Reading Explorer 4, Third Edition

Additional Reading Practice

Unit 1B

Read the passage and choose the correct answer for each question.

The Power of Photography

A In 2014, approximately 1.8 billion photographs were uploaded to the Internet each
day. Today, everyone is a subject, and knows it—soon we will be adding ―the unguarded
moment‖ to the endangered species list. Yet certain photographs have the power to do more
than just document lives—they change lives. They can transport us to unseen worlds. They
can profoundly alter the way we see things. And while most of us are taking pictures of our
breakfast, there are those fortunate few who take photographs for a living: professional
photographers.

B People often romanticize the life of a National Geographic photographer. Yes, they
travel the world. They are witnesses to all earthly beauty. But that does not mean it is easy.
They must overcome daily obstacles (flight delays, inhospitable1 weather), and are often
interrupted by disasters (broken bones, imprisonment). Away from home for many months at
a time—missing birthdays, holidays, school plays—they can find themselves in dangerous
situations … or sitting in a tree for a week … or eating bugs for dinner.

C Still, these photographers would not have it any other way. Their work reflects
different passions: human conflict and disappearing cultures, big cats and tiny insects, the
desert and the sea. Yet they share similar qualities as well. They each have a hunger for the
unknown, the courage to be ignorant, and the wisdom to recognize that, as one says, ―the
photograph is never taken—it is always given.‖

D Photographers often sit for days, even weeks, with their subjects, listening to them,
learning what it is they have to teach the world, before at last lifting the camera to the eye.
They have spent years in the worlds of Sami reindeer herders, Japanese geishas, and New
Guinea birds of paradise. Their tremendous commitment can be seen in their photographs.
What is not visible is their sense of responsibility toward those who dared to trust the stranger
by opening the door to their quiet world. These photographers view photography as
teamwork, a collaborative venture between two souls on either side of the lens.

E The images in National Geographic reveal a world of incredible diversity. But

photographers are often asked to photograph places and creatures that may soon disappear. If
National Geographic photographers have one obsession, it is their desire to use their
influence to help save the planet. When they experience the beauty of seals swimming in the
Gulf of St. Lawrence, they also see the habitat in danger: Seal pups are drowning due to
melting ice, a consequence of climate change. When photographers witness the calamity2 of
war in the gold-mining region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, they hold onto a
glimmer of hope: Show the gold merchants in Switzerland the damage that has been done,
and maybe they will stop their purchases. This story, at least, had a positive outcome. When
Swiss gold merchants saw photographer Marcus Bleasdale‘s images at a Geneva exhibit,
their Congolese gold purchases stopped almost overnight.
F Every photographer, whether professional or amateur, dreams of the perfect shot. It is
interesting to note that the most iconic National Geographic photograph is not of anyone
famous or anything historic. Instead, it is a photograph of Sharbat Gula, an Afghan girl of
maybe 12. Photographer Steve McCurry encountered her in 1984 at a refugee camp in
Pakistan. Her intense, sea-green eyes spoke to the world from the cover of National
Geographic’s June 1985 issue. The Afghan girl‘s stare pierced our hearts and stopped a
heedless Western world in its tracks. We knew her instantly, and we could no longer avoid
caring about her situation.

G McCurry took this portrait before the invention of the smartphone. In a world
seemingly numbed by a daily avalanche3 of images, can photographs such as this still tell us
something important about ourselves and about the imperiled beauty of the world we live in?
Photographers use their cameras as tools of exploration, and as instruments for change. Their
images are proof that photography matters—now more than ever.

1 If an environment is inhospitable, it is harsh and difficult to live in.

2 A calamity is an event that causes a lot of damage, destruction, and distress to a person.
3 An avalanche is a large and overwhelming quantity of something that comes suddenly.

1. What is the passage mainly about?

a. why National Geographic photographers take so many photographs
b. how to become a professional photographer for National Geographic
c. the types of people who are National Geographic photographers
d. the different types of photographs in National Geographic Magazine

2. In paragraph C, what does the phrase these photographers would not have it any other
way mean?
a. they do not want to change the way things are
b. they are trying to change the way things are
c. they cannot change anything
d. they will change things in the future

3. The main idea of paragraph F is found in the ____ sentence.

a. first
b. second
c. fourth
d. sixth

4. Which of the following is a difficulty that is NOT mentioned in the reading?

a. eating bugs
b. broken bones
c. low pay
d. missing holidays

5. According to the passage, is this statement true (T) or false (F)?

____ Steve McCurry took the picture of Sharbat Gula on a smartphone.

Reading Explorer 4, Third Edition
Additional Reading Practice
Unit 2B

Read the passage and choose the correct answer for each question.

Natural Selection

A From the tiniest insects like fruit flies to the largest animals like elephants, the norm is
for females to pick the male with which they want to mate; it is not a mutual choice. The
males, in turn, compete with each other to get a female‘s attention. Each is vying to show her
that he will be the best father for her babies. Evolutionary biologists argue that this is why
males usually have a more prominent appearance. It is why the male peacock has such
abundant and colorful tail feathers. It is why the male guppy, a small tropical fish, is covered
with bright orange and blue spots. It is why male frogs call and male birds sing.

B ―Basically, the male wants access to the female‘s eggs,‖ explains William Eberhard,
an evolutionary biologist at the University of Costa Rica. ―And he‘ll do whatever it takes to
please her. But it‘s her game; she sets the rules. And she makes the choice.‖

C Charles Darwin was the first scientist to develop a theory of sexual selection and to
recognize that females frequently select mates. He began to develop the notion1 while writing
On the Origin of Species, in which he argued that the related theory of natural selection is the
primary force in the evolution of all species.

D Natural selection goes far in explaining why one individual animal survives to pass on
its genes to the next generation, while another dies without breeding. According to this
theory, female birds are often drab2 so that they can hide from predators while sitting on their
eggs—instead of being brightly colored like their male counterparts. But natural selection
does not explain features that would seem to hinder an animal‘s survival, such as the male
peacock‘s fancy feathers or the guppy‘s bright spots. How did such unlikely inherent traits—
ones that seem to disagree with every Darwinian rule for staying alive—come about? Even
Darwin struggled to find a reason, once writing to a friend, ―The sight of a feather in a
peacock‘s tail makes me sick!‖

E Eventually Darwin found the answer, explaining in his 1871 book, The Descent of
Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex, that males‘ bright colors and elaborate songs are the
result of a process he named sexual selection. According to Darwin, sexual selection shapes
species in two ways––first by giving rise to competition among males for mates, and
secondly by females‘ inclination to direct their affections toward particular males.
F The part of Darwin‘s theory suggesting that females choose mates immediately
triggered attacks from all sides. Many scientists found the idea absurd. One man who
supported the theory of evolution, Alfred Russel Wallace, particularly hated the notion of
sexual selection and actively spoke out against it. He argued that males were brightly colored
and given to song because they had so much extra energy during the mating season. For
Wallace, natural selection covered everything, including male competition. And he thought
the idea that females choose mates because they prefer a particular color ridiculous as it
suggested an ability to notice details that he believed to be beyond most animals. Throughout
most of the 20th century, Wallace‘s opinion was the more popular one, and Darwin‘s theory
of sexual selection, containing the idea of female choice, was largely ignored.

