Mattie Stepanek died at the age of 13 from a rare disease called muscular dystrophy. Because of the disease, Mattie had to get around in a wheelchair, but it did not stop him from staying positive and inspiring others with his message of peace. As a best-selling author and role model, Mattie provided a voice for people who suffer from muscular dystrophy. He spoke to people about the disease and about his dream for world peace.  "Mattie was something special, something very special," said Jerry Lewis, the chair of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, a group that works to find a solution to the disease. "He was an example that made people want to reach for the best within themselves."  Mattie moved many people through his speeches and interviews, but he may have touched the most people through his poetry. During his life, Mattie wrote five books of poetry. Three of those books were The New York Times best-sellers. His books all had the word "Heartsongs" in the title. Mattie called his inner voice that encouraged him to work for peace his "Heartsongs".  When his first book came out, just 200 copies were printed to be handed out to friends and supporters. But after the news of the book spread, 500,000 more copies were printed. People think Mattie's poems are very thoughtful.  Mattie first started writing poetry at the age of 3 to help him face the death of his brother, who also suffered from muscular dystrophy.  The magazine Time For Kids once interviewed Mattie. He told the reporter, "Life is a gift. We have to make the best of it." Mattie said his task was to bring peace to the world. What caused Mattie to start writing poetry? A) His struggle against the disease. B) His parents' encouragement. C) The message of world peace. D) The death of his brother.
D

Farm-raised pigs are dirty, smelly animals that get no respect. They're also an environmental hazard. Their manure contains phosphorus ,which, when it rains, runs off into lakes and rivers, consuming oxygen, killing fish, stimulating algae overgrowth and emitting greenhouse gases.     Doing away with the pig is not an option. Pigs provide more dietary protein, more cheaply, to more people than any other animal. Northern Europe still maintains the highest pig-to-human ratio in the world (2-1 in Denmark), but East Asia is catching up. During the 1990s, pork production doubled in Vietnam and grew by 70 percent in China--along densely populated coastlines, pig density exceeds 100 animals per square kilometer. The resulting pollution is "threatening fragile coastal marine habitats including mangroves ,coral reefs and sea grasses ,"according to a report released in February by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. As it turns out, there is a solution to the pig problem, but it requires a change of mind-set among environmentalists and the public. Two Canadian scientists have created a pig whose manure doesn't contain very much phosphorus at all. If this variety of pig were adopted widely, It could greatly reduce a major source of pollution. But the Enviropig, as they call it, is the product of genetic modification--which is anathema  to many Westerners.     The Enviropig is one of many new technologies that are putting environmentalists and organic-food supporters in _ : should they remain categorically  opposed to genetically modified (GM)foods even at the expense of the environment? Elsewhere, trees grown for paper could be made amenable to much more efficient processing, reducing both energy usage and toxic chemical bleach  in waste water from paper mills. The most significant GM applications will be ones that help lessen the problem of agriculture , which accounts for 38percent of the world's landmass and is crowding out natural ecosystems and species habitats. Chances are, farmers will... The reason accounting for the hesitation to accept the idea of the Enviropig is  _  . A) the poor technology B) the high cost C) the moral concept D) the doubt from the public
C

Having just quit a highly moneymaking job with tech giant Microsoft in the United States,where he'd made millions working as a program manager, _  What Awuah wanted was to create a university in his native Ghana.a state-of-the-art education centre that would help educate the country's next generation of leaders.Awuah moved with his family,back to Ghana.There,he invested his own money and with the help of other donors he founded Ashesi University. "Africa needs to have a renaissance ," says Awuah as he explained what drove him to take the risky decision."The world needs to change in this way and I strongly believe that people like me need to be part of the solution;I need to be really actively involved in helping to drive this change in Africa'' Located about an hour's drive from the capital Accra,Ashesi,which appropriately translates to "beginning," is the first Ghanaian university to combine technical majors with a liberal arts approach.Its campus,set on 100 acres in a town called Berekuso,was designed to be inspiring for the more than 500 young Ghanaians studying there. "So when I look at universities I see Africa fast--forward 30 years.When this 20-year-old is now in his or her 50s,that person is going to be a leader." Today Ashesi,which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year,offers degrees in business, information systems and computer science.There are plans to offer engineering and economics majors in the near future.The school's graduation rate is between 70%and 90%,according to Awuah. In our last freshman class,50% of the students paid full tuition ,25%were on full scholarships and 25%on partial scholarships ,"he said."The reason why variety is so important is that the most important conversation on campus is a conversation about the good society--what is the good society we would like to see in Africa? That conversation is a lot more interesting if you have variety in the classroom,"adds Awuah.   . The university founded by Awuah  _  . A) came into being 10 years ago B) was named with "beginning" C) is located in the capital of Ghan D) will be run for 30 years

A