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Instruction: Read the following article then answer the question after
How To Melt ChocolateBy B.Haley
Not enough good things can be said about mixing chocolate and baked goods. Chocolate adds very distinct flavours and can really elevate your creations from good to fantastic! Working with melted chocolate can sound really tricky and intimidating. In fact, when I first started baking, it was one of the things that intimidated me the most! Despite what you may hear, chocolate is not nearly as difficult to work with as you may think. There are two really easy ways to melt chocolate, and we will look at each one below.
Melting chocolate with the double-boiler method
Before melting any chocolate, it is important that the chocolate be cut or chopped into small pieces. This will help it melt more quickly and uniformly. It is possible to buy an expensive double-boiling pan. However, you can easily save the money and make one yourself if you have a bowl and saucepan.
To create a double-boiler, place chopped chocolate (and any necessary shortening) in a glass or metal heat-proof bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan with about 1-inch of hot, not simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Melted chocolate should not be heated over 120 degrees. The chocolate can burn if heated any higher.
As the chocolate begins melting, use a plastic or rubber spoon/spatula to frequently stir the chocolate. Once it is fully melted, remove the bowl from the pan and place it on the counter on a potholder or hot plate. Water is one of chocolate’s greatest enemies. When using the double-boiler method, be careful not to allow any stray drops of water to fall into the bowl. If water mixes with the chocolate, the chocolate will seize and be of little use.
Melting chocolate with a microwave
Before melting the chocolate, make sure it is cut or chopped into small pieces. Melting chocolate is one of the most clever uses of a microwave. Simply place the chocolate (and any shortening called for in the recipe) in a glass or plastic microwave-safe bowl.
Chocolate can easily burn in the microwave, so I suggest using half power or the defrost setting when cooking. Cook the chocolate for 30 seconds at a time, stirring with a rubber or plastic spatula after each spurt.
Continue these 30-second spurts until the chocolate is completely melted. Microwaving chocolate means you will not have to worry about water falling into the bowl and seizing the chocolate. However, the microwave is powerful and can very easily burn the chocolate.
QUESTION: What is the most important thing that you need to do before melting chocolate?
QUESTION: Which word is closest in meaning to the word “simmering”?
Instruction: Read the following article then answer the question after.
How To Melt ChocolateBy B. Haley
Question: What is the author’s initial impression of melting chocolate?
QUESTION: What is one of the greatest advantages of using a microwave for melting chocolate?
QUESTION: What can happen to the chocolate if it is heated over 120 degrees?
QUESTION: What must you do before melting the chocolate?
Should Recycling Be MandatoryBy S.Michael
Today, there is a significant emphasis on preserving the environment and protecting natural surroundings. Much of the damage to natural surroundings is caused by toxic waste substances. These substances are the by-products of man-made items that decay over a period. Natural substances can disintegrate into the environment, leaving no room for damage, but not toxic substances. Environmental damage caused by toxic substances can be eliminated by adopting recycling practices.
Recycling seeks to reduce environmental waste by reproducing items from waste products and bringing them back into use. There are significant advantages to recycling, which is why it should be made mandatory. Recycling reduces the amount of waste that is deposited into landfills. Landfills hold waste matter, but they cannot prevent the leakage of toxic chemicals into water bodies, which is observed even in the case of engineered landfills.
At times, solid waste is not deposited into landfills and is incinerated to generate electricity. However, the downside of this is that it results in increased carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions, once again causing damage to the environment. Such problems can be mitigated by recycling waste products. In fact, it has been noted that recycling can prevent 70 tons of waste from being deposited into landfills every year. If recycling programs are made mandatory, it is possible to save tons of recyclable products from being added to already vast landfills.
Nationwide, manufacturing costs are rising, increasing expenditures for everyone. Recycling waste products can help reduce such costs. For example, manufacturing an item from original raw materials is going to cost more than producing it through the recycling process. Recycling promotes energy efficiency and can also mitigate environmental damage resulting from the manufacturing of certain products. For example, the cutting down of trees or mining can lead to significant soil erosion, which is reduced by recycling.
Recycling is a substantial industry with various recycling programs available for different products. There are numerous benefits associated with this process, such as cost reduction, energy efficiency, and conservation. It also provides employment opportunities for many people, and when conducted on a large scale, it can bring significant economic benefits. It reduces electricity consumption, garbage collection costs, and the expense of landfilling. Since recycling offers significant cost benefits as well as environmental protection, it is essential to make it mandatory in every country.
