Split (1)

train · 99.8k rows

train dict
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "she was an honorable, hardworking and happy person", "she was a very dedicated woman doctor with many honors", "she was a caring lady who helped many students finish college", "she was the first woman President of APS" ], "question": "Whenever the word \"hero\" comes to me, I immediately think of three Hs: honorable, hardworking, and happy. When I think more about this word, I picture someone who has accomplished good things for people and tries to do the right thing Hattie Elizabeth Alexander is one person whom I find to be very heroic. Hattie was born in Baltimore, Maryland on April 5, 1901. During her time at College she earned her Bachelor's Degree in Bacteriology and Physiology. These were just the first steps towards what she was finally going to be remembered for. After college Hattie attended Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and received her medical degree. After her education, she pursued her career, and after much time and hard work, she _ reduced the number of infants dying from meningitis . Hattie was very dedicated to her work and helped at as many locations as she could. Spending substantial time in the laboratory, Hattie successfully developed a cure against the disease, which decreased the death rate to 20 percent. At the same time, she was also a teacher working with Columbia University. She was a caring lady interested in other people's lives. When she was teaching at Columbia University, other members would talk to her about students that were failing their classes, and somehow Hattie could always find convincing reasons as to why they should not be driven away. Later, Hattie became an instructor in Pediatrics at New York City's Babies Hospital. After many honors, she became the first woman president of the American Pediatric Society in 1965. This was her last major achievement, for soon after, Hattie died of cancer on June 24, 1968. Hattie is my hero because her positive attitude and strength helped her accomplish great things for others. She gave them her strength by developing medicines against diseased, which, by doing so, made them stronger. This is what makes Hattie Elizabeth Alexander my hero. Hattie is considered to be a hero by the author in that _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "An Honorable Woman", "A Woman Accomplishing Great Things", "My Hero--Hattie Elizabeth Alexander", "The First Woman President of the APS" ], "question": "Whenever the word \"hero\" comes to me, I immediately think of three Hs: honorable, hardworking, and happy. When I think more about this word, I picture someone who has accomplished good things for people and tries to do the right thing Hattie Elizabeth Alexander is one person whom I find to be very heroic. Hattie was born in Baltimore, Maryland on April 5, 1901. During her time at College she earned her Bachelor's Degree in Bacteriology and Physiology. These were just the first steps towards what she was finally going to be remembered for. After college Hattie attended Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and received her medical degree. After her education, she pursued her career, and after much time and hard work, she _ reduced the number of infants dying from meningitis . Hattie was very dedicated to her work and helped at as many locations as she could. Spending substantial time in the laboratory, Hattie successfully developed a cure against the disease, which decreased the death rate to 20 percent. At the same time, she was also a teacher working with Columbia University. She was a caring lady interested in other people's lives. When she was teaching at Columbia University, other members would talk to her about students that were failing their classes, and somehow Hattie could always find convincing reasons as to why they should not be driven away. Later, Hattie became an instructor in Pediatrics at New York City's Babies Hospital. After many honors, she became the first woman president of the American Pediatric Society in 1965. This was her last major achievement, for soon after, Hattie died of cancer on June 24, 1968. Hattie is my hero because her positive attitude and strength helped her accomplish great things for others. She gave them her strength by developing medicines against diseased, which, by doing so, made them stronger. This is what makes Hattie Elizabeth Alexander my hero. Which of the following would be the most proper title for the text?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "making money drives some people to hunt tigers", "tigers' food chain is being destroyed", "the living places of tigers are disappearing", "people live far from where tigers live" ], "question": "I've reported about tigers on the news, however, nothing could have prepared me for what I found in India. I didn't know what to expect, so when I saw my first tiger in the wild, I was shocked. What a beautiful and powerful creature it is! But they live with a price on their heads -- a single tiger skin is worth up to PS8,000, and their bones possibly more. Another problem is that farmers need to clear a large number of areas of the forest for their cattle. This means deer are losing their living places. As a result, tigers are losing their natural prey, so they end up eating the cattle. Tigers are not easy to live close to. I met a farmer who had been _ by one. But despite that, he told me everything had its place in the world and he had no right to kill the tiger. He was really kind. Those who work for the Tigers Forever Project realize that to ensure their survival, tigers don't only need space. They need space away from people. They are working to stop the conflict between tigers and people by separating them. I visited a new town. People had been moved to it from a settlement in the forest. And it really has worked. It has given tigers a better life and better opportunities for the children of the resettled people. Only 2,500 tigers are now left in the wild in India. Three out of eight tiger sub-species have already disappeared. Tigers that once lived across Asia only survive in 7% of their original living places now. The following statements are all the factors reducing the population of tigers EXCEPT that _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "Expensive tigers.", "More space for tigers.", "Tigers and cattle.", "A kind-hearted farmer." ], "question": "I've reported about tigers on the news, however, nothing could have prepared me for what I found in India. I didn't know what to expect, so when I saw my first tiger in the wild, I was shocked. What a beautiful and powerful creature it is! But they live with a price on their heads -- a single tiger skin is worth up to PS8,000, and their bones possibly more. Another problem is that farmers need to clear a large number of areas of the forest for their cattle. This means deer are losing their living places. As a result, tigers are losing their natural prey, so they end up eating the cattle. Tigers are not easy to live close to. I met a farmer who had been _ by one. But despite that, he told me everything had its place in the world and he had no right to kill the tiger. He was really kind. Those who work for the Tigers Forever Project realize that to ensure their survival, tigers don't only need space. They need space away from people. They are working to stop the conflict between tigers and people by separating them. I visited a new town. People had been moved to it from a settlement in the forest. And it really has worked. It has given tigers a better life and better opportunities for the children of the resettled people. Only 2,500 tigers are now left in the wild in India. Three out of eight tiger sub-species have already disappeared. Tigers that once lived across Asia only survive in 7% of their original living places now. What's the best title of the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "for quite a long time", "first by beachgoers", "to prevent swimmers drowning", "in honor of the movie Spiderman" ], "question": "Perhaps drawing inspiration from Spiderman, beachgoers in China' s eastern city of Qingdao have come up with a new way of protecting their skin from the sun. They call it the \"face-kini\". It was first sported by middle-aged women as a practical addition to their swimsuits, but now the face-kini has gone global. New York-based style magazine CR Fashion Book, founded by former Vogue Paris editor Carine Roitfeld, recently published a photo shoot of models with pouting red lips, wearing face-kinis, chic swimsuits and fancy jewellery . The transformation of what' s considered the symbol of \"old woman style\" in China to high fashion has amused Internet users. In two days, the subject was widely spread on the Chinese Twitter, Weibo. \"Chinese old women are at the centre of the global fashion world,\" said one comment. \"It looks like bank robbers attacking the beach,\" others joked. When it comes to avoiding the sun, it seems Chinese creativity is unlimited. Apart from the face-kini, the Chinese use special UV-blocking sun umbrellas which can be attached to bike handles. There are also sun- blocking removable sleeves and Batman- style capes. The list goes on. On Chinese television, commercials for magic whitening creams are everywhere. White is seen as beautiful here, or as the old Chinese saying goes: \"One touch of white covers 100 kinds of ugliness.\" It' s a curious contrast to the fact that people in many western countries pay for tanning . Tanning salons are just now starting to take off in big Chinese cities, where western influences are deeper. Liu Yupu, or \"China tanning boss\" as he goes by on Weibo, took the sudden popularity of face- kinis with a pinch of salt. He said: \"These days, if you had just been to a tanning salon in China. Your parents and close friends may call you an idiot, but you'll also get plenty of praise.\" But can a beautifully-tanned woman turn as many heads as the face-kini on the Qingdao beach? The \"face-kini\" has been worn in Qingdao - _ '", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "whitening cream", "an old woman style", "a beautiful swimsuit", "high fashion" ], "question": "Perhaps drawing inspiration from Spiderman, beachgoers in China' s eastern city of Qingdao have come up with a new way of protecting their skin from the sun. They call it the \"face-kini\". It was first sported by middle-aged women as a practical addition to their swimsuits, but now the face-kini has gone global. New York-based style magazine CR Fashion Book, founded by former Vogue Paris editor Carine Roitfeld, recently published a photo shoot of models with pouting red lips, wearing face-kinis, chic swimsuits and fancy jewellery . The transformation of what' s considered the symbol of \"old woman style\" in China to high fashion has amused Internet users. In two days, the subject was widely spread on the Chinese Twitter, Weibo. \"Chinese old women are at the centre of the global fashion world,\" said one comment. \"It looks like bank robbers attacking the beach,\" others joked. When it comes to avoiding the sun, it seems Chinese creativity is unlimited. Apart from the face-kini, the Chinese use special UV-blocking sun umbrellas which can be attached to bike handles. There are also sun- blocking removable sleeves and Batman- style capes. The list goes on. On Chinese television, commercials for magic whitening creams are everywhere. White is seen as beautiful here, or as the old Chinese saying goes: \"One touch of white covers 100 kinds of ugliness.\" It' s a curious contrast to the fact that people in many western countries pay for tanning . Tanning salons are just now starting to take off in big Chinese cities, where western influences are deeper. Liu Yupu, or \"China tanning boss\" as he goes by on Weibo, took the sudden popularity of face- kinis with a pinch of salt. He said: \"These days, if you had just been to a tanning salon in China. Your parents and close friends may call you an idiot, but you'll also get plenty of praise.\" But can a beautifully-tanned woman turn as many heads as the face-kini on the Qingdao beach? According to the passage, the new invention \"face-kini\" is now considered as _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "Keeping your skin. Fair", "The changing fashion in Qingdao", "Protecting fair skin with \"face-kini\"", "New attitudes towards beauty" ], "question": "Perhaps drawing inspiration from Spiderman, beachgoers in China' s eastern city of Qingdao have come up with a new way of protecting their skin from the sun. They call it the \"face-kini\". It was first sported by middle-aged women as a practical addition to their swimsuits, but now the face-kini has gone global. New York-based style magazine CR Fashion Book, founded by former Vogue Paris editor Carine Roitfeld, recently published a photo shoot of models with pouting red lips, wearing face-kinis, chic swimsuits and fancy jewellery . The transformation of what' s considered the symbol of \"old woman style\" in China to high fashion has amused Internet users. In two days, the subject was widely spread on the Chinese Twitter, Weibo. \"Chinese old women are at the centre of the global fashion world,\" said one comment. \"It looks like bank robbers attacking the beach,\" others joked. When it comes to avoiding the sun, it seems Chinese creativity is unlimited. Apart from the face-kini, the Chinese use special UV-blocking sun umbrellas which can be attached to bike handles. There are also sun- blocking removable sleeves and Batman- style capes. The list goes on. On Chinese television, commercials for magic whitening creams are everywhere. White is seen as beautiful here, or as the old Chinese saying goes: \"One touch of white covers 100 kinds of ugliness.\" It' s a curious contrast to the fact that people in many western countries pay for tanning . Tanning salons are just now starting to take off in big Chinese cities, where western influences are deeper. Liu Yupu, or \"China tanning boss\" as he goes by on Weibo, took the sudden popularity of face- kinis with a pinch of salt. He said: \"These days, if you had just been to a tanning salon in China. Your parents and close friends may call you an idiot, but you'll also get plenty of praise.\" But can a beautifully-tanned woman turn as many heads as the face-kini on the Qingdao beach? Which of the following is the best title for the text?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "Having eyes as clear as a fountain.", "Not wearing so many jewels and make-up.", "Being ignorant and native.", "Being simple, enthusiastic and able to manage things alone." ], "question": "In white shirt, blue pants, black cloth shoes and two pigtails, Jingqiu gives off an air of great \"pure beauty\" in Zhang Yimou's new movieUnder the Hawthorn Tree, which tells the story of the sad romance of Jingqiu and a handsome young man named Laosan set at the end of the \"cultural revolution\" (1966-- 1976). Before it was released, moviegoers foresaw what this \"pure beauty\" could be. Director Zhang complained of how long it had taken him to find the right girl for the part of Jingqiu -- a character so innocent. She believes that simply lying on the same bed as a man will make her pregnant. It was 18-year-old Zhou Dongyu who stood out from the crowd. According to Zhang, Zhou has \"eyes that are clear like a fountain on a mountainside\". Born to an ordinary worker's family, the Shijiazhuang girl was in her final year of high school and working hard for a place in an art college. \"If you have fair skin and clear eyes, as Jingqiu does, it is easy to look pure. Girls today wear so many jewels and make-up--that's the reason Zhang was not interested,\" said Du Yanlai, 17, of Chengdu. While some teenagers consider such \"pure\" beauty _ , others believe that it speaks of something soulful. Purity is all about an innocence that shines through from within, thinks 16-year-old Tan Mengxi of Nanjing. \"Being pure can be simple, not having complicated thoughts and being inexperienced. However, it doesn't mean an ignorant or native person. So, a person is pure in his or her nature if he or she is always enthusiastic and able to deal with difficult matters independently. This purity doesn't pass with time, \"she said. What's the real purity according to Tan Mengxi?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "Zhou Dongyu, who was 18,was from an art college.", "Director Zhang disliked those girls with so many accessories and make-up.", "Different people have different opinions about purity.", "Many young girls in China are eager to stand out." ], "question": "In white shirt, blue pants, black cloth shoes and two pigtails, Jingqiu gives off an air of great \"pure beauty\" in Zhang Yimou's new movieUnder the Hawthorn Tree, which tells the story of the sad romance of Jingqiu and a handsome young man named Laosan set at the end of the \"cultural revolution\" (1966-- 1976). Before it was released, moviegoers foresaw what this \"pure beauty\" could be. Director Zhang complained of how long it had taken him to find the right girl for the part of Jingqiu -- a character so innocent. She believes that simply lying on the same bed as a man will make her pregnant. It was 18-year-old Zhou Dongyu who stood out from the crowd. According to Zhang, Zhou has \"eyes that are clear like a fountain on a mountainside\". Born to an ordinary worker's family, the Shijiazhuang girl was in her final year of high school and working hard for a place in an art college. \"If you have fair skin and clear eyes, as Jingqiu does, it is easy to look pure. Girls today wear so many jewels and make-up--that's the reason Zhang was not interested,\" said Du Yanlai, 17, of Chengdu. While some teenagers consider such \"pure\" beauty _ , others believe that it speaks of something soulful. Purity is all about an innocence that shines through from within, thinks 16-year-old Tan Mengxi of Nanjing. \"Being pure can be simple, not having complicated thoughts and being inexperienced. However, it doesn't mean an ignorant or native person. So, a person is pure in his or her nature if he or she is always enthusiastic and able to deal with difficult matters independently. This purity doesn't pass with time, \"she said. What can we infer from the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "Why Director Zhang selected Miss Zhou as the leading star", "How people like the movie Under the Hawthorn Tree", "What makes a pure girl", "Why Chinese girls want to be pure" ], "question": "In white shirt, blue pants, black cloth shoes and two pigtails, Jingqiu gives off an air of great \"pure beauty\" in Zhang Yimou's new movieUnder the Hawthorn Tree, which tells the story of the sad romance of Jingqiu and a handsome young man named Laosan set at the end of the \"cultural revolution\" (1966-- 1976). Before it was released, moviegoers foresaw what this \"pure beauty\" could be. Director Zhang complained of how long it had taken him to find the right girl for the part of Jingqiu -- a character so innocent. She believes that simply lying on the same bed as a man will make her pregnant. It was 18-year-old Zhou Dongyu who stood out from the crowd. According to Zhang, Zhou has \"eyes that are clear like a fountain on a mountainside\". Born to an ordinary worker's family, the Shijiazhuang girl was in her final year of high school and working hard for a place in an art college. \"If you have fair skin and clear eyes, as Jingqiu does, it is easy to look pure. Girls today wear so many jewels and make-up--that's the reason Zhang was not interested,\" said Du Yanlai, 17, of Chengdu. While some teenagers consider such \"pure\" beauty _ , others believe that it speaks of something soulful. Purity is all about an innocence that shines through from within, thinks 16-year-old Tan Mengxi of Nanjing. \"Being pure can be simple, not having complicated thoughts and being inexperienced. However, it doesn't mean an ignorant or native person. So, a person is pure in his or her nature if he or she is always enthusiastic and able to deal with difficult matters independently. This purity doesn't pass with time, \"she said. The main idea of the passage is _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "Genetic mutations are caused by old age and physical disorders", "When a man becomes older, sperm-producing cells copy his DNA less effectively", "One of the advantages older fathers have is that their children can live a longer life", "Researchers advise men to avoid having fathering children at older ages." ], "question": "Older fathers have uglier children, researchers have claimed after linking age to genetic mutations . The finding comes weeks after leading scientists reported children born to men over the age of 45 run a higher risk of having autism and mental disorders. With age, sperm -producing cells do not copy a man's DNA as effectively, leading to genetic mutations. Martin Fielder, an anthropologist at Vienna University, told the Sunday Times: 'Every 16 years the mutation rate doubles. Other researchers found 25 mutations per sperm in a 20-year-old, but at age 40 it is 65 mutations. By 56, it doubles again. The effect is very visible - someone born to a father of 22 is already 5-10 per cent more attractive than those with a 40-year-old father and the difference grows with the age gap. In contrast, women pass on a maximum of 15 mutations to their baby, regardless of age, according to the study published in the journal Nature. Surveying a group of six men and six women, researchers showed them each 4,018 photographs of 18-20-year-old men and 4,416 of women the same age, and asked to assess their attractiveness. Those with older fathers were consistently considered less attractive. However, the children of older men, though less attractive, are likely to outlive their peers with younger fathers, it is claimed. Professor Lee Smith, a geneticist at Edinburgh University, told the Sunday Times other research found such children have longer telomeres - the caps on the end of chromosomes --- which are associated with longer life. But the mounting research connecting parents' age with autism is cause for concern, experts warn. Autism is an umbrella term for a range of developmental disorders that have a lifelong effect on someone's ability to interact socially and communicate openly. In the UK, around one in 100 adults is thought to be affected by autism, mostly men, caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Researchers said men should be advised about the potential problems in order to help their personal decision-making when it came to having fathering children at older ages. They warned that advancing paternal age faced a risk of 'numerous public health and societal problems'. Among well-known older dads are Simon Cowell, 54, whose son was born earlier this month, and comedian Frank Skinner whose first child was born in 2012 when he was 55. From the passage, we know that _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "Genetic mutations inside a person cause autism", "Environmental factors contribute to autism", "In the UK, one percent of its population are affected by autism", "Autism prevents people from interacting socially and communicating openly" ], "question": "Older fathers have uglier children, researchers have claimed after linking age to genetic mutations . The finding comes weeks after leading scientists reported children born to men over the age of 45 run a higher risk of having autism and mental disorders. With age, sperm -producing cells do not copy a man's DNA as effectively, leading to genetic mutations. Martin Fielder, an anthropologist at Vienna University, told the Sunday Times: 'Every 16 years the mutation rate doubles. Other researchers found 25 mutations per sperm in a 20-year-old, but at age 40 it is 65 mutations. By 56, it doubles again. The effect is very visible - someone born to a father of 22 is already 5-10 per cent more attractive than those with a 40-year-old father and the difference grows with the age gap. In contrast, women pass on a maximum of 15 mutations to their baby, regardless of age, according to the study published in the journal Nature. Surveying a group of six men and six women, researchers showed them each 4,018 photographs of 18-20-year-old men and 4,416 of women the same age, and asked to assess their attractiveness. Those with older fathers were consistently considered less attractive. However, the children of older men, though less attractive, are likely to outlive their peers with younger fathers, it is claimed. Professor Lee Smith, a geneticist at Edinburgh University, told the Sunday Times other research found such children have longer telomeres - the caps on the end of chromosomes --- which are associated with longer life. But the mounting research connecting parents' age with autism is cause for concern, experts warn. Autism is an umbrella term for a range of developmental disorders that have a lifelong effect on someone's ability to interact socially and communicate openly. In the UK, around one in 100 adults is thought to be affected by autism, mostly men, caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Researchers said men should be advised about the potential problems in order to help their personal decision-making when it came to having fathering children at older ages. They warned that advancing paternal age faced a risk of 'numerous public health and societal problems'. Among well-known older dads are Simon Cowell, 54, whose son was born earlier this month, and comedian Frank Skinner whose first child was born in 2012 when he was 55. What does the passage say about autism? _", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "Aging is the cause of genetic mutations", "Mothers have less effect on their children's appearance than fathers", "Children born to younger fathers are more attractive in looks than those born to older fathers and the difference grows with the age gap", "Simon Cowell and Frank Skinner are mentioned as an example to show that older fathers have uglier children" ], "question": "Older fathers have uglier children, researchers have claimed after linking age to genetic mutations . The finding comes weeks after leading scientists reported children born to men over the age of 45 run a higher risk of having autism and mental disorders. With age, sperm -producing cells do not copy a man's DNA as effectively, leading to genetic mutations. Martin Fielder, an anthropologist at Vienna University, told the Sunday Times: 'Every 16 years the mutation rate doubles. Other researchers found 25 mutations per sperm in a 20-year-old, but at age 40 it is 65 mutations. By 56, it doubles again. The effect is very visible - someone born to a father of 22 is already 5-10 per cent more attractive than those with a 40-year-old father and the difference grows with the age gap. In contrast, women pass on a maximum of 15 mutations to their baby, regardless of age, according to the study published in the journal Nature. Surveying a group of six men and six women, researchers showed them each 4,018 photographs of 18-20-year-old men and 4,416 of women the same age, and asked to assess their attractiveness. Those with older fathers were consistently considered less attractive. However, the children of older men, though less attractive, are likely to outlive their peers with younger fathers, it is claimed. Professor Lee Smith, a geneticist at Edinburgh University, told the Sunday Times other research found such children have longer telomeres - the caps on the end of chromosomes --- which are associated with longer life. But the mounting research connecting parents' age with autism is cause for concern, experts warn. Autism is an umbrella term for a range of developmental disorders that have a lifelong effect on someone's ability to interact socially and communicate openly. In the UK, around one in 100 adults is thought to be affected by autism, mostly men, caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Researchers said men should be advised about the potential problems in order to help their personal decision-making when it came to having fathering children at older ages. They warned that advancing paternal age faced a risk of 'numerous public health and societal problems'. Among well-known older dads are Simon Cowell, 54, whose son was born earlier this month, and comedian Frank Skinner whose first child was born in 2012 when he was 55. