Choose the word or phrase among A, B, C or D that best fits the blank space in the following passage:

"The Southwestern States of the United States suffered one of the worst droughts in their history from 1931 to 1938. The drought (1)…. the entire country. Few food crops could be grown. Food became (2)…., and prices went up (3)….  the nation. Hundreds of families in the Dust Bowl region had to be moved to farms in other areas with the help of the federal government. In 1944, drought brought great damage to (4)…. all Latin America. The drought moved to Australia and then to Europe, (5)…. it continued throughout the summer of 1945. From 1950 to 1954 in the United States, the Southwest suffered a (6)….. drought Hundreds of cattle ranches had to ship their cattle to other regions because (7)… lands had no grass. The federal government again (8)….. an emergency drought-relief program. Ít offered farmers (9)…. credit and seed grains (10)… low prices."

4. In 1944, drought brought great damage to (4)…. all Latin America.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase for each of the blanks from 16 to 20.
As teenagers approach university level, a decision has to be made on what course to pursue. In this world of diversity, (16) such a choice is not easy for both children and parents. In the old days, it was not much a problem to do the task because there were not so many diverse learning areas to choose from. Besides, there were only a few distinctive professional careers like doctor, engineer, accountant, nurse, teacher, etc. to think about. Most higher learning usually led to a financially successful  life. (17) , the cost of education was not so high.
Today‟s world is entirely different from the things (18) have just been described. The job market is constantly changing due to innovative technology and new (19) . Meanwhile, most teenagers have difficulty in identifying their own interests. There are a variety of well-organized career talks and student counseling workshops to guide and help teenagers (20) what course to take. Furthermore, psychological tests are also used. Certain instruments such as surveys, interviews and computer software can help to find out preferences, interests, or learning styles of the students.
(18)........................

Choose the word (A, B, C, or D) that best fits each of the blank spaces.

Life after high school doesn't end. In fact, life begins once there are no more lockers, gym class, or teachers nagging you about homework.

In terms of choosing the (1) ____ career, it is important to consider a career assessment test in which you answer a series of questions designed to (2) ____ your strengths and weaknesses. While career tests should not be your main source of decision making, you can use them as a tool to help you decide what career might match your (3) ____.

Think about your interests and hobbies. If you enjoy science, you may want to apply to college and pursue a career in engineering or marine (4) ____.Write a list of possible careers that match your interests and your capabilities. If you find you are happiest when you work with others, jot down that you are a team player. In that case, you may want to consider jobs that involve people interaction instead of careers like computer programming or writing, which require more alone time. Speak to an adult you trust about your ideas and be willing to receive (5) ____.

Narrow your options and look for a career with growth (6) ____. While it is important to pick a career that will stimulate your mind, it is also important to be practical about the market. If you decide that you want to go to college, you will need to pick a career that enables you to make a living (7) ____ you graduate.

Jump into the first step of realizing your career dreams. If you have decided that you would like to pursue a career that requires higher education, do your (8) ____ on applying to the college or programme, including qualifications, application deadlines, tuition fees and length of study. If you have decided on a career that does not require higher education, start looking for ways to enter the field and (9) ____ experience. Speak to someone who already has your dream job. This person can provide a better picture of the pros and cons of the (10) ____

(1) ____

Choose the item among A, B, C or D that best answers the question about the passage:

"The deserts of the world are not all covered with sand. Many of them have surfaces of rock or clay or small stones. They are not flat, either; they often have high hills and deep valleys. There is some plant life in many parts of the desert. There is little rain in the desert, but it does fall often enough for most plants. The deserts of the world are not uninhabited. People also live outside oases, but these people are not farmers. They have camels, goats, donkeys, sheep, etc. These animals can live on the desert plants and do not need much water.
 The people of the desert have to move constantly from place to place, they must always look for grass or desert plants for their animals. They usually live in tents. When there is no more food for their animals, they fold up their tents, put them on their camels and donkeys, and move to another place. In good years, when there is enough food for their animals, they trade their skins and their goats and camel hairs with the people of oases for wheat and fruit. But in bad years, when there is not enough food for their animals, the people of the desert would attack the oases people. But they are also hospitable. No man in the desert would ever refuse to give a stranger food and water."

