^^
33.
Knowing when something happened is important.
Understanding why historic events took place is also important. To do this, historians often turn to geography.
Weather patterns, the water supply, and the landscape of a place all affect the lives of the people who live there. For example, to explain why the ancient Egyptians developed
a successful civilization, you must look at the geography of Egypt. Egyptian civilization was built on the banks of the Nile River, which flooded each year, depositing soil
on its banks. The rich soil could help farmers grow enough crops to feed the people in the cities. That meant everyone did not have to farm, so some people could perform other jobs that helped develop the civilization.
34.
Nowadays, we can enjoy athletic competition of every kind without leaving our homes. It is the fun that comes from cheering on our team and celebrating its skills while complaining about the opposing team’s good luck.
But some individuals sit and watch a football game or tennis match without cheering for anyone or any team.
They are not willing to risk the possible disappointment of picking the loser, so they give up the possible joy of picking the winner. They live in the world of neutrality.
Don’t be one of them. Sure, your team might lose. But then again, your team might win. Either way, your
spectator experience will have been a fun one, and you will have avoided being merely a passive observer.
35.
The above graph shows changes in school enrollment rates of the population ages 3-19 by age group from 1970 to 2006. The enrollment rates of all age groups were higher than 50 percent in 2006. Of all age
groups, the enrollment rate for youth ages 7-13 was the highest during the entire period covered by the graph.
Of all age groups, the enrollment rate of children ages 5-6 increased the most from 1970 to 2006. The
overall change in the enrollment rate from 1980 to 1990 was smaller for youth ages 14-17 than for youth ages 18-19. The lowest enrollment rate is seen in children ages 3-4 among all age groups for each year.