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? _", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "showing examples", "making arguments", "presenting theories", "providing data and facts" ], "question": "Older fathers have uglier children, researchers have claimed after linking age to genetic mutations . The finding comes weeks after leading scientists reported children born to men over the age of 45 run a higher risk of having autism and mental disorders. With age, sperm -producing cells do not copy a man's DNA as effectively, leading to genetic mutations. Martin Fielder, an anthropologist at Vienna University, told the Sunday Times: 'Every 16 years the mutation rate doubles. Other researchers found 25 mutations per sperm in a 20-year-old, but at age 40 it is 65 mutations. By 56, it doubles again. The effect is very visible - someone born to a father of 22 is already 5-10 per cent more attractive than those with a 40-year-old father and the difference grows with the age gap. In contrast, women pass on a maximum of 15 mutations to their baby, regardless of age, according to the study published in the journal Nature. Surveying a group of six men and six women, researchers showed them each 4,018 photographs of 18-20-year-old men and 4,416 of women the same age, and asked to assess their attractiveness. Those with older fathers were consistently considered less attractive. However, the children of older men, though less attractive, are likely to outlive their peers with younger fathers, it is claimed. Professor Lee Smith, a geneticist at Edinburgh University, told the Sunday Times other research found such children have longer telomeres - the caps on the end of chromosomes --- which are associated with longer life. But the mounting research connecting parents' age with autism is cause for concern, experts warn. Autism is an umbrella term for a range of developmental disorders that have a lifelong effect on someone's ability to interact socially and communicate openly. In the UK, around one in 100 adults is thought to be affected by autism, mostly men, caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Researchers said men should be advised about the potential problems in order to help their personal decision-making when it came to having fathering children at older ages. They warned that advancing paternal age faced a risk of 'numerous public health and societal problems'. Among well-known older dads are Simon Cowell, 54, whose son was born earlier this month, and comedian Frank Skinner whose first child was born in 2012 when he was 55. The whole passage is developed mainly by means of _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "he was wearing an invisible smile", "he would fire them with a gun", "he was mean with his apples", "he was always very cold" ], "question": "An Invisible Smile Mr. Dawson was an old grouch, and everyone in town knew it. Kids knew not to go into his yard to pick a delicious apple. Old Dawson, they said, would come after you with his gun. One Friday, 12-year-old Janet was going to stay all night with her friend Amy. They had to walk by Dawson's house on the way to Amy's house, but as they got close, Janet saw him sitting on his front porch and suggested they cross over to the other side of the street. Like most of the children, Janet was scared of the old man. Amy said not to worry. Mr. Dawson wouldn't hurt anyone. Still, Janet was growing more nervous with each step closer to the old man's house. When they got close enough, Dawson looked up with his usual frown , but when he saw it was Amy, a broad smile changed his entire face as he said, \"Hello Miss Amy. I see you've got a little friend with you today.\" Amy smiled back and told him Janet was staying overnight and they were going to listen to music and play games. Mr. Dawson said that sounded fun, and offered them each a fresh picked apple off his tree. They gladly accepted. Mr. Dawson had the best apples in the whole town. When they left, Janet asked Amy, \"Everyone says he's the meanest man in town. How come he was so nice to us?\" Amy explained that when she first started walking past his house he wasn't very friendly and she was afraid of him, but she pretended he was wearing an invisible smile and so she always smiled back at him. It took a while, but one day he half-smiled back at her. After some more time, he started smiling real smiles and then started talking to her. Just a \"hello\" at first, then more. She said he always offers her an apple now, and is always very kind. \"An invisible smile?\" questioned Janet. \"Yes,\" answered Amy, \"my grandma told me that if I pretended I wasn't afraid and pretended he was smiling an invisible smile at me and I smiled back at him, sooner or later he would really smile. Grandma says smiles are _ If we remember what Amy's grandma said, that everyone wears an invisible smile, we too will find that We're always on the go trying to accomplish so much, aren't we? It's so easy to get caught up in everyday life that we forget how simple it can be to bring cheer to ourselves and others. Giving a smile away takes so little effort and time, let's make sure that we're not the one that others have to pretend to be wearing an invisible smile. Kids were scared of Mr. Dawson because _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "Janet was so lovely a girl that Mr. Dawson couldn't resist her smiles", "Janet and Amy were going to invite Mr. Dawson to listen to music and play games", "Mr. Dawson was friendly to Amy because she always wore an invisible smile", "it was Grandma's advice that helped bring Amy and Mr. Dawson closer" ], "question": "An Invisible Smile Mr. Dawson was an old grouch, and everyone in town knew it. Kids knew not to go into his yard to pick a delicious apple. Old Dawson, they said, would come after you with his gun. One Friday, 12-year-old Janet was going to stay all night with her friend Amy. They had to walk by Dawson's house on the way to Amy's house, but as they got close, Janet saw him sitting on his front porch and suggested they cross over to the other side of the street. Like most of the children, Janet was scared of the old man. Amy said not to worry. Mr. Dawson wouldn't hurt anyone. Still, Janet was growing more nervous with each step closer to the old man's house. When they got close enough, Dawson looked up with his usual frown , but when he saw it was Amy, a broad smile changed his entire face as he said, \"Hello Miss Amy. I see you've got a little friend with you today.\" Amy smiled back and told him Janet was staying overnight and they were going to listen to music and play games. Mr. Dawson said that sounded fun, and offered them each a fresh picked apple off his tree. They gladly accepted. Mr. Dawson had the best apples in the whole town. When they left, Janet asked Amy, \"Everyone says he's the meanest man in town. How come he was so nice to us?\" Amy explained that when she first started walking past his house he wasn't very friendly and she was afraid of him, but she pretended he was wearing an invisible smile and so she always smiled back at him. It took a while, but one day he half-smiled back at her. After some more time, he started smiling real smiles and then started talking to her. Just a \"hello\" at first, then more. She said he always offers her an apple now, and is always very kind. \"An invisible smile?\" questioned Janet. \"Yes,\" answered Amy, \"my grandma told me that if I pretended I wasn't afraid and pretended he was smiling an invisible smile at me and I smiled back at him, sooner or later he would really smile. Grandma says smiles are _ If we remember what Amy's grandma said, that everyone wears an invisible smile, we too will find that We're always on the go trying to accomplish so much, aren't we? It's so easy to get caught up in everyday life that we forget how simple it can be to bring cheer to ourselves and others. Giving a smile away takes so little effort and time, let's make sure that we're not the one that others have to pretend to be wearing an invisible smile. We can infer from the passage that _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "Always wear an invisible smile.", "Smile whenever we can.", "Try our best to transform others.", "Pretend that we are happy even if we are not." ], "question": "An Invisible Smile Mr. Dawson was an old grouch, and everyone in town knew it. Kids knew not to go into his yard to pick a delicious apple. Old Dawson, they said, would come after you with his gun. One Friday, 12-year-old Janet was going to stay all night with her friend Amy. They had to walk by Dawson's house on the way to Amy's house, but as they got close, Janet saw him sitting on his front porch and suggested they cross over to the other side of the street. Like most of the children, Janet was scared of the old man. Amy said not to worry. Mr. Dawson wouldn't hurt anyone. Still, Janet was growing more nervous with each step closer to the old man's house. When they got close enough, Dawson looked up with his usual frown , but when he saw it was Amy, a broad smile changed his entire face as he said, \"Hello Miss Amy. I see you've got a little friend with you today.\" Amy smiled back and told him Janet was staying overnight and they were going to listen to music and play games. Mr. Dawson said that sounded fun, and offered them each a fresh picked apple off his tree. They gladly accepted. Mr. Dawson had the best apples in the whole town. When they left, Janet asked Amy, \"Everyone says he's the meanest man in town. How come he was so nice to us?\" Amy explained that when she first started walking past his house he wasn't very friendly and she was afraid of him, but she pretended he was wearing an invisible smile and so she always smiled back at him. It took a while, but one day he half-smiled back at her. After some more time, he started smiling real smiles and then started talking to her. Just a \"hello\" at first, then more. She said he always offers her an apple now, and is always very kind. \"An invisible smile?\" questioned Janet. \"Yes,\" answered Amy, \"my grandma told me that if I pretended I wasn't afraid and pretended he was smiling an invisible smile at me and I smiled back at him, sooner or later he would really smile. Grandma says smiles are _ If we remember what Amy's grandma said, that everyone wears an invisible smile, we too will find that We're always on the go trying to accomplish so much, aren't we? It's so easy to get caught up in everyday life that we forget how simple it can be to bring cheer to ourselves and others. Giving a smile away takes so little effort and time, let's make sure that we're not the one that others have to pretend to be wearing an invisible smile. What is the main message that the writer intends to send us readers?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "They are reluctant to give up their personal information.", "They don't know their personal data enriches Facebook.", "They don't identify themselves when using the website.", "They care very little about their personal information." ], "question": "People are being lured onto Facebook with the promise of a fun, free service without realizing they're paying for it by giving up large amounts of personal information. Facebook then attempts to make money by selling their data to advertisers that want to send targeted messages. Most Facebook users don't realize this is happening. Even if they know what the company is up to, they still have no idea what they're paying for Facebook because people don't really know what their personal data is worth. The biggest problem, however, is that the company keeps changing the rules. Early on, you keep everything private. That was the great thing about facebook--you could create your own little private network. Last year, the company changed its privacy rules so that many things-- your city, your photo, your friends' names--were set, by default to be shared with everyone on the Internet. According to Facebook's vice-president Elliot Schrage, the company is simply making changes to improve its service, and if people don't share information, they have a \"less satisfying experience\". Some critics think this is more about Facebook looking to make more money. Its original business model, which involved selling ads and putting them at the side of the page, totally failed. Who wants to look at ads when they're online connecting with their friends? The privacy issue has already landed Facebook in hot water in Washington. In April. Senator Charles Schumer called on Facebook to change its privacy policy. He also urged the Federal Trade Commission to set guidelines for social-networking sites.\"I think the senator rightly communicated that we had not been clear about what the new products were and how people could choose to use them or not to use them,\" Schrage admits. I suspect that whatever Facebook has done so far to invade our privacy, it's only the beginning, which is why I'm considering deactivating my account. Facebook is a handy site, but I'm upset by the idea that my information is in the hands of people I don't know. That's too high a price to pay. What does the author say about most Facebook users?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "Setting guidelines for advertising on websites.", "Banning the sharing of users' personal information.", "Working out regulations for social-networking sites.", "Removing ads from all social-networking sites." ], "question": "People are being lured onto Facebook with the promise of a fun, free service without realizing they're paying for it by giving up large amounts of personal information. Facebook then attempts to make money by selling their data to advertisers that want to send targeted messages. Most Facebook users don't realize this is happening. Even if they know what the company is up to, they still have no idea what they're paying for Facebook because people don't really know what their personal data is worth. The biggest problem, however, is that the company keeps changing the rules. Early on, you keep everything private. That was the great thing about facebook--you could create your own little private network. Last year, the company changed its privacy rules so that many things-- your city, your photo, your friends' names--were set, by default to be shared with everyone on the Internet. According to Facebook's vice-president Elliot Schrage, the company is simply making changes to improve its service, and if people don't share information, they have a \"less satisfying experience\". Some critics think this is more about Facebook looking to make more money. Its original business model, which involved selling ads and putting them at the side of the page, totally failed. Who wants to look at ads when they're online connecting with their friends? The privacy issue has already landed Facebook in hot water in Washington. In April. Senator Charles Schumer called on Facebook to change its privacy policy. He also urged the Federal Trade Commission to set guidelines for social-networking sites.\"I think the senator rightly communicated that we had not been clear about what the new products were and how people could choose to use them or not to use them,\" Schrage admits. I suspect that whatever Facebook has done so far to invade our privacy, it's only the beginning, which is why I'm considering deactivating my account. Facebook is a handy site, but I'm upset by the idea that my information is in the hands of people I don't know. That's too high a price to pay. Why does Senator Charles Schumer propose?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "He is dissatisfied with its current service.", "He finds many of its users untrustworthy.", "He doesn't want his personal data to be used in a wrong way.", "He is upset by its frequent rule changes." ], "question": "People are being lured onto Facebook with the promise of a fun, free service without realizing they're paying for it by giving up large amounts of personal information. Facebook then attempts to make money by selling their data to advertisers that want to send targeted messages. Most Facebook users don't realize this is happening. Even if they know what the company is up to, they still have no idea what they're paying for Facebook because people don't really know what their personal data is worth. The biggest problem, however, is that the company keeps changing the rules. Early on, you keep everything private. That was the great thing about facebook--you could create your own little private network. Last year, the company changed its privacy rules so that many things-- your city, your photo, your friends' names--were set, by default to be shared with everyone on the Internet. According to Facebook's vice-president Elliot Schrage, the company is simply making changes to improve its service, and if people don't share information, they have a \"less satisfying experience\". Some critics think this is more about Facebook looking to make more money. Its original business model, which involved selling ads and putting them at the side of the page, totally failed. Who wants to look at ads when they're online connecting with their friends? The privacy issue has already landed Facebook in hot water in Washington. In April. Senator Charles Schumer called on Facebook to change its privacy policy. He also urged the Federal Trade Commission to set guidelines for social-networking sites.\"I think the senator rightly communicated that we had not been clear about what the new products were and how people could choose to use them or not to use them,\" Schrage admits. I suspect that whatever Facebook has done so far to invade our privacy, it's only the beginning, which is why I'm considering deactivating my account. Facebook is a handy site, but I'm upset by the idea that my information is in the hands of people I don't know. That's too high a price to pay. Why does the author plan to cancel his Facebook account?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "he needed some money to support his family", "his house was too old to live in", "he wanted some money to buy a new one", "he didn't want to live in the house any longer" ], "question": "Mr. Jackson was tired of living in his old house in the countryside and wanted to sell it and buy a better one. He tried to sell it for a long time, but was not successful, so at last he decided to go to an estate agent. The agent advertised the house straight away, and a few days later, the owner saw a very beautiful photograph of his house, with a wonderful description of his garden in an expensive magazine. Having read the advertisement through, the house owner hurried to phone the estate agent, saying, \"I'm sorry, Mr. Jones, but I've decided not to sell my house after all.\" \"Why?\" the agent asked in a surprised voice. \"Because from the advertisement in that magazine I can see it's just the kind of house I've wanted to live in all my life.\" Mr. Jackson wanted to sell his house because _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "he had failed in selling his house by himself", "he wanted the estate agent to help him to get a good price", "he was sure that the estate agent could help him", "he wanted the estate to advertise his house in the magazine" ], "question": "Mr. Jackson was tired of living in his old house in the countryside and wanted to sell it and buy a better one. He tried to sell it for a long time, but was not successful, so at last he decided to go to an estate agent. The agent advertised the house straight away, and a few days later, the owner saw a very beautiful photograph of his house, with a wonderful description of his garden in an expensive magazine. Having read the advertisement through, the house owner hurried to phone the estate agent, saying, \"I'm sorry, Mr. Jones, but I've decided not to sell my house after all.\" \"Why?\" the agent asked in a surprised voice. \"Because from the advertisement in that magazine I can see it's just the kind of house I've wanted to live in all my life.\" The reason why Mr. Jackson went to the estate agent was _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "was successful in selling the house", "felt sorry to have lost a sale by his doing too good a job", "was satisfied with what he had done in the advertisement", "didn't understand why Mr. Jackson had changed his mind" ], "question": "Mr. Jackson was tired of living in his old house in the countryside and wanted to sell it and buy a better one. He tried to sell it for a long time, but was not successful, so at last he decided to go to an estate agent. The agent advertised the house straight away, and a few days later, the owner saw a very beautiful photograph of his house, with a wonderful description of his garden in an expensive magazine. Having read the advertisement through, the house owner hurried to phone the estate agent, saying, \"I'm sorry, Mr. Jones, but I've decided not to sell my house after all.\" \"Why?\" the agent asked in a surprised voice. \"Because from the advertisement in that magazine I can see it's just the kind of house I've wanted to live in all my life.\" At last Mr. Jones _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "They are worth reading.", "They usually make things far better than they really are.", "They are a great help to those who want to buy something.", "They describe things as they really are." ], "question": "Mr. Jackson was tired of living in his old house in the countryside and wanted to sell it and buy a better one. He tried to sell it for a long time, but was not successful, so at last he decided to go to an estate agent. The agent advertised the house straight away, and a few days later, the owner saw a very beautiful photograph of his house, with a wonderful description of his garden in an expensive magazine. Having read the advertisement through, the house owner hurried to phone the estate agent, saying, \"I'm sorry, Mr. Jones, but I've decided not to sell my house after all.\" \"Why?\" the agent asked in a surprised voice. \"Because from the advertisement in that magazine I can see it's just the kind of house I've wanted to live in all my life.\" What do you think of the advertisement in magazines?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "Using river water.", "Throwing batteries away.", "Paving parking lots.", "Throwing rubbish into lakes." ], "question": "Using too much water or throwing rubbish into our rivers are clear ways that humans can put our water supply in danger , but we also affect our water supply in less obvious ways. You may wonder how paving a road can lead to less useable fresh water. A major part of the water we use every day is groundwater. Groundwater does not come from lakes or rivers. It comes from underground. The more roads and parking lots we pave the less water can flow into the ground to become groundwater. Human activity is not responsible for all water shortages . Drier climates are of course more likely to have droughts than areas with more rainfall, but in any case, good management can help to make sure there is enough water to meet our basic needs. Thinking about the way we use water every day can make a big difference, too In the United States , a family of four can use 1. 5 tons of water a day! This shows how much we depend on water to live, but there's a lot we can do to lower the number. You can take steps to save water in your home. To start with use the same glass for your drinking water all day. Wash it only once a day. Run your dishwasher only when it is full . Help your parents fix any leaks in your home. You can even help to keep our water supply clean by recycling batteries instead of throwing them away. Which of the following is most likely to lead to less groundwater?