Split (1)

train · 99.8k rows

train dict
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "girls usually attended private primary schools", "only girls attended classical schools", "girls did not like going to school", "Maria was a girl of strong will" ], "question": "When she was twelve, Maria made her first important decision about the course of her life. She decided that she wanted to continue her education. Most girls from middle-class families chose to stay home after primary school, though some attended private Catholic \"'finishing\" schools. There they learned a little about music, art, needlework, and how to make polite conversation. This was not the sort of education that interested Maria or her mother. By this time, she had begun to take her studies more seriously. She read constantly and brought her books everywhere. One time she even brought her math book to the theater and tried to study in the dark. Maria knew that she wanted to go on learning in a serious way. That meant attending the public high school, something that very few girls did. In Italy at the time, there were two types of high schools: the \"classical\" schools and the \"technical\" schools. In the classical schools, the students followed a very traditional program of studies, with courses in Latin and Greek language and literature, and Italian literature and history. The few girls who continued studying after primary school usually chose these schools. Maria, however, wanted to attend a technical school. The technical schools were more modern than the classical schools and they offered courses in modern languages, mathematics, science, and accounting. Most people including Maria's father believed that girls would never be able to understand these subjects. Furthermore, they did not think it was proper for girls to study them. Maria did not care if it was proper or not. Math and science were the subjects that interested her most. But before she could sign up for the technical school, she had to win her father's approval. She finally did, with her mother's help, though for many years after, there was tension in the family. Maria's father continued to oppose her plans, while her mother helped her. In 1883, at age thirteen, Maria entered the \"Regia Scuola Tecnica Michelangelo Buonarroti\" in Rome. Her experience at this school is difficult for us to imagine. Though the courses included modern subjects, the teaching methods were very traditional. Learning consisted of memorizing long lists of facts and repeating them back to the teacher. Students were not supposed to ask questions or think for themselves in any way. Teachers were very demanding, discipline in the classroom was strict, and punishment was severe for those who failed to achieve or were disobedient. We can infer from this passage that _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "He majored in mechanical engineering and automation.", "He had a good coach and wonderful teammates.", "He loved what he did and would stick to it.", "He was highly thought of by Wu Junqi." ], "question": "With eight bloodshot eyes fixed on a flying object, the pains of a two-year project were about to bear fruit. It was Wang Hongyi's first test flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed and assembled with his teammates from the Aero-Sport Club at Shanghai Jiaotong University. Wang is a senior mechanical engineering and automation major. He has been a plane model fan since childhood. As a freshman, he spent two nights building a model aircraft and took it to the sports field just for fun. Wu Junqi, the coach of Shanghai Jiaotong University's Aero-Sport Club, spotted Wang and told him his model was outdated. \"I was a little angry, so he took me to the lab,\" says Wang. He was immediately drawn to the modern equipment and decided to join the club. As a technology fan, Wang spends most of his spare time in the lab. \"He loves what he's doing, so he can stand the loneliness of doing research that others seldom have the persistence to carry out.\" says coach Wu. When Wang and his teammates were building UAV, they lived together in the lab. \"We tried to spend as much time together as possible because there were thousands of problems that needed to be solved.\" Wang says. They didn't even have time to celebrate when the first test flight of the UAV went well. \"We needed to list the problems that occurred during the flight and analyze them to find solutions.\" he says. \"Our UAV isn't finished yet, but there are many design projects and people with similar interests waiting for me.\" Wang says. \"The UAV is just the beginning, not the end of my aircraft journey.\" Why did Wang succeed in doing the research?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "Encourage students to learn from Wang Hongyi.", "Tell readers about UAV development in China.", "Inform readers about Wang Hongyi and his UAV.", "Call on readers to do what interests them." ], "question": "With eight bloodshot eyes fixed on a flying object, the pains of a two-year project were about to bear fruit. It was Wang Hongyi's first test flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed and assembled with his teammates from the Aero-Sport Club at Shanghai Jiaotong University. Wang is a senior mechanical engineering and automation major. He has been a plane model fan since childhood. As a freshman, he spent two nights building a model aircraft and took it to the sports field just for fun. Wu Junqi, the coach of Shanghai Jiaotong University's Aero-Sport Club, spotted Wang and told him his model was outdated. \"I was a little angry, so he took me to the lab,\" says Wang. He was immediately drawn to the modern equipment and decided to join the club. As a technology fan, Wang spends most of his spare time in the lab. \"He loves what he's doing, so he can stand the loneliness of doing research that others seldom have the persistence to carry out.\" says coach Wu. When Wang and his teammates were building UAV, they lived together in the lab. \"We tried to spend as much time together as possible because there were thousands of problems that needed to be solved.\" Wang says. They didn't even have time to celebrate when the first test flight of the UAV went well. \"We needed to list the problems that occurred during the flight and analyze them to find solutions.\" he says. \"Our UAV isn't finished yet, but there are many design projects and people with similar interests waiting for me.\" Wang says. \"The UAV is just the beginning, not the end of my aircraft journey.\" What does the writer want to do by writing the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "Nothing is difficult if you put your heart into it.", "Two heads are better than one.", "Interest is the best teacher.", "Actions speak louder than words." ], "question": "With eight bloodshot eyes fixed on a flying object, the pains of a two-year project were about to bear fruit. It was Wang Hongyi's first test flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed and assembled with his teammates from the Aero-Sport Club at Shanghai Jiaotong University. Wang is a senior mechanical engineering and automation major. He has been a plane model fan since childhood. As a freshman, he spent two nights building a model aircraft and took it to the sports field just for fun. Wu Junqi, the coach of Shanghai Jiaotong University's Aero-Sport Club, spotted Wang and told him his model was outdated. \"I was a little angry, so he took me to the lab,\" says Wang. He was immediately drawn to the modern equipment and decided to join the club. As a technology fan, Wang spends most of his spare time in the lab. \"He loves what he's doing, so he can stand the loneliness of doing research that others seldom have the persistence to carry out.\" says coach Wu. When Wang and his teammates were building UAV, they lived together in the lab. \"We tried to spend as much time together as possible because there were thousands of problems that needed to be solved.\" Wang says. They didn't even have time to celebrate when the first test flight of the UAV went well. \"We needed to list the problems that occurred during the flight and analyze them to find solutions.\" he says. \"Our UAV isn't finished yet, but there are many design projects and people with similar interests waiting for me.\" Wang says. \"The UAV is just the beginning, not the end of my aircraft journey.\" What message does Wang Hongyi's story convey to us?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "get his gold pieces back", "see if the farm had improved", "get shelter for the night", "give the farmer more money" ], "question": "There was once a farmer. His land was hilly and the soil was not the best. He had a cow that wasn't giving much milk and he had chickens who were laying few eggs. The place looked run-down and the barn and fences needed repair. The farmer and his wife felt _ . One stormy evening, a poorly-dressed man knocked on their door, asking if he could get shelter for the night. They shared the food that had been prepared, while they talked a great deal about the farm. When the stranger left the following morning, he thanked the farmer and his wife and pulled a little bag of gold pieces out of his pocket. He said that maybe this would help them. He added that he'd come by next year with hopes of finding a revived farm. After this, the farmer and his wife often talked about whether they should buy a more promising cow. Other times they considered whether they should buy chickens who laid more eggs. However, every conversation ended with the farmer trusting the farm would improve as he found himself fixing the barn and the fences, caring for the animals, preparing food for themselves and their animals. The farmer beamed when the stranger did come by again a year later. Everything looked so much better. The stranger asked, \"What did you use the gold for?\" The farmer said, \"We hid the gold under a kitchen tile and, while we often thought of it, we never did think of anything we needed the gold for.\" Then the farmer added thoughtfully, \"I do thank you, though, ever so much. You gave us what we really needed to keep going -- you lifted our spirits.\" Saying that, the farmer removed the tile and cheerfully returned the gold to the stranger. One year later, the stranger visited the farmer to _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "land rich enough to farm on", "something to keep their spirits up", "scientific knowledge of agriculture", "money to improve his farm" ], "question": "There was once a farmer. His land was hilly and the soil was not the best. He had a cow that wasn't giving much milk and he had chickens who were laying few eggs. The place looked run-down and the barn and fences needed repair. The farmer and his wife felt _ . One stormy evening, a poorly-dressed man knocked on their door, asking if he could get shelter for the night. They shared the food that had been prepared, while they talked a great deal about the farm. When the stranger left the following morning, he thanked the farmer and his wife and pulled a little bag of gold pieces out of his pocket. He said that maybe this would help them. He added that he'd come by next year with hopes of finding a revived farm. After this, the farmer and his wife often talked about whether they should buy a more promising cow. Other times they considered whether they should buy chickens who laid more eggs. However, every conversation ended with the farmer trusting the farm would improve as he found himself fixing the barn and the fences, caring for the animals, preparing food for themselves and their animals. The farmer beamed when the stranger did come by again a year later. Everything looked so much better. The stranger asked, \"What did you use the gold for?\" The farmer said, \"We hid the gold under a kitchen tile and, while we often thought of it, we never did think of anything we needed the gold for.\" Then the farmer added thoughtfully, \"I do thank you, though, ever so much. You gave us what we really needed to keep going -- you lifted our spirits.\" Saying that, the farmer removed the tile and cheerfully returned the gold to the stranger. From the passage, we can conclude that what the farmer really needed was _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "Mickey Mouse.", "Clarence Nash.", "Walter Disney.", "Pluto." ], "question": "In 1933 an unknown American called Clarence Nash went to see the film-maker Walter Disney. He had an unusual voice and he wanted to work in Disney's cartoon film for children. When Walter Disney heard Nash's voice, he said, \"Stop! That's our duck!\" The duck was the now-famous Donald Duck, who first appeared in 1934 in the film, The Wise Little Hen. Donald lived in an old houseboat and worn his sailor jacket and hat. Later that year he became a star after an eight minute Mickey Mouse film. The cinema audiences liked him because he was lazy and greedy, and because he lost his temper very easily. And they loved his voice when he became angry with Mickey's eight nephews. Soon Donald was more popular than Mickey Mouse himself, probably because he wasn't a goody-goody, like Mickey. In the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, Donald and his friends Mickey, Goofy and Pluto made hundreds of Disney cartoons. He also made educational film about the place of the USA in the world, and safety in the home. Then in 1966 Donald Duck and his voice disappeared--there were no more new cartoons. Clarence Nash died in February, 1985. But today's Children can still see the old cartoons on the television and hear that famous voice. Who made Donald Duck cartoons?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "In 1933", "In 1934", "In 1966", "In 1965" ], "question": "In 1933 an unknown American called Clarence Nash went to see the film-maker Walter Disney. He had an unusual voice and he wanted to work in Disney's cartoon film for children. When Walter Disney heard Nash's voice, he said, \"Stop! That's our duck!\" The duck was the now-famous Donald Duck, who first appeared in 1934 in the film, The Wise Little Hen. Donald lived in an old houseboat and worn his sailor jacket and hat. Later that year he became a star after an eight minute Mickey Mouse film. The cinema audiences liked him because he was lazy and greedy, and because he lost his temper very easily. And they loved his voice when he became angry with Mickey's eight nephews. Soon Donald was more popular than Mickey Mouse himself, probably because he wasn't a goody-goody, like Mickey. In the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, Donald and his friends Mickey, Goofy and Pluto made hundreds of Disney cartoons. He also made educational film about the place of the USA in the world, and safety in the home. Then in 1966 Donald Duck and his voice disappeared--there were no more new cartoons. Clarence Nash died in February, 1985. But today's Children can still see the old cartoons on the television and hear that famous voice. When did the first Donald Duck film appear?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "A cartoonist.", "A writer.", "A film maker.", "The man who made the voice for Donald Duck." ], "question": "In 1933 an unknown American called Clarence Nash went to see the film-maker Walter Disney. He had an unusual voice and he wanted to work in Disney's cartoon film for children. When Walter Disney heard Nash's voice, he said, \"Stop! That's our duck!\" The duck was the now-famous Donald Duck, who first appeared in 1934 in the film, The Wise Little Hen. Donald lived in an old houseboat and worn his sailor jacket and hat. Later that year he became a star after an eight minute Mickey Mouse film. The cinema audiences liked him because he was lazy and greedy, and because he lost his temper very easily. And they loved his voice when he became angry with Mickey's eight nephews. Soon Donald was more popular than Mickey Mouse himself, probably because he wasn't a goody-goody, like Mickey. In the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, Donald and his friends Mickey, Goofy and Pluto made hundreds of Disney cartoons. He also made educational film about the place of the USA in the world, and safety in the home. Then in 1966 Donald Duck and his voice disappeared--there were no more new cartoons. Clarence Nash died in February, 1985. But today's Children can still see the old cartoons on the television and hear that famous voice. Who was Clarence Nash?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "In new cartoons.", "At the cinema.", "On television.", "In the theatre." ], "question": "In 1933 an unknown American called Clarence Nash went to see the film-maker Walter Disney. He had an unusual voice and he wanted to work in Disney's cartoon film for children. When Walter Disney heard Nash's voice, he said, \"Stop! That's our duck!\" The duck was the now-famous Donald Duck, who first appeared in 1934 in the film, The Wise Little Hen. Donald lived in an old houseboat and worn his sailor jacket and hat. Later that year he became a star after an eight minute Mickey Mouse film. The cinema audiences liked him because he was lazy and greedy, and because he lost his temper very easily. And they loved his voice when he became angry with Mickey's eight nephews. Soon Donald was more popular than Mickey Mouse himself, probably because he wasn't a goody-goody, like Mickey. In the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, Donald and his friends Mickey, Goofy and Pluto made hundreds of Disney cartoons. He also made educational film about the place of the USA in the world, and safety in the home. Then in 1966 Donald Duck and his voice disappeared--there were no more new cartoons. Clarence Nash died in February, 1985. But today's Children can still see the old cartoons on the television and hear that famous voice. Where do today's children see Donald Duck cartoons?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "Probably because he was lazy and greedy.", "Probably because he wasn't a goody--goody like Mickey.", "Probably because he lost his temper very easily.", "Probably because he became angry with Mickey's eight nephews." ], "question": "In 1933 an unknown American called Clarence Nash went to see the film-maker Walter Disney. He had an unusual voice and he wanted to work in Disney's cartoon film for children. When Walter Disney heard Nash's voice, he said, \"Stop! That's our duck!\" The duck was the now-famous Donald Duck, who first appeared in 1934 in the film, The Wise Little Hen. Donald lived in an old houseboat and worn his sailor jacket and hat. Later that year he became a star after an eight minute Mickey Mouse film. The cinema audiences liked him because he was lazy and greedy, and because he lost his temper very easily. And they loved his voice when he became angry with Mickey's eight nephews. Soon Donald was more popular than Mickey Mouse himself, probably because he wasn't a goody-goody, like Mickey. In the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, Donald and his friends Mickey, Goofy and Pluto made hundreds of Disney cartoons. He also made educational film about the place of the USA in the world, and safety in the home. Then in 1966 Donald Duck and his voice disappeared--there were no more new cartoons. Clarence Nash died in February, 1985. But today's Children can still see the old cartoons on the television and hear that famous voice. Why did people like Donald better than Mickey Mouse?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "saving electricity and cost in Japan", "reducing carbon dioxide emission at home", "improving Japanese citizens' lifestyle", "making full use of morning sunlight" ], "question": "The Japanese government has launched a campaign encouraging people to go to bed and get up extra early in order to reduce household carbon dioxide emissions . The Morning Challenge campaign, launched by the Environment Ministry, is based on the belief that changing late night electricity for an extra hour of morning sunlight could greatly cut the nation's _ . A typical family can reduce its carbon dioxide footprint by 85kg a year if everyone goes to bed and gets up one hour earlier, according to the campaign. The amount of carbon dioxide emissions that might be saved from going to bed an hour earlier equals 20% of annual emissions from household lights. \"Many Japanese people waste electrical power at night-time, for example, by watching TV until very late,\" a ministry spokesperson told The Daily Telegraph. \"But going to bed early and getting up early can avoid wasting electrical power which causes carbon dioxide emissions. If people change their lifestyle, we can save energy and reduce emissions.\" The campaign also suggests that people take advantage of an extra hour of morning sunlight by improving their lifestyle in general by running, doing yoga and eating a nutritious breakfast. It is the latest initiative fighting climate change by the Japanese Environment Ministry, which is faced with the challenge of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 25% from the level of 1990 within the next decade. It was the same government department that launched the Cool Biz campaign five years ago, which encourages workers to wear short-sleeved shirts and offices not to turn air conditioner lower than 28 degrees Celsius during summer. The Morning Challenge campaign is aimed at _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "work out together", "exercise outdoors", "enjoy the sunshine", "live a healthier life" ], "question": "The Japanese government has launched a campaign encouraging people to go to bed and get up extra early in order to reduce household carbon dioxide emissions . The Morning Challenge campaign, launched by the Environment Ministry, is based on the belief that changing late night electricity for an extra hour of morning sunlight could greatly cut the nation's _ . A typical family can reduce its carbon dioxide footprint by 85kg a year if everyone goes to bed and gets up one hour earlier, according to the campaign. The amount of carbon dioxide emissions that might be saved from going to bed an hour earlier equals 20% of annual emissions from household lights. \"Many Japanese people waste electrical power at night-time, for example, by watching TV until very late,\" a ministry spokesperson told The Daily Telegraph. \"But going to bed early and getting up early can avoid wasting electrical power which causes carbon dioxide emissions. If people change their lifestyle, we can save energy and reduce emissions.\" The campaign also suggests that people take advantage of an extra hour of morning sunlight by improving their lifestyle in general by running, doing yoga and eating a nutritious breakfast. It is the latest initiative fighting climate change by the Japanese Environment Ministry, which is faced with the challenge of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 25% from the level of 1990 within the next decade. It was the same government department that launched the Cool Biz campaign five years ago, which encourages workers to wear short-sleeved shirts and offices not to turn air conditioner lower than 28 degrees Celsius during summer. Getting up an hour earlier, people are advised to _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "25%", "85%", "28%", "20%" ], "question": "The Japanese government has launched a campaign encouraging people to go to bed and get up extra early in order to reduce household carbon dioxide emissions . The Morning Challenge campaign, launched by the Environment Ministry, is based on the belief that changing late night electricity for an extra hour of morning sunlight could greatly cut the nation's _ . A typical family can reduce its carbon dioxide footprint by 85kg a year if everyone goes to bed and gets up one hour earlier, according to the campaign. The amount of carbon dioxide emissions that might be saved from going to bed an hour earlier equals 20% of annual emissions from household lights. \"Many Japanese people waste electrical power at night-time, for example, by watching TV until very late,\" a ministry spokesperson told The Daily Telegraph. \"But going to bed early and getting up early can avoid wasting electrical power which causes carbon dioxide emissions. If people change their lifestyle, we can save energy and reduce emissions.