Stereotypes are present in all societies and are sometimes, in part, based on fact.

• Reflect on current stereotypes of which you are aware; predict positive and negative impacts of these stereotypes.

• In your opinion, are stereotypes always damaging, or can they be a positive thing as well?

• Have you seen someone using a stereotype first hand? Use examples to illustrate your point.

3. Learning a Foreign Language

-Do you have the same personality in English as in your native language?

-How does learning a foreign language change you?

-How might others perceive you as a foreigner versus as in your home country?

4. In most countries, men and women work for many years and then they are able to retire.

-Discuss the purpose of retirement in society.

-At what age do men and women retire in your country? Are those ages different?

-Are retired people respected by younger people?

5. Internet has become common place. People can now get internet in the home, on their phones, use it

while on an airplane, or while in the bus.

- Do you think such widespread and easy access to the internet is good? Why or why not?

- What are some advantages of the internet? What are some disadvantages of the internet?

- Explore the effects of these advantages and disadvantages.

6. Dear Abby is long-running advice column in American newspapers and many people have written to her over the years, seeking advice for the big and small things in their lives.

• What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

• Do you follow advice given by other people?

• If you were Dear Abby, what advice would you give to yourself?

Basic Level Prompts:

1. You suddenly have $10 million in your bank account.

• What would you do with the money?

• Predict what your family and friends would suggest you do with the money.

• If you had to give away half of the $10 million, to whom would you give it? Explain your criteria and reasoning for choosing this person.

2. Hometown

-What is your hometown known for?

-Would you move away from your hometown?

-Do you think you could be happy anywhere?

3. Pets

-Is it unfair to keep exotic animals as pets? What are some potential complications?

-Do you believe zoos provide satisfactory habitats for animals?

-What do you think regarding animals being used for medical therapy?

4. Parties

-If you were planning a party, what would you organize?

-Who would you invite to your party? Whose company do you enjoy?

-What would you rate as a good party? What would you rate as a bad party?

5. Meeting

• -Are first impressions everything to you or do you give others a second chance?

• -If you met someone on the train or in a coffee shop and you had a connection, would you meet again or just enjoy that first meeting?

• -Where do young people prefer to meet? Where do older people prefer to meet?

6. “A friend should be a master at guessing and keeping still: you must not want to see everything.” –Nietzsche

• Do you agree with this quote? What does it mean?

• What are important qualities you desire in a friend?

• What are some qualities that may seem attractive at first but could ruin your friendship in the long run?

7. Is a good education a right or a privilege?

• Why do you think so?

• What is a right? What is a privilege?

• Are only certain people entitled to these things, or are they for everyone?

8. Governments establish laws as a way to ‘protect’ and ‘provide’ for its citizens.

- What laws protect you?

- What laws provide for you?

- Is it ever okay to break a law?

9. Extreme Sports

• Do you participate in any extreme sports? If so, which ones? If not, which ones would you be interested in participating in?

• What are the differences between “sports” and “extreme sports”?

• Do you think extreme sports are riskier than other activities?

• Are you an “adrenaline junkie”?

10. Computer use in the home, classroom, and other common places is becoming common place around the world.

- Do you think computers help society?

- Do you think computer use can have bad effects on a person?

- How do you think computers have changed the world?

11. On New Year’s Eve, many people reflect on what happened in the past year and look forward to new one.

• What will you remember about the year of 2012?

• Is there anything you wish you could have changed in 2012?

• What do you want to accomplish in 2013?

12. What is beauty?

• What are the most important features when determining someone’s beauty?

• Do different countries consider different things to be beautiful?

• Do you think you have the same concept of beauty as your friends?

13. Should people be judged on the clothes they wear?

• What are the disadvantages of judging people by their clothing?

• What sort of clothes create a good impression? What sort of clothes do you think create a bad impression?

• What are other ways a person may be judged?

14. Is entertainment (in any form) important?

• What do you think is the most important form of entertainment?

• What is the purpose or importance of entertainment? What is the effect of entertainment?

• What would be the effect on society if entertainment were eliminated?

15. What do you believe is the most important invention ever created?

• How is this item used?

• Evaluate the importance of this invention.

• Imagine how the world might be different if this invention was never created. Use examples to illustrate your point.

16. Often, individuals wish they had superpowers.

• If you were a superhero, what power would you have?

• Who would you help? Why would you help this group?

• What would be your weakness? In what way could you improve this weakness?

17. Is the glass half-full or half-empty?

• Do you consider yourself a pessimist or an optimist?

• When you look towards the future how does your outlook color possibilities (positively or negatively)?

• Do you think it is better to be a pessimist or an optimist? Why?

18. Teacher, policeman, doctor, lawyer, president – these are all important jobs for a functioning society but they paid very differently.

• Evaluate why you think some jobs are more important than others.

• Which jobs do you think are most important?

• Do you think people who perform the most important jobs get paid the most? If not, should they?

19. Across the world, public places such as libraries and museums are now smoke-free environments, and restaurants are required to have separate smoking and non-smoking sections. Some smoke-free advocates are now campaigning to ban smoking in all restaurants and bars.

• Do you think this is a good idea? Why or why not?

• To what degree is it acceptable if one person’s freedom infringes on another person’s rights?

• Are certain rights indelible? What about privileges?

20. You have the opportunity to have dinner with any person, living or dead.

• Who would you choose to have dinner with, and why?

• How has this person influenced your life and the lives others?

• What would you want to ask this person? If you could only ask them one question, what would it be?

21. If time travel were possible (and I’m not saying it’s not) what time period would you most like to experience for yourself?

- Where would you be?

- Who would you want to meet? (Perhaps a famous person from that time.)

- How long would you stay?

Writing Tasks—National Olympiad 2013

Advanced Level Prompts:

4. Things like opera, ballet and theatre are considered high culture while television, video games and comic books are considered low culture.

• Evaluate the accuracy of such a judgment.

• Which types of such activities do you prefer and why?

• Do you think certain cultural activities are inherently better than others or is it a matter of taste? Who or what determines what is ‘high society’?

5. Common sense is sound judgment based on a simple perception of the facts of a situation and most people assume that common sense is something that all people should or do have.

• Do you agree that common sense is universal?

• Do you think that there is, in fact, one universal definition of common sense?

• Give an example of something you thought was common sense that someone else did not.

6. Often when making a purchase one faces the choice of buying a more expensive locally-made option or a cheaper alternative made by an international corporation and imported from abroad.

• Compare these two options. Which option do you think is better and why?

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of buying locally versus buying corporate?

• What do you think is the long-term effect of the increasing size and power of international corporations? Do these corporations benefit everyone?

7. The Occupy Wall Street Movement was staged in the heart of New York City to protest the widening income gap between the rich and the poor. As the economy continues to worsen, many people have developed different ideas on how the income system should be fixed.

• Explain your society’s definition of ‘rich’ and ‘poor’ and attitudes toward money and its relationship to happiness.

• Do you think that the wealthy should pay more taxes?

• Discuss some strategies you feel may help fix the financial imbalances in society.

8. Nowadays, the private life of a politician is hardly private.

• In your opinion, should we be so concerned with the private affairs of a

politician or political candidate? What about celebrities?

• Do you feel that one is entitled to more privacy than the other?

• State your position and support it with specific reasons and examples.

9. Winston Churchill once said: “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”

• Explain this quote and your response to it. Do you agree or disagree?

• What constitutes a failure or a success, and do you think failure is important for helping one to grow as a person?

• If you could live a life with only successes, would you do it, or would you choose a life with both failures and successes? What might the impact of such a choice be?

10. There are many restrictions placed in society based on age such as: the legal driving age, the purchase of cigarettes and alcohol, or being able to vote in national elections. Some feel this are ways to protect people; others feel they are prohibiting people from freedom of choice.

• Compare the ideas of protection versus prohibition; which do you feel is most promoted by age restrictions?

• Do you think some age restrictions are a good idea? Or do they simply give privileges to some and restrictions to others?

• Infer why you think society has developed these rules in the first place, and what would you do differently if you were in charge of them?

11. “There comes a time when you have to choose between turning the page and losing the book.” – Josh Jameson

- Explain this quote and your position on it. Do you agree or disagree?

- Describe the process of making a difficult decision.

- Relate this to your personal experience: give an example of a very difficult decision you

had to make and the process you underwent to make this decision. About whom did

you think? What were the possible outcomes of your choices?

12. As of August, 2012, countries like Spain and Sweden began drafting a bill to enforce gender equality in the workplace. This suggests that many countries all over the world still struggle with true gender equality. Traditional gender roles are still dominant in many cultures worldwide.

• Evaluate the status of gender equality in your experience.

• Describe the differences between men and women within certain social roles: military service, salary in the workplace, traditional vocations, household duties, etc.

• Compose some solutions that you believe would increase equality among the sexes.

13. A few decades ago, many families had half a dozen or more children. Nowadays, more and more families are choosing to have only one or two children.

• Evaluate the benefits and disadvantages of both large and small families.

• Infer why larger families were more popular in the past, while smaller families are more popular today.

• In your opinion, are smaller families better than larger ones? Why or why not? State your position and support it with specific reasons and examples.

Intermediate Level Prompts:

1. Some people believe that the human race achieves greatness only through competition while other people believe that fierce competition reduces empathy and humanity.

