Three levels of middle school instruction offer English enrichment, accelerated writing, logical and critical thinking skills, and test preparation. The program is designed to prepare middle school students – Rising Grades 7 and 8 – for academic success in high school, early preparation for college admissions tests and application essays, and preparation for competitive high school admissions.

This is a sample of Science PASSAGE from this course
PASSAGE 1
A number of different chemical elements are essential for the survival and growth of plants. The macronutrients— those nutrients required in the greatest quantity—are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. These macronutrients are only available in the soil and generally come from the decay of other plants. To enrich the soil and make more of these essential nutrients available, many people use fertilizers to supply plants with the nutrients they need to grow faster. Two botanists discuss whether inorganic or organic fertilizers are most optimal for plant growth.
Botanist 1
In addition to carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen available in the water and the air, and other micronutrients, such as sulfur, calcium, and magnesium, plants also need the macronutrients nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to thrive. The best way to supply the soil, and thus the plants, with the proper macronutrients is to apply organic fertilizers, as opposed to commercial inorganic fertilizers. Organic nutrients include cow, poultry, horse, and sheep manures. Green manure—a crop that is grown for a specific period of time, then plowed and incorporated into the soil—and compost can also be used. Organic fertilization mimics the natural breakdown of organic material into nutrients for which the plants can use. In other words, organic fertilizer provides a naturally slow release of nutrients as the organic material breaks down in the soil, reducing the likelihood of over-fertilization. Organic fertilizers also improve soil structure in the long term and improve the ability of sandy soils to hold water, which is immensely important in arid climates. Commercial inorganic fertilizers, on the other hand, are often applied too heavily, damaging the roots of the plants. Inorganic fertilizers can also cause chemical imbalances in the soil because they can build up a toxic concentration of salts in the soil.
Botanist 2
Plant growth and survival depends on an adequate supply of essential nutrients that cannot always be found in the soil. Inorganic commercial fertilizers have many benefits over organic fertilizers. The elements in inorganic fertilizers have been thoroughly measured and tested, insuring that each application provides the appropriate amount of nutrients to the plants, as opposed to the highly variable, and often unknown, nutrient content of organic fertilizers. Organic fertilizers are usually lower in nutrient content than inorganic fertilizers, requiring more of the organic material to be applied to achieve the same level of nutrient delivery acquired from the application of smaller amounts of inorganic material. In addition, characteristics of organic fertilizer require application well in advance of need to ensure that the materials have broken down and can be used by the plant. Inorganic fertilizers, however, once applied, offer immediate availability of nutrients to plants for use. The likelihood of nitrogen depletion is another disadvantage of organic fertilizers. Organic material can cause a temporary depletion of nitrogen in the soil and therefore in the plants that depend on it. Inorganic fertilizer use does not present this problem.

Which of the following can be inferred from Botanist 2’s viewpoint about organic fertilizers?
F. It is impossible to determine the proper amount of inorganic fertilizer to apply.
G. The levels of essential macronutrients are closer to those that occur naturally.
H. Organic fertilizers are useless in achieving and promoting plant growth.
J. Organic fertilizers can reduce the amount of necessary nutrients in the soil.
Answer; - J

With which of the following statements would both botanists likely agree?
F. Soil quality does not need to be considered if a nitrogen-rich fertilizer is used to compensate for nutrients not found in the soil.
G. Plants require some additional nutrients to reach optimal growth if the nutrients are not available in the soil.
H. Plants need only the macronutrients nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus in order to survive.
J. The amount of water, oxygen, and other micronutrients available to plants is less important if the proper amount of fertilizer is applied.
Ans; - G