Passage2(1)Ifyou’veeverwitnessedthemajestyofaCanadiangooseflockflyingintotheclouds,youknowthatthesenoblebirdsareaforcetobereckonedwith.Eachflockiscomprisedofcoupleswhomateforlife,aswellastheirgoslings.Together,theyareonelargefamily.Apart,theyareindividualswithquirksandpersonalities,justlikeus.Nooneknowsthismorethanmyfamily,whoraisedasillylittlegoosewenamedPeeperafterhewasabandonedasababy.(2)In2000,whenIwasaroundsevenyearsold,myparents,sister,brother,andIwerecomingbackfromaT-ballgame.Thatwasourusualweekendadventure,butunlikeeveryotherweekend,asurprisewaswaitingforusinourdriveway.There,wespottedtwoadultgeeseandasmallgosling.Theadultswerestartledbyourreturnandflewaway,buttheirbabywasstilltooyoungtoflyandcouldn’tfollow.Wearenostrangerstothewaysofwildlife,soweknewtoavoidphysicalcontactwiththeyounggoslingoutoffearthatitwouldimprintuponusandbelosttoitsfamilyforever.(3)Hourspassed,andnightfell.Withitcameadeepchillandafearofwatchfulpredators.Thetinylittlethingwaswanderingaroundouryard,unawareofwhatcouldhappen,anditwasclearthatthegoslingneededprotection,warmth,andsustenancetomakeittothemorning.Atthatpoint,weknewwehadtointervene,andwebroughthimontoourbackporch.(4)Weallprettymuchsleptwithoneeyeopentillmorningcame.Andthenanothermorning.Andstillanother.Eachmorning,wewouldtrytoscurrythegooseovertohisparents,whokeptcomingbacktoouryard.Hewouldn’tgotothem,though,andtheywouldn’tcomecloseenoughtoclaimhim.Wekeptthisupforfivedays,butnoluck.Bythen,theyounggoosehadclearlydecidedwewerehisnewfamily,sowehadtogivehimaname.MysisterJoannacalledthelittleguyPeeper,becausehewouldfollowusaroundtheyardmakingapeepingnoise,nonstop.WealsodecidedthatPeeperwasaboy.Idon’tknowwhy;itjustfeltright.(5)Daysturnedintoweeks,andweeksturnedintomonthsuntilalmostayearpassed.Wesettledintoaroutinefilledwithfeatheryhugsandcamaraderie.Peepersleptonourbackporcheachnightand,intypicalgoosefashion,useditasalatrine.Mydadwouldsprayoffallthegoosedroppingsdailywithahose.PartofthisritualincludedDadthrowingPeeperupintotheairsohecouldflyalooparoundthehouse,comingbackagainoncetheporchwasclean.(6)Oneevening,myunclewasover,andmydadwantedtoshowhimPeeper’sloop.Hethrewhimupintheair,butthistime,Peeperjustflewoff.Everyonewasvery,verysad.Itwasdark,andwewereworried.Welookedforhimfordays,callinghisname,buthedidn’tcomeback.Wehopedhefoundaflockandwentoffonhisnaturalway.(7)Again,daysturnedintoweeksandweeksturnedintomonths,thenyears.Imissedmylittlebuddy,andIwouldcallforhimeverytimeIsawaflockofCanadiangeeseflybyinV-formation.Twentyyearspassed,andPeeperbecameafondmemoryformyfamily.(8)Geeselivetobearound25yearsold,areveryloyal,andneverforgettheirfirsthome.Evenso,itcameasatotalshocktomewhen,in2019,anageingadultgoosemadehiswaybacktomyfamilyhome.Geeselovehouseswithlarge,greenlawnstoeaton;theflatterrainalsomakesiteasyforthemtoscoutforpredators.So,atfirst,Iassumeditwasjustanothergoose.Andyet,somethingaboutthelonemaleseemedoddlyfamiliartome.(9)Aftertwoweeksofthegoosecomingbackrepeatedly,itbecamecleartomethatthiswasn’tarandomgoose.HedidallofthesamethingsPeeperusedto,liketryingtocomeinthroughthefrontdoorandsleepinginourenclosedpoolarea.InadditiontomimickingPeeper’soldways,thisgoosealsorespondedtothenamePeeper.Muchtomyamazement,myoldbestfriendhadreturned,20yearslater.(10)WhydidPeeperreturn?It’shardtosay.Perhapshismatedied,leavinghimlonely.It’salsopossiblethatheisapproachinghistwilightyearsandknowsit,makinghimcravehisearlyhome.Thisbehaviouristypicalofgeese.Whateverthereason,Peepercontinuestolivewithme.It’sagoodthingIstayedinmychildhoodhome.(11)Hedoesn’tcomehomeeverysinglenightthewayhedidasababy.Somenightshemayseekoutthecomfortofhisownkindatthelakenearby.Geeseinthewildtypicallysleeponwater.Buthe’sherealot,makinghispresenceknownandgivingmejoy.(12)Thisexperiencehasbeenasmeaningfultomeasanythinginmylife.Ihopethatmychildren,someday,havetheopportunitytoconnectwithnatureandawildbeinginthissameway.Peoplecraveconnectionwiththenaturalworld.ThroughPeeper,Ihavelearnedsomuchaboutmyselfandaboutthenatureoflove.46.Theword“spotted”(Para.2)means____.
