Split (1)

train · 99.8k rows

train dict
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "The poor mans saw the circus that night.", "The two families became close friends.", "The writer's father earned some money.", "The writer saw the circs that night." ], "question": "Once when I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus. Finally, there was only one family between the ticket office and us. This family made a big impression on me. There were eight children, all probably under the age of 12. You could tell they didn't have a lot of money. _ The children talked excitedly about the clowns. It was clearly a very important day out for them. The father and mother seemed happy as they could be. The tickets lady asked how many tickets the father wanted, he proudly answered, \"Please let me buy eight children's tickets and two adults' tickets, so I can take my family to the circus.\" The ticket lady told him the price. The man's wife lowered her head. There was no longer a smile on the man's face. He quietly asked, \"How much did you say?\" The ticket lady again told him the price. The man obviously didn't have enough money. But how could he tell his kids the bad news? Seeing what was happening, my dad took a $20 note from his pocket and dropped in on the ground. (We were not rich ourselves at all!) He then tapped the man on the shoulder and said, \"Excuse me, sir, you dropped this.\" The man understood my father was helping him. He picked up the money, looked straight into my dad's eyes, and in tears replied. \"Thank you. This really means a lot to me and my family.\" Although we did not go to the circus that night, we didn't go without. Which of the following statements is probably true according to the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "Miley began to act at the age of 12.", "Miley's 54-date North American concert tour was very successful.", "Miley's show,Hannah Montana was popular with not kids but adults.", "Miley is a regular and grounded girl." ], "question": "Without Doubt,Miley Cyrus reigns as Hollywood's \"tween\" queen.Her show,Hannah Montana,debuted in 2006 as the number one cable show look kids aged 6--14.Add to that success two chart-topping CDs,a sold-out concert tour and a number one movie.And she's not even 16 years old yet! Born in 1992 in Tennessee,Miley is the daughter of country singer-turned-actor,Billy Ray Cyrus and his wife,Tish,Miley got an early start in acting,beginning with a small role on her father's TV show in 2003.Then at age 12,Miley's cool confidence helped her beat out 1,000 other girls to win the role of Hannah Montana. On the Disney Channel show,Miley plays Miley Stewart,a sometimes-awkward ninth grade girl who moonlights as pop sensation Hannah Montana.Stewart keeps her rock star identity a secret from all but her family and her closest friends.The show emphasizes family,friendship and respect,making it a hit not only with kids but also with adults.Miley's real father plays her dad on the show. In June 2007,Miley released the two-disc album Hannah Montana 3/Meet Miley Cyrus.One disc contains songs from the show.And the other serves as the star's Debut album-with songs about love,teenager life and growing up.In October,Miley set out on a 54-date North American concert tour.The tour were wildly popular-tickets for some venues sold out within minutes and 14 extra performances were added. The tour's success spurred Disney to create a 3-d movie version of the concert.The film hit number one at the box office and earned over $ 31 million in just three days. Though Miley is a huge star,she sees herself as a regular girl.She attends church with her family every week and does homework and household chores. With a big-screen version of Hannah Montana coming out next year,this young star is sure to keep rising-but with her feet on the ground. Which of the following is NOT true except the fact that", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "Her father.", "Her success.", "Her closest friends.", "Her cool confidence" ], "question": "Without Doubt,Miley Cyrus reigns as Hollywood's \"tween\" queen.Her show,Hannah Montana,debuted in 2006 as the number one cable show look kids aged 6--14.Add to that success two chart-topping CDs,a sold-out concert tour and a number one movie.And she's not even 16 years old yet! Born in 1992 in Tennessee,Miley is the daughter of country singer-turned-actor,Billy Ray Cyrus and his wife,Tish,Miley got an early start in acting,beginning with a small role on her father's TV show in 2003.Then at age 12,Miley's cool confidence helped her beat out 1,000 other girls to win the role of Hannah Montana. On the Disney Channel show,Miley plays Miley Stewart,a sometimes-awkward ninth grade girl who moonlights as pop sensation Hannah Montana.Stewart keeps her rock star identity a secret from all but her family and her closest friends.The show emphasizes family,friendship and respect,making it a hit not only with kids but also with adults.Miley's real father plays her dad on the show. In June 2007,Miley released the two-disc album Hannah Montana 3/Meet Miley Cyrus.One disc contains songs from the show.And the other serves as the star's Debut album-with songs about love,teenager life and growing up.In October,Miley set out on a 54-date North American concert tour.The tour were wildly popular-tickets for some venues sold out within minutes and 14 extra performances were added. The tour's success spurred Disney to create a 3-d movie version of the concert.The film hit number one at the box office and earned over $ 31 million in just three days. Though Miley is a huge star,she sees herself as a regular girl.She attends church with her family every week and does homework and household chores. With a big-screen version of Hannah Montana coming out next year,this young star is sure to keep rising-but with her feet on the ground. What helped Miley win the role of Hannah Montana?_.", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "the US will live on the moon forever", "the moon will not be able to hold all mankind", "the potential land rush will become more and more frequent", "no one can answer the question \" Who owns the moon?\"" ], "question": "Who Owns the Moon? Within the next ten years, the U. S., China, Israel, and a crowd of private companies plan to set up camp on the moon. So if and when they plant a flag, does _ give them property rights? A NASA working group hosted a discussion this week to ask: Who owns the moon? The answer, of course, is no use. The Outer Space Treaty, the international signed by more than 100 countries, states that the moon and other celestial bodies are the province of all mankind. No doubt that would annoy all of the people throughout the ages, like monks from the Middle Ages, who have tried to claim the moon was theirs. But ownership is different from property rights. People who rent apartments, for example, don't own where they live, but they still hold rights. So with all of the upcoming missions to visit the moon and beyond, space industry thought leaders are seriously asking themselves how to deal with a potential land rush. \" This is a very relevant discussion right now. We've got this wave of new lunar missions from around the world,\" said William Marshall, a scientist in the small-spacecraft office at NASA, but who spoke this week at an event hosted by NASA's Co Lab, a collaborative public-private working group. He was speaking from his personal interest and not on behalf of the agency. To be sure, the United States aims to send astronauts back to the moon by as early as 2015, in a mission that would include a long-term settlement. China and Israel, among others, are also working on lunar projects. And for the first time, several private groups are building spacecraft to land on the moon in an attempt to win millions of dollars in the Google Lunar X Prize. Some participants say that they plan to gain some property rights in the mission. In the passage the writer seems to be worrying that _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "encourage private groups to land on the moon", "help NASA host a discussion about land rush on the moon", "help some developing countries to complete their lunar projects", "reward some countries or private groups which haven't stepped on the moon" ], "question": "Who Owns the Moon? Within the next ten years, the U. S., China, Israel, and a crowd of private companies plan to set up camp on the moon. So if and when they plant a flag, does _ give them property rights? A NASA working group hosted a discussion this week to ask: Who owns the moon? The answer, of course, is no use. The Outer Space Treaty, the international signed by more than 100 countries, states that the moon and other celestial bodies are the province of all mankind. No doubt that would annoy all of the people throughout the ages, like monks from the Middle Ages, who have tried to claim the moon was theirs. But ownership is different from property rights. People who rent apartments, for example, don't own where they live, but they still hold rights. So with all of the upcoming missions to visit the moon and beyond, space industry thought leaders are seriously asking themselves how to deal with a potential land rush. \" This is a very relevant discussion right now. We've got this wave of new lunar missions from around the world,\" said William Marshall, a scientist in the small-spacecraft office at NASA, but who spoke this week at an event hosted by NASA's Co Lab, a collaborative public-private working group. He was speaking from his personal interest and not on behalf of the agency. To be sure, the United States aims to send astronauts back to the moon by as early as 2015, in a mission that would include a long-term settlement. China and Israel, among others, are also working on lunar projects. And for the first time, several private groups are building spacecraft to land on the moon in an attempt to win millions of dollars in the Google Lunar X Prize. Some participants say that they plan to gain some property rights in the mission. The Google Lunar X Prize aims to _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "it's a waste of time to work on the lunar project", "\" The Outer Space Treaty\" forbids private groups to land on the moon", "all mankind has the right to land on the moon", "whenever you come to the moon, you'll get some property rights on it" ], "question": "Who Owns the Moon? Within the next ten years, the U. S., China, Israel, and a crowd of private companies plan to set up camp on the moon. So if and when they plant a flag, does _ give them property rights? A NASA working group hosted a discussion this week to ask: Who owns the moon? The answer, of course, is no use. The Outer Space Treaty, the international signed by more than 100 countries, states that the moon and other celestial bodies are the province of all mankind. No doubt that would annoy all of the people throughout the ages, like monks from the Middle Ages, who have tried to claim the moon was theirs. But ownership is different from property rights. People who rent apartments, for example, don't own where they live, but they still hold rights. So with all of the upcoming missions to visit the moon and beyond, space industry thought leaders are seriously asking themselves how to deal with a potential land rush. \" This is a very relevant discussion right now. We've got this wave of new lunar missions from around the world,\" said William Marshall, a scientist in the small-spacecraft office at NASA, but who spoke this week at an event hosted by NASA's Co Lab, a collaborative public-private working group. He was speaking from his personal interest and not on behalf of the agency. To be sure, the United States aims to send astronauts back to the moon by as early as 2015, in a mission that would include a long-term settlement. China and Israel, among others, are also working on lunar projects. And