Airtight plastic bags can help farmers protect their harvests without the use of harmful chemicals. These bags are designed to keep air out of crops in storage. Using them is a simple way to fight insects and keep crops fresh. Ten countries in West and Central Africa are involved in a project to improve the storage of cowpeas, also known as black-eyed peas. Farmers can lose much of the harvest to insects called bruchids , which grow from egg to adult in a few weeks and then lay forty to sixty eggs. They can destroy the whole harvest within months. Farmers can sell their crops immediately. But selling at harvest time means more competition and lower prices.Or they can use pesticides to kill the bugs. But a crop scientist Dieudonne Baributsa says, "They end up misusing or overusing the pesticide. In Nigeria, they have reported a lot of cases of death. They usually call cowpeas 'killer beans' in Nigeria." Mr. Baributsa is a researcher at Purdue University in Indiana, America. The project is called PICS---Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage. He says the storage bags are thick enough that any insects already in the cowpeas willdie from a lack of oxygen. The lack of air will also help prevent the growth of bacteria that can ruin the harvest. The bags cost about two dollars each. Mr. Baributsa says that is not much, especially if it means farmers can wait long enough to get a better price for their crops. The bags are produced locally. Donors currently support the project, but the groups involved are working to build a lasting market for the bags because donation for the project will not lastforever. A company based in the United States called GrainPro makes another kind of airtight bags. These are called SuperGrainbags. Phil Villers, the company's president, says storing a harvest safely not only helps farmers earn more money, but also reduces the amount of the harvest loss to insects, spoilage and mishandling. "What does not get wasted and eaten means it is possible to feed a hungry world," said Phil Villers. According to the passage, the storage bags can do the following EXCEPT _ . A) double the total harvest B) raise farmers' income C) help fight world hunger D) help project crops from being spoiled
A
I had arrived at the airport to catch an early flight home.It had been a very busy three days for me on an interstate trip with lots of meetings,business to do and new customers to meet.Then came the announcement that the flight had been delayed due to a technical problem.I could see a group of technicians and ground staff rushing about,obviously trying hard to fix the problem.I watched and listened as many of the passengers sitting near me shared their frustration about the inconvenience. As I sat waiting,I reflected on my last meeting for the day.It was not a business meeting but rather a very enjoyable and brief lunch with an old business associate and friend I had not seen for over 12 years,and who I had worked with for nearly 15 years before we lost in touch.I had been given his phone number by a customer I had visited on the first day of my trip,so I called him out of the blue and made a time for us to meet. Our lunch was spent recollecting times gone by and as well filling each other in on what had happened in our lives over the last 12 years.Our conversation was frequently interrupted with statements such as 'remember when we did...','whatever happened to...' and of course the one we all liked to hear...'you know you haven't changed one bit,except for a few more grey hairs.' We both laughed and smiled as we recalled the good times and the great experiences we had shared over the 15 years we had worked together. Each event we discussed caused another recollection and everything we talked about centered on the good times.Almost at the same time,right at the end of our time together,we both said how much we both enjoyed it and that we must do it again.We agreed to catch up when I was next in town,then said our goodbyes and I was off to the airport. So with this extra time on my hands as I waited for my flight,it was great to revisit and replay in my mind all that we had talked about over lunch.I realized at that moment just how important it is to have regular reminders of the good times in your life and... When the writer boarded the plane,he smiled because _ . A) he could finally fly home B) the other passengers were cheering C) he had made very good use of the delay D) his busy trip would soon come to an end
C
Q: One day,I received a call from a colleague.He was about to give a student a zero for his answer to a physical problem,while the student claimed a perfect score.I was elected as their arbiter .I read the examination problem,"Show how it is possible to determine the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer ." The student had answered,"Take the barometer to the top of the building,attach a long rope to it,lower it to the street,and then bring it up and measure the length of the rope.The length of it is the height of the building." The student had really answered the question completely,but the answer didn't confirm his competence in physics.I suggested the student try again.I gave him six minutes to answer the question,warning that the answer should show some knowledge of physics.Five minutes later,he said he had many answers and dashed off one,which read "Take the barometer to the top of the building and lean over the edge of the roof.Drop the barometer,timing its fall with a stopwatch,then use the physical formula to calculate the height of the building." At this point,my colleague had to accept it,and then the student made almost full marks.I couldn't help asking the student what the other answers were.He listed many others,and then added,"Probably the best one is to take the barometer to the administrator and say to him,'Sir,here is a fine barometer.If you tell me the height of the building,I will give it to you.'" Then,I asked the student if he really did not know the conventional answer to this question.He admitted that he did,but said that he was fed up with high school and college instructors trying to teach him how to think. The name of the student was Bohr who later was famous all over the world.He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922. The student got a zero at the beginning because _ . A) the teacher wasn't satisfied with him B) his answer wasn't complete or correct C) the teacher didn't fully understand his answer D) his answer didn't show his knowledge of physics
A: D
(Q).
London--coffee protects mice from radiation and could get the same way in humans, according to Indian scientists. Scientist at India's Bhabha Atomic Research Center discovered that mice injected with caffeine remained alive after high doses of normally _ radiation. Although the study was limited to animals, Kachadillilli George, head of the research team, believes the findings could have implications (something suggested ) for humans . "It does suggest that coffee might have some beneficial effects in protecting against radiation," he told New Scientist magazine late last month. George and his team injected 471 mice with caffeine and left them uncovered to 7.5 grays of gamma radiation ,enough to kill most mice. But 25 days later 70 percent of the mice that had received 80 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight were still alive. On the contrary all 196 mice that had been left uncovered to the same radiation but had not been given any caffeine died. Which is the best title of the article? A) Human and Mice B) New Radiation Defense--Coffee C) Deadly Radiation--Gamma Radiation D) Mice Died of Caffeine
(A).
B