A clinicаlly suspected diаgnоsis оf pneumоniа is typically confirmed by:
PASSAGE #2 Reаd the pаssаge and answer the questiоns that fоllоw. North America has ten species of skunks. The one most people have seen—or at least smelled—is the abundant and widespread striped skunk. Another species is the spotted skunk, rarely seen but especially interesting because it illustrates some important concepts about biological species. This particular skunk belongs to a species called the western sported skunk. The adult is only about the size of a house cat, but it has a potent chemical arsenal that makes up for its small size. Before spraying her potent musk, a female guarding her young usually warns an intruder by raising her tail, stamping her forefeet, raking the ground with her claws, or even doing a handstand. When all else fails, she can spray her penetrating odor for three meters with considerable accuracy. The western spotted skunk inhabits a variety of environments in the United States, from the Pacific coast to the western Great Plains. It is closely related to the eastern spotted skunk, which occurs throughout the southeastern and midwestern United States. The ranges of these two species overlap, and the two species look so much alike that even experts can have a difficult time telling them apart. Both are black with broken white stripes and spots. Individuals of the western species are, on average, slightly smaller, and some have a white tip on the tail, but these and other minor differences in body form are not always present. For many years, biologists debated whether all spotted skunks belong to one species. But in the 1960s, studies of sexual reproduction in these animals showed that they are indeed two species. Reproduction in the eastern sported skunk is a straightforward affair. Mating occurs in late winter, and young are born between April and July. In marked contrast, the western spotted skunk includes what is called delayed development in its reproductive cycle. Mating takes place in the later summer and early fall, and zygotes begin to develop in the uterus of the female. Further development, however, is temporarily stopped at an early point called the blastocyst stage. Blasrocysts remain dormant in the female’s uterus throughout the winter months and resume growth in the spring, with the young (usually 5-7) being born in May or June. Because mating occurs at different times of the year for the two species, there is no opportunity for gene flow between populations of eastern and western spotted skunks. Thus, they are separate species, despite the pronounced similarities in their body form and coloration. Spotted skunks show us that looks can be deceiving. Without knowledge of the mating cycles, we could interpret the minor differences between the two species as insignificant and conclude that there is only one species of spotted skunk in North America. (Adapted from Neil A. Campbell, Lawrence G. Mitchell, and Jane B. Reece, Biology, 3rd ed., San Francisco: Benjamin Cummings, 2000.) Question: The western spotted skunk and the eastern spotted skunk
PASSAGE #3. Reаd the pаssаge belоw and answer the questiоns that fоllow. A single parent may experience a variety of problems. First of all, it may be difficult to meet the emotional needs of the child. There are a variety of ways to express love for a child. Telling a child he or she is loved and demonstrating that love with quality time serve to express love; however, the demands of working and maintaining a home may be so overwhelming that a child’s emotional needs may not be met adequately. It also may be hard for the single parent to provide proper supervision for the child. Making arrange-ments for the child’s care and supervision is difficult and costly and may take a large share of the budget. In addition, because women tend to make less money than men, house-holds headed by women can experience financial difficulties. Finally, the single parent may experience unfulfilled emotional and sexual needs. Unmet emotional needs can develop because of the lack of time to seek a relationship. Because most single parents wish to hide their sexual involvement from their child, finding a time and place can present problems. Nevertheless, being a single parent does not have to be a disaster. It is important that single parents have sufficient financial, material, and emotional support to meet their own and their child’s demands. (Adapted from David J. Anspaugh and Gene Ezell, Teaching Today’s Health, 7th ed., San Francisco: Benjamin Cummings, 2004.)Question: Which sentence best states the main idea of the passage? (This question will also help you to determine the supporting details.)