for the first time, several private groups are building spacecraft to land on the moon in an attempt to win millions of dollars in the Google Lunar X Prize. Some participants say that they plan to gain some property rights in the mission. We can infer from the passage that _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "An attractive plaintiff has more chances to get away with punishment.", "Women with pleasing appearance will always be considered as better leaders.", "Good-looking people are often regarded as having many good qualities.", "Beautiful criminals are more likely to persuade the judge and win the case." ], "question": "Can you be too beautiful? It is hardly a problem that most of us have to bother -- as much as we might like to dream that it were the case. Yet the blessings and curses of beauty have been a long-standing interest in psychology. Do those blessed with shiny faces and an attractive body live in a cloud of appreciation -- or does it sometimes pay to be ordinary? Combing through decades of findings, social psychologists Lisa Slattery Walker and Tonya Frevert at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte havereviewed all the evidence to dateand their conclusions are not what you might expect. At the most basic level, beauty might be thought to carry a kind of halo around it; we see that someone has one good quality, and by association, our deep mind may assume that they have other good ones too. Even in the courts, a pleasing appearance can work its magic. Attractive criminals are likely to get less strict sentences, or to escape punishment entirely; attractive plaintiffs , meanwhile, are more likely to win their case and get bigger financial settlements. \"It's an effect seen everywhere,\" says Walker. But if beauty pays in most circumstances, there are still situations where it can have opposite results. While attractive men may be considered better leaders, for instance, hidden sexist prejudices can work against attractive women, making them less likely to be hired for high-level jobs that require power. And as you might expect, good-looking people of both sexes run into envy -- one study found that if you are interviewed by someone of the same sex, they may be less likely to employ you if they judge that you are more attractive than they are. More worryingly, being beautiful or handsome could harm your medical care. We tend to link good looks to health, meaning that illnesses are often taken less seriously when they affect the good-looking. When treating people for pain, for instance, doctors tend to take less care over the more attractive people. And the bubble of beauty can be a somewhat lonely place. One study in 1975, for instance, found that people tend to move further away from a beautiful woman on the pathway -- perhaps as a mark of respect, but still making interaction more distant. \"Attractiveness can convey more power over visible space -- but that in turn can make others feel they can't approach that person,\" says Frevert. Interestingly, the online dating website OKCupid recently reported that people with the most beautiful pictures are less likely to find dates than those with less perfect pictures. Ultimately, Frevert points out that focusing too much on your appearance can itself be harmful if it creates stress and anxiety -- even for those already blessed with good looks. \"If you are crazy about attractiveness, it may affect your experience and interactions,\" she says. It's an outdated saying, but no amount of beauty can make up for a bad personality. As the writer Dorothy Parker put it so elegantly: \" _ .\" Which is the benefit for beautiful people?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "People with perfect pictures will find dates sooner or later.", "Less attractive women are lonely because of their appearances.", "We may feel more excited to approach those with attractive appearances.", "Don't use perfect pictures when trying to find dates online." ], "question": "Can you be too beautiful? It is hardly a problem that most of us have to bother -- as much as we might like to dream that it were the case. Yet the blessings and curses of beauty have been a long-standing interest in psychology. Do those blessed with shiny faces and an attractive body live in a cloud of appreciation -- or does it sometimes pay to be ordinary? Combing through decades of findings, social psychologists Lisa Slattery Walker and Tonya Frevert at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte havereviewed all the evidence to dateand their conclusions are not what you might expect. At the most basic level, beauty might be thought to carry a kind of halo around it; we see that someone has one good quality, and by association, our deep mind may assume that they have other good ones too. Even in the courts, a pleasing appearance can work its magic. Attractive criminals are likely to get less strict sentences, or to escape punishment entirely; attractive plaintiffs , meanwhile, are more likely to win their case and get bigger financial settlements. \"It's an effect seen everywhere,\" says Walker. But if beauty pays in most circumstances, there are still situations where it can have opposite results. While attractive men may be considered better leaders, for instance, hidden sexist prejudices can work against attractive women, making them less likely to be hired for high-level jobs that require power. And as you might expect, good-looking people of both sexes run into envy -- one study found that if you are interviewed by someone of the same sex, they may be less likely to employ you if they judge that you are more attractive than they are. More worryingly, being beautiful or handsome could harm your medical care. We tend to link good looks to health, meaning that illnesses are often taken less seriously when they affect the good-looking. When treating people for pain, for instance, doctors tend to take less care over the more attractive people. And the bubble of beauty can be a somewhat lonely place. One study in 1975, for instance, found that people tend to move further away from a beautiful woman on the pathway -- perhaps as a mark of respect, but still making interaction more distant. \"Attractiveness can convey more power over visible space -- but that in turn can make others feel they can't approach that person,\" says Frevert. Interestingly, the online dating website OKCupid recently reported that people with the most beautiful pictures are less likely to find dates than those with less perfect pictures. Ultimately, Frevert points out that focusing too much on your appearance can itself be harmful if it creates stress and anxiety -- even for those already blessed with good looks. \"If you are crazy about attractiveness, it may affect your experience and interactions,\" she says. It's an outdated saying, but no amount of beauty can make up for a bad personality. As the writer Dorothy Parker put it so elegantly: \" _ .\" What can be inferred from OKCupid's finding?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "Negative Sides of Beauty", "Sexist Prejudice", "Blessed with Beauty", "Beauty vs Ugliness" ], "question": "Can you be too beautiful? It is hardly a problem that most of us have to bother -- as much as we might like to dream that it were the case. Yet the blessings and curses of beauty have been a long-standing interest in psychology. Do those blessed with shiny faces and an attractive body live in a cloud of appreciation -- or does it sometimes pay to be ordinary? Combing through decades of findings, social psychologists Lisa Slattery Walker and Tonya Frevert at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte havereviewed all the evidence to dateand their conclusions are not what you might expect. At the most basic level, beauty might be thought to carry a kind of halo around it; we see that someone has one good quality, and by association, our deep mind may assume that they have other good ones too. Even in the courts, a pleasing appearance can work its magic. Attractive criminals are likely to get less strict sentences, or to escape punishment entirely; attractive plaintiffs , meanwhile, are more likely to win their case and get bigger financial settlements. \"It's an effect seen everywhere,\" says Walker. But if beauty pays in most circumstances, there are still situations where it can have opposite results. While attractive men may be considered better leaders, for instance, hidden sexist prejudices can work against attractive women, making them less likely to be hired for high-level jobs that require power. And as you might expect, good-looking people of both sexes run into envy -- one study found that if you are interviewed by someone of the same sex, they may be less likely to employ you if they judge that you are more attractive than they are. More worryingly, being beautiful or handsome could harm your medical care. We tend to link good looks to health, meaning that illnesses are often taken less seriously when they affect the good-looking. When treating people for pain, for instance, doctors tend to take less care over the more attractive people. And the bubble of beauty can be a somewhat lonely place. One study in 1975, for instance, found that people tend to move further away from a beautiful woman on the pathway -- perhaps as a mark of respect, but still making interaction more distant. \"Attractiveness can convey more power over visible space -- but that in turn can make others feel they can't approach that person,\" says Frevert. Interestingly, the online dating website OKCupid recently reported that people with the most beautiful pictures are less likely to find dates than those with less perfect pictures. Ultimately, Frevert points out that focusing too much on your appearance can itself be harmful if it creates stress and anxiety -- even for those already blessed with good looks. \"If you are crazy about attractiveness, it may affect your experience and interactions,\" she says. It's an outdated saying, but no amount of beauty can make up for a bad personality. As the writer Dorothy Parker put it so elegantly: \" _ .\" What might be the best title for the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "Flood.", "Road block.", "Strong wind.", "Air crash." ], "question": "A New Zealand volcano _ for more than a century has erupted,sending up ash clouds,disturbing flights and closing roads. Mount Tongariro, one of three volcanoes in the centre of the North Island, became active just before midnight local time, with reports of loud explosions,pouting rocks and steam. The 1, 978m peak is in a national park popular with hikers. No damages have been reported after the eruption. Witnesses described a dramatic scene as the volcano erupted. \"I saw this beautiful. big cloud and I thought: 'Gee that looks like a volcanic plume'. Just as I thought that there was a great big orange flash,\" truck driver Bryn Rodda told New Zealand National Radio. \"It was quite impressive.\" Mount Tongariro last erupted 115 years ago. And scientists said they did not yet know if this eruption was a single event. Experts said they were caught by surprise--they had recorded some activity like an earthquake in recent weeks but were not expecting an eruption. \"This might just be a quiet period and we should expect it to start again at any time. So we are watching things Very closely,\" volcanologist Michael Rosenberg told TVNZ. Eruption activity has currently reduced, New Zealand media said.Meteorologists said the ash was blowing east towards the Pacific Ocean. A number of inland flights from the North Island to the South Island had been affected by the volcanic activity, Air New Zealand said. Police said highways that had been closed because visibility was affected after the eruption are now open. Some residents in the nearby areas had temporarily left their homes. Officials have not ordered an evacuation , but advised those affected by the ash cloud to stay indoors and close their doors and windows. What effect did the eruption cause?