Read the passage about tourism in Wales and circle the best option (A, B, C, or D) to fill in each numbered blank. An example has been done for you.

It is estimated that in north Wales 30 per cent of all jobs can be directly attributed to tourism, but the fact that visitors spend their money in a variety of ways has a beneficial effect (26)____________ other things too. Many village shops would have to close if they were not supported by income from tourists, and the money spent on local souvenirs can (27)____________ local industries from going out of business.
Unfortunately, tourism also has disadvantages. (28)____________, many of the roads in the Snowdonia area are extremely narrow and tourist cars cause traffic jams. Some farmers and local merchants complain that they make it difficult for them (29)____________ their work as car parks full up during busy periods and many visitors cause obstructions by parking across gateways, etc. In addition, in the summer, thousands of people use the network of footpaths across Snowdon and its foothills. Often the grassy surface is (30)____________, leaving rough stone or mud. This makes the paths hard to see, and it can be dangerous to walk on.

Question 26...................

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Native Americans probably arrived from Asia in successive waves over several millennia, crossing a plain hundreds of miles wide that now lies inundated by 160 feet of water released by melting glaciers. For several periods of time, the first beginning around 60,000 BC and the last ending around 7,000 BC, this land bridge was open. The first people travelled in the dusty trails of the animals they hunted. They brought with them not only their families, weapons, and tools but also a broad metaphysical understanding, sprung from dreams and visions and articulated in myth and song, which complemented their scientific and historical knowledge of the lives of animals and people. All this they shaped in a variety of languages, bringing into being oral literatures of power and beauty. Contemporary readers, forgetting the origins of western epic, lyric, and dramatic forms, are easily disposed to think of “literature” only as something written. But on reflection it becomes clear that the more critically useful as well as the more frequently employed sense of the term concerns the artfulness of the verbal creation, not its mode of presentation. Ultimately, literature is aesthetically valued, regardless of language, culture, or mode of presentation, because some significant verbal achievement results from the struggle in words between tradition and talent. Verbal art has the ability to shape out a compelling inner vision in some skillfully crafted public verbal form. Of course, the differences between the written and oral modes of expression are not without consequences for an understanding of Native American literature. The essential difference is that a speech event is an evolving communication, an “emergent form”, the shape, functions, and aesthetic values of which become more clearly realized over the course of the performance. In performing verbal art, the performer assumes responsibility for the manners as well as the content of the performance, while the audience assumes the responsibility for evaluating the performer’s competence in both areas. It is this intense mutual engagement that elicits the display of skill and shapes the emerging performance. Where written literature provides us with a tradition of texts, oral literature offers a tradition of performances.
1. Which of the following is NOT true of the Native American literature discussed in the passage?

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
At first glance, there is little in Horton to attract people. The other nearby towns have much more to offer: Bradfield has its river and historic buildings, while Newtown has shops and entertainment. The buildings of Horton look dirty and unloved. For shops, there is a small supermarket, a few bargain shops, a bakery which, strangely, does not sell bread and a florist which has one stand of sad-looking flowers. Even so, Horton has several advantages over its neighbouring towns. Firstly, it has a country park. Four thousand years ago, this was an important fort. There are no historic remains here now, but there are wonderful views over the countryside. On sunny weekends you can often see kids out with their parents, kicking balls or flying kites. There aren’t many job opportunities in Horton, and the roads to nearby cities aren’t really fast, but there are excellent rail links. You can be in London in an hour and a half, and other cities are less than an hour away. That means that parents can earn a good salary and still get home in time to spend the evenings with their families. Houses in Horton aren’t pretty, but they are functional and cheap. The streets are  quiet and safe, and there are plenty of parks and playgrounds. It has a library, three primary schools and a secondary school, St. Mark’s. It’s not as academically brilliant as other schools in the area, but it is friendly and offers a wide range of subjects and activities to children of all abilities and backgrounds. The town also has a swimming and a sports centre, and the community halls hold regular clubs and events for people of all ages.
7. Which of the following is the best description of Horton?

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 from 24 to 28:

In Southeast Asia, many forests have been cut down to produce timber and to clear land for farms and industries. The destruction of forests has reduced the living space of wildlife. Much of Asia’s wildlife is also threatened by over-hunting. Many people kill animals for food or hunt them to sell to zoos, medical researchers, and pet traders. Because of habitat destruction and over-hunting, many large Asian animals, including elephants, rhinoceroses, and tigers, have become endangered.