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "All water shortages are due to human behavior.", "It takes a lot of effort to meet our water needs.", "There is much we can do to reduce family size.", "The average family in America makes proper use of water." ], "question": "Using too much water or throwing rubbish into our rivers are clear ways that humans can put our water supply in danger , but we also affect our water supply in less obvious ways. You may wonder how paving a road can lead to less useable fresh water. A major part of the water we use every day is groundwater. Groundwater does not come from lakes or rivers. It comes from underground. The more roads and parking lots we pave the less water can flow into the ground to become groundwater. Human activity is not responsible for all water shortages . Drier climates are of course more likely to have droughts than areas with more rainfall, but in any case, good management can help to make sure there is enough water to meet our basic needs. Thinking about the way we use water every day can make a big difference, too In the United States , a family of four can use 1. 5 tons of water a day! This shows how much we depend on water to live, but there's a lot we can do to lower the number. You can take steps to save water in your home. To start with use the same glass for your drinking water all day. Wash it only once a day. Run your dishwasher only when it is full . Help your parents fix any leaks in your home. You can even help to keep our water supply clean by recycling batteries instead of throwing them away. What can be inferred from the text?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "Why paving roads reduces our water", "how much we depend on water to live", "why droughts occur more in dry climates", "how human activity affects our water supply" ], "question": "Using too much water or throwing rubbish into our rivers are clear ways that humans can put our water supply in danger , but we also affect our water supply in less obvious ways. You may wonder how paving a road can lead to less useable fresh water. A major part of the water we use every day is groundwater. Groundwater does not come from lakes or rivers. It comes from underground. The more roads and parking lots we pave the less water can flow into the ground to become groundwater. Human activity is not responsible for all water shortages . Drier climates are of course more likely to have droughts than areas with more rainfall, but in any case, good management can help to make sure there is enough water to meet our basic needs. Thinking about the way we use water every day can make a big difference, too In the United States , a family of four can use 1. 5 tons of water a day! This shows how much we depend on water to live, but there's a lot we can do to lower the number. You can take steps to save water in your home. To start with use the same glass for your drinking water all day. Wash it only once a day. Run your dishwasher only when it is full . Help your parents fix any leaks in your home. You can even help to keep our water supply clean by recycling batteries instead of throwing them away. The text is mainly about _", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "Children can play without parent's care.", "The fast development of Discovery Zone.", "A new type of business franchise of kids.", "The disadvantages of outdoor playgrounds." ], "question": "Old-Fashioned Play-For Pay Kids! Come to have a ball! Or 60,000 of them! There's a new type of business franchise that is appearing in shopping malls and neighborhood across America offering pay-per-use indoor playgrounds, which feature toys, games, guided fun and a workout that doesn't break the family bank. As public playgrounds grow increasingly worn and dirty, the for-profit centers offer clean, safe guided activity as well as a variety of challenging exercises to develop kids' physical fitness, usually for a fee of around $ 5 an hour. \"Playgrounds are dirty, not guided,\" says Dick Guggenheimer, owner of the two-month-old Discovery Zone in Yonkers, N. Y., part of Kansas City-based chain, \"We are indoors; we are padded; parents can feel their child is safe\". In order to satisfy the need of two-earner families, the new franchise stays open in the evenings, long after traditional public playgrounds have grown dark and unusable. However, these new playgrounds are not meant to be day-care centers. Parents are expected to go stay and play with their kids rather than drop them off. But several also provide high-tech baby-sitting services. At some of the Discovery Zones, parents can register their children in special guided programs, then leave them and slip away for a couple of hours to enjoy a movie or dinner. If there is a problem, Mom and Dad are called. The most fun of all, though, is getting to do what parents used to do in the days before two-earner families and two-hour commutes , play with their kids. That, at least, is old-fashioned, even at per-hour rates. What is this article mainly talking about?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "The cost is high for a family.", "It doesn't allow parents to leave their kids.", "It stays open in the evening just as traditional playgrounds.", "It's a place where parents can play together with their kids." ], "question": "Old-Fashioned Play-For Pay Kids! Come to have a ball! Or 60,000 of them! There's a new type of business franchise that is appearing in shopping malls and neighborhood across America offering pay-per-use indoor playgrounds, which feature toys, games, guided fun and a workout that doesn't break the family bank. As public playgrounds grow increasingly worn and dirty, the for-profit centers offer clean, safe guided activity as well as a variety of challenging exercises to develop kids' physical fitness, usually for a fee of around $ 5 an hour. \"Playgrounds are dirty, not guided,\" says Dick Guggenheimer, owner of the two-month-old Discovery Zone in Yonkers, N. Y., part of Kansas City-based chain, \"We are indoors; we are padded; parents can feel their child is safe\". In order to satisfy the need of two-earner families, the new franchise stays open in the evenings, long after traditional public playgrounds have grown dark and unusable. However, these new playgrounds are not meant to be day-care centers. Parents are expected to go stay and play with their kids rather than drop them off. But several also provide high-tech baby-sitting services. At some of the Discovery Zones, parents can register their children in special guided programs, then leave them and slip away for a couple of hours to enjoy a movie or dinner. If there is a problem, Mom and Dad are called. The most fun of all, though, is getting to do what parents used to do in the days before two-earner families and two-hour commutes , play with their kids. That, at least, is old-fashioned, even at per-hour rates. According to the article, which of the following is TRUE to the new playground?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "The so-called new playground is out of date.", "The new playground is actually enjoyed by parents.", "The new playground is also enjoyed by old people.", "The new playground offers a fashion which is popular in the past." ], "question": "Old-Fashioned Play-For Pay Kids! Come to have a ball! Or 60,000 of them! There's a new type of business franchise that is appearing in shopping malls and neighborhood across America offering pay-per-use indoor playgrounds, which feature toys, games, guided fun and a workout that doesn't break the family bank. As public playgrounds grow increasingly worn and dirty, the for-profit centers offer clean, safe guided activity as well as a variety of challenging exercises to develop kids' physical fitness, usually for a fee of around $ 5 an hour. \"Playgrounds are dirty, not guided,\" says Dick Guggenheimer, owner of the two-month-old Discovery Zone in Yonkers, N. Y., part of Kansas City-based chain, \"We are indoors; we are padded; parents can feel their child is safe\". In order to satisfy the need of two-earner families, the new franchise stays open in the evenings, long after traditional public playgrounds have grown dark and unusable. However, these new playgrounds are not meant to be day-care centers. Parents are expected to go stay and play with their kids rather than drop them off. But several also provide high-tech baby-sitting services. At some of the Discovery Zones, parents can register their children in special guided programs, then leave them and slip away for a couple of hours to enjoy a movie or dinner. If there is a problem, Mom and Dad are called. The most fun of all, though, is getting to do what parents used to do in the days before two-earner families and two-hour commutes , play with their kids. That, at least, is old-fashioned, even at per-hour rates. What does the writer mean by saying \"old-fashioned\"?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "agreeable", "negative", "doubtful", "unknown" ], "question": "Old-Fashioned Play-For Pay Kids! Come to have a ball! Or 60,000 of them! There's a new type of business franchise that is appearing in shopping malls and neighborhood across America offering pay-per-use indoor playgrounds, which feature toys, games, guided fun and a workout that doesn't break the family bank. As public playgrounds grow increasingly worn and dirty, the for-profit centers offer clean, safe guided activity as well as a variety of challenging exercises to develop kids' physical fitness, usually for a fee of around $ 5 an hour. \"Playgrounds are dirty, not guided,\" says Dick Guggenheimer, owner of the two-month-old Discovery Zone in Yonkers, N. Y., part of Kansas City-based chain, \"We are indoors; we are padded; parents can feel their child is safe\". In order to satisfy the need of two-earner families, the new franchise stays open in the evenings, long after traditional public playgrounds have grown dark and unusable. However, these new playgrounds are not meant to be day-care centers. Parents are expected to go stay and play with their kids rather than drop them off. But several also provide high-tech baby-sitting services. At some of the Discovery Zones, parents can register their children in special guided programs, then leave them and slip away for a couple of hours to enjoy a movie or dinner. If there is a problem, Mom and Dad are called. The most fun of all, though, is getting to do what parents used to do in the days before two-earner families and two-hour commutes , play with their kids. That, at least, is old-fashioned, even at per-hour rates. The writer's attitude toward the new playground is _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "it is in modern-day Romania", "Transylvania is a mythical country", "he wanted to tell a true story", "he had read stories about vampires from the area" ], "question": "Published in 1896 and one of the most memorable horror stories ever written, Dracula, by Irish writer Bram Stoker,is the story of a vampire ,someone who lives on human blood. Stoker wrote the book after reading stories about Central European vampires and set his novel in Transylvania. Even today,there are readers of the book who believe that Transylvania is a mythical country,a figment of Stoker's imagination. Nothing could be further from the truth. Transylvania is part of modern-day Central European country Romania,and the country does indeed have a history of mythological vampires. However,Romanians are always puzzled by the description of the novel's central character, Count Dracula,a tall,elegant aristocrat with impeccable manners who also happens to speak very good English. This is a world away from the images of vampires that they have grown up with. Romanian vampires are half-human creatures who live solitary lives in the forests,not aristocrats living in castles with well-stocked libraries. So where did Stoke get the image for his Dracula? The answer becomes clearer when one learns of his relationship with a man called Henry Irving,the greatest British stage actor of his time. Stoker was working as a civil servant in his home city of Dublin when he first met Irving. Bored with his tedious life and work, Stoker took every opportunity to visit the theatre and for a while was the drama critic for the Dublin Evening Mail. One of the reviews he wrote was of a performance of Shakespeare's play Hamlet,with Irving in the lead role. Irving was so pleased with Stoker's review of his performance that he asked to meet him. Stoker couldn't believe his luck when one night,he was invited to a dinner party where Irving was the guest of honour. Irving entertained the assembled dinner guests with some renditions of famous poems and speeches from Shakespeare. Stoker was already writing the first chapters of Dracula and began to base the central character on Irving,in the vain hope that if it ever became a stage play, Irving would play the central character. Sadly,Irving never did,but the two men became close friends,and in 1878 Stoker left the civil service and became Irving's manager in London. Bram Stoker set his novel in Transylvania because _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "is very similar to the vampires that Romanians know about", "Is completely different from the vampires Romanians know about", "Has impeccable manners,like a real Romanian vampire", "Is puzzled by the comparison with Romanian vampires" ], "question": "Published in 1896 and one of the most memorable horror stories ever written, Dracula, by Irish writer Bram Stoker,is the story of a vampire ,someone who lives on human blood. Stoker wrote the book after reading stories about Central European vampires and set his novel in Transylvania. Even today,there are readers of the book who believe that Transylvania is a mythical country,a figment of Stoker's imagination. Nothing could be further from the truth. Transylvania is part of modern-day Central European country Romania,and the country does indeed have a history of mythological vampires. However,Romanians are always puzzled by the description of the novel's central character, Count Dracula,a tall,elegant aristocrat with impeccable manners who also happens to speak very good English. This is a world away from the images of vampires that they have grown up with. Romanian vampires are half-human creatures who live solitary lives in the forests,not aristocrats living in castles with well-stocked libraries. So where did Stoke get the image for his Dracula? The answer becomes clearer when one learns of his relationship with a man called Henry Irving,the greatest British stage actor of his time. Stoker was working as a civil servant in his home city of Dublin when he first met Irving. Bored with his tedious life and work, Stoker took every opportunity to visit the theatre and for a while was the drama critic for the Dublin Evening Mail. One of the reviews he wrote was of a performance of Shakespeare's play Hamlet,with Irving in the lead role. Irving was so pleased with Stoker's review of his performance that he asked to meet him. Stoker couldn't believe his luck when one night,he was invited to a dinner party where Irving was the guest of honour. Irving entertained the assembled dinner guests with some renditions of famous poems and speeches from Shakespeare. Stoker was already writing the first chapters of Dracula and began to base the central character on Irving,in the vain hope that if it ever became a stage play, Irving would play the central character. Sadly,Irving never did,but the two men became close friends,and in 1878 Stoker left the civil service and became Irving's manager in London. The central character of the novel _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "That the book would become a stage-play.", "That Irving would play the central character in the stage play.", "That he could live in London.", "That Irving would work for him." ], "question": "Published in 1896 and one of the most memorable horror stories ever written, Dracula, by Irish writer Bram Stoker,is the story of a vampire ,someone who lives on human blood. Stoker wrote the book after reading stories about Central European vampires and set his novel in Transylvania. Even today,there are readers of the book who believe that Transylvania is a mythical country,a figment of Stoker's imagination. Nothing could be further from the truth. Transylvania is part of modern-day Central European country Romania,and the country does indeed have a history of mythological vampires. However,Romanians are always puzzled by the description of the novel's central character, Count Dracula,a tall,elegant aristocrat with impeccable manners who also happens to speak very good English. This is a world away from the images of vampires that they have grown up with. Romanian vampires are half-human creatures who live solitary lives in the forests,not aristocrats living in castles with well-stocked libraries. So where did Stoke get the image for his Dracula? The answer becomes clearer when one learns of his relationship with a man called Henry Irving,the greatest British stage actor of his time. Stoker was working as a civil servant in his home city of Dublin when he first met Irving. Bored with his tedious life and work, Stoker took every opportunity to visit the theatre and for a while was the drama critic for the Dublin Evening Mail. One of the reviews he wrote was of a performance of Shakespeare's play Hamlet,with Irving in the lead role. Irving was so pleased with Stoker's review of his performance that he asked to meet him. Stoker couldn't believe his luck when one night,he was invited to a dinner party where Irving was the guest of honour. Irving entertained the assembled dinner guests with some renditions of famous poems and speeches from Shakespeare. Stoker was already writing the first chapters of Dracula and began to base the central character on Irving,in the vain hope that if it ever became a stage play, Irving would play the central character. Sadly,Irving never did,but the two men became close friends,and in 1878 Stoker left the civil service and became Irving's manager in London. What was Stoker's hope?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "the name of Hutong dates back to the Yuan Dynasty", "the width of all the hutongs is 9 feet", "siheyuans are lined along the two sides of the Beijing Hutongs", "it is difficult for people, especially a stronger not to be lost in Hutongs" ], "question": "The Beijing Hutong (old lane) areas have a very special and important position in the rich history and culture of Beijing. While visiting the Beijing Hutong, you can appreciate the dramatic changes that the rest of Beijing has undergone. You can see evidence of the history of Beijing, experience the old way of life and experience traditional Beijing culture. The Beijing Hutong is made up of lanes or alleys formed by lines of pre-modern quadrangles (siheyuan), four-sided dwelling compounds or quadrangles consist of one-story courtyard houses, which make up old Beijing, and feature typical Chinese residential architecture. Beijing road classification was once s follow: A 36-foot-wide road was called a standard, street, an 18-foot-wide one was a small street and a 9-foot-wide lane was named a hutong. In fact, the Beijing Hutongs are unclassifiable by the traditional standard, ranging from 40 centimeters to 10 feet in width. The longest hutong has more than 20 turns. It is easy to get lost in the maze of winding lanes hat is the hutong, with the gray-tiled houses and deep alleys crossing each other, all identical in appearance, with many blind hutongs or culdesacs. Hutongs were first named as such in the Yuan Dynasty(1271-1368), with its Mongolian rulers having an influence on the Chinese language. However, siheyuan or quadrangles have probably been around much longer. The name of a hutong represents its origin, location or history. It is in the gray-tiled deep lanes that families play, travel, buy goods, gossip and connect. In beijingers'eyes, hutong means a period of history, a cordial lifestyle and even an \"encyclopedia of Beijing\". When urban construction threatens the existence of these hutongs, Beijingers become worried. Beijing still has about 400 000 residential quadrangles now, mainly distribute over the East, West, Xuanwu and Chongwen districts. The municipal government has marked a number of these compounds for protection. If you would like to have a glimpse into Beijing' Yesterday, you are highly recommended to have a short adventure trip to the Hutongs. Beijing Hutong Tour (Rickshaw Hutong, Bike Hutong and Walk Hutong) is organized by Beijing Xinhua International Tours. The characteristics of Beijing Hutongs are the following except _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "All the hutongs will be protected.", "All the hutongs will become places of interest.", "Government has taken measures to tp protect some of the hutongs.", "Some of the hutongs will be rebuilt." ], "question": "The Beijing Hutong (old lane) areas have a very special and important position in the rich history and culture of Beijing. While visiting the Beijing Hutong, you can appreciate the dramatic changes that the rest of Beijing has undergone. You can see evidence of the history of Beijing, experience the old way of life and experience traditional Beijing culture. The Beijing Hutong is made up of lanes or alleys formed by lines of pre-modern quadrangles (siheyuan), four-sided dwelling compounds or quadrangles consist of one-story courtyard houses, which make up old Beijing, and feature typical Chinese residential architecture. Beijing road classification was once s follow: A 36-foot-wide road was called a standard, street, an 18-foot-wide one was a small street and a 9-foot-wide lane was named a hutong. In fact, the Beijing Hutongs are unclassifiable by the traditional standard, ranging from 40 centimeters to 10 feet in width. The longest hutong has more than 20 turns. It is easy to get lost in the maze of winding lanes hat is the hutong, with the gray-tiled houses and deep alleys crossing each other, all identical in appearance, with many blind hutongs or culdesacs. Hutongs were first named as such in the Yuan Dynasty(1271-1368), with its Mongolian rulers having an influence on the Chinese language. However, siheyuan or quadrangles have probably been around much longer. The name of a hutong represents its origin, location or history. It is in the gray-tiled deep lanes that families play, travel, buy goods, gossip and connect. In beijingers'eyes, hutong means a period of history, a cordial lifestyle and even an \"encyclopedia of Beijing\". When urban construction threatens the existence of these hutongs, Beijingers become worried. Beijing still has about 400 000 residential quadrangles now, mainly distribute over the East, West, Xuanwu and Chongwen districts. The municipal government has marked a number of these compounds for protection. If you would like to have a glimpse into Beijing' Yesterday, you are highly recommended to have a short adventure trip to the Hutongs. Beijing Hutong Tour (Rickshaw Hutong, Bike Hutong and Walk Hutong) is organized by Beijing Xinhua International Tours. What will happen to Beijing hutongs?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "In tourist handbooks.", "In geographic magazines.", "In history books.", "In books about Chinese culture." ], "question": "The Beijing Hutong (old lane) areas have a very special and important position in the rich history and culture of Beijing. While visiting the Beijing Hutong, you can appreciate the dramatic changes that the rest of Beijing has undergone. You can see evidence of the history of Beijing, experience the old way of life and experience traditional Beijing culture. The Beijing Hutong is made up of lanes or alleys formed by lines of pre-modern quadrangles (siheyuan), four-sided dwelling compounds or quadrangles consist of one-story courtyard houses, which make up old Beijing, and feature typical Chinese residential architecture. Beijing road classification was once s follow: A 36-foot-wide road was called a standard, street, an 18-foot-wide one was a small street and a 9-foot-wide lane was named a hutong. In fact, the Beijing Hutongs are unclassifiable by the traditional standard, ranging from 40 centimeters to 10 feet in width. The longest hutong has more than 20 turns. It is easy to get lost in the maze of winding lanes hat is the hutong, with the gray-tiled houses and deep alleys crossing each other, all identical in appearance, with many blind hutongs or culdesacs. Hutongs were first named as such in the Yuan Dynasty(1271-1368), with its Mongolian rulers having an influence on the Chinese language. However, siheyuan or quadrangles have probably been around much longer. The name of a hutong represents its origin, location or history. It is in the gray-tiled deep lanes that families play, travel, buy goods, gossip and connect. In beijingers'eyes, hutong means a period of history, a cordial lifestyle and even an \"encyclopedia of Beijing\". When urban construction threatens the existence of these hutongs, Beijingers become worried. Beijing still has about 400 000 residential quadrangles now, mainly distribute over the East, West, Xuanwu and Chongwen districts. The municipal government has marked a number of these compounds for protection. If you would like to have a glimpse into Beijing' Yesterday, you are highly recommended to have a short adventure trip to the Hutongs. Beijing Hutong Tour (Rickshaw Hutong, Bike Hutong and Walk Hutong) is organized by Beijing Xinhua International Tours. Where can this passage be found?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "read stories to her grandchildren", "show her DIY snowshoes to kids", "stay indoors working during reading", "enjoy bicycle tiding along the path" ], "question": "As an American artist and writer of children's books, Tasha Tudor's art and nineteenth-century lifestyle have fascinated adults and children for decades. She received many awards and honors for her contributions to children's literature. When people talk about her creativity in artwork, she said, \"I do it to support my dogs and my four children.\" Her great publishing record, the number of magazine stories that have been written about her over the years, and her admirers have no effects on her at all. Much of Tasha's artwork and her reading are done in the wintertime. \"I love winter. It's delightful,\" she says. \"I don't have to go anywhere because I work at home. If I'm snowed in, I can stay this way for months.