CINCO DE MAYO
Cinco de Mayo means “the fifth of May” in Spanish. Cinco de Mayo is a day of celebration for the people of Mexico and for Mexican-Americans. Between 1846 and 1848, Mexico was involved in the Mexican-American War. After the war ended, Mexico had very little money and many debts. The country was in a national crisis. Under Napoleon III, France invaded Mexico in 1862. The Battle of Puebla occurred on the 5th of May. There were less than five thousand Mestizo and Zapotec Indians fighting for Mexico during this battle against more than eight thousand French soldiers. The Mexicans had very few weapons, but they were able to defeat, or win the battle against, the French army. This victory represents Mexican unity and patriotism, or love for their country.
Cinco de Mayo should not be confused with Mexican Independence Day. Mexican Independence Day is celebrated on September 16th every year. Fiestas, or celebrations, also occur on the 16th of September. Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in Mexico and by Mexican-Americans in the United States. It is a much larger celebration in the United States than in Mexico. Fiestas are held with music, dancing, parades, and food on the 5th of May every year. Cinco de Mayo is a very important day to the Mexican and Mexican-American people. It is a celebration of their rich history.
1. The text tells about ……..
A. Person
B. Place
C. Special day
D. War
E. Music
2. Which one is not true according to the text?
A. Between 1846 and 1848, Mexico was involved in the Mexican-American War.
B. Mexico had very little money and many debts, before the war began.
C. The Battle of Puebla occurred on the 5th of May.
D. This victory represents Mexican unity and patriotism, or love for their country.
E. Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in Mexico and by Mexican-Americans in the United States.
3. France invaded Mexico in 1862. What is the closest meaning of the underlined word mean?
A. occupied
B. disguised
C. attacked
D. fought
E. hit
Environmental pollution is one of the most serious problems facing humanity today. There are several kinds of environmental pollution but pollution caused by solid wastes is the most visible forms of pollution. Examples of solid wastes are junked automobile, aluminium, packaging materials, scraps of paper and metal, etc. Solid wastes littering roadsides, floating in lakes and streams, and collecting in ugly dumps.
Recycling is one of the many attempts to reduce solid waste products. Many groups believe that recycling is good because it helps reduce the pollution. Besides, the reuse of waste materials helps conserve natural resources.
The question now is whether recycling really makes the condition of the environment better? The answer is no.
Recycling has environmental side effects. Some recycling programs use large amounts of energy and produce high volumes of water waste. Distant recycling facilities often necessitate considerable resources just to transport the stuff there.
Take paper recycling. Proponents argue that every ton of recycled newsprint saves 17 trees. But most of the trees used to make paper are planted explicitly for manufacturing paper. Less paper from virgin pulp means fewer trees planted by commercial harvesters. This means that the net effect of universal paper recycling could actually be a decline in tree planting and tree coverage, as lands are converted to other uses.
4. After reading the text we can infer that ……….
A. Recycling is not worth recommended.
B. Recycling does not totally eliminate pollution.
C. Recycling makes the environmental problems worse.
D. Recycling causes people lose their means of subsistence.
E. Recycling is the only way to overcome pollution problems.
5. Which of the following solid wastes is not mentioned in the text?
A. Aluminium
B. Refrigerator
C. Seraps of paper
D. Junked automobiles
E. Packaging materials
6. The purpose of the text is ……..
A. To describe the side effects of recycling.
B. To ask reader not to pollute the environment.
C. To persuade reader not to recycle solid wastes.
D. To make reader aware of the danger of pollution.
E. To inform reader that pollution cannot be eliminated.
7. Based on the text, which of the following do you agree with?
A. Pollution problems cannot be solved.
B. Pollution is a very complicated problem.
C. Recycling is likely to be wrongly managed.
D. Recycling does not help reducing pollution.
E. Both pollution and recycling cause more problem.
The Fox and the Crow
One morning a fox was returning to his lair after a night’s hunting. He had not caught anything and he was feeling very hungry. As he passed the farmer’s house he saw a crow stealing a delicious looking piece of cheese that the farmer’s wife had left in the window. His mouth watered and he thought to himself how he could get the crow to give him the cheese. The crow flew off and perched far above his head in a nearby tree. The fox ran to the foot of the tree and started flattering the crow.
“Oh, beautiful bird,” said the fox, “so graceful, so delightful and so well loved by everyone. What lovely feathers you have, and how lucky you are to be able to see into the future. Truly you are possessed of all the virtues and I cannot think of any bird so blessed. However, I don’t think I have ever heard you sing. If your singing is even half as good as all your other qualities, there cannot be another creature in the whole world so fabulous.”
The crow was flattered by this and to show the fox that his voice was as beautiful as the rest of him he immediately opened his beak and started to sing so that the fox might hear him. But, as he opened his beak the cheese dropped out and the fox snapped it up and ate it in two gulps.
“Ah ha, said the fox, “I spoke of your beauty, but you will notice I said nothing about your brains.”
8. Which of the following you don’t agree with the fox?
A. He was hungry.
B. He was cunning.
C. He liked the crows.
D. He wanted to have the cheese.
E. He tried to deceive the crows.
9. Who put the cheese in the window?
A. The fox
B. The bird
C. The crow
D. The farmer
E. The farmer’s wife
10. What moral value do we learn from the crow?
A. Don’t flatter yourself.
B. Never try to deceive your friend.
C. Don’t be happy being flattered.
D. Never try to get something by cheating.
E. Don’t be easily influenced by a compliment given.
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