(Q).
I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: Do you know mulch? Mulch is a protective cover of material that is spread on top of soil. It is usually made out of organic material, like crop waste. Farmers may keep the remains of corn or other crops on top of the soil. This creates mulch on the soil surface. The plant remains help protect the soil against wind and water damage. Mulching is one of the best things people can do for their plants. It also helps keep the soil from getting dry, and reduces the need for watering plants. It also limits temperature changes in the soil. And it stops unwanted plants, or weeds, from growing. Organic mulch improves the condition of soil. As the mulch breaks down, it provides material which keeps the soil from getting hard. This improves the growth of roots and increases the movement of water through the soil. It also improves the ability of the soil to hold water. Organic mulch contains nutrients for plants. It also provides good environment for earthworms and other helpful living things in the soil. It is easy to find organic mulch materials. Cut-up leaves and small pieces of tree bark can be used. Grass cuttings are also a good mulch for plants. Mulch from news- papers works well in controlling weeds. The best time to add mulch depends on your goal. Mulch provides a thick barrier between the soil and the air. This helps to reduce temperature changes in the soil. As a result, mulched soil will be cooler than other soil in the summer. In winter, the mulched soil may not freeze as deeply as other soil. The best time is after the ground has frozen, but before the coldest weather arrives. Spreading mulch before the ground has frozen may attract small animals searching for a warm place to spend the winter. Delaying the spreading should prevent this problem. The animals will probably find another place to live. Question: The following can be used as organic materials to make mulch EXCEPT _ . Options: A: tree barks B: plastic C: grass cuttings D: cut-up leaves
(A).
B

(Q).
I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: When the one-year anniversary of my mother's passing came around, I found myself in the kitchen preparing some of her favorite dishes. As I poured myself into cooking, some of the deep sadness I was experiencing at this one-year mark moved through me. I loved my mom's turkey soup. I remembered the time she made some especially for me. It was summer then and I had a terrible head cold. She arrived unexpectedly one afternoon at my work place with a huge jar of her turkey noodle soup. At the thought, I began to feel a little more relieved in the pain of losing her. It was then that I realized I was reconnecting with my mother through food. I laughed a bit at myself when I reflected on all the dishes I had cooked that week. Without knowing it, I had created a beautiful ceremony to honor my mother and to comfort myself at this vulnerable time. I suddenly felt my mother at hand and was filled with her presence. I was so uplifted and excited that I began talking to her, imagining she was there. "What else should we make?" I asked of us both, wanting to keep the ceremony from ending. "Irish Potato Pancakes," was the reply. I hesitated. The thought of these brought up another loss. The last time I made potato pancakes was two and a half years ago. I had taken off my engagement ring and never found it again. Since then, I resisted using that recipe even though I really liked those pancakes as if it were partly to blame. My mom should know better than to suggest these, I thought. She knew how upset I was about losing my ring. But despite these hesitations, I found myself caught up in the joy and celebration of the moment, and I reached for the cookbook without another thought of the ring. My mom did love Irish things. I opened the cookbook and turned to the pancake recipe. At once, something at the bottom of the page caught my eye... It was shining! Amazingly, there, pressed into the pages of this book, was my diamond ring! That day, I made potato pancakes in the shape of hearts. Question: The writer hesitated to cook potato pancakes probably because _ . Options: A: she felt too sad to make them B: she didn't like such pancakes C: her mother was to blame for the loss of her ring D: they reminded her of the loss of her ring
(A).
D

(Q).
I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: The technology is great. Without it we wouldn't have been able to put a man on the moon, explore the ocean's depths or eat microwave sausages. Computers have revolutionized our lives and they have the power to educate and pass on knowledge. But sometimes this power can create more problems than it solves. Every doctor has had to try their best to calm down patients who've come into their surgery waving an Internet print-out, convinced that they have some rare incurable disease, say, throat cancer. The truth is usually far more ordinary, though: they don't have throat cancer, and it's just that their throats are swollen. Being a graduate of the Internet "school" of medicine does not guarantee accurate self-health-checks. One day Mrs. Almond came to my hospital after feeling faint at work. While I took her blood sample and tried to find out what was wrong, she said calmly, "I know what's wrong;I've got throat cancer. I know there's nothing you doctors can do about it and I've just got to wait until the day comes." As a matter of routine I ordered a chest X-ray. I looked at it and the blood results an hour later. Something wasn't right. "Did your local doctor do an X-ray?" I asked. "Oh, I haven't been to the doctor for years," she replied. "I read about it on a website and the symptoms fitted, so I knew that's what I had." However, some of her symptoms, like the severe cough and weight loss, didn't fit with it--but she'd just ignored this. I looked at the X-ray again, and more tests confirmed it wasn't the cancer but tuberculosis --something that most certainly did need treating, and could be deadly. She was lucky we caught it when we did. Mrs. Almond went pale when I explained she would have to be on treatment for the next six months to ensure that she was fully recovered. It was certainly a lesson for her. " _ ," she said, shaking her head, as I explained that all the people she had come into close contact with would have to be found out and tested. She listed up to about 20, and then I went to my office to... Question: By mentioning the breakdown of the computer, the author probably wants to prove _ . Options: A: it's a must to take a break at work B: it's vital to believe in IT professionals C: it's unwise to simply rely on technology D: it's a danger to work long hours on computers
(A).
C