G ―Right into the 1970s, people were still laughing at the idea of female choice,‖ says
Michael Ryan, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Texas in Austin. ―One writer
even said that all you had to do was look at our own species to see that females had no input
whatsoever in mating decisions. Now, of course, we have tons of examples that show that
Darwin was right: It‘s most often the females that choose.‖

H So then the big question becomes: What do the females want? Some researchers have
suggested that a male‘s colorful body parts and the unusual sounds they make carry
information about the quality of its genes, health, or parenting abilities. He is, after all,
applying for a very important job. Others believe that there is little information in these
things; they exist solely to attract the female. If she chooses a mate that other females regard
as handsome, she will produce attractive sons who are more likely themselves to be chosen as
mates, and so she has a better chance of passing on her genes. Meanwhile, the mating dance
is often one of the most colorful performances in the natural world.

1 A notion is an idea or a belief about something.

2 Something that is drab is dull and boring.

1. What is the main idea of the passage?

a. male animals are often more brightly colored than females
b. female animals, not males, make most mating decisions
c. bright colors and elaborate songs help males attract females
d. not everyone agrees with the theory of natural selection

2. In the second sentence of paragraph A, what does the phrase each other refer to?
a. males
b. females
c. elephants
d. fruit flies

3. Which of the following is a theory?

a. Male peacocks have a variety of abundant and colorful tail feathers.
b. Female birds sit on their nests and protect their eggs from predators.
c. In the 1970s, people laughed at the idea that females chose their mates.
d. Males are colorful so that they can compete for the females‘ attention.
4. In the sixth sentence of paragraph F, what does the phrase be beyond most animals mean?
a. it is useless to most animals
b. it is impossible for most animals
c. most animals can do this easily
d. most animals have very good vision

5. According to the passage, is this statement true (T) or false (F)?

____ Most scientists today agree with Darwin‘s idea of sexual selection.
Reading Explorer 4, Third Edition
Additional Reading Practice
Unit 3B

Read the passage and choose the correct answer for each question.

Hunter-Gatherers and the Paleo Diet

A Until agriculture was developed about 12,000 years ago, all humans got their food by
hunting, gathering, and fishing. As farming began, the numbers of nomadic hunter-gatherers
diminished as they were pushed off farmland. Eventually they became limited to the forests
of the Amazon, the grasslands of Africa, the remote islands of Southeast Asia, and the tundra1
of the Arctic. Today, only a few scattered tribes of hunter-gatherers remain on the planet and
scientists are hoping to learn what they can about ancient diets before they disappear.

B So far, studies of tribes like the Tsimane in Bolivia, Arctic Inuit, and the Hadza
people of Tanzania have found that these peoples traditionally do not develop high blood
pressure, atherosclerosis, or cardiovascular disease. ―A lot of people believe there is
discordance between what we eat today and what our ancestors evolved to eat,‖ says
paleoanthropologist2 Peter Ungar. The idea that we are trapped in Stone Age bodies in a fast-
food world has resulted in the current enthusiasm for Paleolithic diets. The popularity of
these so-called Stone Age diets is based on the idea that modern humans evolved to eat the
way hunter-gatherers did during the Paleolithic period—the period from about 2.6 million
years ago to the start of the agricultural revolution—and our genes have not had time to adapt
to farmed foods. In other words, we cannot digest them properly.

C A Stone Age diet ―is the one and only diet that ideally fits our genetic makeup,‖
writes Loren Cordain, an evolutionary nutritionist. Cordain studied the diets of living hunter-
gatherers. He came up with his own Paleo prescription: Eat plenty of lean meat and fish but
not dairy products, beans, or cereal grain, because these foods were introduced into our diet
after the invention of cooking and agriculture. Paleo-diet advocates like Cordain say that if
we eat only the foods our hunter-gatherer ancestors once ate, we can avoid the diseases of
civilization, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, even acne.

D However, many paleontologists studying the fossils of our ancestors and

anthropologists studying the diets of indigenous people point out that the real Paleolithic diet
was not all meat. Hunter-gatherers around the world usually get around 30 percent of their
annual calories from animals. But most also have times when they eat less than a handful of
meat each week. Year-round observations show that hunter-gatherers often do not have
success as hunters. The Hadza and Kung bushmen of Africa, for example, fail to get meat
more than half the time when they hunt. In fact, no one eats meat all that often, except in the
Arctic, where Inuit and other groups traditionally got as much as 99 percent of their calories
from seals, narwhals,3 and fish.
E So how do hunter-gatherers get energy when there is no meat? Well, ―man the hunter‖
is helped by ―woman the gatherer,‖ who provides more calories during difficult times. When
meat, fruit, or honey is not available, hunter-gatherers rely on plants and nuts, which are also
integral to their diet. For example, the Hadza get almost 70 percent of their calories from
plants.

F Many paleoanthropologists say that the modern Paleolithic diet‘s focus on meat does
not reproduce the diversity of foods that our ancestors ate, or take into account the active
lifestyles that protected them from heart disease and diabetes. ―What bothers a lot of
paleoanthropologists is that we actually didn‘t have just one caveman diet,‖ says Leslie
Aiello, president of the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research. ―The human
diet goes back at least two million years. We had a lot of cavemen out there.‖

G In other words, there is no one ideal human diet. Aiello and others agree that being
human is not about our taste for meat but our ability to adapt to many habitats, and to
combine different foods to create many healthy diets.

1 The tundra is a vast, flat, and treeless region in which the ground is permanently frozen.
2 A paleoanthropologist is a person who studies the origins and ancestors of the present
human species.
3 A narwhal is a small Arctic whale. The male has a long, spirally twisted tusk.

1. The main idea of the passage can be found in the ____ sentence of paragraph A.
a. first
b. second
c. third
d. fourth

2. In the last sentence of paragraph B, what does the word them refer to?
a. farmed foods
b. Stone Age diets
c. different kinds of meat
d. different periods in history

3. Which of the following is NOT something that hunter-gatherers would eat?

a. meat
b. fish
c. milk
d. plants

4. Which of the following is a theory, not a fact?

a. The Paleolithic period refers to a period of time that began about 2.6 million years
ago.
b. Cordain is a nutritionist who studied the diets of hunter-gatherers who are alive
today.
c. A diet similar to what people ate in the Stone Age can prevent many medical
problems.
d. The Hadza people of Tanzania get almost 70 percent of their calories from plants.
5. According to the passage, is this statement true (T) or false (F)?