2. The word “hospitable” has the meaning of being ……

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions:
    Although noise, commonly defined as unwanted sound, is a widely recognized form of pollution, it is very difficult to measure because the discomfort experienced by different individuals is highly subjective and, therefore, variable. Exposure to lower levels of noise may be slightly irritating, whereas exposure to higher levels may actually cause hearing loss. Particularly in congested urban areas, the noise produced as a byproduct of our advancing technology causes physical and psychological harm, and detracts from the quality of life for those who are exposed to it.
    Unlike the eyes, which can be covered by the eyelids against strong light, the ear has no lid, and is, therefore, always open and vulnerable; noise penetrates without protection. Noise causes effects that the hearer cannot control and to which the body never becomes accustomed. Loud noises instinctively signal danger to any organism with a hearing mechanism, including human beings. In response, heartbeat and respiration accelerate, blood vessels constrict, the skin pales, and muscles tense. In fact, there is a general increase in functioning brought about by the flow of adrenaline released in response to fear, and some of these responses persist even longer than the noise, occasionally as long as thirty minutes after the sound has ceased.
    Because noise is unavoidable in a complex, industrial society, we are constantly responding in the same way that we would respond to danger. Recently, researchers have concluded that noise and our response may be much more than an annoyance. It may be a serious threat to physical and psychological health and well-being, causing damage not only to the ear and brain but also to the heart and stomach. We have long known that hearing loss is America‟s number one nonfatal health problem, but now we are learning that some of us with heart disease and ulcers may be victims of noise as well. Fetuses exposed to noise tend to be overactive, they cry easily, and they are more sensitive to gastrointestinal problems after birth. In addition, the psychic effect of noise is very important. Nervousness, irritability, tension, and anxiety increase affecting the quality of rest during sleep, and the efficiency of activities during waking hours, as well as the way that we interact with each other.

The word it in the first paragraph refers to ___.

Read the passage carefully and choose the correct answer.

Approximately one-third of the Earth's land surface is desert, arid land with meager rainfall that supports only sparse vegetation and a limited population of people and animals. Deserts have been portrayed as fascinating environments of adventure and exploration. These arid regions are called deserts because they are dry. They may be hot. They may be cold. They may be regions of sand or vast areas of rocks with occasional plants

Deserts are natural laboratories in which to study the interactions of wind and sometimes water on the arid surfaces of planets. They contain valuable mineral deposits that were formed in the arid environment or that were exposed by erosion. Because deserts are dry, they are ideal places for human artifacts and fossils to be preserved. Deserts are also fragile environments. The misuse of these lands is a serious and growing problem in parts of our world.

There are many animals in the desert. Some are very large, like the kangaroo or the  gazelle. Both are big and have to travel long distances for water at a spring, or an oasis.  Another fairly large animal is the addax. The addax is a desert antelope. They live in the Sahara Desert. All addaxes are herbivores. There are less than 200 of them left because of hunting and tourists. Some animals crawl along. Examples of these are snakes and  lizards. Snakes rarely drink water; they get their moisture from other prey that they eat.  So do others, like the kangaroo rat. Lizards are commonly found in the desert. They stay  out of the sun and move as little as possible. There are also other animals in the desert.  The fennec lives in northern Africa in the Sahara Desert. They are a relative of the fox.  They eat mice, small birds, lizards, and insects. When necessary, they will eat fruit. One  more desert animal is the jerboa. The jerboa is a small, long-distance jumper that lives in the desert. They are free drinking animals and they eat plants, seeds, and bugs.

According to the second paragraph, ________.  

Read the passage and choose the best answer.

It can take a long time to become successful in your chosen field, however talented you are. One thing you have to be (1) ____ of is that you will face criticism along the way. The world is (2) ____ of people who would rather say something negative than positive. If you've made up your (3) ____ to achieve a certain goal, such as writing a novel, (4) ____ the negative criticism of others prevent you from reaching your target, and let the constructive criticism have a positive effect on your work. If someone says you're totally in the (5) ____ of talent, ignore them. That's negative criticism. If (6) ____, someone advises you to revise your work and gives you a good reason for doing so, you should consider their suggestions carefully. There are many film stars (7) ____ were once out of work. There are many famous novelists who made a complete mess of their first novel - or who didn't, but had to keep on approaching hundreds of publishers before they could get it (8) ____. Being successful does depend on luck, to a (9) ____ extent. But things are more likely to (10) ____ well if you persevere and stay positive.

