Article: Tuvalu, a tiny country in the Pacific Ocean, has asked for help as it fears it will be swallowed up by the sea. Storms and huge waves are a constant threat and none of Tuvalu's nine little islands is more than five metres above sea level. Salt water is already entering the country's drinking water supply, as well as damaging plants that produce fruit and vegetable. Without urgent help, the country's days are numbered. But Tuvalu is not the first place to face sinking into the sea. Venice, a historic city in Italy best known for its canals, has sunk about 24 cm over the past 100 years. Experts say that it will have sunk another 24 cm by 2050. A century ago, St. Mark's Square, the lowest point in the city, flooded about nine times a year. Nowadays, it happens more than 100 times. While Venice is slowly sinking into the mud on which it stands, Tuvalu's rising sea level is caused by global warming. The average global temperature has increased by almost 0. 5 centigrade degrees over the past century, scientists expect it to rise by extra 1.3 degrees over the next 100 years. Warmer weather makes glaciers melt, adding more water to the ocean. The warmer temperatures also make water expand, so it takes up more space, causing the sea level to rise. The sea level has risen 10.25 cm in the last 100 years. The main cause of global warming is human pollution. Through burning coal, oil and gas, people have been increasing the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, such as CO2. This adds to the power of the greenhouse effect, making the planet even warmer. Many scientists believe that, if the warming is not stopped, there will be huge climate changes. The sea level could rise by one meter this century. Should this come true, the sea will swallow up millions of homes and the world will be flooded with " _ " looking for somewhere to live. Question: What does "climate refugees" mean? Yes or no, is the answer "People who are forced away from their homeland by climate."?
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Article: On October 19, 1959, the first Special English program was broadcast on the Voice of America. It was an experiment. The goal was to communicate by radio in clear and simple English with people whose native language is not English. Experts said the goal was admirable, but the method would not work. They were proved wrong. The Special English programs quickly became some of the most popular on VOA. And they still are. Forty years later, Special English continues to communicate with people who are not fluent in English. But during the years its role has expanded. It also helps people learn American English. And it provides listeners, even those who are native English speakers, with information they cannot find elsewhere. Today, Special English broadcasts around the world seven days a week, five times a day. Each half-hour broadcast begins with ten minutes of the latest news followed by 20 minutes of feature programming. There is a different short feature every weekday about science, development, agriculture and environment, and on the weekend, about news events and American idioms. Three elements make Special English unique. It has a limited vocabulary of 1500 words. Most are simple words that describe objects, actions or emotions. Some are more difficult. They are used for reporting world events and describing discoveries in medicine and science. Special English is written in short, simple sentences that contain only one idea. No idioms are used. And Special English is spoken at a slower pace, about two-thirds the speed of Standard English. This helps people learning English hear each word clearly. It also helps people who are English speakers understand complex subjects. Through the years, Special English has become a very popular tool for teaching English, even though it was not designed as teaching program. It succeeds in helping people learn English in a non-traditional way. Individuals record the programs and play them over and over to practice their listening skills. In countries around the world, English... Question: At the beginning, Special English program was _ . Yes or no, is the answer "doubted by some professionals"?
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Article: Fed up with huge mortgage payments, Simon Dale decided to take matters into his own hands. Armed with only a chisel, a chainsaw and a hammer, the 32-year-old moved his family to a hillside in Wales and started digging. The result is a wooden eco-home - constructed in four months and costing just PS3,000 - which would look perfectly at ease alongside the Hobbit houses in The Lord Of The Rings. Mr Dale, who has no experience in carpentry or architecture, created his sustainable family home using scrap wood for floors, materials scavenged from skips and by diverting water from a nearby spring. He said: "Being your own have-a-go architect is a lot of fun and allows you to create and enjoy something which is part of yourself and the land rather than, at worst, a mass-produced box designed for maximum profit and the convenience of the construction industry. Building from natural materials does away with producers' profits and the cocktail of carcinogenic poisons that fill most modern buildings. The family struck lucky searching for a site for their dream project. In return for looking after the area, the owner of the woods gave them their plot for free. After digging into the hillside, Mr Dale - with the help of his father-in-law, a builder - first constructed the building's timber frame. The roof, which came next, has a layer of straw bales for insulation and is covered with sheets of plastic to make it waterproof. Finally it is covered with a layer of earth, which ensures the house blends perfectly into its surroundings. Once the outer shell was complete, the family made an interior wall from straw bales stacked on dry-stone walling and staked together with hazel sticks. As well as being made from sustainable material the Hobbit house, as it is dubbed by locals, has lime plaster on its walls instead of cement, a compost toilet, a fridge cooled by air from beneath the foundations and solar panels for power. Question: It can be inferred from the passage that the Hobbit houses _ Yes or no, is the answer "don't exist in the real world at all"?
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Article: Outdoor picnics and parties are very popular in America in the summertime. Visit any park between Memorial Day (end of May) and Labor Day (beginning of September) and you'll find families and groups of friends enjoying the warm weather and sharing a meal. Birthday celebrations, family reunions, sporting events and holidays are all common reasons to host a get-together. But just wanting to be outside on a nice summer day is the best reason! Food is an important part of any gathering, and in the summer Americans love to cook outside on grills . All kinds of meats, such as hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken and sausages, and even vegetables like corn, peppers or potatoes can be cooked on the grill. Many typical families have grills in their yards, and many parks also have grills for public use. Men seem to particularly like to do the job of barbecuing the food, even if they don't usually cook at any other time. Many have "secret recipes" for a delicious barbecue sauce . Other guests at the party will often be asked to " bring a dish to share". This means that they will make some kind of side dish (a salad or vegetable) or dessert, and share it with the others. If you make something very delicious, people may want you to make it every time! Fried chicken and sandwiches are popular at picnics too, because you eat them with your hands. Potato salads and baked beans are favorite side dishes. Question: According to the passage, Americans hold outdoor activities in _ . Yes or no, is the answer "June"?
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