Reading Comprehension 1101

Unit 1: Honoring Mother

Mothers hold a special place in the hearts of people all over the world, and many people have a special day on which to honor them.

The earliest celebrations for a mother were part of an ancient Greek festival to welcome the coming of spring and honor Rhea, the mother of the gods. Later, during the 1600s, “Mothering Sunday” was first celebrated in England. In some areas of the country, servants were given the day off on Mothering Sunday so they could visit their mothers. In other parts of England, people used this day to celebrate the “Mother Church,” which is the main church of the area. People usually went to the “Daughter Church” in their parish on most Sundays and it was considered important to return to their Mother Church once a year. They would return home to visit their Mother Church and their own mothers as well on Mothering Sunday. Eventually, Mothering Sunday became a day for people throughout Europe and the British Isles to honor both their mothers and the Church.

In the United States, a woman named Ana Javis proposed that the second Sunday in May be set aside to honor mothers throughout the nation. Her hometown of Philadelphia was the first to celebrate Mother’s Day on that day in 1908. Ms. Javis wrote to churches and business leaders across the country to encourage them to celebrate Mother’s Day in their communities, too. The holiday then became widespread, and in 1914 the second Sunday in May was named as the United States’ official Mother’s Day.

Mother’s Day is also celebrated in many other countries including Sweden, Mexico, Australia, Japan, China, Canada, and Singapore. Young children and adults celebrate this special day with their mothers, giving them gifts of flowers and candy to thank them for their love and kindness.

(   ) 1. The passage primarily deals with __________. (C)

(A) the celebrations for Rhea                         (B) the gifts for a mother

(C) the history of Mother’s Day (D) the countries which celebrate Mother’s Day

(   ) 2. According to the passage, Rhea __________. (B)

(A) ordered the Greeks to honor their mothers           (B) was the mother of the gods

(C) celebrated “Mothering Sunday”         (D) was a Greek servant

(   ) 3. According to the passage, “Mothering Sunday” was NOT __________. (D)

(A) the day for people to visit the “Mother Church”

(B) the day when servants had the day off to be with their mothers

(C) the day for people to honor their mothers

(D) first celebrated in the United States

(   ) 4. There is evidence in the passage to show that __________. (B)

(A) the second Sunday in May is Mother’s Day in countries all over the world

(B) in ancient England, people were encouraged to visit the “Mother Church” once a year

(C) “Mother Church” changed to “Mothering Sunday” later

(D) people in the US visited the “Daughter Church” on most Sundays

(   ) 5. Which of the following statements is NOT true based on the passage? (C)

(A) The earliest celebrations for mothers were connected with the coming of spring.

(B) “Mother Church” had something to do with Christianity.

(C) Philadelphia was the first to name the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.

(D) Ana Javis encouraged others to honor their mothers on the second Sunday in May.

Unit 2: No More Inky Mess

You can pay over US$300 for a luxury ballpoint pen, or buy a dozen of them for US$3. You will feel great with the expensive pen in your hand. It may be inlaid with silver or gold. The cheaper pens might be made of plastic and you may think that they feel light and flimsy. But when it comes to how the pens write, you’ll barely notice a difference. Today’s ballpoint pens, no matter how much they cost, all have a smooth flow of ink and write without skipping or blotting. But it wasn’t always so.

Ballpoint pens were invented in the late 1930s by a Hungarian writer to solve the problem of having to carry a pen and the ink separately. These first pens were filled with a tube of printer’s ink and bore a tiny ball inside a cone-shaped tip. As the pen slid across the paper, the ball rotated and picked up ink from the tube, leaving it on the paper. But the ink was pasty and thick. Writers had to press hard on the pen to get the ink to come out, and it often came out in big amount. Worse, the pens often leaked ink, ruining the writers’ clothes.

These problems were solved in 1949 when an American chemist developed a better ink. The new ink flowed smoothly and didn’t leak, and it washed out of clothes completely. To promote his new ink, the inventor would write on retailers’ shirts, offering to replace the shirt if it didn’t come clean after washing. The shirts were always able to be cleaned, and the retailers loved the ink. Within a few years, millions of these new pens were sold. This is the same basic ink formula for the pens we all use today.

(   ) 1. The primary purpose of this passage is to __________. (B)

(A) teach people how to tell expensive ballpoint pens from cheap ones

(B) tell people about the evolution of ballpoint pens

(C) let the public know how ballpoint pens are made

(D) promote a newly made perfect ballpoint pen

(   ) 2. Compared with expensive ballpoint pens, cheap ones __________. (D)

(A) don’t have a smooth flow of ink

(B) skip when you write

(C) would leak ink in your pockets

(D) write as smoothly as the expensive ones

(   ) 3. According to the passage, ballpoint pens __________. (C)

(A) were invented in 1949 by an American chemist

(B) were widely used before the 1930s

(C) may cost up to US$300 each

(D) were first used by a store owner

(   ) 4. Which of the following statements is NOT supported by this passage? (C)

(A) A luxury pen may be inlaid with silver or gold.

