1) I suppose you could develop a reliable method. But since it is random which direction they start facing, the timing of the second orange's movement is not going to be the same in relation to the first's.
2) Wait for the effect item at the top. Do not drop down to wait. If you do, and it ends up being something you don't want, it is impossible (or else very difficult) to get back up without grabbing it.
3) I learned (to my delight) early on that slams are valid. Sometimes I don't think of it, but it often makes tricky situations much simpler.
