READING COMPREHENSION (10) C1 The main elements required for survival are food, fire, shelter and water Their order of importance will depend upon where you happen to be In the desert, water will head the list.Water is the most common liquid on Earth It covers about 71.4% of the Earth Pure water has no smell, taste, or color Water is the main component of drinks like milk, juice, and wine Water is very important for life but it is something that most people in the modern world take for granted They are so used to turning on a tap that until an extreme drought causes water rationing they seldom think about it Yet the survivor at sea, or after a flood, though surrounded by water, may be desperate for drinkable water And there are many places where, unless it rains, no obvious water is available Although there could be other survival necessities to deal with, water is always universally important ##### C2.Solar collectors absorb heat from the sun’s rays They can be used to effectively heat and cool buildings The most common type of collector for space heating is a flat plate designed to absorb both radiation falling directly on it, as well as radiation scattered by the atmosphere Collectors are usually panels of aluminum, copper, or steel The collector is covered with glass or plastic This layer allows short-wave radiation or light to enter the collector As the radiation passes through the glass or plastic, it is transformed from short-wave radiation to long-wave radiation – or heat A transfer agent (air or water) is circulated through the collector and becomes heated As it leaves the collector and travels through the heating ducts of a house, it warms the air inside the house or brings hot water to sinks, tubs, and appliances With solar collectors, storage is a problem: great amounts of heat must be stored for nighttime use and for use during cloudy days ##### C3 When you visit a supermarket you probably think you know exactly what you are going to buy, but the truth is you are very easily persuaded Over half the decisions you make are made suddenly, on impulse, while you are inside the store, so it is important that a product is displayed in an eye-catching position if it is to have any chance of success Today’s supermarkets invest millions of pounds in powerful computer, which tell them what product sells best and where “Space management” is the name given to a highly complicated way of influencing the way we shop to make sure that stores make the maximum profit You walk into a supermarket You pull out a trolley and stare up and down row after row of packed shelves You step out into the aisles You are faced with possibly the widest choice of food and drink in the world But over the next hour or so, you will shop in a completely predictable way This is what the space management teams who work for supermarkets have found out They believe that everything depends on the following rules about our behavior in supermarket ##### C4.Fires play an important role in the natural changes that occur in Earth's ecosystems The diversity of plant and animal life in the world's forests, prairies, and wetlands is (partly) dependent on the effects of fire.It results when matter burns beyond its combustion point and it releases energy in form of heat energy.Fire has been important for the survival of man in the following ways Firstly, fire is used for cooking food.Most of the food we eat is usually cooked Eating raw food has been in the decrease due to health concerns Secondly, fire is used for boiling water Water is another important part of our life Most of the water sources like rivers are not protected and this creates chances of water contamination Boiling, instead of use of chemicals in water treatment will save you the side effects which come along with excessive use of chemicals For many other reasons, fire is important to human’s life ##### C5 In the 16th century, Ferdinand Magellan led the first expedition to sail around the world As a young Portuguese noble, he served the king of Portugal After he was dismissed from service by the king of Portugal, he offered to serve the future Emperor Charles V of Spain On September 20, 1519, Magellan set sail from Spain with five ships More than a year later, one of these ships was exploring the topography of South America in search of a water route across the continent This ship sank, but the remaining four ships searched along the southern peninsula of South America Finally, they found the passage they sought near 50 degrees S latitude Magellan named this passage the Strait of All Saints, but today it is known as the Strait of Magellan.Later, Magellan became involved in an insular conflict in the Philippines and was killed in a tribal battle Only one ship and 17 sailors under the command of the Basque navigator Elcano survived to complete the westward journey to Spain and thus prove once and for all that the world is round, with no precipice at the edge ##### C6.Marie Curie, who was born in 1867 in Warsaw, Poland, was one of the most accomplished scientists in history At an early age, she displayed a brilliant mind.Marie was fortunate to have studied at the Sorbonne with some of the greatest scientists of her day, one of whom was Pierre Curie Marie and Pierre were married in 1895 and