reading practice 03

Their migrations are some of the most fascinating in the world, with blue whales traveling for many miles to feed and give birth.. The Blue whale gives birth off to the calves the coast

1

READING PRACTICE 03 PASSAGE 1

Have you ever wanted to see a whale close up? Blue whales are the largest mammal on earth, weighing up to 200 tons They can grow up to 88 feet in length -larger than a jumbo jet!

Their migrations are some of the most fascinating in the world, with blue whales traveling for many miles to feed and give birth Baby whales are called calves The Blue whale gives birth off to the calves the coast of Southern Mexico, then together they travel more than 6,000 miles to Alaska's Bering Sea for their annual feast The trip takes 2-3 months, and travels along the coast of Mexico, the West Coast of the United States and Hawaii along the route Once they arrive in Alaska, they will feed on tiny, shrimp-like crustaceans called krill They can eat up to four pounds of krill at a time

You can find whales all over the globe, but the Blue whale mostly lives in the Northern Atlantic Ocean, North Pacific and Southern Hemisphere Each year, these whales make a long trek, from the warm waters off the coast of Southern Mexico and California in the winter, to Alaska, Canada and Russia in the summer

If you're near the coastline, you can see the whales for yourself Whales force air from their blowholes just before they emerge from the water for graceful dives and playful flips Look out for an eruption of water straight up into the air Once you see that, it's only a few moments before you see this majestic creature emerge

1./ What is the length of the average Blue whale?

A 15 feet C 88 feet B 120 feet D 62 feet

2

2./ In which ocean can you find a Blue whale?

A Indian Ocean C North Pacific Ocean B Arctic Circle D Colorado River

3./ Why do whales migrate?

A for exercise C to escape cold weather B to feed and give birth D to join other whales

4./ What are baby whales called?

A calves C babies B kittens D pups

5./ How long does the trip from Mexico to Alaska take?

A one year C two to three months B two years D three days

6./ What food do the whales feed on when they arrive in Alaska?

A birds B sharks C plants D krill

7./ In which U.S state can you see Blue whales from the coast?

A Texas B Colorado C California D Louisiana

8./ What is the best way to spot a whale in the water?

A listen for mating calls

B look for an eruption of water straight up into the air C look for calves swimming

D look for evidence along the shore

3

PASSAGE 2

Lizzie heard her alarm and woke up She was disoriented; she was on the couch but the sound of her alarm came from her room upstairs Had she fallen asleep on the couch? No, she distinctly remembered getting in her bed She must have been sleepwalking

She was a little worried, so she looked up sleepwalking on the Internet She found that sleepwalking is considered a parasomnia, an unwanted or undesirable behavior during sleep Well, she certainly found it undesirable! What if she had done something dangerous while sleepwalking?

Sleepwalking occurs during the deepest stage of NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep and most often occurs in children It can be caused by sleep deprivation, stress, or fever Lizzie had stayed up late studying, so she figured stress and fatigue both contributed

Sleepwalking is fairly common, Lizzie read About 18% of the population does it at some point in their lives It’s not usually a cause for concern, but the sleepwalker can possibly get hurt or embarrassed by an episode Lizzie decided she would not stay up late studying again!

1./ Where had Lizzie gone to sleep?

A in a tent C on the couch B in her bed D under the stars

2./ Where had Lizzie woken up?

A in her bed C outside B in her parents’ bed D on the couch

4

3./ What woke Lizzie up?

A her alarm C her mom

B the sound of her dog barking D a knock on the door

4./ How did Lizzie feel when she woke up?

A happy B rested C disoriented D angry

6./ During what stage of sleep does sleepwalking occur?

A while dreaming C Deep, NREM sleep B just before waking D while snoring

7./ What is one possible cause of sleepwalking?

A too-loud music C eating fatty foods before bed B sleep deprivation D a mattress that is too hard

8./ What percentage of people sleepwalk at some point during their lives?

