A visit to the Ocean Center – by Rebecca Hardy, aged 13

My family and I went to the Ocean Center in my hometown recently. It was one of the most

amazing places I’ve ever been. We don’t live near the sea, so I don’t get much chance to see

living creatures for myself.

Inside the center you go on what they call an ocean journey. It takes you from the smallest

stream, through rivers, and out into the deepest ocean. Along the way you meet fish and other

creatures that live in these places. And there are thousands of them – some pretty and peaceful,

and others frightening and deadly.

Our guide told us that the Center was originally set up to help look after the seas and protect the

life within them. In fact, every entry ticket bought there helps the Center to achieve its aim, so I felt

my visit was in a good cause.

By chance, we arrived just at feeding time and watched staff give food to hundreds of fish. I

wanted to do it too, but the staff wouldn’t let me. But I’d still really recommend being there at

feeding time. You’ll see feeding times advertised at the ticket sales, or you can telephone in

advance to find out when they are.

The most fascinating part of the visit for me was a new exhibition at the Center that told the story

of seahorses across the world. It has the biggest collection for these magical creatures in Europe,

and almost as many as one in the USA. I found out about what they ate, and how a male

seahorse managed to give birth to 1500 babies! And although our guide told us it was hard to see

the young ones, we were lucky enough to catch sight of some in the tank!

We also went to one of the Center’s talks about the underwater world.

Ours was called ‘Sharks’,

and the one on the following day was called ‘Creatures of the Deep’. There are talks on other

topics given on different days, so it’s best to check which talk will take place on the day you go.

Once we’d bought our ticket, we could go in and out of the Center as many times as we liked

during the day. We can also buy an annual pass that gives you unlimited entry all year around. I’m

saving up for one!

For questions 1 – 5, circle A, if the sentence is correct, or B, if the sentence is incorrect.

For questions 6 – 10, answer the questions. Use your own words.

1. Rebecca hardy’s home is close to the coast.

2. At the Ocean Center, you can see fish from both seas and rivers.

3. All the creatures that are on display at the Center aren’t dangerous.

4. The admission fee for the center goes to environmental projects.

5. Rebecca was allowed to feed the fish at the Center.

6. Rebecca had to book in advance to see the fish at their feeding time.

7. The Ocen Centre has the largest collection of seahorses in the world.

8. Rebecca was pleased that she was able to see baby seahorses in the exhibition.

9. Each day, the Centre holds lots of talks on different topics.

10. Rebecca found she could leave and return to the Centre during her visit without paying again.

A visit to the Ocean Center – by Rebecca Hardy, aged 13

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

As a result of pollution, Lake Erie, on the borders of the USA and Canada, is now without any living things. Pollutions in water are not simply a matter of “poisons” killing large numbers of fish overnight. Very often the effects of pollution are not noticed for many months or years because the first organisms to be affected are either plants or plankton. But these organisms are the food of fish and birds and other creatures. When this food disappears, the fish and birds die in this way a whole food chain can be wiped out, and it is not until dead fish and water birds are seen at the river’s edge or on the sea shore that people realize what is happening. Where do the substances which pollute the water come from? There are two main sources – sewage and industrial waste. As more detergent is used in the home, so more of it is finally put into our rivers, lakes and seas.

Detergents harm water birds dissolving the natural substance which keep their feather waterproof. Sewage itself, if it is not properly treated, makes the water dirty and prevents all forms of life in rivers and the sea from receiving the oxygen they need. Industrial waste is even more harmful since there are many high poisonous things in it, such as copper and lead. So, if we want to stop this pollution, the answer is simple, sewage and industrial waste must be made clean before flowing into the water. It may already be too late to save some rivers and lakes, but others can still be saved if the correct action is taken at once.

Pollution in water is noticed ______.