QUESTION: What is the major cause of damage to the environment today?
QUESTION: How can we get rid of environmental damage that is caused by toxic waste substances?
QUESTION: What is the benefit of recycling?
QUESTION: What is a possible result if recycling programs are made mandatory?
QUESTION: What is the major drawback of using solid waste to generate electricity?
QUESTION: Which of the following is NOT an advantage of recycling?
Be Happy No Matter What!By P.Vann
As with many things in life, happiness is a choice. I recommend that everyone reading this article appreciates the importance of creating their own happiness in life.
Why? If you are waiting for someone else to make you happy, you may never experience what you truly deserve.
So, how does one create their own happiness? I will share insights on the previous question I posed to you.
Happiness, in and of itself, is a state of mind. In other words, human beings have a tremendous capacity for knowing what makes them happy. For example, spending time with your family is a good example of happiness as it pertains to strong bonds between family members.
Families host family reunions periodically because they want to see their parents, siblings, cousins, and even new additions to the family, such as a newborn baby. People attending family reunions experience happiness because their love for family unity is strong, and they enjoy being around people like them.
What about personal happiness? Personal happiness is all about elevating certain aspects of your life, in other words, living a life filled with joy.
People find happiness through academic achievements, obtaining the job they have always wanted, earning a salary, leading a company, and being rewarded financially for a job well done. Happiness is marrying the person you love and starting a family.
Happiness is raising your children to be good people who positively contribute to society. Happiness is living in a country where you can have the freedom to express yourself without persecution.
Be mindful that happiness is different for all people, just as success is different for all people. Happiness is not about how much money you have. The fact of the matter is, money will not make you happy.
Some people reading my last statement will disagree with me. However, money is simply a tool and not a measure on the happiness scale.
In many respects, happiness is about the journey you are on in life. If you believe your life path is exactly what it should be, then you are more than likely content with your circumstances. It is important to research what your path is, become an expert at what you do, and make the kind of decisions that yield the results you wish to achieve.
Choose to be happy, and you will be. I encourage you to seek happiness because it will add years to your life, then share your happiness secrets with others.
QUESTION: Why is it important to create your own happiness in life?
QUESTION: What is happiness?
QUESTION: According to the writer, what does personal happiness mean?
QUESTION: In the article, what does “persecution” mean?
QUESTION: According to the writer what is happiness all about?
Where Do All the Teachers Go? (Peter Dixon)
Where do all the teachers goWhen it’s 4 o’clock?Do they live in housesAnd do they wash their socks?Do they wear pyjamasAnd do they watch TV?And do they pick their nosesThe same as you and me?
Do they live with other people?Have they mums and dads?And were they ever children?And were they ever bad?Did they ever, never spell right?Did they ever make mistakes?Were they punished in the cornerIf they pinched the chocolate flakes?
Did they ever lose their hymn books?Did they ever leave their greens?Did they scribble on the desk tops?Did they wear old dirty jeans?I’ll follow one back home todayI’ll find out what they doThen I’ll put it in a poemThat they can read to you.
Question: What is the main theme of the poem?
Question: What does the narrator plan to do at the end of the poem?
Question: Which of the following questions is NOT asked in the poem?
Question: What is the tone of the poem?
Snake Bite(Extract from A FORTUNATE LIFE by A.B Facey)
After the harvest, with the hay and wheat all carted, the burning season was approaching. Frank and I had about eight acres left to clear; the big timber had been burned down the previous winter, and all the small timber and scrub had been chopped to ground level. While waiting for the burning season to begin, we were busy clearing a firebreak around the land we intended to burn and clear. This was about half a mile from the house.
Mum had an arrangement to give us an idea when it was lunchtime. She would peg a white tea towel on the clothesline near the house at ten minutes to midday. By the time we got home and had a clean-up, lunch would be ready.
One day, at the signal, we started walking towards the house. We were about fifty yards away when we heard Mum let out a terrible scream. She came running out of the lavatory, holding up her dress with one hand and clutching her bottom with the other. She was yelling out loudly, ‘I’ve been bitten by a snake!’ Frank and I ran to her and helped her inside the house. Frank took her into the bedroom and told me to run over to the Connors’ place and get Jack to bring his horse and sulky to take Mum to the doctor. It was a little over two miles to Jack’s, and I ran all the way. It was a very hot day, and I was exhausted when I got there. It took me a few minutes before I could explain what had happened.