\" She hopes for early, deep snow to protect her garden from the hardship of the New England winter, and when it comes she puts on snowshoes when she needs to get down the mile-long dirt path that leads to the road. Given her enjoyment of winter and her fantasy way of life, it's not surprising that Tasha's Christmas is a storybook holiday. She hangs flowers over the front door. Her tree comes from the woods, and it goes up on Christmas Eve, lit by homemade candles and decorated with her great- grandmother's collection that dates from 1850. In a place of honor on the tree are large cookies cut into the shapes of her animals. The grandchildren and friends get presents from Tasha's old dolls; so do the animals and they have their own Christmas tree. \"Of course, it's a known fact that all the animals talk on Christmas Eve,\" she has written. Small, handmade gifts fill a big wooden box. At the end of each year, Tasha can look back and know that her life is perfect, that she has again ignored the twentieth century, and that the magic continues. And for the rest of us,here's a bit of advice, Tasha style: \"Nowadays, people are so restless. If they took some tea and spent more time rocking on the porch in the evening listening to light music, they might enjoy life more.\" Tasha loved winter because it allowed her to _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "modern and fashionable", "simple and fantastic", "lonely and hard", "adventurous and inspiring" ], "question": "As an American artist and writer of children's books, Tasha Tudor's art and nineteenth-century lifestyle have fascinated adults and children for decades. She received many awards and honors for her contributions to children's literature. When people talk about her creativity in artwork, she said, \"I do it to support my dogs and my four children.\" Her great publishing record, the number of magazine stories that have been written about her over the years, and her admirers have no effects on her at all. Much of Tasha's artwork and her reading are done in the wintertime. \"I love winter. It's delightful,\" she says. \"I don't have to go anywhere because I work at home. If I'm snowed in, I can stay this way for months.\" She hopes for early, deep snow to protect her garden from the hardship of the New England winter, and when it comes she puts on snowshoes when she needs to get down the mile-long dirt path that leads to the road. Given her enjoyment of winter and her fantasy way of life, it's not surprising that Tasha's Christmas is a storybook holiday. She hangs flowers over the front door. Her tree comes from the woods, and it goes up on Christmas Eve, lit by homemade candles and decorated with her great- grandmother's collection that dates from 1850. In a place of honor on the tree are large cookies cut into the shapes of her animals. The grandchildren and friends get presents from Tasha's old dolls; so do the animals and they have their own Christmas tree. \"Of course, it's a known fact that all the animals talk on Christmas Eve,\" she has written. Small, handmade gifts fill a big wooden box. At the end of each year, Tasha can look back and know that her life is perfect, that she has again ignored the twentieth century, and that the magic continues. And for the rest of us,here's a bit of advice, Tasha style: \"Nowadays, people are so restless. If they took some tea and spent more time rocking on the porch in the evening listening to light music, they might enjoy life more.\" From the passage, we can learn that Tasha's life is _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "She cared little about fame.", "She created an animal fund.", "She wrote many stories for magazines.", "She bought presents for her relatives." ], "question": "As an American artist and writer of children's books, Tasha Tudor's art and nineteenth-century lifestyle have fascinated adults and children for decades. She received many awards and honors for her contributions to children's literature. When people talk about her creativity in artwork, she said, \"I do it to support my dogs and my four children.\" Her great publishing record, the number of magazine stories that have been written about her over the years, and her admirers have no effects on her at all. Much of Tasha's artwork and her reading are done in the wintertime. \"I love winter. It's delightful,\" she says. \"I don't have to go anywhere because I work at home. If I'm snowed in, I can stay this way for months.\" She hopes for early, deep snow to protect her garden from the hardship of the New England winter, and when it comes she puts on snowshoes when she needs to get down the mile-long dirt path that leads to the road. Given her enjoyment of winter and her fantasy way of life, it's not surprising that Tasha's Christmas is a storybook holiday. She hangs flowers over the front door. Her tree comes from the woods, and it goes up on Christmas Eve, lit by homemade candles and decorated with her great- grandmother's collection that dates from 1850. In a place of honor on the tree are large cookies cut into the shapes of her animals. The grandchildren and friends get presents from Tasha's old dolls; so do the animals and they have their own Christmas tree. \"Of course, it's a known fact that all the animals talk on Christmas Eve,\" she has written. Small, handmade gifts fill a big wooden box. At the end of each year, Tasha can look back and know that her life is perfect, that she has again ignored the twentieth century, and that the magic continues. And for the rest of us,here's a bit of advice, Tasha style: \"Nowadays, people are so restless. If they took some tea and spent more time rocking on the porch in the evening listening to light music, they might enjoy life more.\" Which of the following is TRUE about Tasha?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "Travel.", "Sports.", "Economy.", "People." ], "question": "As an American artist and writer of children's books, Tasha Tudor's art and nineteenth-century lifestyle have fascinated adults and children for decades. She received many awards and honors for her contributions to children's literature. When people talk about her creativity in artwork, she said, \"I do it to support my dogs and my four children.\" Her great publishing record, the number of magazine stories that have been written about her over the years, and her admirers have no effects on her at all. Much of Tasha's artwork and her reading are done in the wintertime. \"I love winter. It's delightful,\" she says. \"I don't have to go anywhere because I work at home. If I'm snowed in, I can stay this way for months.\" She hopes for early, deep snow to protect her garden from the hardship of the New England winter, and when it comes she puts on snowshoes when she needs to get down the mile-long dirt path that leads to the road. Given her enjoyment of winter and her fantasy way of life, it's not surprising that Tasha's Christmas is a storybook holiday. She hangs flowers over the front door. Her tree comes from the woods, and it goes up on Christmas Eve, lit by homemade candles and decorated with her great- grandmother's collection that dates from 1850. In a place of honor on the tree are large cookies cut into the shapes of her animals. The grandchildren and friends get presents from Tasha's old dolls; so do the animals and they have their own Christmas tree. \"Of course, it's a known fact that all the animals talk on Christmas Eve,\" she has written. Small, handmade gifts fill a big wooden box. At the end of each year, Tasha can look back and know that her life is perfect, that she has again ignored the twentieth century, and that the magic continues. And for the rest of us,here's a bit of advice, Tasha style: \"Nowadays, people are so restless. If they took some tea and spent more time rocking on the porch in the evening listening to light music, they might enjoy life more.\" In which section of a paper can you probably read the article?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "They thought it necessary to have a change.", "They accepted it without hesitation.", "They felt a little sad and not used to it.", "They were strongly against the change." ], "question": "LAST week's decision by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) to _ Pluto _ its planetary status, held since its discovery in 1930, has made a lot of people sad. \"Pluto,\" American science writer Dava Sobel writes in her book \"The Planets\", \"still has an emotional hold on planethood. People love Pluto. Children identify with its smallness. Adults felt it hard to accept its isolated existence.\" Many people felt sorry about Pluto's demotion . \"I just cannot accept this at this time,\" says Liu Ming, 29, who runs a small company in prefix = st1 /Shanghai. \"I was taught that 'the Nine Great Planets' formed our solar system since primary school. And now they suddenly decrease the planets to eight. This will take some time for most of us to absorb it,\" says Liu. Ordinary people are simply not used to it, but for some professionals, especially the persons in charge of planetariums and educators, the change has become a real headache. The \"eight instead of nine\" change will affect thousands of planetariums around the world. Schools will also be greatly affected. InChina, teachers are anxious as outdated textbooks are printed and given out to the remotest corner of the country for school children ready to start a new term soon. According to the Ministry of Education, new textbooks with changed contents will not be available until next year. Zhao Zhiheng, a member of the Astronomy Association from Tianjin, suggested that primary and middle school teachers be trained in the improved knowledge, and that the media carry more stories to let people know about the change as soon as possible. What's the feeling of ordinary people to the change?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "Teachers disagreed with the change and refused to accept it.", "Schools had to spend a lot of money on books.", "Students do not like the change of it.", "New textbooks will not be ready so soon." ], "question": "LAST week's decision by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) to _ Pluto _ its planetary status, held since its discovery in 1930, has made a lot of people sad. \"Pluto,\" American science writer Dava Sobel writes in her book \"The Planets\", \"still has an emotional hold on planethood. People love Pluto. Children identify with its smallness. Adults felt it hard to accept its isolated existence.\" Many people felt sorry about Pluto's demotion . \"I just cannot accept this at this time,\" says Liu Ming, 29, who runs a small company in prefix = st1 /Shanghai. \"I was taught that 'the Nine Great Planets' formed our solar system since primary school. And now they suddenly decrease the planets to eight. This will take some time for most of us to absorb it,\" says Liu. Ordinary people are simply not used to it, but for some professionals, especially the persons in charge of planetariums and educators, the change has become a real headache. The \"eight instead of nine\" change will affect thousands of planetariums around the world. Schools will also be greatly affected. InChina, teachers are anxious as outdated textbooks are printed and given out to the remotest corner of the country for school children ready to start a new term soon. According to the Ministry of Education, new textbooks with changed contents will not be available until next year. Zhao Zhiheng, a member of the Astronomy Association from Tianjin, suggested that primary and middle school teachers be trained in the improved knowledge, and that the media carry more stories to let people know about the change as soon as possible. Why did the change affect schools greatly?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "Planetariums around the world should adapt to the change quickly.", "The media should make it known to people as soon as possible.", "Teachers needn't be trained in improved knowledge as soon as possible.", "Schoolchildren should be ready for the new knowledge." ], "question": "LAST week's decision by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) to _ Pluto _ its planetary status, held since its discovery in 1930, has made a lot of people sad. \"Pluto,\" American science writer Dava Sobel writes in her book \"The Planets\", \"still has an emotional hold on planethood. People love Pluto. Children identify with its smallness. Adults felt it hard to accept its isolated existence.\" Many people felt sorry about Pluto's demotion . \"I just cannot accept this at this time,\" says Liu Ming, 29, who runs a small company in prefix = st1 /Shanghai. \"I was taught that 'the Nine Great Planets' formed our solar system since primary school. And now they suddenly decrease the planets to eight. This will take some time for most of us to absorb it,\" says Liu. Ordinary people are simply not used to it, but for some professionals, especially the persons in charge of planetariums and educators, the change has become a real headache. The \"eight instead of nine\" change will affect thousands of planetariums around the world. Schools will also be greatly affected. InChina, teachers are anxious as outdated textbooks are printed and given out to the remotest corner of the country for school children ready to start a new term soon. According to the Ministry of Education, new textbooks with changed contents will not be available until next year. Zhao Zhiheng, a member of the Astronomy Association from Tianjin, suggested that primary and middle school teachers be trained in the improved knowledge, and that the media carry more stories to let people know about the change as soon as possible. In the following suggestions, which one is made by Zhao Zhiheng?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "in the 1870s.", "in Colombia", "in British Guiana", "in the 1960s" ], "question": "The cattle egret has lived in American continent in recent years. Non-native species are a worldwide problem and studies are devoted to assess the damage they cause to local species populations. The cattle egret primarily lives on the grassland and feeds in close association with animals like cattle and sheep. This bird is native to Africa, southern Europe and western Asia. The cattle egret in Brazil is unlike a number of bird species that have been established and expanded to non-native areas through human assistance. The first sight of the cattle egret in the New World were reported between 1877 and 1882, followed by sightings in British Guiana and Colombia and later expansion throughout the Americas. In Brazil, the cattle egret was first recorded in the northern region of the country in 1964, feeding along with buffalos on Marajo Island in the state of Para. While the cattle egret is not currently a threat to native animals and birds in Brazil throughout most of its geographic distribution, it has the potential to produce bad effects, as evidenced by its occupation of island environments. For example, in the Fernando de Noronha archipelago, the cattle egret drives adult native seabirds away from their nests in producing time. Understanding how the cattle egret settled and lived in Brazil is important for the better understanding of spreading patterns of bird populations and their interaction with the local species. Explaining the egret cattle's settling in the Americas is a challenging task due to the lack of sufficient information and reports on entrance time, location, and number of events. Comparisons between native and non-native populations can provide a 'natural' experimental way to clarify the biological and environmental factors that may contribute to range expansion and adaptation to climate change, and to find how animals respond to strange and sudden ecological and environmental pressures. In America, humans first found the cattle egret _", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "must be meaningless to other animals.", "will mainly take place in the laboratory.", "should be very easy due to the existing fact.", "can help discover how animals adapt to the environment." ], "question": "The cattle egret has lived in American continent in recent years. Non-native species are a worldwide problem and studies are devoted to assess the damage they cause to local species populations. The cattle egret primarily lives on the grassland and feeds in close association with animals like cattle and sheep. This bird is native to Africa, southern Europe and western Asia. The cattle egret in Brazil is unlike a number of bird species that have been established and expanded to non-native areas through human assistance. The first sight of the cattle egret in the New World were reported between 1877 and 1882, followed by sightings in British Guiana and Colombia and later expansion throughout the Americas. In Brazil, the cattle egret was first recorded in the northern region of the country in 1964, feeding along with buffalos on Marajo Island in the state of Para. While the cattle egret is not currently a threat to native animals and birds in Brazil throughout most of its geographic distribution, it has the potential to produce bad effects, as evidenced by its occupation of island environments. For example, in the Fernando de Noronha archipelago, the cattle egret drives adult native seabirds away from their nests in producing time. Understanding how the cattle egret settled and lived in Brazil is important for the better understanding of spreading patterns of bird populations and their interaction with the local species. Explaining the egret cattle's settling in the Americas is a challenging task due to the lack of sufficient information and reports on entrance time, location, and number of events. Comparisons between native and non-native populations can provide a 'natural' experimental way to clarify the biological and environmental factors that may contribute to range expansion and adaptation to climate change, and to find how animals respond to strange and sudden ecological and environmental pressures. The research on the American cattle egret", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "society", "nature", "geography", "history" ], "question": "The cattle egret has lived in American continent in recent years. Non-native species are a worldwide problem and studies are devoted to assess the damage they cause to local species populations. The cattle egret primarily lives on the grassland and feeds in close association with animals like cattle and sheep. This bird is native to Africa, southern Europe and western Asia. The cattle egret in Brazil is unlike a number of bird species that have been established and expanded to non-native areas through human assistance. The first sight of the cattle egret in the New World were reported between 1877 and 1882, followed by sightings in British Guiana and Colombia and later expansion throughout the Americas. In Brazil, the cattle egret was first recorded in the northern region of the country in 1964, feeding along with buffalos on Marajo Island in the state of Para. While the cattle egret is not currently a threat to native animals and birds in Brazil throughout most of its geographic distribution, it has the potential to produce bad effects, as evidenced by its occupation of island environments. For example, in the Fernando de Noronha archipelago, the cattle egret drives adult native seabirds away from their nests in producing time. Understanding how the cattle egret settled and lived in Brazil is important for the better understanding of spreading patterns of bird populations and their interaction with the local species. Explaining the egret cattle's settling in the Americas is a challenging task due to the lack of sufficient information and reports on entrance time, location, and number of events. Comparisons between native and non-native populations can provide a 'natural' experimental way to clarify the biological and environmental factors that may contribute to range expansion and adaptation to climate change, and to find how animals respond to strange and sudden ecological and environmental pressures. The text is likely to be selected from a column about", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "in 1980", "in 1986", "in 1998", "in 2004" ], "question": "When Marilynne Robinson published her first novel, Housekeeping, in 1980, she was unknown in the literary world. But an early review in The New York Times ensured that the book would be noticed. \"It's as if, in writing it, she broke through the ordinary human condition with all its dissatisfactions, and achieved a kind of transfiguration ,\" wrote Anatole Broyard, with an enthusiasm and amazement that was shared by many critics and readers. The book became a classic, and Robinson was recognized as one of the outstanding American writers of our time. Yet it would be more than twenty years before she wrote another novel. During the period, Robinson devoted herself to writing nonfiction. Her essays and book reviews appeared in Harper's and The New York Times Book Review, and in 1989 she published Mother Country: Britain, the Welfare State, and Nuclear Pollution, criticizing severely the environmental and public health dangers caused by the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in England--and the political and moral corruption . In 1998, Robinson published a collection of her critical and theological writings, The Death of Adam: Essays on Modern Thought, which featured reassessments of such figures as Charles Darwin, John Calvin, and Friedrich Nietzsche. Aside from a single short story--\"Connie Bronson,\" published in The Paris Review in 1986--it wasn't until 2004 that she returned to fiction with the novel Gilead, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize. Her third novel, Home, came out this fall. Her novels could be described as celebrations of the human--the characters in them are unforgettable creations. Housekeeping is the story of Ruth and her sister Lucille, who are cared for by their eccentric Aunt Sylvie after their mother commits suicide. Robinson writes a lot about how each of the three is changed by their new life together. Gilead is an even more close exploration of personality: the book centres on John Ames, a seventy-seven-year-old pastor who is writing an account of his life and his family history to leave to his young son after he dies. Home borrows characters from Gilead but centers on Ames's friend Reverend Robert Boughton and his troubled son Jack. Robinson returned to the same territory as Gilead because, she said, \"after I write a novel or a story, I miss the characters--I feel like losing some close friends.\" Robinson's second novel came out _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "Career.", "Lifestyle.", "Music.", "Culture." ], "question": "When Marilynne Robinson published her first novel, Housekeeping, in 1980, she was unknown in the literary world. But an early review in The New York Times ensured that the book would be noticed. \"It's as if, in writing it, she broke through the ordinary human condition with all its dissatisfactions, and achieved a kind of transfiguration ,\" wrote Anatole Broyard, with an enthusiasm and amazement that was shared by many critics and readers. The book became a classic, and Robinson was recognized as one of the outstanding American writers of our time. Yet it would be more than twenty years before she wrote another novel. During the period, Robinson devoted herself to writing nonfiction. Her essays and book reviews appeared in Harper's and The New York Times Book Review, and in 1989 she published Mother Country: Britain, the Welfare State, and Nuclear Pollution, criticizing severely the environmental and public health dangers caused by the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in England--and the political and moral corruption . In 1998, Robinson published a collection of her critical and theological writings, The Death of Adam: Essays on Modern Thought, which featured reassessments of such figures as Charles Darwin, John Calvin, and Friedrich Nietzsche. Aside from a single short story--\"Connie Bronson,\" published in The Paris Review in 1986--it wasn't until 2004 that she returned to fiction with the novel Gilead, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize. Her third novel, Home, came out this fall. Her novels could be described as celebrations of the human--the characters in them are unforgettable creations. Housekeeping is the story of Ruth and her sister Lucille, who are cared for by their eccentric Aunt Sylvie after their mother commits suicide. Robinson writes a lot about how each of the three is changed by their new life together. Gilead is an even more close exploration of personality: the book centres on John Ames, a seventy-seven-year-old pastor who is writing an account of his life and his family history to leave to his young son after he dies. Home borrows characters from Gilead but centers on Ames's friend Reverend Robert Boughton and his troubled son Jack. Robinson returned to the same territory as Gilead because, she said, \"after I write a novel or a story, I miss the characters--I feel like losing some close friends.