WHAT IS THIS PASSAGE MAINLY CONCERNED WITH

10. What is this passage mainly concerned with?

A. technology

B. a history of the Internet

C. computer users

D. a successful business

III. Read the following passage and circle the letter (A, B, C or D) to indicate the correct answer to each

of the following questions. (2.0 points)

No one can calculate the quantity of solid waste that has been dumped in the world’s oceans, but the

total certainly exceeds many millions of tons. For example, from 1880 to 1895, 75 percent of the solid waste

from New York City was dumped untreated into the Atlantic Ocean. Although it is now prohibited by law,

the dumping of solid waste, including wastewater sludge, industrial waste, and high - level radioactive waste

were common in the United States until 1970. Cruise ships and huge floating fishing factories still regularly

dispose of their solid waste products directly into the ocean.

The earth naturally recycles water and refreshes the land in what is called the hydrological cycle. The

hydrological cycle not only renews the supply of water, but cleans it as well. The process begins as heat from

the sun causes sea water, 97 percent of the earth’s total water reserve, to evaporate and form clouds. Because

water evaporates at lower temperatures than most pollutants, the water vapor that rises from the seas is

relatively pure and free of the

contaminants, which are left behind. Next, water returns to us as rain,

which

drains into streams and rivers and rushes toward the sea.

Chemicals, petroleum products, and other dangerous substances such as radioactive materials remain

in the ocean, polluting it permanently. The polluted ocean water kills fish or makes them dangerous to eat,

posing health problems for those who consume them. It kills the tiny sea creatures that are the source of food

for larger fish, sharks, and whales. It also spoils a source of great beauty and pleasure when some solid waste

is thrown onto beaches during storms. Discharged petroleum products are frequently found on beaches and

they not only ruin the beach, the petroleum residue kills hundreds of shore birds. Nonpoint pollutants are

dumped into lakes, rivers, and streams that may be far away from any ocean. However, these pollutants flow,

eventually, into the oceans. They can come from a variety of sources, from road salt to agricultural pesticides.

One source of nonpoint pollution is runoff from farming, including fertilizers, manure, and pesticides.

Another source is industrial runoff, including heavy metals, phosphorous, and many other chemicals. Urban

runoff (oils, salts, various chemicals) and atmospheric fallout of airborne pollution are other sources of

nonpoint pollutants that reach the oceans. This includes water and waste from sinks, toilets, washing

machines and bathtubs. The problem with this type of waste is that it provides massive amounts of nutrients

for water plants such as algae, so that they grow rapidly. This sudden growth causes concentration or algae

blooms, which use up the oxygen in the water. As the oxygen level of the water declines, many organisms

suffer and die, and the ocean ecosystem is radically altered. This can be prevented by the installation of waste

treatment plants that prevent waste from entering the sea, but such facilities do not exist in many poorer

countries.