Rachel Carson was born in 1907 in Springsdale, Pennsylvania. She studied biology at college and zoology at Johns Hopkins University, where she received her master’s degree in 1933. In 1936, she was hired by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, where she worked most of her life.

Carson’s first book, Under the Sea Wind, was published in 1941. It received excellent reviews, but sales were poor until it was reissued in 1952. In that year she published The Sea Around Us, which provided a fascinating look beneath the ocean’s surface, emphasizing human history as well as geology and marine biology. Her imagery and language had a poetic quality. Carson consulted no less than 1,000 printed sources. She had voluminous correspondence and frequent discussions with experts in the field. However, she always realized the limitations of her nontechnical readers.

In 1962, Carson published Silent Spring, a book that sparked considerable controversy. It proved how much harm was done by the uncontrolled, reckless use of insecticides. She detailed how they poison the food supply of animals, kill birds and fish, and contaminate human food. At the time, spokesmen for the chemical industry mounted personal attacks against Carson and issued propaganda to indicate that her findings were flawed. However, her work was proved by a 1963 report of the President’s Science Advisory Committee.

(Source: TOEFL Reading)

Why does the author of the passage mention the report of the President’s Science Advisory Committee (lines 14-15) ?

Câu hỏi liên quan

• The word “rudimentary” is closest in meaning to ___________.

• The word -lethal‖ in the second paragraph probably means ............

• According to the writer, why is the choice of your second job important?

ZUNIA12

• All activities mentioned in the passage are household chores EXCEPT .................

• The word it refers to___________.

• The word “astonished” in paragraph 4 can be best replaced by__________.

• What is the last paragraph mainly about?

• The word “it” refers to __________

• The phrase ‘as well as’ in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ___.

• How many Americans are involved in telecommuting?

• The word “excluded” is closest meaning to .............

• Nowadays, there are ............

• What can the word adorning be best replaced by?

• The word “imprisonment” in paragraph 2 is closet in meaning to _________.

• According to the passage, ................ requires sensitivity and experience?

• What does the passage mainly discuss?

• The statement: "Colloquialisms, on the other hand, are familiar words and idioms that are understood by almost all speakers of a language and used in informal speech or writing, but not considered acceptable for more formal situations." means:

• The word “this” in paragraph 2 refers to ______.

• According to the passage, who was the first person to use artificial refrigeration for a practical purpose?

• The changes possibly caused by the cellphones are mainly concerned with ______.