\" From which section of a newspaper can you read this passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "they are lazy", "they don't learn", "they don't have the qualities mentioned", "they don't develop their abilities" ], "question": "Today's youth seem content to take the easy route and enjoy the ride of life. When tough situations arise, they often get annoyed and complain. How you live your teen years will have a profound influence on the rest of your life. You must learn to use your time wisely. You may not see it now, but developing leadership characteristics at a young age is very important. As we get older, it becomes harder to overcome bad habits and replace them with good ones. Possessing leadership qualities is essential, both in this life and in the world to come. There are certain qualities that one needs to develop in order to become a leader: justice, judgment, dependability, initiative, decisiveness, tact, integrity, enthusiasm, poise, unselfishness, courage, knowledge and loyalty. You may recognize these as good qualities to have, without realizing how they apply to leadership. The more these qualities are part of your nature, the more productive and enjoyable your life will be. All of these are qualities that one must possess to one degree or another. Contrary to popular opinion, leadership is something that is learned. No one is born a leader. We are all capable of exhibiting the leadership qualities mentioned above -- some just choose not to. Of course, not veryone can be the \"top dog\", _ . However, everyone does have the capacity to lead in some way -- but action is required! Understand that learning is a fact of life--learning to ride a bike, learning to drive, learning to type, learning mathematics, etc. All of these activities require action. While we are born with many different abilities, if we do not use and develop them, those abilities will never come to fruition. Youth is an excellent time to start developing leadership characteristics. Take the time to study each one in detail. Put them into practice as you interact with other people. Determine which areas you are weak in, striving to always improve. Observe the leaders, and how they handle situations and carry themselves. Also, study the lives of great leaders. The results will serve you in this life -- and beyond! Not everyone can be a leader because _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "Learn to be a leader.", "Everyone can be a leader.", "Leadership characteristics.", "Leadership is something that is learned." ], "question": "Today's youth seem content to take the easy route and enjoy the ride of life. When tough situations arise, they often get annoyed and complain. How you live your teen years will have a profound influence on the rest of your life. You must learn to use your time wisely. You may not see it now, but developing leadership characteristics at a young age is very important. As we get older, it becomes harder to overcome bad habits and replace them with good ones. Possessing leadership qualities is essential, both in this life and in the world to come. There are certain qualities that one needs to develop in order to become a leader: justice, judgment, dependability, initiative, decisiveness, tact, integrity, enthusiasm, poise, unselfishness, courage, knowledge and loyalty. You may recognize these as good qualities to have, without realizing how they apply to leadership. The more these qualities are part of your nature, the more productive and enjoyable your life will be. All of these are qualities that one must possess to one degree or another. Contrary to popular opinion, leadership is something that is learned. No one is born a leader. We are all capable of exhibiting the leadership qualities mentioned above -- some just choose not to. Of course, not veryone can be the \"top dog\", _ . However, everyone does have the capacity to lead in some way -- but action is required! Understand that learning is a fact of life--learning to ride a bike, learning to drive, learning to type, learning mathematics, etc. All of these activities require action. While we are born with many different abilities, if we do not use and develop them, those abilities will never come to fruition. Youth is an excellent time to start developing leadership characteristics. Take the time to study each one in detail. Put them into practice as you interact with other people. Determine which areas you are weak in, striving to always improve. Observe the leaders, and how they handle situations and carry themselves. Also, study the lives of great leaders. The results will serve you in this life -- and beyond! What is the best title for this passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "People of different ages give off different scents.", "People's scent can only be changed by the bacteria on their skin.", "People show great interest in old people's scent.", "People's scent can help distinguish a man and a woman." ], "question": "A study found that young people have a stronger and more unpleasant scent than the elderly,while elderly people's smell was the most distinctive,less intense and unpleasant. Researchers said the change in our smell is driven by the chemicals we release through our glands and the bacteria on our skin. To test whether or not it really exists,scientists collected a series of samples from three groups of 12 to 16 donors,aged 20 to 30,45 to 55 and 75 to 95.Volunteers wore special T-shirts fitted with underarm pads as they slept for five nights,after which the pads were cut up and put in glass jars. A separate group of 41 people aged 20 to 30 was then asked to smell two jars at a time and asked which group of the donors was older,as well as rating how strong and unpleasant each smell was. When asked to specify whether a particular sample was from a young,middle aged or old person,they were much more successful at identifying older people. Despite being the most distinctive,the older people's smell was also rated as being obviously less intense and less unpleasant than those from the other groups. Researchers said their findings appeared to contradict people's negative ideas about the old person's smell but admitted other factors,like smelly breath or skin,could be to blame for its bad reputation. \"Similar to other animals,humans can give off body scents that allow us to identify biological age,avoid sick individuals and pick a suitable partner. Elderly people have a distinctive scent that younger people consider to be not very unpleasant. This was surprising given the popular conception of old age scent as smelly. However,it's possible that other sources of body scents,such as skin or breath,may have different qualities,\" said Dr Johan Lundstrom,who led the study. What do we know from the study?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "16", "77", "74", "56" ], "question": "A study found that young people have a stronger and more unpleasant scent than the elderly,while elderly people's smell was the most distinctive,less intense and unpleasant. Researchers said the change in our smell is driven by the chemicals we release through our glands and the bacteria on our skin. To test whether or not it really exists,scientists collected a series of samples from three groups of 12 to 16 donors,aged 20 to 30,45 to 55 and 75 to 95.Volunteers wore special T-shirts fitted with underarm pads as they slept for five nights,after which the pads were cut up and put in glass jars. A separate group of 41 people aged 20 to 30 was then asked to smell two jars at a time and asked which group of the donors was older,as well as rating how strong and unpleasant each smell was. When asked to specify whether a particular sample was from a young,middle aged or old person,they were much more successful at identifying older people. Despite being the most distinctive,the older people's smell was also rated as being obviously less intense and less unpleasant than those from the other groups. Researchers said their findings appeared to contradict people's negative ideas about the old person's smell but admitted other factors,like smelly breath or skin,could be to blame for its bad reputation. \"Similar to other animals,humans can give off body scents that allow us to identify biological age,avoid sick individuals and pick a suitable partner. Elderly people have a distinctive scent that younger people consider to be not very unpleasant. This was surprising given the popular conception of old age scent as smelly. However,it's possible that other sources of body scents,such as skin or breath,may have different qualities,\" said Dr Johan Lundstrom,who led the study. Which of the following ages of people have the chance to participate in the study?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "old people's scent is simply from their breath", "old people have a bad reputation mainly for their skin", "old people's scent is terrible and unpleasant", "old people give off a more pleasant scent" ], "question": "A study found that young people have a stronger and more unpleasant scent than the elderly,while elderly people's smell was the most distinctive,less intense and unpleasant. Researchers said the change in our smell is driven by the chemicals we release through our glands and the bacteria on our skin. To test whether or not it really exists,scientists collected a series of samples from three groups of 12 to 16 donors,aged 20 to 30,45 to 55 and 75 to 95.Volunteers wore special T-shirts fitted with underarm pads as they slept for five nights,after which the pads were cut up and put in glass jars. A separate group of 41 people aged 20 to 30 was then asked to smell two jars at a time and asked which group of the donors was older,as well as rating how strong and unpleasant each smell was. When asked to specify whether a particular sample was from a young,middle aged or old person,they were much more successful at identifying older people. Despite being the most distinctive,the older people's smell was also rated as being obviously less intense and less unpleasant than those from the other groups. Researchers said their findings appeared to contradict people's negative ideas about the old person's smell but admitted other factors,like smelly breath or skin,could be to blame for its bad reputation. \"Similar to other animals,humans can give off body scents that allow us to identify biological age,avoid sick individuals and pick a suitable partner. Elderly people have a distinctive scent that younger people consider to be not very unpleasant. This was surprising given the popular conception of old age scent as smelly. However,it's possible that other sources of body scents,such as skin or breath,may have different qualities,\" said Dr Johan Lundstrom,who led the study. According to the passage, people usually think that _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "To tell old people how to remove their terrible scent.", "To prove that people often hold wrong ideas.", "To show how researchers carried out their study about the scent.", "To report the findings of a study about people's scent." ], "question": "A study found that young people have a stronger and more unpleasant scent than the elderly,while elderly people's smell was the most distinctive,less intense and unpleasant. Researchers said the change in our smell is driven by the chemicals we release through our glands and the bacteria on our skin. To test whether or not it really exists,scientists collected a series of samples from three groups of 12 to 16 donors,aged 20 to 30,45 to 55 and 75 to 95.Volunteers wore special T-shirts fitted with underarm pads as they slept for five nights,after which the pads were cut up and put in glass jars. A separate group of 41 people aged 20 to 30 was then asked to smell two jars at a time and asked which group of the donors was older,as well as rating how strong and unpleasant each smell was. When asked to specify whether a particular sample was from a young,middle aged or old person,they were much more successful at identifying older people. Despite being the most distinctive,the older people's smell was also rated as being obviously less intense and less unpleasant than those from the other groups. Researchers said their findings appeared to contradict people's negative ideas about the old person's smell but admitted other factors,like smelly breath or skin,could be to blame for its bad reputation. \"Similar to other animals,humans can give off body scents that allow us to identify biological age,avoid sick individuals and pick a suitable partner. Elderly people have a distinctive scent that younger people consider to be not very unpleasant. This was surprising given the popular conception of old age scent as smelly. However,it's possible that other sources of body scents,such as skin or breath,may have different qualities,\" said Dr Johan Lundstrom,who led the study. What is the author's purpose in writing this passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "A doctor.", "A bus-driver.", "A dentist.", "An orchestral conductor." ], "question": "Thousands of people in the world are a hundred years old - or more and certain parts of the world are famous for the long lives of their inhabitants: the Vilacamba Valley in Ecuador, and the home of the Hunzas in the Himalayas. Why do so many people live to a healthy old age in certain parts of the world? What is the secret of their long lives? Three things seem to be very important: fresh air, fresh food and a simple way of life. People work near their homes in the clean mountain air instead of traveling long distances to work by bus, car or train. They do not sit all day in busy offices or factories, but work hard outdoors in the fields. They take more exercise and eat less food than people in the cities of the West. For years the Hunzas of the Himalayas did not need policemen, lawyers or doctors. There was no crime, no divorce and not much illness in their society. They were a happy, peaceful people, famous all over India for their long, healthy lives. Do you want to live to a hundred years old? Here are some rules for success. First, live in the right place. Second, choose the right kind of job. Doctors, dentists and bus-drivers die young. Farmers, priests and orchestral conductors live much longer. If you are in the wrong kind of job, you can still improve your way of life. An old man in the Caucasus was talking about his past life. \"I was young then,\" he said, as he described his 87th year. His secret was: \"Think young and stay young.\" An old woman from Missouri, the USA, gave this advice, \"Drink a little whisky and some warm beer every day.\" An English lady just said, \"Take a cold bath every morning.\" The shortest, simplest piece of advice came from Mr Jim Chapman, aged 103. \"Just keep breathing,\" he told reporters. Who is most likely to live a long life?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "working hard", "drinking", "eating too much", "taking cold baths" ], "question": "Thousands of people in the world are a hundred years old - or more and certain parts of the world are famous for the long lives of their inhabitants: the Vilacamba Valley in Ecuador, and the home of the Hunzas in the Himalayas. Why do so many people live to a healthy old age in certain parts of the world? What is the secret of their long lives? Three things seem to be very important: fresh air, fresh food and a simple way of life. People work near their homes in the clean mountain air instead of traveling long distances to work by bus, car or train. They do not sit all day in busy offices or factories, but work hard outdoors in the fields. They take more exercise and eat less food than people in the cities of the West. For years the Hunzas of the Himalayas did not need policemen, lawyers or doctors. There was no crime, no divorce and not much illness in their society. They were a happy, peaceful people, famous all over India for their long, healthy lives. Do you want to live to a hundred years old? Here are some rules for success. First, live in the right place. Second, choose the right kind of job. Doctors, dentists and bus-drivers die young. Farmers, priests and orchestral conductors live much longer. If you are in the wrong kind of job, you can still improve your way of life. An old man in the Caucasus was talking about his past life. \"I was young then,\" he said, as he described his 87th year. His secret was: \"Think young and stay young.\" An old woman from Missouri, the USA, gave this advice, \"Drink a little whisky and some warm beer every day.\" An English lady just said, \"Take a cold bath every morning.\" The shortest, simplest piece of advice came from Mr Jim Chapman, aged 103. \"Just keep breathing,\" he told reporters. We can see from the passage that long-lived people avoid _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "jobs", "places of living", "ways of living", "ways of thinking" ], "question": "Thousands of people in the world are a hundred years old - or more and certain parts of the world are famous for the long lives of their inhabitants: the Vilacamba Valley in Ecuador, and the home of the Hunzas in the Himalayas. Why do so many people live to a healthy old age in certain parts of the world? What is the secret of their long lives? Three things seem to be very important: fresh air, fresh food and a simple way of life. People work near their homes in the clean mountain air instead of traveling long distances to work by bus, car or train. They do not sit all day in busy offices or factories, but work hard outdoors in the fields. They take more exercise and eat less food than people in the cities of the West. For years the Hunzas of the Himalayas did not need policemen, lawyers or doctors. There was no crime, no divorce and not much illness in their society. They were a happy, peaceful people, famous all over India for their long, healthy lives. Do you want to live to a hundred years old? Here are some rules for success. First, live in the right place. Second, choose the right kind of job. Doctors, dentists and bus-drivers die young. Farmers, priests and orchestral conductors live much longer. If you are in the wrong kind of job, you can still improve your way of life. An old man in the Caucasus was talking about his past life. \"I was young then,\" he said, as he described his 87th year. His secret was: \"Think young and stay young.\" An old woman from Missouri, the USA, gave this advice, \"Drink a little whisky and some warm beer every day.\" An English lady just said, \"Take a cold bath every morning.\" The shortest, simplest piece of advice came from Mr Jim Chapman, aged 103. \"Just keep breathing,\" he told reporters. The passage indicates that we can change our _ to live a long life.", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "A victim parent.", "The US president.", "A US police officer.", "The Connecticut governor." ], "question": "This afternoon, I spoke with Governor Daniel Malloy and FBI Director Mueller. I offered Governor Malloy my condolences on behalf of the nation, and made it clear he will have every single resource that he needs to investigate this horrible crime, care for the victims and their families. The majority of those who died today were children--beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old. They had their entire lives ahead of them--birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own. Among the fallen were also teachers--men and women who devoted their lives to helping our children fulfill their dreams. So our hearts are broken today--for the parents and grandparents, sisters and brothers of these little children, and for the families of the adults who were lost. Our hearts are broken for the parents of the survivors as well, for as blessed as they are to have their children home tonight, they know that their children's innocence has been torn away from them too early, and there are no words that will ease their pain. As a country, we have been through this too many times. Whether it's an elementary school in Newtown, or a shopping mall in Oregon, or a temple in Wisconsin, or a movie theater in Aurora, or a street corner in Chicago--these neighborhoods are our neighborhoods, and these children are our children. And we're going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics. This evening, Michelle and I will do what I know every parent in America will do, which is hug our children a little tighter and we'll tell them that we love them, and we'll remind each other how deeply we love one another. But there are families in Connecticut who cannot do that tonight. And they need all of us right now. In the hard days to come, that community needs us to be at our best as Americans. And I will do everything in my power to help. Because while nothing can fill the space of a lost child or loved one, all of us can extend a hand to those in need--to remind them that we are there for them, that we are praying for them, that the love they felt for those they lost endures not just in their memories but also in ours. Who is the speaker likely to be?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "Two.", "Three.", "Four.", "Five." ], "question": "This afternoon, I spoke with Governor Daniel Malloy and FBI Director Mueller. I offered Governor Malloy my condolences on behalf of the nation, and made it clear he will have every single resource that he needs to investigate this horrible crime, care for the victims and their families. The majority of those who died today were children--beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old. They had their entire lives ahead of them--birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own. Among the fallen were also teachers--men and women who devoted their lives to helping our children fulfill their dreams. So our hearts are broken today--for the parents and grandparents, sisters and brothers of these little children, and for the families of the adults who were lost. Our hearts are broken for the parents of the survivors as well, for as blessed as they are to have their children home tonight, they know that their children's innocence has been torn away from them too early, and there are no words that will ease their pain. As a country, we have been through this too many times. Whether it's an elementary school in Newtown, or a shopping mall in Oregon, or a temple in Wisconsin, or a movie theater in Aurora, or a street corner in Chicago--these neighborhoods are our neighborhoods, and these children are our children. And we're going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics. This evening, Michelle and I will do what I know every parent in America will do, which is hug our children a little tighter and we'll tell them that we love them, and we'll remind each other how deeply we love one another. But there are families in Connecticut who cannot do that tonight. And they need all of us right now. In the hard days to come, that community needs us to be at our best as Americans. And I will do everything in my power to help. Because while nothing can fill the space of a lost child or loved one, all of us can extend a hand to those in need--to remind them that we are there for them, that we are praying for them, that the love they felt for those they lost endures not just in their memories but also in ours. How many gun shootings has the speaker mentioned?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "The survivors may also suffer from the shooting tragedy.", "Nothing has been done to prevent gun shooting in America.", "The victims of this gun shooting are all kids aged from 5 to 10.", "Gun shooting is more likely to happen in American school campus." ], "question": "This afternoon, I spoke with Governor Daniel Malloy and FBI Director Mueller. I offered Governor Malloy my condolences on behalf of the nation, and made it clear he will have every single resource that he needs to investigate this horrible crime, care for the victims and their families. The majority of those who died today were children--beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old. They had their entire lives ahead of them--birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own. Among the fallen were also teachers--men and women who devoted their lives to helping our children fulfill their dreams. So our hearts are broken today--for the parents and grandparents, sisters and brothers of these little children, and for the families of the adults who were lost. Our hearts are broken for the parents of the survivors as well, for as blessed as they are to have their children home tonight, they know that their children's innocence has been torn away from them too early, and there are no words that will ease their pain. As a country, we have been through this too many times. Whether it's an elementary school in Newtown, or a shopping mall in Oregon, or a temple in Wisconsin, or a movie theater in Aurora, or a street corner in Chicago--these neighborhoods are our neighborhoods, and these children are our children. And we're going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics. This evening, Michelle and I will do what I know every parent in America will do, which is hug our children a little tighter and we'll tell them that we love them, and we'll remind each other how deeply we love one another. But there are families in Connecticut who cannot do that tonight. And they need all of us right now. In the hard days to come, that community needs us to be at our best as Americans. And I will do everything in my power to help. Because while nothing can fill the space of a lost child or loved one, all of us can extend a hand to those in need--to remind them that we are there for them, that we are praying for them, that the love they felt for those they lost endures not just in their memories but also in ours. What can we learn from this passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "to help those in need", "to protect themselves", "to investigate the crime", "to trust the US government" ], "question": "This afternoon, I spoke with Governor Daniel Malloy and FBI Director Mueller. I offered Governor Malloy my condolences on behalf of the nation, and made it clear he will have every single resource that he needs to investigate this horrible crime, care for the victims and their families. The majority of those who died today were children--beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old. They had their entire lives ahead of them--birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own. Among the fallen were also teachers--men and women who devoted their lives to helping our children fulfill their dreams. So our hearts are broken today--for the parents and grandparents, sisters and brothers of these little children, and for the families of the adults who were lost. Our hearts are broken for the parents of the survivors as well, for as blessed as they are to have their children home tonight, they know that their children's innocence has been torn away from them too early, and there are no words that will ease their pain. As a country, we have been through this too many times. Whether it's an elementary school in Newtown, or a shopping mall in Oregon, or a temple in Wisconsin, or a movie theater in Aurora, or a street corner in Chicago--these neighborhoods are our neighborhoods, and these children are our children. And we're going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics. This evening, Michelle and I will do what I know every parent in America will do, which is hug our children a little tighter and we'll tell them that we love them, and we'll remind each other how deeply we love one another. But