• Do you think that the human race has achieved more through competition or cooperation? Use examples to illustrate your point.

• Do you think that certain cultures value cooperation or competition more highly? Explain.

• Infer why you think some people may value one of these more highly than the other.

2. Many parents give children a weekly or monthly allowance regardless of their behavior because they believe an allowance teaches children to be financially responsible. Other parents only give children an allowance as a reward for completing chores or when they have behaved properly.

• With which method do you most agree and why?

• Reflect; in what ways did you parents teach you financial responsibility? What were the advantages and disadvantages of these methods?

• Construct a plan for teaching a child financial responsibility. What strategy would you use? Predict the effects of these choices.

3. In today’s technological age, communication experts are worried that people are too wired and too distracted by their electronic devices. Experts have noticed that people are slowly replacing face-to-face communication with emails and texts, which isolate people instead of connecting them.

• In your opinion, do electronic devices and communication isolate or connect people? Use examples to illustrate your choice.

• How much time per day do you spend communicating on electronic devices (computer, phone, etc.)?

• Compare the advantages and disadvantages of face-to-face communication versus electronic communication.

4. H.G Wells once wrote regarding success that “Success is to be measured not by wealth, power, or fame, but by the ratio between what a man is and what he might be.”

• What does this quote mean and do you agree with it?

• Is success in life only determined by money? If not, then by what?

• What are your goals? What would a successful life look like for you?

5. How has the Internet changed studying?

• In your opinion, do these changes make us rely on the Internet?

• Relate this to your personal experience: do you use the Internet when you study?

• Evaluate and compare the advantages and disadvantages to using the internet for study.

6. Every educational institution has some method by which it assesses the progress of its students. In your opinion, is important for students to receive marks in school?

• How do grades affect the way that students learn?

• What are the advantages or disadvantages of grades?

• Do you think that there are other ways to show what students have learned instead of assigning a numerical value? Explain alternative methods.

7. Stress is one of the strongest and most visceral emotional states of a human being.

• Do you think stress is a major part of modern life?

• Is it healthy to live with stress? Can stress be useful at times?

• Why do you think it is so commonly experienced by people?

8. Many people admire leaders who have effectively achieved their goals. But too many leaders are dedicated to achieving their goals at the expense of caring for the people who follow and support them.

• What qualities make a successful leader?

• How does one determine whether a leader is successful? Should leaders be judged on how well they treat people, not on the achievement of their goals? What if the leader cares about the people but does a poor job governing?

• Provide examples: who is an example of a good leader, and do people admire this person?

9. Author George R.R. Martin has said “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only one.”

• Explain this quote. What is the value of reading for education, and does it differ from the value of reading for pleasure?

• In your opinion, is reading fiction a waste of time? What is the potential value of reading fiction?

• Explain your answer using specific reasons and examples to support your position.

10. Franklin D. Roosevelt once said “A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people. ” The world is experiencing some major environmental problems.

• Choose what you believe to be the most threatening environmental problem. Why do you feel this is the most threatening problem?

• Infer and discuss what you believe to be the source or cause of this problem?

• What might be some solutions, on an individual, and a social level?

11. Bill Gates said, “The Internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow.” Many people agree stating that, because communication via the Internet is not instantaneous, the world seems a smaller place, a more global community.

• Do you agree that the Internet creates a more accessible global community? Provide examples as support.

• In your opinion, is a ‘global village’ more beneficial or disadvantageous? Explain.

• Relate this to your personal experience: explain a time when the Internet was either helpful or harmful in communication.

12. Many people believe that, as people rely more and more on technology to solve problems, they become less and less able to think for themselves. They believe technology and the easy knowledge that it offers has replaced critical and original thought.

• Do you agree with this statement? Use examples to support your answer.

• How are people relying on technology to solve their problems?

• Is it always bad for people to rely on technology to solve their problems? Why or why not?

13. Many professional and academic fields are divided into two categories: those requiring knowledge and those requiring imagination.

• Compare and explain the differences between imagination and knowledge.

• Do you agree that one may be more important than the other? Explain your answer using examples.

• Can a profession require both imagination and knowledge? If yes, explain.

14. Some people believe that competition for high grades motivates students to excel in the classroom. Others believe that such competition seriously limits the quality of real learning.

• Evaluate the benefits and disadvantages for each side of this argument.

• Which argument do you agree with most, and why?

• Relate this to your personal experience: do you think there is competition for higher grades in Ukrainian classrooms? If yes, do you believe it motivates students to excel? If no, does it limit the students’ quality of learning?

15. Even though many societies place a high value on freedom of speech, mass media is everywhere today and control of its content is up to individual governments.

- In your opinion, should mass media be controlled? If so, by whom?

- Can free speech still exist if media is controlled? What constitutes free speech?

- Describe some of the impacts of mass media; use an example of an incident that was

started by something said or shown in mass media.

16. Reconstruct a crime scene and develop a story of what may have happened there. You must use all of these words at least once. Underline the word when you use it.

- plastic bottle

- tennis racket

- teacher

- chocolate

- hospital

17. The Mayan calendar predicted that December 21, 2012, would be the day the world ended.

• How did you feel about this prediction and how did the people around you react on that day?

• If you knew that this was your last day on earth, what would you do with your few remaining hours?

• How do you think people’s behavior would change if they knew the exact day they were going to die, and do you think this knowledge would be a positive or negative thing for them to know?

18. In contemporary society, “success” is often equated with an amount of money someone owns, or the degree of education he or she has attained. A common sentiment seems to be “A person needs a university degree in order to be happy and lead a successful life.”

• Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

• Is it possible to lead a happy and fulfilled life with little or no education?

• Does having a university degree make a person superior, or happier, to someone who only graduated secondary school? Explain.

19. We live in a time of innovation but the sentiment about change still rings true: “We like what we know and we know what we like,” suggesting that we are still reticent to change in all its forms.

-What changes, radical or not, would you make to your life if you had the opportunity?

-What significant life changes have you already experienced or do you anticipate in the future?

-Evaluate the importance of tradition to a society; is it enough to have traditions simply because

you have always had them?

-Is change always good?

Basic Prompts:

1. For many people, self-expression is an important part of their identity.

• How do you express yourself?

• How did you start expressing your identity in this way?

• How do you think this sets you apart from your peers?

2. Every day on the news, you can see young activists protesting and working to bring changes to their communities.

• Do you feel empowered to create change?

• For what cause would you become an activist for?

• How would you convince other people to also fight for this cause?

3. According to Thomas Edison: “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”

• Which do you think plays a bigger role in success, natural talent or hard work?

• Do you have any personal achievements that you are proud of?

• How much did natural talent or hard work factor in your personal success?

4. Is being able to use the internet is a necessary skill today?

• How can access to the internet affect a person’s life?

• How does lack of internet access affect a person’s life? Can a person be successful if they do not have internet access? Give an example.

• Do you believe it is better to travel the world or to have access to the internet?

5. Are out-of-school activities are as important as schoolwork?

• What different skills can students learn from out-of-school activities than from subjects in school? Give an example.

• How can out-of-school activities help a student’s future?

• What might be disadvantages of participating in out-of-school activities?

6. No one ever said growing up was easy. Write about a personal coming-of-age experience that was a difficult but a natural part of growing up.

• Do you think these experiences are necessary to grow up?

• Do you think students your age experience the same incidents?

• How do these experiences cause you to change and to mature?

7. If asked what you value most in life, what would you say? Good friends would probably be high on your list. Write about a good friend and tell why you value him or her.

• What characteristics make him or her a good friend?

• What has he or she helped you through?

• What have you learned from your friend?

8. Conflict is a part of life. Learning to resolve conflicts often takes time and practice.

• Construct a scenario when you experienced a conflict.

• Describe and sequence the steps you took to resolve this conflict.

• Evaluate the outcome of this experience, and predict or infer different outcomes had you chosen different conflict resolution strategies.

9. Though texting and social networking are valuable ways of communicating, some people spend too much time sending messages by phone or internet instead of interacting with others face to face.

- Is digital communication good or bad, in your opinion? Consider what ‘arts’ are being lost

because of this technology.

- Infer how this affects social behavior and development.

- Predict how this may affect future generations.

10. Though people are looking for “the next thing”, they are at the same time, nostalgic for the past.

-If you could live in any decade, which decade would you live in?

-Do you think some of your current problems would go away? Which ones? Would new

problems arise?

-How could living in that decade make you a different (or the same) person?

Additional Texts for Listening or Reading

"Better Than Human: Why Robots Will — And Must — Take Our Jobs" by Kevin Kelly

It’s hard to believe you’d have an economy at all if you gave pink slips to more than half the labor force. But that—in slow motion—is what the industrial revolution did to the workforce of the early 19th century. Two hundred years ago, 70 percent of American workers lived on the farm. Today automation has eliminated all but 1 percent of their jobs, replacing them (and their work animals) with machines. But the displaced workers did not sit idle. Instead, automation created hundreds of millions of jobs in entirely new fields. Those who once farmed were now manning the legions of factories that churned out farm equipment, cars, and other industrial products. Since then, wave upon wave of new occupations have arrived—appliance repairman, offset printer, food chemist, photographer, web designer—each building on previous automation. Today, the vast majority of us are doing jobs that no farmer from the 1800s could have imagined.by the end of this century, 70 percent of today’s occupations will likewise be replaced by automation. Yes, dear reader, even you will have your job taken away by machines. In other words, robot replacement is just a matter of time. This upheaval is being led by a second wave of automation, one that is centered on artificial cognition, cheap sensors, machine learning, and distributed smarts. This deep automation will touch all jobs, from manual labor to knowledge work.

