True/False/Cannot Say – Intermediate Level – Test 2 (UK)

Passage 1

A Finnish company is saying that they have managed to create “food out thin air”—and it could be hitting out grocery store shelves within the next two years.

The engineers at Solar Foods have succeeded in making a protein powder using only CO2, water, vitamins, and renewable electricity.

The powder, which they have called Solein, was created using technology that was developed by NASA. It reportedly looks and tastes just like wheat flour, except it is made up of 50% protein.

Since the single-cell protein can be produced in an indoor environment, it is completely independent of weather and land conditions.

“Conventional food production wastes water at unsustainable and unreasonable levels. We wanted to fix that,” reads the Solar Foods website.

“Solein is 100 times more climate-friendly than any animal or plant-based alternative. Unlike conventional protein production, it takes just a fraction of water to produce 1 kilogram of Solein,” it continues. “As with water use, the same game-changing effect applies to land use efficiency as well, with Solein being 10 times more efficient than soy production by a metric of usable protein yields per acre.”

With the global commercial launch of Solein projected for 2021, Solar Foods say it will likely begin appearing in products like yogurts and protein meals—but they also say that it could quickly become a source of unlimited food for billions of people.

Source: Good News Network Company Uses NASA Tech to Make Healthy Food ‘Out of Thin Air’ Using Only CO2, Water, and Solar Electricity

1. Solein is more efficient than Soy production because of the amount of protein that Solein can pack into their powder.

Passage 1

A Finnish company is saying that they have managed to create “food out thin air”—and it could be hitting out grocery store shelves within the next two years.

The engineers at Solar Foods have succeeded in making a protein powder using only CO2, water, vitamins, and renewable electricity.

The powder, which they have called Solein, was created using technology that was developed by NASA. It reportedly looks and tastes just like wheat flour, except it is made up of 50% protein.

Since the single-cell protein can be produced in an indoor environment, it is completely independent of weather and land conditions.

“Conventional food production wastes water at unsustainable and unreasonable levels. We wanted to fix that,” reads the Solar Foods website.

“Solein is 100 times more climate-friendly than any animal or plant-based alternative. Unlike conventional protein production, it takes just a fraction of water to produce 1 kilogram of Solein,” it continues. “As with water use, the same game-changing effect applies to land use efficiency as well, with Solein being 10 times more efficient than soy production by a metric of usable protein yields per acre.”

With the global commercial launch of Solein projected for 2021, Solar Foods say it will likely begin appearing in products like yogurts and protein meals—but they also say that it could quickly become a source of unlimited food for billions of people.

Source: Good News Network Company Uses NASA Tech to Make Healthy Food ‘Out of Thin Air’ Using Only CO2, Water, and Solar Electricity

2. Solein could have a significant role in the future of combating world hunger.

Passage 1

A Finnish company is saying that they have managed to create “food out thin air”—and it could be hitting out grocery store shelves within the next two years.

The engineers at Solar Foods have succeeded in making a protein powder using only CO2, water, vitamins, and renewable electricity.

The powder, which they have called Solein, was created using technology that was developed by NASA. It reportedly looks and tastes just like wheat flour, except it is made up of 50% protein.

Since the single-cell protein can be produced in an indoor environment, it is completely independent of weather and land conditions.

“Conventional food production wastes water at unsustainable and unreasonable levels. We wanted to fix that,” reads the Solar Foods website.

“Solein is 100 times more climate-friendly than any animal or plant-based alternative. Unlike conventional protein production, it takes just a fraction of water to produce 1 kilogram of Solein,” it continues. “As with water use, the same game-changing effect applies to land use efficiency as well, with Solein being 10 times more efficient than soy production by a metric of usable protein yields per acre.”

With the global commercial launch of Solein projected for 2021, Solar Foods say it will likely begin appearing in products like yogurts and protein meals—but they also say that it could quickly become a source of unlimited food for billions of people.

Source: Good News Network Company Uses NASA Tech to Make Healthy Food ‘Out of Thin Air’ Using Only CO2, Water, and Solar Electricity

3. Solar Foods primary motivation for creating “Solein” was to make food that used water more efficiently.

Passage 2

College is stressful. Students have classes, papers, and exams. But they also often have work, bills to pay, and so many other pressures common in modern life.

Many universities have instituted “Pet Your Stress Away” programs, where students can come in and interact with cats and/or dogs to help alleviate some of the strain.

Scientists at Washington State University have recently demonstrated that, in addition to improving students’ moods, these programs can actually get “under the skin” and have stress-relieving physiological benefits.

“Just 10 minutes can have a significant impact,” said Patricia Pendry, an associate professor in WSU’s Department of Human Development. “Students in our study that interacted with cats and dogs had a significant reduction in cortisol, a major stress hormone.”