In China, people have cut down most of the forests for wood, which has caused serious soil erosion. The soil is deposited in rivers and streams, which lowers the quality of the water. The Huang He, or Yellow River, is so named because the light-colored soil gives the water a yellowish color. The soil has also raised the river-bed. As a result, the Huang He often floods, causing great property damage and loss of life along its banks.

The word “over-hunting” in line 3 is closest in meaning to _____.

Marriage nowadays is a choice people make on their own, but this has not always been the case in society. Thousands of years ago, the average lifespan was shorter than it is today. A man usually lived until he was about 40 years old, while women died even sooner because of childbirth. There were many wars and illnesses, and people had to protect themselves by having more children while they were still young. The parents lived through their children.
Marriage was not so much a romantic love story but a business transaction, or deal. Most marriages were arranged between parents while their children were still very young. It was the custom that the fathers made the decision on whom their children were going to marry. The mothers had little say in it since they rarely made any decisions outside the household. The fathers would meet to arrange the wedding date and the money given for the bride on her wedding date. The more money and land a girl had, the more chances she had to marry well. Therefore, it was important that her father choose the bridegroom very well. Usually, it was someone who came from a good family or who was rich too. It was very unlikely that people married outside their social class. A few well-off and rich merchants got to marry poorer noblewomen and became King’s business advisors. In a way, poor peasants had an easier choice as it was less important whom they married.
The practice of arranged marriage is still common in some countries in the Middle East, such as India or Pakistan. Here, social classes are still strongly divided and very well-kept. Often, however, arranged marriages are a sign that people do not want to let go of the past, which gives them comfort and security in an ever-changing world.

The phrase "let go of" in paragraph 3 mostly means                                       .  

Read the text and choose the best option to fill in each blank numbered:
Keeping your distance
Personal space is a term that refers (1)_______  the distance we like to keep between ourselves and other people. When (2) _______ we do not know well gets too close we usually begin to feel uncomfortable. If a business colleague comes closer than 1.2 meters, the most common response is to move (3)______ Some interesting (4)______ have been done in libraries. If strangers come too close, many people get up and leave the building; others use different methods such as turning their back on the intruder. Living in cities has made people develop new skills for dealing with situations where they are very close to strangers. Most people on crowded trains try not to look at strangers; they avoid skin contact, and apologize if hands touch by mistake. People use newspapers (5)_______ a barrier between themselves and other people, and if they do not have one, they stare into the distance, making sure they are not looking into anyone’s eyes.

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Music can bring US to tears or to our feet, drive US into battle or lull US to sleep. Music is indeed remarkable in its power over all humankind, and perhaps for that every reason, no human culture on earth has ever lived without it. From discoveries made in France and Slovenia even Neanderthal man, as long as 53,000 years ago, had developed surprisingly sophisticated, sweet-sounding flutes carved from animal bones. It is perhaps then, no accident that music should strike such a chord with the limbic system - an ancient part of our brain, evolutionarily speaking, and one that we share with much of the animal kingdom. Some researchers even propose that music came into this world long before the human race ever did. For  example, the fact that whale and human music have so much in common even though our evolutionary paths have not interested for nearly 60 million years suggests that music may predate humans. They assert that rather than being the inventors of music, we are latecomers to the musical scene. Humpback whale composers employ many of the same tricks that human songwriters do. In addition to using similar rhythms, humpbacks keep musical phrases to a few seconds, creating themes out of several phrases before singing the next one. Whale songs in general are no longer than symphony movements, perhaps because they have a similar attention span. Even though they can sing over a range of seven octaves, the whales typically sing in key, spreading adjacent notes no farther apart than a scale. They mix percussive and pure tones in pretty much the same ratios as human composers - and follow their ABA form, in which a theme is presented, elaborated on and then revisited in a slightly modified form. Perhaps most amazingly, humpback whale songs include repeating refrains that rhyme. It has been suggested that whales might use rhymes for exactly the same reasons that we do: as devices to help them remember. Whale songs can also be rather catchy. When a few humpbacks from the Indian Ocean strayed into the Pacific, some of the whales they met there quickly changed their tunes - singing the new whales'songs within three short years. Some scientists are even tempted to speculate that a universal music awaits discovery.
4: According to the passage, which of the following is true of humpback whales?