A. when the first organisms is affected

B. as soon as the balance of nature is destroyed.

C. when poisons are poured into water

D. when a good many fish and birds die

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

As a result of pollution, Lake Erie, on the borders of the USA and Canada, is now without any living things. Pollutions in water are not simply a matter of “poisons” killing large numbers of fish overnight. Very often the effects of pollution are not noticed for many months or years because the first organisms to be affected are either plants or plankton. But these organisms are the food of fish and birds and other creatures. When this food disappears, the fish and birds die in this way a whole food chain can be wiped out, and it is not until dead fish and water birds are seen at the river’s edge or on the sea shore that people realize what is happening. Where do the substances which pollute the water come from? There are two main sources – sewage and industrial waste. As more detergent is used in the home, so more of it is finally put into our rivers, lakes and seas.

Detergents harm water birds dissolving the natural substance which keep their feather waterproof. Sewage itself, if it is not properly treated, makes the water dirty and prevents all forms of life in rivers and the sea from receiving the oxygen they need. Industrial waste is even more harmful since there are many high poisonous things in it, such as copper and lead. So, if we want to stop this pollution, the answer is simple, sewage and industrial waste must be made clean before flowing into the water. It may already be too late to save some rivers and lakes, but others can still be saved if the correct action is taken at once.

According to the passage, the way to stop water pollution is ______.

A. to make the waste material harmless.

B. to realize the serious situation clearly

C. to make special room in the sea for our rubbish

D. to put oxygen into the river

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

As a result of pollution, Lake Erie, on the borders of the USA and Canada, is now without any living things. Pollutions in water are not simply a matter of “poisons” killing large numbers of fish overnight. Very often the effects of pollution are not noticed for many months or years because the first organisms to be affected are either plants or plankton. But these organisms are the food of fish and birds and other creatures. When this food disappears, the fish and birds die in this way a whole food chain can be wiped out, and it is not until dead fish and water birds are seen at the river’s edge or on the sea shore that people realize what is happening. Where do the substances which pollute the water come from? There are two main sources – sewage and industrial waste. As more detergent is used in the home, so more of it is finally put into our rivers, lakes and seas.

Detergents harm water birds dissolving the natural substance which keep their feather waterproof. Sewage itself, if it is not properly treated, makes the water dirty and prevents all forms of life in rivers and the sea from receiving the oxygen they need. Industrial waste is even more harmful since there are many high poisonous things in it, such as copper and lead. So, if we want to stop this pollution, the answer is simple, sewage and industrial waste must be made clean before flowing into the water. It may already be too late to save some rivers and lakes, but others can still be saved if the correct action is taken at once.

Which of the following is harmful according to the passage?

A. industrial waste

B. water for cleaning

C. Chemicals

D. All of the above

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

As a result of pollution, Lake Erie, on the borders of the USA and Canada, is now without any living things. Pollutions in water are not simply a matter of “poisons” killing large numbers of fish overnight. Very often the effects of pollution are not noticed for many months or years because the first organisms to be affected are either plants or plankton. But these organisms are the food of fish and birds and other creatures. When this food disappears, the fish and birds die in this way a whole food chain can be wiped out, and it is not until dead fish and water birds are seen at the river’s edge or on the sea shore that people realize what is happening. Where do the substances which pollute the water come from? There are two main sources – sewage and industrial waste. As more detergent is used in the home, so more of it is finally put into our rivers, lakes and seas.

Detergents harm water birds dissolving the natural substance which keep their feather waterproof. Sewage itself, if it is not properly treated, makes the water dirty and prevents all forms of life in rivers and the sea from receiving the oxygen they need. Industrial waste is even more harmful since there are many high poisonous things in it, such as copper and lead. So, if we want to stop this pollution, the answer is simple, sewage and industrial waste must be made clean before flowing into the water. It may already be too late to save some rivers and lakes, but others can still be saved if the correct action is taken at once.

What is the meaning of “waterproof” in the second paragraph?

A. not allowing water to go through

B. covered with water

C. full of water

D. cleaned by water

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

As a result of pollution, Lake Erie, on the borders of the USA and Canada, is now without any living things. Pollutions in water are not simply a matter of “poisons” killing large numbers of fish overnight. Very often the effects of pollution are not noticed for many months or years because the first organisms to be affected are either plants or plankton. But these organisms are the food of fish and birds and other creatures. When this food disappears, the fish and birds die in this way a whole food chain can be wiped out, and it is not until dead fish and water birds are seen at the river’s edge or on the sea shore that people realize what is happening. Where do the substances which pollute the water come from? There are two main sources – sewage and industrial waste. As more detergent is used in the home, so more of it is finally put into our rivers, lakes and seas.

