messages
listlengths
2
2
[ { "content": "Depression is the second most common cause of disability worldwide after back pain, according to a review of research. The disease must be treated as a global public health priority , experts report in the journal PLOS Medicine. The study compared depression with more than 200 other diseases and ...
[ { "content": "His parents were out and dropped him at the babysitter's house at 12 o'clock. Lunchtime had past, but later the babysitter fixed him a dinner of some kind of brown meat. Under the meat was a slice of dry toast. Timmy didn't like the dinner and wished he had spaghetti or pizza. Even if it wasn't wh...
[ { "content": "When the weather is hot, you go to a lake or an ocean. When you are near a lake or an ocean, you feel cool. Why? The sun makes the earth hot, but it can not make the water hot. Though the air over the earth becomes hot, the air over the water stays cool. The hot air over the earth goes up, then th...
[ { "content": "Writers used to approach publishers to have their work read by the public. Now they can simply post them and find millions of instant audience. After breaking up with her boyfriend, Bao Jingjing started \"making up\" a love story simply to distract her attention. Her story of a girl suffering th...
[ { "content": "My grandmother often said to me, \"You can count the number of your true friends on the fingers of one hand.\" For a long time I thought this was true. However, I've now discovered my grandmother was only half right. Maybe we do only make a few \"best\" friends in our lifetime, but those aren't th...
[ { "content": "Hello, my first name is Jenny and my family name is Brown. I am a girl. I am 11. My telephone number is 025-7658. I have two friends. One is a boy. His name is Mike Green. He is 10. His telephone number is 636-7654. Linda Smith is my friend, too. She is 9. Her telephone number is 356-7890. ,. Je...
[ { "content": "These days, more and more people begin to look after their health by exercising. What sport should we do then? * Ping-pong Wang Bing opened up a ping-pong room. He was very surprised that there were so many people coming on the first day of the new year. He added five more tables, but it still cou...
[ { "content": "Today, due to numerous medical and scientific advances, people are living longer than ever before. But you have to be good to your body, mind, and soul. The following tips are a good start for getting you on your way to living a long and healthy life. Eat a balanced diet -- one that is rich in...
[ { "content": "A meeting of scientists, called a symposium, occurs every year to share recent research about the atmosphere of Earth. This symposium mainly serves which purpose in science?\n\nChoices:\nA. to test research methods used by other scientists\nB. to develop questions about space research\nC. to discu...
[ { "content": "Ever since I was a child, my mouth has caused me trouble. I'm not a bad person; I have a hard time learning when to keep my mouth closed. My mom has told me again and again, \"Robert, your constant bad words are hurting me. If you continue to be this rude, you will get into big trouble.\"It's been...
[ { "content": "A man wakes up with a big hangover the morning after attending his company's annual Summer Party. He can't even remember how he got home from the party, let alone how he got so drunk and is deathly afraid of what he may have done or said the night before to make his wife angry. The man forces his...
[ { "content": "A child sits at his desk waiting for the teacher to hand back his test and praying that it is not sprayed with red marks. Fellow students in the classroom know a paper that has several red markings on it will usually receive a lower grade. The child with many red markings on his test will quickly ...
[ { "content": "Until recently, women in advertisements wore one of three things -- an apron, an attractive dress or a frown. Although that is now changing, many women still feel angry about offending advertisements. \"This ad degrades women.\" they protested .Why does this sort of advertising exist? How can adve...
[ { "content": "Have you ever heard of Jinjiang Hotel? It is on our busiest street. It's the best place to live in if you travel here. The hotel is only 0.5 kilometer from the biggest supermarket and the subway. It has three kinds of rooms for different people to use. The first kind is standard room, that is tw...
[ { "content": "A Letter from Steve Jobs August 24, 2011 To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community, I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come. So I resign a...
[ { "content": "A subject which seems to have been insufficiently studied by doctors and psychologists is the influence of geography and climate on the psychological and physical health of mankind. There seems no doubt that the general character of the landscape, the relative length of day and night, and the clim...
[ { "content": "I grew up in Jamaica Plain. My best friend Rose and I used to dream about raising a family of our own someday and living next door to one another. Our dream remained alive through school and beyond. Rose was my maid of honor when I married Dick. Later, Dick was stationed in Alaska and we moved. Ro...
