diarrhea and vomiting. You can help stop the spread of the flu virus. The Centers for Disease Control remind you to cover your cough. You should cough into a tissue and throw the tissue away. Or you can cough into the inside of your elbow, into your own clothing. The Centers for Disease Control also remind you to clean your hands. You can use hand sanitiser . You should use an alcohol based hand sanitiser for the best results. You can use soap and water. You should wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds. Studies show that washing your hands for 2 minutes with hot, soapy water is the best way to get the most germs off your hands. Be sure to wash under your fingernails and between your fingers.
What is the main idea of the paragraph?
- (a)
How to wash your hands
- (b)
How long to wash your hands
- (c)
How to stop the spread of the virus
- (d)
What studies have shown about hand-washing
- (e)
Why you should cough into your elbow
The sun is a star. The sun is at the centre of the solar system. The sun is the largest object in the solar system. It is more than 99.8 percent of the mass of the solar system. More than one million earths could fit inside the sun! From earth, the sun looks like a yellow ball in the sky. A long time ago, people didn't know what the sun was. Many people told stories about the sun. People in many countries told stories about the sun. In some stories, people said the sun was a god. Some people gave names to the sun. The Greeks named it Helios. The Romans named it Sol. The name Solar System comes from the Roman name Sol. The sun is very hot. On the surface, it is about 5,510° Celsius (C). That's equal to about 11,000° Fahrenheit (F). The'inside of the sun is even hotter. The core of the sun is 15,000,000°C!
That's 27,000,000° F! The light from the sun is very bright. People must not look directly at the sun. Looking directly at the sun will hurt your eyes. People need the sun's heat and light to live. Animals need the sun's heat and light to live. Plants need the sun's heat and light to live. Plants make food with sunlight. People and animals eat the plants. Plants also use the sun to make oxygen. People and animals need to breathe oxygen. Today people do not tell stories about the sun. Today people do not think the sun is a god. But, people know that the sun is necessary for life on earth.
The main idea of the second paragraph is to explain...
- (a)
what the sun is.
- (b)
what the sun looks like
- (c)
how people reacted to the sun
- (d)
who the Greeks and Romans were
- (e)
who did not know what the sun was
The White House is the home and office of the President of the U.S. The White House is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. The first president to live in the White House was John Adams: He moved into the White House in 1800. Now President Barack Obama lives in the White House. An architect named James Hoban made the plans for the White House. Hoban won a design contest held by Pierre Charles L'Enfant. L'Enfant was the main architect for the capital city of Washington, D.C. The White House was built between 1792 and 1800. It was built of limestone and painted white. During the War of 1812, the British Army set fire to the White House. President James Madison moved out while the house was rebuilt. In 1817, James Monroe moved into the White House. At first, people called the building the 'President's Palace.' However, because kings and queens live in palaces, 'President's Palace' was not a good name for the house. President Theodore Roosevelt gave the building the name it has today - The White House.
What is the main idea of the paragraph?
- (a)
The main architect of the capital city
- (b)
The design and construction of the White House
- (c)
The building materials and color of the White House
- (d)
The years of White House construction
- (e)
The reasons for building the White House
Water is the most common liquid in the world. Lakes contain water. Rivers contain water. Ponds contain water. Canals contain water. Oceans contain water. The water in rivers, ponds, and canals is fresh water. The water in oceans is salt water. About 70 percent of the world is covered by water. About 97 percent of water in the world is salt water. Only 3 percent of the world's water is fresh water. Fresh water is not salty. People usually think of water as a liquid. But water freezes to form a solid. The solid is called ice. And water boils to form a gas. The gas is called steam or vapour. Clouds are made of water. Waterfalls from clouds as rain. When it is cold, waterfalls as snow. Sometimes water falls as sleet. Sleet is partly water and partly ice. Sometimes waterfalls as hail. Hail is ice. People need water to live. Animals need water to live. Insects need water to live. Plants need water to live. All living things in the world need water to live. People all over the world need to drink clean water to live. About one billion people in the world do not have clean drinking water. The largest cause of preventable human death in the world is drinking water that is unsanitary.
According to the passage, which of the folowing statements is/are true?
I) 97 percent of snow is made of salt water.
Il) The largest cause of preventable human death is drinking water that is unsanitary.
IIl) About 1,000,000,000 people in the world do not have clean water to drink.
- (a)
I only
- (b)
II only
- (c)
III only
- (d)
I and II only
- (e)
II and III only
Bees are insects. Bees are special insects because they can fly! They can move through the air like an airplane! Bees can fly because they have wings. They use their wings to fly. Bees can fly fast. Bees can also fly slow. They can fly up and they can fly down. They need to fly to get to the flowers! Bees can have three colours. They can be yellow, red, and orange. All bees are black in some places. Bees have three main parts. They have a head. They have a body. And, they have a stinger. The stinger is used to defend against enemies. They also have six legs. They use their legs to stand and climb. They also use their legs to eat and collect pollen. Bees live in many places. They live in Africa, Australia, Asia, Europe, North America, South America. The only continent that bees do not live on is Antarctica! I understand why they don't live in Antarctica. It's too cold! Most of the time, bees are nice to humans. If you do not bother them, they will not bother you. Have fun watching the bees this summer!
Where do bees live?
- (a)
North America
- (b)
Asia
- (c)
Antarctica
- (d)
Both A and B
Frogs live on land and in water. Frogs have long back legs and short bodies. Their eyes stick out. They do not have tails. Most of the time they move in the water, but they can also move on land. Frogs have smooth, not bumpy, skin. They can breathe through their skin. Their skin must stay wet so they can breathe through it. Young frogs must breathe through their skin. Older frogs grow lungs. They breathe through their lungs when they are on land, just like people do. Frogs lay their eggs in ponds and other bodies of water, like lakes. Frogs must move fast to catch something to eat. They must also get away from bigger animals. Some frogs have webs of skin between their toes. Webbed toes are good because it helps them to swim very fast. Tree frogs have toe pads. The toe pads help them hang on when they climb. When they climb, they move up trees or rocks. Some tree frogs live high in very tall trees. Those tree frogs have webs between their toes. They can jump from tree to tree. They can't fly, but they can stay in the air for a long jump.
Where do frogs lay their eggs?
- (a)
In water
- (b)
On land
- (c)
In trees
- (d)
Under rocks
Frogs live on land and in water. Frogs have long back legs and short bodies. Their eyes stick out. They do not have tails. Most of the time they move in the water, but they can also move on land. Frogs have smooth, not bumpy, skin. They can breathe through their skin. Their skin must stay wet so they can breathe through it. Young frogs must breathe through their skin. Older frogs grow lungs. They breathe through their lungs when they are on land, just like people do. Frogs lay their eggs in ponds and other bodies of water, like lakes. Frogs must move fast to catch something to eat. They must also get away from bigger animals. Some frogs have webs of skin between their toes. Webbed toes are good because it helps them to swim very fast. Tree frogs have toe pads. The toe pads help them hang on when they climb. When they climb, they move up trees or rocks. Some tree frogs live high in very tall trees. Those tree frogs have webs between their toes. They can jump from tree to tree. They can't fly, but they can stay in the air for a long jump.
To climb means to ...
- (a)
move fast
- (b)
take in
- (c)
move up
- (d)
move in
A long time ago, people didn't sleep in beds. 10,000 years ago, people probably slept on leaves and animal furs. Long ago in Egypt, people ate, slept, and talked to friends in bed. Over 3,000 years ago, King Tut of Egypt had a beautiful bed made of wood and gold! But common people in Egypt slept on beds of grass and leaves. In the 16th century, in the 1500 s, people piled bird feathers or straw on rope webs. Later, people made mattresses by stuffing feathers inside large cotton bags. Louis 14th, King of France from 1643 until 1715, had 413 beds. He liked to talk to his friends and do his work in bed. He liked beautiful beds. In 1865, people started to put springs under their mattress to make it more flexible. This would make it bend and flex when the sleeper moved. By the 1930s, most beds had springs. About 100 years after people started to put springs under their mattress, the modern waterbed was invented. Today there are different kinds of beds. Some people have waterbeds. Some sleep on mats. Others sleep on foam mattresses or airbeds.
Mattresses are ...
- (a)
mats filled with something soft
- (b)
wooden frames for beds
- (c)
types of rope
- (d)
kings
The human body has many parts. People have two arms and two legs. We have two hands and two feet. We have five fingers on each hand. We have five toes on each foot. We each have two eyes on our face. We see with our eyes. We each have two ears. We hear with our ears. We each have one nose on our face. We smell with our nose. We each have one tongue. We taste with our tongue. We each have one brain. We think with our brain. We each have two lungs in our chest. We breathe with our lungs. Humans can do many things. People can walk. We use our legs and feet to walk. We can run. Running is faster than walking. We use our legs and feet to run. We can climb. We use our arms, hands, legs, and feet to climb. We can climb up trees or climb up ladders. We can eat and drink. We use our mouth and teeth to eat. We eat meat, fruit, vegetables, and other foods. We can drink lots of things, but we drink water the most. We also use our mouth and teeth to talk.