\" The campaign also suggests that people take advantage of an extra hour of morning sunlight by improving their lifestyle in general by running, doing yoga and eating a nutritious breakfast. It is the latest initiative fighting climate change by the Japanese Environment Ministry, which is faced with the challenge of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 25% from the level of 1990 within the next decade. It was the same government department that launched the Cool Biz campaign five years ago, which encourages workers to wear short-sleeved shirts and offices not to turn air conditioner lower than 28 degrees Celsius during summer. By 2020, the Japanese hope to reduce carbon dioxide emission from the level of 1990 by _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "Exciting", "Silly but cute", "Funny", "Happy" ], "question": "Rush Hour 15:00 23:00 My Life as Mcdull 9:00 13:00 1Action Movie Do you like Jackie Chan? Rush Hour is another movie of his. It's so exciting. Come and have fun! 2Cartoon Mcdull is a little pig. He's kind of silly but he's very cute. Do you want to enjoy happiness with him? Be sure to watch it! Mr. Bean 11:00 19:00 Harry Potter III 17:00 21:00 3Comedy Rowan is a great actor. His movie Mr. Bean is coming. It's very funny. Don't miss it! 4Science Fiction Harry Potter has been in the wizardry school for three years. He begins a new life. How is everything going? What do you think of Mcdull?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "Rush Hour.", "My life as Mcdull.", "Mr. Bean.", "Harry PotterIII." ], "question": "Rush Hour 15:00 23:00 My Life as Mcdull 9:00 13:00 1Action Movie Do you like Jackie Chan? Rush Hour is another movie of his. It's so exciting. Come and have fun! 2Cartoon Mcdull is a little pig. He's kind of silly but he's very cute. Do you want to enjoy happiness with him? Be sure to watch it! Mr. Bean 11:00 19:00 Harry Potter III 17:00 21:00 3Comedy Rowan is a great actor. His movie Mr. Bean is coming. It's very funny. Don't miss it! 4Science Fiction Harry Potter has been in the wizardry school for three years. He begins a new life. How is everything going? Mr.Li finishes his lessons at 22: 00, which film can he enjoy on Thursday evening?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "Action Movie.", "Cartoon.", "Comedy.", "Science Fiction." ], "question": "Rush Hour 15:00 23:00 My Life as Mcdull 9:00 13:00 1Action Movie Do you like Jackie Chan? Rush Hour is another movie of his. It's so exciting. Come and have fun! 2Cartoon Mcdull is a little pig. He's kind of silly but he's very cute. Do you want to enjoy happiness with him? Be sure to watch it! Mr. Bean 11:00 19:00 Harry Potter III 17:00 21:00 3Comedy Rowan is a great actor. His movie Mr. Bean is coming. It's very funny. Don't miss it! 4Science Fiction Harry Potter has been in the wizardry school for three years. He begins a new life. How is everything going? What kind of movie is Mr. Bean?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "Jackie Chan.", "Rowan.", "Mcdull.", "Harry Potter." ], "question": "Rush Hour 15:00 23:00 My Life as Mcdull 9:00 13:00 1Action Movie Do you like Jackie Chan? Rush Hour is another movie of his. It's so exciting. Come and have fun! 2Cartoon Mcdull is a little pig. He's kind of silly but he's very cute. Do you want to enjoy happiness with him? Be sure to watch it! Mr. Bean 11:00 19:00 Harry Potter III 17:00 21:00 3Comedy Rowan is a great actor. His movie Mr. Bean is coming. It's very funny. Don't miss it! 4Science Fiction Harry Potter has been in the wizardry school for three years. He begins a new life. How is everything going? Who is an action movie character?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "A city that submits a proposal", "A majority winner in voting", "A city that has perfect time zone", "One that hasn't hosted the Games" ], "question": "If a city wishes to host the Olympics, it must submit a proposal to the IOC. After all proposals have been submitted, the IOC votes. If no city with the fewest votes is eliminated, the voting continues, until a majority winner is determined. Typically the Games are awarded several years in advance, allowing the winning city time to prepare for the Games. In selecting the site of the Olympic Games, the IOC considers a number of factors, and chiefly among them is which organizing committee seems most likely to stage the Games effectively. The IOC also considers which parts of the world have not yet hosted the Games. For instance, Tokyo, the host of the 1964 Summer Games, and Beijing, that of the 2008 Games, were chosen in part to popularize the Olympic movement in Asia. Because of growing importance television worldwide, the IOC in recent years has also taken into account the host city's time zone. Whenever the Games take place in the USA or Canada, for example, American television networks are willing to pay specially higher amounts for television rights because they can broadcast popular events live in the best viewing hours. Once the Games have been awarded, it is the duty of the local organizing committee----not the IOC or the NOC of the host city's country to provide them with money. This is often done with a part of the Olympic television revenues , and corporate sponsorships , tickets sales, and other smaller revenue sources. In many cases there is also direct government support. Although many cities have achieved amounts of money by hosting the Games, the Olympics can be financially risky. When the financial gains from the Games were less than expected, the city was left with large debts. _ will be determined to host the Olympic Games by the IOC.", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "can't broadcast popular events live in the best viewing hours", "will be forbidden to broadcast live sporting events", "are willing to pay much higher amounts for television rights", "will not pay for the Canadian television networks" ], "question": "If a city wishes to host the Olympics, it must submit a proposal to the IOC. After all proposals have been submitted, the IOC votes. If no city with the fewest votes is eliminated, the voting continues, until a majority winner is determined. Typically the Games are awarded several years in advance, allowing the winning city time to prepare for the Games. In selecting the site of the Olympic Games, the IOC considers a number of factors, and chiefly among them is which organizing committee seems most likely to stage the Games effectively. The IOC also considers which parts of the world have not yet hosted the Games. For instance, Tokyo, the host of the 1964 Summer Games, and Beijing, that of the 2008 Games, were chosen in part to popularize the Olympic movement in Asia. Because of growing importance television worldwide, the IOC in recent years has also taken into account the host city's time zone. Whenever the Games take place in the USA or Canada, for example, American television networks are willing to pay specially higher amounts for television rights because they can broadcast popular events live in the best viewing hours. Once the Games have been awarded, it is the duty of the local organizing committee----not the IOC or the NOC of the host city's country to provide them with money. This is often done with a part of the Olympic television revenues , and corporate sponsorships , tickets sales, and other smaller revenue sources. In many cases there is also direct government support. Although many cities have achieved amounts of money by hosting the Games, the Olympics can be financially risky. When the financial gains from the Games were less than expected, the city was left with large debts. If the Games take place in Canada, American television networks _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "How to host Olympic Games", "Winner or loser", "Applying for host for Olympics", "The Olympic Games" ], "question": "If a city wishes to host the Olympics, it must submit a proposal to the IOC. After all proposals have been submitted, the IOC votes. If no city with the fewest votes is eliminated, the voting continues, until a majority winner is determined. Typically the Games are awarded several years in advance, allowing the winning city time to prepare for the Games. In selecting the site of the Olympic Games, the IOC considers a number of factors, and chiefly among them is which organizing committee seems most likely to stage the Games effectively. The IOC also considers which parts of the world have not yet hosted the Games. For instance, Tokyo, the host of the 1964 Summer Games, and Beijing, that of the 2008 Games, were chosen in part to popularize the Olympic movement in Asia. Because of growing importance television worldwide, the IOC in recent years has also taken into account the host city's time zone. Whenever the Games take place in the USA or Canada, for example, American television networks are willing to pay specially higher amounts for television rights because they can broadcast popular events live in the best viewing hours. Once the Games have been awarded, it is the duty of the local organizing committee----not the IOC or the NOC of the host city's country to provide them with money. This is often done with a part of the Olympic television revenues , and corporate sponsorships , tickets sales, and other smaller revenue sources. In many cases there is also direct government support. Although many cities have achieved amounts of money by hosting the Games, the Olympics can be financially risky. When the financial gains from the Games were less than expected, the city was left with large debts. Which of the following can be the best title of this passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "complain about sending him books he had not ordered.", "urge Cosmo Books Ltd. to take away the books he had not ordered.", "laugh at Cosmo Books Ltd..", "advise readers not to order books from Cosmo Books Ltd.." ], "question": "Cosmo Books Ltd., 14, Woodman Road, Hertford Estate, Two Bridges, Rickmansworth, West Sussex. Middx. 25thFebruary Dear sir, Just over six months ago, I saw an advertisement in the Morning Mail for a set of the complete works of William Shakespeare. Your company, Cosmo books Ltd., offered this set ( eight books of plays and two books of poetry) at what was claimed to be a 'remarkable' price: fifteen pounds and fifty pence, including postage and packing. I had wanted a set of Shakespeare's plays and poems for some time, and these books, in red imitation leather, looked particularly attractive; so I sent for them. Two weeks later, the books arrived, together with a set of the complete works of Charles Dickens which I had not ordered. So I returned the Dickens books to you, with a cheque for fifteen pounds and fifty pence for the works of Shakespeare. Two more weeks passed. Then there arrived on my door step a second set of the works of Shakespeare, the same set of novels by Dickens and a six book set of the plays of Moliere, in French. Since I do not read French, these were of no use to me at all. However, I could not afford to post all these books back to you, so I wrote to you at the end of August of last year, instructing you to come and collect all the books that I did not want, and asking you not to send any other books until further notice. You did not reply to that letter. Instead you sent me a bill for forty two pounds , and a set of the plays of Schiller, in German. Since then, a new set of books has arrived every two weeks, the works of Goethe, the poems of Milton, the plays of Strindberg; I hardly know what I have. The books are still all in their boxes, in the garage, and my car has to stand in the rain outside. I have no room for any more books, and even if I read from now until the Last Judgement, I should not finish reading all the books that you have sent me. Please send no more books, send no more bills, send no more angry letters demanding payment. Just send one large lorry and take all the books away, leaving me only with the one set of the complete works of Shakespeare for which I have paid. Yours faithfully, SIMON WALKER Simon Walker wrote the letter to _", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "unlimited number of Cosmo Books.", "a set of 10 books of the works of Shakespeare.", "a book containing all the plays and poems of Shakespeare.", "fifteen pounds and fifty pence." ], "question": "Cosmo Books Ltd., 14, Woodman Road, Hertford Estate, Two Bridges, Rickmansworth, West Sussex. Middx. 25thFebruary Dear sir, Just over six months ago, I saw an advertisement in the Morning Mail for a set of the complete works of William Shakespeare. Your company, Cosmo books Ltd., offered this set ( eight books of plays and two books of poetry) at what was claimed to be a 'remarkable' price: fifteen pounds and fifty pence, including postage and packing. I had wanted a set of Shakespeare's plays and poems for some time, and these books, in red imitation leather, looked particularly attractive; so I sent for them. Two weeks later, the books arrived, together with a set of the complete works of Charles Dickens which I had not ordered. So I returned the Dickens books to you, with a cheque for fifteen pounds and fifty pence for the works of Shakespeare. Two more weeks passed. Then there arrived on my door step a second set of the works of Shakespeare, the same set of novels by Dickens and a six book set of the plays of Moliere, in French. Since I do not read French, these were of no use to me at all. However, I could not afford to post all these books back to you, so I wrote to you at the end of August of last year, instructing you to come and collect all the books that I did not want, and asking you not to send any other books until further notice. You did not reply to that letter. Instead you sent me a bill for forty two pounds , and a set of the plays of Schiller, in German. Since then, a new set of books has arrived every two weeks, the works of Goethe, the poems of Milton, the plays of Strindberg; I hardly know what I have. The books are still all in their boxes, in the garage, and my car has to stand in the rain outside. I have no room for any more books, and even if I read from now until the Last Judgement, I should not finish reading all the books that you have sent me. Please send no more books, send no more bills, send no more angry letters demanding payment. Just send one large lorry and take all the books away, leaving me only with the one set of the complete works of Shakespeare for which I have paid. Yours faithfully, SIMON WALKER The advertisement that Mr. Walker saw in the Morning Mail was for _", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "he wanted a set of Shakespeare's works, and this set was cheap, and looked attractive.", "he claimed that the books were being offered at a remarkable price.", "he had ordered the set and had been waiting for them to come for some time.", "the set he already had was not particularly attractive." ], "question": "Cosmo Books Ltd., 14, Woodman Road, Hertford Estate, Two Bridges, Rickmansworth, West Sussex. Middx. 25thFebruary Dear sir, Just over six months ago, I saw an advertisement in the Morning Mail for a set of the complete works of William Shakespeare. Your company, Cosmo books Ltd., offered this set ( eight books of plays and two books of poetry) at what was claimed to be a 'remarkable' price: fifteen pounds and fifty pence, including postage and packing. I had wanted a set of Shakespeare's plays and poems for some time, and these books, in red imitation leather, looked particularly attractive; so I sent for them. Two weeks later, the books arrived, together with a set of the complete works of Charles Dickens which I had not ordered. So I returned the Dickens books to you, with a cheque for fifteen pounds and fifty pence for the works of Shakespeare. Two more weeks passed. Then there arrived on my door step a second set of the works of Shakespeare, the same set of novels by Dickens and a six book set of the plays of Moliere, in French. Since I do not read French, these were of no use to me at all. However, I could not afford to post all these books back to you, so I wrote to you at the end of August of last year, instructing you to come and collect all the books that I did not want, and asking you not to send any other books until further notice. You did not reply to that letter. Instead you sent me a bill for forty two pounds , and a set of the plays of Schiller, in German. Since then, a new set of books has arrived every two weeks, the works of Goethe, the poems of Milton, the plays of Strindberg; I hardly know what I have. The books are still all in their boxes, in the garage, and my car has to stand in the rain outside. I have no room for any more books, and even if I read from now until the Last Judgement, I should not finish reading all the books that you have sent me. Please send no more books, send no more bills, send no more angry letters demanding payment. Just send one large lorry and take all the books away, leaving me only with the one set of the complete works of Shakespeare for which I have paid. Yours faithfully, SIMON WALKER Mr. walker answered the advertisement because _", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "sent bills for books that they have not sent.", "continued to send books that Mr. Walker did not order.", "still not sent Mr. Walker the books that he ordered.", "made a gift to Mr. Walker of several sets of books." ], "question": "Cosmo Books Ltd., 14, Woodman Road, Hertford Estate, Two Bridges, Rickmansworth, West Sussex. Middx. 25thFebruary Dear sir, Just over six months ago, I saw an advertisement in the Morning Mail for a set of the complete works of William Shakespeare. Your company, Cosmo books Ltd., offered this set ( eight books of plays and two books of poetry) at what was claimed to be a 'remarkable' price: fifteen pounds and fifty pence, including postage and packing. I had wanted a set of Shakespeare's plays and poems for some time, and these books, in red imitation leather, looked particularly attractive; so I sent for them. Two weeks later, the books arrived, together with a set of the complete works of Charles Dickens which I had not ordered. So I returned the Dickens books to you, with a cheque for fifteen pounds and fifty pence for the works of Shakespeare. Two more weeks passed. Then there arrived on my door step a second set of the works of Shakespeare, the same set of novels by Dickens and a six book set of the plays of Moliere, in French. Since I do not read French, these were of no use to me at all. However, I could not afford to post all these books back to you, so I wrote to you at the end of August of last year, instructing you to come and collect all the books that I did not want, and asking you not to send any other books until further notice. You did not reply to that letter. Instead you sent me a bill for forty two pounds , and a set of the plays of Schiller, in German. Since then, a new set of books has arrived every two weeks, the works of Goethe, the poems of Milton, the plays of Strindberg; I hardly know what I have. The books are still all in their boxes, in the garage, and my car has to stand in the rain outside. I have no room for any more books, and even if I read from now until the Last Judgement, I should not finish reading all the books that you have sent me. Please send no more books, send no more bills, send no more angry letters demanding payment. Just send one large lorry and take all the books away, leaving me only with the one set of the complete works of Shakespeare for which I have paid. Yours faithfully, SIMON WALKER Cosmo Books have _", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "bitterness", "respect", "annoyance", "humor" ], "question": "Cosmo Books Ltd., 14, Woodman Road, Hertford Estate, Two Bridges, Rickmansworth, West Sussex. Middx. 25thFebruary Dear sir, Just over six months ago, I saw an advertisement in the Morning Mail for a set of the complete works of William Shakespeare. Your company, Cosmo books Ltd., offered this set ( eight books of plays and two books of poetry) at what was claimed to be a 'remarkable' price: fifteen pounds and fifty pence, including postage and packing. I had wanted a set of Shakespeare's plays and poems for some time, and these books, in red imitation leather, looked particularly attractive; so I sent for them. Two weeks later, the books arrived, together with a set of the complete works of Charles Dickens which I had not ordered. So I returned the Dickens books to you, with a cheque for fifteen pounds and fifty pence for the works of Shakespeare. Two more weeks passed. Then there arrived on my door step a second set of the works of Shakespeare, the same set of novels by Dickens and a six book set of the plays of Moliere, in French. Since I do not read French, these were of no use to me at all. However, I could not afford to post all these books back to you, so I wrote to you at the end of August of last year, instructing you to come and collect all the books that I did not want, and asking you not to send any other books until further notice. You did not reply to that letter. Instead you sent me a bill for forty two pounds , and a set of the plays of Schiller, in German. Since then, a new set of books has arrived every two weeks, the works of Goethe, the poems of Milton, the plays of Strindberg; I hardly know what I have. The books are still all in their boxes, in the garage, and my car has to stand in the rain outside. I have no room for any more books, and even if I read from now until the Last Judgement, I should not finish reading all the books that you have sent me. Please send no more books, send no more bills, send no more angry letters demanding payment. Just send one large lorry and take all the books away, leaving me only with the one set of the complete works of Shakespeare for which I have paid. Yours faithfully, SIMON WALKER The tone of the letter is that of _", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "express dissatisfaction with his parents", "ask for advice seriously", "make his father punished", "just make a joke" ], "question": "Dear Michelle, My Dad hates my Mom. He tells me that she is a liar and that I should not trust her. Of course, they are divorced but they have \"joint custody\" . What a joke! I am 15, my brother is nine, and we have a life of hell, frankly. We live one week on and one week off. This was the brilliant idea of both of my parents, which was fair to them but ruining my life. I cannot get away from his voice and his putting my mom down. Sometimes I think about running away. A Hopeless Ant Dear Hopeless Ant, First, thank you for trusting me with your problem. If all you said is correct, then there are several things that you can and should do to help yourself, your brother, and oddly enough, your parents. You need a family counselor. Such a person could listen to each family member alone and then meet together to talk about the situation. If refused, you need to talk to a counselor in your school. You need to be heard, and you need an adult who will listen. A school counselor can organize a meeting with your parents. Perhaps you need to write to your mother. Writing things down allows people to go over it more than one time. I cannot imagine that she will stand passively by and do nothing at all to help once she reads how you feel. Your father needs a letter as well. He may not realize the destructive effect that it has on his children. Lastly, have a plan in mind when all else fails that is not self-destructive. Life passes very quickly, sweetheart, and you will grow up and have your own life. Until then, you need to keep yourself safe. Never doubt that it will get better. Write back and let me know how everything is going. Michelle The Hopeless Ant wrote the letter to _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "his father always told a lie", "his father wasn't friendly to his mother", "his father divorced his mother", "the Hopeless Ant couldn't stay with his parents" ], "question": "Dear Michelle, My Dad hates my Mom. He tells me that she is a liar and that I should not trust her. Of course, they are divorced but they have \"joint custody\" . What a joke! I am 15, my brother is nine, and we have a life of hell, frankly. We live one week on and one week off. This was the brilliant idea of both of my parents, which was fair to them but ruining my life. I cannot get away from his voice and his putting my mom down. Sometimes I think about running away. A Hopeless Ant Dear Hopeless Ant, First, thank you for trusting me with your problem. If all you said is correct, then there are several things that you can and should do to help yourself, your brother, and oddly enough, your parents. You need a family counselor. Such a person could listen to each family member alone and then meet together to talk about the situation. If refused, you need to talk to a counselor in your school. You need to be heard, and you need an adult who will listen. A school counselor can organize a meeting with your parents. Perhaps you need to write to your mother. Writing things down allows people to go over it more than one time. I cannot imagine that she will stand passively by and do nothing at all to help once she reads how you feel. Your father needs a letter as well. He may not realize the destructive effect that it has on his children. Lastly, have a plan in mind when all else fails that is not self-destructive. Life passes very quickly, sweetheart, and you will grow up and have your own life. Until then, you need to keep yourself safe. Never doubt that it will get better. Write back and let me know how everything is going. Michelle The Hopeless Ant hated his father because _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "Keep himself/herself away from danger.", "Have a talk with his/her parents.", "Have his/her own family plan.", "Write letters to families." ], "question": "Dear Michelle, My Dad hates my Mom. He tells me that she is a liar and that I should not trust her. Of course, they are divorced but they have \"joint custody\" . What a joke! I am 15, my brother is nine, and we have a life of hell, frankly. We live one week on and one week off. This was the brilliant idea of both of my parents, which was fair to them but ruining my life. I cannot get away from his voice and his putting my mom down. Sometimes I think about running away. A Hopeless Ant Dear Hopeless Ant, First, thank you for trusting me with your problem. If all you said is correct, then there are several things that you can and should do to help yourself, your brother, and oddly enough, your parents. You need a family counselor. Such a person could listen to each family member alone and then meet together to talk about the situation. If refused, you need to talk to a counselor in your school. You need to be heard, and you need an adult who will listen. A school counselor can organize a meeting with your parents. Perhaps you need to write to your mother. Writing things down allows people to go over it more than one time. I cannot imagine that she will stand passively by and do nothing at all to help once she reads how you feel. Your father needs a letter as well. He may not realize the destructive effect that it has on his children. Lastly, have a plan in mind when all else fails that is not self-destructive. Life passes very quickly, sweetheart, and you will grow up and have your own life. Until then, you need to keep yourself safe. Never doubt that it will get better. Write back and let me know how everything is going. Michelle According to the text, which of the following is the Hopeless Ant in need of at present?