China to Send Two Giant Pandas to Zoo Atlanta in Coming Days, Xi Says

Study the questions and tasks

Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.

Practice level

C1. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.

Question formats

Single choice

How to approach this practice

Read the passage for its main idea, then return to the relevant sentence or paragraph for each question. Base answers on the passage.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What is the article’s primary purpose?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. To announce a permanent panda conservation policy
   2. To explain an arrival and its broader diplomatic implications
   3. To compare Atlanta with Chinese zoos
   4. To criticize cultural exchanges between governments
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   To explain an arrival and its broader diplomatic implications

   The article presents the announcement and interprets its diplomatic significance.

   The announcement gives Zoo Atlanta a prominent role in the next stage of this exchange.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What can be inferred about the loan program before this announcement?

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   1. It had expanded without interruption
   2. It had been suspended or become inactive
   3. It had transferred ownership permanently
   4. It had operated only within Atlanta
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   It had been suspended or become inactive

   The reference to its lapse implies that the program was not continuously active.

   PBS NewsHour reported that the announcement could bolster a panda loan program that had previously lapsed amid tensions between Beijing and Washington.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   In the second paragraph, what does “therefore” signal?

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   1. A contrast with the preceding claim
   2. A consequence of the preceding claim
   3. A correction to earlier reporting
   4. A chronological shift in the narrative
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   A consequence of the preceding claim

   It connects panda diplomacy’s importance with the arrival’s wider meaning.

   The animals’ planned arrival therefore represents more than a development for an Atlanta zoo.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why does the article mention missing information about the pandas?

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   1. To suggest the pandas are unidentified
   2. To distinguish confirmed facts from unavailable details
   3. To question whether Xi made an announcement
   4. To explain why Zoo Atlanta rejected the loan
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   To distinguish confirmed facts from unavailable details

   The details clarify what the reports establish and what remains unknown.

   They do not provide further details about the pandas’ names, their individual histories, or the precise date on which they will arrive.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What relationship does the article establish between cultural arrangements and diplomacy?

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   1. Cultural arrangements automatically resolve disputes
   2. Cultural arrangements can symbolize contact during tension
   3. Cultural arrangements replace formal negotiations
   4. Cultural arrangements prevent institutional cooperation
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Cultural arrangements can symbolize contact during tension

   It presents cultural arrangements as visible connections without overstating their political effect.

   It also illustrates how cultural arrangements can take on diplomatic meaning when relations between governments are under strain.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does the article imply about the announcement’s immediate certainty?

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   1. The arrival has already occurred
   2. The identities and destination are established, but timing remains broad
   3. The destination is uncertain despite a precise date
   4. The reports provide complete biographical information
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The identities and destination are established, but timing remains broad

   The wording confirms the plan while leaving its exact date unspecified.

   The available reports identify the animals as two giant pandas from China and place them at Zoo Atlanta.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   How does the final paragraph organize the article’s conclusion?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. By introducing an unrelated conservation issue
   2. By summarizing the event and its two interpretations
   3. By challenging every preceding factual claim
   4. By forecasting a definite diplomatic agreement
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   By summarizing the event and its two interpretations

   It restates the event and then frames its dual public and diplomatic significance.

   For now, the central development is straightforward.

What to review next

Find the words that support each answer. For a mistake, compare the question with the evidence and identify the detail or inference you missed.

A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.

Before you practise: a worked example

Look for evidence in the text. Separate what the writer says from what you already know about the topic.

The library normally closes at six, but on Fridays it stays open until eight. When does it close on Friday?

The answer is eight. But introduces an exception to the normal closing time, so the first time mentioned is not the answer.

This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.