Reading Stuff

READING COMPREHENSION
Read the text below and answer the questions that follow.
What Brings about Changes in Science?
(1) Einstein published three major scientific papers. One of these put forward a new way of calculating the size of
molecules. Another explained Brownian motion — the random dance performed by specks of dust trapped in a fluid.
Einstein suggested that the tiny particles making up the fluid — its atoms or molecules — were bouncing against the
specks of dust and causing the motion. These papers helped to establish the reality of atoms and molecules. Another
of Einstein’s 1905 papers explained the photoelectric effect — the way that metals could emit electrons (tiny charged
particles) from their surface when light was shone on them. Most scientists believed that light travelled in waves —
like sound or water waves. But Einstein suggested that the photoelectric effect could be explained if light could also
behave as a stream of tiny packets of energy.
(2) Einstein’s paper on the photoelectric effect helped give birth to quantum theory, and it was for this paper that
Einstein received the Nobel Prize in 1922. Quantum theory led, in the 1920s and 1930s, to another revolution in physics.
Physicists showed that, as well as light waves behaving like particles, particles could sometimes act as waves. This
theory established “objective probability” in physics. This was the idea that completely unpredictable chance events
can take place at the subatomic level. Einstein never fully accepted the prevalent interpretation of quantum theory.
But, while many of these interpretations involve wild metaphysical flights of fancy, the physical results are, like those
of relativity, very well established.
(3) Marrying together the two pillars of 20th century physics — relativity and quantum theory — is a central problem
for physics even today. Successfully doing this may require a revolution in science similar to those begun by Newton
and Einstein. There are three main interconnected driving forces for such changes in science. The first is the
development of technology. Changes in technology can make new experiments possible and they also influence the
problems that scientists develop an interest in. Newton was fascinated by the new machines of the 17th century.
Similarly, Einstein was fascinated by electricity and magnetism. This influence also works in a negative way. The
governments and multinationals that control technology are often able to dictate what is researched.
(4) The second factor driving scientific progress is the way that the dominant ideas in society change. Ideas from the
broader culture can impinge upon science. Newton’s ideas were part of a revolutionary new attempt at a rational
explanation of both nature and society. On the other hand, the dominant ideas in society can also limit the development
of science. This is most obvious in the social sciences, where delving too deeply into how society is organized might
raise difficult questions for our rulers. Less is at stake in the natural sciences. Indeed, improvements in natural sciences
are vital to our rulers if they want to compete effectively with each other. But the distorted worldview of capitalism
still impacts on science. Extremely narrow and specialized bodies of knowledge develop—creating problems for
scientists trying to bring about the kind of sweeping revolution heralded by Einstein.
(5) Finally, science moves forward because scientists seek to develop logically consistent theories. This can push them
beyond the dominant or common sense ideas of their time. Einstein’s breakthrough cannot be reduced simply to
changes in technology or wider cultural and ideological shifts. Science is not simply the gathering and ordering of data
about the outside world. It also requires abstraction—developing theories about the underlying laws of nature that are
usually not immediately apparent. This crucial role of theory is not just a feature of the natural sciences.
(6) Einstein argued that “common sense is the prejudices acquired by age 18”. Marxist theory, which is a social science
topic, challenges “common sense” political ideas. If we, according to this theory, want to change the world, we need
to combine our actions with theory that digs below the surface appearance of society to understand how the system
works.
A. Answer the following comprehension questions.
1. In what ways do the changes in technology affect science? Name three.
a. ___________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________
2. According to the writer, how do the attitudes of the authority figures differ towards the developments in social
sciences and natural sciences? ______________________________________________________________
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3. In the writer’s view, how does capitalism affect science negatively?

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____________________________________________ __________________________________________
4. Why can Einstein’s breakthrough not be “reduced simply to changes in technology or wider cultural and ideological
shifts”?______________________________________________________________
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B. Guessing Vocabulary
1- Find a word or an expression in paragraph 1 which means “to propose”: _________________
2- Find a word or an expression in paragraph 2 which means “dominant”: _________________
3- Find a word or an expression in paragraph 5 which means “attribute”: _________________
C. Reference Words
1. (Par.2) “those” refers to _________________
2. (Par. 3) “doing this” refers to _________________
3. (Par. 5) “this” refers to _________________

Dialogue
Read the selection below and answer the questions that follow it.
After their mother had repeated for the twentieth time that she'd like the boys to have "a taste of nature," Carter
and Rodney decided that maybe they could feign enthusiasm for a camping trip after all. 1
However, by the time they got three hours away from the city, set up the tents and turned off their CD player, they
had decided nature wasn't so bad. Accustomed to their noisy Hamilton neighbourhood, they were in awe of the
overwhelming night-time silence. 2
Until they heard a loud rustling sound outside their tent, that is. 3
"Ugh, huh?" Carter snorted as he jolted awake. He turned to shake his older brother, but Rodney was already up. 4
"What's that?" whispered Carter. He raised his voice a little. "Mom?" 5
The only answer was an even louder crunching that sounded like footsteps. 6
"There's somebody out there!" gulped Carter, panic edging into his voice 7
"That's not somebody, that's something," Rodney whispered authoritatively. "That's not human. It must be a bear." 8
They could just make out each other's wide-open eyes. 9
"Should we, uh, get Mom?" Carter asked. 10

"But her tent is over on the other side of the bear," said Rodney. "Besides, I've been taking the train all the way to
Toronto by myself for five years. I can handle this."He felt around the tent for his flashlight. "Remember that nature
documentary on TV? We'll make a lot of noise and scare him away." 11
Carter nodded reluctantly. 12
They quietly eased the tent zipper open, then turned on the flashlight, jumped out of the tent and started whooping.
13
Looking up at where the bear's face should be, they saw only darkness. They looked down. There, in front of them,
was a mother raccoon and her three babies, eyes blinking in the sudden brightness. Behind them were the remains of
the family's food -- sandwich crusts, apple cores and an empty potato-chip bag 14
The brothers looked at one another sheepishly as the fearsome predators sauntered away with the rest of
tomorrow's lunch. "Uh," Rodney mumbled, "maybe we don't need to tell Mom about this..." 15
Multiple Choice
1.The best meaning of the work "feign" as used in paragraph 1 is

A) find B) build C) pretend D) encourage
2. Carter and Rodney are best described as
A) very brave B) always hungry C) problem solvers D) open to new experiences
3. The dash in paragraph 14 is used to introduce
A) a new idea B) a definition C) direct speech D) an explanation
4. In the statement, "That's not somebody, that's something," (paragraph 8) why is "thing" in italics?
A) because it's a new idea B) because it's a difficult word C) to emphasize the difference. It's
something scary -- not natural D) to empathize
5. "Besides, I've been taking the train all the way to Toronto by myself for five years," (paragraph 11) Why does
Rodney make this statement?
A) he is rich B) he has relatives in Toronto C) he wants to prove that he is mature D) he wants to go again
6. What is one thing that Carter and Rodney do to scare away the bear they think is outside their tent?
A) They prayed. B) They jumped on it. C) They hit it. D) They started whooping.
7. Why did their mother want them to go camping?
A) She wanted them to have a "taste of nature". B) She liked camping. C) She wanted to scare the
boys D) She wanted them to get out of Toronto.
8. Why did the brothers look at each other "sheepishly" in paragraph 15?
A) because it wasn't a big scary bear after all B) because it was nothing C) because sheep eat
grass D) because they didn't dispose of their food properly Written Answers (Answer in full and correctly
written sentences)
9. Carter and Rodney's mother wants her sons to have "a taste of nature." (paragraph 1) Explain why, using
evidence from the selection.
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10. Using information in the story and your own ideas, explain why Rodney would not want to tell his mother
about the encounter with the raccoons. (paragraph 15)
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Reading Comprehension
As summer comes near, many children are really happy to forget about school for a few months. However, they might
be taking that goal too seriously. Studies have found that children typically forget between one and three months’
worth of school learning during the summer months. Spelling and math abilities suffer the most, while reading is not
really influenced by the time off. The most probable reason for this is that most children read at least occasionally
outside of the classroom, whether newspapers, magazines, books, or video game guides. However, their math and
spelling skills only get exercised in the school setting.
The original purpose of summer vacations was to let farm children have time off to help work in the fields in the high
growing season, but this reason is no longer valid since fewer kids actually work on farms today. Some cities in the
United States, such as Los Angeles, have moved to a year-round school calendar, which may help reduce the academic
decline that occurs during the long summer vacation. Most cities maintain the normal nine and a half-month calendars.
To improve skills and to maintain a good level of preparation, superintendents recommend trips to museums, summer
camps, vacations with educational components, and visits to libraries to keep kids mentally alert and interested
throughout the summer.
There are other educational systems that provide vacations while still keeping students’ skills sharp. For example, in
Japan students attend class for seven weeks consecutively, followed by two weeks of vacation. This continues
throughout the year. In Italy, students attend class six days per week, but finish at 1:30 PM each day, so that school
does not dominate their life the way that it does in America, where students attend high school from 7:45 AM until
3:00 PM each week day. In areas where there are not enough classrooms—in Afghanistan or Somalia, for example—
older students attend classes in the morning while the younger kids go to school in the afternoon.
School administrators and educational specialists fear that the three-month summer vacation halts the continuity of
learning. Just as students become accustomed to new math equations or new concepts in reading, writing, or critical
thinking skills, they “shut down” for an extended period. When they go back to school after the long summer vacation,
they take up to two months to return to their previous level of proficiency. And so the debate continues: whether to
continue the status-quo in terms of vacations or to seek changes based on the Los Angeles or the Japanese models.
Part I. Answer the questions.

1. Which skills suffer the most over the summer vacation?
a. math and reading b. math and spelling c. reading and writing d. history and math
2. Why is reading not so much of a problem?

a. Students read in the summer. b. Their parents read to them. c. They visit libraries often.
d. They receive reading homework in the summer.
3. In Japan
a. there is a long summer vacation b. there is a short summer vacation c. the school vacations are
constant throughout the year d. there is no vacation at all
4. In Italy
a. students attend classes in the late afternoon b. students attend classes on Saturday c. students have no
summer vacation d. students do not attend classes on Saturday
5. The original reason for summer vacation

a. is still valid b. is no longer valid c. was an urban phenomenon d. was more for teachers than for students
Reading Comprehension Quiz.
6. The term “shut down” in the last paragraph means

a. stop learning b. get sick c. go on vacation d. concentrate on their studies
7. According to the reading, countries without enough school facilities have

a. given longer vacations to students b. divided the school day between older and younger students
c. built many new buildings d. stopped some students from attending school
Part II. Answer the questions in one or two complete sentences.
8. What is the meaning of the second sentence of the passage: “However, they might be taking that goal too
seriously.”
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9. According to the passage, how can students keep up their skills during summer vacation?
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10. Describe two alternatives to the traditional nine-month school year with a long summer vacation.
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Football
The American type of football was developed in the 19th century from soccer and rugby football. Played by
professionals, amateurs, college, high school, or young children, football in America is one of the most popular sports.
It attracts millions of fans each fall and people are very supportive of their favorite teams. The origin or beginning of
football may have been a game played by the ancient Greeks called harpaston. In this game, there was no limit to the
number of players. The ball was kicked, thrown, or run by the players and the object was to move a ball across a goal
by kicking. The football playing field of today is rectangular in shape and measures 100 yards long and 53.5 yards wide.
White lines are painted on the playing field to mark off the distances to the end zone. The game is divided into four
quarters, each fifteen minutes long. The first two quarters are known as the first half. There is a rest period between
the two halves which usually lasts about fifteen minutes.
Each team has eleven players. Each team has offensive players (play when the team has possession of the ball) and
defensive players (play when the other team has possession of the ball). Players are required to wear protective
equipment to help keep the body safe during the game.
Helmets are worn to protect the head and face area. Pads are worn to protect the shoulders, arms, and legs. Protective
equipment must be worn because of the body contact players have during the game. Officials supervise the game and
are considered to be very important to the game of football. They carry whistles and flags and make certain that the
rules of the game are followed during the game.
The football is made of leather and is brown in color. It is shaped much like an oval and has white rings near each end
of the football. These rings help the players see the ball when it is thrown or someone is running with it. The eight
stitches on the top of the football help players to grip or hold the ball when throwing or passing.
The most famous football game of the year is the Super Bowl that is played in January or February. It is televised around
the world and is watched by millions of people each year.
ANSWER EACH OF THE FOLLOWING:
1. What is the most famous football game each year?

a. the Georgia-Florida game b. the Super Bowl c. the Alabama-Auburn game d. the Army-Navy game
2. What shape is the football?

a. rectangular b. circle c. triangle d. oval
3. Why are there white rings on each end of the football?

a. to help players see the ball b. to make it look nice c. to help players score d. to help players run
4. Why do players need protective equipment during the game?

a. to make their uniforms fit b. to keep the body safe c. to see the ball d. to make touchdowns
5. Who plays American football?

a. professional players b. college players c. high school players d. all of these
6. What do officials do during the game of football?

a. watch the game b. take up tickets c. make sure the rules are followed d. kick the ball
7. Which of the following is NOT true?

a. The football field is rectangular in shape. b. The field measures 100 yards long and 53.5 yards wide.
c. The white lines are used to keep players safe. d. The rest period between at the half lasts about fifteen minutes.
8. The word “grip” means to ________.

a. hold tightly b. score during the game c. end zone d. supervise the game
Sanctuary of Stone
For as long as I can remember I measured time by the comings and goings of bats. Even after the first people came to
paint their dreams on my walls, the great autumn swarms of bats were my best timekeepers. My stalactites dripped
and my stalagmites grew year round. Insects and their predators constantly scurried over the great piles of guano left
by my summer tenants. One of my front rooms even housed strange little fish, white and sightless. Their entire
ecosystem was based on the summer clouds of bat mothers and their babies. But the summer bats didn’t keep the
years for me and they never came down to visit my cathedral.
In my cool depths I didn’t notice the frigid winds or hot summer nights. It was constant, stable, safe. The vaulted ceilings
of my cathedral were quiet and lifeless in summer. I had only my sighs and shifting air to make the crystal speleothems
hum. I knew a year had passed when the great choruses of bats returned to the cathedral. The crystals hummed at
higher frequencies and the bats and I would harmonize. When the great hall’s ceiling was completely filled with patches
and drifts of bats swaying and shifting, I would breathe a sigh of contentment. It would start to grow quieter, their
wings would gently whisper, and the bats would start their great sleep. I don’t know if they meditated or dreamt, but I
snuggled happily under the soft furry blanket of their bodies and wished for a long winter.
I had crafted the great crystal sculptures for the amusement of my silken flyers and the beauty of their songs. How
could I have known that a new people would come? They were as pale as the cavefish and they looked without seeing.
At first, it was just simple explorers and adventurers fascinated by the complex world beneath their feet. Then more
people came with smoking lanterns and declared ownership of the cathedral the water and I had not built for them.
Little did I know there was worse ahead.
Several autumns passed and the bats slept fitfully. They survived, but the humans changed the temperature and
humidity of the cathedral just by their presence. Then the men in shiny cars, the fast talkers, came with hordes of men.
They cursed every slippery step into my depths and set up great lines of men to bring in tables, chairs, gas lights, and
crates and crates of liquor. Every day men with rifles came and massacred my winter friends in their sleep. Some
escaped, but the corpses of my gentle friends were swept into great piles and carted off in the empty liquor crates.
Then at night the humans would sing, smoke cigarettes, and shout at each other. My crystals shrieked and cracked
under the strain. Delicate structures were knocked off or melted away in the heat and smoke and noise. The bats were
warmed in the winter and many starved before they woke or woke early to take their chances away from the world of
men.
As bad as the shooters and partiers were, I still had not seen the worst of men. Many winters after the drinking parties
stopped coming, my friends started returning to the cathedral. Much fewer bats than before, but my stable
temperatures and constant humidity helped them to survive and begin to recover. Unfortunately, the cathedral was
still not safe. The young men and boys shattered my quiet sanctuaries with gunpowder and fire. Armed with flashlights
they roamed my passages, destroying art it had taken me centuries to grow. I whispered warnings to my sleepers in
the winter, but they could not escape. The boys sprayed kerosene on their soft, gentle bodies and lit them on fire. My
walls streamed with tears, but I could do nothing. I watched my friends, a matriarch of 20 + years, a juvenile seeing his
first winter, the sisters with such sweet voices, all screaming in agony.
The bats fled my cathedral. Its vaulted ceilings were empty of my swift friends. No more did their high delicate voices
harmonize with my deep sighs and bring our crystals to life. I sang, but I sang alone. I wept, but my walls wept alone. I
could hear them occasionally in a distant small cavern unknown to man, but the great swarms were gone. I lost track
of time for a while. I don’t know how many winters I spent alone wishing for the soft swish of my friends’ return. I
longed for them to close their bright eyes, wrap their wings around themselves and sleep their winter woes away with
me, safe again in my cathedral.
Perhaps they missed me, too. I ached with joy when the first hesitant calls bounced off my cathedral’s crystal-encrusted
walls and made my caverns sing. The bats returned in small parties at first. Several winters came and went and the
patches of bats on my ceiling began to grow again. I wondered if I would ever see the great swarms again. If my
cathedral would ever fill again to capacity, and life would be as it was.
Humans came throughout the year and many of my friends woke too early as a result of the humans’ winter visits. It
was about twenty summers ago that a different sort of human came to visit. They carried clipboards and other strange
instruments, but walked carefully and took only pictures. A short time later, maybe a year or two, there was a strange
hammering and drilling coming from my entrances. Great gates of metal spanned the openings with gaps big enough
for the bats to fly through, and only one door for people. When autumn came, the bats returned, buzzing amongst
themselves about the new structure at the entry. I fretted about this new structure all winter while my charges slept
their deep sleep. For the first time in decades, no humans disturbed their slumber and most of the bats made it through
alive.
Now I tell time differently than I used to. I still track the comings and goings of bats and delight in the arrival of the
autumn swarms. But I have new visitors, careful visitors. They come in the late spring and summer when the bats have
gone. Some of the humans have been coming so often that I begin to recognize their voices. They lead groups of
strangers through my passages and protect me from their clumsy feet. Sometimes when it’s quiet, I think my new
friends can hear me whisper in their ears. I have started a few patches of special speleothems for these humans and
soon I think we’ll sing together too. Until then, I will live in harmony with these humans, but hum with joy when my
soft and gentle flyers sing with me in our sanctuary of stone.
Reading Comprehension Quiz.
1. Who (or what) is the narrator of the story? What clues in the story tell you this?
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2. Besides humans, what creatures use the cave?
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3. In the second sentence, who are the “first people”? What does the narrator mean when he (or she) says “they
came to paint their dreams on my walls?”
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4. How are bats important in the story?
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5. What is the narrator’s relationship to the bats? Does it change?
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6. List three ways people used the cave in recent times.
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7. What impact did human activity have on the bats?
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8. How does the narrator’s impression of people change over time?
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Exercise: Scan the TV guide to answer the questions that follow.
Channel 4 Channel 7 Channel 9