____ The Hadza people eat meat every day of the year.
Reading Explorer 4, Third Edition
Additional Reading Practice
Unit 4B

Read the passage and choose the correct answer for each question.

Textile Dreams

A Cathy Newman reports on the latest innovations in the textile industry.

The CargoLifter

B As a reporter, I am able to see many interesting inventions. Here are some that might
someday be a reality. The biggest balloon I have ever seen looked like a giant pearl. It was
housed in a clamshell-like hangar that was made of a textile shell four football fields in length
and 35 stories tall. Located in Brand, Germany, an hour‘s drive south of Berlin, the CL 75
(CL stands for CargoLifter), was a 20-story-high balloon made of high-tensile strength fabric.
The designers built the CL 75 as a test craft for an even larger ship: the CL 160.

C The CL 160 was going to be larger than the ill-fated Hindenburg, the airship that
tragically caught on fire in 1937. However, unlike the Hindenburg, which used hydrogen, the
CL 160 would use noncombustible helium. The CL 160 would have been made of 39,000
square meters of a high-strength fabric known as Vectran. The designers planned to use this
to move huge factory turbines, structural steel beams, or oil-refinery equipment from one
place to another without worrying about obstacles like roads, power lines, or traffic.

D One executive explained how it could also be used for tourism. ―Instead of building a
new hotel in a new location, the CargoLifter could simply move the hotel. Today Angel
Falls! Tomorrow the Serengeti!‖ Another executive added that the government of India was
interested in using the CargoLifter to bring Muslim pilgrims to Mecca. ―You could pick up a
whole village!‖ he said.

E ―How much will CargoLifter spend before it carries its first payload?‖ I asked them.
―About half a billion dollars,‖ said Hinrich Schliephack, CargoLifter‘s marketing director.
―And if it doesn't get off the ground?‖ I asked. ―We'll just have to convince everyone!‖ he
replied.

F Unfortunately, the company‘s creditors were not among the convinced and the
company did not receive the money it needed to continue operating. Despite a four-million-
dollar government loan, the project was not able to get off the ground. A series of financial
ups and downs led CargoLifter to file for bankruptcy. Nonetheless, perhaps someday this
dream will become a reality.
G Meanwhile, the French have their own giant lighter-than-air craft project. The project,
still on the drawing board,1 will combine French textile and aeronautic companies and
government agencies to create a lighter-than-air craft capable of lifting 500 tons. ―Suppose
you have to change jobs and move to a new city,‖ said Patrice Gallant, a high-tech textile
manufacturer. ―Instead of buying a new house, you move your existing house!‖ This may
seem like a fantasy, but a portable house, suspended in air, just may be forthcoming.

Remote Controls

H At the Design for Life Centre at Brunei University in the south of England, Asha Peta
Thompson showed me something much smaller than the CargoLifter: a bright yellow pillow,
the size of a magazine. ―It‘s a television remote control for somebody with motor-skill
problems,‖ Thompson, a weaver, explained. The pillow, which has large numbers and
volume-control icons, relies on a switch made of a layer of mesh2 between two layers of
copper-coated nylon. It allows a person who is not able to use his or her hands to use a
conventional remote control to operate the controls. The pillow is functional, simple, and fun.
It should be, Thompson explained. Her mission is to design products for people with
disabilities and make them so appealing that able-bodied people will want them, too.

I Thompson also showed me a soft fabric mat that a child with cerebral palsy (a
disorder that can affect movement, among other things) could sit on. By leaning forward or
back, the child could use it as a joystick for video games. The combination of textiles and
technology makes perfect sense, she said. ―We surround ourselves with textiles. You come
out of the womb, and they wrap you in a cloth; then they put you away in a coffin in a cloth.
When you get out of the bath, you wrap yourself in a towel. It seems natural that what we
wear should be combined with technology.‖

J I have seen many inventions in my days as a reporter, but what I have seen is only a
fraction of what is out there. Imaginative inventors are coming up with more and more useful
devices, and I foresee a world where, as Thompson says, technology surrounds us almost as
much as textiles do.

1 The phrase ―on the drawing board‖ refers to an idea or a proposal that is under planning
and not yet ready to be put in action.
2 Mesh is material like a net made from wire, thread, or plastic.

1. Which of the following statements is true?

a. All four of the inventions in the passage have made a lot of money.
b. Thompson wants to make cloth to wrap babies in when they are born.
c. The yellow pillow is very large and is used to play video games.
d. The CargoLifter was not successful because of financial problems.

2. Which of the following is NOT given as an example of what the CL 160 could do?
a. move a house to a new location
b. transport an entire village
c. transport machines for factories
d. move a hotel to a new destination
3. At the end of which paragraph would the sentence This could change the way tourists
travel around the world best fit?
a. paragraph B
b. paragraph C
c. paragraph D
d. paragraph F

4. In the second sentence of paragraph I, what does the word it refer to?
a. child
b. cerebral palsy
c. movement
d. fabric mat

5. According to the passage, is this statement true (T) or false (F)?

____ Portable houses are still a fantasy in other countries, but they are already a reality in
France.
Reading Explorer 4, Third Edition
Additional Reading Practice
Unit 5B

Read the passage and choose the correct answer for each question.

The Genographic Project

A Where do you really come from? How did you get to where you live today? The
Genographic Project was an ambitious attempt to help answer fundamental questions about
where we originated from and how we came to populate the Earth. The team, led by
renowned population geneticist Dr. Spencer Wells, had created a revolutionary new platform
for studying deep ancestry to lead us on this journey.

B DNA studies have provided proof that all modern humans very likely descended from
a group of African ancestors, who, about 60,000 years ago, began a remarkable journey out
of Africa. Using advanced technology to analyze historical patterns in DNA from participants
around the world, the Genographic Project hoped to close the gaps in the study of mankind‘s
ancient migration path and broaden our understanding of our roots.

C Launched in 2005, the first phase of the Genographic Project enlisted a consortium of
11 global regional scientific teams who completed sample collection and DNA analysis of
indigenous communities in their respective regions. Collecting the data was an immense task,
and the project researchers hoped it would provide a clearer picture of humanity‘s collective
past. Dr. Wells said, ―The goal is to trace the migratory history of the human species, to map
how the Earth was populated.‖

D Communities that agreed to participate in the project shared their DNA by submitting
a cheek swab sample. Researchers then took the samples back to the lab, analyzed the DNA,
and isolated genetic markers to look for mutations that would indicate specific ancestral
lineages. People who came from common ancestral lineages would share the same branch on
the human family tree.

