Reading passages

299 -The Panama Canal ----- . 
A) provides a cheaper and shorter alternative route between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans 
B) reduces the distance between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans by 90 per cent 
C) is seven thousand miles from Cape Horn 
D) makes it possible to cover fifteen thousand miles in eight hours 
E) was begun in 1920, despite opposition from the natives 
300 -We can infer from the passage that before the Panama Canal opened, ---- . 
A) there was a lot of disease in the region which has now been eliminated 
B) fifteen thousand ships a year went around Cape Horn 
C) there was no connection by sea between the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean
D) there were too few ships to make such a project profitable 
E) the journey by ship from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean took much longer 
A fire extinguisher, even a small one, located near the kitchen is a wise investment. But be sure that 
the extinguisher is rated to put out kitchen fires. What the extinguisher is designed to do is stated on 
the outside. Rather than bother trying to determine which one is best for you, just get an extinguisher 
that is rated to control all three primary types of fires: (1) ordinary combustibles such as paper and 
wood; (2) flammable liquids, such as fat, gasoline and grease; and (3) electric fires. Read the 
directions carefully. Teach everyone in the family how to operate the extinguisher, and do not buy 
one that is too heavy for a child of nine or ten to lift. 
301 -We learn from the passage that ----- . 
A) fire extinguishers can be very expensive 
B) it is best to keep the extinguisher in the kitchen
C) a large extinguisher is more effective than a small one 
D) only one fire extinguisher per household is advisable 
E) not all extinguishers are useful in all types of fires 

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