The audience nodded in agreement when the speaker, a teacher from a community college, said, "High school English teachers are not doing their jobs." He described the shortcomings of his students, all high school graduates who can use language only at Grade 9 level. I was unable to determine from his answers to my questions ho. w this grade 9 level had been raised.  My topic is neither standards nor its decline . What the speaker was really saying is that he is no longer young; he has been teaching for sixteen years, and is able to think and speak like an adult.  My point is that the frequent complaint of one generation about the next is unavoidable. It is also human nature to look for the reason for our dissatisfaction. Before English became a school subject in the late nineteenth century, it was difficult to find the target of the blame for language limitation. But since then, English teachers have been under constant attack.  The complainers think they have hit upon an original idea. As their own command of the language improves, they notice that young people do not have this same ability. Unaware that their own ability has developed through the years, they take as true the new generation of young people must be hopeless in this respect. To the eyes and ears of adults the language of the young never seems enough.  Since this concern about the fall of the English language is not taken as a generation phenomenon but rather as something new to today's young people, it naturally follows that today's English teachers cannot be doing their jobs. Otherwise, young people would not make mistakes of the language. The author's attitude towards the speaker's remarks is A) general B) positive C) disapproving. D) passive
C

As a result of pollution, Lake Erie, on the borders of the USA and Canada, is now without many living things. Pollution in water is not simply a matter of "poisons" killing large numbers of fish overnight. Very often the effects of pollution are not noticed for many months or years because the first organisms   to be affected are either plants or plankton  . These organisms are the food of fish, birds, and other creatures. When this food disappears, the fish and birds die too. In this way a whole food chain can be wiped out, and it is not until dead fish and water birds are seen at the river's edge or on the sea shore that people realize what is happening. Where do the substances which pollute water come from? There are two main sources, sewage  and industrial waste. As more detergent  is used in homes, more of it is finally put into our rivers, lakes and seas.  Detergents harm water birds by breaking down the natural substances which keep their feathers _ Sewage itself, if not properly treated, makes the water dirty and prevents all forms of life in rivers and the sea from receiving the oxygen they need. Industrial waste is even more harmful since there are many highly poisonous materials in it, such as copper and lead. So if we want to stop this pollution, the answer is simple. Sewage and industrial waste must be made clean before flowing into the water reservoirs. It may already be too late to save some rivers and lakes, but others can still be saved if the correct action is taken at once. Which of the following things is /are harmful according to the passage? A) Industrial waste and chemicals B) Water in the river C) Coal and wood D) plastic
A

Red squirrels have been wiped out from a large area of northern Italy, threatening a further biodiversity crisis for the species similar to its near extinction in the British Isles. There are now no red squirrels left in an area of more than 1,150 square kilometres (sq km) in Piedmont, according to research from the universities of Turin, Genoa and Varese. On the edge of this large region, the species is also under threat from the invasions of grey squirrels. If the spread of the grey squirrel continues uncontrolled, the species could spread as far as France, the scientists fear. They are calling for more research and control and conservation measures aimed at preserving the remaining red squirrel populations and containing the spread of the greys. Grey squirrels were introduced into Italy  ly recently, in 1948. They were a gift from the US ambassador and kept in Turin, but escaped into the wild and rapidly colonized the surrounding area - despite warnings from the UK, where importing grey squirrels was forbidden from before the Second World War, when the destructive effects of having imported greys in the 1880s had become clear. Grey squirrels are not only more aggressive than the native European red squirrel, which causes them to invade red-dominated areas and take over, but they also carry a deadly virus, the squirrel pox. While greys are largely immune to the virus, it is deadly to red squirrels, which typically die within one or two weeks of being infected. From only four animals in 1948, at Stupinigi near Turin, the greys spread rapidly in recent years. Until 1970 the distribution of greys was limited to the Stupinigi woods, occupying an area of about 12 sq km. By 1990 this area had expanded to more than 200 sq km, stretching mainly southwards into the Cuneo province. By 2000, grey squirrels occupied 900 sq km and this year, fresh research from the three universities shows that their distribution now extends to more than 2,000 sq km. In more than half of that area, the native reds have been entirely... The best title for this passage should be_. A) Red squirrels and grey squirrels struggle hard B) Red squirrels and grey squirrels are distributed unequally C) The invasion of foreign species has a deep influence D) Red squirrel populations are wiped out in Northern Italy
D

The Field Museum Hours Regular hours are 9:00 a.m.--5:00 p.m. , daily. Last admission at 4:00 p.m. Open every day except Christmas. Admission We have several ticket choices for you to choose from. Advance tickets may be purchased at the will- call booth in person at the museum before 4:00 p.m. Getting Here The Field Museum is located on Chicago's Museum Campus; at 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, just south of Roosevelt Rd. How to get here : by car or public transit or free trolley. Parking Visitor parking in all lots on the Museum Campus is $ 15.00 per day .This includes the Adler lot, the north garage, the Waldron garage and the east museum lot. Hours for the north garage and Adler lot are 5:00 a.m.--5:00 p.m. Mon--Fri and 6:00a.m. --5:00p.m. weekends; east museum lot9:00 a.m.--3:00p.m. Designated handicapped parking is available in every lot. When all other lots are full , parking will be made available in the remote south lot for$ 8.00 per day. From Memorial Day to Labor Day , the parking lot will only accept cash payments , which will need to be paid upon entering the garage. Please note : These hours and rates are for daytime only and do not apply when special events are scheduled at the museums or Soldier Field. Getting Here During Chicago Bears Home Games During bears home games and other major special events at Soldier Field , access to the Museum Campus can be challenging. No museum visitor parking is available on the Museum Campus during bears home games. However, public transit remains a great way to get to the Campus every day of the year. For more information, call the Regional Transportation Authority at (312) 836 -- 7000 or visit www. rtachicago.com. Additional parking is available at the Monroe Street garage , located at 350 East Monroe Street. Where can you park your car for the least cost? A) The south lot. B) The Adler lot. C) The north lot . D) The Waldron garage.

A