Trouble with Transporting
Because of the increased ease of air travel, professional musicians today fly all over the world to perform. However, they often have trouble transporting their instruments. Many musicians try to carry their instruments onto a plane with them, but they are frequently told that there is no space. ( 21 ), airline staff members tell them that their instruments must be put in the cargo area of the plane. However, instruments are sometimes damaged there.
Recently, things have begun to change. In December 2014, for example, the U.S. Department of Transportation created a rule that musical instruments should be treated like other carry-on bags. While this is good news for musicians, it may ( 22 ). One instrument may require a lot of space in the storage areas above the seats, so other passengers’ luggage may not fit, making them angry. Moreover, depending on the shape of the instrument, it may not fit at all, meaning the airline staff members must find some other way of storing it safely on board.
For musicians who play large instruments, though, the only way to bring their instruments on the plane is to purchase an extra seat. Cristina Wallace, a cello player, would rather pay for her instrument to travel in the seat next to her than hand it over to the airline. Dutch musician Lavinia Meijer plays an even bigger instrument a full-size harp. When she was invited to play at a concert in Korea, Meijer ended up paying for her harp to fly in business class. Although it is more expensive, many musicians believe it ( 23 ) to know their instruments are safe.
The Return of Whales
New York City is famous for theaters and museums, but these days it is also becoming famous for something else humpback whales. More and more people in the city have looked out at the ocean and ( 24 ). In 2010, fishermen first noticed the whales in the area and the sightings have become more frequent ever since. This is surprising because, while humpbacks are often found near the West Coast, they are not as common near the East Coast.
However, humpback whales were once very common in the area. Then, in the 1650s, when Europeans first moved to the New York area, they began hunting the whales to use their fat for fuel. In the 1840s, other kinds of fuel, such as kerosene, replaced whale fat. Nevertheless, whale meat remained popular, and by the 20th century, there were only about 700 humpbacks in the Atlantic Ocean. Moreover, the water in and around New York began to ( 25 ). Scientists believe that these two things too much hunting and water pollution caused the humpbacks to disappear from the area about 100 years ago.
Much has changed since then, though. For example, in 1972, the U.S. government created a law called the Clean Water Act to reduce pollution in oceans, lakes, and rivers. Gradually, as the water became cleaner, many types of fish and sea life returned, providing a food source for whales. ( 26 ), it seems that whales are finally able to return to the water around New York City.
From: Judy Sebring ＜j.sebring@kidland.com＞
To: Timmy Fletcher ＜timmy23@pmail.com＞
Date: October 6
Subject: Childcare services
___________________________________________________________
Dear Mr. Fletcher,
Thank you for contacting Kidland Childcare. As I promised on the phone yesterday, I am e-mailing you today to give you the information you asked for about our childcare services for your son. As I said, we take care of children aged two to five at our day-care center. The center is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday through Friday.
Parents can choose the three-day, four-day, or five-day plan. You can also choose between half-day and full-day care. The cost for a full day is $50 per day, and a half day is $30. For the half day, there are two sessions the morning session from 6 a.m. to noon and the afternoon session from noon to 6 p.m. Parents who choose the full day must bring their children’s lunch to the center every day.
Our center provides high-quality care to each child. We teach basic skills like reading and counting. We also have many educational toys for each age, and we have many activities for the children every day. You can learn more