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "Some international flights were cancelled after the eruption.", "All residents had to move away from their homes after the eruption.", "Some witnesses thought it was very interesting and attractive.", "Loud explosions caused great damage to the highways and airports." ], "question": "A New Zealand volcano _ for more than a century has erupted,sending up ash clouds,disturbing flights and closing roads. Mount Tongariro, one of three volcanoes in the centre of the North Island, became active just before midnight local time, with reports of loud explosions,pouting rocks and steam. The 1, 978m peak is in a national park popular with hikers. No damages have been reported after the eruption. Witnesses described a dramatic scene as the volcano erupted. \"I saw this beautiful. big cloud and I thought: 'Gee that looks like a volcanic plume'. Just as I thought that there was a great big orange flash,\" truck driver Bryn Rodda told New Zealand National Radio. \"It was quite impressive.\" Mount Tongariro last erupted 115 years ago. And scientists said they did not yet know if this eruption was a single event. Experts said they were caught by surprise--they had recorded some activity like an earthquake in recent weeks but were not expecting an eruption. \"This might just be a quiet period and we should expect it to start again at any time. So we are watching things Very closely,\" volcanologist Michael Rosenberg told TVNZ. Eruption activity has currently reduced, New Zealand media said.Meteorologists said the ash was blowing east towards the Pacific Ocean. A number of inland flights from the North Island to the South Island had been affected by the volcanic activity, Air New Zealand said. Police said highways that had been closed because visibility was affected after the eruption are now open. Some residents in the nearby areas had temporarily left their homes. Officials have not ordered an evacuation , but advised those affected by the ash cloud to stay indoors and close their doors and windows. Which of the following is true of the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "Another eruption.", "An earthquake.", "Diseases caused by the ashes.", "An overall evacuation." ], "question": "A New Zealand volcano _ for more than a century has erupted,sending up ash clouds,disturbing flights and closing roads. Mount Tongariro, one of three volcanoes in the centre of the North Island, became active just before midnight local time, with reports of loud explosions,pouting rocks and steam. The 1, 978m peak is in a national park popular with hikers. No damages have been reported after the eruption. Witnesses described a dramatic scene as the volcano erupted. \"I saw this beautiful. big cloud and I thought: 'Gee that looks like a volcanic plume'. Just as I thought that there was a great big orange flash,\" truck driver Bryn Rodda told New Zealand National Radio. \"It was quite impressive.\" Mount Tongariro last erupted 115 years ago. And scientists said they did not yet know if this eruption was a single event. Experts said they were caught by surprise--they had recorded some activity like an earthquake in recent weeks but were not expecting an eruption. \"This might just be a quiet period and we should expect it to start again at any time. So we are watching things Very closely,\" volcanologist Michael Rosenberg told TVNZ. Eruption activity has currently reduced, New Zealand media said.Meteorologists said the ash was blowing east towards the Pacific Ocean. A number of inland flights from the North Island to the South Island had been affected by the volcanic activity, Air New Zealand said. Police said highways that had been closed because visibility was affected after the eruption are now open. Some residents in the nearby areas had temporarily left their homes. Officials have not ordered an evacuation , but advised those affected by the ash cloud to stay indoors and close their doors and windows. What do the experts expect might happen next?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "National Park in New Zealand Damaged", "Nothing Is Impossible.", "Volcano or Earthquake?", "Sudden Eruption of a Volcano in New Zealand." ], "question": "A New Zealand volcano _ for more than a century has erupted,sending up ash clouds,disturbing flights and closing roads. Mount Tongariro, one of three volcanoes in the centre of the North Island, became active just before midnight local time, with reports of loud explosions,pouting rocks and steam. The 1, 978m peak is in a national park popular with hikers. No damages have been reported after the eruption. Witnesses described a dramatic scene as the volcano erupted. \"I saw this beautiful. big cloud and I thought: 'Gee that looks like a volcanic plume'. Just as I thought that there was a great big orange flash,\" truck driver Bryn Rodda told New Zealand National Radio. \"It was quite impressive.\" Mount Tongariro last erupted 115 years ago. And scientists said they did not yet know if this eruption was a single event. Experts said they were caught by surprise--they had recorded some activity like an earthquake in recent weeks but were not expecting an eruption. \"This might just be a quiet period and we should expect it to start again at any time. So we are watching things Very closely,\" volcanologist Michael Rosenberg told TVNZ. Eruption activity has currently reduced, New Zealand media said.Meteorologists said the ash was blowing east towards the Pacific Ocean. A number of inland flights from the North Island to the South Island had been affected by the volcanic activity, Air New Zealand said. Police said highways that had been closed because visibility was affected after the eruption are now open. Some residents in the nearby areas had temporarily left their homes. Officials have not ordered an evacuation , but advised those affected by the ash cloud to stay indoors and close their doors and windows. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "a story written by Bernd Neuman", "a chapter in a German history book", "a movie about Nazi concentration camps", "a movie about a plan to assassinate Hitler" ], "question": "The big screen is never short of films about World WarII. When Nazi Germany is featured in these films, cruel Nazi officers and brutal concentration camps most often represent it. But the new Hollywood movie Valkyrie tells a different story, \"a chapter of German history which is little known abroad\", according to the German Cultural Minister Bernd Neumann. Valkyrie is based on a true incident that took place in 1944. Colonel Stauffenberg had been a loyal soldier for his entire military career. However, after losing an eye, a hand, and three fingers in an Allied bombing, _ . The destruction that his country had brought to its European neighbors had become too terrible for the colonel to bear in silence. He hoped that someone would find a way to stop Adolf Hitler, one of the most evil tyrants the world has ever known. Realizing that time was running out, he decided that he must take action himself and joined the German resistance. These men drew up Operation Valkyrie, a plot to assassinate Hitler and to overthrow his Nazi government from the inside. This plot is what the film is named after and focuses on. The Hollywood star Tom Cruise plays the lead role. \"This was a very challenging film to make. We carried a huge responsibility to correctly portray history,\" Cruise said. However, the production has drawn criticism for lacking depth and for simplifying the motives behind the plot. The passage tells us that Valkyrieis _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "He narrowly escaped being killed.", "He couldn't reach out his arm for anything.", "He was rewarded for his brave attempts.", "He decided to make a historic change in life." ], "question": "The big screen is never short of films about World WarII. When Nazi Germany is featured in these films, cruel Nazi officers and brutal concentration camps most often represent it. But the new Hollywood movie Valkyrie tells a different story, \"a chapter of German history which is little known abroad\", according to the German Cultural Minister Bernd Neumann. Valkyrie is based on a true incident that took place in 1944. Colonel Stauffenberg had been a loyal soldier for his entire military career. However, after losing an eye, a hand, and three fingers in an Allied bombing, _ . The destruction that his country had brought to its European neighbors had become too terrible for the colonel to bear in silence. He hoped that someone would find a way to stop Adolf Hitler, one of the most evil tyrants the world has ever known. Realizing that time was running out, he decided that he must take action himself and joined the German resistance. These men drew up Operation Valkyrie, a plot to assassinate Hitler and to overthrow his Nazi government from the inside. This plot is what the film is named after and focuses on. The Hollywood star Tom Cruise plays the lead role. \"This was a very challenging film to make. We carried a huge responsibility to correctly portray history,\" Cruise said. However, the production has drawn criticism for lacking depth and for simplifying the motives behind the plot. What does the sentence \" _ \" probably mean?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "Because he never acted in such kind of film before.", "Because he knew little about this episode of history.", "Because he felt it a heavy task to present the real history.", "Because he was afraid that the film might draw criticism." ], "question": "The big screen is never short of films about World WarII. When Nazi Germany is featured in these films, cruel Nazi officers and brutal concentration camps most often represent it. But the new Hollywood movie Valkyrie tells a different story, \"a chapter of German history which is little known abroad\", according to the German Cultural Minister Bernd Neumann. Valkyrie is based on a true incident that took place in 1944. Colonel Stauffenberg had been a loyal soldier for his entire military career. However, after losing an eye, a hand, and three fingers in an Allied bombing, _ . The destruction that his country had brought to its European neighbors had become too terrible for the colonel to bear in silence. He hoped that someone would find a way to stop Adolf Hitler, one of the most evil tyrants the world has ever known. Realizing that time was running out, he decided that he must take action himself and joined the German resistance. These men drew up Operation Valkyrie, a plot to assassinate Hitler and to overthrow his Nazi government from the inside. This plot is what the film is named after and focuses on. The Hollywood star Tom Cruise plays the lead role. \"This was a very challenging film to make. We carried a huge responsibility to correctly portray history,\" Cruise said. However, the production has drawn criticism for lacking depth and for simplifying the motives behind the plot. Why did Tom Cruise say the film was challenging for him?