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "Entertainment", "Advertisement", "Life", "Education" ], "question": "Dear Michelle, My Dad hates my Mom. He tells me that she is a liar and that I should not trust her. Of course, they are divorced but they have \"joint custody\" . What a joke! I am 15, my brother is nine, and we have a life of hell, frankly. We live one week on and one week off. This was the brilliant idea of both of my parents, which was fair to them but ruining my life. I cannot get away from his voice and his putting my mom down. Sometimes I think about running away. A Hopeless Ant Dear Hopeless Ant, First, thank you for trusting me with your problem. If all you said is correct, then there are several things that you can and should do to help yourself, your brother, and oddly enough, your parents. You need a family counselor. Such a person could listen to each family member alone and then meet together to talk about the situation. If refused, you need to talk to a counselor in your school. You need to be heard, and you need an adult who will listen. A school counselor can organize a meeting with your parents. Perhaps you need to write to your mother. Writing things down allows people to go over it more than one time. I cannot imagine that she will stand passively by and do nothing at all to help once she reads how you feel. Your father needs a letter as well. He may not realize the destructive effect that it has on his children. Lastly, have a plan in mind when all else fails that is not self-destructive. Life passes very quickly, sweetheart, and you will grow up and have your own life. Until then, you need to keep yourself safe. Never doubt that it will get better. Write back and let me know how everything is going. Michelle In which part of a magazine will the text probably appear?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "She built a pyramid by using kites", "She had an argument with Professor Redmount.", "She persuaded a team of aeronautic engineers to test her idea.", "She had an experiment done to lift a large stone by using pulleys and a kite." ], "question": "No one really knows how the ancient Egyptians build the pyramids. But Maureen Clemmons has a theory . She thinks the Egyptians may have used kites. \"If you look at ht top center of every monument , you see wings,\" Clemons said. \"I think the Egyptians have been trying to tell us in pictures for 3,000 years that this is how they built the pyramids.\" She thinks that earliest Egyptian workers might make use of kites to lift the stones with the help of the desert wind. She got a team of aeronautic engineers to help her test the theory. Yesterday, in the Mojave Desert, they put their theory to the test using a nylon kite, three pulleys and an obelisk that weighs nearly four tons. The wind speed had to be just right. And amazingly, it worked. \"There's ly no evidence for kites in ancient Egypt,\" said Professor Carol Redmount of the University of California. \"There's no evidence of pulleys as we know them today.\" Redmount says the historical evidence points to the \"Charlton Heston method,\" which basically relies on the theory of the muscle of slaves pushing and pulling huge stone blocks to create the pyramids. But the kite-lifting group will have none that. \"All I can remember from history is that Egyptians drank beer for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and as someone who has done field research on drinking beer, I know after I've had two beers and it's really hot. I'm not pushing or pulling anything,\" Clemmons said. \"So, I figured I'd try to think another way.\" How did Clemmons prove that her idea was reasonable?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "Her job of making kites.", "The discovery of pulleys.", "The wings on the monuments.", "The Charlton Heston method." ], "question": "No one really knows how the ancient Egyptians build the pyramids. But Maureen Clemmons has a theory . She thinks the Egyptians may have used kites. \"If you look at ht top center of every monument , you see wings,\" Clemons said. \"I think the Egyptians have been trying to tell us in pictures for 3,000 years that this is how they built the pyramids.\" She thinks that earliest Egyptian workers might make use of kites to lift the stones with the help of the desert wind. She got a team of aeronautic engineers to help her test the theory. Yesterday, in the Mojave Desert, they put their theory to the test using a nylon kite, three pulleys and an obelisk that weighs nearly four tons. The wind speed had to be just right. And amazingly, it worked. \"There's ly no evidence for kites in ancient Egypt,\" said Professor Carol Redmount of the University of California. \"There's no evidence of pulleys as we know them today.\" Redmount says the historical evidence points to the \"Charlton Heston method,\" which basically relies on the theory of the muscle of slaves pushing and pulling huge stone blocks to create the pyramids. But the kite-lifting group will have none that. \"All I can remember from history is that Egyptians drank beer for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and as someone who has done field research on drinking beer, I know after I've had two beers and it's really hot. I'm not pushing or pulling anything,\" Clemmons said. \"So, I figured I'd try to think another way.\" What made Clemmons think of her kite-lifting idea?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "Because at that time no pulleys were used inprefix = st1 /Egypt.", "Because of the Egyptians' habit of drinking beer at three meals and the beer effect on people.", "Because there were no enough slaves to finish the great project.", "Because she knew Charlton Heston very well." ], "question": "No one really knows how the ancient Egyptians build the pyramids. But Maureen Clemmons has a theory . She thinks the Egyptians may have used kites. \"If you look at ht top center of every monument , you see wings,\" Clemons said. \"I think the Egyptians have been trying to tell us in pictures for 3,000 years that this is how they built the pyramids.\" She thinks that earliest Egyptian workers might make use of kites to lift the stones with the help of the desert wind. She got a team of aeronautic engineers to help her test the theory. Yesterday, in the Mojave Desert, they put their theory to the test using a nylon kite, three pulleys and an obelisk that weighs nearly four tons. The wind speed had to be just right. And amazingly, it worked. \"There's ly no evidence for kites in ancient Egypt,\" said Professor Carol Redmount of the University of California. \"There's no evidence of pulleys as we know them today.\" Redmount says the historical evidence points to the \"Charlton Heston method,\" which basically relies on the theory of the muscle of slaves pushing and pulling huge stone blocks to create the pyramids. But the kite-lifting group will have none that. \"All I can remember from history is that Egyptians drank beer for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and as someone who has done field research on drinking beer, I know after I've had two beers and it's really hot. I'm not pushing or pulling anything,\" Clemmons said. \"So, I figured I'd try to think another way.\" Why did Clemmons NOT agree with the theory of the muscle of slaves pushing and pulling stones to create the pyramids?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "An Unknown Mystery", "Two Different Theories", "Kites and Pyramids", "Kites and Pulleys" ], "question": "No one really knows how the ancient Egyptians build the pyramids. But Maureen Clemmons has a theory . She thinks the Egyptians may have used kites. \"If you look at ht top center of every monument , you see wings,\" Clemons said. \"I think the Egyptians have been trying to tell us in pictures for 3,000 years that this is how they built the pyramids.\" She thinks that earliest Egyptian workers might make use of kites to lift the stones with the help of the desert wind. She got a team of aeronautic engineers to help her test the theory. Yesterday, in the Mojave Desert, they put their theory to the test using a nylon kite, three pulleys and an obelisk that weighs nearly four tons. The wind speed had to be just right. And amazingly, it worked. \"There's ly no evidence for kites in ancient Egypt,\" said Professor Carol Redmount of the University of California. \"There's no evidence of pulleys as we know them today.\" Redmount says the historical evidence points to the \"Charlton Heston method,\" which basically relies on the theory of the muscle of slaves pushing and pulling huge stone blocks to create the pyramids. But the kite-lifting group will have none that. \"All I can remember from history is that Egyptians drank beer for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and as someone who has done field research on drinking beer, I know after I've had two beers and it's really hot. I'm not pushing or pulling anything,\" Clemmons said. \"So, I figured I'd try to think another way.\" What is the best title for the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "Careers in teenagers' mind.", "Choosing a good job is very important.", "Teenagers in the UK like doctors.", "The choice of career needs challenge." ], "question": "\"When I grow up, I want to be...\" Almost all of us have thought about, or been asked to think about, our future careers. Our answers may differ greatly. Even now your aspirations may have changed from when you were in primary school. However, it seems career options aren't only based on personal taste. In a survey carried out by Teens, doctors, lawyers, and bankers were some of most popular careers that people said they hoped to follow. This is in line with a similar survey carried out in the UK in May 2011 by job website monster. Co.uk, in which medicine was the top choice among UK teenagers aged between 13 and 17. Medicine and law are two of the oldest and best known professions. Their prestige may come from the fact that doctors and lawyers are some of the most esteemed members of society, and they make good money. Joining these high-profile professions is often seen as a sign of upward social mobility. It is equally unsurprising that banking is now one of the most common career choices. Youngsters worldwide think of banking and see the money rolling in. Wealth is increasingly becoming one of the most important indicators of a successful career. British young men list the UK tycoon Alan Sugar, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg as their top role models \"for their wealth\". Just as Chinese teenagers see being a banker as a good and fun pathway to \"wealth\". However, not every child has the makings of doctor, lawyer, or banker. They are those who see fulfillment and happiness in other areas, and many teenagers dare to ink more individuality into their career options. As the Teens' survey discovered, a variety of unconventional jobs---coffee shop owner, gourmet ,waiter at a fast food restaurant---are among teenagers' career choices. They can be equally interesting and rewarding jobs. With every choice comes responsibility and challenge, and all career paths require specific education and training, you have to learn to balance optimism and confidence with being realistic about your particular talents and skills. What is the passage mainly about?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "Medicine", "Law", "Bank", "Education" ], "question": "\"When I grow up, I want to be...\" Almost all of us have thought about, or been asked to think about, our future careers. Our answers may differ greatly. Even now your aspirations may have changed from when you were in primary school. However, it seems career options aren't only based on personal taste. In a survey carried out by Teens, doctors, lawyers, and bankers were some of most popular careers that people said they hoped to follow. This is in line with a similar survey carried out in the UK in May 2011 by job website monster. Co.uk, in which medicine was the top choice among UK teenagers aged between 13 and 17. Medicine and law are two of the oldest and best known professions. Their prestige may come from the fact that doctors and lawyers are some of the most esteemed members of society, and they make good money. Joining these high-profile professions is often seen as a sign of upward social mobility. It is equally unsurprising that banking is now one of the most common career choices. Youngsters worldwide think of banking and see the money rolling in. Wealth is increasingly becoming one of the most important indicators of a successful career. British young men list the UK tycoon Alan Sugar, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg as their top role models \"for their wealth\". Just as Chinese teenagers see being a banker as a good and fun pathway to \"wealth\". However, not every child has the makings of doctor, lawyer, or banker. They are those who see fulfillment and happiness in other areas, and many teenagers dare to ink more individuality into their career options. As the Teens' survey discovered, a variety of unconventional jobs---coffee shop owner, gourmet ,waiter at a fast food restaurant---are among teenagers' career choices. They can be equally interesting and rewarding jobs. With every choice comes responsibility and challenge, and all career paths require specific education and training, you have to learn to balance optimism and confidence with being realistic about your particular talents and skills. What is the top career choice among UK teenagers aged between 13 and 17 according to the article?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "respect from others", "the oldest profession", "high pay", "upward social mobility." ], "question": "\"When I grow up, I want to be...\" Almost all of us have thought about, or been asked to think about, our future careers. Our answers may differ greatly. Even now your aspirations may have changed from when you were in primary school. However, it seems career options aren't only based on personal taste. In a survey carried out by Teens, doctors, lawyers, and bankers were some of most popular careers that people said they hoped to follow. This is in line with a similar survey carried out in the UK in May 2011 by job website monster. Co.uk, in which medicine was the top choice among UK teenagers aged between 13 and 17. Medicine and law are two of the oldest and best known professions. Their prestige may come from the fact that doctors and lawyers are some of the most esteemed members of society, and they make good money. Joining these high-profile professions is often seen as a sign of upward social mobility. It is equally unsurprising that banking is now one of the most common career choices. Youngsters worldwide think of banking and see the money rolling in. Wealth is increasingly becoming one of the most important indicators of a successful career. British young men list the UK tycoon Alan Sugar, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg as their top role models \"for their wealth\". Just as Chinese teenagers see being a banker as a good and fun pathway to \"wealth\". However, not every child has the makings of doctor, lawyer, or banker. They are those who see fulfillment and happiness in other areas, and many teenagers dare to ink more individuality into their career options. As the Teens' survey discovered, a variety of unconventional jobs---coffee shop owner, gourmet ,waiter at a fast food restaurant---are among teenagers' career choices. They can be equally interesting and rewarding jobs. With every choice comes responsibility and challenge, and all career paths require specific education and training, you have to learn to balance optimism and confidence with being realistic about your particular talents and skills. According to the article, all of the following are the benefits of being a doctor except _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "Prestige", "Fulfillment", "Happiness", "Wealth" ], "question": "\"When I grow up, I want to be...\" Almost all of us have thought about, or been asked to think about, our future careers. Our answers may differ greatly. Even now your aspirations may have changed from when you were in primary school. However, it seems career options aren't only based on personal taste. In a survey carried out by Teens, doctors, lawyers, and bankers were some of most popular careers that people said they hoped to follow. This is in line with a similar survey carried out in the UK in May 2011 by job website monster. Co.uk, in which medicine was the top choice among UK teenagers aged between 13 and 17. Medicine and law are two of the oldest and best known professions. Their prestige may come from the fact that doctors and lawyers are some of the most esteemed members of society, and they make good money. Joining these high-profile professions is often seen as a sign of upward social mobility. It is equally unsurprising that banking is now one of the most common career choices. Youngsters worldwide think of banking and see the money rolling in. Wealth is increasingly becoming one of the most important indicators of a successful career. British young men list the UK tycoon Alan Sugar, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg as their top role models \"for their wealth\". Just as Chinese teenagers see being a banker as a good and fun pathway to \"wealth\". However, not every child has the makings of doctor, lawyer, or banker. They are those who see fulfillment and happiness in other areas, and many teenagers dare to ink more individuality into their career options. As the Teens' survey discovered, a variety of unconventional jobs---coffee shop owner, gourmet ,waiter at a fast food restaurant---are among teenagers' career choices. They can be equally interesting and rewarding jobs. With every choice comes responsibility and challenge, and all career paths require specific education and training, you have to learn to balance optimism and confidence with being realistic about your particular talents and skills. What do youngsters think is increasingly becoming one of the most important indicators of a successful career?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "to finish the writing course", "to realize her own dream", "to satisfy readers' wish", "to earn more money" ], "question": "I left university with a good degree in English Literature, but no sense of what I wanted to do. Over the next six years, _ , just trying to earn an income. I tried journalism, but I didn't think I was any good, then finance, which I hated. Finally, I got a job as a rights assistant at a famous publisher. I loved working with books, although the job that I did was dull. I had enough savings to take a year off work, and I decided to try to satisfy a deep-down wish to write a novel. Attending a Novel Writing MA course gave me the structure I needed to write my first 55,000 words. It takes confidence to make a new start--there's a dark period in-between where you're neither one thing nor the other. You're out for dinner and people ask what you do, and you're too ashamed to say, \"Well, I'm writing a novel, but I'm not quite sure if I'm going to get there.\" My confidence dived. Believing my novel could not be published, I put it aside. Then I met an agent who said I should send my novel out to agents. So, I did and, to my surprise, got some wonderful feedback. I felt a little hope that I might actually become a published writer and, after signing with an agent, I finished the second half of the novel. The next problem was finding a publisher. After two-and-a-half years of no income, just waiting and wondering, a publisher offered me a book deal--that publisher turned out to be the one I once worked for. It feels like an unbelievable stroke of luck--of fate, really. When you set out to do something different, there's no end in sight, so to find myself in a position where I now have my own name on a contract of the publisher--to be a published writer--is unbelievably rewarding . The author decided to write a novel _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "Disturbed.", "Ashamed.", "Confident.", "Uncertain." ], "question": "I left university with a good degree in English Literature, but no sense of what I wanted to do. Over the next six years, _ , just trying to earn an income. I tried journalism, but I didn't think I was any good, then finance, which I hated. Finally, I got a job as a rights assistant at a famous publisher. I loved working with books, although the job that I did was dull. I had enough savings to take a year off work, and I decided to try to satisfy a deep-down wish to write a novel. Attending a Novel Writing MA course gave me the structure I needed to write my first 55,000 words. It takes confidence to make a new start--there's a dark period in-between where you're neither one thing nor the other. You're out for dinner and people ask what you do, and you're too ashamed to say, \"Well, I'm writing a novel, but I'm not quite sure if I'm going to get there.