(4) ______

The Alaska pipeline starts at the frozen edge of the Arctic Ocean. It stretches southward acros the largest and northernmost state in the United States, ending at a remote ice-free seaport village nearly 800 miles from where it begins. It is massive in size and extremely complicated to operate. The steel pipe crosses windswept plains and endless miles of delicate tundra that tops the frozen group. It weaves through crooked canyons, climbs sheer mountains, plunges over rocky crags, make it way through thick forests, and passes over or under hundreds of rivers and streams. The pipe is 4 feet in diameter and up to 2 million barrels or 84 million gallons of crude oil can be pumped through it daily. Resting on H-shaped steel racks called “bents,” long sections of the pipeline follow a zigzag course high above the frozen earth. Other long sections drop out of sight beneath spongy or rocky ground and return to the surface later on. The pattern of the pipeline’s up-and-down route is determined by the often harsh demands of the arctic and subarctic climate, the tortuous lay of the land, and the varied compositions of soil, rock, or permafrost permanently frozen ground. A little more than half of the pipeline is elevated above the ground. The remainder is buried anywhere from 3 to 12 feet, depending largely upon the type of terrain and the properties of the soil. One of the largest in the world, the pipeline cost approximately $8 billion and is by far the bigges and most expensive construction project ever undertaken by private industry. In fact, no single busines could raise that much money, so 8 major oil companies formed a consortium in order to share the cost. Each company controlled oil rights to particular shares of land in the oil fields and paid into the pipeline –construction fund according to the size of its holdings. Today, despite enormous problems o climate, supply shortages, equipment breakdowns, labor disagreements, treacherous terrain, a certain amount of mismanagement, and even theft, the Alaska pipeline has been completes and is operating.

The phrase” Resting on” is closest in meaning to_____.

Read the passage and choose the best answers to questions below. Write the answers on your answer sheet.

Millions of people are using cell phones today. In many places, it is actually considered unusual not to use one. In many countries, cell phones are very popular with young people. They find that the phones are more than a means of communication - having a mobile phone shows that they are cool and connected.

The explosion in mobile phone use around the world has made some health professionals worried. Some doctors are concerned that in the future many people may suffer health problems from the use of mobile phones. In England, there has been a serious debate about this issue. Mobile phone companies are worried about the negative publicity of such ideas. They say that there is no proof that mobile phones are bad for your health.

On the other hand, medical studies have shown changes in the brain cells of some people who use mobile phones. Signs of change in the tissues of the brain and head can be detected with modern scanning equipment. In one case, a traveling salesman had to retire at young age because of serious memory loss. He couldn't remember even simple tasks. He would often forget the name of his own son. This man used to talk on his mobile phone for about six hours a day, every day of his working week, for a couple of years. His family doctor blamed his mobile phone use, but his employer's doctor didn't agree.

What is it that makes mobile phones potentially harmful? The answer is radiation. High-tech machines can detect very small amounts of radiation from mobile phones. Mobile phone companies agree that there is some radiation, but they say the amount is too small to worry about.

As the discussion about their safety continues, it appears that it's best to use mobile phones less often. Use your regular phone if you want to talk for a long time. Use your mobile phone only when you really need it. Mobile phones can be very useful and convenient, especially in emergencies. In the future, mobile phones may have a warning label that says they are bad for your health. So for now, it's wise not to use your mobile phone too often
10.The most suitable title for the passage could be __________ .

Read the following passage and choose the correct answer in each sentence.

Last week, I had an occasion to — 131 — with Mr. Harries and Mr. Grava from your customer support team. I came to the office with a series of questions for a research project that I am working on. The information I needed tumed out to be more — 132— than I had anticipated but for awhile, your team was very patient, courteous and professional. — 133 —. It is clear that your customer service is one of the keys to your company’s success. I want you to know how much I — 134 — the assistance.

134...............

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

   It is commonly believed in the United States that school is where people go to get an education. Nevertheless, it has been said that today children interrupt their education to go to school. The distinction between schooling and education implied by this remark is important.