Your face has your ...
- (a)
eyes, nose and mouth
- (b)
arms, legs and feet
- (c)
fingers and toes
- (d)
feet and toes
Tennis is a sport played between two players (singles) or between two teams of two players (doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt. To win, you must hit the ball into the opponent's court without the opponent being able to hit the ball back. Tennis originated in the United Kingdom in the late 19th century. At first, people played tennis on courts made of grass! These were called 'lawn courts'. Now, tennis is played by millions of people all over the world. The rules of tennis have changed very little since it was created in the 1890s. Most tennis players play tennis because it is fun. It also is a good way to get exercise. While playing tennis, you do a lot of running. You move your arms and legs in many ways that they do not normally move.
________ people can play tennis at once.
- (a)
One
- (b)
Two
- (c)
Four
- (d)
Both B and C
There are wild dogs and pet dogs. Pet dogs are helpers and friends to people. There were no pet dogs 15,000 years ago. Men and women learned how to work with dogs. Dogs helped humans travel from Asia to North America 10,000 years ago by pulling sleds in the snow. People say dogs are 'man's best friend.' They help with farming. They help with hunting. They help with fishing. They can pull things for people. They can help find things. There are many colours of dogs. There are white dogs, gray dogs, black dogs, and brown dogs. A dog's fur can be short or long. Dogs have curly hair or straight fur. There are very small dogs. They are only 6-8 inches tall. There are very big dogs. They are about 3 feet tall. Some dogs can see well. Some dogs do not see very well. All dogs can hear well. They can hear sounds that people cannot hear. They can hear high sounds and low sounds. They can hear sound very far away. All dogs can smell very well. They can smell 40 times better than humans! Dogs live 5 to 13 years, but some dogs live much longer. One dog lived to be 24 years old!
A dog's fur is the dog's ...
- (a)
nose
- (b)
eyes
- (c)
hair
- (d)
ears
Slap! Swat! How do those annoying mosquitoes find you? Is it your wonderful personality or is it something else which attracts them? And why are you so rarely able to swat them before they fly off to another feast? There are about 3,500 species of mosquitoes in the world. Not all of them are in your backyard, although sometimes it seems that the summer evening air is filled with them. There are about 200 species of mosquitoes in the United States - about 80 species have been identified in Florida, which is an ideal breeding area. The word 'mosquito' means 'little fly' in Portuguese. Mosquitoes are members of the scientific order Diptera, the 'True Flies.' Like other 'True Flies,' they have wings. But they are different from some True Flies; their wings have scales. These tiny scales help eliminate the effects of friction. This helps the mosquitoes skim quickly and efficiently through the air, making them almost impossible to swat. The familiar high-pitched, annoying buzz of the mosquito comes from the sound of its wings beating 600 times per second! If you want to control the spread of these pesky insects, it is important to know how they live and breed. As you will see, much of their life is spent in water, so getting rid of standing water plays a large role in controlling mosquitoes. There are four stages in the lifetime of a mosquito: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Mosquito eggs need water to hatch. Different species of mosquitoes prefer different places to lay their eggs. Some prefer to lay their eggs in standing water, such as water in old tires or buckets. Others like to lay their eggs in areas with a lot of organic material, like leaves and grass, so they lay their eggs in marshes and swamps. Some prefer fresh water; some like saltwater. Mosquito larvae are called 'wigglers' because they move with jerking movements of their bodies. They spend most of their time under the surface of the water, feeding on leaves and grass. They must have air to stay alive, so they wiggle to the surface. The larvae shed their skin four times as they grow and progress to the third stage, which is the pupa. Mosquito pupae also need air to stay alive. They continue to feed on grasses and leaves under the surface of the water, but they must come up for air. After several days in the pupa stage, the pupae mature into adult mosquitoes. Adult mosquitoes emerge after several days of growth. Some mosquitoes reach maturity in as few as 5 days, but most require 10-14 days before they reach maturity. Variations in maturity time is due to differences in species and differences in the temperature of the environment. Adult mosquitoes mate within a few days of their emergence as adults. They eat fruit, nectar, and any other sources of sugar they can find. Female mosquitoes need blood in order for their eggs to develop. After the female has her meal of blood, she rests for two or three days before she lays her eggs. The cycle of eating and laying eggs continues for one or two weeks, which is the lifetime of a mosquito. Now you know that it is the female mosquitoes which bite you. But how do they find you - their meal of blood? Mosquitoes seek out warmth and movement - both properties of human beings and other animals. They also seek carbon dioxide, which is exhaled by humans and other animals. So while it is not exactly your wonderful personality which attracts them, the social activities of conversation and laughter - which involve movement and the exhalation of carbon dioxide - are what attract these annoying little insects!
Maturity means ...
- (a)
babyhood
- (b)
childhood
- (c)
adulthood
- (d)
All of the above
- (e)
None of the above
Slap! Swat! How do those annoying mosquitoes find you? Is it your wonderful personality or is it something else which attracts them? And why are you so rarely able to swat them before they fly off to another feast? There are about 3,500 species of mosquitoes in the world. Not all of them are in your backyard, although sometimes it seems that the summer evening air is filled with them. There are about 200 species of mosquitoes in the United States - about 80 species have been identified in Florida, which is an ideal breeding area. The word 'mosquito' means 'little fly' in Portuguese. Mosquitoes are members of the scientific order Diptera, the 'True Flies.' Like other 'True Flies,' they have wings. But they are different from some True Flies; their wings have scales. These tiny scales help eliminate the effects of friction. This helps the mosquitoes skim quickly and efficiently through the air, making them almost impossible to swat. The familiar high-pitched, annoying buzz of the mosquito comes from the sound of its wings beating 600 times per second! If you want to control the spread of these pesky insects, it is important to know how they live and breed. As you will see, much of their life is spent in water, so getting rid of standing water plays a large role in controlling mosquitoes. There are four stages in the lifetime of a mosquito: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Mosquito eggs need water to hatch. Different species of mosquitoes prefer different places to lay their eggs. Some prefer to lay their eggs in standing water, such as water in old tires or buckets. Others like to lay their eggs in areas with a lot of organic material, like leaves and grass, so they lay their eggs in marshes and swamps. Some prefer fresh water; some like saltwater. Mosquito larvae are called 'wigglers' because they move with jerking movements of their bodies. They spend most of their time under the surface of the water, feeding on leaves and grass. They must have air to stay alive, so they wiggle to the surface. The larvae shed their skin four times as they grow and progress to the third stage, which is the pupa. Mosquito pupae also need air to stay alive. They continue to feed on grasses and leaves under the surface of the water, but they must come up for air. After several days in the pupa stage, the pupae mature into adult mosquitoes. Adult mosquitoes emerge after several days of growth. Some mosquitoes reach maturity in as few as 5 days, but most require 10-14 days before they reach maturity. Variations in maturity time is due to differences in species and differences in the temperature of the environment. Adult mosquitoes mate within a few days of their emergence as adults. They eat fruit, nectar, and any other sources of sugar they can find. Female mosquitoes need blood in order for their eggs to develop. After the female has her meal of blood, she rests for two or three days before she lays her eggs. The cycle of eating and laying eggs continues for one or two weeks, which is the lifetime of a mosquito. Now you know that it is the female mosquitoes which bite you. But how do they find you - their meal of blood? Mosquitoes seek out warmth and movement - both properties of human beings and other animals. They also seek carbon dioxide, which is exhaled by humans and other animals. So while it is not exactly your wonderful personality which attracts them, the social activities of conversation and laughter - which involve movement and the exhalation of carbon dioxide - are what attract these annoying little insects!
A variation is a(n) ...
