Turning Scraps into Compost
Written by Studio AM.
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Some kitchen leftovers, such as apple cores, coffee grounds, and potato peels, can become useful compost instead of going into the trash. Compost is a dark material that gardeners add to soil to improve it.
In a suitable pile or bin, food scraps are mixed with materials such as dry leaves. Microbes, including bacteria and fungi, break down the organic material. Air and moisture help them work. The mixture gradually changes into a dark, crumbly material. The time required depends on the materials and how the pile is managed.
Gardeners sometimes call compost black gold because it can improve soil and support plant growth. Not every kind of waste belongs in a home compost pile, so it helps to check what your system accepts. Composting gives suitable scraps another use and can reduce the amount sent to a landfill.
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Questions
Choose an answer. The explanation appears after you answer.
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Question 1 of 4
What is the passage mainly about?
The answer is A: Composting turns suitable scraps into material that improves soil.
The passage describes decomposition and use of finished compost as a soil-improving material.
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Question 2 of 4
According to the text, what breaks down the waste in a compost pile?
The answer is B: Microbes, including bacteria and fungi
Microbes break down organic material, with air and moisture helping the process.
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Question 3 of 4
Why do gardeners sometimes call compost “black gold”?
The answer is B: It can be valuable for improving soil and supporting plants.
Gold is a comparison for value. The compost is useful because it can improve soil, not because it contains the metal.
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Question 4 of 4
In this passage, "scraps" most nearly means
The answer is B: small leftover bits of food
The opening examples of cores, grounds, and peels show that scraps are leftover pieces.
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