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During droughts water is scarce but is it possible to make it rain to provide water. Experiments in cloud seeding suggest that it may be possible to artificially create rainfall. Rainfall occurs when supercooled droplets of water – those that are still liquid but are at a temperature below the usual freezing point of zero centigrade – form ice crystals. Now too heavy to remain suspended in the air, these then fall, often melting on their way down to form rain. Even in dry areas the air usually contains some water. This can be made to come together and form ice crystals by seeding the atmosphere with chemicals such as silver iodide or dry ice. They work to promote rainfall by inducing nucleation – what little water is in the air condenses around the newly introduced particles and crystallises to form ice. The ‘seeds’ can be delivered by plane or simply by spraying from the ground. But does it work? It’s hard to tell for sure. As is often the case with weather and climate, it’s impossible to carry out a controlled experiment – so, in areas of increased precipitation, we can’t know whether it would still have rained even if the clouds hadn’t been seeded. Success has been claimed for trials in Australia, France, Spain and the US. In the United Arab Emirates, the technique is credited with the creation of 52 storms in the Abu Dhabi desert, while China boasts of having used the technology in reverse to keep the Beijing Olympic Games of 2008 dry. Recent research, however, suggests that it’s not as effective as was previously believed  
2. According to paragraph 2, what is the condition for crystallisation?

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A satellite is best understood as a projectile, or an object that has only one force acting on it — gravity. Technically speaking, anything that crosses the Karman Line at an altitude of 100 kilometers (62 miles) is considered in space. However, a satellite needs to be going fast — at least 8 km (5 miles) a second — to stop from falling back down to Earth immediately. If a satellite is traveling fast enough, it will perpetually “fall” toward Earth, but the Earth’s curvature means that the satellite will fall around our planet instead of crashing back on the surface. Satellites that travel closer to Earth are at risk of falling because the drag of atmospheric molecules will slow the satellites down. Those that orbit farther away from Earth have fewer molecules to contend with. There are several accepted “zones” of orbits around the Earth. One is called lowEarth-orbit, which extends from about 160 to 2,000 km (about 100 to 1,250 miles). This is the zone where the ISS orbits and where the space shuttle used to do its work. In fact, all human missions except for the Apollo flights to the moon took place in this zone. Most satellites also work in this zone. Geostationary or geosynchronous orbit is the best spot for communications satellites to use, however. This is a zone above Earth’s equator at an altitude of 35,786 km (22,236 mi). At this altitude, the rate of “fall” around the Earth is about the same as Earth’s rotation, which allows the satellite to stay above the same spot on Earth almost constantly. The satellite thus keeps a perpetual connection with a fixed antenna on the ground, allowing for reliable communications. When geostationary satellites reach the end of their life, protocol dictates they’re moved out of the way for a new satellite to take their place. That’s because there is only so much room, or so many “slots” in that orbit, to allow the satellites to operate without interference. While some satellites are best used around the equator, others are better suited to more polar orbits — those that circle the Earth from pole to pole so that their coverage zones include the north and south poles. Examples of polar-orbiting satellites include weather satellites and reconnaissance satellites  
5. Which of the following is mentioned in paragraph 4 as a element that makes a satellite stay above the same spot on Earth?

