Garden of small inventions Visitors of all ages are invited to Port Discovery to see the new exhibit--a garden of small inventions, which features interactive activities and gadgets(,,) for the environmental protection. The exhibit runs through Sept.4. Fee is $10.75; free for ages younger than two. Contact 410-727-8120 or portdiscovery.org. Rain-barrel workshop The Parks and People Foundation presents a workshop on building water-efficient rain barrels for the home between 6pm-8pm on Wednesday at the foundation's Stieff Silver Building. Cost is $50 and includes the barrel and all materials. Contact 410-448-5663, ext.109. Pruning plants Visitors can attend a workshop on pruning plants between 9:30am-10am on Tuesday at Ladew Topiary Gardens. Visitors should meet in the Visitors Center at Ladew, Jarrettsville Pike, Monkton. $10; free for Ladew members, and includes admission to the gardens and the nature walk. Contact 410-557-9570 or www.ladewgardens.com. Landscape exhibit Photographs, paintings and drawings will be shown at Landscape and Nature--a view from Maryland, through Sept.9 at the University of Maryland. Opening reception is between 5pm-7:30pm on Tuesday. Contact 301-985-7937 or um.edu/art. You will call _ to get information about learning something about art. A) 410-727-8120 B) 410-448-5663 C) 410-557-9570 D) 301-985-7937
D
A 51-year-old lawyer has moved back in with his mother-after giving up his Los Angeles home to a family of strangers for a year. Tony Tolbert looked for a family in need after his father set a glowing example when he was growing up by always welcoming people to stay in their spare room. "You don't have to be Bill Gates or Warren Buffet or Oprah," Tolbert told CBS. "We can do it wherever we are, with whatever we have, and for me, I have a home that I can make available. " His mother, Marie Tolbert, added, " He is go giving, and he's always been that way. " Tolbert went to Alexandria House, a shelter for homeless women and children, and came across Felicia Dukes, who lived in a single bedroom with three of her children. Her family had been separated as the shelter was just for children and her eldest son was unable to join them. Tolbert told the staff he wanted to bring the. family back together, and offered his home. The family has now moved into the three-bedroom, two-bathroom home - with Duke's oldest son. It is worth nearly $400,000, according to online estimates. "My heart just fills up with appreciation, " Dukes said, as she wiped away her tears. The heartwarming story comes after the report that l0-year-old Gracie McNulty, from England, served Christmas dinners t0 50 homeless people, achieving her fathers last Christmas wish. Her father Craig, 38, was a regular charity volunteer who had served breakfast to the homeless on Boxing Day. But as a roofer, he suffered serious head injuries when he fell while working. And 'he died soon after the accident in August. "It's been the best Christmas ever, " Cracie said. "I was just at school feeling sad and so I decided I wanted to do something to make him proud and this felt like the perfect thing. " Tony Tolbert offered help to others because he was inspired by _ ' A) his mother B) his teacher C) his father D) his son
C
Q: There is a discovery that students who rely on working at night to improve their grades might want to sleep on that strategy: a new survey in the US says those who never study all night have slightly higher grades than those who do. A survey of 120 students at St. Lawrence University found that students who have never pulled an all-nighter on average have higher grades than those who have. The survey found those who did not study through the night had a grade point average of 3.2 compared to 2.95 for those who have. The study, by assistant professor of psychology Pamela Thacher, is to be included in the January issue of Behavioral Sleep Medicine. "It's not a big difference, but it's pretty striking," Thacher said. "I am primarily a sleep researcher and I know nobody thinks clearly at 4 in the morning. You think you do, but you can't." Many college students, of course, have inadequate or irregular sleep, for reasons ranging from excessive caffeine to poor time management. "A lot of students were under the impression that all-nighters were a very useful tool for accomplishing work, that caffeine intake was very useful in meeting deadlines and stuff like that," said Chatani, who had a 3.4 grade point average last term. Dr Howard Weiss, a physician at St. Peter's Sleep Center in Albany, said the study results make sense. "Certainly that data is out there showing that short sleep duration ly interferes with concentration, interferes with performance on objective testing," he said. Some night owls do get good grades, of course, which may be explained by circadian rhythms , Weiss said. Some people have different 24-hour body clocks than others, and may do better depending on class and testing times, Weiss said. The purpose of the passage is to tell us _ . A) the bad effects of pulling an all-nighter B) pulling an all-nighter leads to sleep problems C) Thacher' s doubt about all-nighters D) all-nighters hurt students' grades
A: D
(Q).
Airtight plastic bags can help farmers protect their harvests without the use of harmful chemicals. These bags are designed to keep air out of crops in storage. Using them is a simple way to fight insects and keep crops fresh. Ten countries in West and Central Africa are involved in a project to improve the storage of cowpeas, also known as black-eyed peas. Farmers can lose much of the harvest to insects called bruchids , which grow from egg to adult in a few weeks and then lay forty to sixty eggs. They can destroy the whole harvest within months. Farmers can sell their crops immediately. But selling at harvest time means more competition and lower prices.Or they can use pesticides to kill the bugs. But a crop scientist Dieudonne Baributsa says, "They end up misusing or overusing the pesticide. In Nigeria, they have reported a lot of cases of death. They usually call cowpeas 'killer beans' in Nigeria." Mr. Baributsa is a researcher at Purdue University in Indiana, America. The project is called PICS---Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage. He says the storage bags are thick enough that any insects already in the cowpeas willdie from a lack of oxygen. The lack of air will also help prevent the growth of bacteria that can ruin the harvest. The bags cost about two dollars each. Mr. Baributsa says that is not much, especially if it means farmers can wait long enough to get a better price for their crops. The bags are produced locally. Donors currently support the project, but the groups involved are working to build a lasting market for the bags because donation for the project will not lastforever. A company based in the United States called GrainPro makes another kind of airtight bags. These are called SuperGrainbags. Phil Villers, the company's president, says storing a harvest safely not only helps farmers earn more money, but also reduces the amount of the harvest loss to insects, spoilage and mishandling. "What does not get wasted and eaten means it is possible to feed a hungry world," said Phil Villers. It can be inferred that bruchids _ . A) steal the stored crops for their future. B) survive in airtight plastic bags. C) grow slowly. D) breed fast.
(A).
D