Reading Comprehension Test 10

Most major cities in developing countries are under enormous pressure to expand and grow. There are several reasons for this trend. First, having a house of one's own has become a top priority with the salaried class. Second, with an increase in disposable income, people are willing to buy properties not only for living but for investment as well. Third, there has been significant growth in young professionals buying houses of their own, adding to the demand. This, in turn, has spurred developers to keep coming up with newer and more attractive projects all year round.
However, while buying and selling gathers momentum, there are several emerging problems that need attention. Planning should have been the top priority but this is seldom the case. Private developers buy whatever land they can manage outside city limits to build high rise flats.
What results is a haphazard pattern of growth around cities, completely out of sync with the city itself. The lack of provisions for waste management is another concern and this is often the cause of epidemics brought on by lack sanitation. There is also a tendency to overbuild on a plot of land, possibly, to maximize profit, but this is sadly at the cost of aesthetics and green areas,so necessary for healthy living. Isn't this the reason why serious town planners refer to vacant swathes of green belts as a city's lungs?

Most major cities in developing countries are under enormous pressure to expand and grow. There are several reasons for this trend. First, having a house of one's own has become a top priority with the salaried class. Second, with an increase in disposable income, people are willing to buy properties not only for living but for investment as well. Third, there has been significant growth in young professionals buying houses of their own, adding to the demand. This, in turn, has spurred developers to keep coming up with newer and more attractive projects all year round.
However, while buying and selling gathers momentum, there are several emerging problems that need attention. Planning should have been the top priority but this is seldom the case. Private developers buy whatever land they can manage outside city limits to build high rise flats.
What results is a haphazard pattern of growth around cities, completely out of sync with the city itself. The lack of provisions for waste management is another concern and this is often the cause of epidemics brought on by lack sanitation. There is also a tendency to overbuild on a plot of land, possibly, to maximize profit, but this is sadly at the cost of aesthetics and green areas,so necessary for healthy living. Isn't this the reason why serious town planners refer to vacant swathes of green belts as a city's lungs?

Read the following passage and answer the question given after it.
Fleas are perfectly designed by nature to feast on anything containing blood. The bodies of these tiny parasites are extremely hardy and well-suited for their job. A flea has a very hard exoskeleton, which means the body is covered by tough, tile-like plate called sclerite. Because of these plates, fleas are almost impossible to squish. The exoskeleton of fleas are also waterproof and shock resistance, therefore fleas are highly resistant to the sprays and chemicals used to kill them.
Fleas are some of the best jumpers in natural world. A flea can jump seven inches, or 150 times its own length, either vertically or horizontally. Fleas can jump 30,000 times in a row without stopping, and they are able to accelerate through the air at an incredibly high rate-a rate which is over ten times what humans can withstand in an air plane. Fleas have very long real legs with huge thigh muscle and multiple joints. When they get ready to jump, they fold their long legs up and crouch like a runner on starting block. Several of their joints contain protein called resilin, which helps catapult fleas into the air as they jump, similar to the way a rubber band provides momentum to slingshot. Outward facing claws on the bottom of their legs grip anything they touch when they land. The adult female flea mates after her first blood meal and begins producing eggs in just 1 to 2 days. One flea can lay up to 50 eggs in one day and over 2,000 in her lifetime. Flea eggs can be seen with naked eye, but they are about size of grain of salt. Shortly after being laid, the eggs begin to transfer into cocoons. In the cocoon state, fleas are fully developed adults, and will hatch immediately if condition are favourable. 

Marcia says that all of her friends have a cell phone, but Marcia's mom doesn't want to buy her one. Marcia's mom doesn't want Marcia to play video games either. What is more, the Internet scares her. Marcia's mom says, "If Marcia has a cell phone, how do we know whom she is talking to? Video games are bad for you. The internet is dangerous and uncontrolled. It's like having a gun in the house. We should just ban her from using the computer, and I'm not buying her a cell phone until she is eighteen. This is the only way we can be sure that Marcia is safe." Marcia's dad disagrees with Marcia's mom. Although he agrees that there are some dangers to it, he likes the Internet and finds it very useful. "The trouble is," he says, " We just can't stop Marcia from using the internet, as this would put her at a disadvantage. What's more, I like video games. I think that, when played in moderation, they are fun. Obviously, it is not good to play them without resistance or self-control. Finally, I think Marcia needs a cell phone. we can't take these things away.