spent many productive years working together in the physics laboratory A short time after they discovered radium, Pierre was killed by a horse-drawn wagon in 1906 Marie was so depressed The fact that she had two young daughters to raise by herself greatly increased her distress.Curie's feeling of desolation finally began to fade when she was asked to succeed her husband as a physics professor at the Sorbonne She was the first woman to be given a professorship at the world-famous university In 1911 she received the Nobel Prize in chemistry for isolating radium Although Marie Curie eventually suffered a fatal illness from her long exposure to radium, she never became disillusioned about her work Regardless of the consequences, she had dedicated herself to science and to revealing the mysteries of the physical world ##### C7.Many great inventions are initially greeted with disbelief The invention of the airplane was no exception Although many people who heard about the first powered flight on December 17, 1903 were excited and impressed, others reacted with peals of laughter The idea of flying an aircraft was repulsive to some people Such people called Wilbur and Orville Wright, the inventors of the first flying machine, impulsive fools Negative reactions; however, did not stop the Wrights In 1900 and 1901, the Wrights tested numerous gliders and developed control techniques In 1903 the Wrights built their first airplane, which cost less than $1,000 When they started the engine on December 17, the airplane pulsated wildly before taking off The plane managed to stay aloft for 12 seconds, however, and it flew 120 feet By 1905, the Wrights were successful They created the first airplane that could turn, circle, and remain airborne for half an hour at a time This was the first plane with the full-size machine that could fly under its own power As the contributors of one of the most outstanding engineering achievements in history, the Wright brothers are accurately called the fathers of aviation ##### C8 Reading is becoming more and more important in the new knowledge economy and remains the most effective human activity for transforming information into knowledge.If top readers read at speeds of above 1000 words per minute (wpm) with near 85% comprehension, they only represent 1% of readers Average readers are the majority and only reach around 200 wpm with a typical comprehension of 60%.The average reader is five times slower than the good reader Things are even worse if we consider reading efficiency as well as speed.There are three possible ways to improve reading The fastest is probably a speed reading seminar based upon good materials and animated by a dynamic instructor.A book about speed reading is the second possibility Such a book usually provides speed and comprehension tests as well as techniques to improve reading.Finally, a speed reading computer program is probably the most efficient way to achieve top reading levels This is the task that seminars and speed-reading books usually leave up to the reader ##### C9 There are many reasons to use alternative energy sources One reason is to reduce pollutants and greenhouse gases Alternative or renewable energy sources help to reduce the amount of toxins that are a result of traditional energy use These alternative energy sources help protect against the harmful by-products of energy use and help to preserve many of the natural resources that we currently use as energy sources There are many alternative energy sources: wind power, solar power, geothermal power, and hydroelectric power are some examples Wind power is the ability to capture the wind in a way to propel the blades of wind turbines When the blades rotate, this movement is switched into electrical current with the help of an electrical generator In older windmills, wind energy turned mechanical machinery to the physical work like crushing grain to make bread or pumping water to get water Wind towers are built on wind farms, and usually there are several towers built together Wind towers are built on windfarms, and usually there are several towers built together In2005, the worldwide use of wind-powered generators wasless than 1% of all of the electricity use combined ##### C10 Solar energyis an important source of renewable energy and its technologies are broadly characterized as either passive solar or active solar depending on how they capture and distribute solar energy or convert it into solar power It is used for heating, cooking, making electricity, and even taking salt out of saltwater so the water can be drinkable and used for additional purposes that not need the salt Solar power uses sunlight that hits the solar thermal panels to convert the sunlight to heat either air or water Other methods of using solar power include simply opening up blinds or shades and letting thesunlight pass into the room or using some type of mirror to eat water and produce steam One advantage of solar power is that it is renewable As long as there is sunlight, you will be able to harness the power from it There is also no pollution and it can be used efficiently to heat and light things You can see the benefits of solar energy in heating swimming pools, spas, and water tanks in many cities across the country ##### C11 