question: Johannesburg (; ; also known as Jozi, Joburg and Egoli) is the largest city in South Africa and is one of the 50 largest urban areas in the world. It is the provincial largest city in Gauteng, which is the wealthiest province in South Africa. While Johannesburg is not one of South Africa's three capital cities, it is the seat of the Constitutional Court. The city is located in the mineral-rich Witwatersrand range of hills and is the centre of large-scale gold and diamond trade.

In 2011, the population of the city of Johannesburg was 4,434,827, making it the largest city in South Africa. In the same year, the population of Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Area was 7,860,781. Some view the area surrounding the city of Johannesburg yet more broadly than the metropolitan area, adding Ekurhuleni, West Rand and Lenasia; that larger area had a population of 8,434,292 in 2011. The land area of the municipal city () is large in comparison with those of other major cities, resulting in a moderate population density of .

The city was established in 1886 following the discovery of gold on what had been a farm. The name is attributed to one or all of three men involved in the establishment of the city. In ten years, the population was 100,000 inhabitants.
1. In what country is Johannesburg?
2. What province?
3. How does the province rank in terms of commerce?
4. Why was the city built?
5. When?
6. What is its population?
7. What was it shortly after foundation?
8. How dense is it?
9. Is the city built in a geographically flat area?
10. What sort of commerce often takes place in the city?
11. What is named after?
12. How does it rate in world population?
13. How many capitals does the country have?
14. Can you name a place that is near the city?
****
answer: 1. South Africa
2. Gauteng
3. wealthiest
4. the discovery of gold
5. 1886
6. 4,434,827
7. 100,000
8. unknown
9. No
10. gold and diamond trade.
11. one or all of three men involved in the establishment of the city
12. is one of the 50 largest urban areas in the world.
13. three
14. Ekurhuleni

question: The famous car Rolls-Royce has been largely hand-made and always one of the most expensive cars on the market.

In fact, Rolls-Royce is made up of two men's names, Charles S. Rolls and Henry Royce. They came from very different backgrounds, received very different educations and when they met; their careers were going in very different directions.

In 1903, Royce bought a second-hand France Decauville car. He found the car unreliable, difficult to start and overheated. Royce decided he could do better himself and set about building two-cylinder car of his own design. The first of these, built almost completely by Royce himself, was a success in almost every way: it started easily, ran smoothly and was very reliable. It never failed to impress everyone who saw it rode in the car, including Rolls.

While he was a university student at Cambridge, Rolls acquired a French Peugeot. It was the first automobile seen at Cambridge and by the time Rolls finished his studies, he was probably the most skilled driver in Britain. In 1902, Rolls went into the business of selling cars and became a leading automobile

. He was looking for a British car to market when he was told that Henry Royce had designed and built a two-cylinder automobile.

In 1904, Royce and Rolls joined together to build and sell motor car. They combined their talents--Royce the engineer and Rolls the salesman and businessman.

And, just two years later, the partnership produced the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, a milestone car acclaimed by many by the time as the " best in the world". Over the years the automaker built a legendary reputation.
1. is the vehicle named for a person?
2. what are they?
3. did the second one buy something?
4. what?
5. when?
6. did he like it?
7. why?
8. did he do something about it?
9. what?
10. did he do this alone?
****
answer: 1. two men's names
2. Charles S. Rolls and Henry Royce
3. Yes
4. a second-hand France Decauville car
5. In 1903
6. No
7. Because he found the car unreliable, difficult to start and overheated
8. Yes
9. He set about building two-cylinder car of his own design
10. almost

question: Recently, a small group of birdwatchers spent three weeks around Mount Vernon. They were busy counting wild birds on Mount Vernon's wetlands, south of Washington, D.C. They began in the middle of December and worked until the beginning of January, 2015.

The birdwatchers were among 70,000 volunteers who collected information for the National Audubon Society, a U.S. conservation group. They counted birds in more than 2,400 areas in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean Sea and other parts of the Americas.

The Audubon Society's first "Christmas Bird Count" took place 115 years ago in 1900. At that time, a man named Frank Chapman suggested a new Christmas tradition that people count birds instead of shooting them around the holiday.

Harry Glasgow has taken part in the Christmas Bird Count for the past 10 years. This year, he was one of the volunteer birdwatchers at Mount Vernon.

"I think it's a tremendous use of a lot of unofficial talent around the nation to keep track of birds. Birds are one of the surest indicators of the health of ecology."

Last year, the bird count recorded over 66 million birds of 2,403 different species.

Gary Langham is chief scientist with the National Audubon Society.

"The Audubon climate report says that half the birds in North America -- 314 out of 588 species -- are seriously threatened by climate change. The impacts sort of cut across all birds, all sizes, all kinds, all places."

Information from the bird counts has shown that birds are staying farther north during the winter months because of warmer weather. Birdwatcher Jaime Reidy has noted the difference close to Washington, in the state of Virginia.

"You get to see them at odd times of the year, a little earlier, staying a little later."

Gary Langham says other conditions are affecting bird populations.

"You can imagine the birds that live along the beach or along the rocky shore line as sea levels are rising around the world. That is impacting them, you know."

David Yarnold is president of the Audubon Society. In his words, "Christmas Bird Count data is becoming important not only in documenting current climate change, but in predicting the future effects of climate change on North American bird populations. If we know what to expect, we can start taking actions now to do something about it."
1. Who were people volunteering for?
2. What were they doing?
3. In how many parts of the U.S.?
4. Any other countries?
5. Does this counting event have a name?
6. What?
7. Who's idea was it?
8. What year did it start?
9. What is the information used for?
10. Can it help with understanding climate change?
11. Who says it can help?
12. Who is he?
13. Where does he work?
14. How long has Harry Glasgow helped out?
15. Where did he go this year?
16. What month did they start?
17. When did they stop?
18. Was he part of a group?
19. How many birds were counted the previous year?
20. What portion of North American birds have a problem with climate change?
****
answer:
1. National Audubon Society,
2. Counted birds.
3. More than 2,400.
4. Yes.
5. Yes.
6. "Christmas Bird Count"
7. Frank Chapman.
8. 1900.
9. Keep track of birds.
10. Yes.
11. Gary Langham.
12. Chief scientist.
13. National Audubon Society.
14. 10 years.
15. Mount Vernon.
16. December
17. Beginning of January.
18. Yes.
19. Over 66 million.
20. Half.