Ques: I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: Scientists have long understood the key role that oceans play in regulating the Earth's climate. Oceans cover 70 percent of the globe and store a thousand times more heat than the atmosphere does. What's newer is the understanding of how this key component of our climate system responds to global warming. A brake on global warming -- for now One of oceans'most important climate functions is absorbing heat and carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the gases that cause global warming. Acting as a heat sponge , oceans have absorbed huge amounts of heat and CO2in the last forty years. Fujita explains that "oceans are saving us from faster climate change -- they are a big flywheel that delays rapid overheating of the Earth, putting a brake on the climate system." "That's the good news," he adds. "The bad news is that oceans only slow the atmospheric warming. Once oceans come to balance with a greenhouse gas warmed earth, the extreme heat will remain in the atmosphere and things will get much hotter." But where and how oceans release this accumulated heat is uncertain. And as oceans store heat, fragile underwater ecosystems are struggling. The most recent scientific report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) also notes with concern that oceans are acidifying because of increased absorption of atmospheric CO2, and thus causing a threat for shell-forming species. Sharp increases in carbon dioxide levels will cause further acidification of oceans. Currents distributing heat Another important role oceans play is that of distributor. Oceans deliver heat and life-sustaining nutrients around the globe. Just as blood vessels bring oxygen and nutrients to cells in the human body, oceans' currents carry oxygen, nutrients and heat throughout the Earth. Oceans distribute 25 percent to 50 percent of the energy the planet receives from the sun. For example, the Gulf Stream carries heat across the Atlantic. This warm current gives northwestern Europe a milder climate than it would normally have so far north. A... Question: We can infer from the passage that _ . Options: A: oceans cause global warming B: oceans stop global warming C: oceans release nutrients and heat D: ocean ecosystems face more dangers
Ans: D

Ques: I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: In the United States alone,over 100 million cell-phones are thrown away each year.Cell-phones are part of a growing mountain of electronic waste like computers and personal digital assistants.The electronic waste stream is increasing three times taster than traditional garbage as a whole. Electronic devices contain valuable metals such as gold and silver.A Swiss study reported that while the weight of electronic goods represented by precious metals was relatively small in comparison to total waste,the concentration of gold and other precious metals was higher in So-called e-waste than in naturally occurring minerals. Electronic wastes also contain many poisonous metals.Even when the machines are recycled and the harmful metals removed,the recycling process often is carried out in poor countries,in practically uncontrolled ways which allow many poisonous substances to escape into the environment. Creating products out of raw materials creates much more waste material,up to 100 times more,than the material contained in the finished products.Consider again the cell-phone,and imagine the mines that produced those metals,the factories needed to make the box and packaging it came in.Many wastes produced in the producing process are harmful as well. The U.S Environmental Protection Agency notes that most waste is dangerous in that"the production, distribution,and use of products-as well as management of the resulting waste-all result in greenhouse gas release." Individuals can reduce their contribution by creating less waste at the start-for instance,buying reusable products and recycling. In many countries the concept of extended producer responsibility is being considered or has been put in place as an incentive for reducing waste.If producers are required to take back packaging they use to sell their products,would they reduce the packaging in the first place? Governments' incentive to require producers to take responsibility for the packaging they produce is usually based on money.Why,they ask,should cities or... Question: By mentioning the Swiss study,the author intends to tell us that _ . Options: A: the weight of e-goods is rather small B: natural minerals contain more precious metals C: E-waste deserves to be made good use of D: the percentage of precious metals is heavy in e-waste
Ans: B

Ques: I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: Science has a lot of uses. It can uncover laws of nature, cure diseases, make bombs, and help bridges to stand up. Indeed science is so good at what it does that there's always a temptation to drag it into problems where it may not be helpful. David Brooks, author of The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement, appears to be the latest in a long line of writers who have failed to go against the temptation. Brooks gained fame for several books. His latest book The Social Animal, however, is more ambitious and serious than his earlier books. It is an attempt to deal with a set of weighty topics. The book focuses on big questions: What has science uncovered about human nature? What are the sources of character? And why are some people happy and successful while others aren't? To answer these questions, Brooks studies a wide range of disciplines . Considering this, you might expect the book to be a simple description of facts. But Brooks has formed his book in an unusual, and perhaps unfortunate way. Instead of introducing scientific theories, he tells a story, within which he tries to make his points, perhaps in order to keep the reader's attention. So as Harold and Erica, the hero and heroine in his story, live through childhood, we hear about the science of child development and as they begin to date we hear about the theory of sexual attraction. Brooks carries this through to the death of one of his characters. On the whole, Brooks' story is acceptable if uninspired. As one would expect, his writing is mostly clear and, to be fair, some chapters stand out above the rest. I enjoyed, for instance, the chapter in which Harold discovers how to think on his own. While Harold and Erica are certainly not strong or memorable characters, the more serious problems with The Social Animal lie elsewhere. These problems partly involve Brooks' attempt to translate his tale into science. Question: What is the author's general attitude towards the book? Options: A: Contradictory. B: Supportive. C: Cautious. D: Critical.
Ans: D

Ques: I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: As skies are filled with millions of migrating birds, European scientists say the seasonal wonder appears to be strange: The fatter the bird, tile better it flies. The results of their study led to a theory opposite to a central one of aerodynamics , which says that the power needed to fly increases with weight. For birds, obviously, the cost of flying with heavy fat is much smaller than we used to think. Researchers found that red knot wading birds double their normal body weight of 100 grams before making their twice-a-year nonstop flight between the British Isles and the Russian Arctic. Distance: 5,000 kilometers. Another study in the magazine Nature measured the advantage of flying in an aerodynamic group which allows birds to save energy by flying smoothly and quietly in the lead bird' s air stream. Flying in groups, their heart rates were 14.5 percent lower than flying alone, according to Henri, a French scientist. The findings help explain how birds complete difficult migrations. Researchers had thought that thinner, stronger birds would have the best chance to survive. The first study suggests that building up fat to be burnt as fuel during the migration is worth more than the energy it takes to carry the additional weight. In the study, researchers said their team studied the birds flown at different body weights during 28 simulated flights. They forced a small amount of special water into the birds' bodies so that they could measure the amount of energy burnt during the flight. Question: A _ red knot wading bird has a better chance to survive during its migrating flight. Options: A: stronger B: weaker C: thinner D: fatter
Ans:
D