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
If any of the inmates at Yancheng prison are considering an escape attempt, they’d better do it soon. The Chinese prison is currently wrapping up months of construction on a new “smart” surveillance system designed to monitor prisoners at every moment, including while they are in their cells. According an official, this will make prison breaks virtually impossible — but it might also wreak havoc on prisoners’ psyches. According to the South China Morning Post, the facility is almost finished installing a network of cameras and sensors capable of constantly tracking inmates. These cameras and sensors will feed into an AI system that uses facial identification and movement analysis technologies to monitor each individual inmate at the Chinese prison, producing a daily report about each one and flagging any unusual behavior. “For instance,” project representative Meng Qingbiao told SCMP, “if an inmate has been spotted pacing up and down in a room for some time, the machine may regard the phenomenon as suspicious and suggest close-up checks with a human guard.” This isn’t the first example we’ve seen of prison officials attempting to make facilities “smart”. In February, Hong Kong’s Correctional Services Department announced the implementation of several technologies designed to help prisoners stay safe during their imprisonment. However, Zhang Xuemin, a physiology professor at Beijing Normal University, told SCMP the new system will “definitely affect” the prisoners’ mental state. And while he didn’t elaborate on what that effect might be, past research has shown that constant surveillance can increase a person’s stress and anxiety levels, while decreasing their trust in others — meaning the trade off for an escape-proof “smart” prison might be the mental health of its inmates.
3. The word “regard” in paragraph 1 can be best replaced by ...........

Read the passage carefully, then decide whether the following statement are true (T) or false (F)

The proverb 'A friend in need is a friend indeed.' means that we shall know who our real friends are when we are in need. Those who desert us when we are in difficulty are just unfaithful friends.

A true friend would remain with us whether we are rich or poor. Some people be friend the rich, simply for the sake of getting benefits from them.

It is useless to have insincere friends because these friends remain with us as long as we are rich or powerful. It is better to have one or two good friends rather than having hundreds of insincere ones.

A true friend will stand by us in our trials and tribulations. He will be a great source of consolation and comfort in our troubles. So we must be careful in choosing our friends. It is difficult to choose a sincere friend overnight; it takes years for us to find a sincere friend.

A rich friend is always a true friend.

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.

The word "discrete" in line 16 is closest in meaning to...................

Read the passage below and anwser the following question.

"Let's see if you can correctly answer the following question: At what age are Latter-day Saint youth allowed to date? Of course, you probably immediately said, "16". OK, then, how about this one: At what age are you allowed to have a boyfriend or girlfriend? You may be thinking, “Um, 16. Didn't I just answer that?" Well, if that was your answer, then, even though you aced the first question, you missed the second one. Just because you can date when you turn 16 doesn't mean you should immediately start looking for a steady boyfriend or girlfriend.

To begin with, there are two different types of dating: casual dating and steady (or serious) dating. The distinction between the two has to do with exclusivity. With casual dating, there is no exclusivity. The two people aren't “a couple” or “an item”, and they don't refer to each other as a “boyfriend” or “girlfriend”. They don't pair off. People who are casually dating are simply friends. This is the kind of dating the Church encourages you to do after you turn 16. You should put aside a need to find a “one and only”. If you're dating casually, you don't expect a relationship to become a romance. You have fun; you do a variety of things with a variety of people. On the other hand, steady dating means the couple is exclusive with one another. They expect each other not to date anyone else or to be emotionally or physically close with other people. Couples who date seriously consider the future, because there is a real possibility they could stay together. This is the kind of dating the Church encourages young adults (generally, people in their 20s) to progress toward, because that's the age when they should be thinking of marrying."

3: According to the passage, what is NOT true about casual dating?

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.

   A rather surprising geographical feature of Antarctica is that a huge freshwater, one of the world’s largest and deepest, lies hidden there under four kilometers of ice. Now known as Lake Vostok, this huge body of water is located under the ice block that comprises Antarctica. The lake is able to exist in its unfrozen state beneath this block of ice because its waters are warned by geothermal heat from the earth’s core. This thick glacier above Lake Vostok actually insulates it from frigid temperatures (the lowest ever recorded on Earth) on the surface.

   The lake was first discovered in the 1970s while a research team was conducting an aerial survey of the area. Radio waves from the survey equipment penetrated the ice and revealed a body of water of indeterminate size. It was not until much more recently that data collected by satellite made scientists aware of the tremendous size of the lake; satellite-borne radar detected an extremely flat region where the ice remains level because it is floating on the water of the lake.