First, machines will consolidate their gains in already-automated industries. After robots finish replacing assembly line workers, they will replace the workers in warehouses. Speedy bots able to lift 150 pounds all day long will retrieve boxes, sort them, and load them onto trucks. Fruit and vegetable picking will continue to be robotized until no humans pick outside of specialty farms. Pharmacies will feature a single pill-dispensing robot in the back while the pharmacists focus on patient consulting. Next, the more dexterous chores of cleaning in offices and schools will be taken over by late-night robots, starting with easy-to-do floors and windows and eventually getting to toilets. The highway legs of long-haul trucking routes will be driven by robots embedded in truck cabs.

All the while, robots will continue their migration into white-collar work. We already have artificial intelligence in many of our machines; we just don’t call it that. Witness one piece of software by Narrative Science (profiled in issue 20.05) that can write newspaper stories about sports games directly from the games’ stats or generate a synopsis of a company’s stock performance each day from bits of text around the web. Any job dealing with reams of paperwork will be taken over by bots, including much of medicine. Even those areas of medicine not defined by paperwork, such as surgery, are becoming increasingly robotic. The rote tasks of any information-intensive job can be automated. It doesn’t matter if you are a doctor, lawyer, architect, reporter, or even programmer: The robot takeover will be epic.

And it has already begun.

True/False Questions

1. Two hundred years ago 70% of American workers lived on farms.

2. Automation has not created new jobs.

3. Automation affects all jobs.

4. Speedy bots able to lift 150 pounds all day long.

5. The rote tasks of any information-intensive job cannot be automated.

6. Surgery is becoming increasingly robotic

7. Artificial intelligence does not currently exist in any machine

8. According to the article, robot replacement is just a matter of time.

9. After automation, displaced workers sat idle and did not find new kinds of jobs.

10. According to the article, the vast majority of us are doing jobs that no farmer from the 1800s could have imagined.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Workers on farms and work animals were replaced by…

1. by more specialized workers

2. by machines

3. by immigrant workers

4. all of the above

2. The second wave of automation currently occurring is based on…

1. on artificial cognition

2. on cheap sensors

3. on machine learning and distributed smarts

4. all of the above

3. The software by Narrative Science can…

1. can write articles about sports stories using statistics

2. can solve complex equations

3. can generate a synopsis of a company’s stock performance

4. A & C only

4. Which job is not mentioned in the article as being mechanized?

1. surgeon

2. warehouse worker

3. chef

4. lawyer

5. What percentage of agricultural jobs have not been eliminated by automation?

1. 1%

2. 5%

3. 70%

4. 99%

6. Which of these occupations does the article say was created by automation?

1. surgeon

2. appliance repairman

3. lawyer

4. truck driver

7. According to this article, by when will 70% of today’s occupations be replaced?

1. by the end of the century

2. by 2020

3. in less than fifty years

4. by the 24^th century

8. What will pharmacists do once pill dispensing robots exist?

1. read magazines

2. experiment with new medication dosages

3. focus on patient consulting

4. find new jobs

9. Where will people still pick fruit after the industry has been completely robotized?

1. at home

2. specialty farms

3. in the forest

10. Where are robots currently migrating?

1. the entertainment industry

2. car manufacturing

3. shipping companies

4. white collar labor

Answers

True/False (1T, 2F, 3T, 4T, 5F, 6T, 7F, 8T, 9F, 10T)

Multiple Choice (1B, 2D, 3D, 4C, 5A, 6B, 7A, 8C, 9B, 10D)

Summer Camp

Dear Mom and Dad,

This is my fifth day at summer camp. Life in the great outdoors isn't exactly what I expected, but I'm not starving . . . yet . . . so don't worry about me.

I guess I should tell you about what I do every day. First, everyone has to get up at 5:30 A.M. They have this silly old rooster named Harry who loves to wake us up. Next, we have to make our beds and tidy up the cabin before our camp counselor, Jeff, comes to inspect the place.

Then, we have breakfast around 6:30 A.M. After that, we have some free time, so I've been going down to the nearby stream to fish for a couple of hours. But yesterday, the only thing I caught was an old shoe and a tree branch. Great catch, Huh? Then when I was trying to swat a mosquito buzzing around my head, I slipped and fell in the stream and lost my fishing pole. That ended my fishing career.

Well, in the afternoon, there are different activities we can choose from like archery, horseback riding, and hiking. I thought archery would be the sport for me until I shot an arrow through Jeff's pant leg. As you can imagine, I haven't been invited back since.

In the evening, everyone is assigned a different chore to get dinner ready. Yesterday, I was in charge of cooking the hotdogs, but I accidentally dropped them in the fire, so we had to settle for beans instead. The other kids are always razzing me about it.

At night, we sit around a campfire in front of the cabin, sing songs, and tell ghost stories. That's usually fun, but one night while trying to find more sticks for the fire, I got all turned around and got lost. After about an hour of wandering aimlessly in the forest, I finally found my way back, but no one seemed to have realized what had happened, thinking that I just had gone to bed. A bear or wolf could have eaten me and no one would have known it. I was so beat I just crashed . . . out like a light.

Well, today is another day and tomorrow I go home . . . and not a bit too soon. I've learned that camping is just not for me.

Love,

Brad

True or False:

1. Brad wrote a letter to his sister and brother.

2. Brad wrote in his letter that he wasn’t starving and not to worry.

3. Brad does the same thing every morning.

4. Brad wakes up at 6:30 in the morning.

5. Brad never has free time at camp.

6. A mosquito caused Brad to fall into the stream.

7. Brad really enjoys archery.

8. Brad shot his friend Jeff in the leg with an arrow.

9. Brad dropped the beans in the fire, so the kids had to eat hot dogs.

10. Brad was lost for an hour in the forest.

Multiple Choice:

1. How many days has Brad been at summer camp?

   1. 8

   2. 3

   3. 5

   4. 1

2. What does Brad have to do before he eats breakfast?

   1. Clean his sleeping quarters

   2. Go down to the stream to get some water

   3. Feed the rooster and the other animals

   4. Brush his teeth

3. What time does Brad eat breakfast?

   1. 6:30 AM

   2. 5:30 AM

   3. 6:00 AM

   4. 7:00 AM

4. What did Brad catch when he went fishing?

   1. A fishing pole

   2. Three fish and a shoe

   3. An old tire

   4. An old shoe and a tree branch

5. What happened to Brad when he went fishing?

   1. A tree branch fell on him.

   2. He lost his fishing pole.

   3. He slipped and lost one of his shoes.

   4. He saw a bear.

6. What did Brad eat for dinner?

   1. Steak

   2. Hot dogs

   3. Beans

   4. Soup

7. What was Brad doing when he got lost in the forest?

   1. He was running away from a bear.

   2. He was searching for wood.

   3. He was wondering around looking for the cabin.

8. What did Brad do after he found his way back to the cabin?

   1. He ate dinner because he was hungry.

   2. He went fishing because he was bored.

   3. He went looking for sticks for the campfire.

   4. He went to bed because he was tired.

9. When does Brad go home?

   1. In two days

   2. In three days

   3. In a week

   4. Tomorrow

10. How did Brad like summer camp?

    1. He had a great time.

    2. It was okay.

    3. He didn’t have fun.

    4. He loved summer camp.

Answers: True/False: (1F, 2T, 3T, 4F, 5F, 6T, 7F, 8F, 9F, 10T)

Multiple Choice: (1C, 2A, 3A, 4D, 5B, 6C, 7B, 8D, 9D, 10C)

“The Hammer”

The hammer may be the oldest tool we have record of. Stone hammers—some of the oldest human artifacts ever discovered—date back as early as 2,600,000 BCE. Not only is the hammer the oldest tool, but it is also the greatest. What makes the hammer so great is its simplicity, power, and usefulness.

The structure of the hammer is relatively simple—a fact largely responsible for its early invention and widespread distribution across cultures and geographic regions. The hammer is composed of two main parts: a handle and a head. The handle is used to swing the hammer. The head is used to hit other objects.

While the hammer is a very simple tool, it is still able to generate tremendous power. This power results from two factors: the weight of the head, and the speed at which the hammer is swung. Every hammer (though some more than others) has a large distribution of weight at the head. When a hammer is swung, this weight pivots about the hand, which acts as a fulcrum. The handle carries the weight at a distance, acting as a lever arm, so a longer handle means increased speed. The weight of the head together with the speed generated by the lever arm is what gives the hammer so much power. The heavier the head and the faster it is swung, the more power a hammer produces.

In addition to the hammer's great power, it also has an exceptionally wide range of useful applications. The purpose of the hammer-- to hit-- is a universal action that can accomplish many tasks. Let's start with the obvious: a hammer can be made to pound nails. But a hammer has many other uses as well. It can break apart hard objects such as brick or concrete. It can bend and shape metal or steel. It can gently tap objects to make small adjustments. It can be used to make sculpture or pottery. It can be used in the hot, harsh business of blacksmithing as well as in delicate operations like crafting jewelry. In times of desperation, it can even be used as a weapon.