E Other people who were keen to join the study could do so by purchasing a Geno 2.0
DNA Ancestry Kit found on the Genographic Project‘s website. You did not need to be a
scientist to be involved. There were just three easy steps to follow:

1. Participants simply scraped the inside of his or her cheek using a cotton swab to
obtain a small amount of skin cells. This sample was then placed inside a vial and sent
to the project‘s partner lab, Family Tree DNA. To preserve anonymity, the sample
was not labeled with the participant‘s name, but with a unique identification number.

2. Once the sample was en route to the Genographic Project laboratory, participants
could track the various stages of the DNA sample and results on the website.
Participants needed to use the unique code found on their box to access their results.
 3. Within 6–8 weeks, participants were able to access their Geno 2.0 results on the
website, which shared details about an individual‘s ancient ancestry. The analysis
included: a personalized map of migration, a visual percentage breakdown of your
genomic ancestry by regional genetic affiliation, the opportunity to see how many
other participants shared your similar ancestry, and whether you had Neanderthal or
Denisovan1 ancestry. As more and more information was added to the database,
participants were encouraged to revisit their results periodically to check for updates.

F A portion of the proceeds from the sale of a Geno 2.0 kit was channeled to the
Genographic Legacy Fund (GLF), which helped preserve and revitalize indigenous2
languages and cultures. The goal of the GLF was to support indigenous led projects that
created a tangible and lasting impact on communities. The GLF had supported projects such
as the creation of teaching materials, weaving workshops, and the study of ancient farming
practices. The preservation of indigenous knowledge and cultures is important to our
understanding of our ancestry.

1 Neanderthals and Denisovans are extinct human species from the genus Homo.
2 Indigenous people (or things) are native to a particular country.

1. What is the passage mainly about?

a. why our African ancestors left that part of the world
b. what we know about our individual family history
c. how scientists have studied genetic ancestry and human migrations
d. how people could take part in the Genographic Project for a small fee

2. In the first sentence of paragraph B, what does the word who refer to?
a. international scientists
b. scientific researchers
c. modern humans
d. African ancestors

3. What is the main idea of paragraph F?

a. Money from selling Geno 2.0 kits supported indigenous embroidery workshops.
b. Income from indigenous projects was channeled to the Genographic Legacy Fund.
c. The sale of Geno 2.0 kits helped to fund additional field research.
d. Income from the Genographic Project helped to fund indigenous preservation
projects.

4. Based on the passage, which of the following statements is most likely to be true?
a. Researchers do not know much about ancient migration routes.
b. The first phase of the Genographic Project probably took more than 10 years to
complete.
c. Submitting a DNA sample is not a very complicated process.
d. The Genographic Legacy Fund provided funding for the Genographic Project.

5. According to the passage, is this statement true (T) or false (F)?

____ The goal of the Genographic Project was to prove that all modern humans descended
from a group of African ancestors.
Reading Explorer 4, Third Edition
Additional Reading Practice
Unit 6B

Read the passage and choose the correct answer for each question.

Taking Care of Anne

A Samburu National Reserve is one of the little-known jewels of northern Kenya, taking
its name from a proud tribe of warriors. The reserve is a relatively small secluded area, just
168 square kilometers. The adjacent Samburu-Laikipia area covers about 28,500 square
kilometers and contains about 5,400 elephants. That huge elephant population and its current
growth rate (several percent a year) reflect the fact that the area is a productive, welcoming
landscape for elephants. However, they are not always able to live in harmony with their
neighbors and both sides face certain risks. Conflicts occur, occasionally resulting in a crop
being devastated by hungry elephants or an elephant being shot.

B Confrontations sometimes occur between authorities about what should be protected

and what must be sacrificed. Biologist Iain Douglas-Hamilton has taken on the task of
compiling detailed, up-to-date information about the elephants and supplying it to the
decision-makers. In order to help accomplish this goal, he has equipped some elephants with
tiny radio transmitters that gather information about their movements and current location.

C Today Douglas-Hamilton is checking on one of these radio-equipped elephants. He is

walking up to this sizable young female who appears quite shy. Her name, as she is known to
him and his colleagues, is Anne. She stands almost concealed within a group of trees on the
top of a hill, quietly eating some leaves with several members of her family. Around her neck
hangs a wide leather band. At the top of her shoulders, like a tiny hat attached to the band,
sits an electronic transmitter. That transmitter has allowed Douglas-Hamilton to find her, first
flying in a small plane and then proceeding here on foot through the tall grass. He carefully
approaches to within 30 meters. Anne continues eating. She does not try to evade him, or
maybe she just does not notice that he is there.

D Elephants can be dangerous animals. They are excitable, complex, and sometimes
violently defensive. Douglas-Hamilton is a world-famous expert who has studied them for
over 40 years, and his instincts serve well to warn him if an elephant is a genuine threat. He
wants a clear look at the collar. He has heard reports that it may be too tight––that she has
grown into it since it was fitted on her. Ordinarily, Douglas-Hamilton does his elephant-
watching more cautiously, from the safety of his truck. However, no vehicle can drive this
landscape, and Anne‘s comfort and health may be at issue. The collar should be long enough
to hang loose. Douglas-Hamilton wants to be sure that Anne‘s is not too tight on her throat.
But at present, mostly hidden by the trees, she is showing him only her back side. So he
cautiously moves closer.
E Two other men wait a little way behind him. One is David Daballen, a bright young
researcher, who often accompanies Douglas-Hamilton on missions like this. The second man
is a local guide who is holding a weapon, a large gun. As they watch Douglas-Hamilton
edging forward, they notice another female elephant, a big one, probably the group‘s leader,
quietly and slowly moving around to his right. The other men try not to let the leader see
them. As this large female moves forward, Douglas-Hamilton seems unconcerned with her,
but one of the other men begins to look nervous. Soon, however, as if no longer interested in
taunting the men, she turns and moves away.

F Soon Anne moves slowly out into the open. She steps toward Douglas-Hamilton. The
gap between them is 15 meters. The elephant shows no signs of agitation. For a few seconds,
the young female gives him a clear view of her large forehead and her huge ears as if she
were having her photograph taken. Then she gives him a side view. He raises his camera and
takes several pictures. Then she withdraws and moves slowly away. Through his lens, in
those seconds, he has seen that the collar hangs just as it should. The alarm was a false one.
Anne is in no danger from the collar. Soon the men are back in Douglas-Hamilton‘s plane,
flying low over the landscape. It has been a satisfying day‘s work, and they will be home
before dark.