Jack wasn’t long in putting the horse in the sulky, and we drove back. Mum was crying when we got there. Frank told Jack that the snake bite was very distinct, and he had cut it with his razor and sucked out as much blood as he could.
Mum looked very pale and was badly shocked. After giving me some quick instructions as to what to do while they were away, they set out to get Mum to the doctor in Narrogin as soon as possible. Jack’s sulky horse was a beauty, one of the best in the district, and although Frank and Jack had been at odds over the boar, they had forgotten about it with the crisis at hand. The trip to Narrogin would take them all afternoon and well into the night.
After they had gone, I got a nice handy stick, about four feet long, and went into the lavatory after the snake. This lavatory was mainly used by Mum; I never used it, and Frank only sometimes. It was made of galvanized iron and had a small hole cut out at the back to allow Mum to slide the pan in. (The pan was an old kerosene tin cut off to fit.) A bag was hung onto the back wall to cover the hole. With the stick, I cautiously approached the lavatory, carefully looking in and around, but I couldn’t see any sign of the snake. I lifted the bag up very slowly (I was scared stiff), then I heard something move. Quickly, I dropped the bag and jumped back. Then all was quiet again. I lifted the bag once more. This time I noticed some feathers, and as I lifted the bag further, more feathers came into view. All at once, I knew what had bitten Mum. It wasn’t a snake, and all my fears turned to laughter. In fact, I almost lost control of myself with laughter.
Mum was very frightened of snakes and also terribly frightened of dingoes. She wouldn’t venture outside on her own, except in special circumstances.
They were away for nearly four days. When they came home, Mum seemed cheerful and didn’t show any ill effects from the shock she’d had. I asked her how she was, and she said that the doctor had said that he didn’t think it was a snake that had bitten her, and if it was, it wasn’t poisonous. She asked if I’d looked around the lavatory for the snake, and I said that I had and that I had found the thing that had bitten her. I said that it was still in the lavatory and offered to show it to her.
We went to the lavatory, and I lifted up the bag. She looked under and exclaimed, ‘Good God. No!’ She said that the doctor had said that it looked like beak marks, but it never occurred to her that a hen might have done it. She stood for a while, seeming to be thinking or working something out in her mind. Then suddenly, she said, ‘Did you have any visitors while we were away or see anyone?’ I said, ‘No.’ Well, she said, ‘don’t you say anything, not even to Frank or anybody about this. If you do, I’ll be the laughingstock of the district.’ She said, ‘Bert, I love you, but if you tell anyone about this, I’ll kill you.’ I promised not to tell anyone. Nothing more was said about the ‘snake bite.’
Question: What was the primary task the family was focused on?
Question: What was the signal for lunchtime?
Question: Why did Mum scream?
Question: What did Frank do after Mum screamed?
Lucky Lips(Extract from ROUND THE TWIST by Paul Jennings)
The lighthouse slumbered in the sun.Inside, however, Pete’s room was gloomy. Pete lay half awake looking at a poster of his favourite rock star ó Zan. She sat, dressed in leather, on the seat of a motorbike. Her full lips were slightly parted. A sultry youth leaned against a wall and looked at her in a bored, assured manner.Pete’s eyes closed. His imagination wandered. He was the one looking at Zan. She beckoned him with a crooked finger and pouting mouth. Pete sauntered over and bent down. ‘Kiss me,’ she whispered.Peter moistened his lips and bent down. Zan’s arm pulled his head forward.‘Pete,’ came a loud shout.The daydream cracked and tinkled to the floor. Linda stood there grinning and brandishing a copy of Dolly magazine. ‘Did you buy this?’ she said.‘Sure,’ said Pete sarcastically. T was just checking the latest shades of lipstick and eyeshadow.’‘That’s funny,’ said Linda. ‘There’s a letter to the agony column and someone’s put a pencil mark next to it.’‘So?’‘The letter’s from someone in Port Niranda.Someone with the initials PT . . . Peter Twist?’ ‘There’s probably millions of PTs in Port Niranda¥, said Pete lamely.Linda smelt victory. She started to read. ‘Dear Never Been Kissed. Here is my advice. One ó take her to a disco. Two ó dance wildly for the first hour. Three ó dance slow and close for the next hour. Four ó walk her home. Five ó look into her eyes and if they say “yes” ó kisssssss.’Pete went red as Linda tossed the magazine onto the bed.