The hammer truly is a great tool. It is simple, powerful, and useful. A quintessential symbol of labor, the hammer has come to represent hard work and embody the spirit of human industry.

Questions (Multiple Choice):

1. Which of the following sentences best summarizes the passage?

a. "The hammer may be the oldest tool we have record of."

b. "Not only is the hammer the oldest tool, but it is also the greatest."

c. "The hammer has come to represent hard work and embody the spirit of human industry."

d. "What makes the hammer so great is its simplicity, power, and usefulness."

2. The reason the hammer was invented many years ago, and then spread across the world was because:

a. The hammer is not a complicated tool to build.

b. The hammer is easy to use.

c. The structure of the hammer is not complex.

d. The hammer is powerful.

3. The hammer is composed of two main parts:

a. a lever and a fulcrum

b. a head and a an arm

c. a handle and an arm

d. a handle and a head

4. Most of the hammers weight is found where?

a. the handle

b. the head

c. the arm

d. the fulcrum

5. In the text, the word fulcrum means:

a. weight

b. center

c. hinge

d. mid-point

6. Which of the following combinations will produce the most power from a hammer?

a. a light head and a fast swing

b. a heavy head and a fast swing

c. a heavy head and a slow swing

d. a light head and a slow swing

7. A primary use of the hammer is all of the following except:

a. to pound nails

b. to break apart concrete

c. as a weapon

d. to make pottery

8. Based on information in the text, all of the following people might use a hammer at work except:

a. a truck driver

b. a jewelry artist

c. a sculptor

d. a carpenter

9. In the text, quintessential means:

a. essential

b. great

c. modern

d. classic

10. Which of the following words did the author not use to describe the hammer?

a. simple

b. complex

c. powerful

d. useful

Questions (True/False):

1. The hammer is a simple but powerful tool.

2. The hammer is the oldest tool known to man.

3. The first hammer was made of metal.

4. The head of the hammer is used to swing the hammer, while the handle is used to hit objects.

5. The hammer’s power comes from the weight of the head, and the speed at which the hammer is swung.

6. A long handle means decreased speed.

7. The heavier the head and the faster it is swung, the more power a hammer produces.

8. The hammer has a wide range of uses.

9. The hammer has become a symbol of labor.

10. The author of the text probably believes that the hammer is a great tool.

Answers (Multiple Choice):

1. D

2. C

3. D

4. A

5. C

6. B

7. C

8. A

9. D

10. B

Answers (True/False):

1. True

2. True

3. False

4. False

5. True

6. False

7. True

8. True

9. True

10. True

“Guinness Book of World Records”

The biggest house of cards, the longest tongue, and of course, the tallest man: these are among the thousands of records logged in the famous Guinness Book of Records. Created in 1955 after a debate concerning Europe's fastest game bird, what began as a marketing tool sold to pub landlords to promote Guinness, an Irish drink, became the bestselling copyright title of all time (a category that excludes books such as the Bible and the Koran). In time, the book would sell 120 million copies in over 100 countries— quite a leap from its humble beginnings.

In its early years, the book set its sights on satisfying man's innate curiosity about the natural world around him. Its two principal fact finders, twins Norris and Ross McWhirter, scoured the globe to collect empirical facts. It was their task to find and document aspects of life that can be sensed or observed, things that can be quantified or measured. But not just any things. They were only interested in superlatives: the biggest and the best. It was during this period that some of the hallmark Guinness Records were documented, answering such questions as "What is the brightest star?" and "What is the biggest spider?"

Once aware of the public's thirst for such knowledge, the book's authors began to branch out to cover increasingly obscure, little-known facts. They started documenting human achievements as well. A forerunner for reality television, the Guinness Book gave people a chance to become famous for accomplishing eccentric, often pointless tasks. Records were set in 1955 for consuming 24 raw eggs in 14 minutes and in 1981 for the fastest solving of a Rubik's Cube (which took a mere 38 seconds). In 1979 a man yodeled non-stop for ten and a quarter hours.

In its latest incarnation, the book has found a new home on the internet. No longer restricted to the confines of physical paper, the Guinness World Records website contains seemingly innumerable facts concerning such topics as the most powerful combustion engine, or the world's longest train. What is striking, however, is that such facts are found sharing a page with the record of the heaviest train to be pulled with a beard. While there is no denying that each of these facts has its own, individual allure, the latter represents a significant deviation from the education-oriented facts of earlier editions. Perhaps there is useful knowledge to be gleaned regarding the tensile strength of a beard, but this seems to cater to an audience more interested in seeking entertainment than education.

Originating as a simple bar book, the Guinness Book of Records has evolved over decades to provide insight into the full spectrum of modern life. And although one may be more likely now to learn about the widest human mouth than the highest number of casualties in a single battle of the Civil War, the Guinness World Records website offers a telling glimpse into the future of fact-finding and record recording.

Questions (Multiple Choice):

1. Which of the following provides the best definition for empirical?

a. coming from natural

b. resulting from experience

c. recordable

d. outstanding or fantastic

2. The Guinness Book of Records was created in which year?

a. 1855

b. 1865

c. 1955

d. 1965

3. The Book began as what?

a. a book of world records

b. a book recording interesting facts

c. a book sold to pubs to promote an Irish beer

d. a book of Irish drinks

4. The Guinness Book of Records has been sold in how many countries?

a. 100 countries

b. over 200 countries

c. over 100 countries

d. 200 countries

5. The books original goal was to what?

a. impress people around the world

b. satisfy peoples’ curiosity about the natural world

c. collect facts from around the world

d. impress Irish pub owners

6. One of the original Guinness Records document was:

a. “What is the brightest star?”

b. “What is the biggest bird?”

c. “How long is the longest train?”

d. “How heavy is the biggest spider?”

7. The original “fact finders” were only interested in superlatives. What is a superlative?

a. something that is strange and interesting

b. something that is famous

c. something that is fast and strong

d. something that is the biggest and the best

8. Overtime the book began to change, and began recording what?

a. more and more facts about nature

b. little-known facts and strange human achievements

c. important human accomplishments

d. entertaining facts about people

9. According to the author, the biggest difference between the older Guinness Book of Records and the new Guinness World Record website is:

a. there has been a shift from education to entertaining material

b. the facts have become less interesting

c. the total number of facts has increased

d. a shift from recording “superlatives” to fact-finding

10. The authors tone in this article can best be described as:

a. uninterested

b. persuasive

c. mad

d. irritated

Questions (True/False):

1. The biggest house of cards, the longest tongue, and the tallest man are examples of some of the first records ever set.

2. The book was created after people were discussing the world’s fastest bird.

3. The book is named after the Irish beer, Guinness.

4. The Guinness Book of World Records is the bestselling copyright title of all time.

5. The content in the Book has changed slightly over time to keep readers interested.

6. The Book started by recording interesting facts about the natural world.

7. You can now find many more facts online, at the Guinness World Records website.

8. The facts produced by the people of the Guinness World Records have become less entertaining and more educational over time.

9. Based on the tone of the article, it can be assumed that the author is happy about the change in information published in the book.

10. In the text, the word incarnation means personification.

Answer Document:

“Guinness Book of World Records”

Answers (Multiple Choice):

1. B

2. C

3. C

4. C

5. B

6. A

7. D

8. B

9. A

10. D

Answers (True/False):

1. False

2. False

3. True

4. True

5. True

6. True

7. True

8. False

9. False

10. False

“A Revolution On The Page: Finding Identity In Poetry” by Roya Hakakian

Source: NPR, 2012

An immigrant's arrival in America has a distinct physical beginning marked by the landing of one's plane. But there's another arrival, the cultural one, that's incremental, perpetual.

Of these latter sorts of arrivals, the most memorable for me occurred nearly 20 years ago. I was still a new refugee, my heart's gaze fixed upon all that I'd left behind — upon Iran and the beloved language which, to the fledgling poet in me, meant everything at the time.

My encounter with America, from the moment we drove away from the airport and I saw layer after layer of bridge and road piled vast and high, had dwarfed me through and through. The currency of everything I knew or had was of no value in the American bazaar. Everything here was bigger, better or, as displayed on every shampoo bottle, at least 20 percent more.

Except, and this was my sole consolation, for the treasury of poetry I carried in my head. Persian literature with its ancient tradition of verse was how I cured homesickness and soothed the melancholic byproducts of displacement.

When feelings of insecurity or inadequacy arose, I fought them, knowing that America, however great, could not match my country's peerless poetry.

Rumi, Omar Khayyam, Hafez were no longer simply writers but the pillars of my reconfigured identity. And when has identity ever been reconfigured without a note of superiority? No verse in this towering new land could outdo the love, passion, devotion and yearning, the beauty in the ones I knew.

I'd rested in that certainty when a poem by Theodore Roethke unsettled me. It was called "My Papa's Waltz."

It's a short poem, all of four stanzas. The verses were spare and simple as if the urgency of their meaning makes the use of every trope and device a hindrance. It is the absence of the ornate that lets the presence of the tragedy at the core of the poem shine so brilliantly.

