Passage Two
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was one of the most influential presidents in American history. He was elected president four times. He served more than 12 years, longer than any other president. He led the nation through its worst economic crisis, and through one of its worst wars.
Franklin Roosevelt was first elected president in 1932. As the Democratic candidate, he defeated President Herbert Hoover. Americans were suffering through a terrible economic depression. About 25 percent of American workers had lost their jobs. They had no money. They had no hope. They waited in long lines to receive free food. Americans did not know if the new president could end the economic crisis.
On the day Franklin Roosevelt was elected as the new president, he promised, “This great nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” During the next three months, he led Congress in passing more major new programs than what the nation had seen for many years. President Roosevelt called his reform program “The New Deal”.
He was reelected president for the fourth time in 1944. Most Americans believed the country should not change its leader in the middle of a war. When he was sworn in, President Roosevelt’s speech lasted only six minutes. He declared that America had learned that we cannot live alone at peace, that our own well-being is dependent on the well-being of nations far away.
President Roosevelt did not live to see the victory of the Allies and the end of World War II. He died less than three months later, on April 12th, 1945, in Warm Springs, Georgia.
Questions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.
30. How many times was Franklin Roosevelt elected president?
31. What was Franklin Roosevelt’s biggest achievement?
32. When did President Roosevelt die?
Passage Three
Millions of people around the world cook their food over a smoky fire every day. It is often difficult to find wood for the fire. People who do not have wood must spend large amounts of money on cooking fuel. However, there is a much easier way to cook food using energy from the sun.
Solar cookers, or ovens, have been used for centuries. A Swiss scientist made the first solar oven in 1767. Today, people are using solar cookers in many countries around the world. People use solar ovens to cook food and to heat drinking water to kill bacteria and other harmful organisms.
There are three kinds of solar ovens. The first is a box cooker. It is designed with a special wall that shines or reflects sunlight into the box. Heat gets trapped under a piece of glass or plastic covering the top of the cooker. A box oven is effective for slow cooking of large amounts of food.
The second kind of solar oven is a panel cooker. It includes several flat walls, or panels, that directly reflect the sun’s light onto the food. The food is inside a separate container of plastic or glass that traps heat energy. People can build panel cookers quickly and with very few supplies. They do not cost much. In Kenya, for example, panel cookers are being manufactured for just two dollars.
The third kind of solar oven is a parabolic cooker. It has rounded walls that aim sunlight directly into the bottom of the oven. Food cooks quickly in parabolic ovens. However, these cookers are hard to make. They must be re-aimed often to follow the sun. Parabolic cookers can also cause burns and eye injuries if they are not used correctly.
Questions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.
33. Which of the following is NOT a function of solar ovens?
34. What kind of oven is effective for slow cooking of a lot of food?
35. Which is the best title for this passage?
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