   The discovery of such a huge fresh water lake trapped under Antarctica is of interest to the scientific community because of the potential that the lake contains ancient microbes that have survived for thousands upon thousands of years, unaffected by factors such as nuclear fallout and elevated ultraviolet light that have conducting research on the lake in such a harsh climate and in the problems associated with obtaining uncontaminated sampled from the lake without actually exposing the lake to contamination. Scientists are looking for possible ways to accomplish this.

Which of the following is closest in meaning to “frigid” in the first paragraph?

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 36 to 40

Coal, oil, and natural gas supply modern civilization (36)............. most of its power. However, not only are supplies of these fuels limited, but they are a major source of pollution. If the energy demands of the future are to be met without seriously harming the environment, existing (37)........energy sources must be improved or further explored and developed. These include nuclear, water, solar, wind, and geothermal power, as well as energy from new, (38)........... types of fuels. Each of these alternatives, however, has advantages and disadvantages.

Nuclear power plants efficiently produce large amounts of electricity without polluting the atmosphere; however, they are costly to build and maintain, and they pose the daunting problem of what to do with nuclear wastes. Hydroelectric power is (39)........ and environmentally safe, but impractical for communities located far from moving water. Harnessing energy from tides and waves has similar drawbacks. Solar power holds great promise for the future but methods of collecting and concentrating sunlight are as yet (40).........., as are methods of harnessing wind power.

Question 37:..................

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Duncan Phyfe made some of the most beautiful furniture found in America. His family name was originally Fife, and he was born in Scotland in 1768. In 1784, the Fife family immigrated to Albany, New York where Duncan’s father opened a cabinetmaking shop. Duncan followed his father’s footsteps and was apprenticed to a cabinetmaker. After completing his training, Duncan moved to New York City. Duncan Fife was first mentioned in the 1792 NYC Directory as a furniture “joiner” in business at 2 Broad Street. Two years later, he moved, expanded his business, and changed his name to Phyfe. He was a quiet-living, God-fearing young man who felt his new name would probably appeal to potential customers who were definitely anti-British in this post-Revolutionary War period. Duncan Phyfe’s name distinguished him from his contemporaries. Although the new spelling helped him better compete with French emigrant craftsmen, his new name had more to do with hanging it on a sign over his door stoop. The artisans and merchants who came to America discovered a unique kind of freedom. They were no longer restricted by class and guild traditions of Europe. For the first time in history, a man learned that by working hard, he could build his business based on his own name and reputation and quality of work. Phyfe’s workshop apparently took off immediately. At the peak of his success, Phyfe employed 100 craftsmen. Some economic historians point to Phyfe as having employed division of labor and an assembly line. What his workshop produced shows Phyfe’s absolute dedication to quality in workmanship. Each piece of furniture was made of the best available materials. He was reported to have paid $1,000 for a single Santo Domingo mahogany log. Phyfe did not create new designs. Rather, he borrowed from a broad range of the period’s classical styles, Empire, Sheraton, Regency, and French Classical among them. Nevertheless, Phyfe’s high quality craftsmanship established him as America’s patriotic interpreter of European design in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Although the number of pieces produced by Duncan Phyfe’s workshop is enormous, comparatively few marked or labeled pieces have been found extant. In antiques shops and auctions, collectors have paid $11,000 for a card table, $24,200 for a tea table, and $93,500 for a sewing table.
3. Which choice does the word “it” in paragraph 3 refer to?

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Continents and ocean basins represent the largest identifiable bodies on Earth. On the solid portion of the planet, the second most prominent features are flat plains, elevated plateaus, and large mountain ranges. In geography, the term "continent" refers to the surface of continuous landmasses that together comprise about 29.2% of the planet's surface. On the other hand, another definition is prevalent in the general use of the term that deals with extensive mainlands, such as Europe or Asia,that actually represent one very large landmass. Although all continents are bounded by the water bodies or high mountain ranges, isolated mainlands, such as Greenland and India-Pakistan areas are called subcontinents. In some circles, the distinction between continents and large islands lies almost exclusively in the size of a particular landmass. The analysis of compression and tension in the earth's crust has determined that continental structures are composed of layers that underlie continental shelves. A great deal of disagreement among geologists surrounds the issue of exactly how many layers underlie each landmass because of their distincive mineral and chemical composition. It's also quite possible that the ocean floor rests on top of unknown continents that have not yet been explored. The continental crust is believed to have been forrmed by means of a chemical reaction when lighter materials separated from heavier ones,thus settling at various levels within the crust. Assisted by the measurements of the specifics within crust formations by means of monitoring earthquakes, geologists can speculate that a chemical split occured to form the atmosphere, sea water and the crust before it solidified many centuries ago. Although each continent has its special features, all consist of various combinations of components that include shields,moutain belts, intracratonic basins, margins, volcanic plateaus, and blockvaulted belts. The basic differences among continents lie in the proportion and the composition of these features relative to the continent size. Climatic zones have a crucial effect on the weathering and formation of the surface features, soil erosion, soil deposition, land formation, vegetation, and human activities. Moutian belts are elongated narrow zones that have a characteristic folded sedimentary organization of layers. They are typically produced during substabtial crustal movements, which generate faulting and moutain building. When continental margins collide, the rise of a marginal edge leads to the formation of large moutain ranges, as explained by the plate tectonic theory. This process also accounts for the occurrence of mountain belts in ocean basins and produces evidence for the ongoing continental plate
evolution.
9. The phrase "This process" at the end of paraghaph 4 refers to .