The effect of a great work of literature is often to unhinge its reader, to strip her of all previously cherished beliefs down to discomfiting nakedness. Roethke's "Waltz" did just that. It abruptly unveiled to me everything that centuries of Persian poetry had not — to shift the focus from the outward life to the life at home. To portray the father, the most revered figure in the culture I knew, in a negative light — in essence, to question his credibility and authority. Roethke had pulled the pedestal from beneath the taboo.

To me, someone whose most formative adolescent experience had been the Iranian revolution of 1979, what Roethke had done was to conduct a revolution on the page. Upend, truly end, the ubiquity, the sanctity of the household "king." Something that generations of Persian poets, who had elegantly written against the tyranny of political rulers, had never challenged.

Once, I arrived in America on an airplane. Later, I arrived deeper yet on the wings of Roethke's verse. Here, no one was too sacred to be spared critical examination. Suddenly I had access to a whole new reservoir of writing material, and I knew freedom in its most tangible and consequential way.

True/False

1. An immigrant’s physical arrival to a new country is more permanent and lasting than his/her cultural arrival.

2. The author came to America from Iraq.

3. The author used Persian poetry to comfort her during her when she was homesick.

4. The author felt overwhelmed and insignificant when she first came to America.

5. The American poem by Roethke that the author discovered was written in the same style as her treasured poetry from her homeland.

6. Roethke’s poem challenged the author’s views of her mother and her mother’s role in the home.

7. The author says that a great work of literature should unsettle the reader and bring him/her to a state of nakedness.

8. The author’s Persian poets focused more on the home life than on one’s political and outward life.

9. The author enjoys writing poetry.

10. The author no longer loved her father after discovering Roethke’s poem.

Multiple Choice

1. When the author first came to America, she felt all of these emotions EXCEPT:

A. Insecurity

B. Displacement

C. Awe

D. Euphoria

2. The name of the American poem the author liked was:

A. “My Father’s Voice”

B. “The Moonlit Waltz”

C. “My Papa’s Waltz”

D. “Inside the Home”

3. The author questions whether identity has ever “been reconfigured without a note of_______”

A. Superiority

B. Nostalgia

C. Regret

D. Uncertainty

4. Roethke’s poem was different from the author’s Persian poetry because:

A. It was simpler

B. It challenged the author’s traditional beliefs

C. It was focused more on the personal rather than the public

D. All of the above

5. The author thought that at the center of Roethke’s poem was:

A. Serenity

B. Tragedy

C. Hope

D. Confidence

6. The taboo in Persian poetry that Roethke’s poem destroyed was:

A. Questioning the authority of government

B. Mocking the sanctity of marriage

C. Promoting the equality of men and women

D. None of the above

7. Why did Roethke’s poem make the author feel free?

A. It destroyed gender barriers

B. It made the author realize that no one is above criticism

C. It challenged the author’s traditional views on religion

D. It brought the author closer to nature

8. The author felt that the meaning of Roethke’s poem was particularly poignant because:

A. The language was simple and without embellishments

B. The author identified with Roethke’s ideas on flying

C. The poem was ornate and beautifully scripted

D. The author had always loved the style of writing Roethke used

9. What life-changing event does the author compare to reading Roethke’s poem?

A. The genocide in Darfur

B. The death of Sodom Hussein

C. The author’s first few days in America

D. The Iranian Revolution

10. Did Roethke’s poem affect the author’s physical and/or cultural arrival in America?

A. Physical

B. Cultural

C. A and B

D. Neither A nor B

Answer Key:

“A Revolution On The Page: Finding Identity In Poetry” by Roya Hakakian

Source: NPR, 2012

True/False:

1. False

2. False

3. True

4. True

5. False

6. False

7. True

8. False

9. True

10. False

Multiple Choice:

1. D

2. C

3. A

4. D

5. B

6. D

7. B

8. A

9. D

10. B

From “US Will Be 2-4 Degrees Hotter In Coming Decades, New Climate Report Says” by Bill Chappell, NPR, 2013.

Temperatures will continue to rise in America, "with the next few decades projected to see another 2 degrees [Fahrenheit] to 4 degrees [Fahrenheit] of warming in most areas," according to the latest National Climate Assessment, which came out Friday afternoon.

That means we can expect to see more "extreme weather events," according to the report, such as heavy precipitation — particularly in the Northeast and Midwest — and intense Atlantic hurricanes. Other parts of the U.S. will experience heat waves and droughts, especially in the West.

By 2100, U.S. temperatures are projected to rise 3 to 5 degrees, under the most optimistic estimates — and 5 to 10 degrees if global greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase. While it doesn't seem to bring any startling new facts to the table, the assessment's authors say that "evidence for a changing climate has strengthened considerably" since the last report, issued in 2009.

Some of that evidence has been on display recently. Earlier this week, we were told that 2012 was the hottest year on record for most of the U.S. The year's weather, marked by droughts and powerful storms, led NPR's Adam Frank to call 2012 "the year that climate change got real for Americans."

Seeking to highlight the everyday effects of those changes, the report's advisory committee included a "Letter to the American People," in which they laid out some of the ways the changing weather has begun to affect livelihoods and futures:

"Many more impacts of human-caused climate change have now been observed. Corn producers in Iowa, oyster growers in Washington State, and maple syrup producers in Vermont have observed changes in their local climate that are outside of their experience. So, too, have coastal planners from Florida to Maine, water managers in the arid Southwest and parts of the Southeast, and Native Americans on tribal lands across the nation." The 1,193-page report, the work of more than 240 scientists, is in "draft" form; it has been released for three months of review and comment by other scientists and the public.

True/False:

1. Climate change is only associated with higher temperatures.

2. According to the article, the Northeast is most likely to see droughts and heat waves as temperatures increase due to global warming

3. According to scientists in the article, temperature increases will be more drastic if carbon gas emissions continue or increase.

4. The authors of this new report have provided groundbreaking information that is new to the climate change field.

5. The year 2012 was the hottest year on record for the entire United States.

6. Although climate change is a slow process, the advisory committee claims that the most recent trends warm trends and violent weather are convincing more Americans that climate change is a real phenomenon.

7. People from many professions and backgrounds, including farmers, have felt the effects of global warming on their local climates this year according to the report’s advisory committee.

8. When a document is in “draft” form, it means that it has already been analyzed and completed.

9. The temperature of the United States may rise by as much as 15 degrees within the next 100 years, according to scientists in this article.

10. By mentioning both the growing amount of data regarding global warming and the more visible effects that it is having on the general population, it can be inferred that author believes that social action to address climate change is now more realistic.

Answers: (1F, 2F, 3T, 4F, 5F, 6T, 7T, 8F, 9F, 10T)

From “New Arts Centre Part Of The Rebirth Of Old Community” by Nancy Miller, Teaching Kids News, 2012

On Sept. 20, Daniels Spectrum (originally known as the Regent Park Arts and Cultural Centre) opened its doors. Daniels Spectrum is a wonderful new 60,000-square-foot facility set up to help people learn art and business, including music and painting classes and moviemaking. It even includes a Centre for Social Innovation where people with ideas for new businesses work with creative people to think up new ways to make communities better. It is all part of the rebirth of Toronto’s Regent Park neighbourhood that has been taking place for more than 10 years.

Regent Park is in the south-east end of Toronto. The homes were built over 60 years ago and at that time, its design concept was a wonderful new idea. Most of the homes looked inward on courtyards and many of the streets didn’t connect to city streets. Throughout the years, however, that design failed by making it hard for people to be part of the city. Regent Park remained home to many hardworking families, but it gained a reputation as a dangerous place. For many years, as crime built up, many people thought it was an area to stay out of. But that’s all changing. Over the past few years, many of Regent Park’s old apartments and houses have been torn down and replaced with new affordable homes and new services that bring people together. The new facility is one of these services. It is open to anyone and is a project of Artscape, a non-profit group that creates artistic spaces where people can learn, teach and work. Artscape partnered with Toronto Community Housing and the Daniels Corporation. The facility is located in Toronto on Dundas St. E. between Sumach and Sackville Streets.

1. All of the following have been responsible for contributing to the revitalization of Toronto’s Regent Park neighborhood according to the article, EXCEPT:

   1. Helpful programs for the general public.

   2. Reasonably-priced residences.

   3. Opportunities, such as the ones offered at Daniels Spectrum.

   4. Stronger, more observable security presence.

2. Which organization is NOT responsible for the construction of Daniels Spectrum and for the programs that this building offers?

   1. Regent Park Arts Association

   2. Toronto Community Housing

   3. Daniels Corporation

   4. Artscape

3. Before the revitalization project, Regent Park’s reputation soured for all of the following reasons EXCEPT:

   1. A reputation as an unsafe area

   2. Higher rates of crime

   3. The neighborhood was designed to be located outside the borders of the city.

   4. It was difficult for residents to identify with the rest of the city and feel like a member

4. Noting the names of the sponsors, what can you infer about why the name of the center was changed from the Regent Park Arts and Cultural Centre to the Daniels Spectrum?

