ABCD READING#6 Take it Slow

EXAM TASK / Read the text below and answer questions below by choosing the right option. Only one of four options is correct in each question. Some of the questions refer to words underlined in the text. Alcatraz IslandAlcatraz Island, byname The Rock, is a small rocky island located in San Francisco Bay, California, United States. Interestingly, in 1972, Alcatraz became part of a national recreation area. After that, the entire island was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, and was further declared a National Historic Landmark in 1986.The first explorer to document the island was a Spanish researcher, Juan Manuel Diaz, who charted San Francisco Bay and named one of the three islands he identified as "La Isla de los Alcatraces," which is commonly believed to translate as "The Island of the Pelicans". Over the years, the Spanish version "Alcatraz" became popular and is now widely used.The earliest recorded owner of the island of Alcatraz is Julian Workman whose task was to build a lighthouse on it. Workman was given the island by Mexican governor and his friend Pio Pico in June 1846. Because of its isolation from the outside by the cold, strong, hazardous currents of the waters of San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz was used to house Civil War prisoners of war as early as 1861. Subsequently, in 1867, a brick jailhouse was built, and in 1868, Alcatraz was officially designated a long-term detention facility for military prisoners. Noteworthily enough, Alcatraz also provided housing for the Bureau of Prisons staff and their families.Moreover, this small island became a federal prison in 1934 right after the United States Disciplinary Barracks on Alcatraz were acquired by the United States Department of Justice in 1933. Alcatraz was designed to hold prisoners who continuously caused trouble at other federal prisons. Next, in August 1934, the first batch of 137 prisoners arrived at Alcatraz and most of them were notorious bank robbers and murderers.It is important to realize that during the 29 years Alcatraz was in use, the jail held some of the most notorious criminals in American history such as Al Capone, Franklin Stroud or Alvin "Creepy" Karpis. In addition, the penitentiary claimed that no prisoner successfully escaped. A total of 36 prisoners made 14 escape attempts, two men trying twice; 23 were caught alive, six were shot and killed during their escape, two drowned, and five are listed as "missing and presumed drowned.''Due to the financial problems (the penitentiary cost much more to operate than other prisons) and high maintenance costs, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy closed the penitentiary in 1963. Another cause of the closure of the prison were complaints the environmental effects of sewage released into San Francisco Bay from the approximately 250 inmates and 60 Bureau of Prisons families on the island. In the same year, the United States Penitentiary in Marion was opened as the replacement facility for Alcatraz.Today, the island's facilities are managed by the National Park Service and are open to tours. Visitors can reach the island in a little under 15 minutes by ferry ride. What is more, Alcatraz inspires. Recently, it has been home to several art installations. One of them, created by Nelson Saiers in 2016, addressed irrationally long prison sentences using math and prison slang as central elements. 1. The island was an ideal place to build a prison because: it was deserted. it belonged to the territory of Mexico. of its dangerous and powerful currents of the surrounding waters. the residents of the area spoke Spanish. 2. According to the text, the staff members of Alcatraz: needed to travel to the island every day. lived on the island only with other security guards and prisoners. were responsible for keeping the cells clean. had accommodation provided. 3. According to the official statistics: no prisoner managed to break out of jail. only one person escaped the prison. 36 prisoners successfully got out of the prison. only one prisoner escaped but later was caught. 4. The word 'presumed' (underlined in paragraph 5) means the same as: apparently. unlikely. obviously. supposedly. 5. According to the text, three main causes of the closure of the prison were: its economic problems, the high maintenance costs, two escaped prisoners. the behaviour of the prisoners, its financial problems, the lack of staff. the high maintenance costs, its financial problems, the protests of citizens. the protests of citizens, its financial problems, the lack of staff. 6. After the closure of Alcatraz: the United States lacked a prison for two years. the United States immediately opened another prison. the United States opened another prison one year later. the United States lacked a prison for only one year. 7. According to the text, tourists can get to Alcatraz in: over 15 minutes by water. less than 15 minutes by land. less than 15 minutes by water. exactly 15 minutes by land. FINISHED? Kliknij niebieski przycisk na dole strony 'Hand in' dwa razy, by Twoje odpowiedzi automatycznie się sprawdziły :) Podświetliły się na zielono? - dobra odpowiedź, czerwono - coś poszło nie tak, więc koniecznie zajrzyj do Answer Key poniżej :) AK_abcd reading#6 CLICK HERE:) ANSWER KEY