1. The purpose of the passage is to show ____.

a. how biologist Iain Douglas-Hamilton cares for the elephants
b. that the Samburu National Reserve is a special place
c. there are confrontations between elephants and farmers
d. how radio transmitters on the elephants provide information

2. In the first sentence of paragraph A, what does the word jewels mean?
a. interesting cities
b. large valleys
c. farming areas
d. special places

3. This trip is different for Douglas-Hamilton because usually he ____.

a. carries his own gun
b. drives in a truck
c. takes photos from a plane
d. stays in his laboratory

4. In paragraph D, Douglas-Hamilton is worried because ____.

a. Anne may have been sick recently
b. the collar may be causing Anne pain
c. the collar is not transmitting properly
d. Anne may be in danger from farmers

5. According to the passage, is this statement true (T) or false (F)?

____ In paragraph B, the phrase what should be protected and what must be sacrificed is
referring to the elephants.
Reading Explorer 4, Third Edition
Additional Reading Practice
Unit 7B

Read the passage and choose the correct answer for each question.

Collective Effervescence

A If you have ever been to a large celebration––a parade, a fair, or a religious

pilgrimage—you might have noticed that the crowd had its own special energy. The French
19th-century sociologist Émile Durkheim coined a phrase for this: collective effervescence.
He was convinced that the effervescence, or enthusiasm, of a crowd had a positive impact on
individuals‘ health.

B Psychologists Stephen Reicher and Mark Levine of the University of Exeter in the
U.K. have been studying the effects of crowds. Very socially connected people are less likely
to die of heart disease and some cancers, and there is some evidence that they are less
vulnerable to age-related cognitive decline. They respond better to vaccinations. Their
wounds may even heal faster. Could belonging to a crowd—at least the right sort of crowd—
benefit an individual‘s health in the same ways as more personal social connections do?

C Reicher and Levine‘s research is timely. For the first time in history, more than half
the world‘s population is urban, living in cities around the world. Despite the elevated levels
of crime and pollution in cities, scientists talk about an ―urban advantage‖ that inhabitants
have when it comes to health. As the population of a city increases, the degree of social
interaction in that city increases, too. This had positive effects in the creation of art,
knowledge, and wealth. ―There is a 10 to 15 percent extra benefit, on average,‖ says
sociologist Dirk Helbing of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich. ―So there is
a strong social force driving us toward living together.‖

D Of course, there will be those who argue that cities and crowds are anything but
healthy. The urban advantage only works if city officials are capable of keeping the city safe.
For instance, people will not be healthier if their drinking water is contaminated. And,
undeniably, bad things happen in crowds. If the goal of a crowd is destruction, then
destruction will occur. The urban riots in Britain in 2011, for example, were characterized by
looting and arson and caused tremendous damage.

E However, when Levine analyzed surveillance footage of alcohol-fueled conflict in

public places in a British city, his conclusion was that bystanders, the people watching in a
crowd, played an important role in whether a confrontation turned violent or not. In other
words, bystanders can have a calming influence. They can dissuade others from violence.
This finding was very different from previous research on the so-called bystander effect,
which suggested that some people let go of individual responsibility in a crowd, and stand
helpless as horrors unfold before their eyes.
F The spirit of cooperation was present at a music festival in the United States in 1969,
called Woodstock. Many more people came to the event than officials had anticipated would
be there. In the words of one official at the event: ―There are a … lot of us here. If we are
going to make it, you had better remember that the guy next to you is your brother.‖
Fortunately, people at Woodstock took this advice, and the three-day festival is remembered
as much for its peace, love, and harmony as for its mud, food shortages, and traffic jams.

G In more advanced industrialized societies, the power of cooperation is often

neglected, and we may be paying the price. In the United States, for example, life expectancy
has not grown as fast as it has in other developed countries. One possible explanation,
according to Lisa Berkman, a social epidemiologist1 at Harvard, is that Americans have
become increasingly isolated socially. She points to evidence that the sense of community has
decreased. ―We‘ve lost sight of the fact that we‘re social animals,‖ she says. In other words,
we need moments of collective effervescence. Crowds can aid our health, and our spirits. So
the next time you are in a crowded place, enjoy the experience––your work as a bystander is
important to us all.

1 An epidemiologist is a person who studies or is an expert in the spread and control of

diseases.

1. What is the main idea of the passage?

a. Crowds may have a positive impact on a person‘s health and well-being.
b. Psychologists have shown that bystanders help to calm people in a crowd.
c. People who are very socially connected do not have many health problems.
d. Émile Durkheim created the term collective effervescence in the 19th century.

2. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?

a. Today, more than 50 percent of people in the world live in cities.
b. When more people move into cities, the city does not create as much art.
c. At Woodstock, everyone worked together and there were no difficulties.
d. The United States has a higher life expectancy than anywhere in the world.

3. In the third sentence of paragraph B, what does the word They refer to?
a. cancers
b. crowds
c. socially connected people
d. wounds

4. Which of the following is NOT given as an example of a crowd that has a positive effect?
a. a music festival
b. urban riots
c. a parade
d. a religious pilgrimage

5. According to the passage, is this statement true (T) or false (F)?

____ Lisa Berkman believes there is a possible link between how much time a person
spends with other people and how long that person lives for.
Reading Explorer 4, Third Edition
Additional Reading Practice
Unit 8B

Read the passage and choose the correct answer for each question.

Poison for Dinner

A Spies, secrecy, revenge, motives for murder––these have all been around for
hundreds, if not thousands, of years. And poison is one of the most manipulative ways for
people to get what they want.

B In Renaissance Italy (14th–16th century A.D.), poison was commonplace. ―Poison

was the solution to delicate political problems,‖ says Paolo Preto, a professor of modern
history at the University of Padua. A touch of poison added to the wine would not cause
suspicion (autopsies were rare at the time) and was much less messy than using a knife or
gun. Allegations were hard to prove, and innocence was difficult to dispute.

C The Borgias—Alexander VI and his son Cesare—specialized in faith-based

poisonings. As the Pope, Alexander appointed wealthy candidates as bishops and cardinals,
allowed them to increase their riches, and then invited them to a grand dinner. The house
wine, with just a bit of arsenic, killed the guests. Their wealth, by church law, then went to
their host, the Pope. English essayist Max Beerbohm wrote: ―Though you would often in the
15th century have heard the snobbish Roman say, ‗I am dining with the Borgias tonight,‘ no
Roman ever was able to say, ‗I dined last night with the Borgias.‘‖

D More recently, poison, dioxin to be exact, was the lead player in the drama of
Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko, victim of an attempt to remove him from the
political scene. In the United States, similar secret plots became the subject of investigations
after the early 1960s, when the elimination of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro was a top priority.
Some plans that are said to have been considered but rejected included the delivery of a box
of botulinum1-soaked cigars, contaminating Castro‘s scuba breathing apparatus with tubercle
bacilli,2 or sprinkling his shoes with thallium salts in hopes that hair loss, one of the common
side effects of thallium absorption, would make his beard fall off.