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "the reason why the film is named after Valkyrie", "the comments from the movie critics on Valkyrie", "the praises from audience after watching Valkyrie", "the importance of the role Cruise plays in Valkyrie" ], "question": "The big screen is never short of films about World WarII. When Nazi Germany is featured in these films, cruel Nazi officers and brutal concentration camps most often represent it. But the new Hollywood movie Valkyrie tells a different story, \"a chapter of German history which is little known abroad\", according to the German Cultural Minister Bernd Neumann. Valkyrie is based on a true incident that took place in 1944. Colonel Stauffenberg had been a loyal soldier for his entire military career. However, after losing an eye, a hand, and three fingers in an Allied bombing, _ . The destruction that his country had brought to its European neighbors had become too terrible for the colonel to bear in silence. He hoped that someone would find a way to stop Adolf Hitler, one of the most evil tyrants the world has ever known. Realizing that time was running out, he decided that he must take action himself and joined the German resistance. These men drew up Operation Valkyrie, a plot to assassinate Hitler and to overthrow his Nazi government from the inside. This plot is what the film is named after and focuses on. The Hollywood star Tom Cruise plays the lead role. \"This was a very challenging film to make. We carried a huge responsibility to correctly portray history,\" Cruise said. However, the production has drawn criticism for lacking depth and for simplifying the motives behind the plot. The following passage will probably talk about _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "Brief Introduction to San Diego", "Tips for Visiting San Diego", "Attractions in and around San Diego", "Reasons for Visiting San Diego" ], "question": "Planning for the weather No matter what time of year you vacation in San Diego, be sure to bring a light jacket or sweater and bring shorts. During our summer months, we have warm days but cool evenings, especially if you are near the ocean. Those cool evenings can feel cold and fresh if you are visiting from someplace that is typically hot and damp all summer. And during our winter months, we can have days that reach 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius). In fact, our winter months are the sunniest months of the year along the San Diego coast. How to get around San Diego Deciding whether you need to rent a car for your visit to San Diego? If you are planning to visit attractions in and around downtown San Diego, including SeaWorld, San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, Old Town, Coronado, and the Gaslamp Quarter, all of these attractions can be readily accessed by public transportation assuming the hotel or place you are staying in is close to a bus or trolley stop. Tour guests comment on how easy it is to use our transportation system, how clean it is, and the low cost for a one-day or multi-day pass that works on both buses and trolleys. However, if you are going to visit attractions further away from downtown San Diego such as the Safari Park or Legoland or if you want to visit our local mountains or desert, we recommend a car rental. How to make time for all the things to do Our final tip for now is to plan ahead. Unlike most cities where there may be a few concentrated tourist areas and it's easy to find things as you go, San Diego offers hundreds of attractions and guests tell us they are overwhelmed and certainly didn't plan enough time once they find how much there is to do in San Diego. Many guests visit San Diego as part of an extended trip that includes San Francisco and Los Angeles. They often plan fewer days in San Diego because they assume it is the smallest city with the least to offer only to say they wished they had planned more days in San Diego because it offers more things to do in a much more relaxing environment. By planning ahead you can also get discounts for various attractions. For example you can save a lot of money at SeaWorld if you buy your tickets in advance online, at a visitor center or through your hotel. Another reason to plan ahead is that some attractions close early or get sold out since San Diego is a big destination for major conventions and big companies bringing in employees from around the world for special events in beautiful, sunny San Diego. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "the Gaslamp Quarter", "San Diego Zoo", "the Safari Park", "Balboa Park" ], "question": "Planning for the weather No matter what time of year you vacation in San Diego, be sure to bring a light jacket or sweater and bring shorts. During our summer months, we have warm days but cool evenings, especially if you are near the ocean. Those cool evenings can feel cold and fresh if you are visiting from someplace that is typically hot and damp all summer. And during our winter months, we can have days that reach 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius). In fact, our winter months are the sunniest months of the year along the San Diego coast. How to get around San Diego Deciding whether you need to rent a car for your visit to San Diego? If you are planning to visit attractions in and around downtown San Diego, including SeaWorld, San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, Old Town, Coronado, and the Gaslamp Quarter, all of these attractions can be readily accessed by public transportation assuming the hotel or place you are staying in is close to a bus or trolley stop. Tour guests comment on how easy it is to use our transportation system, how clean it is, and the low cost for a one-day or multi-day pass that works on both buses and trolleys. However, if you are going to visit attractions further away from downtown San Diego such as the Safari Park or Legoland or if you want to visit our local mountains or desert, we recommend a car rental. How to make time for all the things to do Our final tip for now is to plan ahead. Unlike most cities where there may be a few concentrated tourist areas and it's easy to find things as you go, San Diego offers hundreds of attractions and guests tell us they are overwhelmed and certainly didn't plan enough time once they find how much there is to do in San Diego. Many guests visit San Diego as part of an extended trip that includes San Francisco and Los Angeles. They often plan fewer days in San Diego because they assume it is the smallest city with the least to offer only to say they wished they had planned more days in San Diego because it offers more things to do in a much more relaxing environment. By planning ahead you can also get discounts for various attractions. For example you can save a lot of money at SeaWorld if you buy your tickets in advance online, at a visitor center or through your hotel. Another reason to plan ahead is that some attractions close early or get sold out since San Diego is a big destination for major conventions and big companies bringing in employees from around the world for special events in beautiful, sunny San Diego. You'd better rent a car if you are to visit .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "Because they can't find cheap and fine hotels to stay in.", "Because there are fewer tourist attractions than expected.", "Because the transportation system there is unsatisfactory.", "Because they haven't planned enough time to visit the city." ], "question": "Planning for the weather No matter what time of year you vacation in San Diego, be sure to bring a light jacket or sweater and bring shorts. During our summer months, we have warm days but cool evenings, especially if you are near the ocean. Those cool evenings can feel cold and fresh if you are visiting from someplace that is typically hot and damp all summer. And during our winter months, we can have days that reach 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius). In fact, our winter months are the sunniest months of the year along the San Diego coast. How to get around San Diego Deciding whether you need to rent a car for your visit to San Diego? If you are planning to visit attractions in and around downtown San Diego, including SeaWorld, San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, Old Town, Coronado, and the Gaslamp Quarter, all of these attractions can be readily accessed by public transportation assuming the hotel or place you are staying in is close to a bus or trolley stop. Tour guests comment on how easy it is to use our transportation system, how clean it is, and the low cost for a one-day or multi-day pass that works on both buses and trolleys. However, if you are going to visit attractions further away from downtown San Diego such as the Safari Park or Legoland or if you want to visit our local mountains or desert, we recommend a car rental. How to make time for all the things to do Our final tip for now is to plan ahead. Unlike most cities where there may be a few concentrated tourist areas and it's easy to find things as you go, San Diego offers hundreds of attractions and guests tell us they are overwhelmed and certainly didn't plan enough time once they find how much there is to do in San Diego. Many guests visit San Diego as part of an extended trip that includes San Francisco and Los Angeles. They often plan fewer days in San Diego because they assume it is the smallest city with the least to offer only to say they wished they had planned more days in San Diego because it offers more things to do in a much more relaxing environment. By planning ahead you can also get discounts for various attractions. For example you can save a lot of money at SeaWorld if you buy your tickets in advance online, at a visitor center or through your hotel. Another reason to plan ahead is that some attractions close early or get sold out since San Diego is a big destination for major conventions and big companies bringing in employees from around the world for special events in beautiful, sunny San Diego. Why may some guests feel regretful when they arrive in San Diego?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "Visiting each other.", "Making phone calls", "Sending messages.", "Writing letters." ], "question": "Advantages and Disadvantages of Mobile Phones Nowadays, nearly everyone has a mobile phone. In our daily lives we make phone calls to others, and we need to send messages to exchange information. Now, you can surf the Internet by using your mobile phone. I have to say that I enjoy using my phone, but I am worried at the same time: Is it healthy and safe to use? Mobile phones have many advantages. Firstly, we keep in touch with people by using them. Because of our busy life, we have little time to meet friends and our beloved ones. Thanks to mobile phones, we can tell them how everything is going. When an _ happens, we can call for help using our phones. It is convenient and important in our lives. But every coin has two sides and it is the same with mobile phones. As people are used to making phone calls, they are spending less and less time with their family and friends. Phones give them more excuses to stay out of reach. Because of the convenience, the love and care between people has changed into a few words in a message or a phone call. For students, there are more chances to get distracted from their lessons. When I was in middle school, I often looked out of the window to rest my eyes, but now I spend those moments on my phone. In the end, I hope you can think about the advantages and the disadvantages, and use your mobile phone correctly. We humans created mobile phones, and we should keep them under control. Which of the following ways of expressing love and care is NOT mentioned in the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "To tell us the disadvantages of using mobile phone.", "To advise us to use mobile phones correctly.", "To list all the advantages of using mobile phones.", "To explain why many people don't use mobile phones." ], "question": "Advantages and Disadvantages of Mobile Phones Nowadays, nearly everyone has a mobile phone. In our daily lives we make phone calls to others, and we need to send messages to exchange information. Now, you can surf the Internet by using your mobile phone. I have to say that I enjoy using my phone, but I am worried at the same time: Is it healthy and safe to use? Mobile phones have many advantages. Firstly, we keep in touch with people by using them. Because of our busy life, we have little time to meet friends and our beloved ones. Thanks to mobile phones, we can tell them how everything is