READING

Read the following announcement and answer the questions.

Fastpitch Softball Camp
– When: March 4 & 11;
Time: 6:00–8:00 P.M.;
Place: School gymnasium;
Who: Girls in grades 4–9;
Cost: $25.

The purpose of this camp is to provide players with a background of the fundamentals of fastpitch softball in the areas of pitching, catching, hitting, and fielding.

Campers must bring a softball glove, gym shoes, comfortable workout clothes, a bat (if you have one) and a good attitude. It is also recommended that you bring a water bottle for break times.

The school will supply bats, helmets, balls, coaching and fun! The cost includes a camp T-shirt.

Please find the registration form on the school website and send it to:
Activities Director,
St. Clare High School,
1200 Oakdale Avenue,
West St. Paul, 55118.

For more information on the Fastpitch Softball Camp, students can contact Mr. Hulse in his office (Room 711).

1. Why does the school hold the Fastpitch Softball Camp?

Read the passage and choose the correct answers.

Dear Students,

I hope that you have been enjoying your fun-filled summer. As the days of summer are quickly coming to a close, I hope that you are as excited as I am in anticipation of the start of the new school year. I hope that you have recharged yourself over the summer and will return with excitement and with a strong feeling of renewal. Last year we laid a strong academic foundation on which we will build sound knowledge and will continue to work toward academic excellence.

To those that are new to the middle school, we welcome you to our "Longhorn Family" and encourage you to be an active part of the campus. Parents, let me assure you that Reading Junior High has assembled a wonderful faculty and staff that will not only challenge your child to excel, but will do it in a positive and nurturing manner. I am looking forward to working with you and your children and building new relationships in the upcoming year that will last for years to come. Reading Junior High is dedicated to empowering our children to become the leaders of tomorrow by providing them with access to a superior education.

Thank you!
Juan Nava
Principal

6. The word "anticipation" is closest in meaning to ____.

Read the following story and answer the questions.

He was struggling to tie his shoes. I was struggling with whether I should help him.

I did, and he was grateful.

"Thank you," he said.

"I'm glad I could help you. I just thought it would be easier for me to reach," I said.

He was a disabled man and forced to look down most of the time. His arms and legs were twisted terribly, and he couldn't do what the rest of us would consider easy tasks. He always managed to look up to see how you reacted to his words, however. He had a big smile, making me feel comfortable.

I was still on my knees by his wheelchair.

"Nice shoes," he said.

"Thanks. No one has ever complimented me on them before," I said.

"No one has the same view of the world as I do," he replied.

"Tell me about the world as you see it," I said, smiling.

"Most people can see if someone is comfortable with them or not in their eyes. I see it in their feet," he said. "If people keep moving their feet, I just let them go, because I know they're impatient with me. I don't want to make people uncomfortable."

"What about me?" I asked.

"I could see your compassion. And then you came down to my level. I was the one who was nervous," he said. "I don't normally meet someone who looks me in the eye."

"They don't know what they're missing," I told him.

"My old face is nothing to brag about," he said.

"But that smile is so big."

Yes, and it's not only a big smile but an attitude.

11. What did the author do to the disabled man?

Read the following story and answer the questions.

The dogsled race was about to begin. Julie's team of dogs was lined up at the starting gate. Julie stood behind them. The air was so cold that she could see her breath. Other teams were lined up, too, and the dogs were excited. Julie kept her eyes on the clock. At exactly ten o'clock, she and the other racers yelled, "Mush!" The dogs knew that meant "Go!" They leapt forward and the race began!

Julie had trained for months for this race, and she hoped she and her dogs would win. Hour after hour, day after day, Julie's dogs pulled the sled in order to get in shape for the race.

Now, they ran over snowy hills and down into frozen valleys. They stopped only to rest and eat. They wanted to stay ahead of the other teams. The racers had to go a thousand miles across Alaska. Alaska is one of the coldest places on Earth. The dogs' thick fur coats helped keep them warm in the cold wind and weather. In many places along the route, the snow was deep. Pieces of ice were as sharp as a knife. The ice could cut the dogs' feet. To keep that from happening, Julie had put special booties on their feet.

At first, the dogs seemed to pull the sled very slowly. They were still getting used to the race. But on the third day out, they began to pull more quickly. They worked as a team and passed many of the other racers. Once, one of the sled's runners slid into a hole and broke. Julie could have given up then, but she didn't. She fixed it and they kept going.

When they finally reached the finish line, they found out that they had come in first place! It was a great day for Julie and her dogs.