E Frankly, with all of this poison, people in high positions have had compelling reasons
to watch what they eat. Mithridates, King of Pontus and enemy of Rome, tested poison
antidotes on prisoners and ate a mix of 54 ingredients to protect himself against poisoning.
An armed guard brought dinner to the table at the court of Louis XIV, and Columbus carried
dogs on his second voyage to taste foods that natives of newfound cultures brought him and
his crew. And it is no wonder that for centuries, kings and queens have employed a very
important person: the food taster. A food taster eats the food before the king, and then they
watch for symptoms. If the taster lives, the king eats.
F For three generations, the family of Mathura Prasad held the position of food taster to
the thakur, or lord, of Castle Mandawa in India‘s Thar desert. ―Food was kept under lock and
key,‖ he recalls. Before entering the kitchen, ―the cook would bathe and change into different
clothes. Guards would check his pockets and turban3 to make sure he wasn‘t hiding anything.
Only then would he be allowed in. When the food was ready, some from each dish would be
fed to a dog. Next I would taste, then the guards. The food would go to table under armed
escort. Several trusted generals would test it. Finally, the lord and his guest would exchange
bits of each dish. Just in case.‖

G Food tasters have ceased to be part of every dinner party at Castle Mandawa, which is
now a hotel. But recently, when the vice president of India came to lunch, a food taster
sampled the food. Just in case …

H These days, employment opportunities for tasters are in decline. In England,

Buckingham Palace reports there is no formal procedure for food tasting. ―The in-house help
are fully vetted,‖ a palace spokesman says. The Japanese emperor has not used a food taster
in years. In the state kitchens of Thailand, humans are factored out altogether. There, the
taste-test heroes of the banquet table, directed by the Ministry of Health, are a group of white
mice.

1 Botulinum is the bacterium that causes botulism, a rare and potentially fatal paralytic
disease.
2 Tubercle bacilli is the bacterium that causes tuberculosis.
3 A turban is a man‘s head covering, consisting of a long length of material wrapped around
the head.

1. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a person who was poisoned?

a. a president
b. a pope
c. a bishop
d. a cardinal

2. At the end of which paragraph would the sentence It could be considered one of the
easiest and most difficult jobs in the world best fit?
a. paragraph A
b. paragraph B
c. paragraph D
d. paragraph E

3. Why did the Borgias poison their guests?

a. to get their money
b. to get revenge
c. to take their jobs
d. to show they were in power
4. At Castle Mandawa, who tasted the lord‘s food first?
a. the food taster
b. trusted generals
c. guards
d. a dog

5. According to the passage, is this statement true (T) or false (F)?

____ In the third sentence of paragraph H, the word vetted means inspected to make sure
they can be trusted.
Reading Explorer 4, Third Edition
Additional Reading Practice
Unit 9B

Read the passage and choose the correct answer for each question.

How Many Children Did Genghis Khan Have?

A Genghis Khan, the fierce and ambitious Mongolian military leader who lived from
1167 to 1227 A.D., may have done more than rule the largest kingdom in the world.
According to a recently published genetic study, he may have helped populate it, too. An
international group of geneticists studying Y-chromosome data, the genetic information that
males pass down from generation to generation, have found that nearly eight percent of the
men living in the region of the former Mongol kingdom carry Y-chromosomes that are nearly
identical. That translates to half a percent of the male population of the world, or roughly 16
million men who are alive today.

B Natural selection is a possible reason for the extent of this chromosome spread, such
that an extremely strong individual manages to pass on some sort of biological advantage. To
the authors of the study, this explanation is controversial. They suggest instead that the
unique set of circumstances surrounding the establishment of the Mongol kingdom led to the
spread of so many men with the same genetic background. ―This is a clear example that
culture plays a very big role in patterns of genetic variation and diversity in human
populations,‖ said geneticist Spencer Wells, one of the 23 co-authors of the paper. ―It‘s the
first documented case when human culture has caused a single genetic lineage to increase to
such an enormous extent in just a few hundred years.‖ To have such an amazing impact on a
population required a special set of circumstances, all of which are met by Genghis Khan and
his male relatives, the authors note in the study published in the American Journal of Human
Genetics.

C Khan‘s reign at the time of his death extended across Asia, from the Pacific Ocean to
the Caspian Sea. Industrious and disciplined family members extended his kingdom and
maintained power in the region for several hundred years. These civilizations allowed
powerful men to keep harems, large groups of women treated as wives. These men often had
numerous children. Khan‘s eldest son, Tushi, is reported to have had 40 sons. Documents
written during or just after Khan‘s time say that after winning a battle, Khan would seize the
most beautiful and elegant women in the territory for his harem. His grandson, Kublai Khan,
who established the Yuan Dynasty in China, had 22 legally recognized sons, and was
reported to have added 30 new women to his harem each year. ―The historically documented
events accompanying the establishment of the Mongol empire would have contributed
directly to the spread of this lineage,‖ the authors conclude.
D The geneticists examined blood samples collected over a period of 10 years from over
40 different populations living in and around the former Mongol empire. They use the Y-
chromosome in population studies such as this because it does not become mixed with other
parts of the individual‘s genetic makeup. For example, when it comes to eye color, height, or
resistance to disease, each parent contributes half to create a new genetic combination.
However, the Y-chromosome is passed on directly from father to son, basically unchanged
through generations except for random slight genetic variations called mutations. These
random mutations, which occur naturally and are usually harmless, are called markers. Once
the markers have been identified, geneticists can trace them all the way back to the point at
which they first developed, defining a unique genetic line.

E In this instance, the markers go back 1,000 years. The authors are not saying that
these distinct genetic mutations started with Genghis Khan. They are more likely to have
been passed on to him by an earlier male relative. This phenomenon was found in only one
population outside of the former Mongolian empire, and that was in Pakistan. ―The Hazaras
[of Pakistan] gave us our first clue to the connection with Genghis Khan,‖ said Wells. ―They
have a long oral tradition that says they‘re his direct descendants.‖

1. What is the passage mainly about?

a. the history of Genghis Khan‘s military victories
b. how blood samples are used to trace genetic background
c. why so many people living today are related to Genghis Khan
d. how the Hazaras in Pakistan are related to the Mongolians

2. What is the main idea of paragraph A?

a. A group of geneticists are studying Genghis Khan‘s genetic makeup.
b. Genghis Khan was an extremely ambitious Mongolian military leader.
c. The Y-chromosome contains important genetic information.
d. An unusually large number of men share Genghis Khan‘s genetic makeup.