- (a)
difference
- (b)
inconsistency
- (c)
agreement
- (d)
Both A and B are correct
- (e)
Both B and C are correct
If you enjoy watching crime shows on TV, you know that fingerprints play a large role in identifying people. But, you might be surprised to find out that using fingerprints for identification is not a new science. In fact, it is very old dating back at least as far as 1885 - 1913 B.C.E. In Babylon, when people agreed to a business contract, they pressed their fingerprints into the clay in which the contract was written. Thumbprints have also been found on clay seals from ancient China. In 14th century Persia, which is now Iran, a government doctor recognised that all fingerprints are different. In 1684, a British doctor, Nehemiah Grew, spoke about the ridged surfaces of the fingers. In 1686, a professor of anatomy (the study of the structure of the human body) named Marcello Malpighi wrote about the ridges and loops in fingerprints. Malpighi's work was considered so important that a layer of skin found on the fingertips was named after him. This layer of skin is called the Malpighian layer. Although scientists had studied fingerprints, the value of fingerprinting in the identification of individuals did not become clear until later. Sir William James Herschel is generally thought to be the first European to realise that fingerprints were unique to each person. In his work as chief magistrate in the Hoogly district in Jungipor, India, Herschel asked people to put their handprints on contracts. Herschel believed that personal contact with the contracts made people more likely to honour their commitments or to keep their promises. As he looked at more and more handprints, he began to see that all the handprints were different. He started to believe that fingerprints were unique, which means they are all different from each other, and permanent, which means that they do not ever change. To prove that they never change, Herschel kept track of his own fingerprints over his entire lifetime. Dr. Henry Faulds, a British surgeon at a Japanese hospital, began studying the furrows (also called ridges) on fingertips in the 1870s. He published an article in a scientific journal about the use of fingerprints as a tool in identification. He also devised, or invented, a system of classifying fingerprints. He wrote Charles Darwin about his findings, but Darwin was getting too old to work on the findings. So, he promised to pass the information to his cousin, Sir Francis Galton. Using Henry Faulds's findings, Galton published a major book on classifying fingerprints based on arches, loops, and whorls. His work with Sir Edward R. Henry on fingerprint classification was the basis of a classification system which is still used by law enforcement agencies in English-speaking countries. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) now uses a variation of the Galton-Henry system. Although the use of fingerprinting in identification originated in Britain, it has been developed in the United States. In 1924, two large fingerprint collections were combined to form the foundation of the Identification Division of the FBI. Within the Identification Division, the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (IAFIS) can search and find fingerprints anywhere in the United States within thirty minutes. The IAFIS can compare results with automated fingerprint systems in countries around the world. The IAFIS has the fingerprints of more than 250 million people on file. About one in six Americans has fingerprints on file with the FBI. But not all the fingerprints are related to criminal investigations. People need to have their fingerprints taken for many other reasons. People have their fingerprints taken for employment, licenses, and adoption. For example, when people want to work for the government in classified, secret jobs, their fingerprints are checked to be sure they do not have a criminal background. When prospective parents adopt a child, their fingerprints are matched against those of all criminals for the safety of the child.
How long does it take the IAFIS to find someone's fingerprints?
- (a)
30 seconds
- (b)
30 minutes
- (c)
30 hours
- (d)
30 days
- (e)
None of the above
If you enjoy watching crime shows on TV, you know that fingerprints play a large role in identifying people. But, you might be surprised to find out that using fingerprints for identification is not a new science. In fact, it is very old dating back at least as far as 1885 - 1913 B.C.E. In Babylon, when people agreed to a business contract, they pressed their fingerprints into the clay in which the contract was written. Thumbprints have also been found on clay seals from ancient China. In 14th century Persia, which is now Iran, a government doctor recognised that all fingerprints are different. In 1684, a British doctor, Nehemiah Grew, spoke about the ridged surfaces of the fingers. In 1686, a professor of anatomy (the study of the structure of the human body) named Marcello Malpighi wrote about the ridges and loops in fingerprints. Malpighi's work was considered so important that a layer of skin found on the fingertips was named after him. This layer of skin is called the Malpighian layer. Although scientists had studied fingerprints, the value of fingerprinting in the identification of individuals did not become clear until later. Sir William James Herschel is generally thought to be the first European to realise that fingerprints were unique to each person. In his work as chief magistrate in the Hoogly district in Jungipor, India, Herschel asked people to put their handprints on contracts. Herschel believed that personal contact with the contracts made people more likely to honour their commitments or to keep their promises. As he looked at more and more handprints, he began to see that all the handprints were different. He started to believe that fingerprints were unique, which means they are all different from each other, and permanent, which means that they do not ever change. To prove that they never change, Herschel kept track of his own fingerprints over his entire lifetime. Dr. Henry Faulds, a British surgeon at a Japanese hospital, began studying the furrows (also called ridges) on fingertips in the 1870s. He published an article in a scientific journal about the use of fingerprints as a tool in identification. He also devised, or invented, a system of classifying fingerprints. He wrote Charles Darwin about his findings, but Darwin was getting too old to work on the findings. So, he promised to pass the information to his cousin, Sir Francis Galton. Using Henry Faulds's findings, Galton published a major book on classifying fingerprints based on arches, loops, and whorls. His work with Sir Edward R. Henry on fingerprint classification was the basis of a classification system which is still used by law enforcement agencies in English-speaking countries. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) now uses a variation of the Galton-Henry system. Although the use of fingerprinting in identification originated in Britain, it has been developed in the United States. In 1924, two large fingerprint collections were combined to form the foundation of the Identification Division of the FBI. Within the Identification Division, the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (IAFIS) can search and find fingerprints anywhere in the United States within thirty minutes. The IAFIS can compare results with automated fingerprint systems in countries around the world. The IAFIS has the fingerprints of more than 250 million people on file. About one in six Americans has fingerprints on file with the FBI. But not all the fingerprints are related to criminal investigations. People need to have their fingerprints taken for many other reasons. People have their fingerprints taken for employment, licenses, and adoption. For example, when people want to work for the government in classified, secret jobs, their fingerprints are checked to be sure they do not have a criminal background. When prospective parents adopt a child, their fingerprints are matched against those of all criminals for the safety of the child.
Anatomy is the study of ...
- (a)
surgery
- (b)
criminals
- (c)
the body
- (d)
fingerprints
- (e)
identification
Europe is the second smallest continent, after Australia. Surprisingly, there are 44 countries in Europe. Over 700 million people live in Europe. European ideas are everywhere in the world. You can see examples of European culture, language, and buildings all around the world. In sports, European soccer is very popular. Soccer teams from Europe have gone to the World Cup finals every year except 1930 and 1950. Many people say that the British, Italian, and Spanish soccer leagues are the world's best. Cycling is also very popular in Europe - especially in France. The Tour de France is the biggest bicycle race in the world. 10 1903, when the race first began, racers had to ride along the entire border of France. That's a long distance! In industry, Germany makes the most cars in Europe. In fact, if you visit Germany, you can go on a tour of the BMW factory. You can also go on a tour of the Porsche factory in Stuttgart, Germany. England is famous for china and pottery. Of course, the Champagne region in France is famous for its wine. Only a certain famous, bubbly wine from this area can be called by the name 'champagne.' Flower farming is an important industry in Holland. Holland is famous for its tulips. Europe is also famous for its food. The oldest cookbook in Europe was called De Re Coquinaria, or, 'The Art of Cooking'. It was written in Latin. There is much controversy over the identity of the book's author. Some people think the book was written by a very good cook named Marcus Gavius Apicus. Others don't think that this book came from him. The book does not tell how to prepare the dishes, but it does tell what to put in each dish. European historical architecture are among the most well known in the world. One example of a famous architectural structure is called 'Stonehenge,' in England. Stonehenge has many, very large stones set up in circles. No one knows why the stones were set up that way, because it was at a time before history was recorded. Many people think Stonehenge is holy. In addition to Stonehenge, The 'Acropolis' in Athens, Greece is also very famous for its architectural structures. The Acropolis is a flat-topped hill, which lies about 150 metres above sea level. Many historical temples and other buildings were built on the Acropolis. The Acropolis is a huge tourist site. About 14 million people visit this location each year. Modern European buildings are also tourist sites. The Eiffel Tower is the fifth tallest building in France. When it was built in 1889, it was the world's tallest building. More than 200,000,000 people have visited the Eiffel Tower since it was built. It was named after Gustave Eiffel, who designed it. It is now a symbol of France. The year 2009 marks the 150th birthday of another famous tourist site in Europe: Big Ben. Big Ben is located atop the Westminster Palace in London, England. Big Ben is the largest four-faced chiming clock in the world. Chiming clocks are clocks that use bells to make their sound. Big Ben is a universal symbol of the UK. Many European cities are famous for their churches and castles. The Sistine Chapel in the Vatican is the place where cardinals, very high Catholic bishops, meet to pick a new pope. The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was painted by the artist Michelangelo. The Cathedral of Seville, Spain, is also very magnificent. This grand cathedral is beautifully decorated with outstanding colours. It is also the place where Christopher Columbus is buried. England is now getting ready for the 2012 Olympics. About 4,000 companies and 15,000 workers are working to get the city of Stratford ready. The workers are building a new shopping centre and many new hotels, with about 2,000 hotel rooms just for Olympics visitors! Since so many people live in Europe, they expect many visitors. As the Olympic planners say, London, England is less than a 3-hour flight away for more than 300 million people.