[ { "content": "The Internationa1 Space Station allows astronauts to live in space for extended amounts of time, enabling them to explore the outside universe and conduct many experiments. However, nothing like that exists for our oceans, and thanks to the high water pressure, ocean researchers are able to explor...
[ { "content": "An old woman went out shopping last Tuesday. She came to a bank and saw a car near the door. A young man with dark glasses got out of it and went into the bank. She looked into the car and found some keys in it. The man took a gun out of his pocket and said to the man in the bank, \"Give me all th...
[ { "content": "Which phenomenon is studied about once annually?\n\nChoices:\nA. planes departing\nB. cats purring\nC. geese travelling\nD. rats flying", "role": "user" }, { "content": "C. geese travelling", "role": "assistant" } ]
[ { "content": "Even facts \"forgotten\" by people during a busy day may be retrieved if this is followed by a good night's sleep. Researchers from the University of Chicago asked volunteers to remember simple words.Many found their memories letting them down towards the end of the day, but the following morning,...
[ { "content": "Which cells help to destroy pathogens such as bacteria that enter the human body?\n\nChoices:\nA. red blood cells\nB. liver cells\nC. white blood cells\nD. brain cells", "role": "user" }, { "content": "C. white blood cells", "role": "assistant" } ]
[ { "content": "I'm Tony. My best friends are Frank and Cindy. We often do many things together. Frank lives next to my home and we are in the same class. He is thirteen years old and tall and of medium build. He has curly hair and blue eyes. He's good-looking and very clever. He's good at math and often helps me...
[ { "content": "Tuesday, Jan. 6, 9:50 p.m. We were sitting in our warm living room. The TV was on, and everything was peaceful. Suddenly the light went on and off for a few times and then went out completely. Then the rain started, and everything went black. We found the flashlight and some candles and went to be...
[ { "content": "Every now and then we hear about an event that has taken place. This information helps us prepare ourselves for any problem in the future. Current affairs serve different purposes for different people. Theses days, the importance of current affairs has risen. Most people focus on certain areas o...
[ { "content": "To write a great news story, you have to make sure it is correct, relevant and fresh. For a start, all the information in a story must be correct. Not only the spelling and grammar, but also the facts. Any mistakes that show up in a story can get a newspaper into big trouble. For example, if a n...
[ { "content": "Parents often avoid talking about the issue of media and kids because we don't know what to do. But we need to roll up our sleeves and get to work helping our kids make right and wise decisions about media. There are things you can do to improve the media health of your family. Take the televi...
[ { "content": "When the TV viewer turns on his set, what sort of programs does he have to choose from? You might think there would be more programs devoted to entertainment than to anything else, but that's not the case. In most countries, fewer than 20% of broadcasting hours are devoted to entertainment. U.S. f...
[ { "content": "dry wood easily what?\n\nChoices:\nA. scorches\nB. freezes\nC. evaporates\nD. melts", "role": "user" }, { "content": "A. scorches", "role": "assistant" } ]
[ { "content": "Nick is a 14yearold school boy.His life is full of exams and studies on weekdays.He has little free time.He thinks playing computer games is the best way to make him relax.When he has free time,he sits in front of the computer.Just like that way,he neither eats nor drinks for several hours. Last w...
[ { "content": "I still remember --- my hands and my fingers still remember --- what used to lie in store for us on our return to school from the holidays. The trees in the school yard would be in full leaf again and the old leaves would be lying around like a muddy sea of leaves. \"Get that all swept up!\" the h...
[ { "content": "I believe you can do your best. Not being the best but toughing the limits of what you're capable of. I gained this belief from my third grade teacher, the most special, honored, trustworthy, and loved person in my life. Mr. Myrus was always perfectly dressed and spoke with the belief that talking...
[ { "content": "In the past, friendships were greatly limited by time, space and attention; increasing home and workplace mobility has made it even harder to keep social relations over time. Through a combination of user controls, new technologies and changing standards of social behavior, Facebook is freeing us ...
[ { "content": "Are you going into skiing? Is winter your favorite time of year? If you like snow and ice, maybe you should stay at Ice Hotel in Quebec, Canada. But, you can only check in at this hotel during the winter. Why? Because this hotel is built every December. It has 32 rooms and 80 people can stay there...