3. In the last sentence of paragraph A, what does the phrase translates to mean?
a. is less than
b. is the same as
c. is more than
d. might be

4. In the second sentence of paragraph D, what does the word They refer to?
a. geneticists
b. blood samples
c. years
d. populations

5. According to the passage, is this statement true (T) or false (F)?

____ In the last sentence of paragraph B, the phrase a special set of circumstances means
―a dangerous situation.‖
Reading Explorer 4, Third Edition
Additional Reading Practice
Unit 10B

Read the passage and choose the correct answer for each question.

An Introduction to the Higgs Boson

A The charming village of Crozet in France has a spectacular secret. Many kilometers
underneath the village lies the largest scientific instrument ever built––the Large Hadron
Collider (LHC). This awesome device has enabled scientists to discover many tiny,
previously hidden particles, or very small pieces of matter, found within atoms. The energy
unleashed by the LHC has helped them discover over 57 different particles. By far the most
famous of these is the particle bearing an intriguing name: the God particle.

B Physicists prefer to call it the Higgs boson, or the Higgs particle, or simply the Higgs,
in honor of the University of Edinburgh physicist Peter Higgs, who suggested its existence
more than 50 years ago. Most physicists agree that there must be a Higgs field (a kind of
energy) that exists everywhere in space. The Higgs particle carries that energy and interacts
with other particles. Until recently, the existence of the Higgs was purely intellectual; it
formed a crucial part of particle physics, but no one had ever found it.

C Theoretical physicist John Ellis was one of the scientists searching for the Higgs. He
explains that the Higgs field, in theory, is what gives fundamental particles mass. In order to
explain the different particles, he compares them to a crowd of people running through mud.
Some particles—like quarks—have big boots that get covered with lots of mud, while
others—like electrons—have little shoes that pick up much less mud. Photons do not wear
shoes and just slide over the top of the mud without picking any up. The Higgs field, Ellis
says, is the mud.

D The Higgs boson is massive compared with most particles. It has more than 100 times
the mass of a proton. That is why you need a huge collider to produce a Higgs. The more
energy that is put into the process, the more massive the particles that are generated. But a
really huge particle like the Higgs is also, like all very large particles, unstable. It is not the
kind of particle that stays around for a long time; it will quite readily turn into a bunch of
other particles. What the LHC aims to do is generate compact energy––tiny but immensely
powerful––from which a Higgs particle might appear for long enough for scientists to
recognize it. Building a machine like the LHC to find the Higgs was a massive endeavor.1 It
also meant putting an awful lot of effort into something that might not have produced the
desired results in the end.
E Scientists questioned whether the scenario would work because only the rare
collision––one among many trillions––will produce a Higgs. They theorized that a Higgs, or
what is left of it after it has disappeared, would show up on detectors, but they would have to
sort through massive amounts of data. However, even if they did not find a Higgs, scientists
engaged in the project were hopeful that they would get more than just answers. Scientists
like to uncover new mysteries as well. Before they found a Higgs, John Ellis was quoted as
saying, ―Many of us theorists would find that failure much more interesting than if we just
find another boring old particle that some theorists predicted 45 years ago.‖

F This is a story with a happy ending. A possible Higgs particle was discovered on July
4, 2012, and by March 2013, it was proven to be the real thing. In December 2013, Englert
and Higgs were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work. These men were two of
the first researchers of the Higgs boson. Undoubtedly, this will lead to even more mysteries
to solve. Rather than an ending, this may be just the beginning.

1 If you endeavor to do something, you try very hard to do it.

1. What is the purpose of the passage?

a. to explain the importance of the Higgs particle in our lives
b. to explain the way that extra energy is converted into mass
c. to describe the attempt to prove that the Higgs particle exists
d. to summarize the work of theoretical physicist John Ellis

2. In the fourth sentence of paragraph A, what does the word them refer to?
a. scientists
b. matter
c. particles
d. atoms

3. What is the main idea of paragraph D?

a. It is very difficult to produce a Higgs particle.
b. The Higgs boson is unstable because it is so large.
c. Peter Higgs and other theoretical physicists work together.
d. The Higgs boson is very similar to other types of particles.

4. Which of the following is NOT another name for the Higgs particle?
a. the God particle
b. the Higgs boson
c. the Higgs
d. the Higgs field

5. According to the passage, is this statement true (T) or false (F)?

____ A Higgs particle cannot last a long time in the LHC.

Reading Explorer 4, Third Edition
Additional Reading Practice
Unit 11B

Read the passage and choose the correct answer for each question.

Who Owns the Water?

A Blue gold. These words reveal how precious this natural resource is to us and how
fundamental it is to human survival. The debate rages on over who owns, or should own,
water, but few people would disagree that plentiful sources of fresh water on Earth are
disappearing. Maude Barlow, chairperson of the Council of Canadians, a consumer group, is
dedicated to ending the private ownership of the world‘s water. As part of her struggle to
have water declared a basic human right, Barlow has written the book Blue Gold: The Fight
to Stop the Corporate Theft of the World’s Water. She has also contributed to the essay
collection Whose Water Is It? published by National Geographic Books. Here are some of her
insights into this important issue.

B Barlow says that water problems are evident in many different parts of the world. She
notes that 22 countries in Africa are without safe drinking water because people simply have
no access to it, and that South Africa in particular is in very serious trouble. Latin America is
slightly different. Although it has enough water, in many places ordinary people cannot have
access to it unless they have money. Barlow also believes that China is paying for its efforts
to become an economic superpower by making the colossal mistake of destroying its own
water tables. Two-thirds of the cities in northern China are now severely lacking in water
supplies. Eighty percent of all of China‘s rivers and waterways are polluted beyond use and
too hazardous for consumption; 75 percent of India‘s are the same.

C There are two reasons water does not reach people. One is that natural sources are
running out. The other is that people who cannot pay are not able to get it. Barlow says Latin
America is a good example of a place that has a plentiful basic water supply and there is
overall enough water for everyone. However, she says, it does not get to all the people. She
maintains that in this part of the world it is more about politics––about who can pay––than
about scarcity. In the dry Middle East, however, the demand for water has surpassed supply.
And in some places like South Africa, the problem involves a little bit of both issues. There is
not enough water there, but the rich have access to as much as they want. It is very cheap and
they are willing and able to pay for it. However, the poor do not have any water at all.