going. When an _ happens, we can call for help using our phones. It is convenient and important in our lives. But every coin has two sides and it is the same with mobile phones. As people are used to making phone calls, they are spending less and less time with their family and friends. Phones give them more excuses to stay out of reach. Because of the convenience, the love and care between people has changed into a few words in a message or a phone call. For students, there are more chances to get distracted from their lessons. When I was in middle school, I often looked out of the window to rest my eyes, but now I spend those moments on my phone. In the end, I hope you can think about the advantages and the disadvantages, and use your mobile phone correctly. We humans created mobile phones, and we should keep them under control. What's the author's purpose in writing this passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "to present his findings of the importance of textbooks", "to inform the readers of present practices of textbooks", "to explore the contribution of the government to textbooks", "to argue against the government in the control of textbooks" ], "question": "Few, if any, instruments shape national culture more powerfully than the materials used in schools. Textbooks are not only among the first books most people meet; in many places they are, along with religious texts, almost the only books they have. A study in South Africa showed that fewer than half of pupils had access to more than ten books at home. In 2010 a study by Egypt's government found that, apart from school textbooks, 88% of Egyptian households read no books. The degree to which a government keeps control of the textbooks used in classrooms is a good guide to its commitment to ideological control. Where that desire is strong, governments are likely to produce the textbooks themselves or define carefully what goes into them. America's State Department employs people to keep an eye on other countries' textbooks, in an effort to understand better how their people think and what their governments want them to think. Other countries probably do the same. Textbooks have long been a source of worry. After the attacks on America on September 11th 2001, some in both America and Saudi Arabia, including officials, supposed that Saudi Arabia's curriculum of intolerance was responsible, at least in part, for the emergence of al-Qaeda . Sometimes the requirements of the state are more clearly seen in what textbooks leave out. The world has long criticized Japan for the way its textbooks whitewash the country's history, in particular dressing up Japanese war crimes. The \"New History Textbook\", for example, which was submitted for government approval in 2000, played down Japan's aggression in the Sino-Japanese war of 1894-95 and the occupation of China in the 1930s and 1940s, and avoided mention of the use of sex slaves by its armies or the rape of Nanjing. In America most of the disputes about textbooks are home-grown. Liberals worry that their children are being taught a nationalistic version of history that emphasizes the wonders of industrialization and plays down slavery and the killing of Indian tribes. By contrast, Conservatives complain about inadequate education of love for their country and too much secularism . In 2010 the Texas board of education managed to remove Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, from the state's list of important revolutionary figures, apparently because of Jefferson's insistence on the separation of church and state. He was, however, swiftly restored. As long as textbooks are issued or approved by the state, they will remain a political issue. But as access to other textbooks is enjoyed more widely, some of the dominance they now enjoy will weaken. The author's purpose of writing this passage is_.", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "people have strong desire to read", "governments hope to reform education", "governments want to control ideology", "governments expect to understand people better" ], "question": "Few, if any, instruments shape national culture more powerfully than the materials used in schools. Textbooks are not only among the first books most people meet; in many places they are, along with religious texts, almost the only books they have. A study in South Africa showed that fewer than half of pupils had access to more than ten books at home. In 2010 a study by Egypt's government found that, apart from school textbooks, 88% of Egyptian households read no books. The degree to which a government keeps control of the textbooks used in classrooms is a good guide to its commitment to ideological control. Where that desire is strong, governments are likely to produce the textbooks themselves or define carefully what goes into them. America's State Department employs people to keep an eye on other countries' textbooks, in an effort to understand better how their people think and what their governments want them to think. Other countries probably do the same. Textbooks have long been a source of worry. After the attacks on America on September 11th 2001, some in both America and Saudi Arabia, including officials, supposed that Saudi Arabia's curriculum of intolerance was responsible, at least in part, for the emergence of al-Qaeda . Sometimes the requirements of the state are more clearly seen in what textbooks leave out. The world has long criticized Japan for the way its textbooks whitewash the country's history, in particular dressing up Japanese war crimes. The \"New History Textbook\", for example, which was submitted for government approval in 2000, played down Japan's aggression in the Sino-Japanese war of 1894-95 and the occupation of China in the 1930s and 1940s, and avoided mention of the use of sex slaves by its armies or the rape of Nanjing. In America most of the disputes about textbooks are home-grown. Liberals worry that their children are being taught a nationalistic version of history that emphasizes the wonders of industrialization and plays down slavery and the killing of Indian tribes. By contrast, Conservatives complain about inadequate education of love for their country and too much secularism . In 2010 the Texas board of education managed to remove Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, from the state's list of important revolutionary figures, apparently because of Jefferson's insistence on the separation of church and state. He was, however, swiftly restored. As long as textbooks are issued or approved by the state, they will remain a political issue. But as access to other textbooks is enjoyed more widely, some of the dominance they now enjoy will weaken. Governments will probably produce the textbooks themselves and decide the contents when_.", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "Curriculum of intolerance in Saudi Arabia.", "Japanese war crimes in Japanese textbooks.", "Wonders of industrialization in American textbooks", "Thomas Jefferson in Texas' present textbooks." ], "question": "Few, if any, instruments shape national culture more powerfully than the materials used in schools. Textbooks are not only among the first books most people meet; in many places they are, along with religious texts, almost the only books they have. A study in South Africa showed that fewer than half of pupils had access to more than ten books at home. In 2010 a study by Egypt's government found that, apart from school textbooks, 88% of Egyptian households read no books. The degree to which a government keeps control of the textbooks used in classrooms is a good guide to its commitment to ideological control. Where that desire is strong, governments are likely to produce the textbooks themselves or define carefully what goes into them. America's State Department employs people to keep an eye on other countries' textbooks, in an effort to understand better how their people think and what their governments want them to think. Other countries probably do the same. Textbooks have long been a source of worry. After the attacks on America on September 11th 2001, some in both America and Saudi Arabia, including officials, supposed that Saudi Arabia's curriculum of intolerance was responsible, at least in part, for the emergence of al-Qaeda . Sometimes the requirements of the state are more clearly seen in what textbooks leave out. The world has long criticized Japan for the way its textbooks whitewash the country's history, in particular dressing up Japanese war crimes. The \"New History Textbook\", for example, which was submitted for government approval in 2000, played down Japan's aggression in the Sino-Japanese war of 1894-95 and the occupation of China in the 1930s and 1940s, and avoided mention of the use of sex slaves by its armies or the rape of Nanjing. In America most of the disputes about textbooks are home-grown. Liberals worry that their children are being taught a nationalistic version of history that emphasizes the wonders of industrialization and plays down slavery and the killing of Indian tribes. By contrast, Conservatives complain about inadequate education of love for their country and too much secularism . In 2010 the Texas board of education managed to remove Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, from the state's list of important revolutionary figures, apparently because of Jefferson's insistence on the separation of church and state. He was, however, swiftly restored. As long as textbooks are issued or approved by the state, they will remain a political issue. But as access to other textbooks is enjoyed more widely, some of the dominance they now enjoy will weaken. Which of the following is not included in the textbooks of relevant countries?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "they should be controlled by the government", "home-grown disputes are easier to settle", "they should be a political issue", "they are not necessarily so" ], "question": "Few, if any, instruments shape national culture more powerfully than the materials used in schools. Textbooks are not only among the first books most people meet; in many places they are, along with religious texts, almost the only books they have. A study in South Africa showed that fewer than half of pupils had access to more than ten books at home. In 2010 a study by Egypt's government found that, apart from school textbooks, 88% of Egyptian households read no books. The degree to which a government keeps control of the textbooks used in classrooms is a good guide to its commitment to ideological control. Where that desire is strong, governments are likely to produce the textbooks themselves or define carefully what goes into them. America's State Department employs people to keep an eye on other countries' textbooks, in an effort to understand better how their people think and what their governments want them to think. Other countries probably do the same. Textbooks have long been a source of worry. After the attacks on America on September 11th 2001, some in both America and Saudi Arabia, including officials, supposed that Saudi Arabia's curriculum of intolerance was responsible, at least in part, for the emergence of al-Qaeda . Sometimes the requirements of the state are more clearly seen in what textbooks leave out. The world has long criticized Japan for the way its textbooks whitewash the country's history, in particular dressing up Japanese war crimes. The \"New History Textbook\", for example, which was submitted for government approval in 2000, played down Japan's aggression in the Sino-Japanese war of 1894-95 and the occupation of China in the 1930s and 1940s, and avoided mention of the use of sex slaves by its armies or the rape of Nanjing. In America most of the disputes about textbooks are home-grown. Liberals worry that their children are being taught a nationalistic version of history that