Text 2: <<From>> “The New Dog’s Life” by Barbara Koh, Newsweek, January 13, 2003, p.53.
The cake is homemade, decorated with “Happy Birthday Sophie” in red icing. We gather around the 4-year old and sing the birthday song, but the camera isn’t ready, so we sing again. Cake comes with assorted flavors of ice cream. Sophie’s friend Duncan grabs from another little guest’s plate, and the adults make them share. When it’s finally time to open gifts, Sophie’s too tired to care. Sophie’s not a party animal, but she is a dog, as are Duncan and half the guests at the fete arranged by Doggie Heaven, a Seattle bakery and boutique for canines. I’m visiting my hometown after several years of living in Hong Kong, and I’m stunned by the contrast, at least so far as it involves pups. In parts of Asia, many people still prefer to cook a dog than pet it. But in America, man’s best friend has never had it so good. Dogs have moved from the doghouse into the master bedroom. In fact, these days they do everything we two-legged Americans do: wear tuxedos to weddings, go to day-care run by people with M.A.s in educational psychology, loiter at bookstores, swallow Chinese medicine and omega-3 vitamin supplements.
Questions 11 through 15 (on your answer mark the correct letter A,B, C, or D)
11. Sophie’s friend Duncan:
A. Sings the birthday song to her
B. Gives Sophie the biggest present
C. Takes food off of one of the guest’s dishes
D. Falls into the cake and makes everyone laugh.
12. Sophie and half the guests are:
A. Reptiles
B. Felines
C. Paciderms
D. Canines
13. The author’s hometown is:
A. Hong Kong
B. San Francisco
C. Seattle
D. Philadelphia
14. In parts of Asia, dogs are:
A. Trained to work in the circus
B. Used to pull wagons
C. Allowed to sleep in the master bedroom
D. Are cooked and eaten
15. Which of the following is something that dogs in America don’t do?
A. Wear tuxes in weddings
B. Smoke cigars
C. Go to day care
D. Hang out in bookstores
Text 3: <<From>> The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green. The people of the village began to gather in the square, between the post office and the bank, around ten o’clock; in some towns there were so many people that the lottery took two days and had to be started on June 26th in this village, where there were only about three hundred people, the whole lottery took less than two hours, so it could begin at ten o’clock in the morning and still be through in time to allow the villagers to get home before dinner.
The children assembled first, of course. School was recently over for the summer, and the feeling of liberty sat uneasily on most of them; they tended to gather together quietly for a while before they broke into boisterous play, and their talk was still of the classroom and teachers, of books and reprimands.
Soon the men began to gather, watching their own children, speaking of planting and rain, tractors and taxes. They stood together, away from the pile of stones in the corner, and their jokes were quiet and they smiled rather than laughed. The women, wearing faded housedresses and sweaters, came shortly after their men folk. They greeted one another and exchanged bits of gossip as they went to join their husbands. Soon the women, standing by their husbands, began to call to their children, and the children came reluctantly, having to be called four or five times.
Questions 16 though 25 (on your answer sheet mark + if the statement is true, - if it is false)
16. The flowers were in full bloom throughout the entire square.
17. The lottery started exactly at ten o’clock.
18. The women wore old dresses and warm skirts.
19. The children were very loud while playing.
20. The village had a great number of people and that allowed the lottery to go quickly.
21. The people of the village begin to gather around the post office and riverbank.
22. The women began gathering for the lottery before the men.
23. At different locations some lotteries began early because the population was too large.
24. The children came quickly as soon as their mothers called for them.
25. The women talked about other people’s private lives while going to meet their spouses
. Text 4: <<Odessa, Texas>>from Odessa, Texas Travel and Tourism.
Odessa, Texas was established in 1881 as a stop on the Texas and Pacific Railroads. It has been said that Odessa’s name originated from an area that resembled our region around the “Russian” city in Ukraine named Odessa. The unsurpassed beauty of the West Texas sunsets and a climate that is warm and inviting make this uncommon city a true paradise. Odessa is also well known for its hospitality, and people with deep appreciation of colorful past and enthusiasm for a future rich with possibilities. Odessa is a city where cowboys, culture, oil and everything in between bring visitors a flavor so delicious it can only be described as “A City of Contrasts.”
Located in a region where the Comanche Indians once roamed, Odessa ’s history as a settlement can be traced to the 1881 extension of the Texas and Pacific Railway across the south plains and the need to provide water for the steam engines. The availability of cheap land encouraged settlers to the area from 1879 to 1885. The first ranchers arrived in 1885, but it was the railroad that made Odessa vital to the cattle industry. By the mid 1890’s Odessa was an established cattle shipping center.
| When oil was discovered in 1926, the destiny of the community took a different course. This discovery brought people of varied interests and occupations to the area, and the local economy began to change from a ranching base into an industrial one. Today, Odessa is alive and thriving, although oil and gas still remain our largest industry the city has begun to diversify. Odessa is quickly being recognized as a major health industry hub with three hospitals, a cancer center and several medical specialists in the area. Family Dollar Distribution Center scheduled to open in June 2003 will serve as one of Odessa's largest retail employers. |
DO NOT WRITE IN THIS BOOKLET.
Questions 26 through 30 (on your answer sheet circle the correct letter A, B, C, or D)
- Odessa, Texas is sometimes called:
- Little Odessa
- Cattle capital
- “City of Contrasts”
- West Texas capital city
- Odessa, Texas is named after:
- Robert Odessa, the town’s first mayor
- Odessa, Ukraine
- Little Odessa in New York City
- Odetta Essa, the mother of the first mayor
- In 1926, a major turning point happened in Odessa, Texas. It was:
- It became the capital of Texas
- The discovery of oil
- The railroad quit operating in the city
- A major flood destroyed the city
- Odessa is located in:
- Near New Orleans
- Near the Mexican border
- East Texas
- West Texas
- Which of the following statements is true about Odessa, Texas today?:
- It is the biggest city in Texas
- There are not many jobs there
- It was founded as a city in 1841
- It is quickly being recognized as a major health industry hub
