Question 1 is about the following article in a school newspaper.

    This week, 15 students attending Kingstown High School will be competing in the school's 10th annual science fair. Each student has been working on their project for the past 6 months and will be going up against their fellow students this Friday, May 6th. These students are Kingstown's best and brightest, all hoping to win scholarship money that will help them pay for college.

    Natalie Pollan, a I7-year-old who is interested in genetics, has done a project on an insect known as Drosophila melanogaster. Most of us know it as the common fruit fly. Natalie has been taking care of thousands of fruit flies over the past 6 months, trying to prove something about genetics. "It's been tiring, but I've learned a lot," says Natalie. "I think my work is good, but I know the other students worked just as hard."

    Indeed, Paul Smith, whose research is about the geology of the Kingstown area, is also thinking about the competition. "I've been working for 6 months, but so have they." Paul has a positive attitude about the science program at Kingstown. "I owe it to the great teachers at Kingstown. They are who really inspire me," he said.

    The contest will be judged by a panel of state scientists on Friday morning. Students are all hoping to win a 5,000$ prize that will go towards their higher education. All of the students will be showcasing their work. After the judging, students will be showing their projects to the public. They have prepared presentations for everyone to see. The project showing will begin at 12:00 P.M. in Labs 5,6, and 7 at Kingstown High School. 

Question 2 is about the following story.

    There once was a boy who adored a tree. He would jump to catch the lowest branch, pull himself up into the tree and sit under its green leaves for hours while he watched the sun climb down through the sky. Every day in the summer, he would wake up early, eat his breakfast and then go outside to his tree. It was a half-hour walk from his house, but he liked seeing the animals in the forest as he walked.

    Then one day he heard a strange rumbling from far away. It was as if the whole forest was shaking. The boy was so afraid of the noise he did not dare leave the safety of the tree's branches. When the sun set, the sound stopped. Relieved and exhausted, the boy climbed down and went home to his worried mother. That night, the boy had many nightmares of the tree coming to him and asking for help. The tree was old and strong, but did not know how to run, so it asked the boy to teach him. When the boy awoke, he was still haunted by the nightmares. He wanted to run out into the woods to check on his cherished tree, but his mother insisted he go to school.

    As soon as he got home the next day, he dropped both his backpack and lunch box on the grass and ran into the woods. He felt relieved when he found his tree unharmed, looking as strong as it ever had. He did this every day after school until baseball practice started, and then he didn't have enough time before dark. His fear grew as the weeks passed.

    One Saturday morning, the boy was up waiting for morning to come so he could visit his friend. He left home as soon as the sun was up. On his way, he noticed the rumbling was back. It shook his feet as they flew over the ground. When he got to that special place in the woods, his heart stopped. His friend had been cut down and dragged away. Only the mighty branches remained, shoved together in a careless pile. He fell to his knees and cried and cried and cried until many hours later his father came and found him still mourning the loss of his tree. Without a word, the boy's father lifted him gently and carried him home. 

Question 3 is about the following passage.

   The Big Bang Theory is the idea that the universe was once in a very dense and compact form and that, after an initial "explosion," it has been expanding ever since. The explosion is believed to have occurred 13.7 billion years ago. It is debated exactly how the explosion occurred, but most scientists believe that the universe was characterized by immense energy density, extremely high temperature, and an extreme amount of pressure. The temperature was so high that all kinds of particles were merging and colliding, creating and destroying substances in a short amount of Lime. As the universe continued to grow in size and the temperature began to decrease, the universe took the form that we understand today.

   The idea of the Big Bang Theory is accepted by most, if not all, scientists and astronomers. Although no one is sum what caused the initial explosion that led to the expansion, there is little doubt that this explosion occurred. In 1929, Edwin Hubble used his telescope to discover that distant galaxies were continuing to move away from each other. This discovery was momentous in proving the Big Bang Theory, as it showed that the universe was in a constant state of motion rather than remaining still. Hubble's discovery allowed other scientists to continue exploring the theory through advanced astrophysics and experimentation. Although scientists have succeeded in finding further proof through measurements of the universe's temperature, they continue to research the Big Bang Theory today. For example, in recent years, CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research) was able to create a mini replication of the initial Big Bang using nuclear physics. 

Question 4 is about the following passage. 

    The Iroquois Confederacy was the most powerful nation in North America throughout late 1600s and 1700s. The Confederacy controlled a huge area of land and was throughout the eastern part of North America. It was divided up into five different tribes of whom ruled a particular area. When an important decision needed to be made, these decided together. The elders of each tribe, both men and women, would have a where they would vote on everything. 
    The economy of the Iroquois Confederacy was based on agriculture with corn as central crop. However, the people were also skilled at hunting. Men usually left the village the fall for the annual hunt and returned in midwinter. They traveled over huge areas of to find game and would fight anyone for prized hunting ground. 
    When the European traders came, the Iroquois had many furs to exchange for tools metal weapons. This gave them a big advantage over other Native American tribes, meant that they needed to expand their reign to control more lands. This caused more   between natives. Unsurprisingly, the Iroquois were usually victorious.