Read the text again. Decide whether the following statements are true (T), false (F), or not given (NG).

Changing lifestyles for better health

As a way of living, lifestyle is everyday behaviours, activities, and diet. It involves your work, leisure activities, food and drink consumption, and interaction with people. That is why it is important to have a healthy lifestyle. Although it is often difficult to change your habits, reorganising your daily activities to achieve a healthy lifestyle is not impossible. Here are some steps you need to take to have a better life and health.

Become more active

Scientists have proved that regular exercise can help to reduce cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. Remember that you do not need to do too much exercise - just a 30-minute walk a day will bring health benefits. But it is important that you do it regularly and safely. Simple things like walking or cycling to school, using the stairs instead of the lift, doing the housework and gardening can all contribute to good health.

Moreover, hobbies such as dancing, reading, listening to music, playing chess, and solving crossword or sudoku puzzles are also good ways to keep your body and mind engaged, and increase life expectancy. No matter where you are - at home, at work, or at play - always look for opportunities to be more active and energetic.

Eat healthily

‘Eat to live, not live to eat’ is the advice to follow.The food and drink we consume can dramatically affect our health. Bad nutrition based on fast food, and meals high in fat and sugar can lead to obesity, diabetes, some types of cancer and other chronic diseases. Planning and following a healthy and balanced diet is not difficult at all. Eat the right amount of calories to balance the energy you get from food and the energy you use. Make sure you have a wide range of foods to receive all the nutrients you need. Remember to eat less saturated fat, sugar and salt, and more fish, fruit, and vegetables.

Stay positive and be happy

Once you have started to be more active and eat more healthily, you can notice that you also feel happier. There is no doubt that daily worrying and stress can damage your heart and brain. When you are under a lot of stress, you may get angry easily. Anger and hostility have negative effects on the cardiovascular system. Recent research has confirmed that angry, hostile people live a shorter life. Try to control your anger, always look at the positive side of every situation and be optimistic. If necessary, practise sor-e meditation and yoga to help you to relieve your stress and anger, and enjoy life more.

Question 26. Physical activity should be done not just regularly, but safely.

Read the passage then choose the best answer to fill in each gap.

The human …….. (16) is only one small species in the living world. Many ……. (17) species exist on this planet. However, human beings have great influence on the rest of the world. ………..(18) are changing the environment by building cities and villages where forests once stood. They are …………(19) the water supply by using water for industry and agriculture. They are changing weather conditions by cutting down trees in the forests, and they are destroying the air by adding ……….. (20) to it.

19:.......................

Read the following passage carefully and choose the word that best fits each space.

Here are some suggestions for practical (9) _____. Use less fuel at home and at work. Persuade the government to pay for researchers into alternative (10) _____ resources like solar power. Recycle paper, glass, metal, plastic and batteries as (11) _____ as possible. Ask for bottle banks for glass recycling at local supermarkets. Walk, cycle or use public (12) _____ if possible, to cut down on car exhaust fumes, which contribute to the greenhouse effect. Launch campaign for public transport systems to be improved. Join one of the many pressure groups which work to protect wildlife and the countryside.

(9)......................