\" My confidence dived. Believing my novel could not be published, I put it aside. Then I met an agent who said I should send my novel out to agents. So, I did and, to my surprise, got some wonderful feedback. I felt a little hope that I might actually become a published writer and, after signing with an agent, I finished the second half of the novel. The next problem was finding a publisher. After two-and-a-half years of no income, just waiting and wondering, a publisher offered me a book deal--that publisher turned out to be the one I once worked for. It feels like an unbelievable stroke of luck--of fate, really. When you set out to do something different, there's no end in sight, so to find myself in a position where I now have my own name on a contract of the publisher--to be a published writer--is unbelievably rewarding . How did the writer feel halfway with the novel?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "Because the United Nations wanted to reduce road accidents and economic costs.", "Because two million people were killed in the accidents.", "Because engineers wanted to design ten new concrete mixtures.", "Because the United Nations made bridges of the new mixtures which could last for about 20 to 35years." ], "question": "Each year, road accidents kill a million people and injure millions more. The economic costs are greatest for developing countries. Earlier this year, the United Nations called for a campaign to improve road safety. One way to avoid accidents is better driving. Another is better roads and bridges. Engineers in the Unites States have designed ten new concrete mixtures that they think could make bridges last longer. Professor Paul Tikalsky leads the experiments by a team at Pennsylvania State University. He says bridges made of concrete now last about twenty-five to thirty-five years. But he says the new mixtures might extend that to seventy-five or even one-hundred years. Concrete is made of stone, sand, water and cement . The materials in the cement hold the concrete together. Ancient Romans built with concrete. Yet strengthened concrete bridges did not appear until the late 1800s. People keep looking for new ways to improve concrete. Professor Tikalsky says it is one of the most complex of all chemical systems. The new mixtures designed by his team contain industrial waste products. He says these make the concrete better able to resist damage from water and salt over time. One of the products is fly ash. This is released into the air as pollution when coal is burned. Professor Tikalsky says particles of fly ash are almost exactly the same size and chemical structure as Portland cement. _ is the most costly material in concrete. So using fly ash to replace some of it would save money. The federal government is paying for part of the research. Engineers anywhere can use the technology. Professor Tikalsky says some of the ideas have already been put to use in China, the Philippines and other countries. Why did the United Nations launch the campaign?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "Ten new concrete bridges have already been built in the United States.", "A new concrete bridge could last 50 more years than an ordinary concrete one.", "People didn't know how to build with cement until the late 1800s.", "Water and salt won't do any damage to bridges over time." ], "question": "Each year, road accidents kill a million people and injure millions more. The economic costs are greatest for developing countries. Earlier this year, the United Nations called for a campaign to improve road safety. One way to avoid accidents is better driving. Another is better roads and bridges. Engineers in the Unites States have designed ten new concrete mixtures that they think could make bridges last longer. Professor Paul Tikalsky leads the experiments by a team at Pennsylvania State University. He says bridges made of concrete now last about twenty-five to thirty-five years. But he says the new mixtures might extend that to seventy-five or even one-hundred years. Concrete is made of stone, sand, water and cement . The materials in the cement hold the concrete together. Ancient Romans built with concrete. Yet strengthened concrete bridges did not appear until the late 1800s. People keep looking for new ways to improve concrete. Professor Tikalsky says it is one of the most complex of all chemical systems. The new mixtures designed by his team contain industrial waste products. He says these make the concrete better able to resist damage from water and salt over time. One of the products is fly ash. This is released into the air as pollution when coal is burned. Professor Tikalsky says particles of fly ash are almost exactly the same size and chemical structure as Portland cement. _ is the most costly material in concrete. So using fly ash to replace some of it would save money. The federal government is paying for part of the research. Engineers anywhere can use the technology. Professor Tikalsky says some of the ideas have already been put to use in China, the Philippines and other countries. Which of the following statements is TRUE?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "The causes of road accidents.", "The advantages of fly ash.", "The measures of avoiding road accidents.", "Latest information about long-life concrete bridges." ], "question": "Each year, road accidents kill a million people and injure millions more. The economic costs are greatest for developing countries. Earlier this year, the United Nations called for a campaign to improve road safety. One way to avoid accidents is better driving. Another is better roads and bridges. Engineers in the Unites States have designed ten new concrete mixtures that they think could make bridges last longer. Professor Paul Tikalsky leads the experiments by a team at Pennsylvania State University. He says bridges made of concrete now last about twenty-five to thirty-five years. But he says the new mixtures might extend that to seventy-five or even one-hundred years. Concrete is made of stone, sand, water and cement . The materials in the cement hold the concrete together. Ancient Romans built with concrete. Yet strengthened concrete bridges did not appear until the late 1800s. People keep looking for new ways to improve concrete. Professor Tikalsky says it is one of the most complex of all chemical systems. The new mixtures designed by his team contain industrial waste products. He says these make the concrete better able to resist damage from water and salt over time. One of the products is fly ash. This is released into the air as pollution when coal is burned. Professor Tikalsky says particles of fly ash are almost exactly the same size and chemical structure as Portland cement. _ is the most costly material in concrete. So using fly ash to replace some of it would save money. The federal government is paying for part of the research. Engineers anywhere can use the technology. Professor Tikalsky says some of the ideas have already been put to use in China, the Philippines and other countries. What does the passage mainly tell us?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "When they are not allowed to.", "When they feel tired and sleepy.", "When they stop breathing eventually.", "When they are seriously ill in bed." ], "question": "Americans: Restless? Illiterate ? Americans are _ people; they can't rest. They have more time, more leisure, shorter work hours, more holidays, and more vacations than any other people in the world. But they can't rest. They rush up and down across their continent as tourists; they move about in great herds to conventions ; they search the wilderness; they flood the mountains; they keep the hotels full. But they can't rest. The scenery rushes past them. They learn it, but they don't see it. Battles and monuments are announced to them on a tour bus. They hear them, but they don't get them. They never stop moving; they rush up and down as Shriners, Masons, Old Graduates, Bankers--they are a new thing each day, always rushing to a reunion or something. So they go on rushing about till eventually the undertaker gather them to a last convention. Americans are queer people; they can't read. They have more schools, and better schools and spend more money on schools and colleges than all Europe. But they can't read. They print more books in a year than the French print in ten. But they can't read. They cover their country with one hundred thousand tons of Sunday newspapers every week. But they don't read them. They're too busy. They use them for fires and to make more paper with. They buy eagerly thousands of new novels at two dollars each. But they read only page one. Their streets are full of huge signs. They won't look at them. Their streetcars are filled with advertising;they turn their eyes away. Transparent color1s, cart wheels, and mechanical flares whirl and flicker in the crowded streets at night. No one sees them. Tons of letters pour into the mail boxes, through the houses, and down the garbage cans. No one reads them. According to the text, when do the Americans stop rushing about?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "by driving there in person", "when they are on the tour bus", "from books and magazines", "from their friends and coworkers" ], "question": "Americans: Restless? Illiterate ? Americans are _ people; they can't rest. They have more time, more leisure, shorter work hours, more holidays, and more vacations than any other people in the world. But they can't rest. They rush up and down across their continent as tourists; they move about in great herds to conventions ; they search the wilderness; they flood the mountains; they keep the hotels full. But they can't rest. The scenery rushes past them. They learn it, but they don't see it. Battles and monuments are announced to them on a tour bus. They hear them, but they don't get them. They never stop moving; they rush up and down as Shriners, Masons, Old Graduates, Bankers--they are a new thing each day, always rushing to a reunion or something. So they go on rushing about till eventually the undertaker gather them to a last convention. Americans are queer people; they can't read. They have more schools, and better schools and spend more money on schools and colleges than all Europe. But they can't read. They print more books in a year than the French print in ten. But they can't read. They cover their country with one hundred thousand tons of Sunday newspapers every week. But they don't read them. They're too busy. They use them for fires and to make more paper with. They buy eagerly thousands of new novels at two dollars each. But they read only page one. Their streets are full of huge signs. They won't look at them. Their streetcars are filled with advertising;they turn their eyes away. Transparent color1s, cart wheels, and mechanical flares whirl and flicker in the crowded streets at night. No one sees them. Tons of letters pour into the mail boxes, through the houses, and down the garbage cans. No one reads them. The Americans know the places of battles and monuments _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "his smile made me feel very happy", "I always remembered his smile all day", "he always smiled as I made my way to work", "he would smile to wish me a good day" ], "question": "This happened several years ago.But it has stuck with me so I wanted to share it. Every day on my way to work I would buy a newspaper from an elderly gentleman on the corner of the street.He would always smile and say,\"Good morning.\"His smile always made my day. Most of the people who sell these papers are homeless or poor and they do it to make a few bucks. One day Charlie wasn't there!Someone else was in his place! This other guy told me Charlie was in the veterans' hospital. It troubled me all day long.All I could think about was Charlie being alone in the hospital.I never knew he was a veteran who had served our country.I just knew his smile always made my day. I asked my girlfriend if she would go with me to visit him and she agreed.When I showed up in Charlie's room he began to cry.He told us he had been feeling very lonely and was convinced no one would ever visit him.He said that we were his only visitors. We told him we were glad to do it and thanked him for all that he had done for others. I never saw Charlie after that,although I heard he moved to California.That was thirty years ago but I haven't forgotten my smiling friend.A big thankyou to those who serve our country and protect us and thank you Charlie,wherever you are! By saying \"his smile always made my day\",the writer meant \" _ \".", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "He was late for his work.", "He knew Charlie was in hospital.", "He was alone in the hospital.", "He found Charlie an old soldier." ], "question": "This happened several years ago.But it has stuck with me so I wanted to share it. Every day on my way to work I would buy a newspaper from an elderly gentleman on the corner of the street.He would always smile and say,\"Good morning.\"His smile always made my day. Most of the people who sell these papers are homeless or poor and they do it to make a few bucks. One day Charlie wasn't there!Someone else was in his place! This other guy told me Charlie was in the veterans' hospital. It troubled me all day long.All I could think about was Charlie being alone in the hospital.I never knew he was a veteran who had served our country.I just knew his smile always made my day. I asked my girlfriend if she would go with me to visit him and she agreed.When I showed up in Charlie's room he began to cry.He told us he had been feeling very lonely and was convinced no one would ever visit him.He said that we were his only visitors. We told him we were glad to do it and thanked him for all that he had done for others. I never saw Charlie after that,although I heard he moved to California.That was thirty years ago but I haven't forgotten my smiling friend.A big thankyou to those who serve our country and protect us and thank you Charlie,wherever you are! What troubled the writer all day?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "Because he was afraid of his death.", "Because the doctor didn't treat him well.", "Because he had someone to visit him at last.", "Because he couldn't afford to pay the operation." ], "question": "This happened several years ago.But it has stuck with me so I wanted to share it. Every day on my way to work I would buy a newspaper from an elderly gentleman on the corner of the street.He would always smile and say,\"Good morning.\"His smile always made my day. Most of the people who sell these papers are homeless or poor and they do it to make a few bucks. One day Charlie wasn't there!Someone else was in his place! This other guy told me Charlie was in the veterans' hospital. It troubled me all day long.All I could think about was Charlie being alone in the hospital.I never knew he was a veteran who had served our country.I just knew his smile always made my day. I asked my girlfriend if she would go with me to visit him and she agreed.When I showed up in Charlie's room he began to cry.He told us he had been feeling very lonely and was convinced no one would ever visit him.He said that we were his only visitors. We told him we were glad to do it and thanked him for all that he had done for others. I never saw Charlie after that,although I heard he moved to California.That was thirty years ago but I haven't forgotten my smiling friend.A big thankyou to those who serve our country and protect us and thank you Charlie,wherever you are! Why did Charlie cry at the hospital?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "he sold newspapers at a low price", "he always helped the homeless", "he protected the writer from danger", "he had ever fought for his country" ], "question": "This happened several years ago.But it has stuck with me so I wanted to share it. Every day on my way to work I would buy a newspaper from an elderly gentleman on the corner of the street.He would always smile and say,\"Good morning.\"His smile always made my day. Most of the people who sell these papers are homeless or poor and they do it to make a few bucks. One day Charlie wasn't there!Someone else was in his place! This other guy told me Charlie was in the veterans' hospital. It troubled me all day long.All I could think about was Charlie being alone in the hospital.I never knew he was a veteran who had served our country.I just knew his smile always made my day. I asked my girlfriend if she would go with me to visit him and she agreed.When I showed up in Charlie's room he began to cry.He told us he had been feeling very lonely and was convinced no one would ever visit him.He said that we were his only visitors. We told him we were glad to do it and thanked him for all that he had done for others. I never saw Charlie after that,although I heard he moved to California.That was thirty years ago but I haven't forgotten my smiling friend.A big thankyou to those who serve our country and protect us and thank you Charlie,wherever you are! In the opinion of the writer,Charlie should be thanked because _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "uninterested", "excited", "bored", "upset" ], "question": "\" Yeah! Auntie is here! \" screamed my husband's niece and nephew together. \" Let me get the door!\" \" No, let me !\" Each one's goal was to get there first and open the door for their Auntie, Me! I couldn't get enough of them, of their youthful love of life, and their excitement every time I visited! To be honest, it was partially because of the Surprise Travel Bag that I carried in. It was a tradition that I started when they were young. Each time I went to see them, I would take a large bag filled with toys, coloring books, candy, magic markers and \"games\". The contents were different but the rules were not. They included: one may get a turn to choose what activity we would do; another may take a turn to go first when we played a game; ..... We shared the treats after the games and cleaned up after we played . Then, sadly, they watched the Surprise Travel Bag go away with their Auntie. Now my niece and nephew have grown into young adults. They spend most of their visits listening to their iPods, messaging on their phones.... I completely forgot that I had put my two Surprise Travel Bags in the basement until my husband found them this weekend. I held the bags tightly in my arms, remembering our laughter and fun-filled get-togethers. My big decision now is to whom I will pass the Surprise Travel Bags so that the fun that the bags help to create can continue. When the author came for a visit, the children were _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "change the contents in the bags", "change the rules each time she visited", "choose the activity for the children", "leave the bag behind for the children" ], "question": "\" Yeah! Auntie is here! \" screamed my husband's niece and nephew together. \" Let me get the door!\" \" No, let me !\" Each one's goal was to get there first and open the door for their Auntie, Me! I couldn't get enough of them, of their youthful love of life, and their excitement every time I visited! To be honest, it was partially because of the Surprise Travel Bag that I carried in. It was a tradition that I started when they were young. Each time I went to see them, I would take a large bag filled with toys, coloring books, candy, magic markers and \"games\". The contents were different but the rules were not. They included: one may get a turn to choose what activity we would do; another may take a turn to go first when we played a game; ..... We shared the treats after the games and cleaned up after we played . Then, sadly, they watched the Surprise Travel Bag go away with their Auntie. Now my niece and nephew have grown into young adults. They spend most of their visits listening to their iPods, messaging on their phones.... I completely forgot that I had put my two Surprise Travel Bags in the basement until my husband found them this weekend. I held the bags tightly in my arms, remembering our laughter and fun-filled get-togethers. My big decision now is to whom I will pass the Surprise Travel Bags so that the fun that the bags help to create can continue. We learn from the passage that the author would _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "sell her Surprise Travel Bags", "show us how to travel happily", "share her good memories", "teach us how to play with children" ], "question": "\" Yeah! Auntie is here! \" screamed my husband's niece and nephew together. \" Let me get the door!\" \" No, let me !\" Each one's goal was to get there first and open the door for their Auntie, Me! I couldn't get enough of them, of their youthful love of life, and their excitement every time I visited! To be honest, it was partially because of the Surprise Travel Bag that I carried in. It was a tradition that I started when they were young. Each time I went to see them, I would take a large bag filled with toys, coloring books, candy, magic markers and \"games\". The contents were different but the rules were not. They included: one may get a turn to choose what activity we would do; another may take a turn to go first when we played a game; ..... We shared the treats after the games and cleaned up after we played . Then, sadly, they watched the Surprise Travel Bag go away with their Auntie. Now my niece and nephew have grown into young adults. They spend most of their visits listening to their iPods, messaging on their phones.... I completely forgot that I had put my two Surprise Travel Bags in the basement until my husband found them this weekend. I held the bags tightly in my arms, remembering our laughter and fun-filled get-togethers. My big decision now is to whom I will pass the Surprise Travel Bags so that the fun that the bags help to create can continue. The author's purpose in writing the passage is to _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "Because she is too old to remember them.", "Because the children have grown up and have their own interests.", "Because she has put too many things in the basement.", "Because she doesn't like the children any longer." ], "question": "\" Yeah! Auntie is here! \" screamed my husband's niece and nephew together. \" Let me get the door!\" \" No, let me !\" Each one's goal was to get there first and open the door for their Auntie, Me! I couldn't get enough of them, of their youthful love of life, and their excitement every time I visited! To be honest, it was partially because of the Surprise Travel Bag that I carried in. It was a tradition that I started when they were young. Each time I went to see them, I would take a large bag filled with toys, coloring books, candy, magic markers and \"games\". The contents were different but the rules were not. They included: one may get a turn to choose what activity we would do; another may take a turn to go first when we played a game; ..... We shared the treats after the games and cleaned up after we played . Then, sadly, they watched the Surprise Travel Bag go away with their Auntie. Now my niece and nephew have grown into young adults. They spend most of their visits listening to their iPods, messaging on their phones.... I completely forgot that I had put my two Surprise Travel Bags in the basement until my husband found them this weekend. I held the bags tightly in my arms, remembering our laughter and fun-filled get-togethers. My big decision now is to whom I will pass the Surprise Travel Bags so that the fun that the bags help to create can continue. Why did the author forget the Surprise Travel Bags?