Blue whales are the largest animals ever known to have existed on the planet, and they can grow to a length of 100 feet and weigh more than 330,000 pounds. But recently researchers have found that these whales are on the move and they have migrated (moved) from California waters to areas off Canada and Alaska for the first time since commercial whaling ended in 1965. The researchers identified 15 blue whales that have appeared off the coast of British Columbia and the Gulf of Alaska since 1997. Four of these whales were recognized as ones that were once sighted off California shores, suggesting that the whales are returning to an old migration pattern between the coasts. Before commercial whaling began in the early 1900s, blue whales were found widely throughout the North Pacific and California waters. But from the 1920s to the 1960s, whaling severely reduced the whale populations. Blue whales never recovered in the Northern Pacific, making sightings in this area rare. However, much larger groups of whales have been observed close to California since the 1970s. The scientists had previously thought that the California population was separate from the population that had historically lived in North Pacific waters. But the current study shows that whales off the coast of British Columbia and the Gulf of Alaska are likely part of the California population.[:] To identify the blue whales, the researchers looked at photos of _ taken in the North Pacific Ocean and compared them with a library of blue whale pictures taken along the West Coast of the United States and Southern Pacific. Up to now, the researchers are not quite sure why the whales are changing their migration patterns, but they suspect that the whales may be following their food moving farther north by the changes in ocean conditions. What might make blue whales migrate according to the researchers? A) Commercial whaling. B) Food resources. C) Weather conditions. D) Life reproduction.
B
French novelist Jules Verne (1828--1905) is often called the father of science fiction. Although he was not a great traveler himself, his characters travelled to the moon (inFrom the Earth to the Moon), under the sea (inTwenty thousand leagues under the sea), into a volcano (inA journey to the centre of the earth), around the world (inAround the World in Eighty Days) and to many other places. Jules Verne was born in the French city of Nantes in 1828. When he was a boy he ran away from home to work on a ship. However, his father soon found him and brought him home. After that he decided that any future travel he did would be in books. In 1847 his father sent Jules to Paris to study to be a lawyer. Even though he was busy writing, Verne passed his exams in 1849 with high marks. When Jules told his father he did not want to be a lawyer, his father was very angry. He stopped sending his son any money, so Jules had to earn a living by his writing. Over the next few years he wrote many stories and plays, which brought him only a little money. Then, in 1856, he met Honorine de Viane, a rich, young widow with two children. The couple married the next year. After his marriage, Verne worked as a businessman in Paris. However, he was not very successful at his job and spent most of his time writing books and doing research for the next one. In 1863 he published his novelFive Weeks in a balloonand the following year he publishedA Journey to the centre of the earthwhich made him famous. His books became so popular and earned him so much money that he was able to leave his job and work full time on his writing. In his Lifetime, Jules Verne wrote more than 50 books and he became a rich man. Many of this imaginative novels have been turned into films. Which book can be considered as a turning point in Jules Verne's life? A) From the Earth to the Moon. B) Five Weeks in a Balloon. C) A Journey to the Center of the Earth. D) Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.
C
Q: Being that I worked in a grocery store for 7 years, I know quite a bit about impulsive purchases. In fact, I helped (sadly to say) push certain products by placing them in a certain fashion. Through said experience, I tend to know some of the best ways to counter the impulsive nature of buying things that are unnecessary. The following is a 3- point list to counter the need to buy something shoved in your face... Don't bring the kids. You wouldn't believe (or maybe you parents would) how much more junk parents buy for their kids that is completely impulsive. Working as a checker at a grocery store, I quickly learned that most of the time kids were with their parents, the parents would buy something else within 10 feet of the check stand. Bring exact cash. I like to use my debit card because I am able to track every penny better, but holding and letting go of cash is much tougher for me personally. So, if I am going through a tough time budgeting properly, I will bring the allotted amount of cash to the place of business and only allow that to be used. Ignore salesman. If you are at a department store and someone asks if you need help, try to ignore their push as much as possible. Sure, if you know nothing about laptops, get their advice, but even then I suggest doing your research pre-shop. Salesman could care less what you want. It's all about what their quota or commission is. Ignore them. Which statement about the passage is WRONG? A) Parents always bring something else for their children. B) The author will bring the exact cash to buy things when going through a tough time. C) Salesmen care much about what you want, so you can follow their advice. D) The author worked in a grocery store for 7 years.
A: C
By May,after three months,I had lost22pounds and reached my goal of 115 pounds.My friends would say "Alice,you look great!"or"How did you lose so much weight?"Those _ made me feel good and confident. Soon I dropped to110 pounds.A few of my friends told me that I needed to stop dieting,because I was starting to look sick. They brought me a present---- a bag of chocolates,which I later gave to my sister.My mother would come to my room,with tears in her eyes,and have long chats about how harmful this diet was and begged me to stop.My dad would leave worried messages on my cell phone at school,telling me that it would do serious harm to my body. By mid-June,when school was coming to an end,I was down to an only alive state of 95 pounds.All of a sudden,I knew I had to do something.I guessed the number itself scared me.I recalled my doctor.He told me about a girl who was 95 pounds and was at the risk of dying.I knew I was putting my life at risk,but for what? To make those who love me worried? Was it worthwhile to be thin? Now I realize that models in magazines,TV and movies are not realistic.The price to pay for the"perfect body"is living with a dangerous and sometimes deadly eating disorder.And there are more important things to think about than how thin you are. Why did the author's mother come to her room in tears? A) Because the mother was worried about her daughter's health. B) Because the mother thought her daughter was brave enough. C) Because the mother was sorry to have helped her daughter go on a diet. D) Because the mother was deeply moved by her daughter's friends.
A