Article: You can purchase hanging pots and hooks from any home and garden store. Hanging plants are both attractive and cat-proof! You can find deterrent sprays in the pet store that won't harm your plant, but will discourage your cat from poking around it. A good example of a safe product is "Get Off," but always make sure to check the label before buying a deterrent product. Some of these sprays might actually hurt your plant. You can make your own deterrent spray at home, as well. Make a mixture of one part vinegar to three parts water, and spritz it onto the leaves of your plant. Cats hate the smell, and it doesn't hurt your plant! This is best done with "remote punishment." The idea is to make the cat associate approaching the plant with something bad, like getting sprayed in the face with water. However, you don't want the cat to associate the punishment with you. You want your cat to think the punishment came out of nowhere. Booby trap the plant by using putting a can of compressed air that's activated by a motion sensor near it. These pet-training aids can be purchased in pet stores or online. When your cat approaches plant, he'll get a blast of compressed air. This doesn't hurt him, but it'll make him think twice about approaching the plant again. For example, if you spray the cat with water or shout at him, your cat will associate the punishment with you. He may well stop eating the plant when you're around, but he'll probably keep doing what he wants when you're out of the room. Punishing the cat yourself actually makes him more devious. He also might grow a little frightened of you, which isn't the relationship you want with your pet. Put tin foil down around the plant, or a plastic carpet protector with the knobby side up. Your cat may not be willing to walk across an unpleasant surface to get to your plants. Collect and wash out empty cans whether for canned vegetables or soft drinks. Line them up along the edge of the table where you keep your plants, then add more rows on top to form a wall. When your cat jumps up and knocks them down, the noisy clamor will send him flying. He'll think twice about approaching your plants after enough scares. This might sound quirky, but products like Silent Roar contain lion feces. Though you won't be able to smell it, your cat will, and he'll get the message that a powerful stranger has already claimed the plant as part of his territory.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Hang your plants from the ceiling. Spritz deterrent spray on your plants. Train your cat to leave plants alone. Don't punish the cat yourself. Surround the plant with an unpleasant surface. Use noise to deter your cat. Sprinkle products with lion dung into the plant's soil.
Article: Many students think that it isn't important to start doing your best until your first year in high school, but this is far from the truth. If you want to start off your freshman year with Honors classes, you have to make As (or high Bs) in your 8th grade year; otherwise you likely won't get accepted into these competitive, impressive, and highly sought after Honors classes. Every school is a bit different. Some schools require tests to be admitted to Honors classes, some take students based on teacher recommendation, while others will put you in whatever classes you feel like taking. To make sure you can start out high school ahead of the curve, it's best to be impressive during your years in junior high, too. If you want to excel in extracurriculars in high school which is a great way to get scholarships, attract attention to colleges in general, and show you're well-rounded you need to start now. There will be some really good athletes and performers in your high school, so keep up with them by starting early. Experiment with a few activities while you're still young enough to drop them if you don't like them and pick another. And don't just stick to one area if you're big into sports, branch out to dancing or a musical instrument. If you're more artistic, find something athletic to give a try. You could be great at it! Read the class descriptions and talk to other students who have taken the classes you're interested in. Taking a class just because a friend is taking it too won't help you and, what's more, your friend will probably just be a distraction. Instead, look for classes with students and material that is slightly above your level as the best motivator is competition. If you're looking to be valedictorian, one of the ways to cinch that is to take loads of Honors classes (provided you can still get As). Straight As in Honors classes are even more impressive than straight As in regular classes, so take as many difficult classes as you can handle without compromising your GPA, of course. A great GPA in normal classes is better than a poor GPA in Honors. Keep in mind the subjects necessary to pursue your intended career. If you're considering becoming a psychologist, for example, take psychology and sociology over Metal Shop and Ceramics. If you can, look at the textbooks for the various classes. Oftentimes the rigor of the textbook will reflect that of the class. Ask your teacher or office staff if you can get the textbooks during the summer most schools have last year's textbooks in a closet somewhere just waiting to be read. Unless the books are new and they're being shipped, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to get yours to read for the summer. Ask your teachers, older students or consult the Internet to find the best sources for supplemental readings. Use several reference books that will augment your understanding of the material. This way you'll be able to truly wrap your brain around any concept your teacher presents you. Don't be afraid of seemingly difficult material. Think of it as a challenge and face it head on. It may be confusing now, but when your class is covering it, it will all click into place and you'll be that much further ahead.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Make the best grades you possibly can in your 7th and 8th grade years. Start your extracurriculars now. Pick the classes you enroll in carefully. Obtain the textbooks early, and supplemental ones, too.
Article: Partition or decompose the number into its separate place value pieces: ones, tens, hundreds, and so on. Write it out in extended form. Example: Find the double of 453. When broken apart into separate place values: 453 = 400 + 50 + 3 Look at each partitioned portion and double it while separated. To double values larger than those in the ones place position, double the non-zero digit, then follow that calculated value with the same number of zeroes. Example: You will need to double 400, 50, and 3 separately. Since the double of 4 is 8, the double of 400 is 800. Since the double of 5 is 10, the double of 50 is 100. The double of 3 is 6. Add the doubled values together to write the answer in its standard form. Example: 800 + 100 + 6 = 906 The answer you found by adding the doubled values together should be the doubled value of your original number, and your final answer. Example: The double of 453 is 906.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Separate the number into pieces. Double each part. Add the pieces together. Write the answer.