Magnificent means ...
- (a)
grand
- (b)
outstanding
- (c)
beautiful
- (d)
Both A and B are correct
- (e)
Both A and C are correct
- (f)
All of the above
Your body is made of trillions of tiny living things. They are called cells. There are 210 different kinds of cells in your body. Each kind of cell has a different shape. Each kind of cell is a different size. Each kind of cell has a different job. The same types of cells usually work together in groups. The groups are called tissues. More cells can be made when the cells split. They form more cells that are just like the parents. Some of your cells are nerve cells. They are also called neurons. They carry signals through your body. The signals are messages that tell your body to move. Your brain has about 100 billion neurons! The connections between neurons are called synapses. Each neuron has between 1,000 and 10,000 synapses. There are about one quadrillion synapses in your brain. That's 1,000,000,000,000,000 synapses in your brain! There are about 1 billion neurons in your spinal cord, the bundle of nerves that goes from your brain all the way down your back. Some of your cells are red blood cells. They carry oxygen (O) through your body. They pick up carbon dioxide (CO2) and help your body get rid of it. Your body wants to eliminate CO2 because it is a waste product. Blood also helps your body stay warm. Conversely, blood cools off your brain, because it gets very hot. Some of your cells are white blood cells. The white blood cells help your body fight sickness. Some of the white blood cells, called T-cells, fight viruses and other cells that do not belong in your body. T-cells work with B-cells to fight off the disease cells. They tell your brain to give you a fever so the disease cells will not be able to grow. Many diseases cannot grow when your body is hot. And some white cells eat disease cells! Go white blood cells! Some of your cells are bone cells. They are also called osteocytes. Osteocytes make bone. The bone grows to form all around them. The osteocytes get food through tiny strings that go to nearby blood vessels. Blood vessels are the tubes that carry blood in your body. Some of your cells are skin cells. They are also called epithelial cells. They grow your skin. Your skin keeps dirt off your tissues. Your skin forms the outside of some organs, like your stomach and lungs. An adult has about 9 pounds of skin on his or her body. Some of your cells are liver cells. They are also called hepatocytes. These cells check your blood. They make sure your blood has the right amount of sugars in it. They also help clean poisons from your body. They help make substances that help your blood to clot, or stick together. They clean alcohol from your body if you drink alcohol or take medicine with alcohol in it. Some of your cells are fat cells. Their job is to store fat. The fat is a place where your body keeps or stores energy. The fat pads the organs in your body. The layers of fat also help keep your body warm. Your body weight depends on how fast your body stores fat compared to how fast your body uses up energy. Some of your cells are muscle cells. Your muscles are made of these cells. They are also called myocytes. Your neurons send the messages to move muscles that are connected to your bones and your skeletal muscles. However, your nerve cells do not tell your heart muscles when to beat. Your heart muscles and smooth muscles have inner signals that tell them to move. Smooth muscles are muscles that you do not have to think about, like the muscles that work in the digestion of food. Your cells are busy all the time. Even while you are sleeping, your cells are working hard to keep your body alive and healthy.
What is the best synonym for store?
- (a)
Use
- (b)
Keep
- (c)
Burn
- (d)
Move
- (e)
Check
Thick black smoke curling out of smokestacks, horrible tasting chemicals in your drinking water, pesticides in your food - these are examples of pollution. Pollution is any contamination of the environment which causes harm to the environment or the inhabitants of the environment. There are many kinds of pollution, and there are many pollutants. Some obvious kinds of pollution are pollution of the air, soil, and water. Some less obvious, or less salient, kinds of pollution are radioactive, noise, light pollution, and greenhouse gasses. Air pollution. can be caused by particles, liquids, or gases that make the air harmful to breathe. There are two main types of air pollution: primary and secondary. Primary pollutants enter the air directly, like smoke from factories and car exhaust. Secondary pollutants are chemicals that mix together to pollute the air, like mixtures of emissions, or waste output, from vehicles and factory smoke that change to form more dangerous pollutants in the air and sunlight. Soil pollution can be caused by pesticides, leakage from chemical tanks, oil spills, and other chemicals which get into the soil by dumping or accidental contamination. Soil pollution can also cause water pollution when underground water becomes contaminated by coming into contact with the polluted soil. Water pollution can be caused by waste products, sewage, oil spills, and litter in streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans. Some scientists believe that water pollution is the largest cause of death and disease in the world, causing about 14,000 deaths in the world each day. Radioactive pollution can be caused by leaks or spills of radioactive materials. These materials can come from medical sources, nuclear power plants, or laboratories which handle radioactive materials. Air, soil, and water can be polluted by radioactivity. It can cause damage to animals, both internally and externally, by eating, drinking, or touching it. It can cause birth defects and genetic problems. It can cause certain cancers and other deadly diseases. Noise pollution can be caused by vehicle, aircraft, and industrial noise. It can also be caused by military or experimental sonar. Noise has health effects on people and animals. In people, it can cause high blood pressure, heart problems, sleep disturbances, and hearing problems. In animals, it can cause communication, reproductive, and navigation problems - they have difficulty finding their direction. Sonar even affects whales and they respond to the sonar as if it were another whale. Light pollution can be caused by advertising signs, stadium and city lighting, and other artificial lighting (like the light caused by night traffic). Artificial lighting has health effects on humans and animals. In people, it can cause high blood pressure and affect sleeping and waking rhythms and immunity. It might be a factor in some cancers, such as breast cancer. In animals, it can affect sleeping and waking rhythms, navigation, and reproduction. In addition, greenhouse gases have caused a warming effect on the earth's climate. The greenhouse gases are water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, and ozone. They are naturally-occurring gases in the atmosphere, but human activity has increased their concentration in the atmosphere. For example, the levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere have risen due to the burning of fossil fuels. The effect is a rise in global temperatures. The higher temperatures cause the melting of glaciers, a rise in the water level of oceans, and the disruption of both land and marine life, including that of humans. Although carbon dioxide is necessary for plants to survive, it is also considered to be a kind of pollution because high levels of carbon dioxide have caused the oceans to become more acidic. It is not possible for anyone to predict the exact timing and effects of global pollution and global climate change brought about by pollution. There is general agreement by scientists that the global climate will continue to change, that the intensity of weather effects will continue to increase, and that some species of animals will become extinct. There is also general agreement, or consensus, that humans need to take steps to reduce emissions of waste products and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, make adaptations to the changes that are occurring, and figure out ways of reversing the trends of pollution and global warming.
Emissions are ...
- (a)
gasses
- (b)
waste output
- (c)
pollution
- (d)
All of the above
- (e)
Both A and B are correct
- (f)
Both B and C are correct
Thick black smoke curling out of smokestacks, horrible tasting chemicals in your drinking water, pesticides in your food - these are examples of pollution. Pollution is any contamination of the environment which causes harm to the environment or the inhabitants of the environment. There are many kinds of pollution, and there are many pollutants. Some obvious kinds of pollution are pollution of the air, soil, and water. Some less obvious, or less salient, kinds of pollution are radioactive, noise, light pollution, and greenhouse gasses. Air pollution. can be caused by particles, liquids, or gases that make the air harmful to breathe. There are two main types of air pollution: primary and secondary. Primary pollutants enter the air directly, like smoke from factories and car exhaust. Secondary pollutants are chemicals that mix together to pollute the air, like mixtures of emissions, or waste output, from vehicles and factory smoke that change to form more dangerous pollutants in the air and sunlight. Soil pollution can be caused by pesticides, leakage from chemical tanks, oil spills, and other chemicals which get into the soil by dumping or accidental contamination. Soil pollution can also cause water pollution when underground water becomes contaminated by coming into contact with the polluted soil. Water pollution can be caused by waste products, sewage, oil spills, and litter in streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans. Some scientists believe that water pollution is the largest cause of death and disease in the world, causing about 14,000 deaths in the world each day. Radioactive pollution can be caused by leaks or spills of radioactive materials. These materials can come from medical sources, nuclear power plants, or laboratories which handle radioactive materials. Air, soil, and water can be polluted by radioactivity. It can cause damage to animals, both internally and externally, by eating, drinking, or touching it. It can cause birth defects and genetic problems. It can cause certain cancers and other deadly diseases. Noise pollution can be caused by vehicle, aircraft, and industrial noise. It can also be caused by military or experimental sonar. Noise has health effects on people and animals. In people, it can cause high blood pressure, heart problems, sleep disturbances, and hearing problems. In animals, it can cause communication, reproductive, and navigation problems - they have difficulty finding their direction. Sonar even affects whales and they respond to the sonar as if it were another whale. Light pollution can be caused by advertising signs, stadium and city lighting, and other artificial lighting (like the light caused by night traffic). Artificial lighting has health effects on humans and animals. In people, it can cause high blood pressure and affect sleeping and waking rhythms and immunity. It might be a factor in some cancers, such as breast cancer. In animals, it can affect sleeping and waking rhythms, navigation, and reproduction. In addition, greenhouse gases have caused a warming effect on the earth's climate. The greenhouse gases are water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, and ozone. They are naturally-occurring gases in the atmosphere, but human activity has increased their concentration in the atmosphere. For example, the levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere have risen due to the burning of fossil fuels. The effect is a rise in global temperatures. The higher temperatures cause the melting of glaciers, a rise in the water level of oceans, and the disruption of both land and marine life, including that of humans. Although carbon dioxide is necessary for plants to survive, it is also considered to be a kind of pollution because high levels of carbon dioxide have caused the oceans to become more acidic. It is not possible for anyone to predict the exact timing and effects of global pollution and global climate change brought about by pollution. There is general agreement by scientists that the global climate will continue to change, that the intensity of weather effects will continue to increase, and that some species of animals will become extinct. There is also general agreement, or consensus, that humans need to take steps to reduce emissions of waste products and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, make adaptations to the changes that are occurring, and figure out ways of reversing the trends of pollution and global warming.