[ { "content": "Second Life is a 3D online world in which computer users can create a new life and live a different life. Second Life is one of the most popular new online games. But unlike other games, Second Life is not about winning or losing. Second Life is technically a computer game. But people involved in...
[ { "content": "Our boat floated on between walls of forest. It was too thick for us to get a view of the land we were passing through, though we knew from the map that our river must be passing through chains of hills from time to time. Nowhere did we find a place where we could have landed: although the jungle ...
[ { "content": "Some disabled people use a special card when they park their cars. These are called disabled placards, which are removable signs that can be hung from the rear-view mirror of a car. These placards are only supposed to be for disabled people. These placards are meant to help disabled people in a n...
[ { "content": "In choosing a friend, one should be very careful. A good friend can help you study. You can have fun together and make each other happy. Sometimes you will meet fair-weather friends. They will be with you as long as you have money or luck, but when you are down, they will run away. How do I know w...
[ { "content": "Teachers spend countless years trying to make history come alive for their students. But, prefix = st1 /USDirector Shawn Levy attempts to do this on film in the recently released Night at the Museum. The film is adapted from Milan Trenc's book of the same name. It brings to life a world where din...
[ { "content": "Mr. Black was very forgetful. Each time when Mrs. Black wanted her husband to do something, she had to tell him again and again not to forget it. Once Mr. Black was asked to post a letter, \" Do remember to put it into the letter box on your way to work.\" The wife said. \" This time I won't forge...
[ { "content": "NEW YORK (AP) -- The investigation into the disappearance of 6-year-old Etan Patz has gone through decades and countries, from basements to rooftops and seemingly everywhere in between. No one has ever been charged criminally -- and the little boy with sandy brown hair and a toothy grin was declar...
[ { "content": "The young boy was sitting on the ground in the refugee camp playing with an empty tin.Other children were standing around watching him with envious eyes. Envy? Of an empty tin? This tin was indeed no worthless piece of trash--it was a splendid truck,complete with wheels and grille and floor.The ...
[ { "content": "Ibrahim became disabled after contracting polio when he was three years old. At first his parents, like many other parents of disabled children in Niger, did not want to send him to school. They were worried he would be laughed at by his classmates. Despite his disability, and his parents' doubt...
[ { "content": "Imagine being given the opportunity to wake up to lions, eat your meals with monkeys, and even share your bath with bears, all from the comfort of a unique new lodging experience. The Jamala Wildlife Lodge opened its doors in January 2015, which was set up in an effort to educate visitors about ai...
[ { "content": "My mother fought cancer for almost a decade and died at 56. She held out long enough to meet the first of her grandchildren and to hold him in her arms. But my other children will never have the chance to know her and experience how loving and gracious she was. We often speak of \"Mommy's mommy,\"...
[ { "content": "Parents should stop blaming themselves because there's not a lot they can do about it. I mean the teenager problem. Whatever you do or however you choose to deal with it, at certain times a wonderful, reasonable and helpful child will turn into a terrible animal. I've seen friends deal with _ in a...
[ { "content": "Ellie lived with her six children in a small house. One winter, there was a big flood and quite a few houses were washed away, but Ellie's house was high enough to keep them safe. Many families lost everything in the flood. And Ellie took in one of the families. She shared her home with them until...
[ { "content": "Australia's worst pests are the rabbits, introduced by a settler who released 24 into the wild for sport hunting. In less than 100 years, the rabbits grow into the millions of ones, leaving large areas of land looking like the surface of the moon due to thousands of rabbit caves. The spread of t...
[ { "content": "A new study, conducted by British company Mindlab International, has found that listening to music at work increases accuracy and speed,The Telegraphreported. Perhaps, some parents disagree with this idea, saying, \"Switch off the music and concentrate!\" Well, if that's the case with your parents...
[ { "content": "Oscar, the owner in fee simple, laid out a subdivision of 325 lots on 150 acres of land. He obtained governmental approval (as required by applicable ordinances) and, between 1968 and 1970, he sold 140 of the lots, inserting in each of the 140 deeds the following provision: \"The Grantee, for hims...