there are families in Connecticut who cannot do that tonight. And they need all of us right now. In the hard days to come, that community needs us to be at our best as Americans. And I will do everything in my power to help. Because while nothing can fill the space of a lost child or loved one, all of us can extend a hand to those in need--to remind them that we are there for them, that we are praying for them, that the love they felt for those they lost endures not just in their memories but also in ours. The speaker wants the audience _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "require experience with local stations", "are harder to find than jobs with local stations", "are learned through training programs", "pay high salaries" ], "question": "Radio, TV, film, and new video technology bring to mind visions of bright, exciting, high-paying careers. Many young people are attracted to wonder: Is there a place for me in the broadcast media field? People in the business warn that the road to a successful broadcast media career can be very rocky. They point out that getting started in the field is often difficult. To begin with, competition for most broadcast jobs can be fierce. Then, once on the job, the pressure is often big. Many jobs in broadcasting require long working hours, including nights and weekends. In most cases, the salaries are not very high. What can you do to prepare for a career in broadcast media? Getting some kind of broadcasting experience during high school or college can be extremely important. Because the field is so popular, many employers are in a position to select beginners with developed skills. You can start by becoming familiar with media while still in high school. If there is a media resource department in your school, volunteer to do anything. If there is no media department, take photos of games and social events. Work on the drama productions or write for the school newspaper. Many beginners in broadcasting start at small local radio or TV stations. Such stations are usually more willing than the networks to take on people with little or no experience. Here, you have a chance to be involved in many aspects of the broadcast industry and get trained on the job. According to the writer, jobs with the TV networks _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "Applicants with experience are preferred.", "There are fewer jobs.", "Training programs are limited.", "Higher pay is being offered." ], "question": "Radio, TV, film, and new video technology bring to mind visions of bright, exciting, high-paying careers. Many young people are attracted to wonder: Is there a place for me in the broadcast media field? People in the business warn that the road to a successful broadcast media career can be very rocky. They point out that getting started in the field is often difficult. To begin with, competition for most broadcast jobs can be fierce. Then, once on the job, the pressure is often big. Many jobs in broadcasting require long working hours, including nights and weekends. In most cases, the salaries are not very high. What can you do to prepare for a career in broadcast media? Getting some kind of broadcasting experience during high school or college can be extremely important. Because the field is so popular, many employers are in a position to select beginners with developed skills. You can start by becoming familiar with media while still in high school. If there is a media resource department in your school, volunteer to do anything. If there is no media department, take photos of games and social events. Work on the drama productions or write for the school newspaper. Many beginners in broadcasting start at small local radio or TV stations. Such stations are usually more willing than the networks to take on people with little or no experience. Here, you have a chance to be involved in many aspects of the broadcast industry and get trained on the job. What is the result of the high demand for jobs in broadcasting?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "start broadcasting", "give up broadcasting", "gain experience", "choose a special skill" ], "question": "Radio, TV, film, and new video technology bring to mind visions of bright, exciting, high-paying careers. Many young people are attracted to wonder: Is there a place for me in the broadcast media field? People in the business warn that the road to a successful broadcast media career can be very rocky. They point out that getting started in the field is often difficult. To begin with, competition for most broadcast jobs can be fierce. Then, once on the job, the pressure is often big. Many jobs in broadcasting require long working hours, including nights and weekends. In most cases, the salaries are not very high. What can you do to prepare for a career in broadcast media? Getting some kind of broadcasting experience during high school or college can be extremely important. Because the field is so popular, many employers are in a position to select beginners with developed skills. You can start by becoming familiar with media while still in high school. If there is a media resource department in your school, volunteer to do anything. If there is no media department, take photos of games and social events. Work on the drama productions or write for the school newspaper. Many beginners in broadcasting start at small local radio or TV stations. Such stations are usually more willing than the networks to take on people with little or no experience. Here, you have a chance to be involved in many aspects of the broadcast industry and get trained on the job. A student who follows the advice in the article would _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "there are too many people who want to make friends.", "those who never give others friendships receive no friendship from others.", "those who give others friendship receive friendship from others.", "they don't know friendship is something serious." ], "question": "Too many people want others to be their friends, but they don't give friendship back. That is why some friendships do not last very long. To have a friend, you must learn to be one. You must learn to treat your friend the way you want your friend treat you. Learning to be a good friend means learning three rules. Be honest; be generous; be understanding. Honesty is where a good friendship starts. Friends must be able to trust one another. If you do not tell the truth, people usually find out. If a friend finds out that you haven't been honest you may lose your friends' trust. Good friends always depend on one another to speak and act honestly. _ means sharing and sharing makes a friendship grow. You do not have to give your lunch money or your clothes of course. Instead you have to learn how to share things you enjoy, like your hobbies and your interest. Naturally you will want to share your ideas and feelings. These can be very valuable to a friend. They tell your friend what is important to you. By sharing them you help your friend know you better. Sooner or later every one needs understanding and help with a problem. Something may go wrong at school. Talking about the problem can make it easier to solve . Turning to a friend can be a first step in solving the problem. So to be a friend you must listen and understand. You must try to put yourself in your friend's place so you can understand the problem better. No two friendships are ever exactly alike . But all true friendships have three things in common. If you plan to keep your friends, you must practise honesty, generosity, and understanding. Some friendships don't last very long because _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "something good", "the base of friendship", "as important as money", "more important than anything else" ], "question": "Too many people want others to be their friends, but they don't give friendship back. That is why some friendships do not last very long. To have a friend, you must learn to be one. You must learn to treat your friend the way you want your friend treat you. Learning to be a good friend means learning three rules. Be honest; be generous; be understanding. Honesty is where a good friendship starts. Friends must be able to trust one another. If you do not tell the truth, people usually find out. If a friend finds out that you haven't been honest you may lose your friends' trust. Good friends always depend on one another to speak and act honestly. _ means sharing and sharing makes a friendship grow. You do not have to give your lunch money or your clothes of course. Instead you have to learn how to share things you enjoy, like your hobbies and your interest. Naturally you will want to share your ideas and feelings. These can be very valuable to a friend. They tell your friend what is important to you. By sharing them you help your friend know you better. Sooner or later every one needs understanding and help with a problem. Something may go wrong at school. Talking about the problem can make it easier to solve . Turning to a friend can be a first step in solving the problem. So to be a friend you must listen and understand. You must try to put yourself in your friend's place so you can understand the problem better. No two friendships are ever exactly alike . But all true friendships have three things in common. If you plan to keep your friends, you must practise honesty, generosity, and understanding. According to the passage honesty is _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "Their general social background.", "Being taken to a library as early as possible.", "Being involved in various activities.", "Their communication environment." ], "question": "A team of researchers in the UK has shown that children who were taken to the library more often and owned more books at two years old achieved higher scores in school tests when they began primary school. The research also showed that although social background has a noticeable effect on a child's readiness for school, attending pre-school and having their parents teach them a wide range of activities have a positive effect---while extended exposure to television lowers their scores. \"One message coming through loud and clear is that how a child learns in his very early years is critical for a smooth transition into the educational system,\" said Professor James Law. \"This is a very positive message, as it gets us away from the belief that a child's educational future is pre-determined by standard measures of socio-economic disadvantage, such as income, housing, or the mother's education.\" Data from the study shows that children from a positive communication environment had a better expressive vocabulary by their second birthday. These children went on to achieve higher scores in language, reading and maths tests when they entered school. In the early years, the communication environment was a better predictor of children's success with language than their general social background. Most children develop speech and language effortlessly, but some are slow to acquire these skills and go on to struggle with literacy and academic skills throughout their schooling. This project set out to uncover what factors contributed to these problems. Professor Sue Roulstone said, \"These findings are an encouragement to all parents to provide a positive communication environment for their children from the very start of their lives. The project did identify particular aspects of the communication environment, such as having children's books around and not having the television on too much. But the main message is that, as parents, we can have an impact on how our children learn to talk by providing a range of communication experiences. And the better our children are at talking by the age of two years, the better they will do when they start school.\" According to the passage, what is the most important factor contributing to children's success at school? _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "children could naturally have a smooth transition into the educational system", "the very early years had a big effect on children's school performance", "communication with children after they were over two years old was more effective", "children's educational future was pre-determined by their parents' social position" ], "question": "A team of researchers in the UK has shown that children who were taken to the library more often and owned more books at two years old achieved higher scores in school tests when they began primary school. The research also showed that although social background has a noticeable effect on a child's readiness for school, attending pre-school and having their parents teach them a wide range of activities have a positive effect---while extended exposure to television lowers their scores. \"One message coming through loud and clear is that how a child learns in his very early years is critical for a smooth transition into the educational system,\" said Professor James Law. \"This is a very positive message, as it gets us away from the belief that a child's educational future is pre-determined by standard measures of socio-economic disadvantage, such as income, housing, or the mother's education.\" Data from the study shows that children from a positive communication environment had a better expressive vocabulary by their second birthday. These children went on to achieve higher scores in language, reading and maths tests when they entered school. In the early years, the communication environment was a better predictor of children's success with language than their general social background. Most children develop speech and language effortlessly, but some are slow to acquire these skills and go on to struggle with literacy and academic skills throughout their schooling. This project set out to uncover what factors contributed to these problems. Professor Sue Roulstone said, \"These findings are an encouragement to all parents to provide a positive communication environment for their children from the very start of their lives. The project did identify particular aspects of the communication environment, such as having children's books around and not having the television on too much. But the main message is that, as parents, we can have an impact on how our children learn to talk by providing a range of communication experiences. And the better our children are at talking by the age of two years, the better they will do when they start school.\" From the research, Professor James Law concluded that _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "maths", "reading", "writing", "speaking" ], "question": "A team of researchers in the UK has shown that children who were taken to the library more often and owned more books at two years old achieved higher scores in school tests when they began primary school. The research also showed that although social background has a noticeable effect on a child's readiness for school, attending pre-school and having their parents teach them a wide range of activities have a positive effect---while extended exposure to television lowers their scores. \"One message coming through loud and clear is that how a child learns in his very early years is critical for a smooth transition into the educational system,\" said Professor James Law. \"This is a very positive message, as it gets us away from the belief that a child's educational future is pre-determined by standard measures of socio-economic disadvantage, such as income, housing, or the mother's education.\" Data from the study shows that children from a positive communication environment had a better expressive vocabulary by their second birthday. These children went on to achieve higher scores in language, reading and maths tests when they entered school. In the early years, the communication environment was a better predictor of children's success with language than their general social background. Most children develop speech and language effortlessly, but some are slow to acquire these skills and go on to struggle with literacy and academic skills throughout their schooling. This project set out to uncover what factors contributed to these problems. Professor Sue Roulstone said, \"These findings are an encouragement to all parents to provide a positive communication environment for their children from the very start of their lives. The project did identify particular aspects of the communication environment, such as having children's books around and not having the television on too much. But the main message is that, as parents, we can have an impact on how our children learn to talk by providing a range of communication experiences. And the better our children are at talking by the age of two years, the better they will do when they start school.\" The study shows that two-year-old children who have a positive communication environment do better in _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "The research could help children who suffer from learning difficulties.", "Parents should take their children to school as early as possible.", "Teachers should teach children how to communicate with their parents.", "Children who have good language abilities will not have difficulties in class." ], "question": "A team of researchers in the UK has shown that children who were taken to the library more often and owned more books at two years old achieved higher scores in school tests when they began primary school. The research also showed that although social background has a noticeable effect on a child's readiness for school, attending pre-school and having their parents teach them a wide range of activities have a positive effect---while extended exposure to television lowers their scores. \"One message coming through loud and clear is that how a child learns in his very early years is critical for a smooth transition into the educational system,\" said Professor James Law. \"This is a very positive message, as it gets us away from the belief that a child's educational future is pre-determined by standard measures of socio-economic disadvantage, such as income, housing, or the mother's education.\" Data from the study shows that children from a positive communication environment had a better expressive vocabulary by their second birthday. These children went on to achieve higher scores in language, reading and maths tests when they entered school. In the early years, the communication environment was a better predictor of children's success with language than their general social background. Most children develop speech and language effortlessly, but some are slow to acquire these skills and go on to struggle with literacy and academic skills throughout their schooling. This project set out to uncover what factors contributed to these problems. Professor Sue Roulstone said, \"These findings are an encouragement to all parents to provide a positive communication environment for their children from the very start of their lives. The project did identify particular aspects of the communication environment, such as having children's books around and not having the television on too much. But the main message is that, as parents, we can have an impact on how our children learn to talk by providing a range of communication experiences. And the better our children are at talking by the age of two years, the better they will do when they start school.\" What is implied in the passage? _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "environment", "education", "lifestyle", "Science" ], "question": "A team of researchers in the UK has shown that children who were taken to the library more often and owned more books at two years old achieved higher scores in school tests when they began primary school. The research also showed that although social background has a noticeable effect on a child's readiness for school, attending pre-school and having their parents teach them a wide range of activities have a positive effect---while extended exposure to television lowers their scores. \"One message coming through loud and clear is that how a child learns in his very early years is critical for a smooth transition into the educational system,\" said Professor James Law. \"This is a very positive message, as it gets us away from the belief that a child's educational future is pre-determined by standard measures of socio-economic disadvantage, such as income, housing, or the mother's education.\" Data from the study shows that children from a positive communication environment had a better expressive vocabulary by their second birthday. These children went on to achieve higher scores in language, reading and maths tests when they entered school. In the early years, the communication environment was a better predictor of children's success with language than their general social background. Most children develop speech and language effortlessly, but some are slow to acquire these skills and go on to struggle with literacy and academic skills throughout their schooling. This project set out to uncover what factors contributed to these problems. Professor Sue Roulstone said, \"These findings are an encouragement to all parents to provide a positive communication environment for their children from the very start of their lives. The project did identify particular aspects of the communication environment, such as having children's books around and not having the television on too much. But the main message is that, as parents, we can have an impact on how our children learn to talk by providing a range of communication experiences. And the better our children are at talking by the age of two years, the better they will do when they start school.\" People can most probably find this passage in the _ section of a website.", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "Mom and Dad, Take Care of My Kid Please", "Double Single-child Couples", "The Problem of the Single Child", "A Recent Survey By Woman of China\"" ], "question": "Over 70 percent of the \"double single-child couples\" in China need help from their parents in taking care of their own kids, according to a recent survey. \"Women of China\" magazine and a consulting company carried out a survey recently on young couples of the \"single-child\" generation, the Morning Post reports. The couples surveyed were around 29 and have been married for three years on average, with university education and monthly income of 4.000 yuan ($531). Among them, 43.5 percent have kids. Results show that 71.9 percent of the young couples have help from their parents in taking care of their kids. Grown up as the \"single-child\", the only child in a family since the family planning policy was adopted in 1979, this generation depends much on their parents. The parents of the \"single-child\" generation focused more on their children's physical well-being rather than their attitudes and values, according to some psychologists. The research also found that the \"double single-child couples\" follow a rather traditional value system. Survey shows that 27.5 percent of them got married after dating for one to two years, 25.2 percent two to five years, and 20 percent didn't tie the knot until dating for five years. Also, 30 percent of the couples were schoolmates, while 43.8 percent were introduced by someone. Since their marriage are based on enduring relationships, 65.2 percent of the husbands and 62.9 percent of the wives think that compromise and tolerance are necessary in their marriage. Meanwhile, 21.7 percent of the husbands and 37.1 percent of the wives support the idea that happiness is the key standard for a marriage. The best title for the passage should be _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "The majority of the \"double single-child couples\" in China depend much on their parents.", "The parents of the \"single-child\" generation more care about their study and education.", "One-fifth of the couples surveyed didn't get married until dating for five years.", "All the couples surveyed have university education and 30 percent of them were schoolmates" ], "question": "Over 70 percent of the \"double single-child couples\" in China need help from their parents in taking care of their own kids, according to a recent survey. \"Women of China\" magazine and a consulting company carried out a survey recently on young couples of the \"single-child\" generation, the Morning Post reports. The couples surveyed were around 29 and have been married for three years on average, with university education and monthly income of 4.000 yuan ($531). Among them, 43.5 percent have kids. Results show that 71.9 percent of the young couples have help from their parents in taking care of their kids. Grown up as the \"single-child\", the only child in a family since the family planning policy was adopted in 1979, this generation depends much on their parents. The parents of the \"single-child\" generation focused more on their children's physical well-being rather than their attitudes and values, according to some psychologists. The research also found that the \"double single-child couples\" follow a rather traditional value system. Survey shows that 27.5 percent of them got married after dating for one to two years, 25.2 percent two to five years, and 20 percent didn't tie the knot until dating for five years. Also, 30 percent of the couples were schoolmates, while 43.8 percent were introduced by someone. Since their marriage are based on enduring relationships, 65.2 percent of the husbands and 62.9 percent of the wives think that compromise and tolerance are necessary in their marriage. Meanwhile, 21.7 percent of the husbands and 37.1 percent of the wives support the idea that happiness is the key standard for a marriage. Which of the following is NOT supported by the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "They are single child in either family and independent of their parents", "They are single child in either family and they are dependent on their parents", "They have at least two children and can afford to support themselves", "They, who were introduced by someone, follow a rather traditional value system" ], "question": "Over 70 percent of the \"double single-child couples\" in China need help from their parents in taking care of their own kids, according to a recent survey. \"Women of China\" magazine and a consulting company carried out a survey recently on young couples of the \"single-child\" generation, the Morning Post reports. The couples surveyed were around 29 and have been married for three years on average, with university education and monthly income of 4.000 yuan ($531). Among them, 43.5 percent have kids. Results show that 71.9 percent of the young couples have help from their parents in taking care of their kids. Grown up as the \"single-child\", the only child in a family since the family planning policy was adopted in 1979, this generation depends much on their parents. The parents of the \"single-child\" generation focused more on their children's physical well-being rather than their attitudes and values, according to some psychologists. The research also found that the \"double single-child couples\" follow a rather traditional value system. Survey shows that 27.5 percent of them got married after dating for one to two years, 25.2 percent two to five years, and 20 percent didn't tie the knot until dating for five years. Also, 30 percent of the couples were schoolmates, while 43.8 percent were introduced by someone. Since their marriage are based on enduring relationships, 65.2 percent of the husbands and 62.9 percent of the wives think that compromise and tolerance are necessary in their marriage. Meanwhile, 21.7 percent of the husbands and 37.1 percent of the wives support the idea that happiness is the key standard for a marriage. Which of the following descriptions about \"double single-child couples\" is True ?