A less than 20% B 25% C 50% D 60%

5

PASSAGE 3

As a landscape designer, Maria helped homeowners create outdoor spaces that were beautiful, functional, and easy to care for Her favorite part of her job was designing flower beds She loved how the right colors and variety of plants could make a house look so much better

She was at the nursery, or gardening center, to pick out flowers for her new clients, the Donaldson’s They wanted a variety of bright colors, so she chose dark purple sage, blue catmint, and orange California poppies Yellow is Sue Donaldson’s favorite color, so Maria added plenty of yellow-flowering Turkish sage Dark red barberry would provide a touch of Jim Donaldson’s favorite color

Maria selected a few green boxwood bushes and silver-mound artemisia plants to complement and cool down the jewel-toned colors As she purchased the flowers and loaded them into her truck, she mentally went through her list of tools and planting supplies All she needed to buy was some compost and plant fertilizer, and then her crew would be ready to plant

1./ What is Maria’s profession?

A gardener C interior designer B photographer D landscape designer

2./ Which part of her job does Maria like best?

A installing water fountains C designing flower beds B meeting with homeowners D getting her paycheck

3./ What type of clients does Maria have?

A large companies C small businesses B homeowners D apartment complexes

6

4./ What is Sue Donaldson’s favorite color?

A yellow B blue C purple D red

5./ What is another word for gardening center?

A landscape supply store C flower shop B nursery D grocery store

6./ What type of colors do the Donaldson’s want?

A pastels C a variety of bright colors B white and green D cool colors

7./ Which of the flowers Maria chooses are orange?

A California poppies C catmint B barberry D boxwood

8./ What else does Maria need to buy before her crew can plant?

A Gloves C gardening tools B Soil D compost

PASSAGE 4

Barbecue sauce is a centuries-old Southern American tradition The sauce is used to baste, marinate or top barbecued or grilled meat such as chicken, pork or beef There are many different regional variations of barbecue sauce with each type having a distinctive flavor

North Carolina has two distinct types of barbecue sauce: Eastern Carolina sauce is sharp and vinegar-based, while Western Carolina sauce adds tomatoes for a richer flavor South Carolina sauce is mustard-based, while Memphis sauce uses molasses for a sweeter flavor

7

The most popular version is Kansas City sauce, which is a thicker and sweeter version of Western Carolina sauce Finally, Texas sauce uses less tomato and is more heavily spiced than other versions

1./ What barbecue sauce uses molasses?

A Western Carolina C Florida B Memphis D Texas

2./ Barbecue sauce is used on what type of meat?

A pork B lamb C salmon D bear

3./ What state has two types of barbecue sauce?

A Texas C Virginia

B Mississippi D North Carolina

4./ How is barbecue sauce used on meat?

A stew B baste C broil D fry

5./ Which variety of barbecue sauce is the most popular?

A Texas C Kansas City B Memphis D New York

6./ Which version of barbecue sauce does not use tomatoes?

A Eastern Carolina C Memphis B West Virginia D Bermuda

7./ Barbecue sauce is from what American region?

A Alaska C Southern B Western D Northeastern

8

8./ What version of barbecue sauce is the most heavily spiced?

A Memphis C South Carolina B Arkansas D Texas

PASSAGE 5

The world's first national park, Yellowstone, covers 3,473 square miles and stretches through Northwest Wyoming and parts of Montana and Idaho in the Western United States That makes this park larger than the states of Rhode Island and Delaware combined There are 10,000 hydrothermal features in the park, including more than 500 active geysers, hot springs and mud pots Yellowstone's lake has more than 141 miles of shoreline, making it the largest high elevation lake in North America Yellowstone has over 68 species of mammals, the highest concentration of mammals anywhere in the United States outside of Alaska The park has more than 285 species of birds, 150 of which are nesting These birds can be spotted throughout the park, and many people flock Yellowstone to see their intricate nests

In its 2.2 million acres of land, Yellowstone has about 290 waterfalls, 1,000 miles of hiking trails and hundreds of camp grounds The park also has its own museum that features artifacts like manuscripts, rare books and historic vehicles The park sits on top of an active volcano and experiences between 1,000 and 3,000 earthquakes each year The park is also home to two endangered species -the grizzly bear and the Canada lynx, so there are teams in the park dedicated to protecting these animals Yellowstone is a national treasure, so if you're ever in the area, stop in and see what this marvelous park has to offer

1./ How many square miles does Yellowstone National Park cover?

A 5,000 B 1,500 C 3,473 D 850

9

2./ What state does not contain a part of the park?

A Montana B Wyoming C South Dakota D Idaho

3./ How many species of mammals live in Yellowstone?

6./ What can you find in the park's museum?

