Easter is still a great day for worship, randy in baskets and running around the yard finding eggs, but every year it gets quite a bit worse for bunnies. And no, not because the kids like to pull their ears. The _ is climate change, and some researchers found that rising temperatures arc having harmful effects on at least five species of rabbit in the US. Take the Lower Keys March rabbit, for instance. An endangered species that lives in the Lower Florida Keys, this species of cottontail is a great swimmer -- it lives on the islands! -- but it is already severely affected by development and now by rising levels. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, an ocean level rise of only 0. 6 meters will send these guys jumping to higher ground and a 0.9-meter rise would wipe out their habitat completely. The snowshoe hare, on the other hand, has a color issue. Most of these rabbits change their fur color from white in the wintertime to brown in the summer, each designed to give them better cover from predators . As the number of days with snow decreases all across the country, however, more and more bunnies arc being left in white fur during brown dirt days of both fall and spring, making them an easier mark for predators. Researchers know that the color change is controlled by the number of hours of sunlight, but whether the rabbit will be able to adapt quick enough to survive is a big question. The National Wildlife Federation has reported that hunters have noticed their numbers are already markedly down. American pikas or rock rabbits, a relative of rabbits and hares, might be the firs' of these species to go extinct due to climate change. About 7-8 inches long, pikas live high in the cool, damp mountains west of the Rocky Mountains. As global temperatures rise, they would naturally migrate to higher ground -- but they already occupy the mountaintops. They can't go any higher. The National Wildlife Federation reports that they might not be able to stand the new temperatures as their habitat beats... The problem faced by volcano rabbets and rock rabbits is that _ . A) both are affected by 1ess snow B) both are affected by rising sea levels C) neither can find enough food D) neither can migrate to higher places
D
(Question)
How to eat healthfully can be especially complex for working women who often have neither the desire nor the time to cook for themselves (or for anyone else ).Registered dietitian Barbara Morrissey suggests that a few simple rules can help. "Go for nutrient-dense foods,"she suggests,"foods that contain a multiple of nutrients. For example,select whole wheat bread as a breakfast food,rather than coffee cake. Or drink orange juice rather than orange drink,which contains only a small percentage of real juice--the rest is largely colored sugar water. You just can't compare the value of these foods, the nutrient-dense ones are so superior,"she emphasizes. Morrissey believes that variety is not only the spice of life,it's the foundation of a healthful diet. Diets which are based on one or two foods are not only almost impossible to keep up the strength,they can be very harmful, she says, because nutrients aren't supplied in enough amounts or balance. According to Morrissey,trying to find a diet that can cure your illnesses,or make you superwoman is _ ." As women,many of us are too concerned with staying thin,"she says,and "we believe that vitamins are some kind of magic cure to replace food." "We need carbohydrates,protein and fat-they are like the wood in the fireplace. The vitamins and minerals are like the match,the spark,for the fuel,"she explains." We need them all,but in a very different proportions . _ ." Orange juice is different from orange drink because _ . A) it contains only a small percentage of real juice B) it is natural,nutritious and prepared from real oranges C) it is largely orange-colored sugar water D) it produces nothing but calories
(Answer)
B
Ques: Songs that make our hearts happy can make them stronger too, US researchers reported on Tuesday. They found that when people listened to their favorite music, their blood vessels _ in much the same way as when they are laughing, or taking blood medications. "We have a pretty impressive effect," said Dr Michael Miller, director of preventive cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. "Blood vessel diameter improved," he said. "The vessel opened up pretty significantly. You can see the vessels opening up with other activities such as exercise." A similar effect is seen with drugs such as statins. When blood vessels open up more, blood flows more smoothly and is less likely to form the clots that cause heart attacks and strokes. "We are not saying to stop your statins or not to exercise but rather to add this to an overall program of heart health," said Miller, who presented his findings to a meeting of the American Heart Association in New Orleans. Miller's team tested 10 healthy, non-smoking men and women, who were told to bring their favorite music. They spent half an hour listening to the recordings and half an hour listening to music they said made them feel anxious while the researchers did ultrasound tests designed to show blood vessel function. Compared to their normal baseline measurements, blood vessel diameter increased 26 percent on average when the volunteers heard their joyful music. Listening to music they disliked -- in most cases in this group heavy metal -- blood vessels narrowed by six percent, Miller said. Miller said he came up with the idea after discovering that laughter caused blood to literally flow more smoothly. "I asked myself what other things make us feel really good, besides calories from dark chocolate of course. Music came to mind. ... It makes me feel really good," he said. Most of the volunteers chose country music but Miller said the style is not so important rather than what pleases each individual. According to the passage, which of the following will NOT cause blood vessels to open up? A) Taking exercise. B) Listening to unpleasant music. C) Bursting into laughter. D) Taking drugs like statins.
Ans: B
A ten-year-old boy from Howell, Michigan America is being hailed (...) a hero due to his persistence that led to saving the life of an elderly neighbor. The chain of events unfolded late in the evening on Sunday, January 26th, 2014 when Danny Dipietro was being driven home from hockey practice by his dad. That's when the young boy noticed an open garage and a figure that he believed was a dog outside an apartment near his house. Given the extremely cold weather, the young boy got a feeling that something was not right. But instead of dismissing it like most kids at his age would have, he insisted that his mother, Dawn, go to examine what was going on. Dawn tried to convince Danny that no one would leave a dog out in such cold weather, but he refused to take no for an answer. Dawn finally gave in and decided to take a walk to the area with the family dog and see if there was any truth to Danny's premonition . Sure enough, as she got closer to the apartment she noticed a garage that was wide open and a bent figure, waving madly. Upon getting there, she realized that it was not a dog that the young boy had seen, but Kathleen St. Onge, one of her neighbors. The 80-year-old had slipped on some ice in her garage and had been lying there for two hours, unable to get up. Dawn rushed home to get her husband for help and called 911. The two then returned with some blankets to cover Ms. St. Onge, while they waited for the ambulance to arrive. Though still in hospital, the elderly woman is recovering well and grateful to Danny for his premonition. Which of the following is TRUE? A) Danny likes playing hockey with his father. B) Ms. St. Onge is grateful for Danny's premonition. C) Danny loves animals especially dogs very much. D) Ms. St. Onge is an old woman who lives alone.
B