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "The Surprise Travel Bags", "How to Play with Children", "Travel with My Surprise Travel Bag", "My Family Life" ], "question": "\" Yeah! Auntie is here! \" screamed my husband's niece and nephew together. \" Let me get the door!\" \" No, let me !\" Each one's goal was to get there first and open the door for their Auntie, Me! I couldn't get enough of them, of their youthful love of life, and their excitement every time I visited! To be honest, it was partially because of the Surprise Travel Bag that I carried in. It was a tradition that I started when they were young. Each time I went to see them, I would take a large bag filled with toys, coloring books, candy, magic markers and \"games\". The contents were different but the rules were not. They included: one may get a turn to choose what activity we would do; another may take a turn to go first when we played a game; ..... We shared the treats after the games and cleaned up after we played . Then, sadly, they watched the Surprise Travel Bag go away with their Auntie. Now my niece and nephew have grown into young adults. They spend most of their visits listening to their iPods, messaging on their phones.... I completely forgot that I had put my two Surprise Travel Bags in the basement until my husband found them this weekend. I held the bags tightly in my arms, remembering our laughter and fun-filled get-togethers. My big decision now is to whom I will pass the Surprise Travel Bags so that the fun that the bags help to create can continue. What would be the best title for the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "he took it out", "his mother took it out", "he did nothing but cry", "he tried to take it out but failed" ], "question": "This is a true story from Guyana. One day, a boy took a piece of paper from a box. He made a paper ball and pushed it into his nose. He couldn't get it out. He ran crying to his mother. His mother couldn't get the paper out, either. A week later, the paper was still in the boy's nose. His nose began to have a bad smell. So his mother took the boy to a hospital. The doctor looked up at the child's nose, but she couldn't get the paper out. She said she had to cut the boy's nose to get the paper out. The boy's mother came home looking sad. She didn't want her child to have his nose cut. The next day she took the boy to her friend Sidney who lived in a house with an old lady called May. May wanted to see the child, so the child let her look up his nose. \"Yes, I can see it,\" May said. \"It will be out soon.\" As she spoke, she shook some black pepper on the child's nose. The child gave a mighty sneeze and the paper flew out. His mother was surprised. May told his mother to take the boy to the seaside for a swim, for the salt water would go up his nose and stop the bad smell. So the lucky boy didn't have to go to the hospital to have his nose cut. After the boy pushed a paper ball into his nose, _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "at most seven days", "less than seven days", "more than seven days", "exactly seven days," ], "question": "This is a true story from Guyana. One day, a boy took a piece of paper from a box. He made a paper ball and pushed it into his nose. He couldn't get it out. He ran crying to his mother. His mother couldn't get the paper out, either. A week later, the paper was still in the boy's nose. His nose began to have a bad smell. So his mother took the boy to a hospital. The doctor looked up at the child's nose, but she couldn't get the paper out. She said she had to cut the boy's nose to get the paper out. The boy's mother came home looking sad. She didn't want her child to have his nose cut. The next day she took the boy to her friend Sidney who lived in a house with an old lady called May. May wanted to see the child, so the child let her look up his nose. \"Yes, I can see it,\" May said. \"It will be out soon.\" As she spoke, she shook some black pepper on the child's nose. The child gave a mighty sneeze and the paper flew out. His mother was surprised. May told his mother to take the boy to the seaside for a swim, for the salt water would go up his nose and stop the bad smell. So the lucky boy didn't have to go to the hospital to have his nose cut. The paper ball stayed in the boy's nose for _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "The doctor helped to take the paper ball out of the boy's nose.", "May succeeded in taking the paper out.", "The boy's mother found some black pepper to solve the problem.", "The boy had to have his nose cut at last." ], "question": "This is a true story from Guyana. One day, a boy took a piece of paper from a box. He made a paper ball and pushed it into his nose. He couldn't get it out. He ran crying to his mother. His mother couldn't get the paper out, either. A week later, the paper was still in the boy's nose. His nose began to have a bad smell. So his mother took the boy to a hospital. The doctor looked up at the child's nose, but she couldn't get the paper out. She said she had to cut the boy's nose to get the paper out. The boy's mother came home looking sad. She didn't want her child to have his nose cut. The next day she took the boy to her friend Sidney who lived in a house with an old lady called May. May wanted to see the child, so the child let her look up his nose. \"Yes, I can see it,\" May said. \"It will be out soon.\" As she spoke, she shook some black pepper on the child's nose. The child gave a mighty sneeze and the paper flew out. His mother was surprised. May told his mother to take the boy to the seaside for a swim, for the salt water would go up his nose and stop the bad smell. So the lucky boy didn't have to go to the hospital to have his nose cut. Which of the following is TRUE?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "he needed to learn to swim", "the sea water would stop the bad smell of his nose.", "the sea water would wash out the paper ball.", "he needed a rest" ], "question": "This is a true story from Guyana. One day, a boy took a piece of paper from a box. He made a paper ball and pushed it into his nose. He couldn't get it out. He ran crying to his mother. His mother couldn't get the paper out, either. A week later, the paper was still in the boy's nose. His nose began to have a bad smell. So his mother took the boy to a hospital. The doctor looked up at the child's nose, but she couldn't get the paper out. She said she had to cut the boy's nose to get the paper out. The boy's mother came home looking sad. She didn't want her child to have his nose cut. The next day she took the boy to her friend Sidney who lived in a house with an old lady called May. May wanted to see the child, so the child let her look up his nose. \"Yes, I can see it,\" May said. \"It will be out soon.\" As she spoke, she shook some black pepper on the child's nose. The child gave a mighty sneeze and the paper flew out. His mother was surprised. May told his mother to take the boy to the seaside for a swim, for the salt water would go up his nose and stop the bad smell. So the lucky boy didn't have to go to the hospital to have his nose cut. The boy should be taken to the seaside for a swim because _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "They cost less than paper bills .", "They are convenient to carry.", "They are not easy to wear out.", "They are produced from new materials." ], "question": "With America's national debt continuing to climb, Congress is constantly debating ways to save money. The Dollar Coin Alliance, a lobbying group, says billions could be saved if dollar coins were used instead of paper bills. But many people won't use them. The U.S. government tried to push dollar coins again in recent years, but then suspended almost all production in 2011. American likes paper dollars, but Jim Kolbe, co-chairman of the Dollar Coin Alliance, thinks switching to the coin is worth it. \"The coin does cost more to produce, roughly on the neighborhood of 17 cents versus the 5 or 6 cents that a paper dollar costs to produce,\" he said. \"However, the coin lasts 35 years, and it's made of mostly recycled metals, and the paper has to be produced from new materials, and we shred 3 billion of those every year because they wear out.\" For years, the former Arizona congressman has been pushing legislation that would prop up the dollar coin by phasing out the greenback -- a move that has met resistance from both politicians and the public. But today, he said, _ and a recent poll indicates 61 percent of Americans like the idea. \"When they learn of the savings that can be involved with this, they will support the idea of substituting the coin for the paper dollar,\" he said. Major savings Kolbe points to a study by the Government Accountability Office, which investigates how the government spends taxpayer dollars. The GAO estimates taxpayers would save more than $4 billion over 30 years, and that figure could be much higher. That appeals to taxpayer Christy Thompson, who said, \"I'd probably say, yes, we need to do it.\" But plenty of people aren't convinced, including Kim Doering of Alexandria, Virginia. \"It's easier to carry the paper bill than a bunch of coins. They're louder; they're heavier in your pocket,\" she said. Washington, D.C. restaurant owner Sue Fouladi doesn't like the idea of having more dollar coins in her cash register. \"It's very inconvenient,\" she said. \"If I don't have a choice, then I'll do it, but I'll be a very unhappy person.\" Adding to the problem is that the gold- and silver-colored metal coins are about the same size as the 25-cent quarter. Robert Blecker, an economics professor at American University in Washington, says the dollar coins should be a different size and thickness. \"And if we can design a dollar coin that's not so big and bulky, probably Americans would like it better,\" he added. But that doesn't bother college student Emily Sturgill. \"Sometimes they fit into your pocket easily and you don't have to worry about them slipping out, like a dollar bill would if you brought your keys or your phone out,\" she said. Which of the following is the advantage of dollar coins according to the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "Kim Doering", "Emily Sturgill.", "Sue Fouladi", "Robert Blecke" ], "question": "With America's national debt continuing to climb, Congress is constantly debating ways to save money. The Dollar Coin Alliance, a lobbying group, says billions could be saved if dollar coins were used instead of paper bills. But many people won't use them. The U.S. government tried to push dollar coins again in recent years, but then suspended almost all production in 2011. American likes paper dollars, but Jim Kolbe, co-chairman of the Dollar Coin Alliance, thinks switching to the coin is worth it. \"The coin does cost more to produce, roughly on the neighborhood of 17 cents versus the 5 or 6 cents that a paper dollar costs to produce,\" he said. \"However, the coin lasts 35 years, and it's made of mostly recycled metals, and the paper has to be produced from new materials, and we shred 3 billion of those every year because they wear out.\" For years, the former Arizona congressman has been pushing legislation that would prop up the dollar coin by phasing out the greenback -- a move that has met resistance from both politicians and the public. But today, he said, _ and a recent poll indicates 61 percent of Americans like the idea. \"When they learn of the savings that can be involved with this, they will support the idea of substituting the coin for the paper dollar,\" he said. Major savings Kolbe points to a study by the Government Accountability Office, which investigates how the government spends taxpayer dollars. The GAO estimates taxpayers would save more than $4 billion over 30 years, and that figure could be much higher. That appeals to taxpayer Christy Thompson, who said, \"I'd probably say, yes, we need to do it.\" But plenty of people aren't convinced, including Kim Doering of Alexandria, Virginia. \"It's easier to carry the paper bill than a bunch of coins. They're louder; they're heavier in your pocket,\" she said. Washington, D.C. restaurant owner Sue Fouladi doesn't like the idea of having more dollar coins in her cash register. \"It's very inconvenient,\" she said. \"If I don't have a choice, then I'll do it, but I'll be a very unhappy person.\" Adding to the problem is that the gold- and silver-colored metal coins are about the same size as the 25-cent quarter. Robert Blecker, an economics professor at American University in Washington, says the dollar coins should be a different size and thickness. \"And if we can design a dollar coin that's not so big and bulky, probably Americans would like it better,\" he added. But that doesn't bother college student Emily Sturgill. \"Sometimes they fit into your pocket easily and you don't have to worry about them slipping out, like a dollar bill would if you brought your keys or your phone out,\" she said. Which of the following is in favor of using dollar coins?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "Dollar Coins or Paper Bills", "Different Opinions about Coins", "Ways to Solve America's National Debt", "The Advantages of Dollar Coins." ], "question": "With America's national debt continuing to climb, Congress is constantly debating ways to save money. The Dollar Coin Alliance, a lobbying group, says billions could be saved if dollar coins were used instead of paper bills. But many people won't use them. The U.S. government tried to push dollar coins again in recent years, but then suspended almost all production in 2011. American likes paper dollars, but Jim Kolbe, co-chairman of the Dollar Coin Alliance, thinks switching to the coin is worth it. \"The coin does cost more to produce, roughly on the neighborhood of 17 cents versus the 5 or 6 cents that a paper dollar costs to produce,\" he said. \"However, the coin lasts 35 years, and it's made of mostly recycled metals, and the paper has to be produced from new materials, and we shred 3 billion of those every year because they wear out.\" For years, the former Arizona congressman has been pushing legislation that would prop up the dollar coin by phasing out the greenback -- a move that has met resistance from both politicians and the public. But today, he said, _ and a recent poll indicates 61 percent of Americans like the idea. \"When they learn of the savings that can be involved with this, they will support the idea of substituting the coin for the paper dollar,\" he said. Major savings Kolbe points to a study by the Government Accountability Office, which investigates how the government spends taxpayer dollars. The GAO estimates taxpayers would save more than $4 billion over 30 years, and that figure could be much higher. That appeals to taxpayer Christy Thompson, who said, \"I'd probably say, yes, we need to do it.\" But plenty of people aren't convinced, including Kim Doering of Alexandria, Virginia. \"It's easier to carry the paper bill than a bunch of coins. They're louder; they're heavier in your pocket,\" she said. Washington, D.C. restaurant owner Sue Fouladi doesn't like the idea of having more dollar coins in her cash register. \"It's very inconvenient,\" she said. \"If I don't have a choice, then I'll do it, but I'll be a very unhappy person.\" Adding to the problem is that the gold- and silver-colored metal coins are about the same size as the 25-cent quarter. Robert Blecker, an economics professor at American University in Washington, says the dollar coins should be a different size and thickness. \"And if we can design a dollar coin that's not so big and bulky, probably Americans would like it better,\" he added. But that doesn't bother college student Emily Sturgill. \"Sometimes they fit into your pocket easily and you don't have to worry about them slipping out, like a dollar bill would if you brought your keys or your phone out,\" she said. What's the best title of the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "Because they didn't love him.", "Because they didn't have extra money.", "Because they lived far away from him.", "Because they didn't need a bike." ], "question": "JAMES shook his money box again. Nothing! He carefully counted the coins that lay on the bed. All that he had was $24.52 . The bicycle he wanted was at least $90! How on earth was he going to get the rest of the money? He knew that his friends all had bicycles. It was hard to hang out with people when you were the only one without a bicycle. He thought about what he could do. There was no point asking his parents, for he knew they had no extra money. There was only one way to get money, and that was to earn it. He would have to find a job. He decided to ask Mr Clay for advice. \"Well, you can start right here,\" said Mr Clay. \"You see, my windows need cleaning and my car needs washing.\" That was the beginning of James' part-time job. For the next three months he worked every day after finishing his homework. He took dogs for walks, cleared out cupboards and mended books. The day finally came when James counted his money and found $94.32. He wasted no time and went down to the shop to pick up the bicycle he wanted. He rode home proudly, looking forward to showing his new bicycle to his friends. It had been hard working for the money, but James knew that he valued his bicycle far more because he had bought it with his own money. He had achieved what he thought was impossible, and that was worth even more than the bicycle. Why didn't James ask his parents for help?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "walking dogs", "clearing out cupboards", "cooking meals", "mending books" ], "question": "JAMES shook his money box again. Nothing! He carefully counted the coins that lay on the bed. All that he had was $24.52 . The bicycle he wanted was at least $90! How on earth was he going to get the rest of the money? He knew that his friends all had bicycles. It was hard to hang out with people when you were the only one without a bicycle. He thought about what he could do. There was no point asking his parents, for he knew they had no extra money. There was only one way to get money, and that was to earn it. He would have to find a job. He decided to ask Mr Clay for advice. \"Well, you can start right here,\" said Mr Clay. \"You see, my windows need cleaning and my car needs washing.\" That was the beginning of James' part-time job. For the next three months he worked every day after finishing his homework. He took dogs for walks, cleared out cupboards and mended books. The day finally came when James counted his money and found $94.32. He wasted no time and went down to the shop to pick up the bicycle he wanted. He rode home proudly, looking forward to showing his new bicycle to his friends. It had been hard working for the money, but James knew that he valued his bicycle far more because he had bought it with his own money. He had achieved what he thought was impossible, and that was worth even more than the bicycle. James did the following jobs EXCEPT _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "$24.52", "$90", "$94.32", "$69.80" ], "question": "JAMES shook his money box again. Nothing! He carefully counted the coins that lay on the bed. All that he had was $24.52 . The bicycle he wanted was at least $90! How on earth was he going to get the rest of the money? He knew that his friends all had bicycles. It was hard to hang out with people when you were the only one without a bicycle. He thought about what he could do. There was no point asking his parents, for he knew they had no extra money. There was only one way to get money, and that was to earn it. He would have to find a job. He decided to ask Mr Clay for advice. \"Well, you can start right here,\" said Mr Clay. \"You see, my windows need cleaning and my car needs washing.\" That was the beginning of James' part-time job. For the next three months he worked every day after finishing his homework. He took dogs for walks, cleared out cupboards and mended books. The day finally came when James counted his money and found $94.32. He wasted no time and went down to the shop to pick up the bicycle he wanted. He rode home proudly, looking forward to showing his new bicycle to his friends. It had been hard working for the money, but James knew that he valued his bicycle far more because he had bought it with his own money. He had achieved what he thought was impossible, and that was worth even more than the bicycle. How much money did James earn?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "We should buy everything we want.", "We should get what we want through hard work.", "Parents shouldn't give children any money.", "We shouldn't show off new things to poor children." ], "question": "JAMES shook his money box again. Nothing! He carefully counted the coins that lay on the bed. All that he had was $24.52 . The bicycle he wanted was at least $90! How on earth was he going to get the rest of the money? He knew that his friends all had bicycles. It was hard to hang out with people when you were the only one without a bicycle. He thought about what he could do. There was no point asking his parents, for he knew they had no extra money. There was only one way to get money, and that was to earn it. He would have to find a job. He decided to ask Mr Clay for advice. \"Well, you can start right here,\" said Mr Clay. \"You see, my windows need cleaning and my car needs washing.\" That was the beginning of James' part-time job. For the next three months he worked every day after finishing his homework. He took dogs for walks, cleared out cupboards and mended books. The day finally came when James counted his money and found $94.32. He wasted no time and went down to the shop to pick up the bicycle he wanted. He rode home proudly, looking forward to showing his new bicycle to his friends. It had been hard working for the money, but James knew that he valued his bicycle far more because he had bought it with his own money. He had achieved what he thought was impossible, and that was worth even more than the bicycle. What does the writer want to tell us?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "Younger children can fully understand the instructional things in classrooms.", "3-and 4-year-olds shouldn't be expected too much in school readiness skills.", "More time should be spent on\"seat work'' instead of music and art.", "Even 5-and 6-year-olds have good motor skills and attention span." ], "question": "Step into an American preschool classroom today and you are likely to fall into a so-called print-rich environment,every surface colorfully decorated with instructional posters,classroom rules,chedules,and mottos,few of which a 4-year-old can understand in fact. Besides the confusing things on classroom walls,teaching methods and curriculums have changed recently,by which more time is spent on what's called \"seat work\"workbooks and worksheets--but less time devoted to music and art.School--readiness skills are essential for the youngest learners to move on to a subsequent stage. As a result, expectations that may arguably have been reasonable for 5-and 6-year-olds, such as bemg able to sit at a desk and using pencil and paper,are now directed at even younger children, who lack the motor skills and attention span to be successful. However,parents of preschoolers tend to _ these changes,because they fear that the old--fashioned pleasures of unhurried learning have no place in today's highly competitive world.The stress is obvious:Pick the \"wrong\" preschool and your child might not go to college.She might not be employable. She might not even be allowed to start first grade! As preschoolers are learning so much academic knowledge at earlier ages,they seem somehow less curious and less engaged.Some teachers say that more children today seem to lack the language skills.The real focus in the preschool years should not be just on vocabularv and reading,but on talking and listening.By talking with adults, and one another,they pick up information,learn how things work and solve puzzles that trouble them.For our littlest learners,what could be more important than that? Which of the statements does the author probably agree with?