Certain birds are, more often than not, considered bad luck, or even a sign of impending death. For example, all over the world, both crows and ravens have some connection to war, and death. In early times, crows and ravens were thought to accompany the gods of war, or be signs of the gods’ approaching arrival. This idea later changed. Crows in particular were thought to be harbingers of ill fortune or, in some cases, guides to the afterlife. Woe be it to the person who saw a single crow or raven flying overhead, for this was most certainly a portent of death in the near future.
 Interestingly, though potentially bad luck for people individually, the raven is considered to be good luck for the crown of England. So much so, in fact, that a “raven master” is, even today, an actual government position in London. He takes care of the ravens there and also clips their wings, ensuring that these birds can never fly far from the seat of the British government. This way, the kingdom will never fall to ill fortune.
 Another bird that is thought to play a part in forecasting the fortunes of people is the swallow. Depending on how and when it is seen, the swallow can be a harbinger of either good or ill fortune. Perhaps inspired by the swallow’s red-brown breast, Christian people initially related the swallow to the death of Jesus Christ. Thus, people who saw a swallow fly through their house considered it a portent of death. Later, however, farmers began to consider swallows signs of good fortune. Any barn that has swallows living in it is sure to be blessed in the following year. Farmers also have to beware of killing a swallow; that would be certain to end any good luck they might have had.
 Though many people think these superstitions are old wives’ tales, there is actually some evidence to support them. For example, crows and ravens, being scavengers, appear at the aftermath of battles. Thus, large numbers of crows and ravens could be good indications of war in an area. As well, swallows feed on insects that can cause infections in cattle. Thus, a farmer who has many swallows in his barn may actually have healthier animals on his farm. Therefore, the next time you feel inclined to laugh at an old wives’ tale, maybe you had better find out if there is any truth to it first!.

Swallows help keep cattle in barns healthier by ___________.

Children all around the world love to read comic books. Maybe they like to read the kind of comic books that come out once a month, like Spiderman or Batman, or maybe they like manga-style comic books. That means that publishers who make comic books need to keep in touch with the things young people like to do. One thing that many young people today are interested in is technology, so of course kids want to read digital comic books on electronic devices.
Let's take Japanese manga as an example. There are lots of people around the world who enjoy reading manga. However, in the past, it was difficult to find translated versions of manga in comic bookstores. But that did not stop manga fans. Some fans who could translate Japanese into their own language started translating manga themselves. Then they scanned the pages of manga books and uploaded the scanned pages to the Internet with their translation. This practice has become so popular. People in the comic book industry made up a name for it. By combining the words scan and translation, they call it "scanlation", and it is a big problem today. The people who do scanlation usually share their manga for free, so readers do not buy manga books. Writers, artists, and publishers all end up losing money because of scanlation. Another problem is piracy in the comic book industry. Illegal copies of old and brand new comics alike have been hurting comic book sales.
Despite the progress made in converting comics to digital formats, hardcopy comic books are still by far the most popular format among fans. In the meantime, comic book publishers and stores will just have to keep an eye on their buyers' habits. As the popularity of digital books for e-readers and tablets grows, the popularity of digital comic books will grow as well.

The word "they" in paragraph 1 refers to ______.

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
A useful definition of an air pollutant is a compound added directly or indirectly by humans to the atmosphere in such quantities as to affect humans, animals vegetations, or materials adversely. Air pollution requires a very flexible definition that permits continuous change. When the first air pollution laws were established in England in the fourteenth century, air pollutants were limited to compounds that could be seen or smelled-a far cry from the extensive list of harmful substances known today. As technology has developed and knowledge of the health aspects of various chemicals has increased, the list of air pollutants has lengthened. In the future, even water vapor might be considered an air pollutant under certain conditions. Many of the more important air pollutants, such as sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides, are found in nature. As the Earth developed, the concentrations of these pollutants were altered by various chemical reactions; they became components in biogeochemical cycle. These serve as an air purifiation scheme by allowing the compounds to move from the air to the water or soil on a global basis, nature's output of these compounds dwarfs that resulting from human activities. However, human production usually occurs in a localized area, such as a city. In this localized regions, human output may be dominant and may temporarily overload the natural purifiation scheme of the cycle. The result is an increased concentration of noxious chemicals in the air. The concentrations at which the adverse effects appear will be greater than the concentrations that the pollutants would have in the absence of human activities.The actual concentration need not be large for a substance to be a pollutant; in fact the numerical value tells US little until we know how much of an increase this represents over the concentration that would occur naturally in the area. For example, sulfur dioxide has detectable health effects at 0.08 parts per million (ppm), which is about 400 times its natural level. Carbon monoxide, however, has a natural level of 0.1 ppm and is not usually a pollutant until its level reaches about 15 ppm.
1: What does the passage mainly discuss?