   Education is much more open-ended and all-inclusive than schooling. Education knows no bounds. It can take place anywhere, whether in the shower or on the job, whether in a kitchen or on a tractor. It includes both the formal learning that takes place in schools and the whole universe of informal learning. The agents of education can range from a revered grandparent to the people debating politics on the radio, from a child to a distinguished scientist. Whereas schooling has a certain predictability, education quite often produces surprises. A chance conversation with a stranger may lead a person to discover how little is known of other religions. People are engaged in education from infancy on. Education, then, is a very broad, inclusive term. It is a lifelong process, a process that starts long before the start of school, and one that should be an integral part of one's entire life.

   Schooling, on the other hand, is a specific, formalized process, whose general pattern varies little from one setting to the next. Throughout a country, children arrive at school at approximately the same time, take assigned seats, are taught by an adult, use similar textbooks, do homework, take exams, and so on. The slices of reality that are to be learned, whether they are the alphabet or an understanding of the workings of government, have usually been limited by the boundaries of the subject being taught.

   For example, high school students know that they are not likely to find out in their classes the truth about political problems in their communities or what the newest filmmakers are experimenting with. There are definite conditions surrounding the formalized process of schooling.

The passage supports which of the following conclusions?

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Although I left university with a good degree, I suddenly found that it was actually quite hard to find a job. After being unemployed for a few months, I realized I had to take the first thing that came along or I'd be in serious financial difficulties. And so, for six very long months, I became a market research telephone interviewer.

I knew it wasn't the best company in the world when they told me that I'd have to undergo three days of training before starting work, and that I wouldn't get paid for any of it. Still, I knew that the hourly rate when I actually did start full time would be a lot better than unemployment benefit, and I could work up to twelve hours a day, seven days a week if I wanted. So, I thought of the money I'd earn and put up with three days of unpaid training. Whatever those three days taught me - and I can't really remember anything about them today - I wasn't prepared for the way I would be treated by the supervisors.

It was worse than being at school. There were about twenty interviewers like myself, each sitting in a small, dark booth with an ancient computer and a dirty telephone. The booths were around the walls of the fifth floor of a concrete office block, and the supervisors sat in the middle of the room, listening in to all of our telephone interviews. We weren't allowed to talk to each other, and if we took more than about two seconds from ending one phone call and starting another, they would shout at us to hurry up and get on with our jobs. We even had to ask for permission to go to the toilet. I was amazed how slowly the day went. Our first break of the day came at eleven o'clock, two hours after we started. I'll always remember that feeling of despair when I would look at my watch thinking, 'It's must be nearly time for the break', only to find that it was quarter to ten and that there was another hour and a quarter to go. My next thought was always, 'I can't believe I'm going to be here until nine o'clock tonight.'

The most frightening aspect of the job was that I was actually quite good at it. 'Oh, no!' I thought.

‘Maybe I'm destined to be a market researcher for the rest of my life.' My boss certainly seemed to think so. One day - during a break, of course - she ordered me into her office. 'Simon,' she said, 'I'm promoting you. From tomorrow, you're off telecoms and onto credit card complaints. I'm sure you can handle it. There's no extra pay, but it is a very responsible position.'

Three weeks later, I quit. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

The writer had doubts about the company when ____.

Read the following passage and choose the correct answer in each sentence.
On Monday, Lirong Wen will join the sales office as a management assistant. She will be a member of the customer service team — 135 — on the second floor. Also, on September 12, we will welcome Theo Sullivan back to the company. After taking two years off to complete a graduate degree, Theo will join the frozen foods departments — 136 — a senior production manager. He will — 137 — the team that processes the work order.
We are happy to welcome these two new members of our team. —138 —.

138............

Choose the letter A, B, C or D to complete the passage below

What do you do well? What do you enjoy doing? Your answers to these two questions will help you identify your (1) _____. An employer will consider you seriously for a spot when you can show them that you know who you are, what you can offer and which you have studied. Sometimes it is difficult to know what your weaknesses are. Clearly not everyone is equally good (2)_____ everything. You may need to improve yourself and so (3) _____ courses in that field could turn a weakness into strength. You will need to (4) _____ some time on your self-assessment. Your honesty and the desire for self-improvement will lead to (5) _____ in getting the right job. Explore the following seven areas to start to get to know yourself: your aptitude, your skills, your personality, the level of responsibility you feel comfortable with, your interests and your needs.

(2)...................

