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Helpful Reading Comprehension Passages With Questions and Answers. Part 48

Navigating Language Proficiency: A Comprehensive Guide to Reading Comprehension Mastery

Embarking on the journey of language mastery involves a nuanced understanding of reading comprehension — a skill amalgamating the twin pillars of reading and comprehension. This article delves into the essential components that constitute an effective approach to this skill, utilizing a diverse array of resources, including comprehension passages and strategic reading comprehension exercises.

English comprehension is an intricate tapestry that extends beyond surface-level understanding. To unlock its intricacies, individuals must immerse themselves in a plethora of resources such as reading comprehension passages, articles, and downloadable PDFs. Tailored for varying academic levels, from grade 3 to the more advanced class 10, these resources serve as stepping stones for learners to traverse the expansive landscape of language proficiency.

In the competitive academic sphere, specific examinations like CAT and bank exams underscore the pivotal role of adept reading comprehension. The nuanced meaning encapsulated within passages becomes the linchpin for success in such assessments. Integration of questions and answers within these passages transforms them into dynamic tools for comprehensive learning, aligning students with the rigorous demands of competitive exams.

For young minds grappling with the rudiments of language, particularly in grade 3, specialized reading comprehension passages cater to foundational skill development. Simultaneously, more advanced learners, navigating through class 10, benefit from sophisticated materials, ensuring a holistic comprehension journey.

The advent of reading comprehension passages with questions and answers in accessible PDF formats has revolutionized learning strategies, offering a structured roadmap for preparation. These resources serve as guiding beacons, steering aspirants through the intricacies of diverse competitive exams.

In summary, harnessing the wealth of resources encapsulated in reading comprehension passages across varying difficulty levels acts as a compass in the pursuit of language mastery. Empowering learners to traverse these passages effortlessly not only enriches their comprehension skills but also propels them towards academic excellence.

This article underscores the significance of reading comprehension while weaving in the highlighted keywords, accentuating their role in the holistic journey of language proficiency.