What is litter?
- (a)
Trash
- (b)
Receptacles
- (c)
Recycling
- (d)
Light pollution
- (e)
Noise pollution
- (f)
All of the above
Chocolate - there's nothing quite like it, is there? Chocolate is simply delicious. What is chocolate? Where does it come from? Christopher Columbus was probably the first to take cacao beans from the New World to Europe in around 1502. But the history 'of chocolate goes back at least 4,000 years! The Aztecs, who lived in America, thought that their bitter cacao drink was a divine gift from heaven. In fact, the scientist Carolus Linnaeus named the plant Theobroma, which means 'food of the gods.' The Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez went to America in 1519. He visited the Mexican emperor Montezuma. He saw that Montezuma drank cacao mixed with vanilla and spices. Cortez took some cacao home as a gift to the Spanish King Charles. In Spain, people began to drink Cortez's chocolate in a drink with chili peppers. However, the natural taste of cacao was too bitter for most people. To sweeten the drink, Europeans added sugar to the cacao drink. As a sweet drink, it became more popular. By the 17th century, rich people in Europe were drinking it. Later, people started using chocolate in pastries, like pies and cakes. In 1828, Dutch chocolate makers started using a new process for removing the fat from cacao beans and getting to the centre of the cacao bean. The Dutch chocolate-maker Conrad J. van Houten made a machine that pressed the fat from the bean. The resulting powder mixed better with water than cacao did. Now, some call van Houten's chocolate 'Dutch chocolate.' It was easy to mix Dutch chocolate powder with sugar. So other chocolate makers started trying new recipes that used powdered chocolate. People started mixing sweetened chocolate with cocoa butter to make solid chocolate bars. In 1849, an English chocolate maker made the first chocolate bar. In the 19th century, the Swiss started making milk chocolate by mixing powdered milk with sweetened chocolate. Milk chocolate has not changed much since this process was invented. Today, two countries - Brazil and Ivory Coast - account for almost half the world's chocolate. The United States imports most of the chocolate in the world, but the Swiss eat the most chocolate per person. The most chocolate eaten today is sweet milk chocolate, but people also eat white chocolate and dark chocolate. Cocoa and dark chocolate are believed to help prevent heart attacks or help keep them from happening. They are supposed to be good for the circulatory system. On the other hand, the high-fat content of chocolate can cause weight gain, which is not good for people's health. Other health claims for chocolate have not been proven, but some research shows that chocolate could be good for the brain. Chocolate is a popular holiday gift. A popular Valentine's Day gift is a box of chocolate candies with a card and flowers. Chocolate is sometimes given for Christmas and birthdays. Chocolate eggs are sometimes given at Easter. Chocolate is toxic to some animals. An ingredient in chocolate is poisonous to dogs, cats, parrots, small rodents, and some livestock. Their bodies cannot process some of the chemicals found in chocolate. Therefore, they should never be fed chocolate.
A divine gift is ...
- (a)
a chocolate gift
- (b)
a gift from God
- (c)
a delicious gift
- (d)
a bitter gift
- (e)
a dangerous gift
Chocolate - there's nothing quite like it, is there? Chocolate is simply delicious. What is chocolate? Where does it come from? Christopher Columbus was probably the first to take cacao beans from the New World to Europe in around 1502. But the history 'of chocolate goes back at least 4,000 years! The Aztecs, who lived in America, thought that their bitter cacao drink was a divine gift from heaven. In fact, the scientist Carolus Linnaeus named the plant Theobroma, which means 'food of the gods.' The Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez went to America in 1519. He visited the Mexican emperor Montezuma. He saw that Montezuma drank cacao mixed with vanilla and spices. Cortez took some cacao home as a gift to the Spanish King Charles. In Spain, people began to drink Cortez's chocolate in a drink with chili peppers. However, the natural taste of cacao was too bitter for most people. To sweeten the drink, Europeans added sugar to the cacao drink. As a sweet drink, it became more popular. By the 17th century, rich people in Europe were drinking it. Later, people started using chocolate in pastries, like pies and cakes. In 1828, Dutch chocolate makers started using a new process for removing the fat from cacao beans and getting to the centre of the cacao bean. The Dutch chocolate-maker Conrad J. van Houten made a machine that pressed the fat from the bean. The resulting powder mixed better with water than cacao did. Now, some call van Houten's chocolate 'Dutch chocolate.' It was easy to mix Dutch chocolate powder with sugar. So other chocolate makers started trying new recipes that used powdered chocolate. People started mixing sweetened chocolate with cocoa butter to make solid chocolate bars. In 1849, an English chocolate maker made the first chocolate bar. In the 19th century, the Swiss started making milk chocolate by mixing powdered milk with sweetened chocolate. Milk chocolate has not changed much since this process was invented. Today, two countries - Brazil and Ivory Coast - account for almost half the world's chocolate. The United States imports most of the chocolate in the world, but the Swiss eat the most chocolate per person. The most chocolate eaten today is sweet milk chocolate, but people also eat white chocolate and dark chocolate. Cocoa and dark chocolate are believed to help prevent heart attacks or help keep them from happening. They are supposed to be good for the circulatory system. On the other hand, the high-fat content of chocolate can cause weight gain, which is not good for people's health. Other health claims for chocolate have not been proven, but some research shows that chocolate could be good for the brain. Chocolate is a popular holiday gift. A popular Valentine's Day gift is a box of chocolate candies with a card and flowers. Chocolate is sometimes given for Christmas and birthdays. Chocolate eggs are sometimes given at Easter. Chocolate is toxic to some animals. An ingredient in chocolate is poisonous to dogs, cats, parrots, small rodents, and some livestock. Their bodies cannot process some of the chemicals found in chocolate. Therefore, they should never be fed chocolate.
If something is toxic it is ...
- (a)
poisonous
- (b)
disgusting
- (c)
emotional
- (d)
popular
- (e)
harmless
The year 2006 was the golden anniversary, or the 50th birthday, of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways. This system usually referred to as The Interstate Highway System, is a system of freeways named after the U.S. President who supported it. The system is the largest highway system in the world, consisting of 46,876 miles (75,440 km) of freeways. The construction of the interstate highway system is an important part of American history. It has played a major role in preserving and maintaining the American way of life. The Interstate highway system has several major functions. One of its major functions is to facilitate the distribution of US goods. Because the interstate passes through many downtown areas, it plays an important role in the distribution of almost all goods in the United States. Nearly all products travel at least part of the way to their destination on the Interstate System. Another major function of the Interstate system is to facilitate military troop movement to and from airports, seaports, rail terminals, and other military destinations. The Interstate highways are connected to routes in the Strategic Highway Network, which is a system of highways that are vital to the U.S. Department of Defense. Today, most of the Interstate system consists of newly constructed highways. The longest section of the Interstate system runs from Boston, Massachusetts to Seattle, Washington. It covers 3,020.54 miles. The shortest two-digit interstate is from Emery, North Carolina to Greensboro, North Carolina. It covers only 12.27 miles. All state capitals except five are served by the system. The five that are not directly served are Juneau, AK, Dover, DE, Jefferson City, MO, Carson City, NV, and Pierre, SD. The Interstate Highway System serves almost all major U.S. cities. Each Interstate highway is marked with a red, white, and blue shield with the word 'Interstate,' the name of the state, and the route number. Interstate highways are named with one or two digit numbers. North-south highways are designated with odd numbers; east-west highways are named with even numbers. The north-south Interstate highways begin in the west with the lowest odd numbers; the east-west highways begin in the south with the lowest even numbers. There are mile markers at each mile of the Interstate system, starting at the westernmost or southernmost point on the highway. Every Interstate highway begins with the number '0.' Interchanges are numbered according to their location on the highway in relation to mileage; an exit between milepost 7 and milepost 8 would be designated 'Exit 7.' This system allows drivers to quickly estimate the distance to a desired exit, which is a road leading off the highway. Despite the common acceptance of the numbering system on the Interstate highways, some states have adopted different numbering systems. For example, a portion of the Interstate 19 in Arizona is measured in kilometers instead of miles since the highway goes south to Mexico. Since the Interstate highways are freeways - highways that do not have stop signs and cross streets - they have the highest speed limits in the nation. Most Interstate highways have speed limits between 65-75 miles per hour (105-120 kilometers per hour), but some areas in Texas and Utah have an 80 mile-per-hour (130 kilometer-per-hour) speed limit. The federal government primarily funds interstate highways. However, they are owned and operated by the individual states or toll authorities in the states. The federal government generally funds up to 90 percent of the cost of an Interstate highway, while the states pay the remainder of the cost.