Source: Good News Network New Study Shows That Spending Just Ten Minutes With Cats or Dogs Can ‘Significantly’ Reduce Stress

4. The main point of this passage is to indicate how stressful college is.

Passage 2

College is stressful. Students have classes, papers, and exams. But they also often have work, bills to pay, and so many other pressures common in modern life.

Many universities have instituted “Pet Your Stress Away” programs, where students can come in and interact with cats and/or dogs to help alleviate some of the strain.

Scientists at Washington State University have recently demonstrated that, in addition to improving students’ moods, these programs can actually get “under the skin” and have stress-relieving physiological benefits.

“Just 10 minutes can have a significant impact,” said Patricia Pendry, an associate professor in WSU’s Department of Human Development. “Students in our study that interacted with cats and dogs had a significant reduction in cortisol, a major stress hormone.”

Source: Good News Network New Study Shows That Spending Just Ten Minutes With Cats or Dogs Can ‘Significantly’ Reduce Stress

5. Theoretically, universities of similar stature and rigor that institute successful “Pet your stress away programs” have a less stressed student population.

Passage 2

College is stressful. Students have classes, papers, and exams. But they also often have work, bills to pay, and so many other pressures common in modern life.

Many universities have instituted “Pet Your Stress Away” programs, where students can come in and interact with cats and/or dogs to help alleviate some of the strain.

Scientists at Washington State University have recently demonstrated that, in addition to improving students’ moods, these programs can actually get “under the skin” and have stress-relieving physiological benefits.

“Just 10 minutes can have a significant impact,” said Patricia Pendry, an associate professor in WSU’s Department of Human Development. “Students in our study that interacted with cats and dogs had a significant reduction in cortisol, a major stress hormone.”

Source: Good News Network New Study Shows That Spending Just Ten Minutes With Cats or Dogs Can ‘Significantly’ Reduce Stress

6. Patricia Pendry is a credible source when discussing the results of the study.

Passage 2

College is stressful. Students have classes, papers, and exams. But they also often have work, bills to pay, and so many other pressures common in modern life.

Many universities have instituted “Pet Your Stress Away” programs, where students can come in and interact with cats and/or dogs to help alleviate some of the strain.

Scientists at Washington State University have recently demonstrated that, in addition to improving students’ moods, these programs can actually get “under the skin” and have stress-relieving physiological benefits.

“Just 10 minutes can have a significant impact,” said Patricia Pendry, an associate professor in WSU’s Department of Human Development. “Students in our study that interacted with cats and dogs had a significant reduction in cortisol, a major stress hormone.”

Source: Good News Network New Study Shows That Spending Just Ten Minutes With Cats or Dogs Can ‘Significantly’ Reduce Stress

7. Cats and Dogs are the only animals that have proven to help students reduce their stress.

Passage 3

The adorable orange-fronted parakeet is making an impressive comeback as New Zealand’s most endangered forest bird species—doubling its population with an epic hatch in 2019.

Known in the island nation as kākāriki karaka, it lives in beech forests and was thought to be completely extinct until 1993, when they were rediscovered in Canturbury.

There were only 100-300 individuals before this hatching season, so this year’s bounty of newborns could more than double their numbers.

Kākāriki are found only in a few places where their habitat still exists: a unique upland valley habitat of beech trees. The parakeets eat plants and insects, but when the beech trees produce seed, those become the flyers’ preferred food source. This year, those trees are fruiting like crazy, producing so much seed that wildlife conservationists haven’t seen anything like it in 40 years.

“The birds just keep on breeding, with some parakeet pairs onto their fifth clutch of eggs,” said Eugenie Sage, the Minister of the Department of Conservation.

Field staff have found at least 150 wild-born chicks so far this season—and they’re still hatching. Since the tiny orange-fronted parakeet has the ability to breed for 18 months straight, this baby boom might not end until the food runs out.

Source: Jennifer Zolper Good News Network Population Doubles For One of New Zealand’s Rarest Birds, As 150 Chicks Hatch This Season

8. Historically, the population of the orange-fronted parakeet’s had been reduced largely to a lack of food and suitable habitat.

Passage 3

The adorable orange-fronted parakeet is making an impressive comeback as New Zealand’s most endangered forest bird species—doubling its population with an epic hatch in 2019.

Known in the island nation as kākāriki karaka, it lives in beech forests and was thought to be completely extinct until 1993, when they were rediscovered in Canturbury.

There were only 100-300 individuals before this hatching season, so this year’s bounty of newborns could more than double their numbers.

Kākāriki are found only in a few places where their habitat still exists: a unique upland valley habitat of beech trees. The parakeets eat plants and insects, but when the beech trees produce seed, those become the flyers’ preferred food source. This year, those trees are fruiting like crazy, producing so much seed that wildlife conservationists haven’t seen anything like it in 40 years.

“The birds just keep on breeding, with some parakeet pairs onto their fifth clutch of eggs,” said Eugenie Sage, the Minister of the Department of Conservation.