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Though overwhelmed by the news of the novel coronavirus outbreak, Munyaradzi Gurure, the 21-year-old student at Guangxi University of Finance and Economics from South Africa, has still stepped out to serve as a volunteer in the train station to help battle the epidemic.  “I’m well aware the situation of epidemic prevention and control is very severe,” he said. “Seeing that many people actively joined in the fight, I also wanted to do my part and volunteer at the station.” With the number of novel coronavirus cases continuing to rise both in and outside of China, Gurure’s family back in South Africa was very worried about his health, and hoped he would quit the volunteer job. “I told my parents China has taken a lot of strong quarantine measures and is actually safe,” he said. “I want to do whatever I can to prevent the spread of the infection. The country took really good care of me during the last three years.”  Working about four hours a day, Gurure either carries an 8-kilogram electric sprayer to disinfect the waiting room or checks passengers’ temperature as soon as they walk into the station. He also makes sure people are in good health and wearing masks at all times. Though it’s not easy work, Gurure came across many Chinese who are very surprised to see a foreign face, but then give a thumbs up and say “very good” to him in Chinese. Gurure’s foreign classmates found out about his volunteer job and sent messages saying “good job”, some showing interest in joining him to help curb the spread of the virus. 
There are many ways in which you can help people with disabilities; however, be  aware that there are also ways you can hinder rather than help them. Please read through these tips before you try helping someone with a disability. Here are some general rules for helping all people with disabilities.  Always treat people with disabilities as equals. All people want to have friends, fun, and experience life to the maximum. People with disabilities are no exception. Never be afraid, skeptical, or embarrassed to approach someone with a disability. People with disabilities have just as much fun!  Always ask before you help. People with disabilities have varying levels of independence. Never assume someone with a disability has a low-level. If someone looks like they’re struggling, ask before you help. A person may welcome help, or they may ask that you let her be independent; but even if she looks like she’s struggling, she may just want to become more independent, which requires practice in everyday situations.  Never assume someone does or does not have a disability. Everyone is different. Sometime, people with disabilities may act, feel, or think differently than you. Don’t assume that for this reason someone has a disability, simply treat him/her as an individual because all people should be treated equally.  Do not stare. Sometimes it is an eye-opening experience to see someone with a disability in public. However, people with disabilities have lives just like everyone else. You are certainly allowed to look, but do not stare at a person with a disability. Simply view them the way you view others.  Respect and understand confidentiality. People with disabilities have a right to privacy. They are not obligated to tell you about their disability. If someone does tell you about his/her disability, do not assume that he/she is comfortable with you telling other people about his/her disability. Always ask permission to discuss the disability before you do it. 
2. What should we do if we want to help someone?

Rewrite the sentence:
Although The Haunted Theatre is frightening, children love it.

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Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are now considered the future of lighting due to a lower energy requirement to run, a lower monthly price tag, and a longer life than traditional incandescent light bulbs. Nick Holonyak, an American scientist at General Electric, accidently invented the red LED light while trying to create a laser in the early 1960s. As with other inventors, the principle that some semiconductors glowed when an electric current was applied had been known since the early 1900s, but Holonyak was the first to patent it for use as a light fixture. Within a few years, yellow and green LEDs were added to the mix and used in several applications including indicator lights, calculator displays, and traffic lights, according to the DOE. The blue LED was created in the early 1990s by Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura, a group of Japanese and American scientists, and for which they won the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics. The blue LED allowed scientists to create white LED light bulbs by coating the diodes with phosphor Today, lighting choices have expanded and people can choose different types of light bulbs, including compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs work by heating a gas that produces ultraviolet light and LED bulbs. Several lighting companies are pushing the boundaries of what light bulbs can do, including Phillips and Stack. Phillips is one of several companies that have created wireless light bulbs that can be controlled via smartphone app. The Phillips Hue uses LED technology that can quickly be turned on or off or dimmed by a flick on a smart phone screen and can also be programmed. The higher-end Hue light bulbs can even be set to a large range of colors (only about sixteen million) and synced with music, movies, and video games. Stack, begun by engineers from Tesla and NASA, developed a smart light bulb using LED technology with a wide range of functions. It can automatically sense the ambient lighting and adjust as needed, it turns off and on via motion sensor when someone enters the room, can be used as a wake up alert, and even adjusts color throughout the day to fit with human’s natural circadian cycles and patterns of natural light. The light bulbs also have a built-in learning program that adapts to inputs given by residents over time. And all of these functions can be programmed or monitored from any smart phone or tablet. It is estimated that Stack smart light bulbs can use about sixty percent less energy than a typical LED light bulb and lasts between twenty and thirty thousand hours depending on the model . These light bulbs are compatible (or soon will be) with many of the options for turning an entire home into a smart home including usage with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit.
3. According to paragraph 3, white LED light bulbs _____

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Computers offer a much greater degree of __________ in the way work can be organised

Each sentence has a mistake. Find it by choosing the letter A, B, C or D.