6:00: News Today In-depth coverage 6:00: USA in Sports: News show 6:00: Everybody Loves Raymond
of national and international news covering competitive team sports at 6:30: The Nanny
6:30: Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) (4- the national level. 7:00: Nightly Business Report:
star)Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep A 6:30: Wheel of Fortune Report on worldwide financial
man fights for custody of his son 7:00: The Associate (1996) (two- markets.
after his wife abandons the family. star) Whoopi Goldberg, Dianne 8:00: The Apprentice The teams
‘PG’ Wiest. A Wall Street whiz invents a must introduce a new Trump
8:30: Europe Today: This week, the male partner to attract clients for product into the marketplace.
southern port city of Marseille, her fledgling investment business. 9:00: Ghost (1990) (three-
France is explored. ‘PG-13’ Adult situations. star)Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore,
9:00: Who Wants to Be a 9:00: Friends Whoopi Goldberg. A slain
Millionaire? 9:30: Will & Grace Manhattan man reaches out to his
10:00: Twilight Zone 10:00: American Soundtrack: fiancée, with a medium as his
10:30: I Love Lucy Rhythm, Love and Soul Love songs middle woman. ‘PG – 13’ Adult
11:00: The Ghost and Mrs. Muir of the 1960s and 70s; performers situations, language, violence.
(1947) (three-star) Gene Tierney, include Aretha Franklin, Mary 10:00: Phone Booth (2002) (two-
Rex Harrison. London widow loves Wilson; Gloria Gaynor. star)Colin Farrell, Keifer Sutherland.
cottage’s sea captain’s ghost. ‘PG’ 11.00: Caribbean Adventures: This A sniper traps a publicist in a New
week, we travel to the Exuma York phone booth. ‘R’
Islands of Bermuda.
Answer the following questions, based on the TV Guide.

See how fast you can find the information.
1. Pamela is a Whoopi Goldberg fan. Can she see both of her movies or must she tape one of them?
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2. Randy wants to know how the stock market performed today. What show should he watch?
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3. Which French city is spotlighted on the travel show?
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4. Amy wants to watch a movie with her younger sister, who is 12 years old. Which movie or movies would be most
appropriate?
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5. How many travel shows are airing tonight?
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6. How many game shows are playing tonight? Which ones?
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7. Which movie gets the best rating this evening?
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Frederick Douglass High School: Rules & Regulations
Attendance
1. Absence: Any student returning to school following an absence of two or more days must present to the front
office a written explanation, signed by the parent or a physician.
2. Tardiness: School begins promptly at 8:10 a.m. and ends at 3:20 p.m. Any student who reports to his or her
classroom any later than 8:20 must present to the teacher a note signed by a parent.
Zero Tolerance Policy

Frederick Douglass High School has a “Zero Tolerance” policy. This means that no form of physically aggressive
behavior (including bullying, fighting, pushing, shoving) is tolerated.
1. Suspension: Any student who acts aggressively towards a teacher, administrator or another student will be
immediately suspended.
2. Expulsion: Any student who has been suspended more than three times will be expelled.
Hall Passes
Any student walking through the halls when classes are in session must carry a hall pass. Any student not carrying a
pass will be sent directly to the principal’s office.
Dress Code
While there is no formal uniform at Frederick Douglass High School, students are expected to dress appropriately at
all times.
1. Shirts: All shirts must have sleeves (no tank tops allowed) and be tucked in.
2. Pants: Pants must be hemmed above the shoes.
3. Body Piercing Jewelry: Body piercing jewelry is limited to earrings. All other forms (nose jewelry, tongue jewelry,
stomach jewelry) must be removed before entering the school building.
I have read the above rules and agree to comply with them.
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Student’s Signature
The following questions are based on the previous document (Frederick Douglass High School: Rules and
Regulations).
1. To whom is the document aimed?
A. students B. parents C. teachers D. administrators
2. Does the document address missed or late assignments?
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3. Does the document explain the consequences of physically aggressive behavior towards their fellow students? If
so, explain. __________________________________________________________________________
4. Does the document explain the consequences of inappropriate dress?
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5. Does the document provide information on vacation days?
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6. Does the document provide information on the length of the school day?
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7. Does the document provide examples of physically aggressive behavior?
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Reading comprehension
The Death Car
Read the text and answer the questions:
It was a cold night in September. The rain was drumming on the car roof as George and Marie Winston drove through
the empty country roads towards the house of their friends, the Harrisons, where they were going to attend a party to
celebrate the engagement of the Harrisons' daughter, Lisa. As they drove, they listened to the local radio station, which
was playing classical music. They were about five miles from their destination when the music on the radio was
interrupted by a news announcement:
"The Cheshire police have issued a serious warning after a man escaped from Colford Mental Hospital earlier this
evening. The man, John Downey, is a murderer who killed six people before he was captured two years ago. He is
described as large, very strong and extremely dangerous. People in the Cheshire area are warned to keep their doors
and windows locked, and to call the police immediately if they see anyone acting strangely.
" Marie shivered. "A crazy killer. And he's out there somewhere. That's scary." "Don't worry about it," said her husband.
"We're nearly there now. Anyway, we have more important things to worry about. This car is losing power for some
reason - - it must be that old problem with the carburetor. If it gets any worse, we'll have to stay at the Harrisons'
tonight and get it fixed before we travel back tomorrow." As he spoke, the car began to slow down. George pressed
the accelerator, but the engine only coughed. Finally they rolled to a halt, as the engine died completely. Just as they
stopped, George pulled the car off the road, and it came to rest under a large tree.
"Blast!" said George angrily. "Now we'll have to walk in the rain." "But that'll take us an hour at least," said Marie. "And
I have my high-heeled shoes and my nice clothes on. They'll be ruined!"
"Well, you'll have to wait while I run to the nearest house and call the Harrisons. Someone can come out and pick us
up," said George. "But George!
Have you forgotten what the radio said? There's a homicidal maniac out there! You can't leave me alone here!"
"You'll have to hide in the back of the car. Lock all the doors and lie on the floor in the back, under this blanket. No-one
will see you. When I come back, I'll knock three times on the door. Then you can get up and open it. Don't open it unless
you hear three knocks." George opened the door and slipped out into the rain. He quickly disappeared into the
blackness.
Marie quickly locked the doors and settled down under the blanket in the back for a long wait. She was frightened and
worried, but she was a strong-minded woman. She had not been waiting long, however, when she heard a strange
scratching noise. It seemed to be coming from the roof of the car.
Marie was terrified. She listened, holding her breath. Then she heard three slow knocks, one after the other, also on
the roof of the car. Was it her husband? Should she open the door? Then she heard another knock, and another. This
was not her husband. It was somebody -- or something -- else. She was shaking with fear, but she forced herself to lie
still. The knocking continued -- bump, bump, bump, bump.
Many hours later, as the sun rose, she was still lying there. She had not slept for a moment. The knocking had never
stopped, all night long. She did not know what to do. Where was George? Why had he not come for her?
Suddenly, she heard the sound of three or four vehicles, racing quickly down the road. All of them pulled up around
her, their tires screeching on the road. At last! Someone had come! Marie sat up quickly and looked out of the window.
The three vehicles were all police cars, and two still had their lights flashing. Several policemen leapt out. One of them
rushed towards the car as Marie opened the door. He took her by the hand.
"Get out of the car and walk with me to the police vehicle. miss. You're safe now. Look straight ahead. Keep looking at
the police car. Don't look back.
Just don't look back." Something in the way he spoke filled Marie with cold horror. She could not help herself. About
ten yards from the police car, she stopped, turned and looked back at the empty vehicle.
George was hanging from the tree above the car, a rope tied around his neck. As the wind blew his body back and forth,
his feet were bumping gently on the roof of the car -- bump, bump, bump, bump.
Multiple choice questions:
1. Where were the Winstons going when this incident happened?

a) home b) to Colford Mental Hospital c) to a party d) to the police station
2. What was the reason for the news announcement on the radio?
a) Six people, including John Downey, had been murdered. b) A dangerous prisoner had escaped.
c) The police were warning of accidents on the roads in the bad weather. d) Some people had been seen acting
strangely in the Cheshire area.
3. What did George think was causing the trouble with the car?
a) the carburetor b) the rain drumming on the roof c) the accelerator d) he had no idea
4. Why did he pull the car off the road?

a) to have a rest b) to go for a walk c) to walk to the nearest house d) it broke down
5. Why did Marie stay in the car when George left?

a) She was afraid to go out in the dark. b) So no-one would steal the car. c) Her clothes weren't suitable for
the rain. d) She wanted to get some sleep.
6. Where did George set off to walk to?

a) the Mental Hospital b) the nearest house c) the Harrisons' house d) the police station
7. What made Marie so frightened as she waited in the car?

a) There was a strange sound coming from the roof. b) She could see a man acting strangely outside the car.
c) Some police cars came racing down the road. d) She was afraid of the rain and the dark.
8. Why did the policeman tell her not to look back when he brought her out of the car?
a) He didn't want her to see the body of her husband. b) The killer was waiting behind her.
c) He wanted her to forget everything that had happened during the night. d) He didn't want her to see the
damage done to the car.
9. Marie says, "There's a homicidal maniac out there!" What does "homicidal maniac" mean?
a) terrible storm b) busy road c) crazy killer d) policeman
10. In "Several policemen leapt out," "leapt" means

a) threw b) jumped c) shouted d) drove
Earthquakes In Mexico
Situated atop three of the large tectonic plates that constitute the earth's surface, Mexico is one of the most
seismologically active regions on earth.
Most of the Mexican landmass rests on the westward moving North American plate. The Pacific Ocean floor off
southern Mexico, however, is being carried northeast by the underlying motion of the Cocos plate. Ocean floor material
is relatively dense; when it strikes the lighter granite of the Mexican landmass, the ocean floor is forced under the
landmass, creating the deep Middle American trench that lies off Mexico's southern coast. The westward moving land
atop the North American plate is slowed and crumpled where it meets the Cocos plate, creating the mountain ranges
of southern Mexico. The subduction of the Cocos plate accounts for the frequency of earthquakes near Mexico's
southern coast. As the rocks constituting the ocean floor are forced down, they melt, and the molten material is forced
up through weaknesses in the surface rock, creating the volcanoes in the Cordillera Neovolcánica across central Mexico.
Areas off Mexico's coastline on the Gulf of California, including the Baja California Peninsula, are riding northwestward
on the Pacific plate. Rather than one plate subducting, the Pacific and North American plates grind past each other,
creating a slip fault that is the southern extension of the San Andreas fault in California. Motion along this fault in the
past pulled Baja California away from the coast, creating the Gulf of California. Continued motion along this fault is the
source of earthquakes in western Mexico.
Mexico has a long history of destructive earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. In September 1985, an earthquake
measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale and centered in the subduction zone off Acapulco killed more than 4,000 people in
Mexico City, more than 300 kilometers away. Volcán de Colima, south of Guadalajara, which erupted in 1994, is
Mexico's most active volcano. El Chichón, in southern Mexico, underwent a violent eruption in 1983. Paricutín in
northwest Mexico began as puffs of smoke in a cornfield in 1943; a decade later the volcano was 2,700 meters high.
Although dormant for decades, Popocatépetl and Ixtaccíhuatl ("smoking warrior" and "white lady," respectively, in
Náhuatl) occasionally send out puffs of smoke clearly visible in Mexico City, a reminder to the capital's inhabitants that
volcanic activity is near. Popocatépetl showed renewed activity in 1995 and 1996, forcing the evacuation of several
nearby villages and causing concern by seismologists and government officials about the effect that a large-scale
eruption might have on the heavily populated region nearby.
1. What is the topic of this passage?
a. earthquakes in Mexico
b. seismological activity in Mexico
c. the subduction of tectonic plates
2. What can be inferred from the first paragraph?
a. Mexico has more earthquakes and volcanic eruptions than most other countries.
b. Mexico has some earthquakes and few volcanic eruptions.
c. Mexico has fewer earthquakes than most other countries.
3. In the second paragraph, what is the meaning of the word "crumpled"?
a. flattened
b. smoothed
c. buckled
4. In the second paragraph, what is the meaning of the word "subduction"?
a. the rising of one plate

b. the lowering of one plate
c. one plate is forced to sink below and under another plate
5. In the second paragraph, what does the word "they" refer to?
a. molten material
b. rocks
c. tectonic plates
6. In the last paragraph, what is NOT the meaning of the word "destructive"?
a. damaging
b. beneficial
c. harmful
7. What is the source of earthquakes in Western Mexico?
a. the subduction of the Pacific and North American plates

b. movement of the Cocos plate
c. an extension of the San Andreas fault
8. In the third paragraph, what do the words "this fault" refer to?
a. a slip fault that is an extension of the San Andreas fault

b. the Cocos plate fault
c. the Pacific plate fault
9. Why does the author provide the information in the last paragraph?
a. to support the statement that Mexico is seismologically active

b. to keep people from traveling to Mexico
c. to show how dangerous earthquakes and volanoes are
10. Where does the sentence -- "The motion of these three plates causes earthquakes and volcanic activity." -- best
belong?
a. at the end of the second paragraph

b. at the beginning of the first paragraph
c. at the end of the first paragraph
Fossilized ‘Hedgehog-like’ Creature May Be Earliest Mammal
A recently discovered fossil of a hedgehog-like creature may push back the date at which scientists believe mammals
began to appear on Earth by more than 60 million years. The 125-million-year-old fossil, which was found in Spain, has
what researchers say is the “earliest record of preserved mammalian hair structures and inner organs." The creature,
which has been named Spinolestes xenarthrosus, is “remarkably intact" complete with guard hairs and hedgehog-like
spines. A team of researchers from the Autonomous University of Madrid, University of Bonn and the University of
Chicago said the hair and spines are the “earliest-known examples in mammalian evolutionary history."
"Spinolestes is a spectacular find. It is stunning to see almost perfectly preserved skin and hair structures fossilized in
microscopic detail in such an old fossil," said study co-author Zhe-Xi Luo, professor of organismal biology and anatomy
at the University of Chicago, in a statement. "This Cretaceous furball displays the entire structural diversity of modern
mammalian skin and hairs."
The fossil was found in 2011 in an area of central Spain that was a lush wetland 125 million years ago. The site has been
pored over by paleontologists for over 30 years, yielding hundreds of fossils.
Researchers said the animal was about 24 cm in length and weighed between 50 to 70 grams, making it roughly the
size of a young rat. Its teeth and skeleton lead scientists to believe Spinolestes was a “ground dweller" that survived on
a diet of bugs. Spinolestes’ hair and skin were similar to modern mammals, researchers said, noting that they saw
multiple hairs formed from the same skin pore. It also has tiny spines on its back. The specimen was so well preserved
that scientists were even able to see that it suffered from a fungal skin infection still suffered by modern day mammals.
"Hairs and hair-related integumentary structures are fundamental to the livelihood of mammals, and this fossil shows
that an ancestral, long-extinct lineage had grown these structures in exactly the same way that modern mammals do,"
Luo said. "Spinolestes gives us a spectacular revelation about this central aspect of mammalian biology."
A study about Spinolestes appeared in the journal Nature.
1. What is the main topic of the passage?
a. How the Spinolestes fossil was found.

b. How Spinolestes' hair grew.
c. The importance of the Spinolestes fossil to the understanding of how mammals developed.
2. Which of the following is NOT a reason that the Spinolestes fossil is important?
a. The hairs and spines are the earliest-known examples of mammalian evoluntary history.
b. It was found in 2011.
c. The skin and hair structures are well preserved.
3. In the fourth paragraph, what is the meaning of the word "roughly"?
a. ragged
b. exactly
c. approximately
4. In the fourth paragraph, what does the word "specimen" refer to?
a. the fossil
b. the hair and skin
c. tiny spines
5. In the fifth paragraph, what is NOT the meaning of the word "fundamental"?
a. crucial
b. important
c. inessential
6. What does the passage imply?
a. Spinolestes is the first mammal.

