Animal moms are great moms. You might be surprised at some of these moms. Octopuses The mother octopus lays about 50,000 eggs. For about 300 days, she stays with the eggs, cleans them and protects them. She does not leave to feed. However, this animal mom dies as soon as the eggs are hatched . Crocodiles A crocodile mother puts a lot of time and effort into raising her babies. She starts by building a nest , which she guards for over two months! When the eggs are ready to hatch, the young crocs call out to their mother, who digs them out and helps them hatch. She then carries them in her mouth down to the water, where she will guard them for several more weeks or months until they learn to hunt on their own. Bats Bats become moms by hanging head up in a cave, giving birth. Catching the youngster before it can fall to the ground below, she puts it in a pouch . Bat moms may carry babies with them when feeding for the first few days. As the little bats get bigger and heavier, moms help them hang on the wall of their caves and return often to feed them. It continues for about three weeks, until the babies are grown up and able to fly on their own. Koalas The animal mom gives birth after a pregnancy of only 35 days. The hairless baby climbs into its mother's pouch and lives there for another five months. When the little koala is between five and eight months old, it leaves the pouch for short periods of time but returns for safety. Once it is too big to return to the pouch, it will climb onto its mother's back and ride there until it is about 12 months old. How long does the bat mom help to feed her babies? A) About 3 days B) About 3 weeks C) About 13 weeks D) About 3 months
B
(Question)
Thousands of hungry birds left the countryside of Britain in the bitter winter to find food and warmth in urban gardens. The move included species such as the redwing and the fieldfare, almost unknown outside rural areas The hard situation of farmland birds has been revealed in the latest survey of bird populations from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds released today. The redwing has an obvious stripe over the eye and a red flash on the flanks , while the fieldfare has a grey head, a peach underbelly, and a distinctive dark band on the tail. Graham Madge, the society's spokesman, says, "For many urban birdwatchers the sight of these striking species is a real treat. Many people have never imagined there being such an amazing chance." "Frozen ground prevented them from getting food in the countryside and they have been saved from starvation in towns," he added. He says the unusual sight this year somewhat _ the frustration felt at the suffering of small garden birds such as robins and wrens. These birds are sensitive to cold and must eat almost continuously to stay alive. Data from people who took part in the society's Big Garden Birdwatch recorded sightings in 280,000 gardens during the last weekend of January, with the goldcrest down 75 percent, the longtailed tit down 27 percent, and the coal tit down 20 percent. The study highlighted the need for food to be left out for birds during winter. The redwing and the fieldfare are relatively unknown outside the eastern part of the country. The research shows, however, that they moved to the other side of the country where the climate is generally mild in winter and that many for the first time have reached Cornwall and Isles of Scilly. The number of redwing sightings was up 185 percent, those of the fieldfare 73, and of the yellowhammer 68. Another surprise garden "guest" this year was the blackcap. This robinsized, silvergrey bird was rare in Britain 50 years ago, but increasing numbers now arrive each year from Germany and Austria. What does the passage mainly talk about? A) The tough living conditions of some British birds. B) The various species of Britain's garden birds. C) The changes of some bird's population in Britain. D) Unusual bird visitors in Britain's urban gardens.
(Answer)
D
Ques: A dog found shot in the head and face with a pellet gun, stuffed in a garbage bag and left to die is recovering from his injuries at an animal clinic in Texas. The bag containing the 3-year-old male mixed breed was discovered tied to a fence in Conroe, Texas, earlier this month. When local residents opened the bag, the dog appeared, took a few steps and fell. Augustyn rushed the dog to an emergency animal clinic, where he was treated for many pellets to the face, eyes, mouth, neck and shoulders. The dog was stabilized, but according to Dr Ron Hendrick, a vet at the Animal Emergency Clinic of Conroe, pellets remain in both eyes and it's unclear whether the dog nicknamed Buck was left blind forever. A Facebook page, Buck Needs Bucks for His Buckshot Injuries, was launched last week by Augustyn. It was created to help pay for the dog's medical bills. The page has attracted nearly 7,000 "likes" and, according to its creator, already more than enough donations to pay for his treatment. "The last 24 hours has been overwhelming for me," Augustyn wrote on the page. "I have gone from not knowing if I would have enough money to pay for Buck's emergency bill to having an unbelievable amount of money to provide the best possible care for Buck's recovery. I have thought long and hard about this today and how I should handle this. The conclusion is that I will open a separate bank account for Buck and all donations will be used for Buck's recovery and necessities." With the help of Facebook, Buck's story quickly sparked international interest. "Buck is now walking," Augustyn says. Police in Montgomery County say they are investigating the incident, and Augustyn says she has been in contact with law enforcement officials about donating a reward for information leading to the arrest of the person who tortured the dog. Sadly, cases like Buck's are not uncommon, particularly in Texas. After being treated at the emergency animal clinic, the dog _ . A) is still not in a stable condition B) remains blind because of the shots C) has no pellets remaining in his body D) has completely recovered from his injuries
Ans: B
Ques:Russia and the United States have completed the largest spy exchange since the Cold War.On Friday, at an airport in Vienna, Austria, an American plane and a Russian plane landed, parked side by side and exchanged _ . The United States freed ten admitted Russian agents.The men and women were arrested in late June and pleaded guilty on Thursday. In exchange, Russia freed four Russians serving prison sentences on charges of spying for the West.The men include Igor Sutyagin, an armed researcher who always denied the charges.Some considered him a political prisoner. The United States deported nine Russian and an American citizen born in Peru.Some raised children while living quiet lives as married couples. Russia's Foreign Ministry praised the exchange, saying, "The action improved Russian-U.S.relations." The group was accused of trying to gain information on American nuclear weapons, foreign policy and politics for the SVR -- Russia's foreign intelligence service. The ten were only charged with plotting to act as undeclared foreign agents.They were not charged with the more serious crime of spying, so the extent of their success as spies is not clear. One of the Russians, Anna Chapman, drew attention with her looks and stories of her New York party life.Hr lawyer, Robert Baum, said she had not passed secret information to Russia or received any payment.He also said, "She was accused of communicating with a Russian official through a laptop to laptop communication, without the government specifying the nature of the communication." The way both countries are handling the issue suggests that _ . A) neither side is interested in starting a fight B) neither side is in need of spies now C) the two countries are finding faults with each other D) the two countries are in a cold war now

Ans:
A