   1. Daniels Spectrum sounds better.

   2. Regent Park Arts and Cultural Centre was used, and they needed a new name.

   3. The sponsors thought the name Daniel would make the building sound friendlier.

   4. Daniels Spectrum was chosen to thank them for their sponsorship

5. Which of the following does the Daniels Spectrum provide, as explicitly stated in the text?

   1. Book clubs

   2. Sculpting

   3. Social Services

   4. Homework Aid

Answers: (1D, 2A, 3C, 4D, 5C)

From “The Benefits of Meditation”, by Colin Allen, Psychology Today, 2003

Maybe meditation isn't so mysterious after all. Neuroscientists have found that meditators shift their brain activity to different areas of the cortex - brain waves in the stress-prone right frontal cortex move to the calmer left frontal cortex. This mental shift decreases the negative effects of stress, mild depression and anxiety. There is also less activity in the amygdala, where the brain processes fear.

Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, recorded the brain waves of stressed-out employees of a high-tech firm in Madison, Wisconsin. The subjects were split randomly into two groups, 25 people were asked to learn meditation over eight weeks, and the remaining 16 were left alone as a control group.

All participants had their brain waves scanned three times during the study: at the beginning of the experiment, when meditation lessons were completed eight weeks later and four months after that. The researchers found that the meditators showed a pronounced shift in activity to the left frontal lobe. In other words, they were calmer and happier than before. The study will be published in the next issue of Psychosomatic Medicine.

Multiple Choice:

1. According to this study, the most accurate statement that one can make about meditation is that it:

   1. Is entirely spiritual

   2. Is purely emotional

   3. Has a material basis and its effect can be seen in the brain.

   4. Has a material basis but its effect cannot be seen in the brain.

2. Meditation has all of the following effects according to the article, EXCEPT for

   1. Heightened Awareness

   2. Reduced feelings of uneasiness

   3. Reductions in feelings of depression

   4. Reduced mental strain

3. Brain waves can best be described as:

   1. Liquid areas of the brain

   2. Brain movement

   3. A wave-shaped region of the brain

   4. Brain activity

4. While meditating, brain activity moves from the right frontal cortex to the left frontal cortex. According to the study, this is significant because:

   1. The left-frontal cortex is bigger, so the subject’s feelings are less stressed.

   2. The left-frontal cortex is a region of less stress, so it produces feelings of calmness.

   3. Freeing the right frontal cortex gives the brain a rest.

   4. It has no significance.

5. How many times were the participants brain-scanned?

   1. 1

   2. 2

   3. 3

   4. 4

Answers: (1C, 2A, 3D, 4B, 5C)

“Muscular Body Image Lures Boys Into Gym, and Obsession”, The New York Times, Douglas Quenqua, 2012

Pediatricians are starting to sound alarm bells about boys who take unhealthy measures to try to achieve Charles Atlas bodies that only genetics can truly confer. Whether it is long hours in the gym, allowances blown on expensive supplements or even risky experiments with illegal steroids, the price American boys are willing to pay for the perfect body appears to be on the rise.

In a study to be published on Monday in the journal Pediatrics, more than 40 percent of boys in middle school and high school said they regularly exercised with the goal of increasing muscle mass. Thirty-eight percent said they used protein supplements, and nearly 6 percent said they had experimented with steroids. Overall, 90 percent of the 1,307 boys in the survey — who lived in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, but typify what doctors say is a national phenomenon — said they exercised at least occasionally to add muscle.

“There has been a striking change in attitudes toward male body image in the last 30 years,” said Dr. Harrison Pope, a psychiatry professor at Harvard who studies bodybuilding culture and was not involved in the study. The portrayal of men as fat-free and chiseled “is dramatically more prevalent in society than it was a generation ago,” he said.

While college-age men have long been interested in bodybuilding, pediatricians say they have been surprised to find that now even middle school boys are so absorbed with building muscles. And their youth adds an element of risk. Just as girls who count every calorie in an effort to be thin may do themselves more harm than good, boys who chase an illusory image of manhood may end up stunting their development, doctors say, particularly when they turn to supplements — or, worse, steroids — to supercharge their results.

“The problem with supplements is they’re not regulated like drugs, so it’s very hard to know what’s in them,” said Dr. Shalender Bhasin, a professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine and chief of endocrinology, diabetes and nutrition at Boston Medical Center.

Multiple Choice:

1. Out of all of the boys surveyed, what percent exercised to increase their muscle mass?

A. 6 percent

B. 38 percent

C. 40 percent

D. 90 percent

2. For American boys, a perfect body is NOT:

A. Fat-free

B. Thin

C. Chiseled

D. Muscular

3. According to doctors, bodybuilding is harmful for teenage boys because:

A. They will waste a lot of money on expensive supplements.

B. They will develop a lot of stress trying to achieve a perfect body.

C. They may use risky supplements that will prevent their bodies from growing properly.

D. They will get hurt from spending too much time in the gym.

4. American boys begin to be interested in bodybuilding starting in:

A. Elementary school

B. Middle School

C. High School

D. College

5. Which is the most harmful for bodybuilders?

A. Long hours in the gym

B. Steroids

C. Protein supplements

D. Fat-free diets

Answers: (1D, 2B, 3C, 4B, 5B)

“English Ivy”

English Ivy betrays its poor reputation as a nuisance by its unparalleled ability to provide shade. By seamlessly covering the exterior of a building, it works as a natural insulator, blocking the sun and decreasing air conditioning costs. This means big savings for both building tenants and homeowners alike. And it can happen quickly, too. Under the proper conditions, established English Ivy can grow to cover an area of roughly 500 square feet per year. Given that most homes have a roof measuring roughly 2000 square feet, ivy-friendly homeowners can rest assured that their roofs will be completely covered in about four years. When considering growth rates of newly planted ivy, just remember the old adage: First year, it sleeps. Second year, it creeps. Third year, it leaps! For English Ivy, this is especially true.

Now, detractors may take this opportunity to remind readers about how invasive English Ivy can be. For what ivy enthusiast hasn't been cautioned about its ability to burrow holes, fracture windows, and even deteriorate brick? But be warned. Oftentimes, this suggestion is taken to the comical extreme. Naysayers take a strange pleasure in spinning yarns about a particularly malevolent strand of ivy—one that slips in through the cracks on a hot summer night, silently strangling homeowners in their sleep. Admittedly, this can be a funny story to tell. But are we to believe such a tale? The intelligent gardener will quickly dismiss such rubbish for what it is.

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to:

a. show how English Ivy can be a great insulator for houses

b. prove that English Ivy is an great plant for homeowners

c. educate the reader on the growth rate of English Ivy

d. persuade the reader that English Ivy is not the nuisance that everyone thinks it is

2. Which of the following is the best synonym for malevolent?

a. strange

b. evil

c. extraordinary

d. harmless

3. Which of the following is not a mentioned negative result of planting English Ivy near your house?

a. it will burrow holes in your house

b. it can fracture and break windows

c. it can creep into your windows and strangle you

d. it can ruin brick on your house

4. English Ivy is described as all of the following except:

a. great plant

b. nuisance

c. natural insulator

d. invasive

5. The author’s tone in this text can best be described as:

a. passionate

b. annoyed

c. argumentative

d. enthusiastic

Answers:

1. D

2. B

3. C

4. A

5. B

“Philadelphia”

Philadelphia is a city known for many things. It is where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, and it was also the first capital of the United States. But one fact about Philadelphia is not so well-known: it is home to nearly 3,000 murals painted on the sides of homes and buildings around the city. In fact, it is said that Philadelphia has more murals than any other city in the world, with the exception of Rome. How did this come to be?

More than 20 years ago, a New Jersey artist named Jane Golden started a program pairing troubled youth with artists to paint murals on a few buildings around the city. From this small project, something magical happened. The young people involved helped to create magnificent pieces of art, but there were other, perhaps more important benefits. The young people learned to collaborate and get along with many different kinds of people during the various steps required to paint and design a mural. They learned to be responsible, because they needed to follow a schedule to make sure the murals were completed. They also learned to take pride in their community. It is hard for any resident to see the spectacular designs and not feel proud to be a part of Philadelphia.

Take a walk around some of the poorest neighborhoods in Philadelphia, neighborhoods full of broken windows and littered front steps, and you will find beautiful works of art on the sides and fronts of buildings. Of course the murals are not just in poor neighborhoods, but more affluent ones as well. Special buses take tourists to different parts of the city to see the various murals, which range from huge portraits of historical heroes, to cityscapes, to scenes depicting the diverse ethnic groups that call Philadelphia home. As a result of its success, the mural program has now become the nation’s largest public art program and a model for other cities throughout the country seeking to help troubled youth.

True/False Questions:

1. Philadelphia is a city known only as the place where the Declaration of Independence was signed.

2. Philadelphia has more than 3,000 pictures painted on buildings throughout the city.

3. Rome has more murals than any other city in the world.

4. The murals taught the youth responsibility and to take pride in their city.

5. In this text, magnificent means outstanding.

6. The art created by the youth was the most important benefit of the program.

7. The murals can only be found in the poorest neighborhoods in Philadelphia.

8. The murals are a Philadelphia tourist attraction.

9. In this text, affluent means popular.

10. The main focus of this passage is an art program that focuses on helping troubled youth.

Answers: (1F, 2F, 3T, 4T, 5T, 6F, 7F, 8T, 9F, 10T)

“Peace in Ireland”

For understandable reasons the historic agreement approved in Belfast on 10 April is being referred to in media reports as a "peace deal", and of course it is devoutly to be hoped that over time it will indeed lead to the abandonment of violence as a means of achieving political aims in Northern Ireland. But we should be clear that in the short term it will not produce peace: we may be sure that for the near future, one or more nasty sets of initials will continue to use bomb and bullet. When terrorist incidents take place, it is extremely difficult for democratically elected politicians to resist the pressures they then come under to react in such a way as to nullify commitments made to pursue a particular political course. So, to strengthen their own hand against the inevitable pressures they are going to come under, let the politicians who approved the agreement of 10 April now show further courage by making statements, in clear words that could be quoted against them, showing recognition that terrorist acts are going to take place and supporting that, nevertheless nothing will keep them from adhering to the Belfast agreement.

