input: Make use of the article to answer the questions. In South America, the rich soil of the Amazon River basin in Brazil is known as "black gold". Scientists found that the secret of this rich soil was charcoal . Local people made it from animal bones and tree branches. They mixed the charcoal with the soil about 1.500 years ago.

Now, scientists in the United States have done a modern demonstration. They say charcoal fertilization offers a revolutionary way to improve soil quality for hundreds or even thousands of years.

Mingxin Guo and his team at Delavare State University heated tree leaves, corn stalks , small pieces of wood and poultry waste into "biochar" . They reported their findings at a recent meeting of the American Chemical Society in New Orleans.

Biochar could be good news for farmers with poor soil and hungry populations to feed. Professor Guo says it could even help against global warming. Intensive farming and overuse of chemical fertilizer give out carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Biochar does the opposite, he says. It traps carbon in the ground.

The researchers planted winter wheat in containers of soil in a greenhouse -- some with biochar, some without. Professor Guo says the wheat grows much better in the pots with biochar. The soil was added two percent charcoal to. But he says even a one percent treatment will increase productivity.

The results demonstrated that biochar can increase organic matter in soil. Loss of nutrients in soil is an increasing problem worldwide as farmers try to grow more food for growing populations.

Next, the team will carry out a five-year study of biochar with spinach , green peppers and tomatoes.

Mingxin Guo says he learns about the "black gold" in Brazil from a magazine story. He explains that it was discovered in the jungle, in the area where waters flow to the Amazon, in the 1960's. But it was not until recent years that scientists began to bring public attention to it. 1. Where is the Amazon River basin located?
2. What kind of soil if found there?
3. What is the rich soil also known as?
4. Who made the soil the way it is?
5. Using what?
6. When did they do this?
7. What country is doing modern demonstrations of this method?
8. Who is the scientist that is heading this project?
9. Does he work alone?
10. What school does he work for?
11. How did he learn about black gold?
12. Where was black gold discovered?
13. When?
numbered_answers: 1. Brazil
2. the secret of this rich soil was charcoal
3. black gold
4. Local people
5. animal bones and tree branches
6. 1.500 years ago
7. United States
8. Mingxin Guo
9. Mingxin Guo and his team at Delavare State University
10. Delavare State University
11. heated tree leaves, corn stalks , small pieces of wood and poultry waste into "biochar"
12. Amazon River basin in Brazil
13. in the 1960's

input: Make use of the article to answer the questions. Passage 1

The information Highway is the road that links computer users to a large number of on-line services; the Web, e-mail, and software, to mention just a few. Not long ago, the information Highway was a new road, with not many users. Now, everyone seems to want to take a drive, with over 30 million families connected worldwide. Not surprisingly, this well-traveled highway is starting to look like a well-traveled highway. Traffic jams can cause many serious problems, forcing the system to close down for repair. Naturally, accidents will happen on such a crowed road, and usually victims are some files, gone forever. Then, of course, there's Mr. Cool, with his new broad-band connection, who speeds down the highway faster than most of us can go. But don't trick yourself; he pays for that speeding.

Passage 2

Want to know more about global warming and how you can help prevent it? Doctor Herman Friedman, who is considered a leading expert on the subject, will speak at Grayson Hall next Friday. Friedman studied environmental science at three well-known universities around the world before becoming a professor in the subject. He has also traveled around the world observing environmental concerns. The gradual bleaching of the Grate Barrier Reef, which came into the public eye in 2002, in his latest interest. Signed copies of his colorful book, which was published just last month, will be on sale after his talk. 1. How many families are connected to this roadway?
2. Who has a new broad-band connection?
3. Is he going a lot quicker than we are?
4. But does that come with a cost?
5. Does is seem like everybody wants to travel this road?
6. Does the road need to shut down for repair sometimes?
7. Due to minor or major problems?
8. When wrecks occur, who vanishes?
9. When was the road new?
10. Who's giving a talk at Grayson Hall next Friday?
11. What's the main idea of the talk?
12. How many schools did that guy attend?
13. What did he major in?
14. Did he travel far?
15. What was he watching on those trips?
16. How long has his new book been on the shelves?
17. Is it plain and drab?
18. What's happening to the reef?
19. When did that hit the news?
20. Is that his newest worry?
numbered_answers: 1. over 30 million
2. Mr. Cool
3. Yes
4. Yes
5. Yes
6. Yes
7. Major problems
8. usually some files
9. Not long ago
10. Doctor Herman Friedman
11. global warming and how you can help prevent it
12. three
13. environmental science
14. Yes
15. He was observing environmental concerns
16. It was published just last month
17. No
18. gradual bleaching
19. in 2002
20. Yes

input: Make use of the article to answer the questions. Everyone in our class has our own characters. Each plays his or her part in our class. All in all,we are a group of young children who are perhaps a bit noisy at times,but on the whole are well behaved and pleasant to be with. Ah Keong We are a noisy group, and that is what our teachers say about us.This is largely because of Ah Keong.He is the noisiest of us all because he lives with his family of ten children.It seems that he cannot talk softly.Actually he does not talk, he shouts. Padma Padma is a quiet boy who sits next to me. He is so soft that one would think that he is a girl .This is not so. No one dares to call him"girl", for he is a member of the school karate club. Doris Doris is such a model student that all the teachers love her, She sits right in front of the teachers table.We all love her because she is kind and helpful. Every day, she makes sure that the teachers have enough chalk and the classroom is clean. JJack Every class has a clown . Our class has jack. He is naughty and always playing tricks on others. He puts tails on the boys pants and frogs in the girls desks. So when we hear someone crying, we know that Jack has played a trick again. 1. Which child is the loudest?
2. Why?
3. Does he talk?
4. What does he do?
5. Which student do the teachers all adore?
6. Why?
7. Where is she in class usually?
8. How does she help the teachers?
9. Does she help clean?
10. Who is the joker?
11. Do other classmates like his jokes?
12. What tricks does he play?
13. What do the teachers do to stop him?
14. What is the school's opinion of him?
15. Which student is the opposite of Ah Keong?
16. Are his actions seen to match his gender?
17. Do they tease him about it?
18. Why?
numbered_answers:
1. Ah Keong
2. Because he lives with his family of ten children.
3. No.
4. He shouts.
5. Doris Doris.
6. Because she is kind and helpful.
7. Right in front of the teacher's table.
8. She makes sure that the teachers have enough chalk.
9. Yes.
10. Jack.
11. No.
12. He puts tails on the boys' pants and frogs in the girls' desks.
13. unknown
14. He is naughty.
15. Padma Padma.
16. No.
17. No.
18. Because he is a member of the school karate club.