‘Good luck, Never Been Kissed,’ said Linda. ‘And if her name’s Fiona you’re going to need it. She wouldn’t even look at you.’Pete gave a cocky grin. ‘Well, she’s going to the disco with me. That must mean something.’Music blared. Disco lights splashed the dancers’ faces with colour. Pete couldn’t believe his luck. Fiona, the most beautiful girl in the school, was dancing with him. And tonight he was going to walk her home. He couldn’t stop thinking about Step Five. ‘Look into her eyes. And if they say “yes” ó kisssssss.’ He had the five steps written down on the back of his hand.Pete was already well into Step Two. He danced crazily, pumping his hands up and down like a wild thing. Fiona wore an amused smile as she tried to keep up.Over against the wall, Gribble and Rabbit watched the dancers. Gribble stared at Linda who was dancing with Jill Henderson. ‘Think Iíll do that Twist sheila a favour,’ smirked Gribble. He wandered out onto the dance floor. ‘G’day, desperate/ he said. ‘Wanna dance?’I’d have to be desperate to dance with you/ snorted Linda.Tiger Gleeson looked down from the DJ’s booth. ‘Here’s something with a bit more pace for all you rockers/ he said. He turned down the lights and played a smooth, slow number. A few boos came up from the floor. Pete pulled Fiona towards him gently. Step Three. It was working.Gribble returned to Rabbit. ‘Changed me mind about the Twist sheila/ he said.Rabbit was watching Pete. ‘Why would Fiona come with a jerk like Twist?’ he said.Gribble watched jealously. ‘Felt sorry for him/ he said. Then he added. ‘Twist has had it.’Pete’s big moment finally came. The disco was over. He walked with Fiona through the dark, lonely streets. Neither of them spoke. Pete was nervous. All he could think about was Step Five. He’d never kissed a girl before.He was so nervous that he didn’t see Gribble, Rabbit and Tiger sneaking along behind. They ran from car to car and bush to bush. ‘This is it,’ said Tiger in an excited whisper. ‘He’s wetting his lips.’Fiona looked at Pete and smiled. ‘Thank you for a lovely . . .’‘I’ll walk you up to the door,’ said Pete nervously.Tiger dug Gribble in the ribs. ‘He’s trying the old “walk-her-to-the-door tactic”,’ he said.Gribble frowned.‘They’ve reached the door/ said Tiger. ‘He’s limbering those lips. Puckering in preparation.’Rabbit punched his hands together gleefully.‘He’s going to kiss her, Gribs.’‘Shut up/ growled Gribble.Fiona opened the front door. ‘It was a great night, Pete/ she said. ‘Thanks.’Pete closed his eyes and leaned gently forward. He pursed his moist lips and kissed the closed front door.Loud hooting and laughing split the darkness. The gang mocked mercilessly from the road. ‘Splinter mouth/ yelled Gribble.‘Kissed off/ shouted Rabbit.‘Give up, Twist/ called Gribble. ‘No one’d kiss a maggot mouth like you.’Pete hung his head. He blushed with shame. There was nothing he could say.Pete felt miserable for days afterwards. He didn’t want to be with anyone. On Sunday he went to the local show, all on his own. He didn’t feel like going to the sideshows. He didn’t look at the animals. He walked around the fairground kicking stones and ignoring the laughing kids on the merry-go-rounds and rides.He wandered between the tents and trucks not looking where he was going. Suddenly he found himself in front of an old caravan. On the side was written:There was a drawing of a hand with an eye in the middle of the palm.And sitting on the step was the most beautiful girl Pete had ever seen. Her smile was the promise of a gentle spring. It warmed him like the summer sun. Her teeth were as white as the winter snow. Her hair shone with the sheen of spiders’ webs on an autumn morning. Pete looked behind him. The smile was for him. She beckoned with a crooked finger and then, drawing a coloured shawl over her head, turned and walked into the caravan.Pete followed in a daze and peered into the shadowy silences where cobwebs joined hands. At the far end of the van a cooking pot shimmered with a silver liquid. The figure in the shawl turned.Pete gasped. She had changed. The beautiful girl was now a wrinkled old woman wearing garish red lipstick. She cackled like a monkey squealing in the treetops.
Question: What does Gribble yell after Pete’s failed kiss attempt?
Question: How does Pete feel after the failed kiss?
Question: Where does Pete go after his failed attempt to kiss Fiona?
Question: What changes about the girl Pete meets at the fairground?
Question: What is the significant difference between the girl Pete meets and Zan?
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