emphasizes the wonders of industrialization and plays down slavery and the killing of Indian tribes. By contrast, Conservatives complain about inadequate education of love for their country and too much secularism . In 2010 the Texas board of education managed to remove Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, from the state's list of important revolutionary figures, apparently because of Jefferson's insistence on the separation of church and state. He was, however, swiftly restored. As long as textbooks are issued or approved by the state, they will remain a political issue. But as access to other textbooks is enjoyed more widely, some of the dominance they now enjoy will weaken. While talking about textbooks, the author seems to think that_.", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "They seldom follow the French law.", "They often ignore the Guianese law.", "They are separated from the modern world.", "They are both Guianese and French citizens." ], "question": "In the depths of the French Guianese rainforest, there still remain unusual groups of indigenous people. Surprisingly, these people live largely by their own laws and their own social customs. And yet, people in this area are in fact French citizens because it has been a colony of the French Republic since 1946. In theory, they should live by the French law is often ignored or unknown, thus making them into an interesting area of \"lawlessness\" in the world. The lives of these people have finally been recorded thanks to the effects of a Frenchman form Paris called Gin. Gin spent five months in early 2015 exploring the most remote corners of this area, which sits on the edge of the Amazon rainforest, with half its population of only 250,000 living in its capital, Cayenne. \"I have a special love for the French Guianese people. I have worked there on and off for almost ten years,\" says Gin. \"I've been able to keep firm friendships with them. Thus I have been allowed to gain access to their living environment. I don't see it as a lawless land. But rather I see it as an area of freedom.\" \"I wanted to show the audience a photographic record touching upon the uncivilized life,\" continues Gin. \"I prefer to work in black and white, which allows me to show different specific worlds more clearly.\" His black-and-white pictures present a world almost lost in time. These pictures show people seemingly pushed into a world that they were unprepared for. These local citizens now have to balance their traditional self-supporting hunting lifestyle with the lifestyle offered by the modern French Republic, which brings with _ not only necessary state welfare, but also alcoholism, betrayal and even suicide. Why does the author feel surprised about the indigenous people in French Guiana?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "a tour guide", "a geographer", "a film director", "a photographer" ], "question": "In the depths of the French Guianese rainforest, there still remain unusual groups of indigenous people. Surprisingly, these people live largely by their own laws and their own social customs. And yet, people in this area are in fact French citizens because it has been a colony of the French Republic since 1946. In theory, they should live by the French law is often ignored or unknown, thus making them into an interesting area of \"lawlessness\" in the world. The lives of these people have finally been recorded thanks to the effects of a Frenchman form Paris called Gin. Gin spent five months in early 2015 exploring the most remote corners of this area, which sits on the edge of the Amazon rainforest, with half its population of only 250,000 living in its capital, Cayenne. \"I have a special love for the French Guianese people. I have worked there on and off for almost ten years,\" says Gin. \"I've been able to keep firm friendships with them. Thus I have been allowed to gain access to their living environment. I don't see it as a lawless land. But rather I see it as an area of freedom.\" \"I wanted to show the audience a photographic record touching upon the uncivilized life,\" continues Gin. \"I prefer to work in black and white, which allows me to show different specific worlds more clearly.\" His black-and-white pictures present a world almost lost in time. These pictures show people seemingly pushed into a world that they were unprepared for. These local citizens now have to balance their traditional self-supporting hunting lifestyle with the lifestyle offered by the modern French Republic, which brings with _ not only necessary state welfare, but also alcoholism, betrayal and even suicide. Gin introduced the special world of the indigenous Guianese as _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "Cautious.", "Doubtful.", "Uninterested.", "Appreciative." ], "question": "In the depths of the French Guianese rainforest, there still remain unusual groups of indigenous people. Surprisingly, these people live largely by their own laws and their own social customs. And yet, people in this area are in fact French citizens because it has been a colony of the French Republic since 1946. In theory, they should live by the French law is often ignored or unknown, thus making them into an interesting area of \"lawlessness\" in the world. The lives of these people have finally been recorded thanks to the effects of a Frenchman form Paris called Gin. Gin spent five months in early 2015 exploring the most remote corners of this area, which sits on the edge of the Amazon rainforest, with half its population of only 250,000 living in its capital, Cayenne. \"I have a special love for the French Guianese people. I have worked there on and off for almost ten years,\" says Gin. \"I've been able to keep firm friendships with them. Thus I have been allowed to gain access to their living environment. I don't see it as a lawless land. But rather I see it as an area of freedom.\" \"I wanted to show the audience a photographic record touching upon the uncivilized life,\" continues Gin. \"I prefer to work in black and white, which allows me to show different specific worlds more clearly.\" His black-and-white pictures present a world almost lost in time. These pictures show people seemingly pushed into a world that they were unprepared for. These local citizens now have to balance their traditional self-supporting hunting lifestyle with the lifestyle offered by the modern French Republic, which brings with _ not only necessary state welfare, but also alcoholism, betrayal and even suicide. What is Gin's attitude towards the lives of the indigenous Guianese?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "declined to donate", "sang a sweet song", "put all his money in a bank", "seemed very surprised" ], "question": "My six-year-old came home from school this week with two envelopes. One was for a donation to help people in the Philippines. The other was to help hungry families have a Thanksgiving meal. \"I'll put a check in each of these. Then you can add your own money from your piggy bank, okay?\" I said, thinking he'd be so excited to put his own stamp on things. \"That's okay, mom. You put money in. I don't want to waste mine,\" he sweetly sang as he colored. \"I want to fill my bank all the way up.\" Ack! I guess I know what our dinnertime discussion will be about tonight, I thought. I had figured that through watching his parents donate items, helping us take toys from time to time to needy kids and putting money in the basket at church, he would just understand why it was important to help people in need -- and even want to do it himself. But of course he doesn't really understand yet. \"There's a big disconnect between the people 'over there' and my piggy bank,\" said parenting educator Vicki Hoefle. \"There's nothing wrong with the child. There's just no connection.\" As for having that conversation immediately, or forcing my son to put money into the envelopes: \"Try not to do it now,\" Hoefle said. Teaching a child about donating their own money or toys or time to people in need \"should be a gentle introduction into what we hope will be a way of life for our kids.\" She suggested these things to help children understand the importance of giving: * Just talk about it. Then explore the issue from a perspective he can understand. * Use the course of a year to introduce kids to opportunities. That way, they won't be shocked when you ask them to stuff their own money into an envelope (like this writer just did). * Pick a family charity for the year and have a conversation about how you all can help throughout the year. * Think of this not as something you must teach, but as something to expose them to. At her house, Hoefle said, \"When you got something new, you gave something up.\" Each birthday, her children would pick what toys they had outgrown and give them away. \"There was a comfort in it. It just became a natural part of the kids' lives.\" So I will fill those envelopes alone this time. But I'll make sure he understands why they should be filled--gradually. When the writer asked her son to give money to help the poor, he _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "critical", "tolerant", "positive", "worried" ], "question": "My six-year-old came home from school this week with two envelopes. One was for a donation to help people in the Philippines. The other was to help hungry families have a Thanksgiving meal. \"I'll put a check in each of these. Then you can add your own money from your piggy bank, okay?\" I said, thinking he'd be so excited to put his own stamp on things. \"That's okay, mom. You put money in. I don't want to waste mine,\" he sweetly sang as he colored. \"I want to fill my bank all the way up.\" Ack! I guess I know what our dinnertime discussion will be about tonight, I thought. I had figured that through watching his parents donate items, helping us take toys from time to time to needy kids and putting money in the basket at church, he would just understand why it was important to help people in need -- and even want to do it himself. But of course he doesn't really understand yet. \"There's a big disconnect between the people 'over there' and my piggy bank,\" said parenting educator Vicki Hoefle. \"There's nothing wrong with the child. There's just no connection.\" As for having that conversation immediately, or forcing my son to put money into the envelopes: \"Try not to do it now,\" Hoefle said. Teaching a child about donating their own money or toys or time to people in need \"should be a gentle introduction into what we hope will be a way of life for our kids.\" She suggested these things to help children understand the importance of giving: * Just talk about it. Then explore the issue from a perspective he can understand. * Use the course of a year to introduce kids to opportunities. That way, they won't be shocked when you ask them to stuff their own money into an envelope (like this writer just did). * Pick a family charity for the year and have a conversation about how you all can help throughout the year. * Think of this not as something you must teach, but as something to expose them to. At her house, Hoefle said, \"When you got something new, you gave something up.\" Each birthday, her children would pick what toys they had outgrown and give them away. \"There was a comfort in it. It just became a natural part of the kids' lives.\" So I will fill those envelopes alone this time. But I'll make sure he understands why they should be filled--gradually. Hoefle's attitude towards children's unwillingness to donate money can be best described as \" _ \".", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "Giving courses about charity.", "Setting a rule for children to give.", "Inviting a lot of poor people home.", "Giving children enough real life chances." ], "question": "My six-year-old came home from school this week with two envelopes. One was for a donation to help people in the Philippines. The other was to help hungry families have a Thanksgiving meal. \"I'll put a check in each of these. Then you can add your own money from your piggy bank, okay?