Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Giant sunflowers? Maybe you like potatoes, tomatoes, or carrots.Or maybe you prefer green leafy house plants, tiny plants in a container, wildflowers that you can dry to save, or a butterfly garden.        Whatever you hope to grow, knowing some gardening basics will give you a much better chance of success.        First you will need to choose a good location for your garden.A sunny location usually works best, since all plants need some sunlight and most plants like lots of it.However, there are some plants that need only indirect sunlight, and these plants will do best in shady spots.        Check soil too.The best kind of plant soil is called loam  ; it is loose soil that crumbles   easily.Water drains through it well, and it has lots of nutrients to feed your plants.Soil that sticks together might have too much clay in it.Very loose, dry soil might have too much sand.You can improve the soil in your garden by adding organic materials such as compost, or leaves.ks5u        Climate--Check a map of planting zones to choose plants that are right for your area.        Mulch  --After you have planted your plants, add a layer of mulch on top of the soil.Mulch keeps the soil damp, keeps out pests, and adds more nutrients to the soil.        Water - Water your plants early in the day.Plants need about 1 inch of water each week on average.        Fertilizer - If you are planting a big garden, use about 1/2 pounds per 100 square feet.If you are just planting a few plants, get a little container of plant food and follow the directions on the label.Plant fertilizer contains the chemicals that make up a plant's diet. Question: Why do you put a layer of mulch on top of the soil? Options: A: To keep the soil dry B: To keep the soil wet C: To keep more pests D: To keep more nutrients out
B


Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Our village carpenter , John Hill, came one day and made a dining table for my wife. He made it just the right size to fill the space between the two windows. When I got home that evening, John was drinking a cup of tea and writing out his bill for the job.    My wife said to me quietly, "It's his ninth cup of tea today." But she said in a loud voice, "It is a beautiful table, dear, isn't it?"   "I will decide about that when I see the bill, " I read:   One dining table, 10 November, 1989.   Cost of wood: $17.00   Paint: $1.50   Work: 8 hours ($1 an hour) $8.00   Total: $36.50 When I was looking at the bill, John said, "It's been a fine day, hasn't it? Quite sunny." "Yes," I said, "I'm glad it is only the 10thof November."   "Me, too," said John. "You wait. It'll be a lot colder by the end of the month."   "Yes, colder.... And more expensive! Dining tables will be $20 more expensive on November 30th, won't they, John?" John looked hard at me for half a minute. Was there a little smile in his two blue eyes? I gave his bill back to him.   "If it isn't too much trouble, John," I said, "Please add it up again and you can forget the date."   I paid him $26.50and he was happy to get it. Question: From the story we know that   _ Options: A: John made a mistake in the bill. B: John tried to fool the writer in order to get more money for his work C: John had written out the bill before the writer got home. D: John still wanted to get $36.50 for his work in the end.
B


Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Today, paper-making is a big business. But it is still possible to make paper by hand, since the steps are the same as using big machines. You should use paper with small amounts of printing. Old envelopes are good for this reason. Colored paper also can be used, as well as small amounts of newspaper. Small pieces of rags or cloth can be added. These should be cut into pieces about five centimeters by five centimeters. Everything is placed in a container, covered with water and brought to a boil. It is mixed for about two hours with some common chemicals and then allowed to cool. Then it is left until most of the water dries up. The substance left, called pulp , can be stored until you are ready to make paper. When you are ready, the pulp is mixed with water again. Then the pulp is poured into a mold. The mold is made of small squares of wire that hold the shape and thickness of the paper. To help dry the paper, the mold lets the water flow through the small wire squares. After several more drying steps, the paper is carefully lifted back from the mold. It is now strong enough to be touched. The paper is smoothed and pressed to remove trapped air. You can use a common electric iron used for pressing clothes. Question: Whether the paper is strong enough to be touched is determined by   _  . Options: A: how long the pulp is stored B: how thick the paper is C: how much water remains D: what type of chemicals are used
A: C


Read the article and select the best answer. Article: "I left Tangier, my birthplace, the 13th of June 1325 with the intention of making the pilgrimage  to Mecca... to leave all my friends both female and male, to abandon my home as birds abandon their nests." So begins an old manuscript  in a library in Paris-the travel journal of Ibn Battuta. Almost two centuries before Columbus, Ibn Battuta set off for Mecca, returning home three decades later as one of history's great travelers. Driven by curiosity, he journeyed to remote comers of the Islamic world, traveling through 44 modern countries, three times as far as Marco Polo. Little celebrated in the West, his name is well known among Arabs. In his hometown of Tangier, a square, a hotel, a cafe, a ferry boat, and even a hamburger are named after him. Ibn Battuta stayed in Mecca as a student for several years, but the urge to travel soon took over. In one adventure, he traveled to India seeking profitable employment with the sultan of Delhi.On the way, he described his group being attacked in the open country by 80 men on foot, and two horsemen. "We fought... killing one of their horsemen and about twelve of the foot soldiers... I was hit by an arrow and my horse by another, but God in his grace preserved me... ". In Delhi, the sultan gave him the position of judge, based on his _ study at Mecca. But the sultan had an unpredictable character, and Ibn Battuta looked for an opportunity to leave. When the sultan offered to finance a trip to China, he agreed. IbnBattuta set off in three ships, but misfortune struck while he was still on the shore. A sudden storm grounded and broke up two ships, scattering treasure and drowning many people and horses. As he watched, the third ship with all his belongings and slaves (one carrying his child), was carried out to sea and never heard from again. After a lifetime of incredible adventures, Ibn Battuta was finally ordered by the sultan of Morocco to return home to share his wisdom with the world. Fortunately, he agreed and wrote a book that has been translated into numerous... Question: What is Ibn Battuta's main character reflected in this article? Options: A: optimistic B: sympathetic C: submitted D: committed

D