[ { "content": "The Smiths are going to visit Hong Kong next summer. They will fly there. They will spend about two weeks there. First, they are going to visit all the places of interest in the city and also do some shopping. They can enjoy shopping until ten o'clock at night. Second, they are going to eat delic...
[ { "content": "To us it seems so natural to put up an umbrella to keep the water off when it rains, But actually the umbrella was not invented as protection against the rain, Its first use was as a shade against the sun! Nobody knows who first invented it, but the umbrella was used in very ancient times. Probabl...
[ { "content": "Mr Brown and Mr Green are in the garden. They are neighbours. Mr Green asks, \"What's the matter?\". Mr Brown says, \"My house is too small! I want a big house!\". Mr Green is very clever. He has a good idea. \"Buy a dog!\" says Mr Green. \"A dog?\" says Mr Brown. \"That's a funny idea! Well, OK.\...
[ { "content": "Lisa Pina never thought she would need the fire safety training she received during her apprenticeship as a union painter and dry waller. On Friday morning,she was thanking God she had _ . On Thursday night,while Pina was babysitting her granddaughter,nephew and two nieces in her sister's apartm...
[ { "content": "If someone wants to use a natural gas in order to assist something necessary, they can\n\nChoices:\nA. use it to bathe in\nB. eat it to die quickly\nC. freeze it to make ice cubes\nD. ignite it to warm their body", "role": "user" }, { "content": "D. ignite it to warm their body", "...
[ { "content": "While English is getting more important in our schools, Chinese has become popular among foreign kids. But Chinese can be more difficult to learn. At least 16-year-old Piao Chenglong thinks so. \"English is easier for me. Chinese characters have too many strokes ,\" said Piao. \"But I want to lea...
[ { "content": "Once when I was six years old I saw an amazing picture in a book called True Stories from Nature about the primeval forest. It was a picture of a boa constrictor in the act of swallowing an animal. In the book it said:\"Boa constrictors swallow their prey whole without chewing it. After that they...
[ { "content": "A Nobel Prize is considered by most people one of the highest international honours a person can receive. As you know, the prizes were started by a Swede called Alfred Nobel. He was born in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. Alfred Nobel was a great scientist. He made two important inventions, and...
[ { "content": "The outer layers of astronauts' space suits are reflective in order to protect them from\n\nChoices:\nA. the vacuum of space.\nB. intense sunlight.\nC. micrometeoroids.\nD. water loss.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "B. intense sunlight.", "role": "assistant" } ]
[ { "content": "Nick Hancock hopes to set a new record by living alone for 60 days on a small island in the Atlantic. Tom McClean, an SAS soldier who holds the solo record for occupying Rockall for 40 days in 1985, told Hancock that being alone for two months was the greatest challenge Hancock would have to face...
[ { "content": "Christmas,Easter and Birthday parties can be difficult times for grandmothers and parents as they rush around trying to arrange the perfect celebration or making everyone as happy as possible! What's better than a birthday party that makes your grandchild smile throughout or a celebration that imp...
[ { "content": "As summer arrives, it's important to drink more, to keep us cool. Let's look to see what drinks are popular in the US. Sports drinks and fruit drinks are quite popular. But there are two main drinks that Americans enjoy most: water and soda. Around 10.9 billion gallons of water is drunk each yea...
[ { "content": "Anne Whitney, a sophomore at Colorado State University, first had a problem taking tests when she began college. \"I was always well prepared for my tests. Sometimes I studied for weeks before a test. Yet I would go in to take the test, only to find I could not answer the questions correctly. I ...
[ { "content": "Come and see the Indian elephants and new tigers from America. The bears are waiting to meet you, and the monkeys from china are waiting to throw things at you. The lovely dogs from Australia are waiting to laugh at you. The giraffes from Zambia are waiting to look down on you. Tickets Adults ...
[ { "content": "It was almost four o'clock in the morning when the fire broke out.\"We watch one window blow out,and then another,and heard people shouting,\"says Stanley,21,a junior from Westfield State College in Massachusetts.Students were throwing ropes made from bed sheets out their windows,and a couple of t...
[ { "content": "When people travel in another city or country ,they sometimes stay in the homes of the local people. This is called _ . It is a great experience because you can meet people from a different country or city and learn something new about that place ...