Field staff have found at least 150 wild-born chicks so far this season—and they’re still hatching. Since the tiny orange-fronted parakeet has the ability to breed for 18 months straight, this baby boom might not end until the food runs out.

Source: Jennifer Zolper Good News Network Population Doubles For One of New Zealand’s Rarest Birds, As 150 Chicks Hatch This Season

9. Insects and plants are the preferred food source of the orange-fronted parakeets.

Passage 3

The adorable orange-fronted parakeet is making an impressive comeback as New Zealand’s most endangered forest bird species—doubling its population with an epic hatch in 2019.

Known in the island nation as kākāriki karaka, it lives in beech forests and was thought to be completely extinct until 1993, when they were rediscovered in Canturbury.

There were only 100-300 individuals before this hatching season, so this year’s bounty of newborns could more than double their numbers.

Kākāriki are found only in a few places where their habitat still exists: a unique upland valley habitat of beech trees. The parakeets eat plants and insects, but when the beech trees produce seed, those become the flyers’ preferred food source. This year, those trees are fruiting like crazy, producing so much seed that wildlife conservationists haven’t seen anything like it in 40 years.

“The birds just keep on breeding, with some parakeet pairs onto their fifth clutch of eggs,” said Eugenie Sage, the Minister of the Department of Conservation.

Field staff have found at least 150 wild-born chicks so far this season—and they’re still hatching. Since the tiny orange-fronted parakeet has the ability to breed for 18 months straight, this baby boom might not end until the food runs out.

Source: Jennifer Zolper Good News Network Population Doubles For One of New Zealand’s Rarest Birds, As 150 Chicks Hatch This Season

10. Doubling the population of the parakeets, in certain ecosystems, will cause major unintended harm to other species in those ecosystems.

Passage 4

We traveled until about midnight, when our captors called a halt, and gave us to understand we might sleep for the remainder of the night. But, jaded as we were, and enduring as we were all manner of pain, these were not more in the way of sleep than the wild current of our anxious thoughts and meditations, which we found it impossible to arrest or to leave with the dead bodies of our dear kindred. There was scarcely a moment when the mind’s consent could be gained for sleep.

Well do I remember to have spent the larger proportion of that half of a night in gazing upon the stars, counting those directly over head, calling the names I had been taught to give to certain of the planets, pointing out to my sister the old dipper, and seeking to arrest and relieve her sadness by referring to the views we had taken of these from the old grass-clad door-yard in front of our humble cottage in Illinois.

11. The narrator cannot sleep because she is still scared and traumatised by her memories.

Passage 4

We traveled until about midnight, when our captors called a halt, and gave us to understand we might sleep for the remainder of the night. But, jaded as we were, and enduring as we were all manner of pain, these were not more in the way of sleep than the wild current of our anxious thoughts and meditations, which we found it impossible to arrest or to leave with the dead bodies of our dear kindred. There was scarcely a moment when the mind’s consent could be gained for sleep.

Well do I remember to have spent the larger proportion of that half of a night in gazing upon the stars, counting those directly over head, calling the names I had been taught to give to certain of the planets, pointing out to my sister the old dipper, and seeking to arrest and relieve her sadness by referring to the views we had taken of these from the old grass-clad door-yard in front of our humble cottage in Illinois.

12. The narrator begins examining the stars and planets of the night sky to help orient her for a possible escape.

Passage 4

We traveled until about midnight, when our captors called a halt, and gave us to understand we might sleep for the remainder of the night. But, jaded as we were, and enduring as we were all manner of pain, these were not more in the way of sleep than the wild current of our anxious thoughts and meditations, which we found it impossible to arrest or to leave with the dead bodies of our dear kindred. There was scarcely a moment when the mind’s consent could be gained for sleep.

Well do I remember to have spent the larger proportion of that half of a night in gazing upon the stars, counting those directly over head, calling the names I had been taught to give to certain of the planets, pointing out to my sister the old dipper, and seeking to arrest and relieve her sadness by referring to the views we had taken of these from the old grass-clad door-yard in front of our humble cottage in Illinois.

13. The events described in the passage took place in the American Midwest.

Passage 4

We traveled until about midnight, when our captors called a halt, and gave us to understand we might sleep for the remainder of the night. But, jaded as we were, and enduring as we were all manner of pain, these were not more in the way of sleep than the wild current of our anxious thoughts and meditations, which we found it impossible to arrest or to leave with the dead bodies of our dear kindred. There was scarcely a moment when the mind’s consent could be gained for sleep.

Well do I remember to have spent the larger proportion of that half of a night in gazing upon the stars, counting those directly over head, calling the names I had been taught to give to certain of the planets, pointing out to my sister the old dipper, and seeking to arrest and relieve her sadness by referring to the views we had taken of these from the old grass-clad door-yard in front of our humble cottage in Illinois.

14. The narrator’s life is clearly in danger.