b. There may be mammals that lived at the time of or before Spinolestes.
c. All mammals are descended from Spinolestes.
7. Where does the sentence -- "In addition, scientists were able to see an external ear lobe as well as the tissue of
internal organs, including the liver and lung." -- best belong?
a. at the end of the second paragraph

b. at the end of the fourth paragraph
c. at the beginning of the fourth paragraph
8. What is NOT a fact that supports the statement that the fossil is well preserved?
a. The fossil was found at a site where many fossils have been found.
b. Scientists can see that Spinolestes had a skin infection.
c. The hair and skin structures can be seen in detail.
9. Where did Spinolestes live?
a. in trees
b. in water
c. on the ground
10. How much do scientists believe that Spinolestes weighed?
a. 50 to 70 grams
b. 24 grams
c. 30 grams
Obama Focuses on Criminal Justice Reform in Weekly Address
The United States is the world's largest jailer.
U.S. President Barack Obama said in a weekly address that he is encouraged by congressional efforts and other
endeavors to change the fact that while the U.S. is home to five percent of the world's population, it has 25 percent of
the world's prisoners. The president said, "Every year, we spend $80 billion to keep people locked up."
Obama said the "real reason" for the soaring prison population is over the last few decades, the U.S. had "locked up
more non-violent offenders than ever before, for longer than ever before."
He said "in too many cases, our criminal justice system is a pipeline from underfunded schools to overcrowded jails."
The president said he has taken steps to reverse that trend by investing in schools that at-risk youths attend, signing a
bill reducing the 100 to 1 sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine, and commuting the sentence of
dozens of people "sentenced under old drug laws we now recognize were unfair."
President Obama said he will travel around the country over the next few weeks "to highlight some of the Americans
who are doing their part to fix our criminal justice system." His itinerary will include a visit to a community battling
prescription drug and heroin abuse, and talks with law enforcement leaders "determined to lower the crime rate and
the incarceration rate." The president is also scheduled to meet with former prisoners.
Earlier this year, Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit a federal prison, as part of his push for a fairer
justice system and prison reform. He met with both law enforcement officials and inmates at the El Reno prison in the
central U.S. state of Oklahoma.
Obama said in his weekly address he was encouraged by the bipartisan effort in the Senate earlier this month, resulting
in an agreement on a criminal justice reform bill. The president said the bill would reduce mandatory minimums for
non-violent drug offenders and reward prisoners with shorter sentences, if they complete programs that make them
less likely to commit a repeat offense.
The harsh sentences were handed down in an era when a "tough on crime" stance resulted in the prison population
surge. The mandatory minimums were joined by a law called "three strikes, you're out" which mandated life sentences
without parole for a third felony involving drugs.
New Jersey Senator Cory Booker said recently that the Senate bill is "a moment where, after decades of our country
moving in the wrong direction, after decades of seeing our federal prison population explode 800 percent, we have
gotten our criminal justice system — with this piece of legislation — moving this country forward."
"From the halls of Congress to the classrooms in our schools, we pledge allegiance to one nation under God with liberty
and justice for all," President Obama said Saturday. "Justice means that every child deserves a chance to grow up safe
and secure, without the threat of violence. Justice means that the punishment should fit the crime. And justice means
allowing our fellow Americans who have made mistakes to pay their debt to society, and re-join their community as
active, rehabilitated citizens."
Obama said "Justice has never been easy to achieve, but it's always been worth fighting for. And it's something I'll keep
fighting for as long as I serve as your president."
1. What facts support the statement that "The United States is the world's largest jailer."?
a. The U.S. has five percent of the world's population but 25 percent of the world's prisoners.
b. The U.S. spends 80 billion dollars a year to keep prisoners locked up.
c. The prison population has surged.
2. In the second paragraph, what does "we" refer to?
a. President Obama
b. the prisons
c. the United States
3. In the seventh paragraph, what is the meaning of the word "bipartisan"?
a. congressional
b. supported by both parties
c. presidential
4. In the seventh paragraph, what is the meaning of the word "mandatory"?
a. unmanned
b. voluntary
c. required
5. In the eight paragraph, what is NOT the meaning of the word "harsh"?
a. light
b. long
c. severe
6. In the last paragraph, what does the word "it's" refer to?
a. achievement is
b. justice is
c. punishment is
7. Where does the sentence -- "The House of Representatives is also working on a criminal justice reform bill." -- best belong?
a. after the last paragraph

b. between the eighth and ninth paragraphs
c. between the ninth and tenth paragraphs
8. What is NOT a reason given for the increase in prison population?
a. mandatory sentencing
b. increase in violent crimes
c. underfunded schools
9. What can be inferred from President Obama's actions and weekly address?
a. He is serious about criminal justice reform.

b. He has given up on accomplishing criminal justice reform.
c. He believes that criminal justice reform can be easily accomplished .
The Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna (1814-15), convened after Napoleon's defeat, sought to restore order to a Europe disrupted by
revolutionary and imperial France. Its members' objective was a constellation of states and a balance of power that
would ensure peace and stability after a quarter-century of revolution and war. In addition to the delegates of many
small states, the congress included representatives of five large European states: Austria, Prussia, Russia, Britain, and
France. After months of deliberations, the congress established an international political order that was to endure for
nearly 100 years and that brought Europe a measure of peace.
The congress made no effort to restore the Holy Roman Empire and its 300-odd states. Instead, it accepted the
disappearance of many small states that had occurred since 1789 and created the German Confederation. The
confederation consisted of thirty-eight sovereign states and four free cities and included the five large kingdoms of
Austria, Prussia, Saxony, Bavaria, and Württemberg. The confederation met at a diet in Frankfurt, with an Austrian
always serving as president.
Prince Clemens von Metternich, who directed Austria's foreign policy from 1809 until 1848, was the dominant political
figure within the confederation. He waged a decades-long campaign to prevent the spread of revolution in Europe by
seeking to restore much of the political and social order that had existed before the French Revolution. Metternich's
Carlsbad Decrees of 1819 established a pervasive system of press censorship and regulation of the universities that
dampened German intellectual life and hindered the publication of writings advocating the principles of liberalism. In
the 1820s, he engineered the formation of the Holy Alliance of the monarchs of Austria, Prussia, and Russia to quash
political, social, and economic developments within Central and Eastern Europe thought to threaten political stability.
1. When was the Congress of Vienna held?
a. 1809-1848
b. 1819
c. 1814-1815
2. Where was the Congress of Vienna held?
a. Holy Roman Empire

b. Vienna
c. France
3. What was the purpose of the Congress of Vienna?
a. to spread revolution
b. to restore the Holy Roman Empire
c. to restore order in Europe
4. What large kingdoms were included in the German Confederation?
a. Austria, Prussia, Saxony, Bavaria, and Württemberg

b. Austria, Vienna, Prussia, Bavaria, and Württemberg
c. Austria, Prussia, France, Bavaria, and Württemberg
5. Who directed Austria's foreign policy?
a. Napoleon
b. Holy Roman Empire
c. Metternich
6. In the second paragraph, which of these is NOT the meaning of 'odd'?
a. strange
b. about
c. approximately
7. What year were the Carlsbad Decrees issued?
a. 1809
b. 1819
c. 1814
8. Who always served as president of the German Confederation?
a. a Bavarian
b. a Prussian
c. an Austrian
9. In the last paragraph, what does the word "dominant" mean?
a. ineffective
b. controlling
c. elected
10. In the first paragraph, what does the word "convened" mean?
a. met
b. adjourned
c. called
Martian Science Fiction Film Hopes to Inspire New Scientists
The Martian, a film about a marooned astronaut who uses science, wit and courage to survive in a very hostile
environment, is making hundreds of millions of dollars and has gotten good reviews. Some scientists also say the film
has the potential to inspire as well entertain.
In The Martian, Mark Watney is a U.S. astronaut who has to survive alone on Mars after his crew leaves the planet
without him, thinking he died in a storm that swept him away. Watney, a botanist, is played by Matt Damon. Not your
typical Hollywood here, Damon is one of several role models in the film for aspiring scientists. Another is Mars mission
commander Melissa Lewis, played by Jessica Chastain.
It's a performance that excites Costa Rican space enthusiast and student Montserrat Cordero. "Jessica Chastain's
character is amazing. We also have the computer programmer who is also a woman. This is not what we tend to see.
So I'm really excited to see this kind of thing, hope to see a lot more of it," said Cordero, a Stanford University student
and
a graduate of an international summer school run by the Foundation for International Space Education in Houston,
Texas.
Justin Kugler, director of educational programs at the Foundation, said that The Martian's role models will have a
positive influence. "The more women we have involved in science, technology, engineering and math, the better a
society we have, and the better we’ll be able to accomplish those missions and do things like go to Mars," Kugler said.
In the film, NASA, the U.S. government space agency, tries to overcome great obstacles to bring Watney back to Earth.
That's not just science fiction. The science and technology shown in the movie is based on real-life work by NASA, which
acted as an adviser to the filmmakers.
As part of that effort, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has been operating rovers to collect Martian soil samples.
Robert Manning, the laboratory's Mars engineering manager, said his team needs diversity to succeed. "People who
see the world from different angles to come in and bring their creative ideas with them, to come here and to help us
out. So what we do here is really, in many respects, an international effort," Manning said.
1. In the first paragraph, what is NOT the meaning of the word "marooned"?
a. stranded
b. left behind
c. rescued
2. In the first paragraph, what is NOT a meaning of the word "hostile"?
a. adverse
b. hospitable
c. unfavorable
3. In the third paragraph, what is the meaning of the phrase "space enthusiast"?
a. an opponent of space
b. person interested in space
c. a critic of space
4. In the fifth sentence, what is NOT the meaning of the word "obstacles"?
a. benefits
b. difficulties
c. distances
5. In the fifth sentence, what does the word "which" refer to?
a. U.S.
b. adviser
c. NASA
a. There are not many women in the U.S. space program.

b. There are many women in the U.S. space program.
c. Women aren't interested in space.
7. In the second paragraph, who thinks that Watney has died?
a. Matt Damon
b. Montserrat Cordero
c. Watney's crew
8. Who are role models in the film?
a. Mark Watney, the Mars mission commander, and a woman computer programmer
b. Montserrat Cordero and Mark Watney
c. Robert Manning and Melissa Lewis
9. Where does the sentence -- "And that work includes preparations for an actual manned mission to Mars." -- best
belong?
a. at the end of the sixth paragraph

b. at the end of the fifth paragraph
c. at the end of the second paragraph
Laser-Beaming the Internet of the Future
Several tech companies are looking at laser or a combination of radio and laser technologies to take Internet
connectivity the next level. Spearheading the effort are Google and Facebook. Google, which is deploying helium
balloons in the stratosphere to provide Internet connectivity in remote areas as part of Project Loon, wants to use radio
or laser to enable its balloons to transfer data in areas that are far from ground relay stations. Facebook wants to launch
drones that use laser beams for high-speed Internet connectivity in remote regions. The idea is that the drone closest
to urban areas would use laser to connect to the Internet and then pass along the connection to drones flying over
rural areas.
“Both Google and Facebook think that if they can operate these aircraft in the stratosphere, roughly 20 kilometers
above the Earth, they could kind of function like aerial cell towers and spread the connections more easily and without
having to figure out the power and the cabling and everything on the ground," said Tom Simonite – the San Francisco
Bureau Chief of the MIT Tech Review.
Facebook, in particular, is very interested in using laser to transfer data. “They claim to have set a new record and made
the fastest laser data transfer ever," said Simonite. “And I just think it shows that they are taking it seriously and are
trying to push the technology forward."
Other companies are coupling laser technology with radio redundancy to deliver uninterrupted Internet connectivity
in inclement weather. In that kind of situation, Simonite said both laser and radio connections run in parallel, so that
the laser can pick up any slack in case of radio interference. “They’re extremely fast," he said, “but if anything gets in
the path of the beam, the signal is blocked." If the laser cannot travel in a straight line, the radio side would cover the
deficit. “So it’s like a redundancy thing so that they always have a connection that’s live," he said. But the need to use
both radio and laser simultaneously can be limiting, said Simonite. He said “lasers can be used to fuller potential" with
project like the ones Google and Facebook are undertaking.
Light emitted by lasers can be modulated at very high speeds and can carry more than a petabit of data per second. A
petabit is 1,000 terabits. A terabit equals a mind-boggling one trillion bits. The average U.S. Internet connection speed
topped 11.7 megabits per second in the last quarter of this year, according to Akamai’s State of the Internet Report.
The technology is promising for developing countries and in parts of the world where laying cables is difficult, where
cables are easily damaged, or in rural areas where labor and materials tend to be expensive. Simonite said governments
and cellular carriers now want to push their coverage into new, unsaturated regions. “And it looks like this technology
could help maybe with that in places where the regular way of connecting up cell towers with cables and so on doesn’t
really work so well," added Simonite.
Laser technology is not new, however. Professor Siddharth Ramachandran of Boston University’s Nanostructured
Fibers & Nonlinear Optics Lab, said laser, a critical feature of Internet connectivity, has been used for communications
since the late 1970s. One company, in particular – Washington-based TeraBeam – was interested in the idea of free-
space laser communications back in 2004 and produced free-space optical transceivers for Internet access.
Ramachandran speculated TeraBeam wanted to use 1550nm laser light, which is considered “eye-safe." It is unclear, however, if it
is hazardous when used at higher levels of power in free-space communications. “The main reason I believe Terabeam planned to
use 1550nm light is because most of the terrestrial and undersea fiber-optic communications equipment operates at this
wavelength, which means it would be cheaper to piggy back on a lot of the technological infrastructure that was already
developed," he said. “And while modern communications systems, [such as, for example Cable Television applications] transmit a
lot of laser power through the fibers or devices in the system, the laser beam seldom exits packaged devices so as to be directly
harmful to human beings," he said. Moreover, Ramachandran said laser beams connecting consumers with fiber-to-the-home
applications “that promise massive bandwidths to each user, are low enough in power to not be a health concern generally."
Propagating light in free space to wirelessly transmit data has the same advantages as wireless or satellite links, but will be more
expensive. But Ramachandran said the costs could drop if the market is looking for the kind of higher bandwidth that laser-based
free-space communications will provide.
1. What is the topic of the passage?
a. efforts to expand internet connectivity

b. laser technology
c. operating aircraft in the stratosphere
2. In the first paragraph, what is NOT the meaning of the word "Spearheading"?
a. leading
b. following
c. driving
3. In the fourth paragraph, what is the meaning of the word "coupling"?
a. separating
b. pairing
c. increasing
4. In the fifth paragraph, why does the author provide information about current U.S. Internet speed?
a. to show that current internet speed is fast

b. to show that current internet speed needs to be faster
c. to contrast the faster laser internet speed
5. In the second paragraph, what does the word "aircraft" refer to?
a. helium ballons and drones

b. drones and airplanes
c. airplanes
6. In the fourth paragraph, what is the meaning of the words "radio redunancy"?
a. using radio only as a backup

b. using only radio
c. using radio at the same time
7. In the third paragraph, what does the word "They" refer to?
a. Google and Facebook

b. Facebook
c. Google
8. What is NOT a reason TeraBeam wanted to use 1550nm laser light?
a. Much of the infrastructure has already been developed.

b. The laser light should be safe.
c. The company has drones to use the new technology.
9. How high above earth do Facebook and Google want to operate their aircraft?
a. approximately 20 km
b. approximately 1550 meters
c. as high as possible
10. Where does the sentence -- "Lasers used in communications typically operate at 850 and 1550 nanometer
wavelengths or colors of light, which are invisible to the human eye."-- best belong?
a. at the end of the seventh paragraph

b. at the beginning of the fifth paragraph
c. at the end of the third paragraph
Why Largest US Ethnic Group Vanished from American Culture
People with German ancestry have long dominated the U.S. melting pot yet their stamp on American culture seems to
have all but disappeared.
There are more than 49 million Americans — 16 percent of the population — with German ancestry, according to
Ancestry and Ethnicity in America, which used data from the 2010 Census and the 2006-2010 American Community
Survey.
At the turn of the century, just before the United States entered World War I, German Americans accounted for about
10 percent of the population and their presence was keenly felt. “They were very proud and they clung to their culture
very strongly. They still spoke German everywhere," said Erik Kirschbaum, author of Burning Beethoven: The
Eradication of German Culture in the United States during World War I. “They wanted to preserve their culture and
keep it intact as long as they could." German immigrants flocked to New York and Chicago, and residents in numerous
small Midwestern towns spoke German almost exclusively. German-language newspapers, theaters and churches
flourished. In some of these areas, the German influence was so pervasive that other non-German settlers ended up
learning German so they could communicate with fellow residents. Germans helped establish General Electric and
designed New York’s Brooklyn Bridge. They dominated the beer industry and that influence lingers in name brands like
Busch, Miller and Pabst.
The situation took a dark turn for German Americans when the United States entered World War I. Suddenly, as anti-
German hysteria swept the country, America’s largest, most powerful minority was considered suspect. “A lot of people
thought the country was filled with spies and saboteurs and actually 30 Germans were killed by mobs and lynch mobs,"
said Kirschbaum, whose own grandfather grew up speaking German but refused to speak in the language in his later
years.
Shortly after declaring war on Germany, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson required about 250,000 German-born men —
aged fourteen and older — to register their address and employment at their local post office. Within a year, that order
was expanded to include women. About 6,000 of these people were arrested and 2,000 of them, who were deemed
dangerous, were sent to internment camps.
German language books were taken out of schools and libraries and burned by so-called patriotic organizations that wanted to
make sure German was eradicated from the American landscape. Kirschbaum says German Americans, who saw Germany as their
mother and America as their wife, felt they had to make a choice. “They suddenly realized they can’t be both German and
American," he said. “And after the war, a lot of them felt they had to assimilate, there was no choice and a lot of them did. A lot of
them became thoroughly American. They stopped speaking German. They stopped teaching their children German. They stopped
reading German newspapers and they became whole-hearted Americans." And in doing so, much of the German culture they’d
proudly held onto for so long, slowly vanished from the American landscape.
a. German culture was never prevalent in the U.S.