D Barlow goes on to describe another important water issue: commodification.1 She

says there are several ways whereby water is commodified. The first is through the big
service companies that have moved into the areas of water service, supply, and treatment to
build profits. Barlow does not have any problem with the private sector building
infrastructure. However, she feels it is crazy to take something that is needed for life, like
fresh water, and allow private companies to divert it to a for-profit business. Second, there is
the bottled-water industry, which makes billions every year and is still growing an estimated
15 to 20 percent a year. The third area where the commodification of water is occurring is in
the large-scale commercial export of water.
E Barlow is deeply opposed to commodification because water is necessary for life and
there is no substitute for it. She feels there are some areas of life that should be off limits to
commodification. She says that current water commodification practices should be modified
or banned entirely. Water, she maintains, is probably the best example of something that
should be kept outside the marketplace, a guaranteed right for all people.

1 Commodification is the process of treating something as a mere commodity (raw material

that can be bought or sold).

1. What is the passage mainly about?

a. how to conserve water in places where there is not enough
b. the idea that free access to water is a basic human right
c. the fact that there are water shortages all over the world
d. how China and Mexico are dealing with their water problems

2. According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true about South
Africa?
a. There is a water shortage in the country.
b. The rich can buy as much water as they want.
c. It is very expensive to buy water there.
d. The poor cannot afford to buy water.

3. In paragraph D, what does the phrase commodification of water mean?

a. wasting water
b. polluting water
c. giving away water
d. selling water

4. At the end of which paragraph would the sentence Here, it is a distressing combination of
both scarcity and politics best fit?
a. paragraph A
b. paragraph B
c. paragraph C
d. paragraph D

5. According to the passage, is this statement true (T) or false (F)?

____ The Middle East has a plentiful water supply.

Reading Explorer 4, Third Edition
Additional Reading Practice
Unit 12B

Read the passage and choose the correct answer for each question.

An Interview with Dan Buettner

A Dan Buettner knows a little something about longevity. He is the holder of three
separate Guinness World Records for distance biking: a 24,940-kilometer ride from Alaska to
Argentina in 1987; a 20,740-kilometer journey across the Soviet Union in 1990; and a
19,590-kilometer trip through Africa in 1992. More recently, Buettner has been researching
longevity by traveling to four countries where he has studied the world‘s heartiest humans. In
Sardinia, Okinawa, Costa Rica, and Loma Linda, California, he partnered with scientists to
examine areas where the number of centenarians vastly exceeded the statistical average.
These areas became the subject of his book The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from
the People Who’ve Lived the Longest (National Geographic).

B Recently, Buettner continued his research, visiting a fifth zone, the Greek island of
Ikaría in the Aegean Sea. Despite the tremendous cultural and geographic differences
between these distant lands, Buettner has identified common practices that seem to aid in
extreme longevity. I asked the author and explorer about his work.

C I don’t want to die at 50. What do I do? I hear that the first step is to think about
who you hang out with.

There‘s no silver bullet for longevity. I‘m not going to tell you to take a pill. If your three
best friends are obese, there‘s a good chance you will be. Surrounding yourself with people
who don‘t smoke or drink too much and who have a spiritual component in their lives has a
profound impact over time. Cut out the toxic people in your life and spend time and effort
enhancing your social circle with people who have the right values and a healthy lifestyle.

D What’s the most important dietary change?

It‘s very clear that the more meat you eat, the earlier you die. Cut out as much meat as you
can. Don‘t cut it out completely. That‘s boring. Maybe go down to twice a week. That will
have a huge effect.

E Does fish count?

Yes. None of the Blue Zone populations eat a significant amount of fish. You‘re better off
with a plant-based diet; that‘s indisputable. Longevity is related more to what you don‘t eat
than what you do eat. The only proven way to slow down aging in mammals is caloric
restrictions. We should take in about 40 percent fewer calories than we normally eat—but
that‘s unrealistic. One way to lower calorie counts is to eat off of a smaller plate. Use a 10-
inch plate instead of a 13-inch plate, which is a common size in the U.S.
F What other activities can add extra years to our lives?

One of the greatest activities is growing a garden. You can say ―That‘s boring!‖ but it is
important because it requires physical activity to till1 the land, weed, water, harvest, fertilize.
It is a constant reminder to do a little bit of regular activity. It‘s something you have to do
throughout the week for the entire growing season. And you emerge with organic vegetables.

G So how can you be really active and not damage yourself?

Do regular, low-intensity physical exercise. You get 90 or 95 percent of the benefit of

running from walking briskly. We put too much emphasis on maximum cardiovascular
exertion.

H So running eight miles a day . . .

Is a mistake. It‘s short-term benefit for long-term trouble. If you start running eight miles a
day when you‘re 20, by the time you‘re 45 your knees and hips will probably wear out.
Really hard exercise contributes to chronic inflammation. And almost every age-related
disease is associated with inflammation. Is it a bad idea to get a good workout? No. But I‘d
rather see people walking every day than running.

I What led you to the newest Blue Zone?

On the Greek island of Ikaría, more people reach a healthy age 90 than anywhere else on the
planet. We‘re investigating the benefits of a local larval honey and the island‘s radon-rich2
hot springs.

J Do you think you’ll keep seeking out these pockets of hearty humans for the rest
of your (hopefully) long life?

I see no reason to stop. Now I‘m going to fold happiness into it. The effect of unhappiness on
your body is about as bad for you as a smoking habit. An unhappy person is about three times
more likely to die in a given year than a happy person, for a variety of reasons: suicide,
chronic stress, illness. If we can extract happiness secrets from the happiest populations, like
we did with Blue Zones, we will help people raise their life expectancy.

1 To till is to plow the land for planting crops.

2 Radon is a chemical element that belongs in the noble gas series.

1. What is the passage mainly about?

a. Beuttner‘s bicycle races around the world
b. Beuttner‘s advice on how to live longer
c. the reasons why Buettner studies longevity
d. the connection between friends and longevity
2. At the end of which paragraph would the sentence Have turkey on Thanksgiving, but do
not have it every night best fit?
a. paragraph C
b. paragraph D
c. paragraph E
d. paragraph F

3. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as a guideline to help you live
longer?
a. planting a garden
b. eating a lot of fish
c. eating less meat
d. walking rather than running

4. Which of the following statements is an example of quantitative data?

a. It‘s very clear that the more meat you eat, the earlier you die.
b. Really hard exercise contributes to chronic inflammation.
c. You get 90 or 95 percent of the benefit of running from walking briskly.
d. The effect of unhappiness on your body is about as bad for you as a smoking habit.

5. According to the passage, is this statement true (T) or false (F)?

____ The next topic that Buettner wants to study is the secrets of populations that are very
happy.