II.Reading.(2x4=8)AbipartisangroupofgovernorsofMichigan,Ohio,Wisconsin,Minnesota,Illinois,IndianaandKentuckyannouncedThursdaythattheywillworkinclosecoordinationtoreopentheMidwestregionaleconomyinthewakeofthecoronaviruspandemic.TheannouncementcameinanewsreleasefromDemocraticMichiganGov.GretchenWhitmer,sentonbehalfofalltheparticipatinggovernors.“Ournumberoneprioritywhenanalyzingwhenbesttoreopenoureconomyisthehealthandsafetyofourcitizens,”thegovernorssaidinajointstatement.“Wewillmakedecisionsbasedonfacts,science,andrecommendationsfromexpertsinhealthcare,business,labor,andeducation,”thestatementadded.Thegovernorssaidtheywillfocusonatleastfourfactorsindeterminingtheidealtimetoreopentheirstates’economies:sustainedcontrolofnewinfectionandhospitalizationrates,enhancedtestingandtracingcapabilities,adequatehealthcarecapacitytorespondtoaresurgenceandbestworkplacesocialdistancingtechniques.Thegovernorsnotedthattheirdecisiontoworktogether“doesn’tmeanoureconomywillreopenallatonce,orthateverystatewilltakethesamestepsatthesametime.Butclosecoordinationwillensurewegetthisright.”SimilarcollaborationshavebeenundertakenbygovernorsinrecentdaysontheWestandEastcoasts.6.Thesevenstatesreferredtointhenewsreportarelocatedinthe____oftheUS.
II.Reading.(2x4=8)TheUnitedStatesandCanadahaveagreedtokeeptheirsharedborderclosedfornonessentialtravelforanother30daystopreventthespreadofthecoronavirus.CanadianPrimeMinisterJustinTrudeauannouncedtheextensionduringabriefingSaturdayinOttawa.Therestrictionsontheworld’slongestfrontiertookeffectonMarch21,whileallowingtradeandothertraveldeemedessentialtocontinue.Thepartialbanwastoexpiresoon,buttheneighboringcountrieshavedecideditisnotsafetoallowtraffictofullyresume.“Thisisanimportantdecisionandonethatwillkeeppeopleonbothsidesofthebordersafe,”Trudeautoldanewsconferenceoutsidetheresidencewherehehasbeenlivingandworkinginrecentweeks.Canada,withapopulationofunder38million,hashadmorethan32,000casesofinfectionand1,340deathsfromCOVID-19,asofSaturday.TheU.S.hasidentifiedalmost720,000casesandover37,000deaths,asoflateSaturdayafternoon.SeveralofAmerica’shardest-hitareasincludingNewYorkstateshareaborderwithCanadianprovinces.Bothcountrieshavetestingshortages.Bordercrossingshavefallendramatically,evendespitetheessentialtravelexemptions.AtthePeaceBridgebetweenBuffalo,N.Y.,andFortErie,Ontario,“passengertraffic[is]down95%,bustrafficdown...99.6%,soessentially,it’sshutdown,”KathrynFriedman,aglobalfellowattheWilsonCenter’sCanadaInstitute,saidinaconferenceTuesday.“Commercialtrafficisdownalittleover28%.”“Itissurrealtoseesuchlittletraffic,”RonRienas,whorunstheauthoritythatmanagesthePeaceBridge,toldTheBuffaloNews.SinceApril1,tunneltrafficbetweentheheavilyintegratedDetroitandWindsor,Ontarioregionsisdown88%overthesameperiodlastyear,accordingtoFriedman.ConcernshaveriseninCanadaaboutdailytripsbyaround1,600healthcareworkersfromOntariotohard-hitDetroit.SomenurseswhoworkinfacilitiesinboththeU.S.andCanadahavehadtochooseone.Theextensionoftheborderrestrictionscameafteraweekinwhichthegovernmentsgavemixedsignalsaboutthenextstep.PresidentTrumpsaidonWednesdaythattheCanadianborder“willbeoneoftheearlyborderstobereleased.Canadaisdoingwell.We’redoingwell.”Butthenextday,PrimeMinisterTrudeautoldreporters,“Thereisasignificantamountoftime,still,beforewecantalkaboutlooseningsuchrestrictions.”6.WhendidTrudeauannouncetheextension?