b. German-Americans were not a large ethnic group in pre-WWI United States.
c. If it had not been for WWI, German culture in the U.S. would not have vanished.
2. In the first paragraph, what does the word "their" refer to?
a. the U.S. melting pot

b. people with German ancestry
c. Germans
3. In the third paragraph, what is NOT the meaning of the word "pervasive"?
a. extensive
b. limited
c. common
4. In the fourth paragraph, what is the meaning of the phrase,"The situation took a dark turn"?
a. the situation changed from good to bad

b. the situation became better
c. the situation turned in the right direction
5. In the third paragraph, what is NOT the meaning of the word "flocked to"?
a. congregated in
b. gathered in
c. flew to
6. In the fifth paragraph, what is the meaning of the words "internment camps"?
a. a prison for the confinement of aliens or political prisoners, generally during wartime
b. a place for those not fighting in WWI
c. a holding place for Germans before they were returned to Germany
7. In the sixth paragraph, what is NOT the meaning of the word "assimilate"?
a. blend in to another culture

b. isolate oneself
c. adopt another culture
8. What is NOT the topic of this passage?
a. how WWI caused the disappearance of German culture in the US

b. the growth of German culture in the U.S.
c. why German Americans assimilated
9. Where does the sentence -- "And in doing so, much of the German culture they’d proudly held onto for so long,
slowly vanished from the American landscape." -- best belong?
a. at the end of the fourth paragraph

b. at the end of the fifth paragraph
c. at the end of the last paragraph
10. When did the internment of German Americans take place?
a. shortly before World War I

b. during World War I
c. after World War I
Economic and Political Trends Toward Unification In 19th
Century Germany
It was not possible for Metternich and his allies to suppress completely the desire for liberal reforms, including the
establishment of constitutional parliamentary government, economic freedom, and civil liberties. Some of these
reforms had already been under discussion during the eighteenth-century Enlightenment, and awareness of their
desirability had spread during the Napoleonic era. In addition, the economic reforms introduced into the Rhineland by
France had taken hold. The business class that formed after 1815 pressed for abolition of restrictive trade practices
favored by traditional handicraft guilds. Businessmen also sought a common currency and system of measurements for
Germany.
Among those groups desiring reform, there was, ironically, little unity. Many businessmen were interested only in
reforms that would facilitate commerce, and they gave little thought to politics. Political liberals were split into a
number of camps. Some wished for a greater degree of political representation, but, given a widespread fear of what
the masses might do if they had access to power, these liberals were content to have aristocrats as leaders. Others
desired a democratic constitution, but with a hereditary king as ruler. A minority of liberals were ardent democrats
who desired to establish a republic with parliamentary democracy and universal suffrage.
Many members of Germany's aristocratic ruling class were opposed to national unity because they feared it would
mean the disappearance of their small states into a large Germany. Metternich opposed a united Germany because
the Habsburg Empire did not embrace a single people speaking one language, but many peoples speaking different
languages. The empire would not easily fit into a united Germany. He desired instead the continued existence of the
loosely organized German Confederation with its forty-odd members, none equal to Austria in strength. Prussia's kings
and its conservative elite sometimes objected to Austria's primacy in the confederation, but they had little desire for
German unification, which they regarded as a potential threat to Prussia's existence.
1. What country introduced economic reforms into the Rhineland?
a. Metternich
b. Germany
c. France
2. Was Metternich able to stop completely the desire for liberal reforms?
a. yes
b. no
3. Did all political liberals want the same reforms?
a. yes
b. no
4. What did businessmen NOT want?
a. reduction of tolls
b. restrictive trade practices
c. common system of currency and measurements
5. Why was Prussia against German unification?
a. Unification was seen as a threat to Prussia's existence.

b. Too many languages were spoken.
c. Unification would mean the disappearance of small states.
6. In the first paragraph, what is the meaning of the word "reforms"?
a. revolutions
b. referendums
c. changes to improve the situation
7. In the second paragraph, what is the meaning of word "liberals"?
a. progressives
b. conservatives
c. aristocrats
8. In the second paragraph, what is the meaning of the word "camps"?
a. sites
b. factions
c. lodging
9. Where does the sentence -- "They also wanted a reduction of the numerous tolls that made road and river travel
expensive and slow." -- best belong?
a. start of second paragraph

b. end of first paragraph
c. end of second paragraph
The Geography Of Germany
Roughly the size of Montana and situated even farther north, unified Germany has an area of 356,959 square
kilometers. Extending 853 kilometers from its northern border with Denmark to the Alps in the south, it is the sixth
largest country in Europe. At its widest, Germany measures approximately 650 kilometers from the Belgian-German
border in the west to the Polish frontier in the east.
Germany's portion of the Alps accounts for a very small part of the country's area and consists only of a narrow fringe
of mountains that runs along the country's border with Switzerland and Austria from Lake Constance in the west to
Salzburg, Austria, in the east. The western section of the German Alps are the Algäuer AlpsAlgäuer Alps, located
between Lake Constance and the Lech River. The Bavarian Alps, the central section, lie between the Lech and Inn rivers
and contain Germany's highest peak, the Zugspitze (2,963 meters). The Salzburg Alps, which begin at the Inn River and
encircle Berchtesgaden, make up the easternmost section of Germany's Alps.
The Rhine, Germany's longest and most important river, originates in Switzerland, from where it flows into Lake
Constance (actually a river basin). At the lake's west end, it begins a long course (800 kilometers) to the Netherlands,
at first marking the boundary between Germany and Switzerland and later that between Germany and France. Of the
Rhine's three most important tributaries, the Moselle River drains parts of the Rheinish Uplands, the Main drains areas
between the Central German Uplands and the Franconian Alb, and the Neckar River drains the area between the Black
Forest and the Swabian Alb. Because these rivers keep the Rhine high during the winter and because melting snow in
the Alps keeps it high during the spring and summer, the river generally has a high steady flow, which accounts for its
being the busiest waterway in Europe.
1. What is NOT correct about Germany's size?
a. It is roughly the size of Montana.

b. It has an area of 356,959 square kilometers.
c. It is the sixth largest country in the world.
2. What countries border Germany in the Alps?
a. Poland and Austria

b. Bavaria and Switzerland
c. Switzerland and Austria
3. What are the Alps?
a. mountains
b. rivers
c. lakes
4. What country borders Germany to the north?
a. Poland
b. Denmark
c. Belgium
5. What is Germany's most important river?
a. the Rhine
b. the Neckar
c. the Moselle
6. What is NOT a reason that the Rhine is the busiest waterway in Europe?
a. The Rhine's tributaries keep the flow high in winter.

b. Snow melting in the Alps during spring and summer keeps the flow high.
c. The Rhine originates in Switzerland.
7. In the last paragraph, what is the meaning of the word "originates"?
a. begins
b. ends
c. finishes
8. Where is Germany's highest mountain peak located?
a. in the Salzburg Alps

b. in the Bavarian Alps
c. in the Algäuer Alps
Music In Russia
In the nineteenth century, Russia began making an original contribution to world music nearly as significant as its
contribution in literature. In the first half of the nineteenth century, Mikhail Glinka (1804-57) initiated the application
of purely Russian folk and religious music to classical compositions. His best operas, Ruslan and Lyudmila and A Life for
the Tsar, are considered pioneering works in the establishment of Russian national music, although they are based on
Italian models.
In 1859 the Russian Music Society was founded to foster the performance and appreciation of classical music, especially
German, from Western Europe; the most influential figures in the society were the composer Anton Rubinstein and his
brother Nikolay, who founded influential conservatories in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Anton Rubinstein also was one
of the best pianists of the nineteenth century.
In the second half of the nineteenth century, a group of composers that came to be known as the "Mighty Five"--Miliy
Balakirev, Aleksandr Borodin, César Cui, Modest Musorgskiy, and Nikolay Rimskiy-Korsakov--continued Glinka's
movement away from imitation of European classical music. The Mighty Five challenged the Russian Music Society's
conservatism with a large body of work thematically based on Russia's history and legends and musically based on its
folk and religious music. Among the group's most notable works are Rimskiy-Korsakov's symphonic suite Scheherezade
and the operas The Snow Maiden and Sadko, Musorgskiy's operas Boris Godunov and Khovanshchina, and Borodin's
opera Prince Igor. Balakirev, a protégé of Glinka, was the founder and guiding spirit of the group.
1. What is NOT the meaning of "pioneering" in the first paragraph?
a. original
b. unconventional
c. revolutionary
2. Who were the most influential persons in the Russian Music Society?
a. Miliy Balakirev
b. Aleksandr Borodin
c. Anton and Nikolay Rubenstein
3. What was Anton Rubenstein?
a. a composer and pianist

b. a member of the Mighty Five
c. a pianist.
4. Was Glinka one of the Mighty Five group members?
a. yes
b. no
5. Who founded the Might Five group?
a. Anton Rubenstein
b. Borodin
c. Balakirev
6. In the third paragraph, what is the meaning of the word "foster"?
a. support
b. block
c. hinder
7. On what did the Mighty Five group members base their musical themes?
a. German classical music

b. Russian folk and religious music
c. Western European classical music
8. In the last sentence, what is the meaning of the word "composers"?
a. people who write music

b. people who play the piano
c. people who perform music
Home on the Range
Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam,
Where the deer and the antelope play,
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
And the skies are not cloudy all day.
How often at night when the heavens are bright,

With the light from the glittering stars,
Have I stood there amazed and asked as I gazed,
If their glory exceeds that of ours.
Then I would not exchange my home on the range,

Where the deer and the antelope play;
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
And the skies are not cloudy all day.
1. In the poem, what is the meaning of the word "range"?
a. enclosed area
b. wide-open space
c. mountains
2. What animals live on the range?
a. deer and antelope

b. buffalo, deer, and antelope
c. buffalo and deer
3. What is the weather like on the range?
a. mostly cloudy
b. mostly windy
c. mostly sunny
4. Where would the poet like to live?
a. in the city
b. on the range
c. in a large house
5. Why is the night sky bright?
a. Many stars are visible and shining.

b. It is cloudy.
c. The city lights are shining.
6. On the range, do people often argue and criticize others?
a. yes
b. no
7. In the poem, what is the meaning of the word "seldom"?
a. often
b. sometimes
c. not often
8. In the poem, what is the meaning of the word "exchange"?
a. trade
b. sell
c. buy
The Canterville Ghost
by Oscar Wilde
When Mr. Hiram B. Otis, the American Minister, bought Canterville Chase, every one told him he was doing a very
foolish thing, as there was no doubt at all that the place was haunted. Indeed, Lord Canterville himself, who was a man
of the most punctilious honour, had felt it his duty to mention the fact to Mr. Otis when they came to discuss terms.
"We have not cared to live in the place ourselves," said Lord Canterville, "since my grandaunt, the Dowager Duchess of
Bolton, was frightened into a fit, from which she never really recovered, by two skeleton hands being placed on her
shoulders as she was dressing for dinner, and I feel bound to tell you, Mr. Otis, that the ghost has been seen by several
living members of my family, as well as by the rector of the parish, the Rev. Augustus Dampier, who is a Fellow of King's
College, Cambridge. After the unfortunate accident to the Duchess, none of our younger servants would stay with us,
and Lady Canterville often got very little sleep at night, in consequence of the mysterious noises that came from the
corridor and the library."
"My Lord," answered the Minister, "I will take the furniture and the ghost at a valuation. I have come from a modern
country, where we have everything that money can buy; and with all our spry young fellows painting the Old World
red, and carrying off your best actors and prima-donnas, I reckon that if there were such a thing as a ghost in Europe,
we'd have it at home in a very short time in one of our public museums, or on the road as a show."
"I fear that the ghost exists," said Lord Canterville, smiling, "though it may have resisted the overtures of your
enterprising impresarios. It has been well known for three centuries, since 1584 in fact, and always makes its
appearance before the death of any member of our family."
"Well, so does the family doctor for that matter, Lord Canterville. But there is no such thing, sir, as a ghost, and I guess
the laws of Nature are not going to be suspended for the British aristocracy."
"You are certainly very natural in America," answered Lord Canterville, who did not quite understand Mr. Otis's last
observation, "and if you don't mind a ghost in the house, it is all right. Only you must remember I warned you."
A few weeks after this, the purchase was concluded, and at the close of the season the Minister and his family went
down to Canterville Chase. Mrs. Otis, who, as Miss Lucretia R. Tappan, of West 53d Street, had been a celebrated New
York belle, was now a very handsome, middle-aged woman, with fine eyes, and a superb profile. Many American ladies
on leaving their native land adopt an appearance of chronic ill-health, under the impression that it is a form of European
refinement, but Mrs. Otis had never fallen into this error. She had a magnificent constitution, and a really wonderful
amount of animal spirits. Indeed, in many respects, she was quite English, and was an excellent example of the fact
that we have really everything in common with America nowadays, except, of course, language.
1. What is Canterville Chase?
a. a hunting lodge
b. a house
c. a business
2. What is NOT the meaning of "fit" in the second paragraph?
a. exercise
b. seizure
c. convulsion
3. Who bought Canterville Chase?
a. Lord Canterville
b. the Dowager Duchess of Bolton
c. Mr. Otis
4. What did everyone tell Mr. Otis?
a. He should have his furniture valued.

b. Canterville Chase is haunted.
c. Ghosts don't exist.
5. Who is Mr. Otis?
a. a minister of a church
b. a visiting businessman
c. an American official
6. When does the ghost make an appearance?
a. in 1584
b. before the death of a family member
c. when the doctor arrives
7. Did Mr. Otis believe in ghosts?
a. no
b. yes
8. How would you describe Mrs. Otis?
a. a sickly, middle-aged woman

b. a healthy, young belle
c. a healthy, middle-aged woman
9. What is closest to meaning of "chronic" in the final paragraph?
a. ongoing
b. severe
c. acute
The River
He had noticed it before, of course—when they went over the map in his house and when they had first landed. But in
the largeness of the country shown on the map, the massive forest the map showed, the river was a small thing, and
he had negated it.
It wound out the bottom of the lake, the southern end, and headed southeast down into the lakes below and was lost,
and he had not followed it except to note the name.
The Necktie River.
“Isn’t that a funny name,” his mother had said, and Derek had laughed.
5 “There are lakes named Eunice, or Bootsock—there are so many lakes and rivers, the original mapmakers just made
up names as they went. The person drawing the map was probably wearing a tie and thought it would make a good
name. Many of them aren’t named at all—just numbered.”
The Necktie River, Brian saw, led south and down and drew his eyes away from the lake.
The map was laid out in square five-thousand-meter grids—five-kilometer squares—and he saw that in some places
the river wound back almost on itself inside the same five thousand square meters. But in other places it ran straight
for a considerable distance and he followed it, through smaller lakes and what he thought must be swamps, through
the darker green portions that meant heavier forest.
It kept going south to the edge of the map, where it was folded, and he unfolded the next section and spread it in the
sun. He did not know why the river drew him, pulled at him. Then, halfway though the second page, he saw it. The river
had grown all along, gotten wider so that it made a respectable blue cut across the map and where it made a large
bend, cutting back nearly straight east, there was a small circle drawn and the words:
10 Brannock Trading Post.
Leading away from Brannock’s Post there was a double line heading down and to the southwest. When he found the
symbol for the double line on the map’s legend he saw that it stood for an improved gravel road.
There would be people there.
Right there, on the map, at Brannock’s Trading Post there would be people. They wouldn’t have a road or name the
place or make it a dot on the map unless there were people there. A trading post would have people.
Which, Brian thought, doesn’t mean a thing.
15 He wasn’t at Brannock’s Trading Post. He was here.
Yet he couldn’t take his eyes off the spot on the map. It was there, on the same map—just there. And he refolded the
map so it would show the lake where they were and the trading post at the same time. He used his fingers to make a
divider and measured it straight down, but it didn’t mean anything.
Then he remembered that the grids stood for five kilometers each, and when he counted the numbers of grids between
the lake and Brannock’s he came up with about sixteen squares.
“So how far is that?” he said to Derek. “Five times sixteen—maybe eighty, eighty-five kilometers.”
But that was straight—in a straight line southeast.
20 The river was nowhere near straight, looping back and forth and actually flowing slightly north back along itself at
one point.
He started counting, measuring the river as it turned through each five kilometer square, marking each ten kilometers
in the dirt with a line through it, then the next set of ten. It was involved and took him some time, but finally he was
done.
He counted them.
“One hundred and fifty kilometers,” he said. “One point six kilometers to a mile. Just under a hundred miles.”
He looked at Derek, who did not move, who made no sign.
25 “There are people just under a hundred miles from here.”
But what good did that do?
“Here it is—I could leave you and try to follow the river out and bring help back.” Which, he thought, sounded insane.
There were animals. They would come, and if they thought Derek was dead…. He was defenseless. They might attack
him. Even small things—ants, bugs.
“I can’t leave you.”
30 Brian looked at the map again. It was there, the answer was there. Brannock’s Trading Post was the answer and the
river was the answer, but he didn’t see how.
He couldn’t leave Derek.
He couldn’t leave Derek….
What if he took Derek with him?
He said it aloud. “What if we went out together?”
35 On the face of it, it sounded like madness. Haul a man in a coma nearly a hundred miles out of the wilderness on a
river.
You could say that, Brian thought, but there was a lot of difference between saying it and doing it.
How could he?
The river. If he had a boat…or a raft.
If he made a raft and put Derek on the raft, there might be a way he could make the run1 and take Derek out, get him
to the trading post and to help.
40 And even as he said it he knew it was crazy. A hundred miles on a wilderness river with a raft, hauling a grown man
who would be nothing but dead weight, was impossible.
He would have dropped it, except that he looked up from the map and saw the truth then; looked up and saw Derek
with his eyes half open and not seeing, awake but not truly living, the minutes of his life moving past and Brian knew
that he really didn’t have any choice.
If he stayed Derek would die of thirst in two, perhaps three days. Well before the week or ten days that would pass
before the pilot came looking to see what happened.
If he stayed, Derek would die.
If he made the run, took Derek down the river, at least there was a chance.
45 He had no choice.
1. What is the central problem in this passage?
A. how to save a friend’s life B. how to navigate a wilderness river C. how to attract the attention of a
pilot D. how to identify a populated area on a map
2. What does the double line symbol on the map legend represent?
A. a river B. a swamp C. a gravel road D. a trading post
3. What was the main reason that the winding course of the river was a problem for Brian?
A. It was harder to navigate. B. The map was laid out in grids. C. It was farther to
travel to reach safety. D. It would take longer for his rescuers to reach them.
4. Why was Brannock’s Trading Post “the answer”?
A. Brian could buy a river raft. B. There would be people there.
C. Brian could get supplies there. D. There would be an airstrip where the pilot could land.
5. Why is the river important?
A. It leads to safety. B. It is extremely scenic. C. It has an unusual name.

