Reading Compreh...

[passage-header]Answer the following question according to the text.[/passage-header]  Fifty years ago, when I was a child, photographs were not of general interest. Photographs were taken of people on special occasions, at weddings and on birthdays, for instance. These pictures were usually kept in a box and brought out at intervals to show the family. Nowadays photography is regarded as an art. Many photographic exhibitions are held and there are many magazines dealing with the art of photography.

[passage-header]Answer the following question according to the text.[/passage-header]  Fifty years ago, when I was a child, photographs were not of general interest. Photographs were taken of people on special occasions, at weddings and on birthdays, for instance. These pictures were usually kept in a box and brought out at intervals to show the family. Nowadays photography is regarded as an art. Many photographic exhibitions are held and there are many magazines dealing with the art of photography.

[passage-header]Answer the following question according to the text.[/passage-header]  Leslie comes from a big city. During the holiday she went to spend a week on her uncle's farm. It was her first visit there. Her uncle, who was very pleased to see his niece, did his best to make her stay an enjoyable one. On the farm she rode a horse, fed chickens ran in the fields and ate fruit fresh from the trees. She enjoyed her holiday so much that, when the day for her to return to the city came, she was very sad to leave.

[passage-header]Answer the following question according to the text.[/passage-header]   Elephants are not really very savage animals, but occasionally they can be in a very bad temper. Their most dangerous habit at such moments is to pick up, with their trunk, a large stick or stone, and throw it with great force at someone standing nearby. When this happens the only thing anyone can do, is to jump quickly out of the way.

[passage-header]Answer the following question according to the text.[/passage-header]  This was the first time Mary was going to fly. It wasn't going to be a long flight; in fact, she would be in the air just under an hour. She got to the airport an hour before the plane was expected to take off. She was very excited and also a little nervous. But before long, it was announced that her flight was going to be delayed for two hours. Suddenly she felt very disappointed and didn't know what to do while she was waiting.

[passage-header]Answer the following question according to the text.[/passage-header]  Bobby never keeps still. So, when his aunt saw him standing there and not moving at all, she knew something unusual was happening. She moved quietly towards him and also began to look where he seemed to be looking. Just then, in the tall grass near the fence, she saw a little bird that was too small to fly. It must have fallen out of its nest.

[passage-header]Answer the following question according to the text.
[/passage-header]  In order to make the first clock, man had to first divide the day into hours and minutes. The Babylonians were the first to divide the hour into 60 minutes and the minute into 60 seconds. The Egyptians created shadow clocks which later became sundials. Around 100 B.C. the first hourglass was used. These were usually timed for one hour. The Greeks and Romans later used water clocks which had been developed by the Chinese and were called clepsydras. The first mechanical clocks were developed in Europe in the 1300's. These were improved and in 1656 a Dutchman designed the first pendulum clock, which was more accurate than the other clocks of the time. After World War 11 the atomic clock was developed and is still the world's most accurate clock. The quartz crystal clocks and watches that were developed in the 1960's and 70's are also extremely accurate, second in accuracy to only the atomic clock.

[passage-header]Answer the following question according to the text.[/passage-header]  The famous film star John Wayne's real name was Marion Michael. Born in Iowa, USA on 26 May, 1907, he died on 11 June, 1979 in Los Angeles. John's forty year film life included over 250 films. As he was seen as a strong, large man who was quiet but mature, his real name, Marion, did not suit his acting career.

[passage-header]Answer the following question according to the text.[/passage-header]  During the Gulf War the extent of the development of television and radio news broadcasting was very apparent. The CNN reporter Peter Arnett gave live coverage of the situation present in the capital city of Iraq, Baghdad. The telephone lines which were constantly open and full of minute by minute reportage of the events taking place, served as the main means of communication. Although they were not given complete freedom in the use of their television cameras, the scenes that they were able to show the world were viewed with interest and astonishment. The whole world was able to follow the events of the war as they took place, from their living room television sets.

[passage-header]Answer the following question according to the text.
[/passage-header]  In 1924 Thomas Watson Sr. changed the name of his company to International Business Machines. The company produced many types of electronic machines. In 1952, Watson's son, Thomas Jr. became the head of the company and proceeded to manufacture their first computers. This first computer was produced for scientists. Many other forms of the computer were produced and in 1981 this firm marketed its first personal computer. Unfortunately, this world known
and respected company, better known as IBM, is now like many other companies: in financial difficulty.