A rare books C dinosaur bones B artwork D rare coins

7 How many earthquakes does the park experience each year?

A none C 500-1,000 B 20,000-50,000 D 1,000-3,000

8./ Which of these endangered animals lives in Yellowstone park?

A snow leopard C orangutan B Canada lynx D green turtle

10

PASSAGE 6

The Andes Flight Disaster, later known as "The Miracle in the Andes" was a small chartered plane that started in Montevideo, Uruguay and was scheduled to land in Santiago, Chile The flight contained 45 people -members of the Old Christians rugby team and their doctors and families

There were three crew members, a pilot and a co-pilot The co-pilot miscalculated the flight's location, thinking that the plane was in the vicinity of Curico, Chile He then started descending toward the airport Instead, the plane was far off course, and the pilot struck a mountain, shearing off the wings and part of the tail section The plane came to a stop with the fuselage intact

Of the passengers, 34 survived the initial impact Search and rescue teams started looking for the downed aircraft immediately, but the white colored airplane was all but invisible in the snow-capped mountains Rescue efforts were called off after eight days After 62 days on the mountain with no rescue, two of the rugby team members, Roberto Canessa and Nando Parrado, decided to hike out of the mountains to get help

With no climbing experience, limited warm clothing and no food, the two young men hiked for 10 days in sub-zero temperatures from Argentina to Chile They hiked nearly 34 miles and 5,000 feet until they found a farmer on horseback Sixteen of the original passengers were rescued 72 days after the crash

1./ Where was the flight's original destination?

A Santiago, Chile C Buenos Aires, Argentina B Montevideo, Uruguay D Cali, Colombia

2./ How many people were on the flight that crashed in the Andes? A 20 B 16 C 45 D 11

11

3./ Where did the pilot think the plane was at the time of the crash?

A Curico, Chile C Cali, Colombia B Mendoza, Argentina D Arica, Chile

4./ How many people survived the initial impact?

A 45 B 34 C 11 D 8

5./ How long did the rescuers search for the downed plane?

A 10 days B 7 days C 8 days D 22 days

6./ Who were the two passengers who hiked out to get help?

A Roberto Canessa and Carlitos Paez B Gustavo Zerbino and Fito Strautch C Roberto Canessa and Nando Parrado D Numa Turcatti and Carlitos Paez

7./ How long did the hike take?

A one day B 3 days C 10 days D 22 days

8./ How many miles did the two passengers hike to safety?

A 40 miles C 11 miles B 12 miles D 34 miles

PASSAGE 7

In the early 1800s, families in the United States started a westward expansion, moving from eastern and midwestern states to California for the promise of a better life, inexpensive land and prosperity on the frontier In this regard, the Donners were no different Determined to enjoy a new life in California, these emigrants set out from

As a result, they Donner party lost nearly two months of time They reached the Sierra Nevada mountains in November of 1846, and an early snowstorm stranded them in the mountains for the entire winter Having run out of food and supplies, many of the Donner party perished in the Truckee Lake valley, just a few hundred miles short of their destination

1./ Why did families move westward in the 1800s?

A for better access to hunting C for land and a better life B to discover new territory D to escape famine

2./ The Donner party was traveling to which U.S state?

A Idaho B Nevada C California D Florida

3./ What month did emigrants normally start their westward journey?

A April B August C December D January

4./ When did the Donner party start their trip west?

A May B August C December D March

13

5./ Which salesman suggested they take a new shortcut to their destination

A Bill Billingsly C Lansford Hastings B Daniel Boone D Arnold Douglas

6./ How long were the Donner party delayed as the result of their detour?

A two days C one week C one month D two months

7./ When did the Donner party reach the Sierra Nevada mountains?

A September B March C November D July

8./ What ultimately caused most of the party to perish?

A a hurricane C an early snowstorm B a tornado D a wild bear attack

PASSAGE 8

Danielle is taking several economics courses in college She thinks local, national, and international economies are quite interesting, and she’s considering a career as an economist Currently, she is tutoring a high school student on the basics of economics She is providing the student with a study guide of several key economic terms, listed below

GDP is the gross domestic product of a country In other words, it represents all of the money produced through services and goods In economics, GDP is expressed as a monetary figure that indicates the value of all goods and services produced during a measurable time period

GDP is recorded and analyzed in order to evaluate growth When an economy is doing well, the GDP’s growth rate will be represented by a positive percentage