The 115m Christmas Bird Count is officially underway. The count is an annual investigation of local and migratory birds and it's organized by the National Audubon Society. From December 14 to January 5, volunteers will gather in more than 2,000 locations in North, Central and South America to count the birds in their area. Each count takes place in a circle about 24 kilometers wide. The volunteers follow specific routes within the circle and record the number of individual birds and the different species they see there in a single day. The results are sent to the National Audubon Society and later published on Audubon's Christmas Bird Count website. The data collected during the bird count is a key source Of information for ornithologists, scientists who study birds. This information is used to develop conservation programs to protect bird habitats and the environment /n general. Data from the bird count was also used to determine that three species-the Western screech owl, the rusty blackbird and the Newfoundland red crossbill - should be added to Canada's list of species at risk. The annual bird count was created to protest another Christmas tradition at the very beginning .in the United States in the 19th century, people would often hold "side hunts" on Christmas Day. Teams of hunters would compete to see who could kill the most birds or other animals that day. In December 1900, Frank Chapman, an American ornithologist, suggested that instead of hunting birds, people should count them. Twenty-seven people in 25 locations joined in the first Christmas bird count Last year, more than 70,000 volunteers took part. This year, counts are scheduled to take place in 17 countries, ranging from the Arctic to the Antarctic, with most located in Canada and the United States .instead of taking place only on Christmas day, counts are now held on different days for different areas. What can we know about the Christmas Bird Count from the passage? A) It was organized monthly by the National Audubon Society. B) It was launched by Frank Chapman, a Canadian ornithologist. C) Its results can be seen on Audubon's Christmas Bird Count website. D) Only 25 people in 27 locations took part in the first Christmas Bird Count.
C
Members of the public can visit the White House now. Requests must be made through one's Member of Congress . These self-guided tours are allowed from 7:30 am to 11:00 am Tuesday through Thursday, 7:30 am to 1:00 pm Saturdays (except for holidays). Requests can be made up to six months in advance and no less than 21 days in advance. All White House tours are free. If you wish to visit the White House and are a citizen of a foreign country, please call your embassy for help in making a tour request. All visitors 18 years of age or older will be asked to present a valid photo ID. All foreign visitors must present their passport. All other forms of foreign identification will not be accepted. All visitors should call the 24-hour Visitors Office information line at 202-456-7041 to decide if any last minute changes have been made in the tour schedule . ks5u Forbidden Items *Cameras or video recorders *Handbags, book bags, backpacks or purses *Food, drinks, or cigarettes *Any pointed objects *Guns, or knives of any size The U.S. Secret Service has the right to forbid any other personal items. Umbrellas, car keys, and cell phones (including those with cameras) are permitted. However, guests will not be allowed to use cell phones inside the White House. Restrooms/ Public telephones The nearest restrooms and public telephones to the White House are in the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion (the park area south of the White House). Restrooms or public telephones are not available at the White House. The Disabled Please contact your Member of Congress if you cannot hear or see clearly and need help during your White House tour. Guide animals are allowed in the White House. When can people visit the White House? A) At 9:00 am on Monday. B) At 10:00 am on Wednesday. C) At 1:00 pm on Friday. D) At 11:00 am on Sunday.
B
Q: Did anyone find the names of "Great Britain", "the United Kingdom", "England" and "the British commonwealth" which have the same meaning? Strictly speaking, these names all refer to something different. None of them are exactly the same as any of the others. The British isles refer to the main islands and several thousand small ones as well, which you can see on the map. Great Britain, or Britain, refers to the larger of the two main islands. But the word "Britain" is often used as a short form for the United Kingdom or you call it the UK. Now as for England, it refers simply to the largest of the three countries on the island of Great Britain. The United Kingdom is the name of the state and the official name of the country, which many people popularly refer to England. Finally, the Britain commonwealth is the usual name for what is left of the British Empire . This change shows the weakening of British Empire and the rising of the national liberation movements throughout the world today. It is clear that the British isles refer to _ . A) Britain, England and the UK B) the two main islands and thousands of small ones C) three countries and several islands D) Great Britain or the United Kingdom
A: B
*Question*
Until March 28, the fate of the gray wolf in the Rocky Mountains was in the hands of the federal government because the wolf was listed as an endangered species. But once it was removed from the list -- a decision that is being challenged in court by a dozen conservation groups -- the gray wolf fell under the protection of individual states. That is turning out to mean almost no protection at all. prefix = st1 /Idaho's Fish and Game department announced last week that it would allow 428 of the state's estimated 1,000 wolves to die this year. Some will die of natural causes. Most will be killed by hunters. Idaho officials argue that the remaining population will still be larger than the very small number to be protected in the original federal wolf recovery plans. But Idaho's Fish and Game department has overruled its own staff biologists, who for the good of the wolf population -- and the ecosystem as a whole -- argued that more animals should be allowed to survive. Sadly, in Idaho, wolves are nothing more than another game animal to be managed for the benefit of human hunters. Beginning on Sept. 15, any Idaho hunter with a hunting license and $10.50 for a wolf tag will be entitled to shoot one wolf, at least until the quota of dead wolves in his region has been reached. And how will a hunter know if the local quota has been reached? There will be a hot line, of course. Hunters will be encouraged not to shoot wolves wearing radio collars because those wolves are still being studied. Perhaps the solution is to fit all wolves with radio collars. It is still possible that Idaho's wolves -- and the wolves in other states -- will get a _ . A federal judge will soon decide whether to support or object to the government's decision to delist the gray wolf. We hope he will restore the wolf to the endangered species list. There is no better proof of how dangerous life is for wolves thanIdaho's plan to protect them. Whose point of view may the author agree to? A) Idaho's Fish and Game department. B) Idaho's officials. C) Staff biologists in Idaho's Fish and Game department. D) The federal judge.
**Answer**
C