Imagine you are standing in a farm field in central Illinois. The land is so flat you can see for miles and miles. On a clear day, you might see a grain silo 20 miles away. You might think to yourself, it sure is flat around here. If you drive one hundred miles to the south, the landscape changes. In southern Illinois, there are rolling hills. Why do you think this is? What could have caused these features? There are no big rivers that may have eroded and deposited this material. The ground is capable of supporting grass and trees, so wind erosion would not explain it. To answer the question, you need to go back 12,000 years. Around 12,000 years ago, a giant ice sheet covered much of the Midwest United States. Springfield, Illinois, was covered by over a mile of ice. Its hard to imagine a mile thick sheet of ice. The massive ice sheet, called a glacier, caused the features on the land you see today. Where did glaciers go? Where can you see them today? Glaciers are masses of flowing ice. 

Question: "How big were the glaciers?"

Answer: "12,000 miles"

Response: no


When land is cleared, habitats are lost. It may be cleared for agriculture. It may also be used for building new homes or businesses. Within the past 100 years, the amount of land used for agriculture has almost doubled. Land used for grazing cattle has more than doubled. Many wetlands have also been lost to agriculture. The U.S. has lost almost all the natural tall-grass prairies. Thee areas of tall thick grass have virtually disappeared. These areas of land had thick fertile soil. Their grasses had very deep root systems. These deep and thick roots reduced the amount of soil erosion. They also were home to many plants and animals. Prairies were wonderful places. They were home to colorful flowers, prairie dogs, and herds of bison. 

Question: "What reduced the amount of soil erosion in grass?"

Answer: "Deep roots"

Response: yes


Marsha loves playing with her noodle friend. She had it for a long time so it is now a dark brown color. When her mom first made it, it was white. The night she met her noodle friend was spaghetti night. Marsha's favorite dinner was spaghetti, which happened to be every Tuesday night. On one Tuesday, a piece of spaghetti fell on the kitchen floor. To Marsha, it looked like a stick man so she kept him. She named her new noodle friend Joey and took him everywhere she went. Sometimes Joey gets a little dried out so Marsha's mom told her to soak him in water every few days. There were a couple times that the family dog, Mika, has tried to take Joey from Marsha and eat him! So from now on, Marsha takes extra special care to make sure Joey is safe and sound at all times. During the day she keeps him in a plastic bag in her pocket. At night, she puts him under her pillow. She loves Joey and wants to always be friends with him. 

Question: "What day of the week did Marsha first meet her friend?"

Answer: "Saturday"

Response: no


The side of Malaquez's parcel gave way to reveal a greenmunk caught in a sheen of solid air. Bits of leaf mold flew from under his feet as he ran to greet a friend or a bringer of food. Tasha oohed in awe. I said, "Frodo's been visiting you, eh?" Malaquez said, "Your pet?" "Hardly. He lives around here somewhere. I suppose he was attracted to the commotion up the hill." "Ah," Malaquez said. "Why 'Frodo'?" Tasha said, "A little fellow with big, furry feet. What else could he be called?" She handed the sculpture to me. I almost dropped it; I expected it to weigh no more than a holo. "Heavy," I said, as if he might not have known. He laughed. "My last piece was of four old Undersiders crouched around a trash fire. Be glad someone didn't toss that to you." He spoke of his art with the enthusiasm of a seven-year-old. "Um, I should wait to importune you, but..." 

Question: "Is the sculpture heavy?"

Answer: "Not at all"

Response:
no