Marcia says that all of her friends have a cell phone, but Marcia's mom doesn't want to buy her one. Marcia's mom doesn't want Marcia to play video games either. What is more, the Internet scares her. Marcia's mom says, "If Marcia has a cell phone, how do we know whom she is talking to? Video games are bad for you. The internet is dangerous and uncontrolled. It's like having a gun in the house. We should just ban her from using the computer, and I'm not buying her a cell phone until she is eighteen. This is the only way we can be sure that Marcia is safe." Marcia's dad disagrees with Marcia's mom. Although he agrees that there are some dangers to it, he likes the Internet and finds it very useful. "The trouble is," he says, " We just can't stop Marcia from using the internet, as this would put her at a disadvantage. What's more, I like video games. I think that, when played in moderation, they are fun. Obviously, it is not good to play them without resistance or self-control. Finally, I think Marcia needs a cell phone. we can't take these things away.

Most major cities in developing countries are under enormous pressure to expand and grow. There are several reasons for this trend. First, having a house of one's own has become a top priority with the salaried class. Second, with an increase in disposable income, people are willing to buy properties not only for living but for investment as well. Third, there has been significant growth in young professionals buying houses of their own, adding to the demand. This, in turn, has spurred developers to keep coming up with newer and more attractive projects all year round.
However, while buying and selling gathers momentum, there are several emerging problems that need attention. Planning should have been the top priority but this is seldom the case. Private developers buy whatever land they can manage outside city limits to build high rise flats.
What results is a haphazard pattern of growth around cities, completely out of sync with the city itself. The lack of provisions for waste management is another concern and this is often the cause of epidemics brought on by lack sanitation. There is also a tendency to overbuild on a plot of land, possibly, to maximize profit, but this is sadly at the cost of aesthetics and green areas,so necessary for healthy living. Isn't this the reason why serious town planners refer to vacant swathes of green belts as a city's lungs?

[passage-header]Read the passage and answer the question that follows:
Matsupaa - The Magic Remains[/passage-header]    Dawn has not yet broken over the horizon, but Rosita is crossing the border. Rosita is a matsu woman. Her land, Matsupaa, lies partly in Ghana, and partly in Congo. Matsupaa has its own flag, language, traditions and festivals, but it is divided by an international border. Rosita crosses the border frequently to get from one part of her country to another, but she needs a special visa every time and it sometimes takes her forever to reach another part of her own country.
    Today Rosita is making the crossing from her village Onista to the capital city Maru to attend the annual Matsupaa Kingdom Day. There will be a carnival, and the atmosphere is likely to be raucous and mad as most carnivals are. People in their ancestral costume of large billowing gowns, silver plated shirts and clanging, chunky bracelets move around noisily. Youngsters usually borrow their grandparents' clothes!
    One of Matsupaa's celebrity citizens is Mopar Magutsu. He is active in the movement to save Matsu cultural identity. More and more young people are leaving Matsupaa for the west and Mopar wants to prevent his culture from dying out. He holds a lot of cultural programmes to initiate the young into the rich and colourful Matsu past. The future is bright only when we know the past with pride - is Mopar's firm belief.
    Meanwhile, Rosita has reached the capital with her basket of knick-knacks and handcrafted pots and pans. She hopes to make a killing with the ever-present tourists.

[passage-header]Read the passage and answer the question that follows:
Matsupaa - The Magic Remains[/passage-header]    Dawn has not yet broken over the horizon, but Rosita is crossing the border. Rosita is a matsu woman. Her land, Matsupaa, lies partly in Ghana, and partly in Congo. Matsupaa has its own flag, language, traditions and festivals, but it is divided by an international border. Rosita crosses the border frequently to get from one part of her country to another, but she needs a special visa every time and it sometimes takes her forever to reach another part of her own country.
    Today Rosita is making the crossing from her village Onista to the capital city Maru to attend the annual Matsupaa Kingdom Day. There will be a carnival, and the atmosphere is likely to be raucous and mad as most carnivals are. People in their ancestral costume of large billowing gowns, silver plated shirts and clanging, chunky bracelets move around noisily. Youngsters usually borrow their grandparents' clothes!
    One of Matsupaa's celebrity citizens is Mopar Magutsu. He is active in the movement to save Matsu cultural identity. More and more young people are leaving Matsupaa for the west and Mopar wants to prevent his culture from dying out. He holds a lot of cultural programmes to initiate the young into the rich and colourful Matsu past. The future is bright only when we know the past with pride - is Mopar's firm belief.
    Meanwhile, Rosita has reached the capital with her basket of knick-knacks and handcrafted pots and pans. She hopes to make a killing with the ever-present tourists.