TASK DEFINITION: You are given a background paragraph that describes one or more causal or qualitative relationships such as a relationship in economics or a scientific law and a story that makes use of the concepts or the relationship described in the provided paragraph. You are also given a question about the story that requires an understanding of the relationship described in the background paragraph and the story. You need to come up with an answer to the given question; the answer will be a span from either the question or the story. In order to correctly answer the given question, you need to understand the relationship mentioned in the background paragraph and should be able to use it to understand that in the story. Your answer can not consist of any word that is not mentioned in any of these: the background paragraph, the story, or the question. You can directly copy and paste a span from the story or the question while answering the given question.
PROBLEM: Background Paragraph: Groundwater salinization compromises buffering properties. Vegetation clearance, along with irrigation, causes serious issues. Irrigation increases the water table and mobilizes salts, and vegetation clearance allows it to come in contact with water habitats and vegetation. This stresses species not adapted to high salinity. High levels of salinity reduces water uptake in plants, by causing stomatal closure, reducing photosynthesis. Forests undergo decline in areas of high salinity and shallow groundwater depths because these conditions make them more susceptible to droughts. Forests undergo decline in areas of high salinity and shallow groundwater depths making them more susceptible to droughts. 
Story: Roger has been wanting to make a difference in the world, and has decided he wants to start a forested area in the country side. He has some areas that he has mapped out, and is trying to decide where he would like to start his new growth. The Bilton Valley area has recently been cleared of vegetation and has some irrigation channels installed for a near by farm. The other area he is looking at in an uncleared pasture called Stevens Pasture. 
Question: Will Stevens Pasture have a more reduced or increased water uptake by plants than Bilton Valley?

SOLUTION: increased.

PROBLEM: Background Paragraph: New species develop naturally through the process of natural selection . Due to natural selection, organisms with traits that better enable them to adapt to their environment will tend to survive and reproduce in greater numbers. Natural selection causes beneficial heritable traits to become more common in a population and unfavorable heritable traits to become less common. For example, a giraffe’s neck is beneficial because it allows the giraffe to reach leaves high in trees. Natural selection caused this beneficial trait to become more common than short necks. 
Story: Dan studied two islands. Loon island had a very stable environment, and there weren't many diverse species of plants and animals. Wolf island displayed lots of evidence for natural selection, and had a large variety of species inhabiting it. 
Question: Which island had fewer animals that survived their environment?

SOLUTION: Loon.

PROBLEM: Background Paragraph: A person with a serious brain injury usually suffers permanent brain damage. These brain injuries usually occur when an external mechanical force, such as a violent blow or jolt to the head or body, causes brain dysfunction. An object penetrating the skull, such as a bullet or a shattered piece of the skull, also can cause traumatic brain injury. As a result, the person may have trouble talking or controlling body movements. Symptoms depend on what part of the brain was injured. Serious brain injuries can also cause personality changes and problems with mental abilities such as memory. Medicines, counseling, and other treatments may help people with serious brain injuries recover from, or at least learn to cope with, their disabilities. 
Story: Jill and Bob are working on a construction site together when suddenly two wooden planks fall from three stories up. One plank hits Bob on the head and the other lands directly on Jill's shoulder. Everyone rushes over to them to check if they are ok. All the people are relieved that Bob and Jill appear to be alright, but they urge them both to go visit a doctor to get checked out. 
Question: Which person is more likely to have trouble talking?

SOLUTION:
Bob.