(B) In the early days, the ink inside the pen was pasty and thick.

(C) The ink formula for pen today is quite different from that in 1949.

(D) Before the invention of ballpoint pens, people had to carry a pen and the ink separately

(   ) 5. The author’s attitude toward the pens we use today could be best described as __________. (A)

(A) satisfied                   (B) impatient           (C) indifferent          (D) worried

Unit 3: Pet Vacations

Pet owners often face tough choices when vacation time rolls around. Their furry friends probably can’t come along to the beach or the mountains --- dogs and cats are seldom welcome in hotels or restaurants, and of then they don’t enjoy long car rides.

The German Animal Protection League has come up with an alternative. Using the slogan “You take my pet, I’ll take yours,” it offers a free service to help pet owners take a carefree vacation. The service matches pet owners who are planning to take a trip with others who would be happy to take the travelers’ pets into their homes. The owners and “pet sitters” meet to discuss the animals’ needs, and the owners pay a fee to the sitters for their pets’ food and care. The fee, which is set by the sitters, is usually low. Most of the pets enjoy the companionship of another family while their owners are away. When the sitters want to take a vacation, they can also use this service to find someone to care for their pets.

Pet trading is becoming very popular in other parts of the world, too. Although the free matching service offered to Germans is not available in other areas, pet owners often form informal networks to care for each other’s pets. One community in the United States uses a monthly newsletter to let residents know who is available for pet sitting. In many other communities, the messages spread by word of mouth. Krista Stephens, the owner of two dogs, uses pet sitters whenever she travels. “The boys,” as she calls her dogs, “seem to enjoy the experience, and I can relax knowing they are in good hands,” she says.

(   ) 1. The entire passage mainly discusses how __________. (D)

(A) pet owners go on vacations with their pets

(B) pets are sold through a network in communities

(C) communities in the United States use newsletters

(D) pets are taken care of when their owners are away on vacations

(   ) 2. What does the underlined phrase “furry friends” in the first paragraph refer to? (B)

(A) Pet owners.       (B) Pets.            (C) Animal lovers.         (D) Pet sitters.

(   ) 3. According to the passage, the German Animal Protection League __________. (A)

(A) only offers service in Germany

(B) also offers service to the communities in the U.S.

(C) offers service to help pet sitters train their pets

(D) offers service to help cats and dogs which are taking a trip

(   ) 4. The slogan “You take my pets, I’ll take yours” mean __________. (C)

(A) we can exchange our pets

(B) if you take my pets away, I’ll take yours in revenge

(C) we can take care of each other’s pets when anyone of us is away from home

(D) an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth

(   ) 5. What can be inferred from the passage? (C)

(A) Boys seem to be taken good care of when parents are away.

(B) Pets always go along with their owners on vacations.

(C) Pet sitters may have their pets looked after when they travel.

(D) The matching service costs a lot and it is not a popular business.

Unit 4: Globesity

The new word “globesity,” which is short for “globe obesity,” describes the world’s fastest growing health problem. According to the World Health Organization, globesity has grown by 50 percent in the last decade. However, these obese people aren’t the only ones at risk. According to the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF), one out of every four people in the world is overweight, rais(e)ing these people’s chances of developing diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. Being overweight and obese are problems for people in every nation, even where problems of malnutrition also exist.

Many experts blame the world’s weight problem on changing lifestyles. More and more of us work long hours at desk jobs far from home. We take a car, bus, or train to work instead of walking or biking. At the end of the day, we return home too tired to prepare a healthy meal so we grab fast food or fat-and-sugar-filled convenience food instead. After eating, we spend the rest of the evening sitting on the couch watching television. Who wouldn’t get fat with this routine?

So, what is the solution? Experts suggest that we should eat wholegrain foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, as well as lean protein. And, of course, we need to get more exercise. The U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research says that 60 percent of weight gain is due to lack of exercise. A 20-minute walk each day can help us become healthier. The International Obesity Task Force is asking world leaders to help spread the message that people must eat more fiber, but less sugar and fat, and get more exercise.

(   ) 1. The passage would most likely be found in a __________. (C)

(A) history book            (B) classified ad (C) medical journal  (D) fashion magazine

(   ) 2. According to the passage, those who are overweight have greater possibilities to suffer from the following diseases EXCEPT __________. (B)

(A) diabetes                   (B) insomnia     (C) heart disease            (D) cancer

(   ) 3. Which of the following would be the last reason why people might become obese? (A)

(A) Going to the gym.                       (B) Consuming foods filled with sugar.

(C) Eating too much fast food.          (D) Being a couch potato after eating.

(   ) 4. Which of the following statements is NOT true about obesity? (A)

(A) Obesity makes people too tired to prepare a healthy meal.

(B) Obesity is one of the most important public health problems.

(C) Weight gain often results from lack of exercise.

(D) Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables might make people healthier.

(   ) 5. We learn from the passage that __________. (B)

(A) obesity is never a problem in poor countries

(B) obesity is related to the way people live

(C) 50 percent of the world’s population is overweight

(D) in the last decades, obesity has grown by 60 percent