Exam type: final examination

Read the text and choose the correct answer.
Do you think animals can predict the weather or other natural events? Farmers living in the countryside think so. For hundreds of years, they have observed animals and noticed many things about the way animals act. For example, some farmers believe that if they see swans flying into the wind, a hurricane is coming. Or, when cows lie down, a rainstorm is coming. There are many traditional stories connecting animals and natural events. Some scientists are taking another look at animals to see if there is any truth behind these stories and beliefs. They have found some surprising things.
Kiyoshi Shimamura is a Japanese earthquake researcher. He noticed an increase in dog bites a short time before earth quakes hit. Then, he did an investigation of twelve public health centers in Kobe, Japan. These health centers treated people after a big earthquake. Shimamura noticed that the month be fore the big earthquake, treatment for animal bites had increased. In fact, aggressive behavior in dogs, such as biting and barking loudly, jumped 60 percent!
Other animals change their behavior before an earth quake as well. For example, fish in ponds or lakes begin swimming together in large groups only in the middle of the water and not near the edges. Also, birds may fly away from their nests for many days, leaving their eggs unprotected. These behaviors suggest that animals may be able to predict natural events, such as earthquakes, better than people.
21. What is the main idea of this reading?
a. What animals do during earthquakes
b. The many earthquakes of Japan
c. Effect of natural events on animals’ actions
d. Folklore and other stories about animals
22. How do dogs begin to behave just before an earthquake?
a. They lie down in grass.
b. They stay together in large groups.
c. They leave their homes.
d. They hurt people.
23. According to the passage, what other animals behave strangely before an earthquake?
a. Pigs b. Birds c. Cows d. All of the above