[ { "content": "In 1834, the clock tower in London was burned down. People planned to build a new clock which would be the biggest and best in the world. So the clock had to be big and keep very good time. The big clock was made in two years. Five more years later the tower was finished. Then people put the big c...
[ { "content": "On school nights, lots of kids have to do their reading before they are allowed to watch TV. Pretty soon, you might get to do both at the same time, in true Harry Potter style. Several companies are racing to produce electronic paper and ink, complete with colors and moving imagines . One idea wou...
[ { "content": "The concept of culture has been defined many times, and although no definition has achieved universal acceptance, most of the definitions include three central ideas: that culture is passed on from generation to generation, that a culture represents a ready-made principle for living and for making...
[ { "content": "It is pretty much a one-way street. While it may be common for university researchers to try their luck in the commercial world, there is very little traffic in the opposite direction. Pay has always been the biggest deterrent, as people with families often feel they cannot afford the drop in sala...
[ { "content": "Looking back on my childhood,I am convinced that naturalists are born and not made.Although we were all brought up in the same way,my brothers and sisters soon abandoned their pressed flowers and insects.Unlike them,I had no ear for music and languages.I was not an early reader and I could not do ...
[ { "content": "A glass item will do this when power is fed to it.\n\nChoices:\nA. shirk\nB. illuminate\nC. shrink\nD. die", "role": "user" }, { "content": "B. illuminate", "role": "assistant" } ]
[ { "content": "One day I was driving to a business appointment and, as usual, I was planning in my mind what I was going to say. I came to a very busy crossroad where the stoplight had just turned red. A young couple, both blind, were walking across the road. Each of them had a white cane . They were overcoming ...
[ { "content": "Nowadays many people have to work very hard in order to live a better life. And the hard they work, the less they pay attention to their health. But it's very important for us to keep healthy in our everyday life. Here are some ways for you to follow. First, you should have a healthy diet. It's ...
[ { "content": "in which one of these classes are you most likely to find graphite?\n\nChoices:\nA. in a yoga class\nB. in a philosophy class\nC. in a physical education class\nD. in a visual art class", "role": "user" }, { "content": "D. in a visual art class", "role": "assistant" } ]
[ { "content": "First aid is the aid or the help which can be given to an injured person first, that is, before any other help comes. Nowadays there is usually a telephone not far away and the first we should do, if a serious accident happens, call the phone for an ambulance. Sometimes our quick action may save s...
[ { "content": "The Atacama Desert is located just west of the Andes, a 1000-km strip of land next to the Pacific Ocean. In spite of its location beside the sea, several studies have shown that this region is the driest place in the world. In the Antofagasta Region of the desert, the average annual rainfall is j...
[ { "content": "I really love this job because I enjoy working with small children. I also think my work is very important. But there was a time when I thought I would never have a job like this. I wasn't the best student because I didn't do much schoolwork. Just before I left school, I started thinking what I mi...
[ { "content": "On the first day of college our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire b...
[ { "content": "For many of us, a little time with our smartphones or iPads before sleep is the highlight of the night. But would you still think it is relaxing if you knew that it damages or destroys your sleep? Scientists say that's exactly what it does. In ancient times, when there were no lamps, telephones or...
[ { "content": "One answer to the question of land shortage was suggested by an organization some years ago. A city was to be built at sea, housing 30,000 people. The suggestion was to shape the city like a harbor .The outer wall of the harbor would stand on steel columns resting on the sea-bed. Naturally this co...
[ { "content": "Tom goes everywhere with Catherine Green, a 54-year-old secretary. He moves around her office at work and goes shopping with her. \"Most people don't seem to mind Tom,\" says Catherine, who thinks he is wonderful. \"He's my fourth child,\" she says. She may think of him and treat him that way as h...
[ { "content": "Which mixture contains ingredients that can be easily separated?\n\nChoices:\nA. bread\nB. fruit salad\nC. ocean water\nD. soda water", "role": "user" }, { "content": "B. fruit salad", "role": "assistant" } ]
[ { "content": "The Italian island of Sardinia recently lost its oldest citizen. Family members say Antonio Todde died in his sleep early this month. Mr. Todde was 112 years old. It was less than three weeks away from his 113thbirthday. Record-keeping experts say he was the world's oldest man. His long l...