Reading is a useful way to help learners become more smarter.

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She did a funny little curtsy which Josh and Silver couldn't help ____ at.

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Although the “lie detectors” are being used by governments, police departments, and businesses that all want guaranteed ways of detecting the truth, the results are not always accurate. Lie detectors are properly called emotion detectors, for their aim is to measure bodily changes that contradict what a person says. The polygraph machine records changes in heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, and the electrical activity of the skin (galvanic skin response, or GSR). In the first part of the polygraph test, you are electronically connected to the machine and asked a few neutral questions (“What is your name?”, “Where do you live?”). Your physical reactions serve as the standard (baseline) for evaluating what comes next. Then you are asked a few critical questions among the neutral ones (“When did you rob the bank?”). The assumption is that if you are guilty, your body will reveal the truth, even if you try to deny it. Your heart rate, respiration, and GSR will change abruptly as you respond to the incriminating questions. That is the theory; but psychologists have found that lie detectors are simply not reliable. Since most physical changes are the same across all emotions, machines cannot tell whether you are feeling guilty, angry, nervous, thrilled, or revved up form an exciting day. Innocent people may be tense and nervous about the whole procedure. They may react physiologically to a certain word (“bank”) not because they robbed it, but because they recently bounced a check. In either case the machine will record a “lie”. The reverse mistake is also common. Some practiced liars can lie without flinching, and others learn to beat the machine by tensing muscles or thinking about an exciting experience during neutral questions
6. The word “assumption” in paragraph 1 could best be replaced with _____

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Lead researcher on the atlas, Dr Zoë Randle, said the northerly migration of species of moths and butterflies is a phenomenon observed in northern Europe in recent decades. She said moths are proof that human-made climate change is happening now. Great Britain has observed the arrival of new species too, such as the Clifden Nonpareil, Tree-lichen Beauty and Black-spotted Chestnut. The atlas records that 38 per cent of all moth species in Britain and Ireland have spread to other areas in the last 50 years, most as a result of global warming. The book lists 893 species in all and the scientists’ analysis of distribution records over the period 1970-2016 in particular showed that 31 per cent of 390 larger moth species decreased significantly in Britain. Intensive agriculture has caused the decline of many moth species through the destruction of wildlife-rich habitats and use of fertilizers and pesticides. Widespread environmental pollution such as artificial light at night and chemicals in the air and soil, are altering plant and animal communities in ways that are still not fully understood. Humanmade climate change has facilitated the spread of moths to new parts of Britain and Ireland that were formerly too cold, while at the same time posing a long-term risk to species found in cool and restricted habitats such as mountainsides. The atlas is based on more than 25 million records sourced from Butterfly Conservation’s National Moth Recording Scheme and the Moths Ireland database. These date from the 18th century through to 2016, meaning this volume contains 275 years of mothrecording effort by the public. Dr Randle said the same system of comprehensive recording is not yet available in Ireland as it is in Britain, but anecdotally she believes the same patterns are emerging in Ireland.  
4. The word “anecdotally” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ______

Find synonym:
All students are revising carefully, for the final test is approaching soon.

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Seniors in China are still highly likely to believe rumors and pseudoscience, according to reports. In recent years, China has seen more scientists and science communicators using digital platforms to combat pseudoscience, which is classified as rumors, statements, beliefs, ideas or practices that are stated as fact, but are often fabricated and scientifically untested. Despite that, many young Chinese have experienced difficulties when trying to pass on that message to older people. For example, last year, Dingxiang Doctor, a digital platform that debunks medical rumors online, released 101 articles that disproved common, inaccurate claims. However, many netizens said that when they forwarded the articles to family chat groups, they were questioned, scolded and even removed from the group by older family members. An online survey last year by Tencent, one of China’s biggest online businesses, indicated that nearly 40 percent of middle-aged and senior people had experienced online fraud, mostly related to healthcare products. Yun Wuxin, a food engineering expert who has popularized food science for more than 10 years, believes that, in general, members of the older generation lacked training in logical or critical thinking when they were young, so they have an exaggerated belief in personal experience, tradition or superstition. He said young people, especially today’s younger generation, have received better training and tend to hold skeptical or critical attitudes toward convention. He added that new media that popularize science in fresh, innovative ways － such as short videos, video blogs and animations － are very effective with young people. However, traditional methods, including television, community visits by scientists, neighborhood exhibitions and science columns in newspapers, are very important for middle-aged and elderly people who really need to understand science  
1. Which best serves as the title for the passage?