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. In the text, what does the world devoutly mean?

a. insincerely

b. religiously

c. seriously

d. loyally

2. According to the text, where is Belfast located?

a. Northern Ireland

b. Ireland

c. England

d. Dublin

3. According to the text, what was the goal of the Belfast agreement?

a. to stop politicians from committing terrorist acts

b. to encourage peace in Ireland

c. to end violence as a means of accomplishing political goals

d. to stop terrorist acts from continuing in the United Kingdom

4. In the text, what does it mean to nullify commitments?

a. cancel commitments

b. support commitments

c. end commitments

d. back commitments

5. Why should politicians in Northern Ireland make statements saying that terrorist acts will continue in Northern Ireland?

a. to show the terrorist groups they are not scared of them

b. to make themselves look good when terrorist acts continue to take place

c. to show they are courageous politicians who are not afraid of any terrorist groups

d. to show that the terrorist acts occurring after the signing of the “peace deal” will not keep them from supporting the deal

Answers:

1. C

2. A

3. C

4. C

5. D

“Land and Sea”

Atlantic puffins are short, stocky birds with black and white feathers, orange legs, orange feet, and large, triangular, orange-red beaks. An adult puffin stands only about 25 centimeters (10 inches) tall. Atlantic puffins are “all-purpose birds,” says Kress; they live on land and at sea. On northern shores of the Atlantic Ocean, they scamper over the rocky ground and burrow like groundhogs. At sea, their abilities to drink salt water and dive more than 60 meters (200 feet) allow them to live in the open water for years at a time. In the ocean and the air, puffins are mostly silent. On land, they growl. The noise “sounds like a chain saw,” says Kress.

The coastal burrows that Atlantic puffins inhabit are built for breeding. Before that happens, a male and a female puffin go on a series of “dates,” says Kress, which may stretch out to a yearlong “engagement” of nest building. Once they’ve mated, a puffin couple, which may remain together for life, raises one chick at a time, caring for it equally. Puffins eat fish, such as hake, herring, and sand eels, in summer and zooplankton (tiny marine animals) in winter. But chicks are fed mainly fish, which is higher in protein than zooplankton.

To feed their young, some seabirds, such as albatross and penguins, eat fish and then regurgitate the partially digested meal into the mouths of their offspring. By contrast, puffin parents provide their chicks with whole fish they’ve carried crosswise in their bills, sometimes five or six at a time. The most fish that a single puffin has been observed carrying is 61.

When a puffin chick matures, it heads out to sea, where it spends about two or three years before returning to land to find a mate and breed in a colony. The first nesting usually happens when the birds are about 5 years old. Puffins live to about 20 years of age, though some live to 30 or more.

True/False Questions:

1. Atlantic puffins are one of the biggest birds on the planet.

2. Atlantic puffins are said to be “all-purpose birds” because they fly for long distances, and walk over rocky ground.

3. Atlantic puffins can live on the land or at sea.

4. The word burrow means to dig a hole into the ground.

5. The Atlantic puffins’ burrows are usually found by the ocean.

6. Atlantic puffins date each other much like humans do.

7. Hake and herring are other birds, similar to the Atlantic puffin.

8. Puffins feed their babies in a similar way to albatross and penguins.

9. It can be assumed from the text, that a puffin has a beak that expands in size.

10. Atlantic puffins can be found in many places around the world.

Answers:

1. False

2. False

3. True

4. True

5. True

6. True

7. False

8. False

9. True

10. False

“On the Open Road”

Our complex modern life, especially in our larger centers, gets us running so many times into grooves that we are prone to miss the all-around, completer life.  We are led at times almost to forget that the stars come nightly to the sky, or even that there is a sky; that there are hedgerows and groves where the birds are always singing and where we can lie on our backs and watch the treetops swaying above us and the clouds floating by an hour or hours at a time; where one can live with his or her soul or, as Whitman has put it, where one can loaf and invite one's soul.

We need changes from the duties and the cares of our accustomed everyday life.  They are necessary for healthy, normal living.  We need occasionally to be away from our friends, our relatives, from the members of our immediate households.  Such changes are good for us; they are good for them.  We appreciate them better, they us, when we are away from them for a period, or they from us.

We need these changes occasionally in order to find new relations.  By such changes there come to our minds more clearly the better qualities of those with whom we are in constant association; we lose sight of the little frictions and irritations that arise; we see how we can be more considerate, appreciative, kind.

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. The phrase “loaf and invite one’s soul” means:

a. relax and get to know you

b. allow yourself to be lazy

c. invite your soul over

d. lie around and talk to others

2. Whitman is probably what:

a. an unknown person

b. a singer

c. a poet

d. a friend of the author’s

3. Which statement best summarizes the first paragraph?

a. People often forget that the stars come out at night, and there are birds always singing.

b. Our busy lives lead us to forget about the small things and ourselves.

c. We sometimes forget we have a soul.

d. Our complex lives are not always as healthy and fulfilling as we think they are.

4. Which statement best summarizes the second paragraph?

a. Change helps us to forget what irritates us.

b. Change helps us find new friends.

c. We need change to stay healthy and happy.

d. We need change occasionally to remind us what we appreciate in our everyday lives.

5. Which statement best summarizes the text?

a. We need changes from the duties and the cares of our accustomed everyday life.

b. We need to learn to be more considerate, appreciative, and kind.

c. By living every day the same we miss everyday things and the opportunity for change.

d. We need to learn to meet new people and listen to ourselves.

Answers: (1A, 2C, 3B, 4D, 5C)

Energy is defined by Daniel D. Chiras, as “the capacity to do work” and it is found in many forms, including light, heat, sound, electricity, coal, oil, and gasoline. These forms of energy provide us with the capacity to light our homes, cook our food, travel by car, plane, boat or train, operate factories, and do many other things that we do regularly.

Commonly used energy sources include wood, oil, coal, natural gas, the atom (or nuclear power), and moving water. Humans have used wood as an energy source, mainly to cook food and to provide heat and light, for millennia (thousands of years), but the use of other sources is a relatively recent development. Coal in particular did not fall into widespread use in Europe until the 1700s, after wood supplies had dwindled (became scarce). Oil followed near the end of the 1800s, and in the 1900s still other sources of energy were brought into use like natural gas, hydropower (using the power of moving water), geothermal power (using power from deep within the earth), and nuclear power. While the use of wood for energy has virtually stopped, the use of all these other sources has grown dramatically.

Energy sources are very diverse. First and foremost, the sun is the primary energy source throughout the world. The radiation from the sun gives plants the ability to produce sugars, which can be used as an energy source for organisms to grow. Energy from the sun is converted into sugars by plants through the process of photosynthesis. The energy stored in the chemical bonds of these sugars is used for plant growth and can be found in plants’ leaves and stems. Animals eat the plants then convert these sugars into energy for their own use through digestion.

However, plants can also rot over time and become the fuel that we use to light our houses, power our trains, and boil our water. After all, gas, oil, and coal are only plants that have rotted for thousands of years. Coal, oil, and natural gas are the most common sources of energy in Ukraine.

Choose the Best Answer:

1. Energy is defined as:

   1. units of time

   2. atoms of digestion

   3. the capacity to do work

   4. source of all knowledge

2. Energy is found in

   1. light

   2. sound

   3. heat

   4. all of the above

3. Hydropower came into use in;

   1. 1600s

   2. 1700s

   3. 1800s

   4. 1900s

4. The primary energy source in the world today is:

   1. wood

   2. atom

   3. sun

   4. oil

5. The most common source of energy in Ukraine is:

   1. oil

   2. natural gas

   3. coal

   4. all of the above

Answers: (1C, 2D, 3D, 4C, 5D)

Bird-friendly farming in Spain has taken off and it is benefiting the “Great Bustard” bird. “Riet Vell” is a program that was set up in 2001 by SEO Birdlife, the oldest conservation charity in Spain. It aims to demonstrate the feasibility of bird-friendly farming in areas of ecological significance where farmland is an important habitat for endangered species.

The project began by producing organic rice in the Ebro Delta district in Catalonia, Spain. Rice paddies are essentially man-made wetlands, and if farmed organically, they can provide an ideal feeding and reproductive habitat for rare species of birds. The Purple Gallinule, the Purple Heron, the Squacco Heron, and the Whisked Tern are a few of the birds they are trying to save.

Following the success of its rice brand, “Riet Vell” has begun producing organic pasta from wheat grown in the Ebro Valley in Aragon, Spain. Small-scale farmers are encouraged to uphold traditional agricultural practices, which protect the species – among them the Great Bustard, the Stone Curlew and the Black-Bellied Sandgrouse – and participating farmers themselves, who receive more now for their wheat from the “Reit Vell” program than they would on the open market.