D. It is the only available source of drinking water.
Hearing
As you walk along the ocean

And peer out toward the water
And you see a log that’s floating—
Look again, it might be me.
Come right down into the harbor,
But be quick, I must keep moving.
I am one the orca’s hunting,
And he frequently swims here.
Like the orca, I send signals,
Only mine sound much like clicking.
They bounce back with a clear message:
“Is it time to flee or eat?”
It would serve me if you showed Them
How I dive into the ocean.
How the channels to my ears fill
And then serve me like a drum
That amplifies the slightest sound—
That’s how I hear in water.
There’s more that makes me special.
I can hear on land as well.
They have surely heard me talking
With my friends out on their shores.
Come and look across your harbor.
I’m here peeking. Can you see me?
Please be quick. I must keep moving.
Now you see me, now you don’t..
1-Who is the seal speaking to in this poem?

A. an orca B. a person C. its friends D. another seal
2-What does the seal say it might be mistaken for?

A. a log B. a drum C. an orca D. a human
3-Why must the seal keep moving?

A. to send signals B. to hunt and eat C. to hear in water D. to avoid the orca
4-What sound does the seal make?

A. talking B. clicking C. whistling D. drumming
5-Which of the following strategies does the seal use to avoid the orca?
A. diving B. camouflage C. listening to other seals D. using its ability to hear on land
Frances
The trunk sat in the middle of the living room on newspapers her mother had spread out to keep the dust off her
carpets. They tried to force the lid open but no matter how they pulled or pried, it stayed stubbornly shut.
“There must be a way,” Mom said. “There’s no lock and no place to put a lock so the lock must be in the box itself.”
They wiped the box, getting every speck of dust and cobweb off it. Then they studied it from every direction.
It wasn’t a particularly beautiful box. It was longer than it was wide. It had a slightly rounded top. There were two ribs
in the top. The sides were roughly carved with horses.
5 “Interesting carvings,” Gran said. “They show the integrity of the carver. There’s no concern for the marketplace.”
“Folk art is in,” Mom replied. “Hand-crafted. It should be worth quite a lot.
” Frances ran her fingers lightly over the horses. They were wonderful. No details, just the outline of horses running
freely like unfettered spirits. The numbers, 1873, were not, as they’d first thought, part of the lid, but each number was
fixed in place with a single brass bolt. The trunk had been painted blue and the numbers red. Now most of the paint
had faded away.
“We’ll have another look at it in the morning,” Mom finally said. “I need to put myself together.”
Frances woke up while it was still dark. She looked at her bedside clock. Four a.m. She lay in bed and listened to the
waves on the beach. That was one of the best things about the cottage. She loved going to sleep to the sound of the
waves and waking up to the sound of the waves.
10 As she lay there, she could see the box, just as if it was sitting in front of her except that she was staring at the
ceiling. She turned it around in her head, the way she could turn pictures of objects around on the computer.
There was a mystery to it, and she loved mysteries. When she grew up, she thought she might be a detective or a
coroner or an anthropologist—someone who was always trying to find answers.
“Why do you want to know the answers to everything?” her mother often chided her.
“I don’t know,” Frances replied. “I just do. Questions need to be answered.”
Her mother thought it was all nonsense. The only thing she wanted to know was who wanted to sell a house and who
wanted to buy one.
15 Frances slipped out of bed and crept into the living room To her surprise, her gran was sitting there staring at the
box. Frances sat down on the floor beside her.
“This was my gran’s,” Fjola whispered. “I’d forgotten all about it. The last time I saw it must have been when I was your
age.”
“My great-great-grandmother’s,” Frances said. She leaned forward and put her arms around the front of the box as if
she were hugging it.
“She brought it out from Iceland with her. Imagine being thirteen and putting all your worldly goods in a box and then
getting on a boat and traveling half the world to start a new life.”
“There was the smallpox,” Frances said. She’d heard that story. About everybody dying of smallpox.
20 “That was before,” Gran said. “She didn’t come out with the first settlers. The smallpox had come and gone and
there was a settlement and some farms. There’d been flooding and terrible weather. A lot of the first settlers went to
the Dakotas. Her father and aunt took over an abandoned farmstead.”
They sat there in silence, listening to the waves, but Frances wasn’t really hearing the water lapping on the shore. She
was staring at the box, turning it this way and that in her mind.
She leaned forward, put her hand on the first number and twisted. She felt it give a little. She turned it harder and it
stiffly moved to an angle. Then she did the same with the other three numbers.
This time when they pulled on the lid, it came up easily.
1- What is the main appeal of the box to Frances?

A. It is mysterious. B. It may contain treasure. C. It is ornate and beautiful.
D. It is a highly valuable antique.
2- What do the “interesting carvings” on the trunk indicate?
A. the age of the box B. the beauty of the box C. the identity of the carver
D. the integrity of the carver
3-Why does Mother believe that the box is worth a lot of money?
A. Folk art is very popular. B. Old trunks are valuable antiques.
C. The beauty of the box is appealing. D. The interesting carvings are remarkable.
4- In her imagination, to what does Frances compare the image of the box?
A. Frances’ dreams B. mysterious questions C. memories of long ago
D. objects turning on a computer screen
5- Who originally owned the box?
A. Fjola B. Frances C. Frances’ mother D. Frances’ great-great-grandmother
Johannes Gutenberg
If you are reading this right now, you are taking part in
the wonder of literacy. Because of printed words, people
can relay information across both time and space. Ideas
are encoded in writing and transmitted to readers across
thousands of miles and years. Because of this
development, the words of people distant to us can
influence events, impart knowledge, and change the
world. Much of the credit for the development of this
phenomenon can be attributed to one man.
Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg, better

known as Johannes Gutenberg, was born in the German
city of Mainz. Though most of Gutenberg’s early life is a Johannes Gutenberg
mystery, historians believe that he studied at the
University of Erfurt in 1418 and spent much of his young Before the spread of Gutenberg’s idea, literature was
adult life practicing the profession of his father: primarily handwritten. That means that each copy of the
goldsmithing. Having a penchant for fortune and Catholic bible and all of its 73 books were tediously and
success, Gutenberg borrowed money from investors in painstakingly hand scribed, and this was done before the
1439 and found himself in financial trouble. invention of the ballpoint pen. Given the amount of
detail that went into scribing each text, creating a single
In the year 1439 the city in which Gutenberg lived was copy of a bible could take years. Because of the effort
planning to exhibit its large collection of relics from that went into producing them, books were extremely
Emperor Charlemagne (a famous ruler who had united rare and valuable. Because of the value and scarcity of
much of Western Europe around 800 AD). The exhibit books, there was little reason for common people to
was expected to bring many visitors to the town, so learn to read or write since it was unlikely that they
Gutenberg took investments and created many polished would ever handle a book in their lifetimes. Gutenberg’s
metal mirrors which were to be sold to the visitors (it invention would change all of that. His printing press
was a common belief at that time that mirrors were able allowed literature to be produced on a mass scale. His
to capture holy light from religious relics). The mirrors movable metal type could be arranged once to form a
which Gutenberg produced probably would have sold page, and his press could print the page again and again.
well, but due to severe flooding the event was delayed
by one year. The impatient investors demanded that The first major text that Gutenberg produced was a 42
Gutenberg return their investments, but he had already line copy of the bible. Written in Latin and containing
spent the money on producing the unsaleable mirrors. 1272 pages, the Gutenberg Bible has had an
immeasurable effect on the history of the printed word.
He was trapped in a difficult situation. In order to satisfy
Scholars estimate that Gutenberg produced between 165
the investors, Gutenberg decided to share his greatest
and 185 of these bibles, which sold out almost
secret with them. immediately. Most copies went to monasteries and
universities, though one bible was sold to a wealthy
This secret would forever change the world, all of private individual. Copies are known to have sold for 30
history, and even the process of keeping history. It’s florins (about three years of wages for a clerk at the time),
been argued that Gutenberg’s idea was one of the which may seem expensive but was nonetheless much
greatest of all mankind. This one idea would lead to the cheaper than a hand produced copy. Purchasing a
spread of countless others. It would play a key role in the Gutenberg Bible in the 1450s would have been a good
development of the Renaissance, Reformation, the Age investment if you and your descendants were able to
of Enlightenment, and the Scientific Revolution. This maintain it. Only twenty-one complete Gutenberg Bibles
idea would bring learning to the masses and form the exist today and the last one traded hands in 1987 for 4.9
backbone of the modern knowledge-based economy. million dollars, the highest price ever paid for a book at
Gutenberg had created the mechanical printing press the time.
with movable type.
Gutenberg’s brilliant idea would soon change the world, Though he had failed as a businessman, the technologies
but in the short term he bungled what proved to be a that he had created spread across Europe rapidly. As
large and risky investment. He found himself in financial these printing technologies and techniques spread,
trouble once again and was sued by one of his investors, news and books began to travel across Europe much
who accused Gutenberg of mismanaging money meant faster than previously possible. The world has not been
for the production of books. The courts ruled against the same since. Though Gutenberg was financially
Gutenberg and Gutenberg lost control of the shop that unsuccessful in his own lifetime, he made the world a
he had created. He was effectively bankrupt. much richer place.
1. Which of the following best describes the structure of the text in paragraph 2?
a) Compare and contrast
b) Problem and solution
c) Chronological order
d) Spatial order
2. Which of the following expresses the correct order of events?

a) Gutenberg was born in Mainz, invested in mirrors, and then became a goldsmith.
b) Gutenberg created the printing press, printed the bible, and then invented the metal mirror.
c) Gutenberg went to college, revealed his press, and then invested in shiny mirrors.
d) Gutenberg studied goldsmithing, invented the printing press, and then lost his shop.
3. Which of the following best explains why Gutenberg’s plan to sell mirrors failed?
a) The mirrors were less popular than he had expected.
b) Flooding delayed the event for an entire year.
c) Too many other people had the same idea.
d) Newly invented glass mirrors rendered his metal mirrors obsolete.
4. Which of the following did Gutenberg invent?

a) Reflective mirrors b) The printing press with movable type
c) Written language d) Scientific inquiry
5. Which is not listed in the text as a movement to which Gutenberg’s idea contributed?
a) The Great Schism b) The Scientific Revolution
c) The Renaissance d) The Age of Enlightenment
6. Which of the following is best supported by evidence from the text?

a) Gutenberg’s idea was a tremendous success that made him incredibly wealthy.
b) Gutenberg’s idea didn’t catch on in his lifetime, but grew very popular after his death.
c) Gutenberg’s idea did not make him rich but spread very quickly.
d) Gutenberg’s idea did not catch on right away but made him incredibly rich over time.
7. Which of the following best explains why most people were illiterate during Gutenberg’s
time?
a) Books were rare and very expensive.
b) The public school system had not yet been created.
c) Writing had not yet been invented.
d) Emperor Charlemagne made reading and writing illegal for common people.
8. Which of the following best expresses the author’s purpose in writing this text?
a) To describe what life was like during the Middle Ages
b) To persuade people to read and write more
c) To chart the spread of printing technologies across Europe
d) To provide biographical information about Johannes Gutenberg
9. Which of the following best explains why so few of Gutenberg’s bibles were sold to
private individuals?
a) Gutenberg wanted to use his talents to help churches and universities.
b) Gutenberg’s Bible was pretty expensive and most people couldn’t read.
c) Most Europeans were not religious and did not care about the bible.
d) Gutenberg’s investors forbade him from selling the bibles to private individuals.
10. Which of the following titles best expresses the main idea of this text?
a) Investing Wisely: Turning Your Good Ideas into Money
b) How to Make Books Using the Gutenberg Method
c) The City of Mainz: Life in Medieval Germany
d) Gutenberg: A Man Who Changed the World
Nutrition Facts Comprehension Quiz
Directions: Compare the nutritional value of the four items & respond to the questions.
Item A - Vegetable Chips Item B - Rice Cakes

Nutrition Facts Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 oz (28g/about 14 chips) Serving Size 18 Mini Cakes (30g)
Servings Per Container about 8 Servings Per Container about 6
______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
Amount Per Serving Amount Per Serving

______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
Calories 150 Calories from Fat 80 Calories 140 Calories from Fat 45
______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
% Daily Value* % Daily Value*

______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
Total Fat 9 g 14% Total Fat 5 g 8%

______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
Saturated Fat 1 g 5% Saturated Fat 0.5 g 4%

______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
Trans Fat 0 g 0% Trans Fat 0 g 0%

______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
Cholesterol 0 mg 0% Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
Sodium 150 mg 6% Sodium 410 mg 17%

______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
Total Carbohydrate 16 g 5% Total Carbohydrate 21 g 7%

______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
Dietary Fiber 3 g 12% Dietary Fiber 1 g 4%

______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
Sugars 3 g Sugars 1 g
______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
Protein 1 g Protein 2 g
______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
Vitamin A 8% Vitamin C 8% Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 0%

Calcium 2% Iron 2% Calcium 0% Iron 0%
______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
Item C - Fruit & Nut Trail Mix Item D – Pretzel Twists

Nutrition Facts Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1/3 cup (44g) Serving Size 1 oz. (About 8 pretzels)
Servings Per Container about 21 Servings Per Container about 10
______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
Amount Per Serving Amount Per Serving

______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
Calories 170 Calories from Fat 40 Calories 110 Calories from Fat 10
______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
% Daily Value* % Daily Value*

______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
Total Fat 4.5 g 7% Total Fat 1 g 1%

______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
Saturated Fat 2 g 11% Saturated Fat 0 g 0%

______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
Trans Fat 0 g 0% Trans Fat 0 g 0%

______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
Cholesterol 0 mg 0% Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
Sodium 30 mg 1% Sodium 230 mg 10%

______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
Total Carbohydrate 31 g 10% Total Carbohydrate 23 g 8%

______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
Dietary Fiber 2 g 8% Dietary Fiber 1 g 4%

______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
Sugars 22 g Sugars 3 g
______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
Protein 2 g Protein 2 g
______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 2% Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 0%

Calcium 2% Iron 4% Calcium 0% Iron 8%
______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
1. Which item has the most sugars per serving?

a. Vegetable Chips b. Rice Cakes c. Fruit & Nut Trail Mix d. Pretzel Twists
2. Which item has the fewest calories per serving?
3. Which item has the most total fat per serving?
4. Which item contains the most iron?
5. Which item contains the least iron?
6. Which item has the most saturated fat per serving?
7. Which item has the most sodium per serving?
8. Which item has the most Vitamin C per serving?
9. Which item has the most fiber per serving?
10. Which item has the greatest amount of Calories from Fat per serving?
11. How many grams of carbohydrates are in a serving of item C, the Fruit & Nut Trail Mix?
a. 30 b. 23 c. 3 d. 31
12. How many calories from fat are in a serving of item B, the Rice Cakes?
a. 140 b. 80 c. 40 d. 45
13. What percent of the recommended daily allowance of total fat is in a serving of item B, Rice Cakes?
a. 5 b. 8 c. 0.5 d. 4
14. Which item contains 230 mg of sodium in each serving?
15. How many grams of carbohydrates make up 7% of the recommended daily allowance?
a. 16 b. 7 c. 21 d. 31
Castles
Palaces are known for their beauty and splendor, but
they offer little protection against attacks. It is easy to
defend a fortress, but fortresses are not designed with
the comfort of a king or queen in mind. When it comes
to structures that are both majestic and well-fortified,
the classic European castle is the pinnacle of design.
Across the ages castles changed, developed, and
eventually fell out of use, but they still command the
fascination of our culture.
Castles served many purposes during the Middle Ages.
Castles were originally built in England by Norman
invaders in 1066. As William the Conqueror advanced
through England, he fortified key positions to secure the As the nobility accumulated wealth, England became
land he had taken. The castles he built allowed the increasingly attractive to those who sought to plunder.
Norman lords to retreat to safety when threatened by Raids by Vikings and other marauders increased in
English rebellion. Castles also served as bases of regularity. In response to these attacks, castle defenses
operation for offensive attacks. Troops were summoned were updated and improved. Arrow-slits were added.
to, organized around, and deployed from castles. In this These were small holes in the castle, large enough for an
way castles served both offensive and defensive roles in arrow to fit through, which allowed defenders to fire
military operations. from nearly invulnerable positions. Towers were built
from which defenders could provide flanking fire. These
Not limited to military purposes, castles also served as towers were connected to the castle by wooden bridges,
offices from which the lord would administer control so that if one tower fell, the rest of the castle was still
over his fiefdom. That is to say, the lord of the land easy to defend. Multiple rings of castle walls were
would hold court in his castle. Those that were socially constructed, so that even if attackers made it past one
beneath the lord would come to report the affairs of the wall, they would be caught on a killing ground between
lands that they governed and pay tribute to the lord. inner and outer walls. Advances such as these greatly
They would address disputes, handle business, feast, increased the defense of castles.
and enjoy festivities. In this way castles served as
important social centers in medieval England. Castles The demise of castles can ultimately be attributed to
also served as symbols of power. Built on prominent gunpowder. Gunpowder was first introduced to Europe
sites overlooking the surrounding areas, castles during the 14th century, but the first gunpowder
constantly loomed in the background of many peasants’ weapons were unreliable, inaccurate, and weak by later
lives and served as a daily reminder of the lord’s standards. During the 15th century, artillery became
strength. powerful enough to break through stone walls. This
greatly undermined the military role of castles. Castles
The first castles constructed in England were made from were then replaced by artillery forts that had no role in
earth and timber. Those who constructed them took civil administration, and country houses that were
advantage of natural features, such as hills and rivers, to indefensible. Though castles no longer serve their
increase defenses. Since these castles were constructed original purposes, remaining castles receive millions of
from wood, they were highly susceptible to attacks by visitors each year from those who wish to experience
fire. Wooden castles were gradually replaced by stone, these majestic vestiges of a time long passed.
which greatly increased the strength of these
fortifications; however, being made from stone did not
make these castles entirely fireproof. Attackers could
hurl flaming objects into the castle through the windows
or ignite the wooden doors. This led to moving the
windows and entrances off of the ground floor and up to
the first floor to make them more difficult to access.
1. Which of the following is not a function of castles as expressed in the text?