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to choose the word or phrase that bestfits each ofthe numbered blanks from 11 to 15.
Left-handers are the odd ones out. Sure, lefties (11)________ up about 10 percent of the population - but, frankly, it seems like society has forgotten about them. Just consider all of the right-handed gadgets, awkwardly designed desks, and cooking tools that fit comfortably only in your right hand. What (12)_______ someone to become a lefthand? Scientists aren‟t exactly sure, but research points to a complex (13)________ between genes and environment. While no exact set of “leftie genes” have   been discovered, people who dominantly use their left hands do have more left-handed family members. And researchers have found different brain wirings in righties vs. lefties. But no matter (14)________ it  is that drives someone to use their antipodal paw, science has also uncovered a particular set of personality traits that left-handed people tend to have. So for all of you lefties, leftie-loving righties, and ambidextrous folks out there  -  it‟s  time  to  brush  up  on  your  left-handed  knowledge  and help (15)________ an  end to leftie discrimination once and for all
(13).................

Read the following passage and choose the correct answer in each sentence.

Last week, I had an occasion to — 131 — with Mr. Harries and Mr. Grava from your customer support team. I came to the office with a series of questions for a research project that I am working on. The information I needed tumed out to be more — 132— than I had anticipated but for awhile, your team was very patient, courteous and professional. — 133 —. It is clear that your customer service is one of the keys to your company’s success. I want you to know how much I — 134 — the assistance.

133...................

Choose the item among A, B, C or D that best answers the question about the passage:

"The deserts of the world are not all covered with sand. Many of them have surfaces of rock or clay or small stones. They are not flat, either; they often have high hills and deep valleys. There is some plant life in many parts of the desert. There is little rain in the desert, but it does fall often enough for most plants. The deserts of the world are not uninhabited. People also live outside oases, but these people are not farmers. They have camels, goats, donkeys, sheep, etc. These animals can live on the desert plants and do not need much water.
 The people of the desert have to move constantly from place to place, they must always look for grass or desert plants for their animals. They usually live in tents. When there is no more food for their animals, they fold up their tents, put them on their camels and donkeys, and move to another place. In good years, when there is enough food for their animals, they trade their skins and their goats and camel hairs with the people of oases for wheat and fruit. But in bad years, when there is not enough food for their animals, the people of the desert would attack the oases people. But they are also hospitable. No man in the desert would ever refuse to give a stranger food and water."

5. From the passage we know that life ….

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions. 
Long gone but not forgotten are those carefree student days of shared showers, derelict rental properties and parties where the booze always ran out before midnight. Being a student was quite a privilege in the good old days when local authorities and the government footed the bill and there was almost certainly a job at the end of it.
In the early 1960s, only 4% of school leavers went to university, rising to around 14% by the end of the 1970s. Nowadays, more than 40% of young people start undergraduate degrees – but it comes at a cost. Today’s students leave with debts of £40,000 and upwards to pay back over their working lives.
So how has the student experience changed over the years? Parents looking back on their university lives are amazed at the luxuries their sons and daughters enjoy, such as en suite bathrooms, flatscreen TVs and leather sofas. Student accommodation has improved but rents have soared and take up a bigger whack of the living cost loans, leaving today’s undergraduates little better off than their parents.
They still party and have a good time, but students are working harder and more consistently, their parents believe. Partly, it is the move away from “big bang” finals to continuous assessment, they say, but also the pressure to get that all-important 2:1 or above degree classification. One-third of students were awarded firsts or 2:1s in 1970. Last year it was over two-thirds: 70%.
Today’s students are more career-orientated and under pressure to take on extracurricular activities, more responsibilities and work experience to compete in the graduate jobs market. Meeting people, making friends for life and discovering new interests: these are the things that have not changed for students who are following the same route to independence as their parents.