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "Because some preschools are too old fashioned.", "Because a wrong preschool might ruin kids' future.", "Because the competitions between kindergartens are fierce.", "Because it is easy for them to choose a right preschool." ], "question": "Step into an American preschool classroom today and you are likely to fall into a so-called print-rich environment,every surface colorfully decorated with instructional posters,classroom rules,chedules,and mottos,few of which a 4-year-old can understand in fact. Besides the confusing things on classroom walls,teaching methods and curriculums have changed recently,by which more time is spent on what's called \"seat work\"workbooks and worksheets--but less time devoted to music and art.School--readiness skills are essential for the youngest learners to move on to a subsequent stage. As a result, expectations that may arguably have been reasonable for 5-and 6-year-olds, such as bemg able to sit at a desk and using pencil and paper,are now directed at even younger children, who lack the motor skills and attention span to be successful. However,parents of preschoolers tend to _ these changes,because they fear that the old--fashioned pleasures of unhurried learning have no place in today's highly competitive world.The stress is obvious:Pick the \"wrong\" preschool and your child might not go to college.She might not be employable. She might not even be allowed to start first grade! As preschoolers are learning so much academic knowledge at earlier ages,they seem somehow less curious and less engaged.Some teachers say that more children today seem to lack the language skills.The real focus in the preschool years should not be just on vocabularv and reading,but on talking and listening.By talking with adults, and one another,they pick up information,learn how things work and solve puzzles that trouble them.For our littlest learners,what could be more important than that? Why are parents so picky when choosing a preschool for their kids?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "New Preschool Breaking down the Kids.", "The Early Bird Gets the Worm.", "Preschool,the Gatekeeper to Elementary School?", "Seat work,a Better Choice for the Youngest Kids?" ], "question": "Step into an American preschool classroom today and you are likely to fall into a so-called print-rich environment,every surface colorfully decorated with instructional posters,classroom rules,chedules,and mottos,few of which a 4-year-old can understand in fact. Besides the confusing things on classroom walls,teaching methods and curriculums have changed recently,by which more time is spent on what's called \"seat work\"workbooks and worksheets--but less time devoted to music and art.School--readiness skills are essential for the youngest learners to move on to a subsequent stage. As a result, expectations that may arguably have been reasonable for 5-and 6-year-olds, such as bemg able to sit at a desk and using pencil and paper,are now directed at even younger children, who lack the motor skills and attention span to be successful. However,parents of preschoolers tend to _ these changes,because they fear that the old--fashioned pleasures of unhurried learning have no place in today's highly competitive world.The stress is obvious:Pick the \"wrong\" preschool and your child might not go to college.She might not be employable. She might not even be allowed to start first grade! As preschoolers are learning so much academic knowledge at earlier ages,they seem somehow less curious and less engaged.Some teachers say that more children today seem to lack the language skills.The real focus in the preschool years should not be just on vocabularv and reading,but on talking and listening.By talking with adults, and one another,they pick up information,learn how things work and solve puzzles that trouble them.For our littlest learners,what could be more important than that? What's the best title of the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "It is nearly a year now since the writer entered Fudan University.", "The writer doesn't have a good understanding of freedom.", "Three interesting things are mentioned about the writer's life in this passage.", "The writer is getting on well with the life in Fudan University." ], "question": "How time flies! One month has passed before I could take any notice of it. This is the start of my freshman year in Fudan University. At the very beginning, everything and everyone was strange to me. But now, I'm getting used to it. I'd like to tell you two important and interesting things in my university life. Freedom is what I am looking forward to since my primary school. Many people said to me, \"Study hard, and you will get freedom when in university.\" But when I really entered university, I find the real situation is different. Freedom costs me a lot. If I refuse to wash my clothes, for example, they will just lie there, unclean. So I have to do everything and take care of myself. Well, I like this life style very much though it is hard at the beginning. It is really a challenge for me. I appreciate a famous saying from Albert Camus, \"Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better.\" That's right. Real freedom comes with responsibility. Some teenagers believe that freedom means doing whatever you like. But I think that is not real freedom at all. One can have his or her own freedom, while at the same time respect others'. It's not easy to think on behalf of others. And now I have the precious chance to practice it. Another thing I want to mention is love. Now, something interesting in Fudan is that love exists everywhere. For instance, the first lesson of my English class is about love. A small play at the Freshmen Welcome Party called \"Turn Left and Turn Right\" is about students' love in Fudan. Some of my roommates have boyfriends. At night, while lying in bed, we always share their love stories. What's more, even our instructor once said, \"In our department, girls are more than boys. So we'll have a party with the Chemistry Department, in which the situation is just the opposite.\" I was surprised about the attitude towards love here. Is she encouraging us to find someone to fall in love with? I cannot understand it quite well. The above are the two things that impressed me most at the very beginning of my freshmen year, and surely I'll get more out of my university life in the future. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "freedom means doing whatever you like", "freedom and responsibility go hand in hand in reality", "freedom means respecting others' responsibility", "others must sacrifice anything for one's freedom" ], "question": "How time flies! One month has passed before I could take any notice of it. This is the start of my freshman year in Fudan University. At the very beginning, everything and everyone was strange to me. But now, I'm getting used to it. I'd like to tell you two important and interesting things in my university life. Freedom is what I am looking forward to since my primary school. Many people said to me, \"Study hard, and you will get freedom when in university.\" But when I really entered university, I find the real situation is different. Freedom costs me a lot. If I refuse to wash my clothes, for example, they will just lie there, unclean. So I have to do everything and take care of myself. Well, I like this life style very much though it is hard at the beginning. It is really a challenge for me. I appreciate a famous saying from Albert Camus, \"Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better.\" That's right. Real freedom comes with responsibility. Some teenagers believe that freedom means doing whatever you like. But I think that is not real freedom at all. One can have his or her own freedom, while at the same time respect others'. It's not easy to think on behalf of others. And now I have the precious chance to practice it. Another thing I want to mention is love. Now, something interesting in Fudan is that love exists everywhere. For instance, the first lesson of my English class is about love. A small play at the Freshmen Welcome Party called \"Turn Left and Turn Right\" is about students' love in Fudan. Some of my roommates have boyfriends. At night, while lying in bed, we always share their love stories. What's more, even our instructor once said, \"In our department, girls are more than boys. So we'll have a party with the Chemistry Department, in which the situation is just the opposite.\" I was surprised about the attitude towards love here. Is she encouraging us to find someone to fall in love with? I cannot understand it quite well. The above are the two things that impressed me most at the very beginning of my freshmen year, and surely I'll get more out of my university life in the future. The writer is likely to agree that _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "love among students is still forbidden in Fudan University", "students are encouraged to find someone to fall in love with", "students are encouraged to communicate with the opposite sex", "there are more girls than boys in the Chemistry Department" ], "question": "How time flies! One month has passed before I could take any notice of it. This is the start of my freshman year in Fudan University. At the very beginning, everything and everyone was strange to me. But now, I'm getting used to it. I'd like to tell you two important and interesting things in my university life. Freedom is what I am looking forward to since my primary school. Many people said to me, \"Study hard, and you will get freedom when in university.\" But when I really entered university, I find the real situation is different. Freedom costs me a lot. If I refuse to wash my clothes, for example, they will just lie there, unclean. So I have to do everything and take care of myself. Well, I like this life style very much though it is hard at the beginning. It is really a challenge for me. I appreciate a famous saying from Albert Camus, \"Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better.\" That's right. Real freedom comes with responsibility. Some teenagers believe that freedom means doing whatever you like. But I think that is not real freedom at all. One can have his or her own freedom, while at the same time respect others'. It's not easy to think on behalf of others. And now I have the precious chance to practice it. Another thing I want to mention is love. Now, something interesting in Fudan is that love exists everywhere. For instance, the first lesson of my English class is about love. A small play at the Freshmen Welcome Party called \"Turn Left and Turn Right\" is about students' love in Fudan. Some of my roommates have boyfriends. At night, while lying in bed, we always share their love stories. What's more, even our instructor once said, \"In our department, girls are more than boys. So we'll have a party with the Chemistry Department, in which the situation is just the opposite.\" I was surprised about the attitude towards love here. Is she encouraging us to find someone to fall in love with? I cannot understand it quite well. The above are the two things that impressed me most at the very beginning of my freshmen year, and surely I'll get more out of my university life in the future. Based on what the instructor said, we can learn that _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "Her writing techniques", "The complicated plots", "The humorous language", "Her rich imagination" ], "question": "It's hard to find Alice Munro in the media. Even after she won the 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature, the Canadian writer just appeared for a quick interview and then dropped out of sight. On Dec 29, she still didn't seek the spotlight when she was named one of the five Women of the Year by the Financial Times. In Munro's eyes, ordinary lives always hide larger dramas. So she records what we casually think of as the everyday actions of normal people. She often focuses on life in her hometown, a small village in Ontario which she is most familiar with. She writes about the ordinary things in the village-fox forming, trees filled in the Ontario wilderness, poor country alcohol and long last illnesses. Above all, she talks about girls and women who have seemingly ordinary lives but struggle against daily misfortune. She has a special talent for uncovering the extraordinary in the ordinary. These are ordinary people, ordinary stories, but she has the magic. Her precise language, depth of detail and the logic of her storytelling have made her stories inviting. Runaway, one of Munro's representative works, is a good example of her writing style. One of the stories centers on the life of an ordinary woman Carla, who lives in a small Canadian town with her husband Clark. The story slowly forms a picture of Carla, trapped in a bad marriage, her unhappiness building into desperation until she decided to flee. The story of Carla is a story of the power and betrayals of love. It is about lost children and lots of chances that we can all find in life, There is pain beneath the surface, like a needle in the heart. Since she published her first collection of short stories in 1968, Munro has won many awards, with the Nobel Prize being her biggest honor. On Oct 10, 2013, the Nobel Prize committee named Munro the \"master of the contemporary short story\". What makes Alice Munro's stories fascinating according to the text?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "leads a happy life with Clark", "is a faithful wife to her husband", "loses all hopes for a better life", "tries to run away from her husband" ], "question": "It's hard to find Alice Munro in the media. Even after she won the 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature, the Canadian writer just appeared for a quick interview and then dropped out of sight. On Dec 29, she still didn't seek the spotlight when she was named one of the five Women of the Year by the Financial Times. In Munro's eyes, ordinary lives always hide larger dramas. So she records what we casually think of as the everyday actions of normal people. She often focuses on life in her hometown, a small village in Ontario which she is most familiar with. She writes about the ordinary things in the village-fox forming, trees filled in the Ontario wilderness, poor country alcohol and long last illnesses. Above all, she talks about girls and women who have seemingly ordinary lives but struggle against daily misfortune. She has a special talent for uncovering the extraordinary in the ordinary. These are ordinary people, ordinary stories, but she has the magic. Her precise language, depth of detail and the logic of her storytelling have made her stories inviting. Runaway, one of Munro's representative works, is a good example of her writing style. One of the stories centers on the life of an ordinary woman Carla, who lives in a small Canadian town with her husband Clark. The story slowly forms a picture of Carla, trapped in a bad marriage, her unhappiness building into desperation until she decided to flee. The story of Carla is a story of the power and betrayals of love. It is about lost children and lots of chances that we can all find in life, There is pain beneath the surface, like a needle in the heart. Since she published her first collection of short stories in 1968, Munro has won many awards, with the Nobel Prize being her biggest honor. On Oct 10, 2013, the Nobel Prize committee named Munro the \"master of the contemporary short story\". In her representative work Runaway, Carla _", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "Alice Munro and her hometown", "The awards Alice Munro won", "Alice Munro and her writing style", "Alice Munro's literary life" ], "question": "It's hard to find Alice Munro in the media. Even after she won the 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature, the Canadian writer just appeared for a quick interview and then dropped out of sight. On Dec 29, she still didn't seek the spotlight when she was named one of the five Women of the Year by the Financial Times. In Munro's eyes, ordinary lives always hide larger dramas. So she records what we casually think of as the everyday actions of normal people. She often focuses on life in her hometown, a small village in Ontario which she is most familiar with. She writes about the ordinary things in the village-fox forming, trees filled in the Ontario wilderness, poor country alcohol and long last illnesses. Above all, she talks about girls and women who have seemingly ordinary lives but struggle against daily misfortune. She has a special talent for uncovering the extraordinary in the ordinary. These are ordinary people, ordinary stories, but she has the magic. Her precise language, depth of detail and the logic of her storytelling have made her stories inviting. Runaway, one of Munro's representative works, is a good example of her writing style. One of the stories centers on the life of an ordinary woman Carla, who lives in a small Canadian town with her husband Clark. The story slowly forms a picture of Carla, trapped in a bad marriage, her unhappiness building into desperation until she decided to flee. The story of Carla is a story of the power and betrayals of love. It is about lost children and lots of chances that we can all find in life, There is pain beneath the surface, like a needle in the heart. Since she published her first collection of short stories in 1968, Munro has won many awards, with the Nobel Prize being her biggest honor. On Oct 10, 2013, the Nobel Prize committee named Munro the \"master of the contemporary short story\". What is the text mainly about?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "he has taken many pictures of smog", "he is a micrograph enthusiast", "he graduated from Beijing Normal University", "his smog pictures spread widely on Sina Weibo" ], "question": "It has been two years since China Daily last interviewed 31-year-old Zhang Chao.The micrograph enthusiast still wears the same hair style, even the same coat. But one thing is very different: He's become a celebrity in cyberspace almost overnight, after his pictures, which show what the smog in Beijing looks like under his microscope, spread like a virus on China's major micro-blogging site Sina Weibo, since he posted them last Friday.Now the media is always interviewing him. Zhang's apartment is on the eighth floor, which he says is perfect for capturing the thickest levels of smog. As a Beijing native, Zhang explains his original purpose is to _ and expose its mystery.\" People have higher and higher standards for the environment,\" he says,\" When I was a child, I was annoyed by the frequent sandstorms, so I feel Beijing's air seems much better now all in all because there are hardly any sandstorms in recent years.Now, we've noticed PM2.5, which has long been neglected.\" Although he graduated as a science major from Beijing Normal University, Zhang says it is difficult for him to give an exact definition of what smog is in Beijing. Under his scope, which magnifies the sample 1,000 times, the smog is found to contain minerals, fragments of animal fur and insects, seeds and burnt dust.But many are compounds, he says, which are more difficult to identify. Zhang realizes that he may have disappointed the public because he can't show the inner construction of PM2.5 , today's most notorious(.) element in smog. It is beyond the capacity of his microscope and camera to explore such tiny grains, \" You cannot imagine how splendid the micro world is\" ! says Zhang Chao. Zhang Chao has become a celebrity in cyberspace because _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "PM2.5 has long been ignored.", "PM2.5 is an element in smog.", "Under the scope the smog can be identified clearly.", "In recent years there are less sandstorms in Beijing." ], "question": "It has been two years since China Daily last interviewed 31-year-old Zhang Chao.The micrograph enthusiast still wears the same hair style, even the same coat. But one thing is very different: He's become a celebrity in cyberspace almost overnight, after his pictures, which show what the smog in Beijing looks like under his microscope, spread like a virus on China's major micro-blogging site Sina Weibo, since he posted them last Friday.Now the media is always interviewing him. Zhang's apartment is on the eighth floor, which he says is perfect for capturing the thickest levels of smog. As a Beijing native, Zhang explains his original purpose is to _ and expose its mystery.\" People have higher and higher standards for the environment,\" he says,\" When I was a child, I was annoyed by the frequent sandstorms, so I feel Beijing's air seems much better now all in all because there are hardly any sandstorms in recent years.Now, we've noticed PM2.5, which has long been neglected.\" Although he graduated as a science major from Beijing Normal University, Zhang says it is difficult for him to give an exact definition of what smog is in Beijing. Under his scope, which magnifies the sample 1,000 times, the smog is found to contain minerals, fragments of animal fur and insects, seeds and burnt dust.But many are compounds, he says, which are more difficult to identify. Zhang realizes that he may have disappointed the public because he can't show the inner construction of PM2.5 , today's most notorious(.) element in smog. It is beyond the capacity of his microscope and camera to explore such tiny grains, \" You cannot imagine how splendid the micro world is\" ! says Zhang Chao. According to the text, which of the following is wrong?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "Zhang Chao is interested in the micro world very much", "Zhang Chao can't show the inner construction of PM2.5", "Zhang Chao was annoyed by the frequent sandstorms when he was a child", "Zhang Chao can give an exact definition of what smog is in Beijing" ], "question": "It has been two years since China Daily last interviewed 31-year-old Zhang Chao.The micrograph enthusiast still wears the same hair style, even the same coat. But one thing is very different: He's become a celebrity in cyberspace almost overnight, after his pictures, which show what the smog in Beijing looks like under his microscope, spread like a virus on China's major micro-blogging site Sina Weibo, since he posted them last Friday.Now the media is always interviewing him. Zhang's apartment is on the eighth floor, which he says is perfect for capturing the thickest levels of smog. As a Beijing native, Zhang explains his original purpose is to _ and expose its mystery.\" People have higher and higher standards for the environment,\" he says,\" When I was a child, I was annoyed by the frequent sandstorms, so I feel Beijing's air seems much better now all in all because there are hardly any sandstorms in recent years.Now, we've noticed PM2.5, which has long been neglected.