Geothermal means ‘earth heat’ Geothermal energy is heat energy is generated and stored in the Earth Hot rocks under the ground help to heat water to produce steam If holes are dug in this area of the ground, then the steam shoots up and is purified and used to drive turbines, which in turn gives power to electric generators.Thermal energy determines the temperature of matter The geothermal energy of the Earth's crust originates from the original formation of the planet and from radioactive decay of materials The advantages of this type of energy is that there are no harmful by-products, it is self-sufficient once the geothermal plant is built, and the plants are generally small so there is no negative visual effect on the area surrounding the plant.The geothermal gradient, which is the difference in temperature between the core of the planet and its surface, drives a continuous conduction of thermal energy in the form of heat from the core to the surface ##### C12 Hydroelectric energy comes from the potential energy of water that is dammed up supplies energy to a water turbine and generator Another example of hydroelectric energy is to make use of tidal power Today, electric generators can be powered by hydro-power that can run backwards as a motor to pump water for later use An advantage is that you can control the use of the energy by controlling the water You can also generate water all the time as there are no outside forces that prevent this from happening Furthermore, there is no pollution in using this type of energy In fact, you can reuse the water that is used for hydroelectric power Thedisadvantages are that dams are expensive to build and maintain There also needs to be a powerful enough supply of water in the area to produce energy ##### C13 A job, or occupation, is a person's role in society More specifically, a job is an activity, often regular and often performed in exchange for payment for a living Many people have multiple jobs (e.g., parent, homemaker, and employee) An activity that requires a person's mental or physical effort is work (as in ‘a day's work’) The two may differ in that one usually retires from their career, versus resignation or termination from a job.Most people spend up to forty or more hours each week in paid employment Jobs can be categorized as paid or unpaid Examples of unpaid jobs include volunteer, homemaker, mentor, student, and sometimes intern.Jobs can be categorized by the level of experience required: entry level, intern, and co-op.Some jobs require specific training or an academic degree.Those without paid full-time employment may be categorized as unemployed or underemployed if they are seeking a full-time paid job ##### C14.If standard of living is your number one objective, quality of life almost never improves But if quality of life is your number one objective, standard of living invariably improves Life can be overwhelming.The tough times can seem overbearing Usually, we want to throw our hands up in silent resignation and utter the words, ‘I give up’ However, you can improve the quality of your life by making a few small adjustments to your routines by altering your behavior and your way of thinking And keep in mind that you’re not alone; we all go through long periods of frustration, anxiety, fear, upset, and worry.It’s not difficult to overcome some of our natural tendencies to slip into a state of marginal depression Sometimes, life doesn’t turn out the way we want it to By improving our habits, we can improve the quality of our lives on multiple spectrums ##### C15 Quality of life, as defined here, is the sum total of your health, happiness, vitality, leisure, and income This formulaic approach helps to paint a better picture of the overall quality that people are subjected to Yet, many people simply define their quality of life by the amount of money they have Now, money does make the world go round People with access to money and resources can most certainly improve many areas of their lives But studies proved that those same people aren’t statistically that much happier An increase in income only equates to a temporary improvement of happiness Eventually, happiness levels baseline again Think about it in your past Maybe you received promotion you were hoping for or you landed a dream job For a short period, you were happy But it was fleeting Happiness doesn’t last forever when it comes to monetary gains, and it’s not the full picture While money does give you access to ‘things,’ there’s a reason why the saying ‘The best things in life are free,’ exists ##### C16 In 1971, behavioral psychologists, Donald T Campbell and Phillip Brickman, coined the term, ‘Hedonic Treadmill,’ also known as ‘Hedonic Adaptation.’ The term makes reference to the natural tendencies for humans to revert back to a set point of happiness after major changes – either positive or negative – to their lives The Hedonic Set Point, then, is a baseline of happiness that we all have, which we tend to revert to, even after things like a traumatic event or a major windfall of cash through say a lottery winning In a study published by Campbell and Brickman, they showed that both lottery winners and paraplegics all returned to a baseline level of happiness some time after the event They further argue that we all have a baseline Hedonic Set Point, which is determined through hereditary means and experiential knowledge And, although the baseline level of happiness might be different for everyone, the concept is very important to understanding the root of happiness and improving the quality of your life ##### C17 Studying abroad may be one of the most beneficial experiences for a college student By studying abroad, students have the opportunity to study in a foreign nation and take in the allure and culture of a new land Here is a list of the top 10 reasons to study abroad! The biggest reason you should consider a study abroad program is the opportunity to see the world By studying abroad, you will experience a brand-new country with incredible new outlooks, customs and activities The benefits of studying abroad include the opportunity to see new terrains, natural wonders, museums and landmarks of your host nation In addition, when you’re abroad, you won’t be limited to traveling in just the nation in which you are studying – you can see neighboring countries as well! For example, if you study in France, you’ll have the option to travel through various parts of Europe including London , Barcelona , and Rome ##### C18.When people's standard of living increase, they often think about improving their knowledge for a better life To that, they choose to study in developed countries where they can get progressive education However, everything has its advantages and disadvantages, studying abroad is not an exception In my opinion, I think studying abroad is the beat way to improve ourselves As you know, there are obvious advantages to study abroad Firstly, we have chance to improve our language Furthermore, we have opportunities to study the new technologies and most recent science achievements In addition, we are equipped with the valuable and updated knowledge, which may help us find jobs easily after graduating However, studying abroad is often expensive Last but not least, adapting to a new environment is a real challenge for every foreign student While studying abroad offers great opportunities for a better future, it also has challenges that we must try our best to overcome what happened to make our dream come true Therefore, if you have a chance I think you should take that chance to study abroad ##### C19 Everyday we have to make decisions about what kind of food we want to eat and what kind of nutrition every food product will provide It’s the nutritional choices that we make every day that will determine how healthy we will be in the long run Too much food can make us obese, while too little nutrition can lead to malnourishment The right foundation to good health is to choose food products that are rich in nutrients and have a balanced amount of nutrients like vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates and a little bit of fat as well If you choose your foods wisely, you will be able to enjoy the experience of eating, as the right foods will help you remain healthy You must choose food products that nourish your body Some of the foods that you want to include in your meals are whole grains that are rich in fiber, lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, beans and nuts; low-fat yogurt, milk and cheese; bright and colorful vegetables, as research indicates that a variety of colorful veggies contain a broad spectrum of essential nutrients, and fruits; and, fresh fruit juice without additives or sugar ##### C20.What is Diet? In the simplest terms, your diet is what you eat Any diet consists of two main aspects: what you eat and how much of it? To maintain a healthy weight, medical and nutritional authorities have prepared a nutrition food chart that gives the list of foods that are essential for the body as well as the amount of nutrients that we need to consume in order to remain healthy When you are trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, it is important that you give due consideration to both the quality and the quantity of your diet The importance of food and nutrition cannot be stressed enough Our bodies are made up of various cells and organs All of these require nutrition in order to function normally The importance of nutrition can be assessed by the simple fact that if we not get proper nutrition, the body begins to wear out and shows signs of neglect The importance of food in health simply cannot be stressed enough There is an age old adage that says ‘you are what you eat’ This is indeed true Your body constitution changes when you change your diet Food not only impacts our physical appearance and our physical health but also the way we think and behave ##### ... for 12 seconds, however, and it flew 120 feet By 1905, the Wrights were successful They created the first airplane that could turn, circle, and remain airborne for half an hour at a time This... continent This ship sank, but the remaining four ships searched along the southern peninsula of South America Finally, they found the passage they sought near 50 degrees S latitude Magellan named this... readers are the majority and only reach around 20 0 wpm with a typical comprehension of 60%.The average reader is five times slower than the good reader Things are even worse if we consider reading