The Russian thistle has an unusual method of spreading its seeds. It lives for a year, and when it dies, the top part of the plant dries up and separates from its roots. This dried tangle of leaves and branches—known as a tumbleweed—is blown along the ground by the wind, releasing seeds as it travels. Russian thistle is not native to the United States but has become established there as an invasive species. Invasive species are often considered harmful, but some scientists point out that this plant offers a number of benefits.
Food for Farmers’ Animals
First, Russian thistle can grow in dry areas where many other plants cannot, and it can survive long periods of little or no rain. It also has some nutritional value and can be eaten by large animals such as cows. In times of drought, when other plants cannot grow because of lack of rain, farmers can sometimes help their animals get enough nutrition by feeding them Russian thistle.
Habitat Creation
Second, Russian thistle can grow up to a meter high. As it often grows in regions with no trees, its size sometimes makes it the largest plant in the area. It thus creates valuable habitats for animals that would otherwise have no place to live. Small mammals and birds can take shelter under Russian thistles.
Soil Improvement
Finally, Russian thistle can grow in damaged soil where many native plants cannot. Once Russian thistle begins to grow in damaged soil, a fungus sometimes infects its roots. This fungus does two things. It weakens the Russian thistle, and it benefits certain native plants. As the fungus spreads in the soil, it supports the return of native plants to damaged areas, where they can then grow and flourish in the soil again, thanks to the fungus.
The reading and listening materials debate whether the Russian thistle benefits the environment. The passage lists three reasons to support that the Russian thistle benefits its surroundings, which the lecturer contradicts.
First, the passage states that the Russian thistle can serve as valuable food for animals in dry areas. However, the professor in the lecture holds a different perspective. Sometimes the Russian thistle can indeed feed animals, but it is dangerous because it may absorb nitrogen in the soil and store it, which is poisonous to cows. As a result, it is not safe for animals to eat the Russian thistle.
Second, the article asserts that the Russian thistle has the advantage of creating habitats for species. Nevertheless, the professor thinks it does not hold water. The truth is that the Russian thistle destroys more habitats than it creates because the tumble weeds spread wildfire. The empty areas without vegetation can function as natural barriers that prevent the spread of fire. However, Russian thistle can catch fire across the barrier, which may burn out habitats that animals live in.
Finally, the passage maintains that Russian thistle that grows in damaged soil can attract fungi that support the return of plants, which the professor refutes. She asserts that it is rare for Russian thistle to repair the damaged soil. Fungi live in the upmost of soil that often dries out because Russian thistle is efficient at taking out water from soil. As a consequence, the soil as well as the fungus is easily blown away in the wind. Therefore, it cannot support the native plants.
Transition Words or Phrases used:
but, finally, first, however, if, may, nevertheless, second, so, therefore, well, as a result, as well as
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 7.0 10.4613686534 67% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 8.0 5.04856512141 158% => OK
Conjunction : 3.0 7.30242825607 41% => More conjunction wanted.
Relative clauses : 15.0 12.0772626932 124% => OK
Pronoun: 21.0 22.412803532 94% => OK
Preposition: 22.0 30.3222958057 73% => OK
Nominalization: 4.0 5.01324503311 80% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 1359.0 1373.03311258 99% => OK
No of words: 264.0 270.72406181 98% => OK
Chars per words: 5.14772727273 5.08290768461 101% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.03089032464 4.04702891845 100% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.4684621146 2.5805825403 96% => OK
Unique words: 136.0 145.348785872 94% => More unique words wanted.
Unique words percentage: 0.515151515152 0.540411800872 95% => OK
syllable_count: 399.6 419.366225166 95% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.5 1.55342163355 97% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 3.0 3.25607064018 92% => OK
Article: 10.0 8.23620309051 121% => OK
Subordination: 2.0 1.25165562914 160% => OK
Conjunction: 1.0 1.51434878587 66% => OK
Preposition: 0.0 2.5761589404 0% => More preposition wanted as sentence beginning.
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 16.0 13.0662251656 122% => OK
Sentence length: 16.0 21.2450331126 75% => The Avg. Sentence Length is relatively short.
Sentence length SD: 31.8942956303 49.2860985944 65% => OK
Chars per sentence: 84.9375 110.228320801 77% => OK
Words per sentence: 16.5 21.698381199 76% => OK
Discourse Markers: 6.5625 7.06452816374 93% => OK
Paragraphs: 4.0 4.09492273731 98% => OK
Language errors: 0.0 4.19205298013 0% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 7.0 4.33554083885 161% => OK
Sentences with negative sentiment : 7.0 4.45695364238 157% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 2.0 4.27373068433 47% => OK
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.184130939223 0.272083759551 68% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0628631655328 0.0996497079465 63% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0415237281428 0.0662205650399 63% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.118338471751 0.162205337803 73% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0158925588227 0.0443174109184 36% => Paragraphs are similar to each other. Some content may get duplicated or it is not exactly right on the topic.
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 11.1 13.3589403974 83% => Automated_readability_index is low.
flesch_reading_ease: 63.7 53.8541721854 118% => OK
smog_index: 3.1 5.55761589404 56% => Smog_index is low.
flesch_kincaid_grade: 8.4 11.0289183223 76% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 12.29 12.2367328918 100% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 8.08 8.42419426049 96% => OK
difficult_words: 61.0 63.6247240618 96% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 7.5 10.7273730684 70% => OK
gunning_fog: 8.4 10.498013245 80% => OK
text_standard: 8.0 11.2008830022 71% => OK
What are above readability scores?
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Rates: 73.3333333333 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 22.0 Out of 30
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Note: the e-grader does NOT examine the meaning of words and ideas. VIP users will receive further evaluations by advanced module of e-grader and human graders.