\" Although he graduated as a science major from Beijing Normal University, Zhang says it is difficult for him to give an exact definition of what smog is in Beijing. Under his scope, which magnifies the sample 1,000 times, the smog is found to contain minerals, fragments of animal fur and insects, seeds and burnt dust.But many are compounds, he says, which are more difficult to identify. Zhang realizes that he may have disappointed the public because he can't show the inner construction of PM2.5 , today's most notorious(.) element in smog. It is beyond the capacity of his microscope and camera to explore such tiny grains, \" You cannot imagine how splendid the micro world is\" ! says Zhang Chao. From the passage we can infer that _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "The government", "Public education", "The Detroit automakers.", "The Wall Street firms" ], "question": "If you were to come up with a list of organizations whose failures had done the most damage to the American economy in recent years,you would probably have to start with the Wall Street firms that brought us the financial.From there,you might move on to the automakers in Detroit. But I would suggest that the list should also include a less obvious nominee:public education. At its top level,the American system of higher education may be the best in the world.Yet in terms of its core mission-turning teenagers into educated college graduates--much of the system is failing. The United States does a good job enrolling teenagers in college,but only half of the students who enroll end up with a bachelor's degree. So identifying the causes of the college dropout crisis m the world's largest economy matters enormously, and a new book called Crossing the Finish Line tries to do precisely that.Its authors are economists William Bowen and Michael.McPherson,and a doctoral candidate Matthew Chigoes.The first problem they diagnose is something they call tender-matching. It refers to students who choose not to attend the best college they can get into.They instead go to a less selective one,perhaps one that is closer to home or less expensive.About half of the low--income students with a grade-point average of at least3.5 in high school and an SAT score of at least 1,200 do not attend the best college they could have. \"I was really astonished by the degree to which well--qualified students from poor families under-matched,\" said Mr.Bowen. In fact,well-off students attend the colleges that do the best job of producing graduates.Meanwhile,lower-income students-even when they are better qualified--often go to colleges that excel in producing drop-outs.\"It's really a waste,\"Mr.Bowen said,\"and a big problem for the country.\"As the authors point out, the only way to lift the college graduation rate significantly is to lift it among poor and working--class students. Instead,it appears to have fallen. What can be done? Money is clearly part of the answer. Which of the following would people first think of as a factor responsible for the American financial crisis according to the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "It is hard to enroll enough students into college.", "Many colleges are experiencing low rate of graduation.", "Many college students stay away from classes.", "It is nard for many colleges to get financial and from the government." ], "question": "If you were to come up with a list of organizations whose failures had done the most damage to the American economy in recent years,you would probably have to start with the Wall Street firms that brought us the financial.From there,you might move on to the automakers in Detroit. But I would suggest that the list should also include a less obvious nominee:public education. At its top level,the American system of higher education may be the best in the world.Yet in terms of its core mission-turning teenagers into educated college graduates--much of the system is failing. The United States does a good job enrolling teenagers in college,but only half of the students who enroll end up with a bachelor's degree. So identifying the causes of the college dropout crisis m the world's largest economy matters enormously, and a new book called Crossing the Finish Line tries to do precisely that.Its authors are economists William Bowen and Michael.McPherson,and a doctoral candidate Matthew Chigoes.The first problem they diagnose is something they call tender-matching. It refers to students who choose not to attend the best college they can get into.They instead go to a less selective one,perhaps one that is closer to home or less expensive.About half of the low--income students with a grade-point average of at least3.5 in high school and an SAT score of at least 1,200 do not attend the best college they could have. \"I was really astonished by the degree to which well--qualified students from poor families under-matched,\" said Mr.Bowen. In fact,well-off students attend the colleges that do the best job of producing graduates.Meanwhile,lower-income students-even when they are better qualified--often go to colleges that excel in producing drop-outs.\"It's really a waste,\"Mr.Bowen said,\"and a big problem for the country.\"As the authors point out, the only way to lift the college graduation rate significantly is to lift it among poor and working--class students. Instead,it appears to have fallen. What can be done? Money is clearly part of the answer. What is a big problem with American higher education?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "running to the end of the line", "going to college", "finishing college education", "working hard in college" ], "question": "If you were to come up with a list of organizations whose failures had done the most damage to the American economy in recent years,you would probably have to start with the Wall Street firms that brought us the financial.From there,you might move on to the automakers in Detroit. But I would suggest that the list should also include a less obvious nominee:public education. At its top level,the American system of higher education may be the best in the world.Yet in terms of its core mission-turning teenagers into educated college graduates--much of the system is failing. The United States does a good job enrolling teenagers in college,but only half of the students who enroll end up with a bachelor's degree. So identifying the causes of the college dropout crisis m the world's largest economy matters enormously, and a new book called Crossing the Finish Line tries to do precisely that.Its authors are economists William Bowen and Michael.McPherson,and a doctoral candidate Matthew Chigoes.The first problem they diagnose is something they call tender-matching. It refers to students who choose not to attend the best college they can get into.They instead go to a less selective one,perhaps one that is closer to home or less expensive.About half of the low--income students with a grade-point average of at least3.5 in high school and an SAT score of at least 1,200 do not attend the best college they could have. \"I was really astonished by the degree to which well--qualified students from poor families under-matched,\" said Mr.Bowen. In fact,well-off students attend the colleges that do the best job of producing graduates.Meanwhile,lower-income students-even when they are better qualified--often go to colleges that excel in producing drop-outs.\"It's really a waste,\"Mr.Bowen said,\"and a big problem for the country.\"As the authors point out, the only way to lift the college graduation rate significantly is to lift it among poor and working--class students. Instead,it appears to have fallen. What can be done? Money is clearly part of the answer. The title of the Book Crossing the Finish Line probably means _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "Because they have financial difficulty.", "Because they face ambition crisis.", "Because they lack confidence.", "Because they can't get guidance." ], "question": "If you were to come up with a list of organizations whose failures had done the most damage to the American economy in recent years,you would probably have to start with the Wall Street firms that brought us the financial.From there,you might move on to the automakers in Detroit. But I would suggest that the list should also include a less obvious nominee:public education. At its top level,the American system of higher education may be the best in the world.Yet in terms of its core mission-turning teenagers into educated college graduates--much of the system is failing. The United States does a good job enrolling teenagers in college,but only half of the students who enroll end up with a bachelor's degree. So identifying the causes of the college dropout crisis m the world's largest economy matters enormously, and a new book called Crossing the Finish Line tries to do precisely that.Its authors are economists William Bowen and Michael.McPherson,and a doctoral candidate Matthew Chigoes.The first problem they diagnose is something they call tender-matching. It refers to students who choose not to attend the best college they can get into.They instead go to a less selective one,perhaps one that is closer to home or less expensive.About half of the low--income students with a grade-point average of at least3.5 in high school and an SAT score of at least 1,200 do not attend the best college they could have. \"I was really astonished by the degree to which well--qualified students from poor families under-matched,\" said Mr.Bowen. In fact,well-off students attend the colleges that do the best job of producing graduates.Meanwhile,lower-income students-even when they are better qualified--often go to colleges that excel in producing drop-outs.\"It's really a waste,\"Mr.Bowen said,\"and a big problem for the country.\"As the authors point out, the only way to lift the college graduation rate significantly is to lift it among poor and working--class students. Instead,it appears to have fallen. What can be done? Money is clearly part of the answer. Why do some students under-match?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "problems with secondary American education and possible solutions", "America's financial crisis, its cause and influence", "low rate of American college graduation, its cause and its influence", "relationship between American education and its economy" ], "question": "If you were to come up with a list of organizations whose failures had done the most damage to the American economy in recent years,you would probably have to start with the Wall Street firms that brought us the financial.From there,you might move on to the automakers in Detroit. But I would suggest that the list should also include a less obvious nominee:public education. At its top level,the American system of higher education may be the best in the world.Yet in terms of its core mission-turning teenagers into educated college graduates--much of the system is failing. The United States does a good job enrolling teenagers in college,but only half of the students who enroll end up with a bachelor's degree. So identifying the causes of the college dropout crisis m the world's largest economy matters enormously, and a new book called Crossing the Finish Line tries to do precisely that.Its authors are economists William Bowen and Michael.McPherson,and a doctoral candidate Matthew Chigoes.The first problem they diagnose is something they call tender-matching. It refers to students who choose not to attend the best college they can get into.They instead go to a less selective one,perhaps one that is closer to home or less expensive.About half of the low--income students with a grade-point average of at least3.5 in high school and an SAT score of at least 1,200 do not attend the best college they could have. \"I was really astonished by the degree to which well--qualified students from poor families under-matched,\" said Mr.Bowen. In fact,well-off students attend the colleges that do the best job of producing graduates.Meanwhile,lower-income students-even when they are better qualified--often go to colleges that excel in producing drop-outs.\"It's really a waste,\"Mr.Bowen said,\"and a big problem for the country.\"As the authors point out, the only way to lift the college graduation rate significantly is to lift it among poor and working--class students. Instead,it appears to have fallen. What can be done? Money is clearly part of the answer. The passage is mainly about _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "they have to watch out for possible attacks", "their brain hemispheres take turns to rest", "the two halves of their brain are differently organized", "they have to constantly keep an eye on their companions" ], "question": "Birds that are half-asleep -- with one brain hemisphere alert and the other sleeping -- control which side of the brain remains awake, according to a new study of sleeping ducks. Earlier studies have recorded half-brain sleep in a wide range of birds. The brain hemispheres take turns sinking into the sleep stage characterized by slow brain waves. The eye controlled by the sleeping hemisphere keeps shut, while the wakeful hemisphere's eye stays open and alert. Birds also can sleep with both hemispheres resting at once. Decades of studies of bird groups led researchers to predict extra alertness in the end-of-the-row sleepers which tend to be attacked more easily. Sure enough, the end birds tended to watch carefully on the side away from their companions. Ducks in the inner spots showed no preference for gaze direction. Also, birds napping at the end of the line depend on single-hemisphere sleep, rather than total relaxation, more often than inner ducks did. Turning 16 birds through the positions in a four-duck row, the researchers found that compared with 12 percent for birds in inner spots, outer birds half-asleep during some 32 percent of napping time. \"We believe this is the first evidence for an animal behaviorally controlling sleep and wakefulness at the same time in different regions of the brain,\" the researchers say. The results provide the best evidence for a long-standing assumption that single-hemisphere sleep developed over time as creatures scanned for enemies. The preference for opening an eye on the lookout side could be widespread, he predicts. He's seen it in a pair of birds napping side-by-side in the zoo and in a single pet bird sleeping by a mirror. The mirror-side eye closed as if the reflection were a companion and the other eye stayed open. Useful as half-sleeping might be, it's only been found in birds and such water animals as dolphins, whales, and seals. Perhaps keeping one side of the brain awake allows a sleeping animal to surface occasionally to avoid drowning. Studies of birds may offer unique insights into sleep. Jerome M. Siegel of the UCLA says he wonders if birds' half-brain sleep \"is just the tip of the iceberg.\" He supposes that more examples may turn up when we take a closer look at other species. According to the passage, birds often half sleep because _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "An imagined companion gives the bird a sense of security.", "Birds prefer to sleep in pairs for the sake of their security.", "The phenomenon of birds napping in pairs is widespread.", "A single pet bird enjoys seeing its own reflection in the mirror." ], "question": "Birds that are half-asleep -- with one brain hemisphere alert and the other sleeping -- control which side of the brain remains awake, according to a new study of sleeping ducks. Earlier studies have recorded half-brain sleep in a wide range of birds. The brain hemispheres take turns sinking into the sleep stage characterized by slow brain waves. The eye controlled by the sleeping hemisphere keeps shut, while the wakeful hemisphere's eye stays open and alert. Birds also can sleep with both hemispheres resting at once. Decades of studies of bird groups led researchers to predict extra alertness in the end-of-the-row sleepers which tend to be attacked more easily. Sure enough, the end birds tended to watch carefully on the side away from their companions. Ducks in the inner spots showed no preference for gaze direction. Also, birds napping at the end of the line depend on single-hemisphere sleep, rather than total relaxation, more often than inner ducks did. Turning 16 birds through the positions in a four-duck row, the researchers found that compared with 12 percent for birds in inner spots, outer birds half-asleep during some 32 percent of napping time. \"We believe this is the first evidence for an animal behaviorally controlling sleep and wakefulness at the same time in different regions of the brain,\" the researchers say. The results provide the best evidence for a long-standing assumption that single-hemisphere sleep developed over time as creatures scanned for enemies. The preference for opening an eye on the lookout side could be widespread, he predicts. He's seen it in a pair of birds napping side-by-side in the zoo and in a single pet bird sleeping by a mirror. The mirror-side eye closed as if the reflection were a companion and the other eye stayed open. Useful as half-sleeping might be, it's only been found in birds and such water animals as dolphins, whales, and seals. Perhaps keeping one side of the brain awake allows a sleeping animal to surface occasionally to avoid drowning. Studies of birds may offer unique insights into sleep. Jerome M. Siegel of the UCLA says he wonders if birds' half-brain sleep \"is just the tip of the iceberg.\" He supposes that more examples may turn up when we take a closer look at other species. What is implied about the example of a bird's sleeping in front of a mirror?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "Birds never sleep with both hemispheres resting at once.", "Inner ducks depend on single-hemisphere sleep, rather than total relaxation, as often as birds napping at the end of the line do", "It is not the first time for scientists to research on birds' half-brain sleep", "Birds hardly sleep without a companion" ], "question": "Birds that are half-asleep -- with one brain hemisphere alert and the other sleeping -- control which side of the brain remains awake, according to a new study of sleeping ducks. Earlier studies have recorded half-brain sleep in a wide range of birds. The brain hemispheres take turns sinking into the sleep stage characterized by slow brain waves. The eye controlled by the sleeping hemisphere keeps shut, while the wakeful hemisphere's eye stays open and alert. Birds also can sleep with both hemispheres resting at once. Decades of studies of bird groups led researchers to predict extra alertness in the end-of-the-row sleepers which tend to be attacked more easily. Sure enough, the end birds tended to watch carefully on the side away from their companions. Ducks in the inner spots showed no preference for gaze direction. Also, birds napping at the end of the line depend on single-hemisphere sleep, rather than total relaxation, more often than inner ducks did. Turning 16 birds through the positions in a four-duck row, the researchers found that compared with 12 percent for birds in inner spots, outer birds half-asleep during some 32 percent of napping time. \"We believe this is the first evidence for an animal behaviorally controlling sleep and wakefulness at the same time in different regions of the brain,\" the researchers say. The results provide the best evidence for a long-standing assumption that single-hemisphere sleep developed over time as creatures scanned for enemies. The preference for opening an eye on the lookout side could be widespread, he predicts. He's seen it in a pair of birds napping side-by-side in the zoo and in a single pet bird sleeping by a mirror. The mirror-side eye closed as if the reflection were a companion and the other eye stayed open. Useful as half-sleeping might be, it's only been found in birds and such water animals as dolphins, whales, and seals. Perhaps keeping one side of the brain awake allows a sleeping animal to surface occasionally to avoid drowning. Studies of birds may offer unique insights into sleep. Jerome M. Siegel of the UCLA says he wonders if birds' half-brain sleep \"is just the tip of the iceberg.\" He supposes that more examples may turn up when we take a closer look at other species. It can be inferred that _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "half-brain sleep has something to do with icy weather", "the mystery of half-brain sleep is close to being solved", "most birds living in cold regions tend to be half sleepers", "half-brain sleep may exist among other species" ], "question": "Birds that are half-asleep -- with one brain hemisphere alert and the other sleeping -- control which side of the brain remains awake, according to a new study of sleeping ducks. Earlier studies have recorded half-brain sleep in a wide range of birds. The brain hemispheres take turns sinking into the sleep stage characterized by slow brain waves. The eye controlled by the sleeping hemisphere keeps shut, while the wakeful hemisphere's eye stays open and alert. Birds also can sleep with both hemispheres resting at once. Decades of studies of bird groups led researchers to predict extra alertness in the end-of-the-row sleepers which tend to be attacked more easily. Sure enough, the end birds tended to watch carefully on the side away from their companions. Ducks in the inner spots showed no preference for gaze direction. Also, birds napping at the end of the line depend on single-hemisphere sleep, rather than total relaxation, more often than inner ducks did. Turning 16 birds through the positions in a four-duck row, the researchers found that compared with 12 percent for birds in inner spots, outer birds half-asleep during some 32 percent of napping time. \"We believe this is the first evidence for an animal behaviorally controlling sleep and wakefulness at the same time in different regions of the brain,\" the researchers say. The results provide the best evidence for a long-standing assumption that single-hemisphere sleep developed over time as creatures scanned for enemies. The preference for opening an eye on the lookout side could be widespread, he predicts. He's seen it in a pair of birds napping side-by-side in the zoo and in a single pet bird sleeping by a mirror. The mirror-side eye closed as if the reflection were a companion and the other eye stayed open. Useful as half-sleeping might be, it's only been found in birds and such water animals as dolphins, whales, and seals. Perhaps keeping one side of the brain awake allows a sleeping animal to surface occasionally to avoid drowning. Studies of birds may offer unique insights into sleep. Jerome M. Siegel of the UCLA says he wonders if birds' half-brain sleep \"is just the tip of the iceberg.\" He supposes that more examples may turn up when we take a closer look at other species. By saying \"just the tip of the iceberg\", Siegel suggests that _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "be optimistic and learn to see the long-term pains", "know that each difficulty is a short-term pain and try to avoid it", "think of the difficult life others may have", "find out your own advantages and be strong" ], "question": "Let's face the facts. On most occasions, some things may seem impossible, but in every impossibility, there is possibility. Impossible situations don't last forever. While it might be impossible for one, it could still be possible for another. In a word, everything is possible. Someone once said, \"Success belongs to those who can look at challenges offered by the world as an inspiration.\" So your challenges are golden opportunities for success. How can there be wonders if there are no difficulties? You need challenges to show your ability and success comes from the problems you face. Those who refuse to give in come out smiling. Robert X. Perez once said, \"The seeds of success spring from failure's ashes; failure is not defeat and it just directs you in the right direction. To fail is to understand what you should not do. Remember it and don't give up until your goal is achieved.\" What should you do when you face difficulties? Jasbeen says, \"Yeah, life is difficult, but you shouldn't give up. You should have a positive and calm attitude towards all your difficulties and make the best of them. You may learn something new. You can accept failure and develop mental toughness. Mental toughness is to see the long-term pains rather than be put off by short-term pains. Once you have this toughness, you have an advantage of winning.