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Please don’t ___________ when I am studying.

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In Viet Nam festivals often take place during the three months in spring and in autumn when people have a lot of leisure time. In addition, the climate in spring and autumn is especially suitable for holding festivals and for festivals goers to enjoy. Traditional festivals constitute a form of cultural activities, a spiritual product which the people have created and developed during the course of history. From generation to generation, the Vietnamese people preserve the fine tradition of “remembering the source while drinking water.” Festivals are events which represent this tradition of the community as well as honor the holy figures named as “gods” – the real persons in national history or legendary persons. The images of gods converge the noble characteristics of mankind. They are national heroes who fought against foreign invaders, reclaimed new lands, treated people, fought against natural calamities, or those legendary characters who affect the earthly life. Accordingly, first and foremost, festivals are events when people pay tribute to divinities that rendered merits to the community and the nation. These are occasions when people come back to either their natural or national roots, which form a sacred part in their mind. Furthermore, festivals represent the strength of the commune or village, the local region or even the whole nation. Worshipping the same god, the people unite in solidarity to overcome difficulties, striving for a happy and wealthy life. Moreover, festivals display the demand for creativity and enjoyment of spiritual and material cultural values of all social strata. Festivals become a form of education under which fine traditional moral values can be handed from one generation to the next in a unique way of combining spiritual characters with competition and entertainment games. Festivals are also the time people can express their sadness and worries in a wish that gods might bestow favor on them to help them strive for a better life.  
2. Which of the followings best replace the word "course” in the second paragraph? 

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What results in good health and longevity? It’s good genes, good lifestyle and good luck. But since we can’t choose our parents, or know what fate holds in store for us, we must treat lifestyle with tender, loving care. Now, a report “Circulation” proves that a sound lifestyle adds 12 to 14 more years to life. For instance, a woman, aged 50, who follows these lifestyle rules can expect to live to 93 years. This compares to a woman who indulges in an unhealthy lifestyle and dies at 79. In men, the increase in longevity from a healthy lifestyle is from 76 to 88 years. In the general population, the U.S. spends more money on health care than any other country. So why are so many people in North America suffering from ill health? It is quite apparent that the epidemic of obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart attack will continue to be the big killers. At the moment there is little evidence this battle is being won. But a study that followed both staff and students at the University of Liverpool shows it’s not an impossible dream. In its first experiment, female diners were randomly divided to receive either a small or large quiche for lunch. The next day, the same group were all allowed to serve themselves any portion they desired. Researchers discovered the ones who had been served the smaller portion, tended to choose the smaller portion. A second experiment tested male diners and it produced the same result. In the third experiment both sexes were included, but it was done one week later. This time diners were asked to look at various photos of portion size and asked which looked normal. Those who were previously given the smaller portions considered the smaller ones normal.  These studies showed that it is possible to shift people from what they think is a normal portion to what is actually the proper amount to eat. And that the perception of what is normal lasts at least to one week later. Remember, a voyage of a thousand miles begins with the first step. The same philosophy applies to longevity. So, gradually incorporate one thing at a time into your lifestyle. Don’t forget the importance of smaller portions, add more fruits and vegetables, buy a pedometer to check the number of steps taken each day, and to measure your progress, step on the scale every day  
7. According to paragraph 4, what can be deducted from the experiment of the University of Liverpool?

