Barron's TOEFL I-2

Americans flush 350 billion kilowatt-hours of energy into the sewers each year. Cities are taking notice, and taking steps to install sewage heat recovery systems to capture the energy from the effluence.

Waves of protesters clashed with police and set fires across France as anger intensified against government plans to raise the age for retirement benefits.

A global chorus of condemnation followed North Korea's launch of a rocket that apparently put an object into orbit, with the United States, Japan, and South Korea describing the launch as intolerable.

Many scarabs explode with bright colors and intricate patterns. Some are iridescent and others have an unnatural metallic sheen.

The Brothers Bloom are the best con men in the world, swindling millionaires with complex scenarios of lust and intrigue.

A magnitude 8.9 earthquake struck Japan, tsunami waves inundating cities and towns along 1,300 miles (2,092km) of coastline.