\" The only thing in life you ever really regret is the chances you didn't take. You will only regret when you are faced with the consequences of not taking chances and seizing the moment. Take every chance you can! Everything you've done in life may be good or bad, but no matter what you may do, you must try your best. You must do something meaningful and do it right now. When faced with difficulties we are advised to _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "We should try to make the most of every chance.", "We should create more problems for your success.", "Those who always have difficulties are more successful.", "There are no impossible situations for anyone in the world." ], "question": "Let's face the facts. On most occasions, some things may seem impossible, but in every impossibility, there is possibility. Impossible situations don't last forever. While it might be impossible for one, it could still be possible for another. In a word, everything is possible. Someone once said, \"Success belongs to those who can look at challenges offered by the world as an inspiration.\" So your challenges are golden opportunities for success. How can there be wonders if there are no difficulties? You need challenges to show your ability and success comes from the problems you face. Those who refuse to give in come out smiling. Robert X. Perez once said, \"The seeds of success spring from failure's ashes; failure is not defeat and it just directs you in the right direction. To fail is to understand what you should not do. Remember it and don't give up until your goal is achieved.\" What should you do when you face difficulties? Jasbeen says, \"Yeah, life is difficult, but you shouldn't give up. You should have a positive and calm attitude towards all your difficulties and make the best of them. You may learn something new. You can accept failure and develop mental toughness. Mental toughness is to see the long-term pains rather than be put off by short-term pains. Once you have this toughness, you have an advantage of winning.\" The only thing in life you ever really regret is the chances you didn't take. You will only regret when you are faced with the consequences of not taking chances and seizing the moment. Take every chance you can! Everything you've done in life may be good or bad, but no matter what you may do, you must try your best. You must do something meaningful and do it right now. Which of the following is true according to the author?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "how to face challenges", "how to be successful", "how to hold the hold the chances in life", "how to turn impossibilities into possibilities" ], "question": "Let's face the facts. On most occasions, some things may seem impossible, but in every impossibility, there is possibility. Impossible situations don't last forever. While it might be impossible for one, it could still be possible for another. In a word, everything is possible. Someone once said, \"Success belongs to those who can look at challenges offered by the world as an inspiration.\" So your challenges are golden opportunities for success. How can there be wonders if there are no difficulties? You need challenges to show your ability and success comes from the problems you face. Those who refuse to give in come out smiling. Robert X. Perez once said, \"The seeds of success spring from failure's ashes; failure is not defeat and it just directs you in the right direction. To fail is to understand what you should not do. Remember it and don't give up until your goal is achieved.\" What should you do when you face difficulties? Jasbeen says, \"Yeah, life is difficult, but you shouldn't give up. You should have a positive and calm attitude towards all your difficulties and make the best of them. You may learn something new. You can accept failure and develop mental toughness. Mental toughness is to see the long-term pains rather than be put off by short-term pains. Once you have this toughness, you have an advantage of winning.\" The only thing in life you ever really regret is the chances you didn't take. You will only regret when you are faced with the consequences of not taking chances and seizing the moment. Take every chance you can! Everything you've done in life may be good or bad, but no matter what you may do, you must try your best. You must do something meaningful and do it right now. The passage is mainly about _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "an advertisement for customers", "a story for young children", "a speech for young students", "a guide for those competitors" ], "question": "Let's face the facts. On most occasions, some things may seem impossible, but in every impossibility, there is possibility. Impossible situations don't last forever. While it might be impossible for one, it could still be possible for another. In a word, everything is possible. Someone once said, \"Success belongs to those who can look at challenges offered by the world as an inspiration.\" So your challenges are golden opportunities for success. How can there be wonders if there are no difficulties? You need challenges to show your ability and success comes from the problems you face. Those who refuse to give in come out smiling. Robert X. Perez once said, \"The seeds of success spring from failure's ashes; failure is not defeat and it just directs you in the right direction. To fail is to understand what you should not do. Remember it and don't give up until your goal is achieved.\" What should you do when you face difficulties? Jasbeen says, \"Yeah, life is difficult, but you shouldn't give up. You should have a positive and calm attitude towards all your difficulties and make the best of them. You may learn something new. You can accept failure and develop mental toughness. Mental toughness is to see the long-term pains rather than be put off by short-term pains. Once you have this toughness, you have an advantage of winning.\" The only thing in life you ever really regret is the chances you didn't take. You will only regret when you are faced with the consequences of not taking chances and seizing the moment. Take every chance you can! Everything you've done in life may be good or bad, but no matter what you may do, you must try your best. You must do something meaningful and do it right now. We are most likely to find the passage in _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "Different points of view", "Less emotional people", "Advanced technology", "Similar interests" ], "question": "Social change is more likely to occur in societies where there is a mixture of different kinds of people than in societies where people are similar in many ways. The simple reason for this is that there are more different ways of looking at things present in the first kind of society. There are more ideas, more disagreements in interest, and more groups and organizations with different beliefs. In addition, there is usually a greater worldly interest and greater tolerance in mixed societies. All these factors tend to promote social change by opening more areas of life to decision. In a society where people are quite similar in many ways, there are fewer occasions for people to see the need or the opportunity for change because everything seems to be the same. And although conditions may not be satisfactory, they are at least socially accepted customs. Within a society, social change is also likely to occur more frequently and more readily in the material aspects of the culture than in the non-material, for example, in technology rather than in values; in what has been learned later in life rather than what was learned early; in the less basic and less emotional aspects of society than in their opposites; in the simple elements rather than in the complex ones; in form rather than in substance ; and in elements that are acceptable to the culture rather than in strange elements. Furthermore, social change is easier if it is gradual. For example, it comes more readily in human relations on a continuous scale rather than on a sharp _ . This is one reason why change has not come more quickly to Black Americans as compared to other American minorities, because of the sharp difference in appearance between them and white counterparts. Which of the following factors tends to promote social change?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "Because the social tolerance in such a society is greater.", "Because the social interests are fairly shared.", "Because the conditions are generally satisfactory.", "Because the present situation is commonly accepted." ], "question": "Social change is more likely to occur in societies where there is a mixture of different kinds of people than in societies where people are similar in many ways. The simple reason for this is that there are more different ways of looking at things present in the first kind of society. There are more ideas, more disagreements in interest, and more groups and organizations with different beliefs. In addition, there is usually a greater worldly interest and greater tolerance in mixed societies. All these factors tend to promote social change by opening more areas of life to decision. In a society where people are quite similar in many ways, there are fewer occasions for people to see the need or the opportunity for change because everything seems to be the same. And although conditions may not be satisfactory, they are at least socially accepted customs. Within a society, social change is also likely to occur more frequently and more readily in the material aspects of the culture than in the non-material, for example, in technology rather than in values; in what has been learned later in life rather than what was learned early; in the less basic and less emotional aspects of society than in their opposites; in the simple elements rather than in the complex ones; in form rather than in substance ; and in elements that are acceptable to the culture rather than in strange elements. Furthermore, social change is easier if it is gradual. For example, it comes more readily in human relations on a continuous scale rather than on a sharp _ . This is one reason why change has not come more quickly to Black Americans as compared to other American minorities, because of the sharp difference in appearance between them and white counterparts. Why is social change less likely to occur where people are quite similar in many ways?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "why and how", "where and what", "what and why", "how and when" ], "question": "Social change is more likely to occur in societies where there is a mixture of different kinds of people than in societies where people are similar in many ways. The simple reason for this is that there are more different ways of looking at things present in the first kind of society. There are more ideas, more disagreements in interest, and more groups and organizations with different beliefs. In addition, there is usually a greater worldly interest and greater tolerance in mixed societies. All these factors tend to promote social change by opening more areas of life to decision. In a society where people are quite similar in many ways, there are fewer occasions for people to see the need or the opportunity for change because everything seems to be the same. And although conditions may not be satisfactory, they are at least socially accepted customs. Within a society, social change is also likely to occur more frequently and more readily in the material aspects of the culture than in the non-material, for example, in technology rather than in values; in what has been learned later in life rather than what was learned early; in the less basic and less emotional aspects of society than in their opposites; in the simple elements rather than in the complex ones; in form rather than in substance ; and in elements that are acceptable to the culture rather than in strange elements. Furthermore, social change is easier if it is gradual. For example, it comes more readily in human relations on a continuous scale rather than on a sharp _ . This is one reason why change has not come more quickly to Black Americans as compared to other American minorities, because of the sharp difference in appearance between them and white counterparts. The passage mainly talks about social change in terms of _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "Huge.", "Fierce.", "Aggressive.", "Mild." ], "question": "Not so long ago, a sailor sailing across the cold waters of the northern Pacific Ocean might have had every chance of being confronted by a sea cow. This cow would have measured 10 meters long, and weighed between five and ten tones. And it would spend most of its day cruising the seas, eating grass growing underwater. The cow in question was known as Steller's sea cow, which is now extinct. Today, many people are unaware that such an extraordinary creature once existed, or don't know its incredible story. But scientists have discovered many fundamental facts about this mystical animal. Surprisingly, the first recorded sighting of a Steller's sea cow didn't happen until 1741, when a sailing expedition was stuck on an uninhabited island, later named Bering Island. The sailor survived by hunting and eating the huge sea cow. Like its modern relatives, the sea cow lived in herds. _ and its slow-moving behaviour made it easy to be caught. Those sailors that escaped Bering Island spread word of the bounty of meat to be found off its shores. As a result, more and more expeditions came to hunt the animals. One report stated that one sea cow could feed 33 men for a month. Incredibly, just 27 years after the island and species had been discovered by modern man, the last sea cow was reported killed. That makes the Steller's sea cow one of the few truly large mammals known to have been driven extinct in the modern age. Which of the following words can be used to describe the Steller's sea cow?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "In 1741.", "In 1768.", "In 1785.", "In 1876." ], "question": "Not so long ago, a sailor sailing across the cold waters of the northern Pacific Ocean might have had every chance of being confronted by a sea cow. This cow would have measured 10 meters long, and weighed between five and ten tones. And it would spend most of its day cruising the seas, eating grass growing underwater. The cow in question was known as Steller's sea cow, which is now extinct. Today, many people are unaware that such an extraordinary creature once existed, or don't know its incredible story. But scientists have discovered many fundamental facts about this mystical animal. Surprisingly, the first recorded sighting of a Steller's sea cow didn't happen until 1741, when a sailing expedition was stuck on an uninhabited island, later named Bering Island. The sailor survived by hunting and eating the huge sea cow. Like its modern relatives, the sea cow lived in herds. _ and its slow-moving behaviour made it easy to be caught. Those sailors that escaped Bering Island spread word of the bounty of meat to be found off its shores. As a result, more and more expeditions came to hunt the animals. One report stated that one sea cow could feed 33 men for a month. Incredibly, just 27 years after the island and species had been discovered by modern man, the last sea cow was reported killed. That makes the Steller's sea cow one of the few truly large mammals known to have been driven extinct in the modern age. In which year did the Steller's sea cow become extinct?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "Why did expeditions hunt the Steller's sea cow?", "When did the Steller's sea cow become extinct?", "How did the Steller's sea cow become extinct?", "What do we know about the Steller's sea cow?" ], "question": "Not so long ago, a sailor sailing across the cold waters of the northern Pacific Ocean might have had every chance of being confronted by a sea cow. This cow would have measured 10 meters long, and weighed between five and ten tones. And it would spend most of its day cruising the seas, eating grass growing underwater. The cow in question was known as Steller's sea cow, which is now extinct. Today, many people are unaware that such an extraordinary creature once existed, or don't know its incredible story. But scientists have discovered many fundamental facts about this mystical animal. Surprisingly, the first recorded sighting of a Steller's sea cow didn't happen until 1741, when a sailing expedition was stuck on an uninhabited island, later named Bering Island. The sailor survived by hunting and eating the huge sea cow. Like its modern relatives, the sea cow lived in herds. _ and its slow-moving behaviour made it easy to be caught. Those sailors that escaped Bering Island spread word of the bounty of meat to be found off its shores. As a result, more and more expeditions came to hunt the animals. One report stated that one sea cow could feed 33 men for a month. Incredibly, just 27 years after the island and species had been discovered by modern man, the last sea cow was reported killed. That makes the Steller's sea cow one of the few truly large mammals known to have been driven extinct in the modern age. What is the main idea of the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "creating music", "performing music", "enjoying your favorite music", "learning about music" ], "question": "For the most part, you are probably only exposed to the music that is played on your favorite radio stations and TV shows, music Web sites, or the music that your friends and family members enjoy. While you probably know a lot about your favorite type of music, it can be a rewarding experience to enlarge your horizons , discovering artists and types of music that you're not familiar with. Who knows, you might discover you like certain types of music you never even considered. Have you ever wondered about the history and influences of your favorite types of music ? For example, did you know that rock 'n' roll originated from the blues, and that the blues began as a form of musical expression for African Americans during slavery ?Did you know that most hip-hop is heavily influenced by early rhythm blues and jazz ? There are many fun ways to learn about different musical styles and their historical roots. For example, if you like hip-hop, listen to some of your favorite CDs and take note of the samples the performers used to create the songs. There is a possibility that the artist used parts of older songs to create the music. You can go to the library or online to learn more about the artists and listen to more of their music by checking out CDs from the library or downloading songs online for a small fee. You can learn so much about culture and history just by paying attention to different types of music and what is being expressed in the songs. There are so many different styles of music to learn about, and _ it to yourself to make an effort to listen to and learn about them. The main topic of this passage is _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "Rock 'n' roll.", "The blues.", "Hip-hop.", "Jazz." ], "question": "For the most part, you are probably only exposed to the music that is played on your favorite radio stations and TV shows, music Web sites, or the music that your friends and family members enjoy. While you probably know a lot about your favorite type of music, it can be a rewarding experience to enlarge your horizons , discovering artists and types of music that you're not familiar with. Who knows, you might discover you like certain types of music you never even considered. Have you ever wondered about the history and influences of your favorite types of music ? For example, did you know that rock 'n' roll originated from the blues, and that the blues began as a form of musical expression for African Americans during slavery ?Did you know that most hip-hop is heavily influenced by early rhythm blues and jazz ? There are many fun ways to learn about different musical styles and their historical roots. For example, if you like hip-hop, listen to some of your favorite CDs and take note of the samples the performers used to create the songs. There is a possibility that the artist used parts of older songs to create the music. You can go to the library or online to learn more about the artists and listen to more of their music by checking out CDs from the library or downloading songs online for a small fee. You can learn so much about culture and history just by paying attention to different types of music and what is being expressed in the songs. There are so many different styles of music to learn about, and _ it to yourself to make an effort to listen to and learn about them. What music did African Americans use to express their feelings of being slaves ?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "By writing down the names of the music.", "By creating music from older songs yourself.", "By caring about what is being expressed in music.", "By keeping a record of fees after downloading songs online." ], "question": "For the most part, you are probably only exposed to the music that is played on your favorite radio stations and TV shows, music Web sites, or the music that your friends and family members enjoy. While you probably know a lot about your favorite type of music, it can be a rewarding experience to enlarge your horizons , discovering artists and types of music that you're not familiar with. Who knows, you might discover you like certain types of music you never even considered. Have you ever wondered about the history and influences of your favorite types of music ? For example, did you know that rock 'n' roll originated from the blues, and that the blues began as a form of musical expression for African Americans during slavery ?Did you know that most hip-hop is heavily influenced by early rhythm blues and jazz ? There are many fun ways to learn about different musical styles and their historical roots. For example, if you like hip-hop, listen to some of your favorite CDs and take note of the samples the performers used to create the songs. There is a possibility that the artist used parts of older songs to create the music. You can go to the library or online to learn more about the artists and listen to more of their music by checking out CDs from the library or downloading songs online for a small fee. You can learn so much about culture and history just by paying attention to different types of music and what is being expressed in the songs. There are so many different styles of music to learn about, and _ it to yourself to make an effort to listen to and learn about them. How can you learn about culture and history through music ?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "men were proved to be good at dealing with distant targets", "women were proved to be poor at dealing with distant targets", "volunteers were asked to mark the midpoint of lines using a laser pointer", "women did much better than men in judging both short and long distances." ], "question": "If a husband accuses his wife of missing the bigger picture or the wife says her husband has no eye for detail,there may be more than an element of truth to it. Scientists have shown that men are better at dealing with distant targets,while women are good at shortrange focusing. The finding reflects the way men and women's brains evolved thousands of years ago. Hunters,usually the men,needed the ability to find targets in far places. Women,on the other hand,had to _ searching the area immediately within reach for fruits,nuts,berries and roots. Researchers asked 48 men and women to mark the midpoint of lines on a piece of paper with a laser pointer. Men were more accurate than women when the target was placed at a distance of 100cm or out of reach. When the paper was only 50cm away--within hands' reach--the women did a much better job. Psychologist Helen Stancey,from Hammersmith and West London College,said,\"Evidence already exists that separate pathways in the brain process visual information from near and far space. Our results suggest that the near pathways is favored in women and the far pathway is favored in men. \"The findings are published online in the British Journal of Psychology. In a second study,volunteers were asked to carry out the same tasks by using a stick. This time women were much better than men at judging both distances. The finding suggests that the stick provides a focal point to help the brain to process distant information as if it is in the near space. In the second study, _ .", "subject": "" }

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