PassageTwoQuestions6to10arebasedonthefollowingpassage.Inspring,chickensstartlayingagain,bringingawelcomesourceofproteinatwinter’send.Soit’snosurprisethatculturesaroundtheworldcelebratespringbyhonoringtheegg.Sometraditionsaresimple,liketheredeggsthatgetbakedintoGreekEasterbreads.Otherselevatetheeggintoafancyart,liketheheavilyjewel-covered“eggs”thatwerefavoredbytheRussiansstartinginthe19thcentury.OneancientformofeggartcomestousfromUkraine.Forcenturies,Ukrainianshavebeendrawingcomplicatedpatternsoneggs.Contemporaryartistshavefollowedthistraditiontocreateeggsthatspeaktotheanxietiesofourage:Lifeisprecious,anddelicate.Eggsare,too.“There’ssomethingabouttheirdelicatenaturethatappealstome,”saysNewYorkercartoonistRozChast.Severalyearsago,shebecameinterestedineggsandlearnedthetraditionalUkrainiantechniquetodrawherverymodemcharacters.“I’vebrokeneggsateverystageoftheprocess—fromtheverybeginningtothevery,veryend.”Butthere’sanappealinthatvulnerability.“There’spartofthissickeninghorrorofknowingyou’rewalkingontheedgewiththis,thatIkindoflike,knowingthatitcouldallfallapartatanysecond.”Chast’sdesigns,suchasaworriedmanaloneinatinyrowboat,reflectthatdelicateness.TraditionalUkrainiandecoratedeggsalsospoketothosefears.Theelaboratepatternswerebelievedtoofferprotectionagainstevil.“There’sanancientlegendthataslongastheseeggsaremade,evilwillnotprevailintheworld,”saysJoanBrander,aCanadianegg-painterwhohasbeenpaintingeggsforover60years,havinglearnedtheartfromherUkrainianrelatives.Thetradition,datingbackto300B.C.,waslaterincorporatedintotheChristianchurch.Theoldsymbols,however,stillendure.Adecoratedeggwithabirdonit,giventoayoungmarriedcouple,isawishforchildren.Adecoratedeggthrownintothefieldwouldbeawishforagoodharvest.6.Whydopeopleinmanyculturesprizetheegg?
PassageTwoQuestions6to10arebasedonthefollowingpassage.Inspring,chickensstartlayingagain,bringingawelcomesourceofproteinatwinter’send.Soit’snosurprisethatculturesaroundtheworldcelebratespringbyhonoringtheegg.Sometraditionsaresimple,liketheredeggsthatgetbakedintoGreekEasterbreads.Otherselevatetheeggintoafancyart,liketheheavilyjewel-covered“eggs”thatwerefavoredbytheRussiansstartinginthe19thcentury.OneancientformofeggartcomestousfromUkraine.Forcenturies,Ukrainianshavebeendrawingcomplicatedpatternsoneggs.Contemporaryartistshavefollowedthistraditiontocreateeggsthatspeaktotheanxietiesofourage:Lifeisprecious,anddelicate.Eggsare,too.“There’ssomethingabouttheirdelicatenaturethatappealstome,”saysNewYorkercartoonistRozChast.Severalyearsago,shebecameinterestedineggsandlearnedthetraditionalUkrainiantechniquetodrawherverymodemcharacters.“I’vebrokeneggsateverystageoftheprocess—fromtheverybeginningtothevery,veryend.”Butthere’sanappealinthatvulnerability.“There’spartofthissickeninghorrorofknowingyou’rewalkingontheedgewiththis,thatIkindoflike,knowingthatitcouldallfallapartatanysecond.”Chast’sdesigns,suchasaworriedmanaloneinatinyrowboat,reflectthatdelicateness.TraditionalUkrainiandecoratedeggsalsospoketothosefears.Theelaboratepatternswerebelievedtoofferprotectionagainstevil.“There’sanancientlegendthataslongastheseeggsaremade,evilwillnotprevailintheworld,”saysJoanBrander,aCanadianegg-painterwhohasbeenpaintingeggsforover60years,havinglearnedtheartfromherUkrainianrelatives.Thetradition,datingbackto300B.C.,waslaterincorporatedintotheChristianchurch.Theoldsymbols,however,stillendure.Adecoratedeggwithabirdonit,giventoayoungmarriedcouple,isawishforchildren.Adecoratedeggthrownintothefieldwouldbeawishforagoodharvest.6.Whydopeopleinmanyculturesprizetheegg?