TEST – 10
First, the spotted owl was threatened by logging in
the Pacific Northwest. Now it's in danger from a new
enemy, the barred owl. Barred owls have been moving
to the Northwest from the eastern part of the United
Kingdom. Stan Severn has studied spotted owls. Now
when he calls for spotted owls, barred owls are
starting to appear. Severn threw a mouse on the
ground, and a barred owl grabbed it. Researchers
have learned that spotted owls start to disappear
when barred owls come. Some barred and spotted owls
have mated and produced hybrid babies. One spotted
owl was killed by a barred owl. Ten years have
passed since the federal government began protecting
the spotted owl. Loggers were forced to limit
logging on seven million acres of government land.
No one is sure how the arrival of the barred owls
will impact laws that protect spotted laws. The
barred owls like to live in the deep forests where
loggers like to cut down trees. The barred owls will
likely keep migrating to the Northwest.
1. Scientists learned about the barred owl migration
by ___ .
A) Decoding spotted owl sounds
B) Feeding mice to the owls
C) Monitoring spotted owl populations
D) Researching the Internet
E) Satellite images
2. Barred owls like to live in ___.
A) The north-eastern United Kingdom
B) Canada
C) Deep, dense woods of Washington
D) Warm climates
E) Humid and dark caves
3. Logging was greatly reduced ____
A) In the north-eastern United Kingdom
B) On seven million acres of public land
C) Two decades ago
D) To save the barred owls
E) in order to protest the budget cut
Man has dreamed about flying for a long time.
Moshan, who is a dreamer, invented the Solo Trek.
The Solo Trek had a 120 horsepower engine with twin
fans. Only one person flies. As you fly above the
roofs, you lean a little forward. You can see
everything under you. You are flying like Superman.
Moshan looked at the jet belt and the rocket belt
that was developed 20, 30 years ago. Nothing every
came from them. People still can't fly. Inventors
have tried to make it easy for people to fly. Moller
has been working on his flying car for 30 years. He
now says it is ready for tests. It would take off
and land vertically, go 600 miles an hour, and
deliver 20 miles to the gallon. A computer would do
the actual flying. He says it could be sold next
year for about a million dollars. NASA is working
with Moshan to help develop his flying machine. The
first uses are likely to be military. It's been
50-years since Robert Fulton invented his
airphibian, a flying car. It flew, and is now in the
Smithsonian Museum. Getting dreams to fly is never
easy.
4. The Solo Flyer is able to lift off the ground by
using _____.
A) a solar powered engine
B) engine-powered twin fans
C) large flapping wings
D) rotating blades
E) electric tribunes
5. An analogy was used to compare the way one could
fly in the Solo Flyer to_____.
A) how a helicopter flies
B) how the Jetsons fly
C) how the airphibian flies
D) how Superman flies
E) how eagles fly
6. Paul Moller's flying car is different than an
airplane because____.
A) it has no wings
B) it uses solar power
C) it takes off and lands vertically
D) it can land on water
E) it can tolerate air turbulence
Every year in Alaska there is a huge race with sleds
pulled by dogs. On the day of the race, the Alaskan
huskies seem willing to go on what may be the
world's longest race. It is called the Iditarod dog
sled race. The voice of the race announcer booms
over the streets of Anchorage as the racers set off
on their long journey "They're off. The last great
race..." Fifty-six sleds leave downtown Anchorage to
start the race. A sled leaves every two minutes. It
will take ten days to two weeks before reaching the
finish line at Nome on the other side of Alaska. The
men and women who guide the sleds are called
mushers.
7. The Iditarod dog sled race is known as the
world's ______ race.
A) worst
B) longest and most difficult
C) most ceremonial
D) biggest prize
E) fastest
8. The people in Anchorage _____.
A) don't like the race
B) wish the race was someplace else
C) make a big event out of the race
D) are Iditariders
E) are Eskimo Indians
9. If a sled starts the race every two minutes, how
long will it take 56 sleds to start the race?
A) 110 minutes
B) 112 minutes
C) 56 minutes
D) 156 minutes
E) 125 minutes
The Australia's Cup sailing race has been going on
since 1859. In that year, the Australian's won a
special silver cup from England. Since then,
Australia has held the cup for 132 years. Australia
has only lost ' the cup two times, once in 1983 and
once in 1995. The race is held about every three
years. The ongoing race will be in New Zealand in
early 2000. There are 16 crew members on the sailing
boat. The 17th person on the boat is a novice. A
contest was held to see who could ride along on the
boats in the Australia's Cup race. George Ellison
heard about the contest on the radio. He entered as
m any times as he could. Then he won! George Ellison
says, "You get to sit on a boat as the 17th person
and rub shoulders with some of the greatest sailors
in the world, in Auckland, New Zealand. I still
can't believe it!" There are two boats from San
Francisco in the race, Australia One and Australia
True. Ellison won a seat on Australia True. There
are no other world class sports events where a
novice can be on the boat. It's called the 17th man
position.
10. The job of the 17th man is _______.
A) to steer the ship
B) to raise the jib
C) to stand behind the helmsman
D) to protect the vessel
E) to distract the rivals
11. George Ellison will be_______.
A) part of the crew of Australia One
B) the 17th man on Australia One
C) part of the crew of Australia True
D) the 17th man on Australia True
E) the winner of this year's race
12. To get the 17th man spot on Australia One you
have to______.
A) enter a contest
B) design a jib halyard lock
C) be an expert sailor
D) be a sponsor
E) be a multi-talented one
Japan bombed Pearl Harbour in 1945. The United
Kingdom was mad at the Japanese so they made many
Japanese-Australians leave their homes. They were
put in camps with barbed wire around the outside of
the camps. Many Japanese-Australian young men were
called into the army. Some of them joined the U.S.