When you facilitate something, you make it
- (a)
less interesting
- (b)
more complicated
- (c)
more lengthy
- (d)
easier
Every 10 years, in years ending with a zero, the U.S. Census Bureau counts all the people in the United States. The creation of a census is a process required by the U.S. Constitution. The results of the census are used to distribute government money and to allocate seats in Congress. The seats in the House of Representatives are allocated according to population. The population of your state determines how many seats your state has. The first census of the U.S. was taken in 1790. At that time, there were an estimated 3,929,214 people in the U.S. This estimate is low because the census records for five states were missing. In addition, slaves and Indians were not ·counted. At that time, the census was intended to show how many men were available for military service. By the time of the tenth census in 1890, the population was estimated to be 50,189,209. In 1920, at the time of the fourteenth census, the population first topped 100 million. The 1920 population was estimated to be 106,021,537. 1950 was the first time a computer was used for the census. The new room-sized computer named ENIAC was used for parts for the count. In fact, the Census Bureau acquired its own computer, named UNIVAC, during that era. By the year 2000, there were 281,421,906 people in the U.S. That information was gathered using highspeed supercomputers, quite a difference from the 200 men who travelled throughout the country on horseback gathering information for the first census! The census is important because the results are used to decide how federal money will be distributed throughout the country. Money for education, health care for older people, and funds for community development and housing is sent to the states according to the number of people in each state. Local and state governments use the results of the census to help them decide where to build schools, libraries, bridges, highways, and other public projects. Businesses use the numbers to help them determine where to open new businesses. It is completely safe to give information to the U.S. Census Bureau. The law does not allow the Census Bureau to give out information about individuals. There is a 72-year waiting period. The waiting period is enforced so that people will feel free to tell the truth on the census questionnaires. The last census for which information is available is the 1930 census. Census workers may not give out personal information about people. If they break this law, they can go to prison for five years and pay Rs 5,000 in fines. The official census is taken on April 1 of each census year. During March of the census year, the U.S. government counts people who do not live at a specific address. It counts students in dormitories, people in nursing homes, prisons and other places where transient people stay. It sends out questionnaires to most residences. Then census enumerators - people who count people - go from door to door to count people who do not respond to the questionnaires. Census workers must count migrant workers, seasonal farm workers, and people who live outdoors or in vehicles. They must also count people who live on ships, military bases, or in remote areas. The Census Bureau sets up help centres and toll-free phone numbers to help people fill out the census forms. The Census Bureau really wants to get accurate information about the people living in the U.S. The Bureau spends years preparing each census. It now costs billions of dollars to conduct a U.S. Census. The total cost of the 2010 census will be about 14 billion dollars!
The best synonym for determine is ...
- (a)
refuse
- (b)
decide
- (c)
pay for
- (d)
compromise
- (e)
plan for
'Wake up!' Do you hear these words often? If so, maybe you are not getting enough sleep. What is sleep? Why do people sleep? How much sleep do you need? All people sleep. All mammals and birds also sleep. Some reptiles, amphibians, and fish sleep too. Scientists understand some of the reasons for sleep. But they do not understand everything about it. There are two kinds of sleep in mammals and birds. One kind of sleep is Rapid Eye Movement sleep, which we call REM sleep. The other kind of sleep is Non-Rapid Eye Movement sleep, which we call NREM or non-REM sleep. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine divides NREM sleep into three stages: Nl, N2, and N3 sleep. When people first go to sleep, they are in NREM sleep. The first stage of NREM sleep is Nl sleep. During Nl sleep, people get very drowsy. Some people have muscle twitches during this part of sleep. People are not very conscious of, or aware of, their surroundings during this stage of sleep. Brain monitors identify small, slow, and irregular brain waves during Nl sleep. The second stage of sleep is N2 sleep. People are not at all conscious of their surroundings during N2 sleep. About 45-55 percent of total adult sleep is N2 sleep. Brain monitors identify large brain waves with quick bursts of activity during N2 sleep. The third stage of sleep is N3 sleep. It is very deep sleep. Brain monitors identify very slow brain waves during N3 sleep. Therefore, N3 sleep is called slow-wave sleep (SWS.) After N3 sleep, people cycle back to lighter N2 sleep before going into REM sleep. People cycle through the stages of NREM sleep 4 or 5 times each night and enter REM sleep several times during one night. Dreams occur during REM sleep and the eyes move quickly beneath closed eyelids. During REM sleep, people and animals are paralysed. Scientists think people enter a state in which they cannot move so they will not hurt themselves while they are dreaming. The National Sleep Foundation in the United States says that 7-9 hours of sleep daily is best for an adult. Seven to nine hours of sleep is good for memory, alertness, problem-solving, and health. Less than six hours of sleep affects the ability to think. Getting too much sleep may not be good for people either. Too much sleep is linked to sickness and depression. Babies need a lot more sleep than adults. A newborn infant needs up to 18 hours of sleep each day. A baby spends about nine hours in REM sleep. Five-year-olds need 11-13 hours of sleep each day. A five-year-old spends about 2 hours in REM sleep. Teenagers need 9-10 hours of sleep each day. Pregnant women need more sleep than other adults. Many people think that elderly people need less sleep than younger adults, but that is not true. Most adults do well with 7-9 hours of sleep. Scientists are not sure of all the reasons for sleep. They know that sleep helps the body heal and grow. Sleep helps the immune system - which helps people fight disease. Sleep helps the infant brain grow. It seems that REM sleep is especially important for babies' brain growth. It also seems that sleep is a time for processing memories. Why do we dream? Some scientists believe that dreams have a psychological purpose. Some think that dreams help organise our brains. Some think that dreams are the result of random brain activity during REM sleep. Sleep patterns differ substantially from culture to culture. Cultures with artificial light have different sleep patterns from cultures without artificial light (like electric lamps.) In cultures that use artificial light, people usually go to sleep later at night, and they sleep through the night. In other cultures, people often sleep for two periods. They go to sleep shortly after the sun goes down. They sleep deeply for several hours. Then, they tend to wake up for several hours. Afterward, they go to sleep again for several more hours. In hunter-gatherer groups, people sleep off and on throughout the day and night. People sleep in a variety of places, too. Some people sleep on the ground. Some sleep on mats or in beds. Some use pillows, blankets, and other bedding. But they all sleep! Good night! Sweet dreams!
The best synonym for elderly people is ...
- (a)
babies
- (b)
children
- (c)
teenagers
- (d)
older adults
- (e)
pregnant women
According to a 2007 statement before the Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives by May R. Berenbaum, Professor and Head, Department of Entomology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, pollination by native bees was recently estimated to be worth 3 billion dollars annually in the United States. Other sources estimate pollination to be a 15 billion dollar industry worldwide. Moreover, approximately 3/4 of the 250,000 + species of flowering plants rely on their insect partners - pollinators - for the vital natural process which transfers pollen grains to receptive female plants to effect fertilisation. However, up to 80 percent of honeybees in 35 states have suddenly, inexplicably vanished, baffling entomologists, beekeepers, farmers, and governments. About 10 percent of 2.4 million hives disappeared in the U.S. in late 2006 and early 2007 in an enigmatic calamity that has been named 'colony collapse disorder,' or CCD. This mysterious killer has wiped out hives in the U.S. and overseas - in Italy, Poland, Portugal, Central, South America, and Croatia. Some have theorised that cell phones disrupt the ability of the insects to navigate - the bees leave the hive, never to return. Others have surmised that a bee virus corresponding to HIV in humans has somehow inculcated itself into the honeybee population. Still, others have laid the blame on pesticides, most notably a neurotoxin called imidacloprid - IMD, which has been shown by French researchers to cause disorientation among honeybees. IMD also affects the ability of bees to forage, affecting hive activity. While most French and some American beekeepers consider IMD to be a major suspect in CCD, their opinion is not corroborated by American researchers. U.S. scientists continue to pursue the cause, or amalgam of causes, of the disorder. On September 7, 2007, American researchers reported in the journal Science that a newly discovered virus, the Israeli acute paralysis virus, may be a suspect in the catastrophic loss of honeybees. Meanwhile, U.S. beekeepers are urgently requesting expeditious resolution to the crisis in the form of emergency research funding. The impact of CCD is almost unfathomable. One-third of all food is provided by the pollination of honeybees. In a world without honeybees, there would be almost no fruits or vegetables, except for those hand-pollinated by humans. At their current rate of disappearance, honeybees will cease to exist by the year 2035.
