Johnson Borges Solutions for Exercise 9: Model Passages

Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

Vast areas of the earth are covered by grass. Of the 15 major crops that stand between us and starvation, 10 are grasses. No matter where you live, you would be hard put to walk outside your door and not find grasses within a very short distance. Grasses are immensely common and immensely important.
Misconceptions about grasses abound. "They have no flowers!" one hears. This is not true. Grasses do have flowers just as roses and daisies have flowers; the only difference is that they are small and inconspicuous and differ slightly in structure. "They have no color!”
They have no color!" This is not true; just start looking-. “They all look alike!” Also, not true if you look.
“The fruit of the grass family- the gain-is a concentrated source of protein, carbohydrates, and minerals. Being dry, it is easy to store and transport, and thus, it has become a major food source for humans.
The green leafy parts of grass, which we cannot digest, can be eaten by cows and other animals so that even if you eat nothing but hamburger, you are still eating grass. If you eat sugar-you are eating other products of the grass family, the sugar-cane plant. And in the far East, another grass, bamboo, is used for everything from food to construction materials.
One of the most extraordinary features of grass growth is the root system. Sometimes as much as 90 percent of the weight of the grass plants is the roots.
This concentration of starch and energy below the ground helps grasses to survive grazing and burning and it reduces water loss.

“You would be hard put to walk outside your door and not find grasses within a very short distance,” means it would be: (Tick the correct answer)

1. Hard to walk outside when there is grass growing very near.
2. Difficult not to find grasses outside your door.
3. Hard not to walk on grasses.
4. Difficult to find grasses growing outside your door.

Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

Vast areas of the earth are covered by grass. Of the 15 major crops that stand between us and starvation, 10 are grasses. No matter where you live, you would be hard put to walk outside your door and not find grasses within a very short distance. Grasses are immensely common and immensely important.
Misconceptions about grasses abound. "They have no flowers!" one hears. This is not true. Grasses do have flowers just as roses and daisies have flowers; the only difference is that they are small and inconspicuous and differ slightly in structure. "They have no colour!"
They have no colour!" This is not true; just start looking-. "They all look alike!" Also, not true if you look.
"The fruit of the grass family- the gain-is a concentrated source of protein, carbohydrates and minerals. Being dry, it is easy to store and transport and thus, it has become a major food source for humans.
The green leafy parts of grass, which we cannot digest, can be eaten by cows and other animals so that even if you eat nothing but hamburger, you are still eating grass. If you eat sugar-you are eating other products of the grass family, the sugar-cane plant. And in the far East, another grass, bamboo, is used for everything from food to construction materials.
One of the most extraordinary feature of grass growth is the root system. Sometimes as much as 90 percent of the weight of the grass plants is the roots.
This concentration of starch and energy below the ground helps grasses to survive grazing and burning and it reduces water loss.

Give three characteristics that make grass an important food.

Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:

Vast areas of the earth are covered by grass. Of the 15 major crops that stand between us and starvation, ten are grasses. No matter where you live, you would be hard put to walk outside your door and not find grasses within a very short distance. Grasses are immensely common and immensely important.
Misconceptions about grasses abound. “They have no flowers!” one hears. This is not true. Grasses do have flowers just as roses and daisies have flowers; the only ‘difference is that they are small and inconspicuous and differ slightly in structure. “They have no colour!”
They have no colour!” This is not true; just start looking. “They all look alike!” Also, not true if you look.
“The fruit of the grass family—the gain—is a concentrated source of protein, carbohydrates, and minerals. Being dry, it is easy to store and transport, and thus it has become a significant food source for humans.
The green leafy parts of grass, which we cannot digest, can be eaten by cows and other animals so that even if you eat nothing but hamburger, you are still eating grass. If you eat sugar—you are eating another product of the grass family, the sugar-cane plant. And in the far East, another grass, bamboo, is used for everything from food to construction materials.
One of the most extraordinary features of grass growth is the root system. Sometimes as much as 90 per cent of the weight of the grass plants is the roots.
This concentration of starch and energy below the ground helps grasses to survive the grazing and burning. And it also reduces water loss.

“Even if you eat nothing but hamburger you are still eating grass” means:

1. You should eat only hamburgers and not grass.
2. The hamburger contains grass and should not be eaten.
3. By eating a hamburger, you are eating grass grain.
4. Nothing but hamburgers should be eaten. 

Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:

Vast areas of the earth are covered by grass. Of the 15 major crops that stand between us and starvation, ten are grasses. No matter where you live, you would be hard put to walk outside your door and not find grasses within a very short distance. Grasses are immensely common and immensely important.
Misconceptions about grasses abound. “They have no flowers!” one hears. This is not true. Grasses do have flowers just as roses and daisies have flowers; the only ‘difference is that they are small and inconspicuous and differ slightly in structure. “They have no colour!”
They have no colour!” This is not true; just start looking. “They all look alike!” Also, not true if you look.
“The fruit of the grass family—the gain—is a concentrated source of protein, carbohydrates, and minerals. Being dry, it is easy to store and transport, and thus it has become a significant food source for humans.
The green leafy parts of grass, which we cannot digest, can be eaten by cows and other animals so that even if you eat nothing but hamburger, you are still eating grass. If you eat sugar—you are eating another product of the grass family, the sugar-cane plant. And in the far East, another grass, bamboo, is used for everything from food to construction materials.
One of the most extraordinary features of grass growth is the root system. Sometimes as much as 90 per cent of the weight of the grass plants is the roots.
This concentration of starch and energy below the ground helps grasses to survive the grazing and burning. And it also reduces water loss.

What is the factor that enables grass to survive so well?

Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:

Vast areas of the earth are covered by grass. Of the 15 major crops that stand between us and starvation, ten are grasses. No matter where you live, you would be hard put to walk outside your door and not find grasses within a very short distance. Grasses are immensely common and immensely important.
Misconceptions about grasses abound. “They have no flowers!” one hears. This is not true. Grasses do have flowers just as roses and daisies have flowers; the only ‘difference is that they are small and inconspicuous and differ slightly in structure. “They have no colour!”
They have no colour!” This is not true; just start looking. “They all look alike!” Also, not true if you look.
“The fruit of the grass family—the gain—is a concentrated source of protein, carbohydrates, and minerals. Being dry, it is easy to store and transport, and thus it has become a significant food source for humans.
The green leafy parts of grass, which we cannot digest, can be eaten by cows and other animals so that even if you eat nothing but hamburger, you are still eating grass. If you eat sugar—you are eating another product of the grass family, the sugar-cane plant. And in the far East, another grass, bamboo, is used for everything from food to construction materials.
One of the most extraordinary features of grass growth is the root system. Sometimes as much as 90 per cent of the weight of the grass plants is the roots.
This concentration of starch and energy below the ground helps grasses to survive the grazing and burning. And it also reduces water loss.

“It reduces water loss” (Paragraph 6). What does “It” refer to?