Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Ever wonder how much a cloud weighs? What about a hurricane? A meteorologist has done some estimates and the results might surprise you. Let's start with a very simple white puffy cloud -- a cumulus cloud . How much does the water in a cumulus cloud weigh? Peggy LeMone, senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, did the numbers. "The water in the little cloud weighs about 550 tons," she calculates. "Or if you want to convert it to something that might be a little more meaningful ... think of elephants." The thought of a hundred elephants-worth of water suspended in the sky begs another question -- what keeps it up there? "First of all, the water isn't in elephant sized particles , it's in tiny tiny tiny particles," explains LeMone. And those particles float on the warmer air that's rising below. But still, the concept of so much water floating in the sky was surprising even to a meteorologist like LeMone. "I had no idea how much a cloud would weigh, actually, when I started the calculations," she says. So how many elephant units of water are inside a big storm cloud--10 times bigger all the way around than the "puffy" cumulus cloud? Again, LeMone did the numbers: About 200,000 elephants. Now, ratchet up the calculations for a hurricane about the size of Missouri and the figures get really massive. "What we're doing is weighing the water in one cubic meter theoretically pulled from a cloud and then multiplying by the number of meters in a whole hurricane," she explains. The result? Forty million elephants. That means the water in one hurricane weighs more than all the elephants on the planet. Perhaps even more than all the elephants that have ever lived on the planet. Question: What can be inferred from the passage? Options: A: A storm cloud weighs about 200,000 elephants. B: The water in a hurricane weighs more than that in any other kind of cloud. C: There are less than forty million elephants living on the earth. D: The water in the cloud is in very tiny partials.
C

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: When children start kindergarten, evident gaps in science knowledge already exist between Whites and minorities and between youngsters from upper-income and low-income families. And they often deepen into significant achievement gaps by the end of eighth grade if they are not dealt with during elementary school. The findings suggest that, in order for the United States to maintain  long-term scientific and economic competitiveness in the world, policymakers need to renew efforts to ensure access(n.,) to high-quality, early learning experiences in childcare settings, preschools and elementary schools. The researchers' study tracked 7,757 children from their start in kindergarten to the end of eighth grade. Researchers found that, among kindergarteners with low levels of general knowledge, 62 percent were struggling in science by the time they reached third grade and 54 percent were struggling in that subject in eighth grade. And general knowledge gaps between minorities and Whites were already large at the time when students began kindergarten. "Children growing up in low-income families typically experience comparatively fewer early opportunities to learn about the natural and social sciences," the authors wrote. "Their parents often have lower educational levels and therefore less science knowledge themselves as well as fewer resources available to direct the children's academic growth. Children raised in poverty often attend poorly resourced schools that futher limit their academic opportunities." Morgan said that, within families, parents who regularly talk and interact with toddlers  can point out and explain physical, natural and social events occurring around them daily. This might help youngsters learn facts and concepts that will prepare them to take better advantage of science instruction they receive during elementary and middle school. Question: Which of the following can be the best title for the text? Options: A: Income Gaps Affect Children's School Performances B: Provide More Available Access to Childhood Learning C: Science Knowledge Gaps Are Obvious in Kindergarten D: Equal Education Is Important in Kindergarten
C

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Amazon is taking a leap into movie production, planning to fund a dozen original feature films each year, and to _ the time it takes to move them from theatres to viewers' homes. The first film projects are expected to begin production at Amazon Studios later this year, and to make their first public appearance in U.S. theatres. But Amazon plans to push them to its Prime Instant Video subscription service as little as 30 to 60 days later. The long-standing timeline for movie releases is already under pressure, and Amazon's latest move is another step toward collapsing it to satisfy increasingly impatient audiences. But where competitor Netflix Inc. has sought to do away with wait times entirely. When Netflix promised last October to commission a sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and to release it on its streaming site the same day when it would open in theatres in the fall of 2015, cinema owners refused. "We believe the theatrical window is an important part of the overall movie sales cycle," a spokesperson for theatre chain said. Paul, a senior media analyst, expects many of Amazon's original movies will have the feel of independent films with their more challenging subject matter, often made for $10-million or less. The goal isn't to go toe to toe with "the big blockbuster machine," with their $100-million-plus production budgets."I don't see this as laying down the gauntlet," Mr. Dergarabedian said. "It's a strategy of co-existence." Prime Instant Video offers online access to a wide array of films and television shows for $99 (U.S.) a year. But it is not currently available in Canada, unless viewers use a virtual private network to disguise their location. The new company, Amazon Original Movies, will be led by Ted Hope, an American independent filmmaker. "Audiences already recognize Amazon has raised the bar with productions in the episodic realm, coping with bold material in unique ways and teaming with top talent, both established and emerging," Mr. Hope said. Question: From the passage we can infer the theatre   _  . Options: A: doesn't want to show Amazon's new films B: prefers to co-operate with Netflix Inc. C: will make more profits because Amazon' films cost less. D: doesn't like the time being shortened from theatres to homes