a. Castles served both offensive and defensive purposes militarily.
b. Castles served as symbols of power.
c. Castles were important social centers in medieval England.
d. Castles were places where knights would keep their best horses.
2. Which of the following best describes the main idea in paragraph 2?

a. It describes how and why William the Conqueror took control of England.
b. It explains why castles were first built in England and the military purposes they served.
c. It shows how Norman lords were often scared and frequently retreated.
d. It details all of the purposes that English castles served.
3. Which best explains why the original castles were first made from earth and timber?
a. It takes a lot more time and energy to build a stone castle.
b. It did not occur to people to build castles out of stone.
c. People did not realize how weak wooden castles would be against fire.
d. Wooden castles were prettier than dirty stone castles.
4. Which of the following is not a true statement according to the text?

a. Palaces are designed for luxury, not fortification.
b. Fortresses are designed for fortification, not luxury.
c. Castles are designed for luxury and fortification.
d. Palaces are designed for luxury and fortification.
5. Which best explains why wooden castles were converted to stone castles.
a. Wooden castles take a long time to build.
b. Wooden castles are uncomfortable.
c. Stone castles offer better defense.
d. Stone castles stay cooler in the summer.
6. Which of the following best describes the structure of the text in the fifth paragraph?
a. Compare and contrast b. Order of importance
c. Cause and effect d. Chronological order
7. Which is not described in the text as an improvement in castle defenses?

a. Towers attached to the main castle by wooden bridges
b. Deep ditches dug around the castle walls and filled with water
c. Multiple castle walls providing layers of defenses
d. Windows and entrances raised off of the ground floor
8. Which best explains how gunpowder ended the role of traditional castles?
a. Wars were fought with guns and hiding in castles was no longer necessary.
b. Artillery forts with large cannons became more stylish than traditional castles.
c. Defending castles grew difficult, since attackers could just shoot castle defenders.
d. Cannons were able to knock down stone walls, so castles offered little protection.
9. Which of the following titles would best describe the content of this passage?
a. William the Conqueror: Bringing Castles to England
b. Defending the Castle: Technologies Used to Defend Medieval Castles
c. A Short History of Castles: The Rise and Fall of Castles in England
d. Fancy Living: Learning about Castles, Palaces, and Fortresses
10. Which of the following is an opinion?

a. Stone is more resistant to fire than wood.
b. William the Conqueror built the first castles in England.
c. It is unfortunate that castles no longer serve their original purposes.
d. Castles were used as offices of administration during the Middle Ages.
The Statue of Liberty | Nonfiction Reading Test 5
More than a million people immigrate to the United

States to start new lives every year, and if they are
arriving in New York, one of the first sights that they will
see is the Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty stands
on Liberty Island, near Manhattan in New York. Though
she is often thought to be resident of New York, Liberty
Island is actually federal property, which means that the
Statue of Liberty belongs to the whole country. The
Statue of Liberty is not only the tallest statue in America,
it is also one of the most recognizable American symbols.
The Statue of Liberty is huge. From the tip of the torch

to the pedestal on which she stands, she is just over 151 Liberty Enlightening the World
feet tall. If you include the pedestal in your
seven continents, and (as with the torch) how liberty
measurement, she stands more than 305 feet off of the
enlightens the world. Though much of the statue was
ground. That’s more than 30 basketball hoops or an
modeled after depictions of goddesses, Bartholdi
entire football field. Her waist size is 35 feet, which
modeled the face after his mother. Now that’s a
would make it awfully tough to find pants, and the tablet
Mother’s Day gift that’s hard to top.
she holds is 23 feet long. Don’t worry though; she hasn’t
had any trouble holding that tablet yet with her 8 foot Though Bartholdi was responsible for the external
index finger. Talk about heavy handed… appearance of statute, the internal design can be largely
credited to innovative designer, Gustave Eiffel. Though
Though America financed and built the pedestal on
Mr. Eiffel is best known for his contributions to a tower
which the Statue of Liberty stands, the statue itself was
in Paris that is named after him, he also engineered the
a gift from France. In this way the complete work, much
internal structure that holds up the Statue of Liberty.
like the United States, is a product of both American and
Eiffel chose to use a flexible structure, so that changes in
French contributions. At one time America was ruled by
the temperature and strong winds from the ocean would
the British. The founding fathers of America chose to
not cause the statue to crack. Because of Eiffel’s crafty
fight against Great Britain for the independence of their
design, the Statue of Liberty may sway as much as three
country. France supported America by providing money,
inches on a windy day. If the winds exceed 50 miles per
men, and weapons of war. Had it not been for French
hour, the torch may sway five inches. Eiffel is also
contributions during the Revolutionary War, America
responsible for including two spiraling staircases on the
would not exist in the way that it does today; therefore,
interior of the statue to help visitors reach the
it is quite fitting that the Statue of Liberty, which
observation point in the crown.
represents freedom, came to being by a joint American
and French effort. On October 28th, 1886, just over one- While most people appreciate the Statue of Liberty today,
hundred years after America declared its independence during its construction in the 1870s, many Americans were
from Great Britain, the Statue of Liberty was completed critical of the project. Some took issue with the fact that
and dedicated by its designer, Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi was French. They believed that American
Bartholdi. monuments should be designed and constructed by
Americans. Others felt that the statue wasn’t much of a gift
Perhaps no person did more to bring the statue into since it required Americans to foot the bill for the pedestal.
being than Bartholdi. Not only did Bartholdi gain both After the Panic of 1873, America fell into a deep economic
French and American approval for the project, he led the depression that lasted through much of the 1870s. (During
French fundraising efforts and designed the appearance an economic depression people spend less money and it is
of the statue. The appearance of the Statue of Liberty is harder to find jobs.) Because the nation was going through
somewhat derived from Libertas, the Roman goddess of a depression, many Americans thought that money should
freedom. The torch represents how liberty enlightens not be spent to support a giant French statue. I think most
the world. The seven points or rays coming from the top Americans would now agree that it was a good investment.
of the crown represent the sun, the seven seas, the
1. Which is not represented by the seven points on the crown of the Statue of Liberty according to
the text?
a. The points represent how liberty enlightens the world.
b. The points represent the seven continents.
c. The points represent the sun.
d. The points represent the seven days of creation.
2. Information in the second paragraph is mainly organized using which text structure?
a. Spatial order b. Order of importance
c. Chronological order d. Cause and effect
3. Which best expresses the main idea of the third paragraph?

a. France assisted the United States in the Revolutionary War.
b. The statue was a joint effort between France and the U.S. just like U.S. independence.
c. The U.S. was once a colony of Great Britain.
d. The statue of liberty was dedicated 100 years after America declared its independence.
4. Which is not a reason why people criticized the Statue of Liberty during its construction?
a. Some people felt that the statue should have been bigger.
b. Some people felt that the statue should have been built by an American.
c. Some people felt that France should have paid for the statue and the pedestal.
d. Some people felt that America shouldn’t spend money on a statue during a depression.
5. Which of the following statements is false?

a. The tablet that the Statue of Liberty holds is 23 feet long.
b. The Statue of Liberty’s waste size is 35 feet.
c. The pedestal underneath the Statue of Liberty is 305 tall.
d. The Statue of Liberty is over 151 feet tall.
6. Which best expresses the author’s purpose in writing the last paragraph?
a. To describe what a depression is
b. To show that some people did not think very highly of the French
c. To argue why the Statue of Liberty was a good investment
d. To explain why some people were against building the statue.
7. Which of the following is an opinion?

a. The Statue of Liberty cost a tremendous amount of money to build.
b. The Statue of Liberty was sculpted by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi.
c. The Statue of Liberty is over 151 feet tall.
d. The Statue of Liberty may sway 3 inches on a windy day.

a. The guy who built the Eiffel Tower also designed the inside of the Statue of Liberty.
b. The Eiffel Tower was a gift to the Americans from the people of France.
c. The Statue of Liberty is located on federal property.
d. Bartholdi got permission from both the French and the US to build the statue.
9. Which of the following is not one of the ways that Bartholdi contributed to the statue?
a. He designed the interior of the statue.
b. He gained approval for the project from the U.S. and from France.
c. He sculpted the exterior of the statue.
d. He gained financing to complete the project from France.
10. Which best expresses the author’s purpose in writing this text?
a. To persuade people to visit the Statue of Liberty
b. To inform readers with interesting facts about the Statue of Liberty
c. To entertain readers with stories about the construction of the Statue of Liberty
d. To describe the appearance of the Statue of Liberty.
11. Why is it significant or important that the Statue of Liberty is a product of both French and American efforts?
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
12. Why were Gustave Eiffel’s contributions to the Statue of Liberty important?
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
13. Why were some Americans against the construction of the Statue of Liberty?
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
14. Why does the Statue of Liberty look the way that she does? Make your point, quote text to support your point,
explain your quote, and connect it back to your point.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Submarines
Do you know the difference between a submarine and a
submersible? A submarine is a watercraft that is capable
of independent operation under the sea. Submarines do
not require support ships because submarines can
renew their air and power supplies independently.
Submersibles also submerge and operate underwater,
but they need the support of a larger vessel.
Submersibles cannot renew their air and power supplies
without support. For this reason submersibles are
usually smaller and cannot spend as much time
underwater as submarines.
The first documented submersible was constructed in

1620 by Cornelius Drebbel. It was powered by rowing Drawing of Bushnell’s Turtle
oars underwater. Though this craft was originally
designed for underwater exploration, it did not take long Another notable submarine originally designed for war
for inventors and makers of war to recognize the military was Julius H. Kroehl’s Sub Marine Explorer. Built
potential of the submersible. In 1648 Bishop John between 1863 and 1866, this submarine was created for
Wilkins wrote, “It may be of great advantages against a the North during the American Civil War but the war
Navy of enemies, who by this may be undermined in the ended before it went into use. After the war it was used
water and blown up.” Over one-hundred years later, the commercially to harvest pearls in Panamanian waters
first military submarine was ready to be deployed. during the late 1860s. Unfortunately, the dangers of
The Turtle was the world’s first submarine used in decompression sickness (a condition that occurs when
combat. Designed by David Bushnell in 1775, it was divers rise to the water’s surface too quickly) were not
deployed by the Continental Army during the American understood. While experimenting with the Sub Marine
Revolutionary War. Though the Turtle did utilize a Explorer in 1867, Kroehl himself perished from
support ship in combat, it was fully capable of renewing decompression sickness. In 1869 a new engineer put the
its air and power supplies independently; therefore, the Sub Marine Explorer back to the task of harvesting
Turtle is considered to have been a submarine and not a pearls. Tragically, use of the Sub Marine Explorer was
submersible. The Turtle was powered by hand-cranked discontinued after the entire crew died from
propellers and was named as such because it resembled decompression sickness.
a turtle. It held a single person, moved about three miles
per hour in calm water, and contained enough air to stay Submarine use increased greatly during World War I.
submerged for about thirty minutes. General Due to innovations in engineering, such as a dual power
Washington authorized an attack using the Turtle on a system using both diesel and electric sources,
British flagship blockading New York Harbor. Sgt. Ezra submarines had finally developed into effective war
Lee operated the Turtle and attempted to affix machines. One watercraft called the U-Boat was put to
underwater explosives to the British ship, but he failed. great effect by the Germans. Some argue that the U-
The Turtle was later destroyed by the British. Despite Boat was more of a submersible, since U-Boats operated
this failure, the Turtle is still remembered as the first primarily on the surface using diesel engines and
submarine used offensively during war. submerged only occasionally to attack using battery
power, but the effectiveness of the U-Boat in combat is
certain. During World War I more than 5,000 Allied ships
were sunk by U-Boats, including the Lusitania, which is
often cited as a reason why America entered the war.
U-Boats were again utilized extensively by the Germans Modern submarines are now powered by a nuclear
during World War II. Though the U-Boats were reactor. The nuclear reactor generates a tremendous
devastating to British fleets, advances in technology amount of power and frees the submarine from the
such as radar and sonar reduced their overall need to occasionally surface. The large amount of power
effectiveness. Additionally, the U.S. had also developed generated by these reactors allows submarines to
and deployed a fleet of submarines to great effect. operate at high speeds for long durations. Current
Though the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor destroyed nuclear submarines never need to be refueled
or severely damaged many of the U.S. Navy’s front-line throughout their 25-year life-spans. The only factor
Pacific Fleet ships, U.S. submarines survived the attack limiting the amount of time that an advanced submarine
and went on to cause great damage. Submarines, can remain submerged is the amount of food and water
though only about 2 percent of the U.S. Navy, destroyed that the submarine can carry. Even the Bishop John
over 30 percent of the Japanese Navy. This made U.S. Wilkins, when he imagined the military capabilities of
submarines the most effective anti-ship and anti- future submarines from 1648, could not have envisioned
submarine weapon in the entire American arsenal. such an amazingly powerful watercraft.
1. For what purpose were submersibles originally designed?

a. Transporting passengers underwater without the threat of storms
b. Exploring under the sea
c. Smuggling weapons and outlawed materials
d. Attacking ships on the surface of the water
2. Why was the Sub Marine Explorer originally created?

a. To assist the North in the Civil War
b. To harvest pearls
c. To explore undersea
d. To experiment with decompression sickness
3. Which is most likely to limit the how long a modern submarine can remain submerged?
a. The amount of fuel in the submarine
b. The air supply in the submarine
c. The amount of food and water aboard the submarine
d. There is no limit to the amount of time a modern submarine can remain submerged
4. How were U-Boats powered?

a. Hand crank b. Diesel
c. Battery d. Both B & C
e. None of these f. All of these
5. Which of the following statements best describes the Turtle according to the text?
a. The Turtle was the first submarine used during war to destroy another ship.
b. The Turtle was the first submersible used during war to attack another ship.
c. The Turtle was the first submersible used during war to destroy another ship.
d. The Turtle was the first submarine used during war to attack another ship.
e. The Turtle is the biggest and fastest watercraft in all of human history.
6. Which of the following best describes why the author most likely wrote this text?
a. To entertain his audience with stories about submarines
b. To educate his readers about how submarines work
c. To inform his readers about the evolution of submarines
d. To convince his audience to purchase a submarine
7. Which is the most likely reason why the author wrote the first paragraph?
a. To explain a concept that would be referenced throughout the text
b. To introduce the main idea of the text
c. To get the reader’s attention with startling information
d. To amuse the reader with an interesting historical anecdote
8. Which does not describe a way in which submersibles are different from submarines?
a. Submersibles are usually smaller than submarines.
b. Submersibles are not capable of independent operation.
c. Submersibles can usually spend more time underwater than submarines.
d. Submersibles cannot independently renew their air and power supplies.
9. Which of the following best describes how the text is structured in the first paragraph?
a. Compare and Contrast b. Chronological c. Problem and Solution
d. Sequence / Process e. Order of Importance
10. Which of these events happened first?

a. The Turtle was destroyed.
b. Bishop John Wilkins recognized the military potential of submersibles.
c. The Sub Marine Explorer was used to harvest pearls.
d. Radar and Sonar were invented.
11. Which most likely explains why U.S. submarines survived the attack on Pearl Harbor?
a. Because the Japanese did not value the submarines as worthy targets
b. Because the submarines were much smaller than all of the other boats in the U.S. Navy
c. Because the Japanese were targeting U.S. submersibles instead
d. Because the submarines were submerged and difficult to strike
12. Which of the following statements is entirely true?

a. Sgt. Ezra Lee invented the Turtle; Cornelius Drebbel invented the first submersible;
b. Bishop John Wilkins invented the first submersible; David Bushnell invented the Turtle;
c. David Bushnell invented the Turtle; Julius H. Kroehl invented the Sub Marine Explorer
d. Julius H. Kroehl invented the Sub Marine Explorer; John Wilkins invented the U-Boat
13. Which of these events happened last?

a. U.S. submarines survived the attack on Pearl Harbor.
b. Sgt. Ezra Lee attempted to blow up a British flagship using a submarine.
c. U-Boats sank the Lusitania.
d. Julius H. Kroehl’s developed the Sub Marine Explorer
14. Which of the following would be the best title for this reading passage?
a. How Submarines Work
b. A Short History of Submarines
c. Turtle: The First Combat Submarine
d. The Differences Between Submarines and Submersibles
Garbage
Garbage cans are not magical portals. Trash does not As landfill space increases, interest in composting
disappear when you toss it in a can. Yet, the average grows. Compositing is when people pile up organic
American throws away an estimated 1,600 pounds of matter, such as food waste, and allow it to decompose.
waste each year. If there are no magic garbage fairies, The product of this decomposition is compost. Compost
where does all that trash go? There are four methods can be added to the soil to make the soil richer and
to managing waste: recycling, landfilling, composting, better for growing crops. While composting is easy to
and incinerating. Each method has its strengths and do onsite somewhere, like home or school, it's hard to
weaknesses. Let's take a quick look at each. do after the garbage gets all mixed up. This is because
plastic and other inorganic materials must be removed
Recycling is the process of turning waste into new from the compost pile or they will pollute the soil.
materials. For example, used paper can be turned into There's a lot of plastic in garbage, which makes it hard
paperboard, which can be used to make book covers. to compost on a large scale.
Recycling can reduce pollution, save materials, and
lower energy use. Yet, some argue that recycling wastes One thing that is easier to do is burning garbage. There
energy. They believe that collecting, processing, and are two main ways to incinerate waste. The first is to
converting waste uses more energy than it saves. Still, create or harvest a fuel from the waste, such as
most people agree that recycling is better for the planet methane gas, and burn the fuel. The second is to burn
than landfilling. the waste directly. The heat from the incineration
process can boil water, which can power steam
Landfilling is the oldest method of managing waste. In generators. Unfortunately, burning garbage pollutes
its simplest form, landfilling is when people bury the air. Also, some critics worry that incinerators
garbage in a hole. Over time the practice of landfilling destroy valuable resources that could be recycled.
has advanced. Garbage is compacted before it is thrown
into the hole. In this way more garbage can fit in each Usually, the community in which you live manages
landfill. Large liners are placed in the bottom of landfills waste. Once you put your garbage in that can, what
so that toxic garbage juice doesn't get into the ground happens to it is beyond your control. But you can make
water. Sadly, these liners don't always work. Landfills choices while it is still in your possession. You can
may pollute the local water supply. Not to mention that choose to recycle, you can choose to compost, or you
all of that garbage stinks. Nobody wants to live next to can choose to let someone else deal with it. The choice
a landfill. This makes it hard to find new locations for is yours.
landfills.
1. Which best explains why the author begins the text by talking about magical garbage fairies?
a. He is putting a common misconception to rest. b. He is trying to get the reader's attention.
c. He is addressing his concern in a serious way. d. He is supporting his argument with evidence.
2. Which best defines the meaning of incineration as it is used in the text?

