Questions 1-4 are about the following e-mail.

Dear Mrs. Simpson, 
     I'm sorry I could not attend the film club meeting today. I had an appointment that my mother wouldn't allow me to miss. I really wanted to go and am sure that I'll be able to make the next one.

     Anyway, I'm wondering which students decided to work on the posters for our next event. As I remember from our last meeting, Janet was interested in making them. There were a number of others interested, too. Nothing was decided, though, and I'm wondering what decision was reached.

     I'm asking because I'm really interested in helping to create the posters. I would be happy to help other students or to work on my own. If there are already too many students working on posters, I'd be happy to do something else for the club. I really like being a member and would be satisfied if I could do anything to help. 

Thanks for your time, Mrs. Simpson. Sorry again that I couldn't attend the meeting. 

Sincerely,

Becky 

Questions 5-10 are about the following article.

    Twenty-five students from Walling School are currently living in France. They are there for three months as part of a living-abroad project. The 16- and 17-year-old students are living with French families and attending a French school. Most of the students have taken French language classes for 3 or 4 years and are finally getting an opportunity to use their French.

    Not only are students learning a new language, but they're learning about a new culture, too. Students have been particularly surprised about the French attitude towards food. "They won't leave anything on their plate," says Vanessa Athol. "They aren't wasteful at all." Vanessa has vowed to be more careful with waste when she returns to the United States.

    The group's chaperone, Mrs. Smith, has been pleased with the students' acquisition of language. "Even the most timid arc trying their best to speak. The students are learning a lot. I'm very impressed," she said. Mrs. Smith added that she thinks living with a French family makes a difference because students are forced to speak French when they are at home. "When students live in a hotel or group house with other American students, they miss out on the opportunity to learn about French culture and to speak French. We're all very grateful to the French families who are hosting us."

    The French families are happy to have the students, as they are getting to learn about American culture. Both groups will be celebrating the exchange at a large potluck dinner at the end of the stay. There will be a slide show of memories and the students will speak about their experiences. Currently, the American students are periodically posting pictures and student essays on the Walling School website. "Living in France is an experience I'll never forget," writes student Tina Davis. "I know I'll want to eat these croissants and this Camembert for the rest of my life!" 

Questions 1-8 are about the following passage.

    A pandemic is an infectious disease that spreads across a large region, continent, or throughout the world. A pandemic is not simply a disease that exists around the world. It must also be contagious, spreading from person to person. There are pandemics in the world today such as SARS and HINT (popularly known as swine flu), but there have been many throughout history that have had major effects on various populations.

    Pandemics have the capability of killing huge portions of a place's people. In 1347, the Black Death, a plague in Europe, spread and killed 75 million people, a whopping one-third of Europe's population. When European explorers began encountering other places in the world, they tended to spread diseases to local population. One notable example is the complete destruction of the Guanches on the Canary Islands. The majority of tribe members were killed by disease brought by Spanish invaders in the 15th century.

    In fact, many countries and cultures faced destructive pandemics after international exploration became possible. It is believed that Columbus and his crew brought a strain of syphilis back with them to Europe from the New World. In Europe, the virus was able to mutate because of the location's different conditions. Additionally, Europeans that were sent to work in Asia were killed by disease. Intercultural mixing, an exposure to new viruses, and the transportation of diseases led to many pandemics across the world.

    Today, one of the biggest pandemics in the world is HIV/AIDS. The introduction of AIDS in 1969 has led to the infection of many people. The first case in the U.S. was reported in 1981 in Los Angeles. Since then, AIDS has claimed many lives. In particular. Africa has suffered from the virus. These days. up to 25% of the South and East African populations may be infected, which makes AIDS an undying and pervasive pandemic. Many efforts are being made to help prevent the spread of AIDS through proper education.