Choose the Best Answer:

1. The oldest conservation charity in Spain is

   1. Ebro Delta

   2. SEO Birdlife

   3. Squacco

   4. Reit Vell

2. The charity is interested in saving

   1. fragile species of spiders

   2. endangered bird species

   3. fragile butterfly species

   4. endangered worm species

3. The species’ environment includes:

   1. lakes

   2. deserts

   3. wetlands

   4. mountains

4. An example of a rare species is:

   1. the Purple Gallinule

   2. the Great Bustard

   3. the Stone Curlew

   4. all of the above

5. Small scale farmers are encouraged to

   1. use man-made rice paddies

   2. grow wheat

   3. uphold traditional agricultural practices

   4. all of the above

Answers: (1B, 2B, 3C, 4D, 5C)

Rechargeable batteries are restoring coral reefs in the tropical island of Vanuatu. The tiny Pacific Island of Vanuatu has no main supply of electricity – inhabitants rely on batteries for their electrical energy. Batteries are expensive and account for a large proportion of most families’ monthly income. They are also difficult to dispose of as they release acids and toxic chemicals as they decompose (decay, rot).

In Vanuatu, most households solved this problem by dumping used batteries into the sea. This was severely damaging to the island’s finest asset (benefit): its coral reefs. Chemicals seeping from the sunken batteries were poisoning fish and killing the coral.

Vanuatu’s Marine Protected Area Group decided to tackle the problem by encouraging the use of rechargeable batteries. The “Nguna-Pele” Rechargeable Battery Project purchased a powerful 600W solar panel, a battery charger, and 900 rechargeable batteries. In the tropical sunshine, this array is capable of recharging around 60 batteries per day. Charged batteries are rented to the population at a fraction of the cost of new ones.

The benefits to the coral reef are already being seen. Dead batteries are no longer being found within the Marine Protected Area and the fish populations appear to be returning.

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Vanuatu is:

   1. a mountain area

   2. an island

   3. a river

   4. a lake area

2. Vanuatu inhabitants rely on:

   1. electricity

   2. coral minerals

   3. batteries

   4. solar heat

3. Vanuatu’s finest asset is its:

   1. working animals

   2. beautiful birds

   3. rare pigs

   4. coral reefs

4. A problem for Vanuatu was:

   1. finding food

   2. electrical wires

   3. disposing of batteries

   4. marine fish

5. Vanuatu’s solar panels:

   1. provide cooking fuels

   2. heat their homes

   3. provide hot bath water

   4. recharge their batteries

Answers: (1B, 2C, 3D, 4C, 5D)

“‘Love you forever day’ prompts Chinese wedding rush” bbc.co.uk, January 2013

Thousands of couples queued at registry offices across China on Friday, in the hope that marrying on the date would bring them lasting romance. The rush came because the Mandarin for 4 January 2013 sounds similar to the phrase "I will love you all my life".

At least 10,000 couples were due to tie the knot in Beijing, with many more turning up without an appointment. A similar wedding rush took place on 12 December, the century's final repeating date.

Matching days, months and years - like 12/12/12 - are being considered to bring good fortune, but that particular date also sounded like "will love" in Mandarin, China's state news agency Xinhua reported in December. Extra government staff had to be deployed then to cope with the increased number of people.

On Friday - nicknamed "love you forever day" - couples were once again crowding into civil affairs departments in provinces around the country.

Couples in the southern island province of Hainan even braced bad weather and lined up in the rain, waiting for their chance to say "I do". Weddings are a multi-billion-dollar business in China, with more than 10 million taking place every year.

1. Thousands of couples married on January 4 because

1. They received a lower wedding cost on this day.

2. It corresponded with the Chinese New Year.

3. The date promised eternal love in Mandarin.

4. The civil affairs department was closing due to inclement weather

.

2. To deal with the 10,000 couples, …

1. The president of China declared a national emergency.

2. Additional government staff was sent to assist.

3. Civil affairs departments were forced to close.

4. The government raised the price of a marriage certificate.

3. Dates that are numerically _________ are considered lucky in China.

1. Unique

2. Identical

3. Dissimilar

4. Uncommon

4. All of the phrases mean “to get married” EXCEPT:

A. to throw the roses

B. to tie the knot

C. to get hitched

D. to walk down the aisle

5. According to the text, what most closely describes the state of weddings in China?

1. Technology is a larger money maker than weddings.

2. For the Chinese, weddings are a significant event.

3. The Chinese government is trying to boost revenue in weddings.

4. More Chinese couples are opting out of marrying due to the high cost.

Answers: (1C, 2B, 3B, 4A, 5B)

from The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, 1952

He no longer dreamed of storms, nor of women, nor of great occurrences, nor of great fish, nor fights, nor contests of strength, nor of his wife. He only dreamed of places now and of the lions on the beach. They played like young cats in the dusk and he loved them as he loved the boy. He simply woke, looked out the open door at the moon and unrolled his trousers and put them on. He urinated outside the shack and then went up the road to wake the boy. He was shivering with the morning cold. But he knew he would shiver himself warm and that soon he would be rowing.

1. What does the old man dream of now?

1. Fish

2. Women

3. Lions

4. Fights

2. The text indicates about the old man’s economic status:

1. He comes from a family of old money.

2. He enjoys a calm retirement.

3. He is in a depressed state.

4. He continues to work during old age.

3. Which adjective most closely describes the old man’s character?

1. Pragmatic

2. Distressed

3. Optimistic

4. Carefree

4. The passage suggests that…

1. The old man is content in his way of life.

2. The old man is nostalgic for the past.

3. The old man loved his wife more than he loves the boy.

4. The old man dreams to escape from reality.

5. The lions on the beach most likely signify ___________.

1. Youth

2. Wealth

3. Friendship

4. Honor

Answers: (1C, 2D, 3A, 4D, 5A)

“Where are the World’s Friendliest Countries?” by Tim Newcomb, time.com, January 2012

Getting away from stress can lead to a friendly lifestyle, something that both New Zealand and Australia specialize in, according to a HSBC Expat Explorer Survey and Forbes ranking of the world’s friendliest countries.

Using data from the largest survey of expatriates, Forbes distilled the information into a list of the friendliest locales, and New Zealand and Australia led the world on the niceness scale, edging out South Africa, which landed in third.

The previous list’s leader, Canada, slipped all the way to fourth. And surprise, surprise — the United States sits in fifth place.

Countries were ranked on everything from economics and raising children to overall experience and the ease of befriending locals. Along those lines, the United Arab Emirates received the least-friendly moniker, one the country hasn’t exactly welcomed with open (or friendly) arms. India, Qatar, Russia and Saudi Arabia all found themselves on the mean end of the survey’s list.

But back to the happy places, New Zealand and Australia. The countries’ separation from the world’s stress, quality social programs, focus on family outdoor activities, smaller populations that make assimilation easier and the lower unemployment, crime and poverty levels all added up to friendly and welcoming locations.

South Africa’s blend of African and European amenities and culture helped it score high on the list, along with the financial perks it provides. Those relocating to Canada enjoyed the work-life balance and those moving to the U.S. say their car and housing situations greatly improve upon their past. But nothing beat living the friendly life on the beaches of New Zealand. Imagine that.

True/False Questions:

1. The hormone, Cortisol, produced when a person is under stress leads to a more friendly lifestyle.

2. Canada moved up on the niceness scale in comparison to last year’s survey.

3. The data was collected from and based on local residents, not expatriates.

4. Countries were ranked on a diverse set of criteria for the survey.

5. As a rule, larger populations generally make assimilation easier than small populations.

6. India, Qatar, Russia and Saudi Arabia are close runners-up after New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Canada and the U.S. for niceness.

7. Forbes magazine is responsible for compiling the results.

8. South Africa ranked high on the list, primarily for its prime geographical position.

9. While it is beneficial, the ease of befriending locals was not a criterion in the survey.

10. The United Arab Emirates is not recognized as a foreigner-friendly place.

Answers:

(1F, 2F, 3F, 4T, 5F, 6F, 7T, 8F, 9F, 10T)

from The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1925

There was music from my neighbor’s house through the summer nights. In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and he champagne and the stars. At high tide in the afternoon I watched his guests diving from the tower of his raft, or taking the sun on the hot sand of his beach while his motor-boats slid the waters of the Sound, drawing aquaplanes over cataracts of foam. On week-ends his Rolls-Royce became an omnibus, bearing parties to and from the city between nine in the morning and long past midnight, while his station wagon scampered like a brisk yellow bug to meet all trains. And on Mondays eight servants, including an extra gardener, toiled all day with mops and scrubbing-brushes and hammers and garden-shears, repairing the ravages of the night before.

1. The narrator is most likely part of which social-economic class?

1. Lower-class

2. Middle-class

3. Upper-class

4. Elite class

2. The passage suggests the neighbor is part of which social-economic class?

1. Lower-class

2. Middle-class

3. Upper-class

4. Elite class

3. The guests participated in all the following activities, EXCEPT:

1. sunbathing

2. boating

3. fishing

4. swimming

4. Which adjective describes the movement of the station wagon, “scampered like a brisk yellow bug”?

1. Hurriedly

2. leisurely

3. bumpily

4. dizzily

5. What is the nature of the neighbor’s parties?

1. elegant

2. humble

3. well-mannered

4. unruly

Answers: (1B, 2B, 3C, 4A, 5D)