a. To bury waste materials in a large hole b. To allow waste products to decompose and become fertilizer
c. To burn waste materials and harvest the energy d. To turn waste materials into products like book covers
3. Which was not cited in the third paragraph as an issue with landfilling?
a. Landfills are smelly. b. Usable materials are wasted in landfills.
c. Landfills may pollute the water supply. d. It is difficult to find locations for landfills.
4. Which conclusion could best be supported with text from the passage?
a. Each method of waste management has its drawbacks. b. Recycling is without a doubt the best way to handle waste.
c. Incineration is the best way to process waste. d. All large cities should create massive compost piles.
5. Which best expresses the main idea of the fourth paragraph?

a. Landfills take up a lot of space. b. Composting is good for the soil but it can be hard to do.
c. The process of composting is very complicated and scientific. d. There is a lot of plastic garbage in landfills.
6. Which best expresses the meaning of the word compacted as it is used in the third paragraph?
a. Garbage is burned before it is thrown in a hole. b. Garbage is put in trucks before it is thrown in a hole.
c. Garbage is crushed smaller before it is thrown in a hole. d. Garbage is put in a can before it is thrown in a hole.
7. Which best expresses the author's main purpose in writing this?

a. To convince readers to recycle and compost b. To persuade readers that recycling is a waste of resources
c. To compare and contrast recycling and landfilling d. To inform readers of methods of waste management
8. Which is not included in this text?

a. A description of how trash is collected b. A description of the uses of compost
c. A description of the two methods of incinerating trash d. A description of how landfills have advanced over time
9. Which best explains why composting is not feasible on a large scale?

a. People wouldn't want to touch all of that gross rotting food. b. It would smell too bad in densely populated cities.
c. It would attract rodents that would spread disease. d. Plastic would get into the compost and turn it into a pollutant.
10. Which title best expresses the main idea of this text?
a. The Magic of Recycling: Bringing Back What Was Once Lost b. Methods of Waste Management: Pros and Cons
c. Recycling, Landfilling, or Composting: Which is Best For You? d. Do Your Part: How to Save the Earth by Recycling and
Composting
1. Which two methods of waste management do you believe are best for society? Support your argument with text.
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2. Which two methods of waste management do you believe are worst for society?
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3. Summarize the article. Be sure to cover the pros and cons of the four methods of waste management.
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Carnivorous Plants
Imagine that you're a fly. You're just zipping around the
sky, looking for a place to rest, when you see nice pink
leaf. That looks like a nice place to land. You think to
yourself in your fly head. As you rest your feet on the
leaf, you notice something strange. This leaf is hairy.
You begin to make your move, but you trigger the
plant's reflex. Snap! In one-tenth of a second, you are
caught in the Venus flytrap. You will be digested in five
to twelve days. Welcome to the world of carnivorous
plants! Have you ever walked into trouble and found that you
couldn't get out? So has every insect that has ever
There are over a quarter of a millions plant species. wandered into a corkscrew plant. Bugs love to
Only 600 or so are carnivorous. We call them this investigate plants for nectar and food. Corkscrew plants
because they attract, trap, and eat bugs. Like other have inviting stems. Curved hairs line the inside of these
plants, they get energy from the sun. But unlike other stems. These hairs allow insects to go up the stems, but
plants, they get their nutrients from their prey. not back. Going forward leads a chamber filled with
Carnivorous plants live in bogs and places where the digestive fluid, the plant's stomach. Bugs who wander
soil lacks nutrients. Most plants get nutrients from the into the corkscrew plant find that they are unable to
soil. Carnivorous plants have turned to other sources. escape. They must march to their own demise.
The snap of the Venus flytrap is not the only way that And then there are the bladderworts. They're about as
plants eat bugs. Pitcher plants trick their prey into nice as they sound. They live in water and float near the
landing on them. They offer nectar bribes to the foolish surface. Their traps are like small bladders hidden
insects that would take them. True to their name, beneath the water. Only their flowers are visible from
pitcher plants have deep chambers. Their landing the surface. When bugs swim into the trigger hairs, the
surface is slippery. They have inward pointing hairs, plant reacts. A trapdoor in the bladder opens up. The
making it hard to escape. The fly lands on the pitcher bladder sucks up the prey and the water surrounding
plant to eat, but slips into a pit filled with digestive it. A tenth of a second later, the bladder shuts again.
fluids and is eaten. The plant has trapped the prey. It releases digestive
fluids. The prey will be digested within hours.
Then there're sundews. We call them sundews because
they sparkle in the sun as if covered in morning dew. Of Carnivorous plants might sound tough, but they are
course, that sparkle is from something much more difficult to keep at home. They are built to survive in
treacherous. It is a sweet goo called mucilage that bugs places that other plants cannot. This specialization
can't resist. Sundews create mucilage to attract bugs. comes at a cost. They have a hard time adapting to
As they fly in to eat, bugs become trapped in the very other environments. Their strengths become
object of their desire. They soon exhaust themselves by weaknesses in rich soil. They depend on the harsh yet
trying to escape the mucilage. Or the sundew's delicate environments in which they thrive. They are
tentacles, which respond to prey by curling around not so hardy after all. Still, there's something to be said
them, smother them. Bugs usually die in about 15 about the power of life when one finds a plant that can
minutes. Then the plant dissolves its prey in enzymes survive in barren soil.
and absorbs the nutrients.
1. Which statement would the author most likely agree with?
a. There are too many species of carnivorous plants. b. There are too few plant species in the world.
c. Only a small number of plants are carnivorous. d. A majority of plants are carnivorous.
2. Which plant traps bugs in its stem and forces them to walk forward?
a. Corkscrew plants b. Sundews c. Bladderworts d. Pitcher plants
a. Carnivorous plants get their energy from eating bugs. b. Carnivorous plants do not get nutrients from the soil.
c. Carnivorous plants get their energy from the sun. d. Carnivorous plants get their nutrients from eating bugs.
4. Which event happens last when a sundew eats a meal?
a. The sundew creates mucilage. b. The sundew's tentacles curl in response to the prey.
c. The bug is attracted to the mucilage. d. The sundew releases enzymes.
a. There are more types of carnivorous plants than the Venus fly trap . b. The pitcher plant tricks bugs into falling into its stomach.
c. The Venus flytrap kills its prey in a various ways. d. Some plants attract bugs by offering them nectar.
6. Which best defines the word treacherous as it is used in the fourth paragraph?
a. Something that provides nutrients. b. Something that is very bright.
c. Something that tastes delicious. d. Something that has a hidden danger.
7. Which best describes the overall text structure of the second paragraph?
a. Chronological order b. Compare and contrast c. Sequential order d. Spatial

8. Which statement would the author most likely disagree with?
a. Carnivorous plants cannot thrive in rich soil. b. Bladderworts react quickly when their trigger hairs are bumped.
c. Carnivorous plants are tough and can live in any environment. d. Bladderworts hide their traps just below the
surface of the water.
9. Which best expresses the main idea of the last paragraph?
a. Carnivorous plants are not hard to take care of because they feed themselves.
b. Carnivorous plants are delicate because they need certain conditions to survive.
c. Carnivorous plants are difficult to keep at home, but you should keep trying.
d. Carnivorous plants are inspirational and they are interesting to watch and own.
10. Which title best expresses the author's main purpose in writing this text?
a. Watch Out! How To Avoid Being Eaten by Carnivorous Plants
b. At Risk: How You Can Help to Preserve Carnivorous Plants
c. Venus Flytrap: Nature's Most Beautiful and Dangerous Plant
d. Fatal Flowers: Plants That Kill Insects
1. In what ways are carnivorous plants stronger and more resilient than other plants? In what ways are they weaker?
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2. Compare and contrast two types of plants described in this passage. How are they similar? How are they different?
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3. Carnivorous plants have some unique and amazing characteristics. What do these characteristics suggest about life
and the world that we live in? In other words, what can carnivorous plants teach us about the world?
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TV
Televisions show sounds and pictures. They get data
from cables, discs, or over-the-air signals. They turn this
data into sounds and images. People watch news and
shows on them. You probably call them TVs.
John Baird made the first TV in 1925. It had one color.

It could only show 30 lines. This was just enough room
for a face. It didn't work well, but it was a start.
The first TV station was set up in 1928. It was in New

York. Few people had TVs. The broadcasts were not By 1948 there were 4 big TV networks in America. They
meant to be watched. They showed a Felix the Cat doll aired their shows from 8 to 11 each night. Local shows
for two hours a day. The doll spun around on a record were aired at other times. Most of the time, nothing
player. They were experimenting. It took many years to was shown at all. TV was not "always on" like it is now.
get it right.
Color TVs came out in 1953. They cost too much money
By the end of the 1930s, TVs were working well. for most. Also, shows were aired in black and white. By
America got its first taste at the 1939 World's Fair. This 1965, color TVs were cheaper. TV stations started airing
was one of the biggest events ever. There were 200 shows in color. People had to switch if they wanted to
small, black and white TVs set up around the fair. The see the shows.
U.S. President gave a speech over the TVs. The TVs were
only five inches big but the people loved it. Now most TVs are high-def. This means that they have
many lines on them. This makes the image clear. TVs
They wanted TVs. But World War II was going on during have come a long way since Baird's 30 line set. High-def
this time. Factories were busy making guns and bombs. TVs have 1080 lines. There are state of the art sets
When the war was over, TV spread across the country. called 4K TVs. These TVs have 3,840 lines. Some people
watch TV in 3D. I wonder what they will come up with
next. Smell-o-vision anyone?
1. When did color TVs come out?
a. 1925 b. 1953
c. 1939 d. 1965
2. Which was not true about the first TV?
a. It could only show one color. b. It only had 30 lines.
c. It did not have sound. d. It did not work well.
3. When did networks start showing programs in color?
a. 1948 b. 1953
c. 1965 d. 1939
4. Why did the first TV station only show Felix the Cat for two hours a day?
a. They were running tests. b. Felix the Cat was really popular.
c. Felix the Cat had been a big radio star. d. Felix the Cat was the only show that they had
5. Which of these events slowed the spread of TVs?
a. The World's Fair of 1939 b. The Civil War
c. The election of the U.S. President. d. World War II
6. What is the author's main purpose in writing this?
a. He is trying to explain how a TV works. b. He is telling readers how TVs became popular.
c. He is describing the history of the TV. d. He is trying to get people to watch more TV.
7. Why did many families switch to color TVs in 1965?
a. Color TVs cost a lot of money. b. Many shows were only shown in color.
c. Color TVs came out in 1965. d. World War II ended and troops returned home.
8. Why was 1939 an important year for TV?
a. Many Americans were introduced to TV. b. The first color TV was released.
c. The first TV station began broadcasting. d. John Baird created the first TV.
9. How many lines does a 4K TV have?
a. 30 b. 1,080
c. 4,000 d. 3,840
10. Which happened first?
a. The 1939 World's Fair b. The release of high-def TVs
c. The end of World War II d. The release of color TVs
Why would watching TV have been boring in 1928?
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Why did the 5 inch black-and-white TVs at the World's Fair impress people?
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Why would it have been a bad idea to buy a color TV when they first were released?
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Trampolines
What's more fun than standing still? Jumping up and These injuries happen for many reasons. People may
down on a springy piece of fabric! This activity is known bounce too high and land off of the trampoline or onto
as trampolining and it's sweeping the nation. the springs. From the peak of the bounce, this can be a
fall of 13 feet or more. Ouch. Injuries also happen when
The idea of trampolining is ancient. Eskimos have been many people are jumping at the same time. Jumpers
tossing each other in the air using walrus skin for may collide and cause one another to land in strange
thousands of years. Firemen began using a life net to ways. Lots of people have broken bones in this way.
catch people jumping from buildings in 1887. And in the Perhaps the worst injuries happen when untrained
early 1900s, circus performers began bouncing off of people try to do flips. Landing on your neck or head can
netting to amuse audiences. These weren't the same as paralyze or even kill you.
today's trampolines, but they show that the idea has
been bouncing around for a long time. But don't let all that bad news keep you down. There
are many things that you can do to practice safe
A tumbler named George Nissan and his coach Larry trampolining. You can cover the springs with special
Griswold made the first modern trampoline in 1936. pads so that people's limbs are less likely to get stuck in
They got the idea by watching trapeze artists bouncing them. You can surround your trampoline with a net so
off of a tight net at the circus. The two men that people don't fall off of it. You can limit bouncers to
experimented with different fabrics and designs. They one at a time. This will prevent collision injuries.
found a winner when they stretched a piece of canvas Perhaps most importantly, you should never flip on a
across a steel frame and held it in place with springs. trampoline without professional guidance. You are
They named their device after the Spanish word much less likely to get hurt on a trampoline if you do
trampolín, which means diving board. these things.
At first Nissan and Griswold used their device to train Trampolines have been around for a while now. They
tumblers. The piece of training equipment was a lot of have brought a lot of joy to many people. There is no
fun. They realized that everyone could enjoy their feeling quite like soaring up in the air and then free-
trampoline, not just tumblers. The men wanted to falling. Trampolines can also be a good source of
share their idea with the whole world. In 1942 they exercise and activity. They can help people improve
began making trampolines to sell to the public. their balance and aerial moves. But they can also be
deadly. Be sure that you are practicing safety while
Trampolines may be fun, but they can also be having a good time. Happy bouncing!
dangerous. Experts estimate that more than 100,000
people hurt themselves while using one each year.
Clubs and gyms use large safety nets and rubber
padding to make it safer. Most trampoline injuries
happen at home. Since trampolines are more
affordable than ever, injuries are even more common.
a) The basic idea of a trampoline has been around for a long time.
b) Nissan and Griswold owe much of their success to circus performers.
c) Most club and gym trampolines are safer than most home trampolines.
d) Trampolines are dangerous and not much can be done to make them safer.
2. Which best describes the main idea in the second paragraph?
a) It explains how Eskimo have used walrus skins like trampolines for a long time.
b) It describes activities similar to trampolining that came first.
c) It compares and contrasts how different groups have used trampolines.
d) It discusses how trampolining is ancient.
3. Which of the following events happened first?
a) Firemen begin using life nets to catch people jumping from buildings.
b) Nissan and Griswold begin selling trampolines to the public.
c) Circus performers begin using netting to perform tricks.
d) Nissan and Griswold invent the modern trampoline.
4. Which is not cited as a cause of trampoline related injuries?
a. Colliding with other bouncers b. Bouncing into low hanging objects
c. Jumping off of the trampoline d. Landing a flip incorrectly
5. Which best explains why trampoline injuries are more likely to happen at home?
a) Home trampolines get rained on and become very slippery.

b) Home trampolines are cheaply made and fall apart during use.
c) Home trampolines often lack proper safety equipment.
d) Most people are on their best behavior when they leave the home.
6. Which best describes the structure of the text in the sixth paragraph?
a. Cause and effect b. Compare and contrast
c. Chronological order d. Descriptive writing
7. How does the purpose of the text switch after the fourth paragraph?
a) It goes from describing the uses of a trampoline to the dangers.

b) It shifts from explaining the history of the trampoline to health benefits.
c) It moves from Nissan and Griswold's life story to how trampolines are used today.
d) It changes from discussing the origins of the trampoline to the risks.
a) Trampolines are extremely dangerous and should be banned.

b) Nissan and Griswold stole the idea for the trampoline from the eskimos.
c) You should take turns when jumping on a trampoline with friends.
d) You'll never learn to flip if you don't start practicing by yourself.
9. Which best expresses the author's purpose in writing the seventh paragraph?
a) He is persuading readers to stay off of trampolines.

b) He is telling readers how to prevent trampoline injuries.
c) He is describing what a modern trampoline looks like.
d) He is informing readers about the risks of trampolining.
10. Which of the following is not a main idea in this text?
a. Trampoline-like activities have been around for a long time.

b. Trampolining can be dangerous if practiced unsafely.
c. Trampolining is a great way to reduce stress and anxiety.
d. Modern trampolines were invented by Nissan and Griswold.
1. If you were buying a new trampoline, what advice do you believe that the author would give you?
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2. Should George Nissan and Larry Griswold be credited as the inventors of the trampoline? Why or why not?
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3. Your school is considering building a large trampoline and using it during gym class. Are you for this initiative
or against it?
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Tetris
Do you like video games? Lots of people do. There are
many types of video games. Some people like action
games. Other people like driving games. But the most
popular game of all time is a puzzle game.
Tetris is a game about making lines. Blocks fall from the

top of the screen. They fall one at a time. The player
moves the blocks. Once the blocks hit the bottom, they
are locked in place. Players try to make lines go across
the screen with no gaps. Complete lines disappear. This
gives players more room. The blocks pile up during the
game. The game ends when the blocks get to the top of
the screen.
A man named Alexey made Tetris in 1984. All the pieces

in Tetris have four blocks. The word "tetra" means four.
Alexey named his game after tetra and tennis. He made
Soon the game spread across the world. It was on every
Tetris while working at a science academy in Moscow.
computer. It was in arcades. It came with every one of
Moscow is in Russia.
Nintendo's Game Boy. More than 100 million Game
Boys were sold. Tetris was all over the place. Even today
Alexey made his game on a screen that only showed
Tetris comes with many phones.
letters. He could not use blocks. The blocks were made
out of letters in the first game of Tetris. Still, all Alexey's
Dr. Richard Haier has studied Tetris players. He ran
friends loved his game. It was easy to learn and fun to
many tests. He found that playing Tetris boosts mental
play.
activity. Dr. Haier thinks Tetris is good for the brain. I
agree with this finding. Now go and play some Tetris.
It's just what the doctor ordered.
1. What is this article about?

