Manhattan resident Melinda Hackett hired carpenters to construct a tree house for her daughters. She thought that it would help compensate for the carefree existence that the girls lost when they moved from rural New York to a townhouse with a tiny backyard. After the tree house was completed, Hackett wondered if she might have needed a permit to build it. Since her children loved their new tree house, Hackett hoped not to have to remove it. She brought the issue before Manhattan's Environmental Control Board court. However, "none of the judges knew what to do with a tree house," she said. Ultimately, Hackett's structure was deemed "recreation equipment," which is allowed in backyards.
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The structure might have been _________.
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A disassembled
B redesigned
C insulated
D revitalized
D revitalized
Brooke, a search-and-rescue dog, is a German shepherd that specialized in locating and rescuing missing or trapped people. But at age 10, Brooke began to slow down—her vision dimmed, and she had difficulty bounding into and out of a rescue vehicle. Brooke's work had provided a flurry of constant activity and specialized training, and the transition to the relatively sedentary lifestyle of an ordinary pet confronted the dog with a difficult adjustment. Mindful of these challenges, handler Tracy Sargent took more than a year to fully retire Brooke, lavishing her with extra attention and taking her on shorter and shorter work assignments. Eventually, Brooke seemed happy to stay home and rest.
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Brooke became _________.
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A sprightly
B devastated
C acclimatized
D irreverent
C acclimatized
Twice a year, a company called Pantone prints a color guidebook, the Pantone View Color Planner. It lists about 2,000 color shades and tones. It also forecasts which of these colors will be the most popular in the coming seasons. To accomplish this, eight color specialists scan the globe for hints of what is to come. The hot new colors spring from a variety of influences, such as movies, popular stores, and magazines. Using computers, Pantone's forecasters tally the number of times they spot a particular color. The most common are then announced as a coming season's top 10 picks.
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The process is _________.
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A overdue
B deliberate
C immediate
D competitive
B deliberate
Gene Epstein is a Philadelphia businessperson. His "Hire Just One" program furnishes $250,000 to help unemployed Americans get jobs. The money, however, is not going directly to the unemployed. It is donated to charity in the name of businesses that hire someone. Epstein hopes to encourage businesses to hire despite tough economic times. His program addresses unemployment without the need for government help or administration. More than 100 businesses have expressed interest, but they must do more than simply hire a person. They must hire people who are currently unemployed and keep them employed for six months.
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Epstein _________ businesses.
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A challenges
B establishes
C purchases
D inspects
B establishes
Pandas are enjoying a baby boom. China's giant panda population received a boost recently thanks to a record number of births. This is a rare accomplishment for an endangered species known for having difficulty reproducing in captivity. Scientists made their gleeful announcement after a giant panda named Yo Yo gave birth to healthy twins. The births brought the total number of cubs born in captivity for the year to 19, surpassing the record of 18 births four years before. Nineteen births might not sound like many, but because there are only about 1,600 pandas left on Earth, every new cub counts.
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The recent increase in births is the reason for the _________.
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A controversy
B sterilization
C optimism
D acquisition
C optimism
Indonesian scientists are reconstructing the largest, most complete skeleton of a giant prehistoric elephant ever found in the tropics. The skeleton may offer new insights into the largely mysterious origins of the creature's cousin, the modern Asian elephant. The prehistoric elephant lived thousands of years ago. This particular animal was likely submerged in quicksand shortly after dying on a riverbed in Java, one of the islands of what is now Indonesia. The elephant's bones were discovered in March 2009 when an old sand quarry collapsed during monsoon rains. The bones are almost perfectly preserved.
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Scientists may have found a _________ of Asian elephants.
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A parasite
B replica
C remnant
D predecessor