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "wealth", "health", "understanding", "education" ], "question": "Over 70 percent of the \"double single-child couples\" in China need help from their parents in taking care of their own kids, according to a recent survey. \"Women of China\" magazine and a consulting company carried out a survey recently on young couples of the \"single-child\" generation, the Morning Post reports. The couples surveyed were around 29 and have been married for three years on average, with university education and monthly income of 4.000 yuan ($531). Among them, 43.5 percent have kids. Results show that 71.9 percent of the young couples have help from their parents in taking care of their kids. Grown up as the \"single-child\", the only child in a family since the family planning policy was adopted in 1979, this generation depends much on their parents. The parents of the \"single-child\" generation focused more on their children's physical well-being rather than their attitudes and values, according to some psychologists. The research also found that the \"double single-child couples\" follow a rather traditional value system. Survey shows that 27.5 percent of them got married after dating for one to two years, 25.2 percent two to five years, and 20 percent didn't tie the knot until dating for five years. Also, 30 percent of the couples were schoolmates, while 43.8 percent were introduced by someone. Since their marriage are based on enduring relationships, 65.2 percent of the husbands and 62.9 percent of the wives think that compromise and tolerance are necessary in their marriage. Meanwhile, 21.7 percent of the husbands and 37.1 percent of the wives support the idea that happiness is the key standard for a marriage. According to the passage, we can learn that _ is necessary in marriage.", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "point out the virtues and faults of Twitter", "tell people how to use Twitter to communicate", "give a general outline of Twitter. com", "introduce a new and easy way of instant communication" ], "question": "Maybe you're really busy. Maybe you don't have much to say. Or maybe you're just lazy. Not a problem. This free service works by letting you broadcast a group text message to your friends' mobile phones from either your own phone, an instant message or an online form at twitter.com. All your notes are then stored and displayed on your personal profile page on the site, which includes links to your friends' Twitter pages, a thumbnail picture of your choice, and a short bio. All this is what the new service Twitter can bring you. Just remember to keep it short: posts are limited to 40 characters, and the topic is, invariably, \"What are you doing?\" More often than not, it turns out, Twitter's 100,000 members--twice as many as it had just a month ago, according to Twitter business development director Biz Stone--are simply killing time. Even Presidential hopeful John Edwards is on it, although he seems to be the only one thinking about more than lunch. As I type this, Caroline is mulling over some Girl Scout cookies, Ian _ Hocking is \"waiting for Jessica to arrive so we can eat!\" and Hlantz is \"having a nice cup of Soft Starmint tea.\" The chatter about Twitter turned into a virtual roar two weeks ago during the South by Southwest Multimedia Festival in Austin, Texas, when the barebones service owned by Blogger founder Evan Williams, 34, was named the best blogging tool and attendees used it to meet up at parties. Nevertheless, Twitter has been the top term on blog search engine Technorati for the past two weeks. Plenty of people would happily have Twitter silenced, rather than tolerate the beeping alert for yet another new text message. But I'm betting that Twitter will get a lot noisier before netizens move on to the next new thing. We cyber-junkies need a new thrill, and what is better than a service like Twitter that combines social networking, blogging and texting? And if you don't like it, well, in the words of one Twit from San Francisco, \"I'm so sick to death of Twitter-haters. If you don't like it, why waste your time writing, reading, or talking about it?\" This text is intended to _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "promoting products and services", "talking about small daily things", "discussing serious social matters", "attracting voters for presidential election" ], "question": "Maybe you're really busy. Maybe you don't have much to say. Or maybe you're just lazy. Not a problem. This free service works by letting you broadcast a group text message to your friends' mobile phones from either your own phone, an instant message or an online form at twitter.com. All your notes are then stored and displayed on your personal profile page on the site, which includes links to your friends' Twitter pages, a thumbnail picture of your choice, and a short bio. All this is what the new service Twitter can bring you. Just remember to keep it short: posts are limited to 40 characters, and the topic is, invariably, \"What are you doing?\" More often than not, it turns out, Twitter's 100,000 members--twice as many as it had just a month ago, according to Twitter business development director Biz Stone--are simply killing time. Even Presidential hopeful John Edwards is on it, although he seems to be the only one thinking about more than lunch. As I type this, Caroline is mulling over some Girl Scout cookies, Ian _ Hocking is \"waiting for Jessica to arrive so we can eat!\" and Hlantz is \"having a nice cup of Soft Starmint tea.\" The chatter about Twitter turned into a virtual roar two weeks ago during the South by Southwest Multimedia Festival in Austin, Texas, when the barebones service owned by Blogger founder Evan Williams, 34, was named the best blogging tool and attendees used it to meet up at parties. Nevertheless, Twitter has been the top term on blog search engine Technorati for the past two weeks. Plenty of people would happily have Twitter silenced, rather than tolerate the beeping alert for yet another new text message. But I'm betting that Twitter will get a lot noisier before netizens move on to the next new thing. We cyber-junkies need a new thrill, and what is better than a service like Twitter that combines social networking, blogging and texting? And if you don't like it, well, in the words of one Twit from San Francisco, \"I'm so sick to death of Twitter-haters. If you don't like it, why waste your time writing, reading, or talking about it?\" According to the text, Twitter is designed mainly for the purpose of _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "it limits each user's texting under 140 words", "it saves users' time and thinking", "it can be easily operated through users' mobile phones", "it is newly invented by Blogger owner Evan Williams" ], "question": "Maybe you're really busy. Maybe you don't have much to say. Or maybe you're just lazy. Not a problem. This free service works by letting you broadcast a group text message to your friends' mobile phones from either your own phone, an instant message or an online form at twitter.com. All your notes are then stored and displayed on your personal profile page on the site, which includes links to your friends' Twitter pages, a thumbnail picture of your choice, and a short bio. All this is what the new service Twitter can bring you. Just remember to keep it short: posts are limited to 40 characters, and the topic is, invariably, \"What are you doing?\" More often than not, it turns out, Twitter's 100,000 members--twice as many as it had just a month ago, according to Twitter business development director Biz Stone--are simply killing time. Even Presidential hopeful John Edwards is on it, although he seems to be the only one thinking about more than lunch. As I type this, Caroline is mulling over some Girl Scout cookies, Ian _ Hocking is \"waiting for Jessica to arrive so we can eat!\" and Hlantz is \"having a nice cup of Soft Starmint tea.\" The chatter about Twitter turned into a virtual roar two weeks ago during the South by Southwest Multimedia Festival in Austin, Texas, when the barebones service owned by Blogger founder Evan Williams, 34, was named the best blogging tool and attendees used it to meet up at parties. Nevertheless, Twitter has been the top term on blog search engine Technorati for the past two weeks. Plenty of people would happily have Twitter silenced, rather than tolerate the beeping alert for yet another new text message. But I'm betting that Twitter will get a lot noisier before netizens move on to the next new thing. We cyber-junkies need a new thrill, and what is better than a service like Twitter that combines social networking, blogging and texting? And if you don't like it, well, in the words of one Twit from San Francisco, \"I'm so sick to death of Twitter-haters. If you don't like it, why waste your time writing, reading, or talking about it?\" We know from the text that Twitter may be superior to Blogger in that _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "like it or not, Twitter will be accepted by more and more people", "if one doesn't like Twitter, he/she can choose not to mention it", "writing, reading and talking about Twitter is a waste of time", "twitter users naturally have a strong dislike for non-Twitter users" ], "question": "Maybe you're really busy. Maybe you don't have much to say. Or maybe you're just lazy. Not a problem. This free service works by letting you broadcast a group text message to your friends' mobile phones from either your own phone, an instant message or an online form at twitter.com. All your notes are then stored and displayed on your personal profile page on the site, which includes links to your friends' Twitter pages, a thumbnail picture of your choice, and a short bio. All this is what the new service Twitter can bring you. Just remember to keep it short: posts are limited to 40 characters, and the topic is, invariably, \"What are you doing?\" More often than not, it turns out, Twitter's 100,000 members--twice as many as it had just a month ago, according to Twitter business development director Biz Stone--are simply killing time. Even Presidential hopeful John Edwards is on it, although he seems to be the only one thinking about more than lunch. As I type this, Caroline is mulling over some Girl Scout cookies, Ian _ Hocking is \"waiting for Jessica to arrive so we can eat!\" and Hlantz is \"having a nice cup of Soft Starmint tea.\" The chatter about Twitter turned into a virtual roar two weeks ago during the South by Southwest Multimedia Festival in Austin, Texas, when the barebones service owned by Blogger founder Evan Williams, 34, was named the best blogging tool and attendees used it to meet up at parties. Nevertheless, Twitter has been the top term on blog search engine Technorati for the past two weeks. Plenty of people would happily have Twitter silenced, rather than tolerate the beeping alert for yet another new text message. But I'm betting that Twitter will get a lot noisier before netizens move on to the next new thing. We cyber-junkies need a new thrill, and what is better than a service like Twitter that combines social networking, blogging and texting? And if you don't like it, well, in the words of one Twit from San Francisco, \"I'm so sick to death of Twitter-haters. If you don't like it, why waste your time writing, reading, or talking about it?\" By quoting one Twit from San Francisco, the author implies that _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "emphasize the importance of exercising the brain", "analyze the difference between different age groups on the loss of memory", "reveal the decrease in mental ability of young adults as well as older adults", "introduce effective ways to improve memory" ], "question": "It is common for older people to forget things. Now an American study has found that memory starts to fail when we are young adults. People younger than thirty years of age usually do not know that they are starting to forget information. But scientists from the University of Michigan say the loss of memory has usually already started. Researchers say people do not observe this slow reduction in mental ability until the loss affects their everyday activities. Denise Park led the new study. She directs the Centre for Aging and Cognition at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. Her team studied more than 350 men and women between the ages of twenty and ninety years. The study identified people in their middle twenties with memory problems. She says young adults do not know they are forgetting things because their brains have more information than they need. But she says that people in their twenties and thirties are losing memory at the same rate as people in their sixties and seventies. Ms. Park says people between the ages of sixty and seventy may note the decrease in their mental abilities. They begin to observe that they are having more trouble remembering and learning new information. The study found that older adults are more likely to remember false information as being true. For example, they remembered false medical claims as being true. Younger people remembered hearing the information. But they were more likely to remember that it was false. Ms. Park is now using modern imaging equipment to study what happens in the brains of people of different ages. She is studying what parts of the brain older adults use for different activities compared to younger adults. Ms. Park says mental performance is a direct result of brain activity and brain structure. She says keeping the brain active is important. She hopes future studies will identify ways to improve the operation of our aging minds. The passage is meant to _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "they lose their memory at a slower rate", "they rarely realize they have memory problems", "their brains can store much more information", "all of the above" ], "question": "It is common for older people to forget things. Now an American study has found that memory starts to fail when we are young adults. People younger than thirty years of age usually do not know that they are starting to forget information. But scientists from the University of Michigan say the loss of memory has usually already started. Researchers say people do not observe this slow reduction in mental ability until the loss affects their everyday activities. Denise Park led the new study. She directs the Centre for Aging and Cognition at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. Her team studied more than 350 men and women between the ages of twenty and ninety years. The study identified people in their middle twenties with memory problems. She says young adults do not know they are forgetting things because their brains have more information than they need. But she says that people in their twenties and thirties are losing memory at the same rate as people in their sixties and seventies. Ms. Park says people between the ages of sixty and seventy may note the decrease in their mental abilities. They begin to observe that they are having more trouble remembering and learning new information. The study found that older adults are more likely to remember false information as being true. For example, they remembered false medical claims as being true. Younger people remembered hearing the information. But they were more likely to remember that it was false. Ms. Park is now using modern imaging equipment to study what happens in the brains of people of different ages. She is studying what parts of the brain older adults use for different activities compared to younger adults. Ms. Park says mental performance is a direct result of brain activity and brain structure. She says keeping the brain active is important. She hopes future studies will identify ways to improve the operation of our aging minds. According to the passage, young adults differ from older adults in that _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "Not until the loss of memory affects their daily activities, do people notice the decrease in their mental abilities.", "People begin to lose memory in their twenties.", "Older people tend to remember false information as being true.", "Younger people find it easier to remember the information that is proven false." ], "question": "It is common for older people to forget things. Now an American study has found that memory starts to fail when we are young adults. People younger than thirty years of age usually do not know that they are starting to forget information. But scientists from the University of Michigan say the loss of memory has usually already started. Researchers say people do not observe this slow reduction in mental ability until the loss affects their everyday activities. Denise Park led the new study. She directs the Centre for Aging and Cognition at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. Her team studied more than 350 men and women between the ages of twenty and ninety years. The study identified people in their middle twenties with memory problems. She says young adults do not know they are forgetting things because their brains have more information than they need. But she says that people in their twenties and thirties are losing memory at the same rate as people in their sixties and seventies. Ms. Park says people between the ages of sixty and seventy may note the decrease in their mental abilities. They begin to observe that they are having more trouble remembering and learning new information. The study found that older adults are more likely to remember false information as being true. For example, they remembered false medical claims as being true. Younger people remembered hearing the information. But they were more likely to remember that it was false. Ms. Park is now using modern imaging equipment to study what happens in the brains of people of different ages. She is studying what parts of the brain older adults use for different activities compared to younger adults. Ms. Park says mental performance is a direct result of brain activity and brain structure. She says keeping the brain active is important. She hopes future studies will identify ways to improve the operation of our aging minds. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "mental performance can be improved", "mental ability is determined entirely by brain structure", "people of different ages use different parts of the brain for memorizing", "different parts of the brain are responsible for different mental activities" ], "question": "It is common for older people to forget things. Now an American study has found that memory starts to fail when we are young adults. People younger than thirty years of age usually do not know that they are starting to forget information. But scientists from the University of Michigan say the loss of memory has usually already started. Researchers say people do not observe this slow reduction in mental ability until the loss affects their everyday activities. Denise Park led the new study. She directs the Centre for Aging and Cognition at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. Her team studied more than 350 men and women between the ages of twenty and ninety years. The study identified people in their middle twenties with memory problems. She says young adults do not know they are forgetting things because their brains have more information than they need. But she says that people in their twenties and thirties are losing memory at the same rate as people in their sixties and seventies. Ms. Park says people between the ages of sixty and seventy may note the decrease in their mental abilities. They begin to observe that they are having more trouble remembering and learning new information. The study found that older adults are more likely to remember false information as being true. For example, they remembered false medical claims as being true. Younger people remembered hearing the information. But they were more likely to remember that it was false. Ms. Park is now using modern imaging equipment to study what happens in the brains of people of different ages. She is studying what parts of the brain older adults use for different activities compared to younger adults. Ms. Park says mental performance is a direct result of brain activity and brain structure. She says keeping the brain active is important. She hopes future studies will identify ways to improve the operation of our aging minds. It can be inferred from what Denis Park says that _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "The Mysterious Brain", "The Ability to Forget", "Memory Reduction", "Mental Performance" ], "question": "It is common for older people to forget things. Now an American study has found that memory starts to fail when we are young adults. People younger than thirty years of age usually do not know that they are starting to forget information. But scientists from the University of Michigan say the loss of memory has usually already started. Researchers say people do not observe this slow reduction in mental ability until the loss affects their everyday activities. Denise Park led the new study. She directs the Centre for Aging and Cognition at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. Her team studied more than 350 men and women between the ages of twenty and ninety years. The study identified people in their middle twenties with memory problems. She says young adults do not know they are forgetting things because their brains have more information than they need. But she says that people in their twenties and thirties are losing memory at the same rate as people in their sixties and seventies. Ms. Park says people between the ages of sixty and seventy may note the decrease in their mental abilities. They begin to observe that they are having more trouble remembering and learning new information. The study found that older adults are more likely to remember false information as being true. For example, they remembered false medical claims as being true. Younger people remembered hearing the information. But they were more likely to remember that it was false. Ms. Park is now using modern imaging equipment to study what happens in the brains of people of different ages. She is studying what parts of the brain older adults use for different activities compared to younger adults. Ms. Park says mental performance is a direct result of brain activity and brain structure. She says keeping the brain active is important. She hopes future studies will identify ways to improve the operation of our aging minds. Which of the following is a suitable title for the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "Growing bacteria in foods.", "Eating foods which contain bad germs.", "Eating foods from the fridge.", "Eating meat." ], "question": "The leftovers in the fridge smelled a little unusual, but you ate them. You were so hungry that you didn't even heat them up. Later, you started to feel sick. Powerful waves of pain rumbled through your stomach. They went away, but not for long, then you even threw up. That sounds like the case of food poisoning. No one put poison in your food, but bacteria probably grew in the food in the fridge and those bacteria made you sick. Food poisoning can be mild and last just a short time or can be more serious. Food poisoning comes from eating foods that contain germs like bad bacteria, which are poisonous substances. Bacteria are all around us, so mild cases of food poisoning are common. You may have had mild food poisoning with diarrhea and an upset stomach --- but your mom or dad just called it a stomach bug or stomach virus. You might think the solution is to get rid of all the bacteria, but it isn't possible and you wouldn't want to do it, even if you could. Bacteria are all around us, including food, and sometimes they can be good for you. It's confusing, but one thing is for sure ---- You can, however, learn how to avoid those bad germs in food. Foods from animals, raw foods, and unwashed vegetables all can contain germs that cause food poisoning. The most likely source is food from animals, eggs, milk, and shellfish. To avoid food poisoning, people need to prepare, cook, and store foods properly. What may mostly cause the food poisoning according to the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "wash the foods from the fridge for a long time", "store the foods which do not have bacteria in the fridge", "prepare enough foods to avoid bad germs in foods", "fully heat up the foods from the fridge even if they aren't rotten" ], "question": "The