News Item 2 (For Questions 24 and 25)
Spain's King Juan Carlos, with 32 years on the throne (Q24), turns 70 Saturday. But after years of undeniable adulation among Spaniards for putting down an attempted coup in 1981, he's recently faced more difficult times. Small groups of leftists have burned his photo, and fiery criticism has also come from the right with one leading conservative radio host calling for him to step down. Juan Carlos fired back with a rare public defense of his reign in a recent speech. “It's been the longest period of stability and prosperity in Spain ever in a parliamentary monarchy,” the king said (Q25).
News Item 3 (For Questions 26 and 27)
It goes against religious taboos in Iraq to involve women in fighting, but three recent suicide bombings carried out by women could indicate insurgents are growing increasingly desperate. On Nov. 4 (Q26), a woman detonated an explosives vest next to a US patrol in Diyala's regional capital, Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad, wounding seven US troops and five Iraqis (Q27). On Dec. 7 (Q26), a woman attacked the offices of a Diyala-based Sunni group fighting al-Qaida in Iraq, killing 15 people and wounding 35 (Q27). Then, on Dec. 31 (Q26), a bomber in Baqouba detonated her suicide vest close to a police patrol, wounding five policemen and four civilians (Q27).
News Item 4 (For Questions 28 to 30)
Chinese government is poised to conduct its first national survey of pollution sources in February to help control environmental deterioration in the country (Q28). The study will identify and collect data on sources of industrial, agricultural and residential pollution for two months. Last year, China's environment was facing a grave situation, with several major rivers and lakes clogged by industrial waste. China's environmental cleanup is compromised by more than two decades of rapid economic growth, and a lack of technology especially (Q29). Every province, autonomous region and municipality has set up a census office and will report to a main center staffed by officials from government departments (Q30). Data will be reviewed multiple times before being put into a database and will be analyzed in the second half of 2008. Findings will be examined and approved by mid-2009.