The phrase “footed the bill” in the first paragraph mostly means ______________.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.
Are you interested in seeing the beautiful fall foliage of New England but tired of traffic jams and overbooked hotels? Then this year forget the crowds in New England and see the beautiful colors of autumn in the Catskills.
These rugged mountains in New York State, just 90 miles northwest of New York City, are famous for the legendary tales of Rip Van Winkle, and more recently for the summer hotels that sprang up in the region during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. Families trying to escape the heat of New York City found the Catskills to be the perfect place to stay for a month or so each summer. By the late 1950s there were over 500 resorts and hotels offering nighttime entertainment as well as all kinds of outdoor activities. Famous comedians like Jackie Gleason, Joan Rivers, and Sid Caesar all got their start touring the hotel clubs here. Since the introduction of air-conditioning and cheaper air travel, however, families have stopped coming to the Catskills in such large numbers, choosing instead more distant locations at different times of the year. Many of the Catskill hotels closed in the 1970s, but some remain and have expanded and changed their facilities to meet the needs of today's visitors.
Currently, there are many activities available to the traveler besides witnessing the changing colors of the leaves. There is an all-organic sheep farm where visitors can see how a traditional sheep farm operates. There are also hundreds of miles of scenic drives in the area. Route 42, for instance, is an excellent site for spotting bald eagles. For more information on vacations in the Catskills, call the Office of Public Information.

In what season would a tourist most likely have visited the Catskills in the 1950s?

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions:
    In the Native American Navajo nation which sprawls across four states in the American south-west, the native language is dying. Most of its speakers are middle-age or elderly. Although many students take classes in Navajo, the schools are run in English. Street sign, supermarket goods and even their own newspaper are all in English. Not surprisingly, linguists doubt that any native speakers of Navajo will remain in a hundred years' time.
    Navajo is far from alone. Half the world's 6,800 languages are likely to vanish within two generations - that's one language lost every ten days. Never before has the planet's linguistic diversity shrunk at such a pace. Isolation breeds linguistic diversity as a result, the world is peppered with languages spoken by only a few people. Only 250 languages have more than a million speakers, and at least 3,000 have fewer than 2,500. It is not necessarily these small languages that are about to disappear. Navajo is considered endangered despite having 150,000 speakers. What makes a language endangered is not that the number of speakers, but how old they are. If it is spoken by children it is relatively safe. The critically endangered languages are those that are only spoken by the elderly, according to Michael Krauss, director of the Alaska Native Language Center, in Fairbanks.
    Why do people reject the language of their parent? It begins with a crisis of confidence, when a small community finds itself alongside a larger, wealthier society, says Nicholas Ostler of Britain's Foundation for Endangered Languages, in Bath. “People lose faith in their culture” he says. "When the next generation reaches their teens, they might not want to be induced into the old tradition.” The change is not always voluntary. Quite often, governments try to kill off a minority language by banning its use in public or discouraging its use in school, all to promote national unity. The former US policy of running Indian reservation in English, for example, effectively put languages such as Navajo on the danger list. But Salikoko Mufwene, who chairs the Linguistics Department at the University of Chicago, argues that the deadliest weapon is not government policy but economic globalisation. "Native Americans have not lost pride in their language, but they have had to adapt to socio-economic pressures" he says. “They cannot refuse to speak English if most commercial activity is in English."
    However, a growing interest in cultural identity may prevent the direct predictions from coming true. ‘The key to fostering diversity is for people to learn their ancestral tongue, as well as the dominant language' says Doug Whalen, founder and president of the Endangered Language Fund in New Haven, Connecticut. “Most of these will live without a large degree of bilingualism” he says.

Who thinks that a change of language may mean a loss of traditional culture?

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

   Orchids are unique in having the most highly developed of all blossoms, in which the usual male and female reproductive organs are fused in a single structure called the column. The column is designed so that a single pollination will fertilize hundreds of thousands, and in some cases millions, of seeds, so microscopic and light they are easily carried by the breeze. Surrounding the column are three sepals and three petals, sometimes easily recognizable as such, often distorted into gorgeous, weird, but always functional shapes. The most noticeable of the petals is called the labellum, or lip. It is often dramatically marked as an unmistakable landing strip to attract the specific insect the orchid has chosen as its pollinator. To lure their pollinators from afar, orchids use appropriately intriguing shapes, colors, and scents. At least 50 different aromatic compounds have been analyzed in the orchid family, each blended to attract one, or at most a few, species of insects or birds. Some orchids even change their scents to interest different insects at different times.

   Once the right insect has been attracted, some orchids present all sorts of one-way obstacle courses to make sure it does not leave until pollen has been accurately placed or removed. By such ingenious adaptations to specific pollinators, orchids have avoided the hazards of rampant crossbreeding in the wild, assuring the survival of species as discrete identities. At the same time they have made themselves irresistible to collectors.

How many orchid seeds are typically pollinated at one time?