ARTICLES Exercise

Directions: Insert the, a, or X (for no article) as necessary.

            Sugar is one of most important plant products.  Word sugar applies to more than 100 distinctive substances, each with scientific name.  sugar most commonly obtained from plants is sucrose.  When it has been refined, sugar is colorless and odorless.  However, sugar obtained from sap of maple tree tastes different from sugar derived from juice of sugar beet.   Impurities account for difference in taste of two forms of sugar.  Sugar is produced in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and America.  Sugar which comes from Cuba is largely cane sugar.  Sugar from  most western part of  United States is largely beet sugar.

         Water is necessity for sustaining  life in  plants and animals.   Men have always been interested in nature of water.  At one time, water was considered to be an element.  Most water is derived from ocean directly or indirectly.  Water which  New Yorkers use does not come from  Hudson River.  Water used in New York homes comes from large reservoirs.  Water in se reservoirs is purified.  However, absolutely pure water is probably unknown.   Lake water is relatively pure, especially in  mountainous regions.   Most people think spring water is pure.  However, water which comes from springs sometimes contains large amounts of two types of salt.  Therefore, water in your springs should be analyzed.

             Dust is great inconvenience to housewives.  It is difficult problem.   Dust causes housewife hours and hours of  housework week.  To make things worse, dust always seems to settle in most inconceivable places.  Dust which comes from chimneys seems to spread everywhere.  Coal dust is one of worst types of dust to wipe up.  In neighborhood where we live, dust from Ajax Factory in next block causes us trouble.  Edges of our windows are covered with dust in less than  day.  Dust on surface of  tables in our apartment is not quite so difficult to remove.  I know characteristics of  dust very well because my wife frequently asks me to wipe up dust on desks and bookcases in our apartment.

Source:  Taylor, Grant (1956).  Mastering American English. New York: McGraw-Hill.