Don't you think it interesting that there were strange coincidences  in the deaths of President Kennedy and President Lincoln? For example, John Kennedy was elected president in 1960 while Abraham Lincoln in 1860, between which was a hundred years. Both men were killed from behind, on black Friday , and with their wives on the spot. The two men were born exactly one hundred years away, as were their murderers, Lee Oawald and John Booth. Perhaps the strangest coincidence is that President Kennedy's secretary , whose name was Lincoln, advised the president not to go to Dallas, where the president was shot. President Lincoln's secretary, named Kennedy, advised the president not to go to the Ford Theatre, where the president met his death. "Black Friday" means that   _  . A) the American used to be in black on the two Fridays. B) the two Fridays saw sad happenings C) it was dark when the two men were killed D) it was cloudy when the two men were killed
B
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Many animal and plant species have become extinct and many more are in critical danger. Finding ways to protect the earth's wildlife and conserve the natural world they inhabit is now more important than ever.  Dodo The Dodo is a classic example of how human caused damage to the earth's biology. The flightless Dodo was native to the Island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. It lived off fruit fallen from the island's trees and lived unthreatened until humans arrived in 1505. The easily controlled bird became a source of food for sailors and was attacked by animals introduced to the island by humans such as pigs, monkeys and rats. The population of Dodos rapidly decreased and last one was killed in 1681.  Rhinos The Rhino horn is a highly priced item for Asian medicine. This has led to the animal being hunted in its natural habitat. Once widespread in Africa and Eurasia, most rhinos now live in protected natural parks and reserves . Their numbers have rapidly decreased in the last 50 years, and the animals remain under constant threat from poachers .  The Giant Panda The future of the World Wildlife Fund's symbol is far from certain. As few as 1000 remain in the wild. The Chinese government has set up 33 panda reserves to protect these beautiful animals and made poaching them punishable with 20 years in prison. However, The panda's distinct black and white patched coat fetches a high price on the black market and determined poachers still pose one of the most serious threats to the animals continued existence.  Whales The International Whaling Commission is fighting to ensure the survival of the whale species. Despite the fact that one-third the world's oceans have been declared whale sanctuaries , 7 out of 13 whale species remain endangered. Hunted for their rich supply of oil, their numbers have decreased to just 300. Collisions with ships, poisonous pollution and being caught in fishing nets are other major causes of whale deaths.  Tigers The last 100 years has seen a 95% reduction in the numbers of... _   can serve as a cure for certain diseases. A) The whale's rich oil B) The panda's black and white patched coat C) The Rhino horn and tigers' bones and organs D) The Dodo's delicious meat
C
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In fine department stores everywhere, you'll see the light-blue boxes of Estee Lauder. These popular cosmetics   are sold in more than 130 countries. Who's the woman behind this worldwide cosmetics empire  ? Estee Lauder herself, of course. This businesswoman became, for a time, the world's richest self-made woman. Her secret? "I didn't get there by dreaming about it," she would say. "I got there by doing it." Estee was born in the early 1900s in Queens, New York. Her father ran a hardware   store, and from him Estee learned how to be a successful salesperson. Estee learned from her uncle John Schotz, too. He made creams in a small laboratory behind the family's house. Estee watched him. Soon, she was experimenting with her own cosmetics. She put lipstick   and creams on any female relative who'd let her, until her annoyed father told her to stop. She married Joseph H. Lauder in 1930, and continued her experiments. She would cook dinner for the family, and at the same time, make her face creams. Then she began to sell her products in a Manhattan beauty shop. In 1960, Estee began to sell her products in Europe. After many tries she succeeded and began selling her products in some stores in London. But France proved even more difficult. The store Galleries Lafayette refused to sell her products. So Estee "by accident" dropped a bottle of youth dew   on the floor in the cosmetics department. As the _ spread around the store, customers came over and asked to buy it. The store soon began selling Estee's products. Estee led her company until 1982, when her son Leonard took over the business. Until her health worsened in the mid-1990s, she continued to attend the opening of a new store wherever in the world. She died on April 24, 2004. Estee Lauder's talent as a saleswoman was extraordinary. Her son Leonard said, "There was never anyone who could sell like she could." All who worked for Estee appreciated her special talent. Which of the following can best describe Estee Lauder? A) A successful cosmetics saleswoman. B) A beautiful shop owner in London. C) A popular cosmetics producer in France. D) A founder of a cosmetics company in America.
D
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Recently, some concerns have been raised about the health of the world's banana plants. Many media reports have said that bananas may completely disappear in the coming ten years. Bananas are one of the world's most important food crops. They are also the fourth most valuable export. Bananas do not grow from seeds. Instead, they grow from existing plants. Bananas are threatened by disease because all the plants on a farm are copies of each other. They all share the same genetic weaknesses. For example, the Cavendish banana is most popular in American markets. It is an important export crop. However, some kinds of fungus   organisms easily infect the Cavendish. Black Sigatoka disease affects the leaves of Cavendish banana plants. The disease is controlled on large farms by putting chemicals on the plant's leaves. Farmers put anti-fungal chemicals on their crops up to once a week. Another fungal disease is more serious. Panama disease attacks the roots of the banana plant. There is no chemical treatment for this disease. Infected plants must be destroyed. Panama disease has affected crops in Southeast Asia, Australia and South Africa. There is concern that it may spread to bananas grown in the Americas. This could threaten an important export product for Central and South America. The International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain, whose headquarter lies in France, supports research on bananas. The group says that more research must be done to develop improved kinds of bananas. The group says that fungal diseases mainly affect only one kind of banana. In fact, there are five-hundred different kinds of bananas. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says the Cavendish banana represents only ten percent of world production. The UN agency says farmers should grow different kinds of bananas. This protects against diseases that affect only one kind. Experts warn that disease may cause the Cavendish banana to disappear. This has already happened to one popular banana because of its... Bananas are threatened by diseases because   _  . A) they have genetic weaknesses against disease. B) they are one of the most valuable exports. C) the only way to prevent it is to put chemicals on their leaves. D) they grow from the seed

A
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