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SECTION C NEWS
Question 6 is based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 10 seconds to answer the question.
The 95-year old iconic American brand — Greyhound is taking to the British roads. First Group, Britain's largest bus and train operator, and owner of the Greyhound coach brand in the U.S., said the buses would start running from London Victoria to Portsmouth and Southampton on Sept. 14. Tickets will cost as little as £1 with the average journey costing £7. It plans to roll out more routes next year. The hourly bus service will take just under two hours non-stop and will offer free Wi-Fi, power sockets for each passenger, air-conditioning, complimentary newspapers and leather seats.
Questions 7 and 8 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 20 seconds to answer the questions.
Greek firefighters planned to continue to work through the night to contain dozens of wild fires, including a massive blaze outside Athens, authority said. Greek Prime Minister, Kostas Karamanlis, called for calm on Saturday and said ground forces will continue their superhuman efforts until dawn, when air operations and water drops will resume. Authorities reported 75 fires across the country. The fires began late Friday in Grammatiko 40 kilometers (25 miles) northeast of the capital. Wind whipped a single blaze into three fires, which joined again Saturday. No injuries were reported. Authorities mobilized units from the navy, air force and marines to assist the firefighters in Grammatiko, the State Fire Department said. "The fire is particularly complex, given the weather, the large quantity of fuel, the terrain and the proximity of residential areas," a statement from the Fire Department said. The cause of the original fire which belched clouds of heavy dark smoke was unknown, and officials were investigating. Forest and bush fires are common during Greece's hot, dry summers. Six firefighting aircraft were helping firefighters, according to the Athens's news agency.
Questions 9 and 10 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 20 seconds to answer the questions.
The Mexican economy went off a cliff in the second three months of 2009, with the gross domestic product dropping 10.3% from the same period last year, according to government figures. Analysts say the main cause of Mexico's nosedive is that the nation's economy is tied strongly to that of the United States, which is mired in the deepest economic downturn since the 1930s. Other factors dragging the Mexican economy down include a tourism decline caused by the H1N1 flu outbreak, declining oil and tax revenues and fewer Mexicans abroad sending money back home. Oil revenues, long Mexico's main source of money, have been hurt by lower global prices and declining production. Remittances from Mexicans working abroad, most of them in the United States, also have fallen victim to the economic downturn. Fewer jobs in the United States means fewer opportunities for Mexicans to find work and send money home. Remittances rank after oil in terms of revenue for the country. That revenue fell from $26 billion in 2007 to $25 billion in 2008, Mexico's Central Bank said, and is expect to decrease even more this year. Tourism, Mexican's third largest source of revenue, has declined steadily since an outbreak of the H1N1 flue was first discovered in Mexico in April.
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