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A good memory is often seen as something that comes naturally, and a bad memory as something that cannot be changed, but actually (1)______ is a lot that you can do to improve your memory. We all remember the things we are interested in and forget the ones that bore us. This no doubt explains the reason (2)______ schoolboys remember football results effortlessly but struggle with dates from their history lessons! Take an active interest in what you want to remember, and focus on it (3)______. One way to ‘make’ yourself more interested is to ask questions — the more the better! Physical exercise is also important for your memory, because it increases your heart
(4)______ and sends more oxygen to your brain, and that makes your memory work better. Exercise also reduces stress, which is very bad for the memory. The old saying that “eating fish makes you brainy” may be true after all. Scientists have discovered that the fats (5)______ in fish like tuna, sardines and salmon — as well as in olive oil — help to improve the memory. Vitamin-rich fruits such as oranges, strawberries and red grapes are all good brain food‘, too.

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While fats have lately acquired a bad image, one should not forget how essential they are. Fats provide the body's best means of storing energy, far more effiient energy sources than either carbohydrates or protein. They act as insulation against cold as cushioning for the internal organs, and as lubricants. Without fats, energy would be no way to utilize fat soluble vitamins. Furthermore, some fats contain fatty acids that contain necessary growth factors and help with the digestion of other foods. An important consideration of fat intake is the ratio of saturated fats to unsaturated fats. Saturated fats, which are derived from dairy products, animal fats, and tropical oils, increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol may lead to coronary heart disease by building up in the arteries of the heart. However, unsaturated fats, derived from vegetable oils, tend to lower serum cholesterol if taken in proportion twice that of saturated fats. The consumption of a variety of fats is necessary, but the intake of too much fat may lead to a variety of health problems. Excessive intake of fats, like all nutritional excesses, is to be avoided.
4. With which of the following is the whole passage primarily concerned?

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A scientist said robots will be more (1) ____ than humans by 2029. The scientist’s  name is Ray Kurzweil. He works for Google as Director of Engineering. He is one of the world’s leading experts on artificial intelligence (A.I.). Mr Kurzweil believes computers will be able to learn from experiences, just like humans. He also thinks they will be able to (2) ____ jokes and stories, and even flirt. Kurzweil’s 2029 prediction is a lot sooner than many people thought. The scientist said that in 1999, many A.I. experts said it would be hundreds of years before a computer was more intelligent than a human. He said that it would not be (3) ____ before computer intelligence is one billion times more powerful than the human brain.  Mr Kurzweil joked that many years ago, people thought he was a little crazy for predicting computers would be as intelligent as humans. His thinking has stayed the same but everyone else has changed the way they think. He said: “My views are not radical any more. I’ve actually stayed consistent. It’s the rest of the world that’s changing its view.” He highlighted examples of (4) ____ -tech things we use, see or read about every day. These things make us believe that computers have intelligence. He said people think (5) ____ now: “Because the public has seen things like Siri (the iPhone’s voice recognition technology) where you talk to a computer, they’ve seen the Google self-driving cars.”

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By the end of the third millennium, people will all have access to basic utilities like  electricity and the internet. As a type of civilization, the overall energy consumption of everyone in the 30th century will be at a level of around 4×10²⁶ watts. In other words, the  energy utilization in a world full of working class consumers will be comparable to the luminosity of our parent star. So, the people of the future will inevitably need to fully harness the output of the Sun through the use of a vast array of satellite mega-structures that encircle the celestial body and capture the radiation it emits.  In requiring everyone to work together, the inclusive attitude of the future will cause everyone to grow much closer to one another, improving interpersonal relationships in neighborhoods the world over. By the year 3000, the whole of humanity will become a sort of poly-amorous society of mono-ethnic global citizens, living in a complex egalitarian intercontinental cooperative. Everyone will be part of multicultural communities within communities. Companies and credit unions will even be owned by their employees. People will all be very conscientious. Everyone will support the global economy, as well as ecology, of the world.  Humans will inhabit artificial urban jungles filled with buildings and sidewalks, while the other animals will inhabit natural rural jungles filled with wilderness and trails. Friends will walk through the crowded streets of the mega-cities of the future holding hands with one another. Public displays of affection will be customary among everyone. Casual bisexual encounters will be the norm. Everyone will care about everyone else. People will all accept each other, and help each other out, more and more as time goes on. The point is that eventually, everyone will finally get along. Humanity will progress to a point of collective compatibility as everyone sufficiently integrates and assimilates. From now until the year 3000, the several thousand languages currently spoken will reduce down to only about a hundred. More importantly, the nation-state members of the UN will all use the same form of electronic currency. As the countries of the world unify more and more, the metric system will become the universal standard of measurement. Things will become increasingly more common among everyone. This will bring everyone closer and closer together, each step of the way. In the end, cultural memes will all eventually just blend together in the great melting pot that is the world.  People will also change physically, along with mentally, too though. For instance, there will be an increase in both height and longevity, among people in general. In the year 3000 people will be about six feet tall, and live to be 120 years old, on average. They will experience a slight reduction in the size of their mouths, too. Improvements in nutritional science will revolutionize the world of medicine and alter the course of human evolution. Everyone will be genetically screened as an embryo to weed out defects and correct mistakes in their personal genome. 8th scale transhuman cyborgs will even go so far as to have 7 th  scale robotic integrations, with microscopic machines making them better. This will be terribly important because there will be very little diversity in the gene pool of the superhumans of the future, who are all bred to be what is considered ideal.
6. The word “that” in paragraph 4 refers to __________