17. How did the dogs know when to start racing?

Read the following article and answer the questions.

Influenza A (H1N1), earlier known as swine flu, is a new influenza virus, which has spread to many countries in the world. Swine flu is basically not a correct name. It was originally referred to as "swine flu" because laboratory testing showed that many of the genes in this new virus were very similar to those found in pigs in North America. Later, it was found that this new virus has gene segments from the swine, bird, and human flu virus genes. Hence this new virus has been named "influenza A (H1N1) virus".

The new influenza A (H1N1) virus spreads from person to person in the same way that seasonal influenza viruses spread. The main form of transmission is through the coughs or sneezes of an infected person. Infected droplets are released into the air and breathed in by others. However, these droplets do not remain in the air long and generally only affect people within two meters. It is also possible to get influenza by touching contaminated surfaces and then touching your nose, mouth, or eyes.

Because this virus is new, people have no immunity to it. So it will spread more quickly and widely than the seasonal flu viruses. The pandemic situation could mean lots of people become sick at the same time, and this could have a big impact on our day-to-day lives and place considerable pressure on the health services. Studies have shown that this influenza virus can survive on environmental surfaces and can infect a person 2 to 8 hours after being deposited on a surface.

22. What does the article mainly talk about?

Read the following text and answer the questions.

The Statue of Liberty stands at the entrance to New York Harbor. It is a gift given by the people of France to the people of the United States over one hundred years ago. It is a symbol of the friendship of the two nations established during the American Revolution. Over the years, the Statue of Liberty has become a representation of freedom and democracy of people everywhere.

To honor the American Declaration of Independence for 100 years, sculptor Frederic Bartholdi was commissioned by the French government to design a sculpture in 1876. The Statue was an effort by both America and France. The American people and the French people both agreed upon building the sculpture.The French people were responsible for the Statue and its assembly here in the United States. However, the deficiency of funds was a problem on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

In France, public fees, various forms of entertainment, and a lottery were among the methods used to raise funds. In the United States, money was raised by benefit theatrical events, art exhibitions, and auctions. However, fund-raising for the sculpture was going particularly slowly, so Joseph Pulitzer, the founder of the Pulitzer Prize, began some new pages in his newspaper to support the fund-raising effort. Pulitzer used his newspaper to criticize both the rich and the middle class who had failed to finance the construction of the sculpture. This action of criticism was successful in motivating the people of America to donate.

The financing for the sculpture was completed in August 1885, and the construction of its pedestal was finished in April of 1886. The Statue was completed in France in July 1884. Because the Statue was too big, it was divided into 350 individual pieces and packed in 214 big boxes. The Statue arrived in New York Harbor in June of 1885 and was built on Bedloe's Island. The Statue's framework was engineered by Gustave Eiffel who later designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris, which takes his name. On October 28, 1886, in front of thousands of visitors, President Grover Cleveland announced the official name of the Statue, which was Liberty Enlightening the World. Since then, millions of visitors have visited her.

Over the years, people there shortened the name of the statue. They called it the Statue of Liberty, or Miss Liberty. In 1956, the name of Bedloe's Island was changed to Liberty Island and became part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument.

27. What would be the best title for this text?

Read the following text and answer the questions.

People often refer to colors as being "warm," such as red, and "cool," like blue and green. However, when you touch a red wool sweater, it doesn't actually feel warmer than a blue one. Likewise, touching a green leaf doesn't make you feel cooler than touching a yellow one. So, why do we use these terms to describe colors?

First, explore warm colors. Warm things in our environment can provide some insight. When someone is warm, their face might turn red. The hot sun emits a glowing yellow to orange light. During warm summer weather, strawberries and tomatoes ripen, displaying vibrant shades of red. These examples might be why we tend to associate red, yellow, and orange with warm colors.

But why do we associate blue and green with coolness? Is it because cold seas and oceans often appear blue and green? Or perhaps it's because people seek relief from the heat in the shade of green trees? Maybe it's because lips can turn blue when exposed to cold temperatures. Many things related to coldness seem to have blue and green colors.

Beyond our perceptual experiences, there's a scientific basis for categorizing colors as warm or cool. Scientists have used a specialized instrument called a thermopile to measure color temperatures. Their findings reveal that reds, yellows, and oranges register a higher temperature compared to blues and greens. Although we cannot physically feel the temperature difference, scientifically speaking, warm colors indeed tend to be warmer than cool colors.

36. What would be the best title for the text?

LANGUAGE FORM AND MEANING

1.