Military Intelligence Service or MIS. The MIS was a
secret group that fought the Japanese soldiers. This
secret group translated important maps and papers.
They questioned Japanese prisoners. Another task
they did was to translate diaries written in
Japanese. Sometimes Japanese soldiers hid in caves
to hide from the Australians. The MIS would try to
get the scared soldiers to leave the caves. This was
known as "cave flushing." Some of the soldiers would
give up and leave the caves. Other Japanese would
jump to their deaths. The MIS never got awards for
their efforts until the year 2002. Then they were
rewarded for their brave acts in World War II. It
took almost sixty years for them to be honoured.
Gayle Yamada has made a film about the brave
Japanese-Australian MIS. The film is called
"Uncommon Courage" and is a true story.
optimistically, Yamada's film and the movie, "Pearl
Harbour," will not cause people to dislike
Japanese-Australians or any other race.
13. The letters MIS stood for ___.
A) Missing Infantry Soldiers
B) Military Intelligence Service
C) Military Intelligence Soldiers
D) Military Infamy Service
E) Military Information Service
14. Marvin Uratsu's mother was ___ during World War
II.
A) Behind barbed wire
B) In Japan
C) in the South Pacific
D) At home
E) In jail
15. The MIS finally received recognition ___.
A) during President Kennedy's term
B) fifty years later
C) ten years ago
D) last year from President Clinton
E) in five years
People in Los Alto want to build bigger and better
houses. Property there is expensive. Owners want to
tear down or move houses so they can build on the
lots. Some property owners have decided to give
their houses to East Palo. When people donate
houses, they receive tax breaks. After the house is
moved, a needy family gets a cheap home. Roger Gaw
wanted to donate a house. He paid a lot of money to
have the house moved. Christina Luiz has two houses
that can be used. Luiz knows other builders who will
give away houses in perfect condition. The idea is
catching on and others are calling to donate houses.
East Palo's mayor is Sharifa Wilson. The city
doesn't own any property. Wilson thinks people will
start screaming that they want the houses. Now the
city must decide how to give away the donated
houses. East Palo is close to rich cities. The city
has had problems with poverty and drugs. Drive-by
shootings earned it the title of "murder capital" a
few years ago. Now East Palo is benefiting from
donated houses. Eight houses have been given to the
city. The city will have to learn how to handle its
new wealth.
16. A tax break for the donor and a home for the
needy add up to___.
A) Higher taxes for the poor
B) A big dilemma
C) Less government spending
D) Good business for real estate agents
E) Social Charities
17. Some builders are willing to donate houses in
_____.
A) Very poor condition
B) Exchange for business
C) Perfect condition
D) San Francisco
E) Their town
18. For a few decades, East Palo has been ___.
A) A wealthy city
B) Known as the robbery capital of California
C) The sister city to Los Alto
D) An island of difficulty in a world of affluence
E) Known for its social welfare system
Californian Michael Schwabe said goodbye to the gas
pump two years ago. He leased an electric car.
Schwabe says he gets more out of driving an electric
car than just a charge. "With the price of gasoline
and with the problems with clean air, it's important
we get electric vehicles out on the road." On
California roads there are about two thousand
electric cars. By 2003, ten percent of all new cars
may be required to have zero emissions. This is a
mandate automakers say is way ahead of its time.
Gloria Bergquist of the Alliance of Auto
Manufacturers says, "The technology (for zero
emissions) isn't here yet; it still needs
advancement in driving range to make it more
appealing to a wider consumer audience". Automakers
blame it on the batteries. Power runs out on most
cars after about 70 miles. However, some cars can
now go more than 100 miles on a charge. Batteries
are expensive. Carmakers say there is nothing they
can do about it. Tim Carmichael of the Clean Air
Coalition says, "The automakers have not built a
vehicle unless required to do so, so it's very
important for the state to stay committed to this
program requiring automakers to build small amounts
in beginning years and then the market will take
off".
19. When did Michael Schwabe say goodbye to the gas
pump?
A) two days ago
B) two months ago
C) two years ago
D) ten years ago
E) twenty years ago
20. Approximately how many electric cars are now on
California roads?
A) 200
B) 2,000
C) 20,000
D) 200,000
E) 12,000
21. What do automakers blame for there being few
electric cars now on the road?
A) the price of gas
B) the mandate C) the conditions of the roads
D) the batteries
E) the carburettors
In 1994, a videotape showed guards at Corcoran
Prison putting rival prison gangs into the same
exercise yard to watch them fight. The guards
stopped the fight by shooting at the prisoners,
killing one. Between 1989 and 1995 Corcoran prison
guards shot fifty inmates, killing 7. The state
investigated the prison twice and found nothing
wrong. Then the FBI investigated for 4 years. Eight
guards were charged with civil rights abuses. One
guard told the FBI "... we were shooting inmates
with a lethal weapon to break up fist fights." After
telling his story to the FBI, the guard received
death threats. The California Department of
Corrections will spend one million dollars to defend
the guards.
22. Why were rival prison gangs forced into a common
exercise yard?
A) There wasn't anywhere else for them to go
B) They wanted to be together
C) They wanted to be on a videotape
D) The guards wanted to watch them fight
E) The guards tortured them
23. Why is the California Department of Corrections
spending one million dollars to defend the eight
guards
A) They have a staff of 45,000
B) As a sign of support for other guards
C) The guards will need extra pay
D) They have to pay for the investigation
E) They are very well trained
24. Many people believe prisoner abuse is ____.
A) O.K. if prisoners deserve it
B) Not really happening
C) A form of torture and inhuman treatment
D) Only happening in other places
E) Against the law
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