\" I said, thinking he'd be so excited to put his own stamp on things. \"That's okay, mom. You put money in. I don't want to waste mine,\" he sweetly sang as he colored. \"I want to fill my bank all the way up.\" Ack! I guess I know what our dinnertime discussion will be about tonight, I thought. I had figured that through watching his parents donate items, helping us take toys from time to time to needy kids and putting money in the basket at church, he would just understand why it was important to help people in need -- and even want to do it himself. But of course he doesn't really understand yet. \"There's a big disconnect between the people 'over there' and my piggy bank,\" said parenting educator Vicki Hoefle. \"There's nothing wrong with the child. There's just no connection.\" As for having that conversation immediately, or forcing my son to put money into the envelopes: \"Try not to do it now,\" Hoefle said. Teaching a child about donating their own money or toys or time to people in need \"should be a gentle introduction into what we hope will be a way of life for our kids.\" She suggested these things to help children understand the importance of giving: * Just talk about it. Then explore the issue from a perspective he can understand. * Use the course of a year to introduce kids to opportunities. That way, they won't be shocked when you ask them to stuff their own money into an envelope (like this writer just did). * Pick a family charity for the year and have a conversation about how you all can help throughout the year. * Think of this not as something you must teach, but as something to expose them to. At her house, Hoefle said, \"When you got something new, you gave something up.\" Each birthday, her children would pick what toys they had outgrown and give them away. \"There was a comfort in it. It just became a natural part of the kids' lives.\" So I will fill those envelopes alone this time. But I'll make sure he understands why they should be filled--gradually. Which of the following is Hoefle's approach to educating kids about charity?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "She often makes donations for people in need.", "She taught her son a lesson over dinner that evening.", "She is at a loss as for what she should do next.", "She invited a parenting educator home for advice." ], "question": "My six-year-old came home from school this week with two envelopes. One was for a donation to help people in the Philippines. The other was to help hungry families have a Thanksgiving meal. \"I'll put a check in each of these. Then you can add your own money from your piggy bank, okay?\" I said, thinking he'd be so excited to put his own stamp on things. \"That's okay, mom. You put money in. I don't want to waste mine,\" he sweetly sang as he colored. \"I want to fill my bank all the way up.\" Ack! I guess I know what our dinnertime discussion will be about tonight, I thought. I had figured that through watching his parents donate items, helping us take toys from time to time to needy kids and putting money in the basket at church, he would just understand why it was important to help people in need -- and even want to do it himself. But of course he doesn't really understand yet. \"There's a big disconnect between the people 'over there' and my piggy bank,\" said parenting educator Vicki Hoefle. \"There's nothing wrong with the child. There's just no connection.\" As for having that conversation immediately, or forcing my son to put money into the envelopes: \"Try not to do it now,\" Hoefle said. Teaching a child about donating their own money or toys or time to people in need \"should be a gentle introduction into what we hope will be a way of life for our kids.\" She suggested these things to help children understand the importance of giving: * Just talk about it. Then explore the issue from a perspective he can understand. * Use the course of a year to introduce kids to opportunities. That way, they won't be shocked when you ask them to stuff their own money into an envelope (like this writer just did). * Pick a family charity for the year and have a conversation about how you all can help throughout the year. * Think of this not as something you must teach, but as something to expose them to. At her house, Hoefle said, \"When you got something new, you gave something up.\" Each birthday, her children would pick what toys they had outgrown and give them away. \"There was a comfort in it. It just became a natural part of the kids' lives.\" So I will fill those envelopes alone this time. But I'll make sure he understands why they should be filled--gradually. What can we learn about the writer from the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "Kids, please help those in need.", "Why are kids unwilling to donate?", "Kindness is lost in the young generation.", "How can we help kids learn generosity?" ], "question": "My six-year-old came home from school this week with two envelopes. One was for a donation to help people in the Philippines. The other was to help hungry families have a Thanksgiving meal. \"I'll put a check in each of these. Then you can add your own money from your piggy bank, okay?\" I said, thinking he'd be so excited to put his own stamp on things. \"That's okay, mom. You put money in. I don't want to waste mine,\" he sweetly sang as he colored. \"I want to fill my bank all the way up.\" Ack! I guess I know what our dinnertime discussion will be about tonight, I thought. I had figured that through watching his parents donate items, helping us take toys from time to time to needy kids and putting money in the basket at church, he would just understand why it was important to help people in need -- and even want to do it himself. But of course he doesn't really understand yet. \"There's a big disconnect between the people 'over there' and my piggy bank,\" said parenting educator Vicki Hoefle. \"There's nothing wrong with the child. There's just no connection.\" As for having that conversation immediately, or forcing my son to put money into the envelopes: \"Try not to do it now,\" Hoefle said. Teaching a child about donating their own money or toys or time to people in need \"should be a gentle introduction into what we hope will be a way of life for our kids.\" She suggested these things to help children understand the importance of giving: * Just talk about it. Then explore the issue from a perspective he can understand. * Use the course of a year to introduce kids to opportunities. That way, they won't be shocked when you ask them to stuff their own money into an envelope (like this writer just did). * Pick a family charity for the year and have a conversation about how you all can help throughout the year. * Think of this not as something you must teach, but as something to expose them to. At her house, Hoefle said, \"When you got something new, you gave something up.\" Each birthday, her children would pick what toys they had outgrown and give them away. \"There was a comfort in it. It just became a natural part of the kids' lives.\" So I will fill those envelopes alone this time. But I'll make sure he understands why they should be filled--gradually. What is the best title of the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "koalas can hardly stand the hot weather", "the leaves koalas eat are losing nutritional value", "koalas cannot get enough water to drink", "the leaves koalas eat cannot grow in hotter and drier weather" ], "question": "Australia's koalas could die out within 30 years unless immediate action is taken to stop the losing in population, according to researchers. They say development, climate change and bushfires have all combined to reduce the number of wild koalas sharply. The Australian Koala Foundation said a recent survey showed the population could have dropped by more than half in the past six years. The number of koalas was once estimated to be more than 100,000, but now is as few as 43,000. The foundation collected field data from 1,800 sites and 80,000 trees to calculate the numbers. In one area in northern Queensland estimated to have 20,000 koalas a decade ago, a team of eight people could not find a single animal in four days of searching. The foundation said besides problems caused by cutting down forests, hotter and drier conditions because of global warming had reduced the nutritional value of their main food, eucalyptus leaves, leading to poor nutrition for them. Koalas, which live in the forests in Australia's east and south, are very picky about what types of the leaves they eat. Foundation chief Deborah Tabart said: \"The koalas are missing everywhere we look. It's really no tree, no me. If you keep cutting down trees you don't have any koalas.\"She is hoping the new figures will persuade the government's Threatened Species Steering Committee (TSSC) to list the koala as threatened. But committee chairman Bob Beeton said a decision was not likely recently and the koala's status as one of the country's favorite animals would not be a factor. \"There's a number of species which are attractive and people have special feelings towards them. We don't consider that,\" Mr Beeton said. Global warming is an important cause of koalas' reduction because _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "the koala is one of his favorite animals", "a decision will be made to protect koalas in the future", "they needn't pay special attention to koalas", "koalas needn't be protected at all" ], "question": "Australia's koalas could die out within 30 years unless immediate action is taken to stop the losing in population, according to researchers. They say development, climate change and bushfires have all combined to reduce the number of wild koalas sharply. The Australian Koala Foundation said a recent survey showed the population could have dropped by more than half in the past six years. The number of koalas was once estimated to be more than 100,000, but now is as few as 43,000. The foundation collected field data from 1,800 sites and 80,000 trees to calculate the numbers. In one area in northern Queensland estimated to have 20,000 koalas a decade ago, a team of eight people could not find a single animal in four days of searching. The foundation said besides problems caused by cutting down forests, hotter and drier conditions because of global warming had reduced the nutritional value of their main food, eucalyptus leaves, leading to poor nutrition for them. Koalas, which live in the forests in Australia's east and south, are very picky about what types of the leaves they eat. Foundation chief Deborah Tabart said: \"The koalas are missing everywhere we look. It's really no tree, no me. If you keep cutting down trees you don't have any koalas.