In line 32, corroborated most closely means
- (a)
disputed
- (b)
omitted
- (c)
corrected
- (d)
supported
- (e)
researched
Ethanol (CH3CH20H; which is also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, and EtOH) is a clear, colourless liquid. It is a renewable biofuel made from starch and sugar-based crops like corn grain and sugar cane or from cellulosic feedstocks like grass, wood, or recycled newspapers. Ethanol is a high-octane biofuel which performs so splendidly in internal combustion engines that early automakers presumed it would be the world's chief fuel.
American proponents of ethanol fuel highlight two principal advantages: its environmental impact and its energy security benefits. The adoption of ethanol reduces noxious emissions such as carbon monoxide (CO) and pollutants from internal combustion engines; hence, it is appreciably less deleterious to the environment than gasoline. Ethanol made from corn has been shown to reduce harmful emissions by up to 13 percent, whereas ethanol made from cellulosic materials reduces dangerous emissions by as much as 88 percent. Ethanol is a renewable biofuel; in only six months a new crop can be grown, harvested, and converted to fuel, so it is profitable for rural crop-producing economies. In addition, it keeps engines clean and can be used in gasoline engines with no modifications when combining gas with up to 10 percent ethanol. It can be used in specially modified vehicles called 'flexible-fuel' or 'flex-fuel' vehicles in concentrations of up to 85 percent. Gasoline combined with 85 percent ethanol is generally referred to as 'E85.' Higher ratios of ethanol in the fuel mixture result in less reliance on fossil fuels, so there is less dependence on imports. American opponents of ethanol fuel point to three disadvantages: its price fluctuations, its energy level, and its availability. The price of ethanol fluctuates on a different cycle than gasoline; therefore, at times ethanol is more expensive than gasoline, and at times it is cheaper. Another drawback of ethanol is that it contains less energy per gallon than gasoline; even when it is cheaper per gallon than conventional fuel, it does not take the vehicle as far as a gallon of gas. A car's fuel economy with ethanol can be expected to be 20-30 percent less than a vehicle which burns gasoline. So the occasional cheaper price is offset by the lower energy yields. In addition, ethanol is not as widely distributed as gasoline. It is readily available only in the Midwest; other areas have limited ethanol infrastructure. The Obama administration is working on expanding the ethanol infrastructure. In a recent interview with 15 newspaper editors, President Obama characterised the U.S. position on biofuels in this way: 'Our challenge, I think, is to see our current ethanol technology as a bridge to the biofuels technologies of the future. And that's what we want to invest in, and that's what I'll be directing my Department of Agriculture to focus on.'
It can be inferred from the passage that which of these statements about ethanol is/are true?
I) Burning ethanol made from wood produces less CO than burning ethanol made from corn.
II) Burning ethanol made from grain produces less CO than burning gasoline.
Ill) Burning ethanol made from newspapers produces less CO than burning ethanol made from grass.
- (a)
I only
- (b)
II only
- (c)
III only
- (d)
I and II only
- (e)
II and III only
Authors William Strauss and Neil Howe are known for their theories about cycles of generations in American history. In their seminal Generations, and the subsequent 13th Gen, and The Fourth Turning, they explore the history of America from 1584 to the present as a repeating cycle of 4 consecutive generational archetypes. They refer to each cycle of four generations as a constellation, and they posit that each constellational era corresponds to 'recurring types of historical events' and moods. They state that adjacent generations do not live similar lives and that each generation ages as a singular cohort as time moves forward. If one were to place this progression on a graph, the line would form a diagonal - which Strauss and Howe call the 'generational diagonal.' According to Strauss and Howe, each generation comprises people who possess 1) common age, 2) common beliefs, and 3) perceived membership in the same generation. A generation is approximately 22 years in length. Since a lifetime may reach 80-90 years, members of 4 generations are alive at one time.
The four generational archetypes identified by Strauss and Howe are Idealist, Reactive, Civic, and Adaptive. Idealists are 'increasingly indulged youths after a secular crisis,' come of age 'inspiring a spiritual awakening,' cultivate principle rather than practicality or pragmatism in midlife, and emerge as 'visionary elders.' Reactives grow up ' underprotected and criticised youths during a spiritual awakening,' mature into risk taking adults, unlike the preceding generation at midlife, mellow into 'pragmatic midlife leaders during a secular crisis,' and become reclusive elders. Civics grow up 'increasingly protected youths after a spiritual awakening,' become 'a heroic and achieving cadre of young adults,' build institutions as mid-lifers, and 'emerge as busy midlifers, attacked by the next spiritual awakening.' Adaptives grow up as 'overprotected and suffocated youths during a secular crisis,' unlike the previous generation as young adults, become 'risk-averse, conformist rising adults,' mature into 'indecisive arbitrator leaders during a spiritual awakening,' and become sensitive elders. The authors believe that the archetypical generations have recurred in fixed order throughout American history with one exception: following the Civil War, one type did not appear. As each generational archetype shifts from one phase of life to the next, the succeeding generations line up in a predictably recurring pattern. For example, when the Idealists are elders, the Reactives are in midlife, the Civics are in rising adulthood, and the Adaptives are in youth. The central role of the elders, aged 66-87, is that of stewardship, such as supervising and mentoring. The central role of midlife, aged 44-65, is leadership, such as parenting and teaching. The central role of rising adulthood is activity, such as working and starting families. The central role 'of youth, aged 0 to 21 is dependence, such as growing and learning.
In line 24, pragmatic most closely means ...
- (a)
acting on the basis of principle
- (b)
behaving in a hermit-like way
- (c)
being in the final stage of life
- (d)
acting in a practical way
- (e)
behaving in a reckless way
The 32,000-word novella The Time Machine by H.G. Wells, published in 1895, is generally credited with popularising the idea of time travel by means of a time machine, a vehicle which takes the occupant backward or forward in time. Dozens of sequels and adaptations over the years have further promoted the notion. Indeed, Albert Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity lays the foundation for the possibility of time travel. So far, no one has demonstrated the ability to travel in time. However, time machines have been constructed, and they do allow glimpses into the past. The most efficacious time machine currently in existence is the Hubble Telescope, named after the American astronomer Edwin P. Hubble. Its capability to locate distant astronomical targets and lock in on them, permitting their faint light to aggregate on its detectors, allows it to peer far into the past. Light travels 186,000 miles per second. The Hubble Telescope has looked back in time at 10,000 galaxies whose light left them billions of years ago. Therefore, utilising the telescope as time machine, astronomers are able to contemplate galaxies as they were eons ago. Although the telescope was launched into space in 1990, its inception was almost a half-century earlier as astronomer Lyman Spitzer, Jr. mulled over the possibility of a large space telescope in a 1946 report, 'Astronomical Advantages of an Extra-Terrestrial Observatory.' Because the earth is bathed in its constantly churning atmosphere, Earth-based telescopes cannot penetrate deep space; the atmosphere distorts the view. Telescopes were constructed on mountains, but there was still no way to wholly escape the effects of the layers of gases enveloping the earth. During the 1960s, the Space Race between the then Soviet Union and the U.S. was accelerating. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was established. Funds for space endeavours were abundant, and plans for a large space telescope, by then designated the LST, were underway. The designs called for a 2.4-metre primary telescope mirror which could be transported into space by one of NASA's rockets. According to National Geographic's Imaging Space and Time, the resolving power of the deep space telescope would be 'equivalent to being able to distinguish the left and right headlights of a car in California seen from New York, or features less than 1I30,000th the size of the full moon. This was at least a tenfold increase over the atmospheric limit.' One of the primary challenges involved in successfully transporting the telescope into space was protecting the mirror from the jarring vibrations that occur during launch. It was crucial that the mirror be able to withstand the shuttle's vicissitudes as well as the volatile atmospheric conditions found in space. If not, the precise shape of the mirror could be compromised, and its imaging capability significantly weakened. After the telescope had been launched, astronomers subsequently realised that the primary mirror had not been ground correctly. A lens in the test instrument was about one millimeter askew, which is large by optical standards. In 1993, space-walking astronauts installed corrective lenses which improved the eyesight of the Hubble. In 2009, the corrective lenses themselves were replaced with a supersensitive spectrograph with built-in corrective lenses. The new spectrograph is expected to provide insight into the origins of stars and galaxies. The successor to Hubble, the James Webb Space Telescope, is expected to be launched in 2014. It will observe only in infrared, so it will complement the Hubble Telescope, which observes in the visible and ultraviolet light ranges. Hubble currently has the capability to view galaxies that were formed 13.7 billion years ago, long before humans existed, in an area called the Hubble Ultra Deep Field. Astronomers aspire to see beyond the Hubble Ultra Deep Field to a time that is devoid of galaxies, a time before galaxies had formed. IfH.G. Wells was onto something in his novella, that time may be close at hand. As one of the characters in the popular work asked, 'If Time is really only a fourth dimension of Space, why is it, and why has it always been, regarded as something different? And why cannot we move in Time as we move about in the other dimensions of Space?' Less than a decade after Wells' novella, Einstein's Special Theory Relativity seemed to concur with Wells' character by proposing that travelling through space at the speed of light would alter time by causing it to dilate, raising the possibility of not merely glimpsing the past, but perhaps travelling to it.
