reading comprehension
questions 71 to 75 are based on the following passage:
british columbia is the third largest canadian province, both in areaand population. it is nearly 1.5 times as large as texas, and extends 800miles (1,280 km) north from the united states border. it includes canada'sentire west coast and the islands just off the coast.
most of british columbia is mountainous, with long, rugged ranges runningnorth and south. even the coastal islands are the remains of a mountain rangethat existed thousands of years ago. during the last ice age, this range wasscoured by glaciers until most of it was beneath the sea. its peaks now showas islands scattered along the coast.
the southwestern coastal region has a humid mild marine climate. seawinds that blow inland from the west are warmed by a current of warm waterthat flows through the pacific ocean. as a result, winter temperaturesaverage above freezing and summers are mild. these warm western winds alsocarry moisture from the ocean.
inland from the coast, the winds from the pacific meet the mountainbarriers of the coastal ranges and the rocky mountains. as they rise tocross the mountains, the winds are cooled, and their moisture begins tofall as rain. on some of the western slopes almost 200 inches (500 cm)of rain fall each year.
more than half of british columbia is heavily forested. on mountainslopes that receive plentiful rainfall, huge douglas firs rise in toweringcolumns. these forest giants often grow to be as much as 300 feet (90 m)tall, with diameters up to 10 feet (3 m). more lumber is produced fromthese trees than from any other kind of tree in north america. hemlock,red cedar, and balsam fir are among the other trees found in britishcolumbia.
questions 71 to 75 are based on the following passage:
british columbia is the third largest canadian province, both in areaand population. it is nearly 1.5 times as large as texas, and extends 800miles (1,280 km) north from the united states border. it includes canada'sentire west coast and the islands just off the coast.
most of british columbia is mountainous, with long, rugged ranges runningnorth and south. even the coastal islands are the remains of a mountain rangethat existed thousands of years ago. during the last ice age, this range wasscoured by glaciers until most of it was beneath the sea. its peaks now showas islands scattered along the coast.
the southwestern coastal region has a humid mild marine climate. seawinds that blow inland from the west are warmed by a current of warm waterthat flows through the pacific ocean. as a result, winter temperaturesaverage above freezing and summers are mild. these warm western winds alsocarry moisture from the ocean.
inland from the coast, the winds from the pacific meet the mountainbarriers of the coastal ranges and the rocky mountains. as they rise tocross the mountains, the winds are cooled, and their moisture begins tofall as rain. on some of the western slopes almost 200 inches (500 cm)of rain fall each year.
more than half of british columbia is heavily forested. on mountainslopes that receive plentiful rainfall, huge douglas firs rise in toweringcolumns. these forest giants often grow to be as much as 300 feet (90 m)tall, with diameters up to 10 feet (3 m). more lumber is produced fromthese trees than from any other kind of tree in north america. hemlock,red cedar, and balsam fir are among the other trees found in britishcolumbia.