a. Video games b. Tetris c. Alexey d. Blocks
2. What is the goal of Tetris?
a. To make tall piles of blocks b. To match the colors of blocks
c. To make complete lines d. To get blocks to the top of the screen
3. After which is Tetris named?
a. Fish b. The number ten
c. Paris d. Tennis
4. Where was Alexey when he created Tetris?
a. Paris b. Russia
c. The United States of America d. Germany
5. What is the highest selling game of all time?

a. A driving game b. Call of Duty
c. Tetris d. An action game
6. Which event happened first?
a. Tetris was played with letters instead of blocks
b. Tetris was released on the phone
c. Tetris was released in the arcade
d. Tetris was brought to the Game Boy
7. What is the main idea of the second paragraph?
a. To persuade readers to play Tetris
b. To explain how Tetris is played
c. To describe different types of games
d. To compare Tetris to other puzzle games
8. According to Dr. Richard Haier, which is true about Tetris?
a. Tetris lowers blood pressure
b. Tetris increases physical strength
c. Tetris boosts mental activity
d. Tetris has no positive side effects
9. What happens to a block that hits the bottom and does not form a complete line in Tetris?
a. It disappears and reappears at the top. b. It is locked in place.
c. The player moves the block. d. It gives the player more room.
10. Why did the first game of Tetris use letters instead of blocks?
a. Alexey did not think to use blocks
b. Alexey thought letters were more fun
c. Alexey's screen could only show letters
d. Alexey wanted to teach people to read
How does the word "tetra" relate to the game Tetris? Use evidence from the text to support your
response.
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How did being included with Nintendo's Game Boy help Tetris become successful?
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Why was Tetris so popular? Use evidence from the text to support your response.
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Mongooses
If you plan on going to Hawaii, don't bring any pets. During the mid 1800s, the Hawaiian sugar industry was
Hawaiians are wary of letting in foreign animals. Your thriving. Americans were just realizing that they loved
beloved Rex or Fi-fi could spend up to 120 days in sugar. Hawaii was pretty much the only place in
quarantine. They have strict rules for importing America where one could grow sugarcane. But those
animals. They carefully screen all incoming pets. Who filthy vermin were tearing up the fields. Black rats were
could blame them? They've had problems with new destroying entire crops. What's a plantation owner to
animals in the past. do? The answer is simple. Import an animal known to
kill rats. What could go wrong with that? In 1883
The black rat was introduced to Hawaii in the 1780s. plantation owners imported 72 mongooses and began
These ugly suckers originated in Asia, but they migrated breeding them.
to Europe in the 1st century. Since then they've snuck
on European ships and voyaged the world with them. People revere the mongoose in its homeland of India.
These rats carry many diseases including the plague. They are often kept tame in Indian households.
They are also good at surviving and tend to displace Mongooses feed on snakes, rats, and lizards, creatures
native species. That means that after they infest an that most people dislike. They are also cute and furry.
area, there will be fewer birds and more black rats. And they kill deadly cobras. What's not to love? Sadly,
Most people prefer living around birds. India is a much different place than Hawaii.
Since their arrival in Hawaii, black rats have been pests. When the mongooses got to Hawaii, they did not wipe
They've feasted on sea turtle eggs. They've eaten tree out the rats as plantation owners hoped. Instead, they
saplings, preventing trees from being reforested. And joined them in ravaging the birds, lizards, and small
they've been a leading cause in the extinction of more plants that were native to Hawaii. It's not that the
than 70 species of Hawaiian birds. They love to climb mongooses became friends with the rats. They still ate
trees to eat bird eggs. They also compete with forest a bunch of them. But mongooses are not too different
birds for food, such as snails, insects, and seeds. from most other animals: they go for the easy meal. In
Hawaii they had a choice. Pursue the elusive black rat
Perhaps more troubling, black rats threaten humans. or munch on turtle eggs while tanning on the beach.
They spread germs and incubate disease. They are a Most took the easy route.
vector for more than 40 deadly illnesses. Some think
that rat-borne diseases have killed more people than Now Hawaii has two unwanted guests defacing the
war in the last 1,000 years. Rats also eat our food. They natural beauty. The Hawaiians have learned their
eat more than 20% of the world's farmed food. And lesson. Talks of bringing in mongoose-eating gorillas
that's why the mongoose was brought to Hawaii. have been tabled. So don't get uptight when they don't
welcome your cat Mittens with open arms. They're
trying to maintain a delicate ecosystem here.
1. Based on the text, which best explains how black rats were introduced to Hawaii?
a. The native Hawaiians imported them to solve a problem with their crops.
b. The Asians brought them to Hawaii when they first arrived.
c. The Europeans brought them on their ships.
d. The rats were able to swim to Hawaii from Asia.
2. Which best defines the word originate as it was used in the second paragraph?
a. To come from a place b. To go to a place
c. To become independent d. To wander the world
3. Which event happened first?
a. The mongoose was introduced to Hawaii

b. The black rat was introduced to Hawaii
c. The black rat migrated to Europe
d. Plantation owners bred mongooses
a. Black rats threaten many creatures native to Hawaii.

b. Mongooses threaten many creatures native to Hawaii.
c. Mongooses were brought to Hawaii intentionally.
d. The only reason people dislike rats is because they are ugly.
5. Which best express the author's main purpose in writing this text?
a. To persuade readers to protect the endangered mongoose

b. To describe the habits and hazards of the black rat
c. To inform readers about species that have invaded Hawaii
d. To entertain readers with tales of a mongoose's adventures
6. Which best expresses the main idea of the sixth paragraph?
a. This paragraph is about Indian culture and wildlife.

b. This paragraph is about the mongoose's role in Indian society.
c. This paragraph is about the lifecycle of the mongoose.
d. This paragraph is about how mongooses migrated to India.
7. Which statement is false according to information in the text?
a. Rats eat lots of vegetation and crops.

b. Mongooses eat sea turtle eggs.
c. Rats climb trees and eat bird eggs.
d. Mongooses have spread more than 40 diseases.
8. Which best explains why plantation owners imported mongooses to Hawaii?
a. Mongooses eat rats. b. Mongooses are fuzzy and adorable.
c. Mongooses make great household pets. d. Mongooses kill deadly cobras.
9. Which best defines the word revere as it is used in the sixth paragraph?
a. To dislike someone or something b. To respect someone or something
c. To hunt someone or something d. To get rid of someone or something

10. Which title best expresses the main idea of this text?
a. Travel Procedures: Getting in and out of Hawaii with Pets

b. Unwanted: The Journey of the Black Rat to Hawaii
c. Uncovered: What the Real Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is Like
d. Backfired: Solving Problems with Problems in Hawaii
The mongoose is praised in Indian culture and hated in Hawaiian culture. Why is this animal perceived differently
in these environments?
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What lesson can readers learn from this text? Cite several examples of text to support your argument.
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Why did the mongoose fail to remove the black rat population from Hawaii?
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Metal Detectors
Have you ever been to the beach? Did you see a man
with a headset pointing a long pole at the ground? If
so you might have seen a person using a metal
detector. People use these devices to find metal.
Metal detectors make magnetic waves. These waves

go through the ground. The waves change when they
hit metal. Then the device beeps. This lets the person
with the device know that metal is close.
The first metal detectors were meant to help miners. These devices save lives in other ways too. During
They were big. They cost a lot of money. They used a wars, people plant bombs in the ground. When the
lot of power. And worst of all, they didn't work well. war ends, they don't clean up their messes. This is
People kept trying to make them better. unsafe for the people who live in those places. Others
use metal detectors to find bombs. They remove them
Metal detectors got smaller. Now they are light and and help the people.
cheap. They also work better. That is why people bring
them to the beach. They can look for rings in the These devices also make clothes safer. It sounds funny,
water. They can look for phones in the sand. Metal but it's true. Most clothes are made in big factories.
detectors help them find these things. They usually There are lots of needles in these places. Needles
just find junk though. break from time to time. They get stuck in the clothes.
They would poke people trying them on. They don't
Metal detectors also protect people. They help to keep though. That's because our clothes are scanned for
guns out of some places. They are in airports. They are metal. Isn't that nice? Let's hear it for metal detectors.
in courthouses. Some schools use them. They help They make the world a safer place.
guards look for weapons. Guards use special wands to
find metal on a person.
1. Which was not one of the problems with the first metal detectors?
a. They were too big. b. They were too expensive.
c. They didn't work well. d. They were unsafe.
2. Which best describes the main idea of the second paragraph?
a. It describes the sounds of a metal detector. b. It explains how metal detectors work.
c. It warns about the effects of metal detectors. d. It explains how magnetic waves move.
3. How do metal detectors make clothing safer?
a. Metal detectors make sure factory machines are working the right way.
b. Metal detectors make sure workers don't bring weapons into factories.
c. Metal detectors make sure that broken needles don't get into clothing.
d. Metal detectors help people recover lost clothing at the beach.
4. Why were metal detectors first used?
a. To help miners b. To help security guards
c. To help doctors d. To help soldiers
5. According to the text, metal detectors have been used in all of the following except which?
a. schools b. churches
c. courthouses d. airports
6. How do metal detectors help soldiers?
a. They warn soldiers when bullets are coming. b. They help soldiers find hidden bombs.
c. They find weaknesses in their armor. d. They create a relaxing beeping noise.
7. Why do people bring metal detectors to the beach?
a. Metal detectors help people keep the sand clean and safe.
b. Metal detectors look cool.
c. Metal detectors help people find valuable items.
d. Metal detectors help guards keep weapons away from the beach.
8. Which happens first?
a. The metal detector beeps alarmingly.

b. The magnetic waves hit metal and change.
c. The magnetic waves go through the ground.
d. The metal detector creates magnetic waves.
9. How did metal detectors get better over time?
a. They became cheaper. b. They became lighter.
c. They began working better d. All of these
10. Which title would best describe the purpose of this text?
a. A Day at the Beach: Using Your Metal Detector to Find Things

b. Metal Detectors: a Complete the Story of Their Invention
c. Magnetism and More: How a Metal Detector Works
d. Metal Detectors: What They Do and How We Use Them
How do metal detectors make save lives?
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Why would buying an early metal detector have been disappointing?

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In your own words, explain how metal detectors make buying clothes a safer experience.
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Google
You know that you're doing something big when your Google was the first search engine that began
company name becomes a verb. Ask Xerox. In 1959 considering links. Links are those blue underlined
they created the first plain paper copy machine. It words that take you to other pages when you click
was one of the most successful products ever. The on them. Larry Page, cofounder of Google, believed
company name Xerox grew into a verb that means that meaningful data could be drawn from how
"to copy," as in "Bob, can you Xerox this for me?" those links connect. Page figured that websites with
Around 50 years later, the same thing happened to many links pointing at them were more important
Google. Their company name grew into a verb that than those that had few. He was right. Google's
means "to do an internet search." Now everyone and search results were much better than their rivals.
their grandma knows what it means to Google it. They would soon become the world's most used
search engine.
Unlike Xerox, Google wasn't the first company to
invent their product, not by a long shot. Lycos It wasn't just the great search results that led to
released their search engine in 1993. Yahoo! came Google becoming so well liked. It also had to do with
out in 1994. AltaVista began serving results in 1995. the way that they presented their product. Most of
Google did not come out until years later, in 1998. the other search engines were cluttered. Their home
Though a few years difference may not seem like pages were filled with everything from news stories
much, this is a major head start in the fast moving to stock quotes. But Google's homepage was, and
world of tech. So how did Google do it? How did they still is, clean. There's nothing on it but the logo, the
overtake their competitors who had such huge leads search box, and a few links. It almost appears empty.
in time and money? Maybe one good idea made all In fact, when they were first testing it, users would
the difference. wait at the home page and not do anything. When
asked why, they said that they were, "waiting for the
There are millions and millions of sites on the rest of the page to load." People couldn't imagine
internet. How does a search engine know which ones such a clean and open page as being complete. But
are relevant to your search? This is a question that the fresh design grew on people once they got used
great minds have been working on for decades. To to it.
understand how Google changed the game, you
need to know how search engines worked in 1998. These days Google has its hands in everything from
Back then most websites looked at the words in your self-driving cars to helping humans live longer.
query. They counted how many times those words Though they have many other popular products,
appeared on each page. Then they might return they will always be best known for their search
pages where the words in your query appeared the engine. The Google search engine has changed our
most. This system did not work well and people often lives and our language. Not only is it a fantastic
had to click through pages and pages of results to product, it is a standing example that one good idea
find what they wanted. (and a lot of hard work) can change the world.
1. Which event happened last?
a. Lycos released their search engine. b. Yahoo! released their search engine.
c. Google released their search engine. d. Xerox released their copy machine.
2. Which statement would the author of this text most likely disagree with?
a. Part of Google's success is due to the design of their homepage.

b. Google succeeded by following examples of others in their field.
c. Google wasn't the first search engine, but it was the best.
d. Google's success may not have been possible without Larry Page.
a. There are lots and lots of websites connected to the internet.

b. Google created a better way to organize search results.
c. Many smart people have worked on search engines over the years.
d. Older search engines used unreliable methods to order results.
4. What is the author's main purpose in writing this article?
a. To explain how Google overtook its rivals

b. To compare and contrast Google and Xerox
c. To persuade readers to use Google for internet searches
d. To discuss how companies can influence language over time
a. Google became successful because its founders were well-connected.

b. Google was the world's first and best search engine.
c. Google changed the world by solving an old problem in a new way.
d. Google's other products are now more important to its success than search.
6. Which best expresses the main idea of the fourth paragraph?
a. Links allow people to surf from one website to the next.

b. Larry Page's ideas about links helped Google get to the top.
c. Larry Page contributed to the internet by inventing the link.
d. Google is a website that serves important links to users.
7. Which best explains why the author discusses Xerox in this text?
a. He is discussing big companies that came before Google.

b. He is explaining how companies must change with the times.
c. He is showing how companies can affect our language.
d. He is comparing and contrasting Google and Xerox.
8. How did Google improve search quality in 1998?
a. They counted how many times queries appeared on each page.

b. They looked more closely at the words in search queries.
c. They linked to more pages.
d. They studied the relationships of links.
9. Which was cited as a reason why Google became so popular?
a. Google's homepage was clean.

b. Google provided catchy news stories on their homepage.
c. Google homepage loaded quickly.
d. Google provided useful stock quotes on their homepage.
10. Which title best expresses the author's main purpose in writing this text?
a. Xerox Vs. Google: Battle of the Titans

b. Search Engines: How They Work and Why They're Important
c. A Better Way: How Google Rose to the Top
d. Search Engines: A Short History of Important Tools
1. What can readers learn about Google's approach in doing business based on reading this article!
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2. Explain how Google was able to overcome its competitors.

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3. What do Google and Xerox have in common?

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READING COMPREHENSION

What Brings about Changes in Science?

1. In what ways do the changes in technology affect science? Name three.

3. In the writer’s view, how does capitalism affect science negatively?

1- Find a word or an expression in paragraph 1 which means “to propose”: _________________

2- Find a word or an expression in paragraph 2 which means “dominant”: _________________

3- Find a word or an expression in paragraph 5 which means “attribute”: _________________

1. (Par.2) “those” refers to _________________

2. (Par. 3) “doing this” refers to _________________

3. (Par. 5) “this” refers to _________________

They could just make out each other's wide-open eyes. 9

"Should we, uh, get Mom?" Carter asked. 10

1.The best meaning of the work "feign" as used in paragraph 1 is

Part I. Answer the questions.

2. Why is reading not so much of a problem?

5. The original reason for summer vacation

6. The term “shut down” in the last paragraph means

7. According to the reading, countries without enough school facilities have

Part II. Answer the questions in one or two complete sentences.

ANSWER EACH OF THE FOLLOWING:

1. What is the most famous football game each year?

2. What shape is the football?

3. Why are there white rings on each end of the football?

4. Why do players need protective equipment during the game?

5. Who plays American football?

6. What do officials do during the game of football?

7. Which of the following is NOT true?

8. The word “grip” means to ________.

Reading Comprehension Quiz.

Channel 4 Channel 7 Channel 9

Answer the following questions, based on the TV Guide.

Zero Tolerance Policy

1. Where were the Winstons going when this incident happened?

4. Why did he pull the car off the road?

5. Why did Marie stay in the car when George left?

6. Where did George set off to walk to?

7. What made Marie so frightened as she waited in the car?

10. In "Several policemen leapt out," "leapt" means

Multiple choice questions:

1. What is the topic of this passage?

2. What can be inferred from the first paragraph?

3. In the second paragraph, what is the meaning of the word "crumpled"?

a. the rising of one plate

7. What is the source of earthquakes in Western Mexico?

a. the subduction of the Pacific and North American plates

a. a slip fault that is an extension of the San Andreas fault

a. to support the statement that Mexico is seismologically active

a. at the end of the second paragraph

A study about Spinolestes appeared in the journal Nature.

Multiple choice questions:

1. What is the main topic of the passage?

a. How the Spinolestes fossil was found.

3. In the fourth paragraph, what is the meaning of the word "roughly"?

6. What does the passage imply?

a. Spinolestes is the first mammal.

a. at the end of the second paragraph

9. Where did Spinolestes live?

10. How much do scientists believe that Spinolestes weighed?

2. In the second paragraph, what does "we" refer to?

3. In the seventh paragraph, what is the meaning of the word "bipartisan"?

4. In the seventh paragraph, what is the meaning of the word "mandatory"?

a. after the last paragraph

8. What is NOT a reason given for the increase in prison population?