I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: Sustainable development is applied to just about everything from energy to clean water and economic growth, and as a result it has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way the concept is put to use. This is especially true in agriculture, where sustainable development is often taken as the measure of progress without a proper appreciation of historical and cultural perspectives. To start with, it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout history, and will continue to do so. Medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed, clothed and sheltered a mainly rural society with a much lower population density than it is today. It had minimal effect on biodiversity, and any pollution it caused was typically localized. In terms of energy use and the nutrients captured in the product it was relatively inefficient. Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial revolution. Competition from overseas led farmers to specialize and increase yields. Throughout this period food became cheaper, safer and more reliable. However, these changes have also led to habitat loss and to reducing biodiversity. All this means that agriculture in the 21st century will have to be very different from how it was in the 20th. This will require thorough thinking. For example, we need to move away from the idea that traditional practices are certainly more sustainable than new ones. We also need to abandon the notion that agriculture can be "zero impact". The key will be to abandon the rather simple and static measures of sustainability, which centre on the need to maintain production without increasing damage. Instead we need a more dynamic interpretation, one that looks at the pros and cons of all the various way land is used. There are many different ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield: energy use, environmental costs, water purity, carbon footprint and biodiversity. It is clear, for example, that the carbon of transporting... Question: How do people often measure progress in agriculture? Options: A: By its impact on the environment B: By its contribution to economic growth C: By its productivity D: By its sustainability
D
(Question)
I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: In the United States, there were some well-constructed houses for native Indians, ranging from the simple brush shelter to the five-storied pueblo. In the eastern United States, one of the existing types was that commonly know under the Algonkian name of wigwam in which the Iroquois Indians lived. The wigwams were of wagon-top shape with straight sides and ends, made by bending young trees to form the round shape. Over this shape pieces of tree bark were laid to protect the Indians from bad weather. Over the bark dried grass was added. A small hole allowed smoke to escape from the top. Doorways at each end served also as windows, The Iroquois Indians built trunk walls all around their villages. The wall had only one opening, They could quickly close this opening if their enemies came near. Interestingly, the Choctaw Indians in Mississippi also lived in a wigwam of a most primitive construction, but different from those of the Iroquois Indians. The Choctaw Indians' wigwams, made from mud, cane and straw, were in the form of a bee-hive. The covering was made of a long, tough grass. A post in the centre supported the roof. A hole in the top admitted the light, and allowed the smoke to pass out. The tipi tent-housing of the upper lake and plains area was put up with poles set lightly in the ground, tied together near the top, and covered with bark and grass in the lake country. It was easily portable, and two women could set it up or take it down within an hour. The Pawnee, Mandan and other Indian tribes along the Missouri built solid ring-shaped structures of trunk, covered with earth and dried grass, housing a dozen families. The Wichita and other tribes of the Texas border built large ring-shaped houses covered with dried grass. K^S*5U.C Apart from the regular housing, almost every tribe had some style of housing. Question: According to the passage, the Pawnee Indians built their houses _ . Options: A: with openings in the trunk walls B: large enough for several families C: in a ring shape with bark and mud D: by bending young trees to form the shape
(Answer)
B
Ques: I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: Beijing plans to keep a tight rule on pollution by cutting emissions caused by industrial production and vehicles when it hosts the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in November. From November 3 to 12, the city will restrict the use of private vehicles based on evenand oddnumbered license plates, reducing the use of such vehicles by 35 percent, the municipal traffic committee said on Thursday. All vehicles transporting construction waste and dangerous chemicals will be banned from the capital's roads during this period, but the restriction will not apply to buses, taxis and other vehicles such as police cars. The measures are similar to those introduced from July 20 to Sept. 20 in 2008 during the Beijing Olympic Games. "The number of passengers using public transport will increase by 3 million a day, " said Li Shaoming, deputy director of the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau. During the 10 days, 400 additional buses will be used to transport commuters to meet the increased demands. The municipal government has also drawn up eight plans to reduce industrial pollution during the AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation forum. Zhuang Zhidong, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau, said, "From Nov. 3, production at some companies listed by the government will be _ for 10 days." Work will also be suspended at all construction sites and on demolition projects during this period. "More importantly, Beijing will work with its neighbors to control emissions," Zhuang said, adding that there will be regular discussion on air pollution among six governments. Neighboring authorities in Tianjin Municipality, Hebei, Shanxi and Shandong Province and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region will operate strict pollution control measures over the 10 days. Media reports said that from Nov. 7 to 12, employee departments, institutes and social organizations in Beijing can have a holiday, except for departments dealing with the APEC meeting and city management. Question: Where can you probably read the passage? Options: A: In a travel guide. B: In a research paper. C: In a newspaper. D: In a literature magazine.
Ans: C
Ques:I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: What would life be like without rich, creamy, mouthwatering, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate? Life would be bitter for most Americans. They spend about $13 billion a year buying all sorts of chocolate treats. However, for the African children who toil under slavelike conditions on cacao plantations, life is not sweet. The cacao bean is the main ingredient in the chocolate. According to a 2002 survey by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and the US Agency for International Development, about 284,000 children work in dangerous conditions on cacao farms in western Africa. More than half those children are younger than 14. Many were sold into forced labor to work 12 hours or more a day on the cacao plantations. A number of international organizations, including several African governments, recently began a program to eliminate child labor on cacao plantations. Under the program, government officials will remove children from abusive working situations while teaching farmers about child labor issues. The program will also make borrowing money easier for cacao farmers. Officials hope farmers will use the money to invest in their farms and hire paid laborers. Question: How many children under 14 work on cacao farms in western Africa? Options: A: About 284,000. B: About 142,000. C: About 467,000. D: About 876,000.

Ans:
B