The Galápagos Islands, part of the Republic of Ecuador, are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed on either side of the equator in the Pacific Ocean surrounding the centre of the Western Hemisphere, 906 kilometres (563 miles) west of continental Ecuador. The islands are known for their large number of endemic species and were studied by Charles Darwin during the second voyage of HMS Beagle. His observations and collections contributed to the inception of Darwin’s theory of evolution by means of natural selection.

Hi Izzy,

I hope everything is fine on your end. How is Sydney treating you? Mom told me to let you know that she is angry you missed Leo’s wedding in Vegas. You know how much she loves you; just like a family. Remember how she used to send an extra lunch with me for you when we were in school. She thinks you didn’t come because of the travel restrictions. I understand though that you had a lot going on otherwise you would have never missed it, no matter what the issues. Losing a job is surely a huge setback.

Anyhow, I’m glad you are doing much better now. I heard from Nadine that you decided to move back to our hometown, Nebraska. I’m jealous that you will be living in the same neighborhood we grew up in. But I’ll be sure to visit you from time to time. I just remembered, you haven’t been there in 10 years right? Oh boy! You are really in for a surprise sweetheart. It has changed so much over these years. Roy’s wedding was a blast and it gave me a chance to explore the town again. There is so much you can do there now. Could you have imagined having a Starbucks in our town? There are many designer boutiques and branded stores that are flourishing there.

That is not all. I think you will be particularly awed by the improvement in standard of the schools. I know moving Leonard from a big school in the city to a small town school may seem daunting, but trust me when I say this, schools there have been completely transformed. A lot more facilities are now available. The people haven’t changed much though. They are still the same closed-minded, cold and unpleasant lot. Yet, I’m hopeful that you will enjoy living there. You remember Tally and Joe? They moved back there last spring. They will be getting married next year so maybe I will visit the town then. Let’s talk soon and make plans to explore the city we once called home.

See you soon!

Love,

Renee

A. Sleepwalking — also known as somnambulism — involves getting up and walking around while in a state of sleep. More common in children than adults, sleepwalking is usually outgrown by the teen years. Isolated incidents of sleepwalking often don’t signal any serious problems or require treatment. However, recurrent sleepwalking may suggest an underlying sleep disorder. Sleepwalking in adults has a higher chance of being confused with or coexisting with other sleep disorders as well as medical conditions and is thought to be genetic. Children who have one or both parents with a history of sleepwalking also have a much higher chance of sleepwalking. It has been found that there are certain genes associated with sleepwalking.

B. Sleepwalking usually happens in the first few hours of sleep during deep sleep. Not all sleepwalkers actually walk. Some sit up or stand in bed or act like they’re awake (but dazed) when, in fact, they’re asleep! But most do get up and move around for a few seconds or for as long as half an hour. Sleepwalkers’ eyes are open, but they don’t see the same way they do when they’re awake. They’ll often think they’re in different rooms of the house or different places altogether. Sleepwalkers tend to go back to bed on their own and they won’t remember what happened in the morning. Sleepwalking may run in families and sometimes happens when a person is sick, has a fever, is not getting enough sleep, or is stressed.

C. Even though seeing someone walking in their sleep can give you what you feel is a mini heart attack, waking a sleepwalker will not cause them to have a heart attack or cause other serious trauma like this medical myth suggests. Sleepwalking itself does not cause any health problems. It can cause problems indirectly mainly due to safety concerns — walking out of the house, jumping out of the window, using lighters and kitchen knives, bumping into sharp objects, etc. There is no consensus on what is the best approach when one encounters a sleepwalking patient. It is not dangerous to wake up a patient from sleepwalking, but experts who discourage it quote it is unsuccessful and leads to patient disorientation. Try to ease them back to bed without making forceful attempts. If unsuccessful, just watch closely to assure their safety and try again after some time has passed.

D. If sleepwalking happens a lot, every night or so, it’s a good idea to see a doctor. But sleepwalking once in a while usually isn’t something to worry about. It’s important, of course, to keep a sleepwalker safe. Precautions should be taken so the person is less likely to fall down, run into something, or walk out the front door while sleepwalking. There’s no cure for sleepwalking, but the doctor can talk to the patient about what’s happening and try to find ways to help them sleep more soundly. For kids who sleepwalk often, doctors may recommend a treatment called scheduled awakening. This means the parent will gently wake them up a little before their usual sleepwalking time, which can help stop sleepwalking. In rare cases, a doctor may prescribe medicine to help someone sleep. Relaxing before bedtime by listening to soft music or having a regular sleep schedule can also help curb this issue. Avoiding alcohol in the evening and going to the bathroom before going to bed can also help.

E. None of the given passages

’’My mother upheld a steely work ethic. Laboring in the fields, and laboring through 11 live births—news that made our local East Los Angeles newspaper’’, says Sofia, a Latino immigrant. She adds, ’’Although my mother worked like a machine she was only able to bring home less than half of what the men were being given. This was my first infuriating encounter with pay inequity.’’

’’For each $1 a man makes, a woman makes 82 cents, and it is dramatically wider for most women of color’’, says Tina Fey, a women’s rights activist. She proceeds, ’’Women make up nearly half of the U.S. workforce and earn more college degrees than men, yet they are not projected to close gender pay gaps for years to come. The march to pay equity will take much longer for some women of color than others. If current trends persist, Asian women will likely achieve parity first and Black women and Latinas won’t reach parity this century. Yes, this all seems hopeless, yet I am rooting for a better future.’’

’’Although women’s labor was crucial in both the private sphere of home and public sphere of community, during the industrial revolution it became devalued because it did not produce satisfactory profit’’, according to anti-racist feminist activist Angela Davis. ’’Treating women’s work as inferior kept it cheap and gave rise to a systemic erosion of respect that justified pay inequity based on gender, race, or both’’, she adds.

’’It is estimated that for every child a woman has, she suffers a five percent wage penalty. Discrimination plays a significant role in the limitations for working mothers. While motherhood is a choice, it is one society has somewhat forced on women – it is not totally socially acceptable for a father to take time off of work to raise his children and it is basically expected of new mothers’’, a study done by the American Association of University Women found.

However, the men seem to disagree regarding the existence of pay disparity. ’’Women choose lower-paying careers than men so it’s understandable they make less money. There is no difference by gender in compensation for performing similar work’’, as per Todd Johnson. Further he says, ’’Obstacles that once made it difficult for women to advance are now largely gone. I don’t know what women keep complaining about. Look how much more freedom you all have. You should be grateful.’’