In the context of the passage, which of the following best articulates the author's opinion of the inception of the Hubble?
- (a)
It was a pipedream with little imminent chance of success
- (b)
It was a literary vehicle with little basis in reality
- (c)
It was an emergency response to the quickening Space Race
- (d)
It was based on a scientific proposition which was not proven
- (e)
It was a waste of time and money which were needed elsewhere
The 32,000-word novella The Time Machine by H.G. Wells, published in 1895, is generally credited with popularising the idea of time travel by means of a time machine, a vehicle which takes the occupant backward or forward in time. Dozens of sequels and adaptations over the years have further promoted the notion. Indeed, Albert Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity lays the foundation for the possibility of time travel. So far, no one has demonstrated the ability to travel in time. However, time machines have been constructed, and they do allow glimpses into the past. The most efficacious time machine currently in existence is the Hubble Telescope, named after the American astronomer Edwin P. Hubble. Its capability to locate distant astronomical targets and lock in on them, permitting their faint light to aggregate on its detectors, allows it to peer far into the past. Light travels 186,000 miles per second. The Hubble Telescope has looked back in time at 10,000 galaxies whose light left them billions of years ago. Therefore, utilising the telescope as time machine, astronomers are able to contemplate galaxies as they were eons ago. Although the telescope was launched into space in 1990, its inception was almost a half-century earlier as astronomer Lyman Spitzer, Jr. mulled over the possibility of a large space telescope in a 1946 report, 'Astronomical Advantages of an Extra-Terrestrial Observatory.' Because the earth is bathed in its constantly churning atmosphere, Earth-based telescopes cannot penetrate deep space; the atmosphere distorts the view. Telescopes were constructed on mountains, but there was still no way to wholly escape the effects of the layers of gases enveloping the earth. During the 1960s, the Space Race between the then Soviet Union and the U.S. was accelerating. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was established. Funds for space endeavours were abundant, and plans for a large space telescope, by then designated the LST, were underway. The designs called for a 2.4-metre primary telescope mirror which could be transported into space by one of NASA's rockets. According to National Geographic's Imaging Space and Time, the resolving power of the deep space telescope would be 'equivalent to being able to distinguish the left and right headlights of a car in California seen from New York, or features less than 1I30,000th the size of the full moon. This was at least a tenfold increase over the atmospheric limit.' One of the primary challenges involved in successfully transporting the telescope into space was protecting the mirror from the jarring vibrations that occur during launch. It was crucial that the mirror be able to withstand the shuttle's vicissitudes as well as the volatile atmospheric conditions found in space. If not, the precise shape of the mirror could be compromised, and its imaging capability significantly weakened. After the telescope had been launched, astronomers subsequently realised that the primary mirror had not been ground correctly. A lens in the test instrument was about one millimeter askew, which is large by optical standards. In 1993, space-walking astronauts installed corrective lenses which improved the eyesight of the Hubble. In 2009, the corrective lenses themselves were replaced with a supersensitive spectrograph with built-in corrective lenses. The new spectrograph is expected to provide insight into the origins of stars and galaxies. The successor to Hubble, the James Webb Space Telescope, is expected to be launched in 2014. It will observe only in infrared, so it will complement the Hubble Telescope, which observes in the visible and ultraviolet light ranges. Hubble currently has the capability to view galaxies that were formed 13.7 billion years ago, long before humans existed, in an area called the Hubble Ultra Deep Field. Astronomers aspire to see beyond the Hubble Ultra Deep Field to a time that is devoid of galaxies, a time before galaxies had formed. IfH.G. Wells was onto something in his novella, that time may be close at hand. As one of the characters in the popular work asked, 'If Time is really only a fourth dimension of Space, why is it, and why has it always been, regarded as something different? And why cannot we move in Time as we move about in the other dimensions of Space?' Less than a decade after Wells' novella, Einstein's Special Theory Relativity seemed to concur with Wells' character by proposing that travelling through space at the speed of light would alter time by causing it to dilate, raising the possibility of not merely glimpsing the past, but perhaps travelling to it.
It can be inferred from the passage that scientists believe that time is ...
- (a)
a constant
- (b)
unidirectional
- (c)
a spatial dimension
- (d)
an impenetrable mystery
- (e)
an imaginary construction
The U.S. Postal Service (also known as USPS, the Post Office, informally as the P.O., or the U.S. Mail) is the third largest employer in the United States, after the Department of Defense and Wal-Mart. It employs over 785,000 workers in over 14,000 U.S. postal facilities. The Postal Service has certainly grown and changed since 1775 when the first Postmaster General- Benjamin Franklin - was named to head the Post Office Department, the forerunner of the current USPS. At that time, members of the Second Continental Congress agreed that the Postmaster General headquarters, or most important offices, would be stationed in Philadelphia and that the Postmaster would be paid Rs 1,000 a year for his or her service. As the country grew westward, it became necessary for the railroad system to carry the mail. The Railway Mail Service (RMS) was initiated in 1862. The RMS workers sorted mail on the train and became some of the fastest workers in the system. They sorted about 600 pieces of mail per hour. All the mail had to be sorted before the train reached the first stop since some of the mail was destined for that first stop on the route. By 1918, the Post office took over airmail from the U.S. Army. The first airplanes used in U.S. airmail were surplus planes from World War 1. The Post Office started with only four pilots flying these leftover planes in August 1 918, but by the end of that year, the Post Office had hired 36 more pilots. By 1920, over 49 million airmail letters had been delivered. The Post Office has used alternate methods of transmission during its history. It owned and operated the first telegraph lines from 1884 to 1887- when the lines were privatised. It utilised 'V-Mail' (Victory Mail) during World War II when U.S. military mail was put on microfilm in the U.S. and printed near its destination, in order to save space on military transport. During the 1980s, Electronic Computer Originated Mail, called ECOM, was used for some bulk mailings. Computer generated mail was printed near its destination and bore a blue ECOM logo on its special envelopes. In 1970, the Postal Reorganisation Act, signed by President Richard Nixon, replaced the Post Office Department (a Cabinet-level department) with the independent US Postal Service. The independent US Postal Service has streamlined its workload and modernised operations. Today's multi-line optical character readers (MLOCRs) can read the entire address on an envelope, print a barcode on the envelope, and sort the mail at the rate of nine letters per second. The zip code + 4, a four digit code added to the end of the existing 5-digit code, has decreased the number of times a piece of mail needs to be handled. Special barcode sorters assign an Il-digit zip code to each address, apply a barcode to each letter, and sort the mail in order of delivery. The Postal Service has installed automated customer-service equipment in lobbies and is planning to automate even more of its work, including more machines which will process parcels and forwarded mail. The price of a first-class stamp - recently approved at 44 cents and good for up to one-ounce domestic mail- seems relatively inexpensive compared to its predecessor; the first U.S. postage stamp, issued in 1847. The first stamps, adorned with a picture of Benjamin Franklin, sold for 5 cents apiece. They were used for letters weighing less than one ounce with a travel distance of less than 300 miles. By way of comparison, pay records available for the 1890s indicate that a typical year's pay for a schoolteacher was around Rs 500, or 10,000 times the price of a stamp. Stamp prices then seem relatively high when compared to today's average teacher pay, in the Rs 40,000 per year range, or about 1,000,000 times the price of a postage stamp!
To automate is to ...
- (a)
mechanise
- (b)
make automatic
- (c)
accomplish by machine
- (d)
All of the above
- (e)
Both B and C are correct