[ { "content": "How to improve our life? Many people think that they have to accept whatever life throws at them. They'll say, \"This is my destiny .I cannot change it.\" Of course not! You don't have to suffer needlessly. Your life depends on you, not on any other external factor. I know a woman who says she jus...
[ { "content": "A bee is a pollinating\n\nChoices:\nA. moving alive thing\nB. rock\nC. tree\nD. song", "role": "user" }, { "content": "A. moving alive thing", "role": "assistant" } ]
[ { "content": "If the rose can be said to be a special flower, then the apple can be said to be a special fruit. It is very important in American culture. American stories speak of Johnny Appleseed, who went throughout America collecting apple seeds and planting apple trees. He had a great love for nature and we...
[ { "content": "The tragic death of celebrity Wang Bei has made people aware of the risks of cosmetic surgery, which is becoming increasingly popular. A survey on the reaction to Wang's death, conducted by Tencent, which runs China's most popular instant-messaging service, received more than 600,000 responses, as...
[ { "content": "Do you know that you can lose weight just by eating? If someone tells you that the only way to burn fat and lose weight is by eating like a mouse, you know it is not right. Now you can lose weight by eating the right kinds of foods in the right way! Diet pills or fiber ? Diet pills, while helping...
[ { "content": "I was a dance teacher when I first began working with people who have disabilities. I had thirty students. These were teens and adults up to the age of 40. We learned new steps together. We laughed together and we shared a love of music and fellowship. I had one pupil, Dan, who didn't appear to ge...
[ { "content": "An upper class British lady once declared: \" Anyone seen on a bus after the age of 30 has been a failure in life.\" This may sound arrogant and ignorant. Unfortunately, there are still people thinking that way. Some wealthy folk in the West look down on buses and boast about how many years it ha...
[ { "content": "Do you have any strong opinion on co-educational or single-sex schools? A supporter of co-educational schools would probably say that schools should be like the societies they belong to .In Hong Kong , men and women mix socially on a day-to-day basis .In many fields men are even likely to h...
[ { "content": "We can see them every day, on every street corner, on every construction site in cities. They work day and night in the terrible working conditions and weather. They build the roads, the theaters, the cinemas, and the supermarkets. They're China's _ . More than 140 million workers have left thei...
[ { "content": "The Outdoor Centre Opening times Water sports: 10 a.m. -- 6 p.m. Play Park: 10 a.m. -- 5:30 p.m. Windsurfing -- One-day course Beginner windsurfing courses are offered on Saturdays and Sundays when the weather is good enough. Learning to windsurf is a lot of fun. The excitement when you sail acros...
[ { "content": "Hero Carl West is an unassuming all-American 24 year old . You might think that because he works in a convenience store that he's not the brightest guy you're likely to meet. Yet this slightly scruffy young man in his Nike sneakers , was smart enough to break a fake story that successfully fooled ...
[ { "content": "Once upon a time, there was a little white mouse that lived on a farm. He liked to hide in the hay stacks where it was warm through the day and night. On cold winter days, he would wiggle out from the hay stack to get closer to the lamp in the barn, getting some extra warmth. One winter day, the m...
[ { "content": "What do you like most when you can get one of such things: freedom, true friends, love, honesty and so on? Here are some choices of students: Chen Cheng, 14, Jiangsu: I think I need a true friend. I had some friends before. However, it seemed that they didn't treat me well. I told them my secrets ...
[ { "content": "Sam was a-fifteen-year-old boy living with his little sister, Julie. Their parents had passed away long ago. Sam had taken care of Julie by himself. One day, Sam woke up at three in the morning as usual. When Julie was sleeping alone, Sam left their little house to send newspapers. When he found a...
[ { "content": "How to eat healthfully can be especially complex for working women who often have neither the desire nor the time to cook for themselves (or for anyone else ).Registered dietitian Barbara Morrissey suggests that a few simple rules can help. \"Go for nutrient-dense foods,\"she suggests,\"foods that...
[ { "content": "You're going to high school, aren't you? Maybe you don't know what to do. Well, here's a list of the top six things to do when you're in high school. These things will give you ideas of what your high school life could be like. Here you go! Find your passion and what kind of person you are: Wheth...