Q: (CNN) -- Argentina's star-studded team went top of South America's 2014 World Cup qualifying group as Lionel Messi inspired a 4-0 thrashing of Ecuador on Saturday.

With his top Europe-based players to call on, coach Alejandro Sabella saw his side effectively end the match with three goals after only half an hour.

Sergio Aguero, top scorer for English champions Manchester City last season, broke the deadlock in the 20th minute as he celebrated his 24th birthday in style.

Strike partner Gonzalo Higuain, who helped Real Madrid to the Spanish title, doubled the lead nine minutes later.

Barcelona's three-time world player of the year Messi made it 3-0 two minutes later to continue his unbelievable scoring form, having netted 73 times for the Spanish club in the recently-completed 2011-12 campaign.

Real Madrid winger Angel Di Maria wrapped up the scoring with 15 minutes to play as Argentina moved up to 10 points from five games, just ahead of Chile.

Messi was key to the victory, which came ahead of next Saturday's friendly against Brazil in the United States. The 2014 hosts lost 2-0 to Mexico in a friendly in Texas on Sunday.

He combined with Di Maria to set up Aguero's opener and then linking with Higuain for his own goal before also setting up the final effort.

Chile moved onto nine points from five matches with a 2-0 win over bottom team Bolivia, who had Luis Gutierrez sent off in the second half.

Midfielder Charles Aranguiz scored against the run of play just before halftime in La Paz, then Gutierrez saw red for a foul on Barcelona's Alexis Sanchez before Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal wrapped it up with seven minutes to play.

Answer the following questions:
1. Who was Manchester City's top scorer?
2. How far into the game did he score?
3. What was notable about that particular day?
4. How old was he?
5. Who doubled the score?
6. How long after Aguero's goal did he make his?
7. On what day did the game take place?
8. Who was the coach?
9. Who scored after Aguero and Higuain?
10. How much later?
11. What was the score then?
12. How many goals did Messi make in the 2011-2012 campaign?
13. Who won the game between Chile and Bolivia?
14. Which team is barely ahead of Chile?
15. And how many points have they scored in a handful of games?
A: 1. Sergio Aguero
2. 20th minute
3. it was his birthday
4. 24
5. Gonzalo Higuain
6. nine minutes later
7. Saturday
8. Alejandro Sabella
9. Messi
10. two minutes
11. 3-0
12. 73
13. Chile
14. Argentina
15. 10

Answer the questions at the end based on the text.

There was once a lion that lived in a circus. This lion, King, was the biggest lion in the zoo, and he was often mean to the other lions in the circus. He was giant, and because of this, he scared the other lions, including the smallest one, Lionel. Lionel was often bullied by King, and the other lions, like Mack and Oscar, who copied him. Lionel was hiding one day from King, when the man who owned the circus took King out for training. King had to perform very difficult jobs for the circus, and when he did not get them right away, the circus man was very mean to King. King came back to the lion pen and was very scared and hurt. All of the other lions, even Mack and Oscar, ignored King, except for Lionel. Lionel sat down next to King and scared away the lion cubs who might have bothered King. King was very glad for what Lionel did. When King kept learning the new stuff for the circus man, Lionel kept him company when he got back. Soon, they grew to be good friends, and King found himself very sorry for all of the mean things he did to Lionel.

1. Was Lionel the biggest lion?

Numbered answers:

A: 1. yes

Answer the questions at the end based on the text.

Max was sitting at home reading his favorite book. The story was about cakes. Max thought to himself, "I am going to go to the store and get stuff to make a cake!" Max headed to the grocery store to get the cake ingredients. Max was going to make a banana and chocolate cake. On his way he saw his friend Greg, a small wolf. Greg was also heading to the store. Greg was going to make a pie for his mother. He needed to get strawberries and blueberries. Max asked Greg if he wanted to walk to the store together. Greg the wolf said yes, so they walked to the store together. At the store the other people looked at Max and Greg. They had never seen an alligator and a wolf who are friends before. Max and Greg laughed at this. Max got the chocolate and bananas to make his cake and Greg got the strawberries and blueberries to make his pie. They left the store. Max waved good bye to Greg. "See you later alligator," said Greg. Max went home and made his cake, it was very good.

1. Where was Max?
2. Doing what?
3. What was the book about?
4. And what did it make him want to do?
5. And did he go?
6. What kind of cake?
7. Who did he see on the way?
8. And what was he?
9. Where was he going?
10. Why?
11. And what did he need to do that?
12. What was Max?
13. Did they get what they needed?
14. And did Max make his cake?
15. And how was it?

Numbered answers:

A:
1. home
2. reading his favorite book
3. cakes
4. go to the store and get stuff to make a cake
5. Yes
6. banana and chocolate
7. his friend Greg
8. a small wolf
9. to the store
10. Greg was going to make a pie for his mother
11. strawberries and blueberries
12. an alligator
13. Yes
14. Yes
15. it was very good.