leftovers in the fridge smelled a little unusual, but you ate them. You were so hungry that you didn't even heat them up. Later, you started to feel sick. Powerful waves of pain rumbled through your stomach. They went away, but not for long, then you even threw up. That sounds like the case of food poisoning. No one put poison in your food, but bacteria probably grew in the food in the fridge and those bacteria made you sick. Food poisoning can be mild and last just a short time or can be more serious. Food poisoning comes from eating foods that contain germs like bad bacteria, which are poisonous substances. Bacteria are all around us, so mild cases of food poisoning are common. You may have had mild food poisoning with diarrhea and an upset stomach --- but your mom or dad just called it a stomach bug or stomach virus. You might think the solution is to get rid of all the bacteria, but it isn't possible and you wouldn't want to do it, even if you could. Bacteria are all around us, including food, and sometimes they can be good for you. It's confusing, but one thing is for sure ---- You can, however, learn how to avoid those bad germs in food. Foods from animals, raw foods, and unwashed vegetables all can contain germs that cause food poisoning. The most likely source is food from animals, eggs, milk, and shellfish. To avoid food poisoning, people need to prepare, cook, and store foods properly. According to the passage, if you want to avoid food poisoning, you'd better _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "The solution to food poisoning is to get rid of all the bacteria.", "You don't need to deal with all food poisoning seriously.", "It's easy to find bacteria.", "Sometimes your mom or dad don't care about you." ], "question": "The leftovers in the fridge smelled a little unusual, but you ate them. You were so hungry that you didn't even heat them up. Later, you started to feel sick. Powerful waves of pain rumbled through your stomach. They went away, but not for long, then you even threw up. That sounds like the case of food poisoning. No one put poison in your food, but bacteria probably grew in the food in the fridge and those bacteria made you sick. Food poisoning can be mild and last just a short time or can be more serious. Food poisoning comes from eating foods that contain germs like bad bacteria, which are poisonous substances. Bacteria are all around us, so mild cases of food poisoning are common. You may have had mild food poisoning with diarrhea and an upset stomach --- but your mom or dad just called it a stomach bug or stomach virus. You might think the solution is to get rid of all the bacteria, but it isn't possible and you wouldn't want to do it, even if you could. Bacteria are all around us, including food, and sometimes they can be good for you. It's confusing, but one thing is for sure ---- You can, however, learn how to avoid those bad germs in food. Foods from animals, raw foods, and unwashed vegetables all can contain germs that cause food poisoning. The most likely source is food from animals, eggs, milk, and shellfish. To avoid food poisoning, people need to prepare, cook, and store foods properly. We can infer from the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "Food poisoning.", "What is food poisoning?", "Which germs are to blame?", "You are what you eat." ], "question": "The leftovers in the fridge smelled a little unusual, but you ate them. You were so hungry that you didn't even heat them up. Later, you started to feel sick. Powerful waves of pain rumbled through your stomach. They went away, but not for long, then you even threw up. That sounds like the case of food poisoning. No one put poison in your food, but bacteria probably grew in the food in the fridge and those bacteria made you sick. Food poisoning can be mild and last just a short time or can be more serious. Food poisoning comes from eating foods that contain germs like bad bacteria, which are poisonous substances. Bacteria are all around us, so mild cases of food poisoning are common. You may have had mild food poisoning with diarrhea and an upset stomach --- but your mom or dad just called it a stomach bug or stomach virus. You might think the solution is to get rid of all the bacteria, but it isn't possible and you wouldn't want to do it, even if you could. Bacteria are all around us, including food, and sometimes they can be good for you. It's confusing, but one thing is for sure ---- You can, however, learn how to avoid those bad germs in food. Foods from animals, raw foods, and unwashed vegetables all can contain germs that cause food poisoning. The most likely source is food from animals, eggs, milk, and shellfish. To avoid food poisoning, people need to prepare, cook, and store foods properly. Which is the best title for the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "Why some toys are popular with children.", "The educational benefits of children's toys.", "How children's interests change as they grow.", "Learning methods for children at different ages." ], "question": "Toys provide more than just fun and games for kids. Most toys provide at least some opportunity for children to learn. A good toy can develop children's senses and encourage them to communicate with others. Toys for Babies Babies want to learn about the world around them very much, and they have much to learn. Every new shape, color1, taste and sound is a learning experience for them. Toys that make music are favorites of babies. Toys with different color1s are attractive to babies. They also need objects such as blocks to help them build hand-eye coordination . Giving your baby these toys will help him/her discover his/her senses. Toys for Toddlers Toddlers can play with more toys than they did when they were smaller. They might still enjoy some of the toys they played with as babies, and that's fine. The same blocks they played with a year or two ago can provide them with new and different educational opportunities as their knowledge expands. But they also need toys that are designed for kids of their age in mind. Toys for Preschool Children When children reach preschool age, it's time to start learning about letters, numbers and language skills. There are lots of toys that encourage this type of learning, from simple alphabet puzzles to high-tech electronic toys. These will introduce him/her to the things he/she will learn in school thus profiting them. Children can learn a lot from playing. When you give your child educational toys and play with them with him/her, it gives him/her a chance to learn and have fun at the same time. What's the topic of the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "toys for children must be changed as they grow", "babies can learn a lot about the world from toys", "blocks help a child's eyes and hands work together", "toys should be used for both playing and learning" ], "question": "Toys provide more than just fun and games for kids. Most toys provide at least some opportunity for children to learn. A good toy can develop children's senses and encourage them to communicate with others. Toys for Babies Babies want to learn about the world around them very much, and they have much to learn. Every new shape, color1, taste and sound is a learning experience for them. Toys that make music are favorites of babies. Toys with different color1s are attractive to babies. They also need objects such as blocks to help them build hand-eye coordination . Giving your baby these toys will help him/her discover his/her senses. Toys for Toddlers Toddlers can play with more toys than they did when they were smaller. They might still enjoy some of the toys they played with as babies, and that's fine. The same blocks they played with a year or two ago can provide them with new and different educational opportunities as their knowledge expands. But they also need toys that are designed for kids of their age in mind. Toys for Preschool Children When children reach preschool age, it's time to start learning about letters, numbers and language skills. There are lots of toys that encourage this type of learning, from simple alphabet puzzles to high-tech electronic toys. These will introduce him/her to the things he/she will learn in school thus profiting them. Children can learn a lot from playing. When you give your child educational toys and play with them with him/her, it gives him/her a chance to learn and have fun at the same time. The writer may NOT agree with the idea that_.", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "expect replies from him", "made the opening of the museum possible", "treat him as if he were a real person", "often adapt his books into films or plays" ], "question": "The opening of the Sherlock Holmes Museum to the public on March 27, 1990, was an event that should have happened several decades ago. Baker Street is, after all, one of the world's most famous streets because of its long association with the great detective. Thousands of people all over the world write to Sherlock Holmes, they form clubs and societies in his honor, and they celebrate his anniversaries. Now it is also possible to see where and how he lived in Victorian times! Here visitors will recognize familiar objects mentioned in the stories. You can take as many photographs as you want (the maid will be pleased to assist) and when you are ready to leave, a ride home in a horse-drawn carriage will complete your 19th century experience! Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson lived at 221b Baker Street from about 1881 to 1904. Apartment 221b was on the first floor of a lodging house, which they rented from a Mrs Hudson. The famous study that Holmes and his friend Dr Watson shared for almost 25 years is on the first floor overlooking Baker Street. We know from Doctor Watson's descriptions that their sitting room overlooking Baker Street was \"illuminated(, ) by two broad windows\" and that it was quite small. Doctor Watson's bedroom was on the second floor next to Mrs Hudson's room and it overlooked an open yard at the back of the house. These rooms are used today for exhibits, where center stage is taken by a magnificant bronze bust of Mr Holmes. Visitors can browse through literature, paintings, photographs and newspapers of the period. Memorabilia from the adventures and a selection of letters written to and from Mr Holmes are also on display. The museum's large and attractive souvenir shop is located on the ground floor. Here you will find a unique collection of gifts, objects of art, figures, busts, prints, books, playing cards, T-shirts, -novelties of every description available exclusively to museum visitors. According to the article, we can conclude that Sherlock Holmes' admirers _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "The sitting room is small but has two big windows.", "Mrs Hudson's rooms are not used as exhibit rooms.", "Mr Holmes' and Dr Watson's bedrooms are on the same floor.", "Mr Holmes and Mrs Hudson shared ownership of Apartment 221b Baker Street." ], "question": "The opening of the Sherlock Holmes Museum to the public on March 27, 1990, was an event that should have happened several decades ago. Baker Street is, after all, one of the world's most famous streets because of its long association with the great detective. Thousands of people all over the world write to Sherlock Holmes, they form clubs and societies in his honor, and they celebrate his anniversaries. Now it is also possible to see where and how he lived in Victorian times! Here visitors will recognize familiar objects mentioned in the stories. You can take as many photographs as you want (the maid will be pleased to assist) and when you are ready to leave, a ride home in a horse-drawn carriage will complete your 19th century experience! Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson lived at 221b Baker Street from about 1881 to 1904. Apartment 221b was on the first floor of a lodging house, which they rented from a Mrs Hudson. The famous study that Holmes and his friend Dr Watson shared for almost 25 years is on the first floor overlooking Baker Street. We know from Doctor Watson's descriptions that their sitting room overlooking Baker Street was \"illuminated(, ) by two broad windows\" and that it was quite small. Doctor Watson's bedroom was on the second floor next to Mrs Hudson's room and it overlooked an open yard at the back of the house. These rooms are used today for exhibits, where center stage is taken by a magnificant bronze bust of Mr Holmes. Visitors can browse through literature, paintings, photographs and newspapers of the period. Memorabilia from the adventures and a selection of letters written to and from Mr Holmes are also on display. The museum's large and attractive souvenir shop is located on the ground floor. Here you will find a unique collection of gifts, objects of art, figures, busts, prints, books, playing cards, T-shirts, -novelties of every description available exclusively to museum visitors. Which of the following is TRUE?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "Take photos of the rooms or objects on show", "Buy unusual and interesting souvenirs", "Learn some news of Mr Holmes's times", "Ask the maid to serve you tea in the Victorian times" ], "question": "The opening of the Sherlock Holmes Museum to the public on March 27, 1990, was an event that should have happened several decades ago. Baker Street is, after all, one of the world's most famous streets because of its long association with the great detective. Thousands of people all over the world write to Sherlock Holmes, they form clubs and societies in his honor, and they celebrate his anniversaries. Now it is also possible to see where and how he lived in Victorian times! Here visitors will recognize familiar objects mentioned in the stories. You can take as many photographs as you want (the maid will be pleased to assist) and when you are ready to leave, a ride home in a horse-drawn carriage will complete your 19th century experience! Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson lived at 221b Baker Street from about 1881 to 1904. Apartment 221b was on the first floor of a lodging house, which they rented from a Mrs Hudson. The famous study that Holmes and his friend Dr Watson shared for almost 25 years is on the first floor overlooking Baker Street. We know from Doctor Watson's descriptions that their sitting room overlooking Baker Street was \"illuminated(, ) by two broad windows\" and that it was quite small. Doctor Watson's bedroom was on the second floor next to Mrs Hudson's room and it overlooked an open yard at the back of the house. These rooms are used today for exhibits, where center stage is taken by a magnificant bronze bust of Mr Holmes. Visitors can browse through literature, paintings, photographs and newspapers of the period. Memorabilia from the adventures and a selection of letters written to and from Mr Holmes are also on display. The museum's large and attractive souvenir shop is located on the ground floor. Here you will find a unique collection of gifts, objects of art, figures, busts, prints, books, playing cards, T-shirts, -novelties of every description available exclusively to museum visitors. When in the museum, which of the following can visitors not do?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "how to keep disease from pets", "pets in Canada", "how to take good care of pets", "life of the old in Canada" ], "question": "In Canada you can find dogs,cats,horses,etc.in almost every family.These are their pets.People love these pets and have them as their good friends.Before they keep them in their houses,they take them to animal hospitals to give them injections so that they won't carry disease.They have special animal food stores,though they can get animal food in almost every kind of store.Some people spend around two hundred Canadian dollars a month on animal food.When you visit people's houses,they would be very glad to show you their pets and they are very proud of them.You will also find that almost every family has a bird feeder in their garden.All kinds of birds are welcomed to come and have a good meal.They are free to come and go and nobody is allowed to kill any animal in Canada.They have a law against killing wild animals.If you killed an animal,you would be punished.If an animal happened to get run over by a car,people would be very sad about it. People in Canada have many reasons to like animals.One of them might be:Their family ties are not as close as ours.When children grow up, they leave their parents and start their own life.Then the old will feel lonely.But pets can solve this problem.They can be good friends and never leave them alone.(242) The passage mainly talks about_.", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "they don't love their parents any more", "they can only find jobs far from their parents", "their parents' houses are too small", "they wouldn't depend on their parents any more" ], "question": "In Canada you can find dogs,cats,horses,etc.in almost every family.These are their pets.People love these pets and have them as their good friends.Before they keep them in their houses,they take them to animal hospitals to give them injections so that they won't carry disease.They have special animal food stores,though they can get animal food in almost every kind of store.Some people spend around two hundred Canadian dollars a month on animal food.When you visit people's houses,they would be very glad to show you their pets and they are very proud of them.You will also find that almost every family has a bird feeder in their garden.All kinds of birds are welcomed to come and have a good meal.They are free to come and go and nobody is allowed to kill any animal in Canada.They have a law against killing wild animals.If you killed an animal,you would be punished.If an animal happened to get run over by a car,people would be very sad about it. People in Canada have many reasons to like animals.One of them might be:Their family ties are not as close as ours.When children grow up, they leave their parents and start their own life.Then the old will feel lonely.But pets can solve this problem.They can be good friends and never leave them alone.(242) In Canada,children leave their parents when they grow up because_.", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "People buy animal food only at the animal food stores.", "Pets eat better than people.", "Almost every family has a birdcage in his house.", "Any bird can come to the bird feeders to eat." ], "question": "In Canada you can find dogs,cats,horses,etc.in almost every family.These are their pets.People love these pets and have them as their good friends.Before they keep them in their houses,they take them to animal hospitals to give them injections so that they won't carry disease.They have special animal food stores,though they can get animal food in almost every kind of store.Some people spend around two hundred Canadian dollars a month on animal food.When you visit people's houses,they would be very glad to show you their pets and they are very proud of them.You will also find that almost every family has a bird feeder in their garden.All kinds of birds are welcomed to come and have a good meal.They are free to come and go and nobody is allowed to kill any animal in Canada.They have a law against killing wild animals.If you killed an animal,you would be punished.If an animal happened to get run over by a car,people would be very sad about it. People in Canada have many reasons to like animals.One of them might be:Their family ties are not as close as ours.When children grow up, they leave their parents and start their own life.Then the old will feel lonely.But pets can solve this problem.They can be good friends and never leave them alone.(242) Which of the following is TRUE?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "They couldn't support the children.", "They couldn't get along well.", "They were both out of work.", "They had serious economic problems." ], "question": "\"Reconstituted\" families are more and more common in the UK. Steve and Debbie got married in 2001 and had two children,Lily and Alex.Unfortunately,Steve and Debbie's marriage didn't work out and they got divorced in 2006.The children live with Debbie.In 2008,Debbie remarried.Her new husband,Martin,has three children from his previous marriage and they visit Debbie,Martin,Lily and Alex at weekends.In addition,Debbie is pregnant with her third child.She's expecting a boy who will be a halfbrother to Lily and Alex and also to Martin's three other children. Confused?Debbie's family arrangements might have seemed strange 30 years ago but nowadays this kind of \"reconstituted\" family is increasingly common in the UK.Almost half of all marriages in Britain end in divorce and over 40% of marriages are remarriages.More than 10% of all British children live with one birth parent and a stepparent--a parent who isn't their biological mother or father.The traditional \"nuclear\" family of two parents and their children is not so traditional any more. What does all of this mean for parents in these \"reconstituted\" families?\"There are difficulties and challenges,\" says Debbie.\"Different families have different routines and it can be difficult for children to move between their two families.Birthdays and holidays can be tricky.Where do the children go?Who should they spend their time with?Also,when my children are naughty it can be difficult for Martin to _ .Things that might be simple in a traditional family can be a bit more complicated.\" And how about the children?Martin's eldest child,Ella,is 12.\"I like my two families,\" she says.\"I live with my mum but visit my dad quite often and I'm happy that my mum and dad get along OK.They're not married any more but it's good that they can still be friends.\" Of course divorce and separation are never easy but many families in the UK are finding ways to make family life work in new ways. Why did Steve and Debbie get separated?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "has two birth parents and their children", "has two birth parents and only one child", "is traditional but complicated", "doesn't have any children" ], "question": "\"Reconstituted\" families are more and more common in the UK. Steve and Debbie got married in 2001 and had two children,Lily and Alex.Unfortunately,Steve and Debbie's marriage didn't work out and they got divorced in 2006.The children live with Debbie.In 2008,Debbie remarried.Her new husband,Martin,has three children from his previous marriage and they visit Debbie,Martin,Lily and Alex at weekends.In addition,Debbie is pregnant with her third child.She's expecting a boy who will be a halfbrother to Lily and Alex and also to Martin's three other children. Confused?Debbie's family arrangements might have seemed strange 30 years ago but nowadays this kind of \"reconstituted\" family is increasingly common in the UK.Almost half of all marriages in Britain end in divorce and over 40% of marriages are remarriages.More than 10% of all British children live with one birth parent and a stepparent--a parent who isn't their biological mother or father.The traditional \"nuclear\" family of two parents and their children is not so traditional any more. What does all of this mean for parents in these \"reconstituted\" families?\"There are difficulties and challenges,\" says Debbie.\"Different families have different routines and it can be difficult for children to move between their two families.Birthdays and holidays can be tricky.Where do the children go?Who should they spend their time with?Also,when my children are naughty it can be difficult for Martin to _ .Things that might be simple in a traditional family can be a bit more complicated.\" And how about the children?Martin's eldest child,Ella,is 12.\"I like my two families,\" she says.\"I live with my mum but visit my dad quite often and I'm happy that my mum and dad get along OK.They're not married any more but it's good that they can still be friends.\" Of course divorce and separation are never easy but many families in the UK are finding ways to make family life work in new ways. We can learn from the text that a \"nuclear\" family _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "a school magazine", "a travel booklet", "a newspaper", "a textbook" ], "question": "The largest known outbreak of the lethal Ebola virus in West Africa is prompting authorities as far away as Asia to take preventive measures, although scientists say a global spread of the disease is unlikely. At South Korea's Incheon International airport, a major hub for air travel in Asia, quarantine inspections of arriving passengers are being enhanced. Authorities say all passengers are being recorded by an infrared camera to detect fevers because Ebola is becoming a big concern. The incubation period of the Ebola virus is between two and 21 days, during which time an infected person might not show any signs of infection. In Hong Kong, the Center for Health Protection says public hospitals will begin to report and test all those who developed fever who, within the past 21 days, traveled to the three affected African countries. Singapore's health ministry is urging the public there \"not to be alarmed.\" It has issued a statement deeming Ebola to pose \"a low public health risk to Singapore,\" in part because \"there is low travel connectivity to West Africa where the current outbreak remains limited to.\" Some airlines have suspended flights into the affected region. But health authorities say there is little risk of passengers contracting the virus on a flight from an infected person.Dr. Day, a tropical medicine researcher, explains Ebola is only spread through direct contact with blood, saliva and other bodily fluids. Since March, there have been more than 1,200 confirmed Ebola cases in West Africa. This is believed to be a new strain of the virus and nearly 700 of those infected in this worst-known outbreak have died.There is no known cure for Ebola. It was first recognized in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) in 1976. There is no approved vaccine, but at least four are under development. The passage may come from _ .", "subject": "" }

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