Detergents harm water birds dissolving the natural substance which keep their feather waterproof. Sewage itself, if it is not properly treated, makes the water dirty and prevents all forms of life in rivers and the sea from receiving the oxygen they need. Industrial waste is even more harmful since there are many high poisonous things in it, such as copper and lead. So, if we want to stop this pollution, the answer is simple, sewage and industrial waste must be made clean before flowing into the water. It may already be too late to save some rivers and lakes, but others can still be saved if the correct action is taken at once.

The living things die because there is no ______ in the lake or river.

A. water

B. poison

C. oxygen

D. fish

Read the following passage andmark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correctanswerto each ofthe questions from 36to 41.

The Ring of Fire is an enormous chain of volcanoes all around the Pacific Ocean. The ring goes from New Zealand up to Asia and across the ocean to Alaska. From Alaska, the ring continues southward along the coast of both North and South America. More than seventy-five percent of the world's volcanoes are located in this ring. Scientists are interested in studying the Ring of Fire because they can observe plate tectonics at work there. In 1912, a German scientist, Alfred Wegener, came up with the first theory of land movement. Wegener said continents are made up of lighter rocks resting on heavier material. Similar to the way large things move while floating on water, Wegener suggested that the positions of the continents were not fixed, but that they moved slightly. Later, scientists discovered most of Wegener's ideas were right on the mark. They then developed the theory called plate tectonics. According to plate tectonics, the surface of the Earth consists of a number of enormous plates or sections of rock, each about eighty kilometers thick. The plates float and slowly move at speeds between one to ten centimeters every year. That is about the rate your fingernails grow! Within the Ring of Fire, new material for the Earth's plates is constantly being created as hot liquid rock called magma flows from the center of the Earth up to the ocean floor. All the existing plates on the Earth's surface have to move slightly to make room for the new material. As plates move both away from and toward each other, they run into each other. When they hit each other, one plate might move under another. This process is called subduction. Subduction frequently causes earthquakes. It may also result in the bottom plate melting due to the extreme temperatures under the top plate. The magma created in this process can rise to the Earth's surface and come out through volcanoes, as can be seen along the Ring of Fire.

The word “fixed” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to _______________.

A. not changing

B. unstable

C. moving

D. floating

Read the following passage andmark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correctanswerto each ofthe questions from 36to 41.

The Ring of Fire is an enormous chain of volcanoes all around the Pacific Ocean. The ring goes from New Zealand up to Asia and across the ocean to Alaska. From Alaska, the ring continues southward along the coast of both North and South America. More than seventy-five percent of the world's volcanoes are located in this ring. Scientists are interested in studying the Ring of Fire because they can observe plate tectonics at work there. In 1912, a German scientist, Alfred Wegener, came up with the first theory of land movement. Wegener said continents are made up of lighter rocks resting on heavier material. Similar to the way large things move while floating on water, Wegener suggested that the positions of the continents were not fixed, but that they moved slightly. Later, scientists discovered most of Wegener's ideas were right on the mark. They then developed the theory called plate tectonics. According to plate tectonics, the surface of the Earth consists of a number of enormous plates or sections of rock, each about eighty kilometers thick. The plates float and slowly move at speeds between one to ten centimeters every year. That is about the rate your fingernails grow! Within the Ring of Fire, new material for the Earth's plates is constantly being created as hot liquid rock called magma flows from the center of the Earth up to the ocean floor. All the existing plates on the Earth's surface have to move slightly to make room for the new material. As plates move both away from and toward each other, they run into each other. When they hit each other, one plate might move under another. This process is called subduction. Subduction frequently causes earthquakes. It may also result in the bottom plate melting due to the extreme temperatures under the top plate. The magma created in this process can rise to the Earth's surface and come out through volcanoes, as can be seen along the Ring of Fire.

According to the reading, which is true about the Ring of Fire?

A. All of the volcanoes along the ring are active

B. Most of the volcanoes on Earth are part of the ring

C. The ring gets bigger each year

D. The ring was discovered in the 20th century.