Question

Hi. Can you please post all questions and answers on English comprehension passages, including white house solar panels, endangered chimney swift species of birds, and Steven's graveyard walk.

Answer 1

1)White House solar panels

Back in 2010, the Obama administration announced that it would be restoring solar panels to the roof of the White House residence. Originally, panels were installed in the late '70s during President Jimmy Carter's administration, but President Ronald Reagan removed them in 1986 because of a roof leak and decided not to reinstall them. Almost 30 years later, the panels are back up and the administration is using it as a jumping-off point to announce a number of other energy efficiency initiatives.

According to The Washington Post, those initiatives include both commercial and federal pledges — Walmart says it will double the number of on-site solar energy projects it has in its stores and distribution centers by 2020, while the Energy Department will issue two new rulings today to cut energy consumption in electric motors, walk-in refrigerators, and freezers. The department also plans to launch a training program focused in community colleges in an effort to have 50,000 new jobs in the solar-energy industry by 2020.

President Obama's administration is also planning to spend $2 billion to improve energy efficiency in federal buildings over the next two years, though there are no details yet on how exactly that will be carried out. It also plans to approve a new commercial building code that is 8.5 percent more efficient than the one it replaces. As for the solar panels on the White House roof, they were all manufactured in the US and cover about the same area as those on a standard American house — White House usher James Doherty notes in a video that the administration would love to cover the entire roof but couldn't because of security concerns.

2)endangered chimney swift species of birdsT

he only swift occurring regularly in the east. It once nested in hollow trees, but today it nearly always nests in chimneys or other structures. Because the bird can be easily captured and banded in such situations, it has been studied much more thoroughly than other North American swifts. In late summer, hundreds or even thousands of individuals may roost in one large chimney, gathering in spectacular flocks overhead near dusk.

Conservation status

Probably increased greatly in numbers after adapting to nesting in chimneys, much more readily available than hollow trees. In recent decades it has declined in some areas, but still widespread and common.

Family

Swifts

Habitat

Open sky, especially over cities and towns. Forages in the sky over any kind of terrain, wherever there are flying insects. Now most common over towns and cities; within its range, few forests remain with hollow trees large enough to serve as nest sites.

Feeding Behavior

Forages only while flying, pursuing insects and scooping them out of the air. Often flies high but will forage very low during wet weather. Typically seen foraging in small flocks.

Eggs

4-5, sometimes 3-6. White. Incubation is by both parents, 19-21 days. Young: Both parents feed young, by regurgitating insects. Young may climb out of nest after about 20 days, creeping up vertical walls. Age of young at first flight about 28-30 days.

Young

Both parents feed young, by regurgitating insects. Young may climb out of nest after about 20 days, creeping up vertical walls. Age of young at first flight about 28-30 days.

Diet

Flying insects. Feeds on a wide variety of insects, including beetles, flies, true bugs, and moths; also spiders. Will concentrate at times on swarming insects, such as emergences of winged adu ants.

Nesting

Courtship involves aerial displays; in one display, two birds fly close together, one following the other, both gliding with wings held up in V. Breeding pair is often assisted by an extra adult "helper." Nest site is inside a chimney or similar hollow tower, usually well down from opening, in a well-shaded area. Originally nested (and sometimes still does) inside large hollow trees. Nest (built by both sees) is shaped like half a saucer, made of twigs glued together with the birds' saliva. Adults break off short dead twigs while zooming past in flight.

Migration

Migrates in flocks, apparently by day. A long-distance migrant, wintering in eastern Peru and perhaps elsewhere in the Amazon Basin of South America.

3) Steven's graveyard walk.

Steven walked through the graveyard every day on

his way home from school. It was a convenient

shortcut, and in broad daylight, the tombstones

and dark cypress trees seemed mild and

unthreatening.

Things were different this evening. Steven stole

through the gates as quickly and quietly as

possible. Fearful that he was being watched. He

ran to the deep shadows of a mausoleum and

caught his breath, heart pounding. He tried to

listen for ominous noises, but could hear nothing

over the blood rushing through his ears. He

pressed the button to light up his watch: 11:30 p.m.

he must stay here a full hour to win the bet. He now

wished he had never taken it. He heard a slow

scrape from behind him. Steven froze, and then

turned with underwater slowness. To his horror, he

could see the mausoleum door was sliding open.

Steven wanted to run, but could not. He could not

feel his legs; he struggled to draw breath.

A yellow light shone from inside the mausoleum.

Shadows crept and danced on the tombstones as

someone or something- holding the light pushed

through the door. It made a terrible, guttural sound,

like the groans of a dying man. The door swung

fully open. On the mausoleum threshold stood an

old man in a plaid shirt, a lantern in his hand and a

cigarette in his mouth. He coughed again, spat and

closed the door. It was only the graveyard

groundskeeper. Finishing up a long day of work.

The groundskeeper ambled off toward the machine

shed. As soon as the man's back was turned,

Steven left his spot and ran.

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