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PARAGRAPH

Good news for coffee drinkers …
And the secret of water-climbing insects.
Two studies suggest that the human brain continues to change through the process of evolution.  The findings conflict with a common belief that the brain has evolved about as much as it ever will.  Scientists say modern humans developed about two hundred thousand years ago.
Bruce Lahn of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the University of Chicago led the studies.  The findings appeared in Science magazine.
Scientists looked at changes in two genes related to the size of the brain.  These two genes do not work right in people with microcephaly.  Microcephaly is a rare condition in which people are born with a brain that is much smaller than normal.  Some scientists believe this is what the brain of early humans might have looked like.
In the new studies, the scientists looked at different versions of the two genes.  They studied genetic material from people of different ethnic groups.  They found that one version of each gene appeared again and again.
The scientists say the changes appear to have spread because they improved the brain in some way.  They say the new versions are so common, they cannot be considered an accident.
Instead, the scientists suggest there was pressure to spread through natural selection.  Natural selection is a process in which genetic changes that are helpful to a species survive and spread quickly.
The scientists found that the new versions of the two genes evolved much faster in apes than in mice and rats.  They decided that these changes might have had an important part in human evolution.  The scientists studied how often the changes appeared in the genes of many different populations.
They found that a version of the gene called Microcephalin formed only about thirty-seven thousand years ago.  This version appears today in about seventy percent of humans.  The scientists say it is more common outside of southern Africa.
The second gene is called ASPM.  The studies showed that a version of this gene developed just about six thousand years ago.  Today it is found in about thirty percent of all people.  It is more common in people from Europe and areas including North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia.
Different populations make use of different genetic changes.  Genes must react to the pressures of many environments and threats such as disease.
The scientists who did the studies now want to see if the two genes only act on brain size or also perform other duties.  They point out that the genetic changes took place around the same time as important cultural changes.  These include the development of things like art and religion and, more recently, civilizations.
Scientists do not know, however, if the two genes are connected to intelligence or problem-solving abilities.  Such questions about the mind produce debate.  Some scientists are concerned that the new findings might be used to claim that not all groups are created equal.
Some insects can climb what seem like walls of water without moving their legs.  They might do this to leave their eggs on land or to avoid attackers.  Now, researchers in the United States have found how the insects are able to use this special skill.
John Bush and David Hu are mathematicians at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge.  Mr. Bush is a professor; Mr. Hu is a graduate student.  For the past four years, they have been studying how small insects travel on the surface of lakes and other areas of water.
The two men used a video camera to make high-speed images of three kinds of insects.  Nature magazine reported the results of their study.
They describe how the insects are able to climb areas where the water meets land or another surface, such as a plant.  Such areas are called menisci [meh-NIH-sky].
Menisci are common in the environment.  They can even be found in a glass of water, where the edge of the water rises to meet the side of the glass.
Mr. Hu says most people do not recognize them because menisci are only a few millimeters high.  But to small insects, he says, they are like mountains.
The two men found that the insects were unable to climb menisci with their usual movements.  The insects climbed halfway up after a running start, but then slid back down.  So the insects changed their body position to create forces that helped to pull them up.
Two kinds of water treaders have claws at the end of their legs that can pull back, or retract.  This helps the insects hold onto the surface of the water and pull it up and out of shape.  As a result, the insects are able to ride on small areas in the water that can support their body weight.
Professor Bush says the insects produce extremely small menisci with their front and back legs.  One meniscus creates a pulling force on another.  The combined effect with the meniscus of the water pulls the insect up and over the edge of the surface.
Another insect deals with the problem another way.  The larva of the waterlily leaf beetle forms a rounded shape with its back.   This action creates menisci at each end, and produces the same effect as with the other insects.
The two researchers also found that the insects climbed up menisci at speeds of up to thirty body lengths a second.  The fastest human runners can move about five body lengths a second.
Scientists are finding that coffee does more than help you stay awake.  Researchers in the American state of Pennsylvania say coffee has high levels of antioxidants.  Antioxidants have been shown to help prevent cancer, heart disease and other conditions.
Joe Vinson is a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton.  He says Americans get more antioxidants from coffee than any other food or drink.  He reported the findings at a recent meeting of the American Chemical Society.
The body produces chemical substances that cause oxidation.  Atoms and molecules called free radicals are involved.  Oxidation damages cells and tissues.  Experts say this damage causes many of the health problems common in older people.
Antioxidants reduce or prevent oxidation.  In recent years, other studies have shown the health value of drinking red wine and tea.  Both are known to be high in antioxidants.
Professor Vinson said he and his team compared the antioxidant levels of more than one hundred different foods.  They examined everything from fruits and vegetables to oils and popular drinks.
Next, the team compared its findings with information from the United States Department of Agriculture.  This information showed what Americans eat and drink and in what amounts.  The researchers found that coffee won in both comparisons.
Americans drink large amounts of coffee.  And, coffee rated among the very best in antioxidants.  One kind of fruit, the date, is actually higher in antioxidants in each serving.  However, in the United States, drinking coffee is more popular than eating dates.
Professor Vinson warned that having a diet high in antioxidants is not always a good idea.  This is because the body cannot always use these compounds.  Scientists do not yet fully understand how the body takes in and uses the substances.
Also, too much caffeine may cause nervousness and other problems.
Professor Vinson said that one to two servings of coffee a day is fine.  He also suggested that people eat more fruits and vegetables.  They contain not only antioxidants but also high levels of substances such as minerals and fiber.

QUESTIONS

1. The two genes related to brain size changes, Microcephalin and ASPM, do not function properly in people with _______________.
2. According to Bruce Lahn’s studies, a version of the gene Microcephalin formed approximately _______________ years ago.
3. The gene ASPM, responsible for brain size changes, developed a version about _______________ years ago.
4. Bruce Lahn’s studies suggest that certain genetic changes in humans occurred as a result of _______________ selection.
5. The researchers aim to determine if the genes Microcephalin and ASPM not only affect brain size but also perform other _______________.
6. John Bush and David Hu from MIT studied the behavior of small insects that climb areas where water meets land, known as _______________.
7. According to John Bush, to small insects, menisci are like _______________.
8. The insects use claws at the end of their legs to _______________ the surface of the water, enabling them to ride on small areas that can support their weight.
9. Professor Bush mentions that the combined effect of menisci and the water helps the insects to climb up and _______________ the edge of the surface.
10. According to the studies, the insects climbed up menisci at speeds of up to _______________ body lengths per second.
11. Joe Vinson’s research suggests that coffee has high levels of _______________, which can help prevent various health conditions.
12. Antioxidants are known to reduce or prevent _______________, which damages cells and tissues.
13. Professor Vinson compared the antioxidant levels of various foods and found that, in comparison, _______________ contains high amounts of antioxidants.
14. Although coffee is high in antioxidants, Professor Vinson cautioned that a diet overly rich in these compounds may not always be _______________.
15. According to Professor Vinson, an advisable consumption of coffee is _______________ servings per day.

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ANSWERS

Microcephaly
37,000
6,000
Natural
Duties
Menisci
Mountains
Pull back or retract
Over
Thirty
Antioxidants
Oxidation
Coffee
Beneficial
One to two

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