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Dr. Daniel Quon has been an oral surgeon in Jackson for over 30 years. “Growing up  in the family business, I knew that in order for you to gain something, you have to give back,” Quon said. “And being in the field of dentistry, we have a special gift that we can help people and I thought that was an appropriate way to help out.”  Quon volunteers his dental services at the Jackson Free Health Clinic to patients who can’t afford it. Through the Mississippi Dental Association, Quon also provides free dental care for the Mission Service of Mercy program. Dental Assistant Carley Welch has been a part of this experience. “We actually did that last year together and we plan on doing that again this year together,” he said. “Best boss you can ask for,” Welch continued. “Very patient, always willing to teach you; even things that most people wouldn’t go very far to teach you, he will. Just so you have the experience.” But Quon serves in other ways too. “Wife and I volunteer at the Stewpot. We serve lunch on Saturdays when we can. I was actually on the board of Stewpot for 3 years until this passed year.” And he donates blood platelet at the Mississippi Blood services. “I’m almost up to 18 gallons right now in donations. That’s a lot of blood! still got a little bit left though.” “It takes very little time to volunteer. It’s a great thing where you can help someone who needs an extra hand or helping hand.” “I think he does his part to contribute as much as possible,” Welch added. “Whether it’s helping dental wise or even just in general with the public.” 
4. The word “that” in paragraph 2 refers to _______

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Because the low latitudes of the Earth, the areas near the equator, receive more heat than the latitudes near the poles, and because the nature of heat is to expand and move, heat is transported from the tropics to the middle and high latitudes. Some of this heat is moved by winds and some by ocean currents, and some gets stored in the atmosphere in the form of latent heat. The term “latent heat” refers to the energy that has to be used to convert liquid water to water vapor. We know that if we warm a pan of water on a stove, it will evaporate, or turn into vapor, faster than if it is allowed to sit at room temperature. We also know that if we hang wet clothes outside in the summertime they will dry faster than in winter, when temperatures are colder. The energy used in both cases to change liquid water to water vapor is supplied by heat – supplied by the stove in the first case and by the Sun in the latter case. This energy is not lost. It is stored in water vapor in the atmosphere as latent heat. Eventually, the water stored as vapor in the atmosphere will condense to liquid again, and the energy will be released to the atmosphere. In the atmosphere, a large portion of the Sun’s incoming energy is used to evaporate water, primarily in the tropical oceans. Scientists have tried to quantify this proportion of the Sun’s energy. By analyzing temperature, water vapor, and wind data around the globe, they have estimated the quantity to be about 90 watts per square meter, or nearly 30 percent of the Sun’s energy. Once this latent heat is stored within the atmosphere, it can be transported, primarily to higher latitudes, by prevailing, large-scale winds. Or it can be transported vertically to higher levels in the atmosphere, where it forms clouds and subsequent storms, which then release the energy back to the atmosphere
8. All of the following words (in the first paragraph) are defined in the passage EXCEPT _____