\"She is hoping the new figures will persuade the government's Threatened Species Steering Committee (TSSC) to list the koala as threatened. But committee chairman Bob Beeton said a decision was not likely recently and the koala's status as one of the country's favorite animals would not be a factor. \"There's a number of species which are attractive and people have special feelings towards them. We don't consider that,\" Mr Beeton said. According to Bob Beeton, _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "Denis Hennequin has been boss of McDonald since 2004.", "The sales of McDonald is increasing in France.", "Denis Hennequin tries his best to increase the sales of McDonald in the world.", "The nutrition information is always launched on McDonald products." ], "question": "When Denis Hennequin took over as the European boss of McDonald's in January 2004, the world's biggest restaurant chain was showing signs of recovery in America and Australia, but sales in Europe were sluggish or declining.One exception was France, where Mr.Hennequin had done a reliable job as head on the group's French subsidiary to sell more Big Macs to his relatives, His task was to copy this success in all 41 of the European countries where anti-globalisers' favourite enemy operates. So far Mr.Henncquin is doing well.Last year European sales increased by 5.8% and the number of customers by 3.4%, the best annual results in nearly 15 years.Europe accounted for 36% of the group's profits and for 28 of its sales.December was an especially good month as customers took to seasonal menu offerings in France and Britain, and to a promotion in Germany based on the game of Monopoly . Mr.Hennequin's recipe for revival is to be more open about his company's operations, to be \"locally relevant\", and to improve the experience of visiting his 6.400 restaurants. McDonaId's is blamed for making people fat, exploiting workers, treating animals cruelly, polluting the environment and simply for being American.Mr.Hennequin says he wants to engage in a dialogue with the public to address these concerns. He introduced \"open door\" visitor days in each country which became hugely popular.In Poland alone some 50,000 visitors came to McDonaId's through the visitors' program last year.The Nutrition Information Initiative launched last year, put detailed Sables on McDonaId's packaging with data on calories, protein, fat, carbohy drates and salt content, \"the details are also printed on tray-liners. Which of the following statement is RIGHT?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "making people fat", "exploiting workers", "treating animals cruelly", "earning too much" ], "question": "When Denis Hennequin took over as the European boss of McDonald's in January 2004, the world's biggest restaurant chain was showing signs of recovery in America and Australia, but sales in Europe were sluggish or declining.One exception was France, where Mr.Hennequin had done a reliable job as head on the group's French subsidiary to sell more Big Macs to his relatives, His task was to copy this success in all 41 of the European countries where anti-globalisers' favourite enemy operates. So far Mr.Henncquin is doing well.Last year European sales increased by 5.8% and the number of customers by 3.4%, the best annual results in nearly 15 years.Europe accounted for 36% of the group's profits and for 28 of its sales.December was an especially good month as customers took to seasonal menu offerings in France and Britain, and to a promotion in Germany based on the game of Monopoly . Mr.Hennequin's recipe for revival is to be more open about his company's operations, to be \"locally relevant\", and to improve the experience of visiting his 6.400 restaurants. McDonaId's is blamed for making people fat, exploiting workers, treating animals cruelly, polluting the environment and simply for being American.Mr.Hennequin says he wants to engage in a dialogue with the public to address these concerns. He introduced \"open door\" visitor days in each country which became hugely popular.In Poland alone some 50,000 visitors came to McDonaId's through the visitors' program last year.The Nutrition Information Initiative launched last year, put detailed Sables on McDonaId's packaging with data on calories, protein, fat, carbohy drates and salt content, \"the details are also printed on tray-liners. McDonaId's is blamed in Europe for the following reasons EXCEPT _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "attentions", "fat", "protein", "salt content" ], "question": "When Denis Hennequin took over as the European boss of McDonald's in January 2004, the world's biggest restaurant chain was showing signs of recovery in America and Australia, but sales in Europe were sluggish or declining.One exception was France, where Mr.Hennequin had done a reliable job as head on the group's French subsidiary to sell more Big Macs to his relatives, His task was to copy this success in all 41 of the European countries where anti-globalisers' favourite enemy operates. So far Mr.Henncquin is doing well.Last year European sales increased by 5.8% and the number of customers by 3.4%, the best annual results in nearly 15 years.Europe accounted for 36% of the group's profits and for 28 of its sales.December was an especially good month as customers took to seasonal menu offerings in France and Britain, and to a promotion in Germany based on the game of Monopoly . Mr.Hennequin's recipe for revival is to be more open about his company's operations, to be \"locally relevant\", and to improve the experience of visiting his 6.400 restaurants. McDonaId's is blamed for making people fat, exploiting workers, treating animals cruelly, polluting the environment and simply for being American.Mr.Hennequin says he wants to engage in a dialogue with the public to address these concerns. He introduced \"open door\" visitor days in each country which became hugely popular.In Poland alone some 50,000 visitors came to McDonaId's through the visitors' program last year.The Nutrition Information Initiative launched last year, put detailed Sables on McDonaId's packaging with data on calories, protein, fat, carbohy drates and salt content, \"the details are also printed on tray-liners. Which of the following is not included in the McDonaId's packaging?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "He visited all the McDonaId's branches in Europe.", "He introduced \"open door\" visitor's days in each country.", "He had done a reliable job as head of the group's French subsidiary.", "He engaged in a dialogue with the public." ], "question": "When Denis Hennequin took over as the European boss of McDonald's in January 2004, the world's biggest restaurant chain was showing signs of recovery in America and Australia, but sales in Europe were sluggish or declining.One exception was France, where Mr.Hennequin had done a reliable job as head on the group's French subsidiary to sell more Big Macs to his relatives, His task was to copy this success in all 41 of the European countries where anti-globalisers' favourite enemy operates. So far Mr.Henncquin is doing well.Last year European sales increased by 5.8% and the number of customers by 3.4%, the best annual results in nearly 15 years.Europe accounted for 36% of the group's profits and for 28 of its sales.December was an especially good month as customers took to seasonal menu offerings in France and Britain, and to a promotion in Germany based on the game of Monopoly . Mr.Hennequin's recipe for revival is to be more open about his company's operations, to be \"locally relevant\", and to improve the experience of visiting his 6.400 restaurants. McDonaId's is blamed for making people fat, exploiting workers, treating animals cruelly, polluting the environment and simply for being American.Mr.Hennequin says he wants to engage in a dialogue with the public to address these concerns. He introduced \"open door\" visitor days in each country which became hugely popular.In Poland alone some 50,000 visitors came to McDonaId's through the visitors' program last year.The Nutrition Information Initiative launched last year, put detailed Sables on McDonaId's packaging with data on calories, protein, fat, carbohy drates and salt content, \"the details are also printed on tray-liners. What did Denis Hennequin do to increase the sales of McDonald in Europe?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "Complex conversations.", "Not knowing the social background.", "The old-fashioned vocabulary.", "Sentences and Austen's thinking pattern." ], "question": "To develop one's taste in English,the most effective way is to read English books extensively. However, one may be at a loss to choose the appropriate books,especially as a beginner.I would like to share some of my experience. My first English novel was Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice,recommended by many English teachers and professors as an ideal book for English learners. But I had great difficulty in understanding the novel,let alone enjoying it. It's not the vocabulary that troubled me,but rather the way Austen constructs sentences,and her way of thinking,which seemed too remote to me at that time. My fading enthusiasm was much recovered after reading Hemingway's novel Farewell to Arms. I particularly liked his brief and lively style. So my first suggestion is,as a beginner, you'd better choose contemporary novels instead of classical ones. However,reading novels is not the only way to improve your English. English essays can at once inform you,entertain you, and improve your taste in English. The best example is Bertrand Russell's work. Its language is plain, yet you cannot help feeling the elegance and the unique sense of humor. His simple language enables his philosophy within the reach of ordinary people. Here comes my second suggestion--essays are _ . Never follow other's opinions blindly,however famous or influential the person might be. As a saying goes,one man's meat is another man's poison. With that in mind,we are sure to find out our favorite writers through reading and develop our fine taste in English. What made the author's first English novel hard to understand?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "Give comments on literature works.", "Tell beginners how to choose English books.", "Encourage people to read more English books.", "Recommend first-class books to English learners." ], "question": "To develop one's taste in English,the most effective way is to read English books extensively. However, one may be at a loss to choose the appropriate books,especially as a beginner.I would like to share some of my experience. My first English novel was Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice,recommended by many English teachers and professors as an ideal book for English learners. But I had great difficulty in understanding the novel,let alone enjoying it. It's not the vocabulary that troubled me,but rather the way Austen constructs sentences,and her way of thinking,which seemed too remote to me at that time. My fading enthusiasm was much recovered after reading Hemingway's novel Farewell to Arms. I particularly liked his brief and lively style. So my first suggestion is,as a beginner, you'd better choose contemporary novels instead of classical ones. However,reading novels is not the only way to improve your English. English essays can at once inform you,entertain you, and improve your taste in English. The best example is Bertrand Russell's work. Its language is plain, yet you cannot help feeling the elegance and the unique sense of humor. His simple language enables his philosophy within the reach of ordinary people. Here comes my second suggestion--essays are _ . Never follow other's opinions blindly,however famous or influential the person might be. As a saying goes,one man's meat is another man's poison. With that in mind,we are sure to find out our favorite writers through reading and develop our fine taste in English. What is the author's purpose of writing the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "the history of American currency", "the inflation in America", "the political cases in America", "the price of the oil in the world" ], "question": "For several years now, the dollar has fallen lower and lower against other major currencies. Lately, though, the dollar has risen, especially against the Japanese yen and the euro. Some traders think the dollar will continue to rise, but that is not clear. The dollar moved up this week after comments by American officials in support of a strong dollar policy. On Monday, before he left for his last trip as president to Europe, George Bush said: \"A strong dollar is in our nation's interests. It is in the interests of the global economy.\" Also Monday, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said on CNBC television that he would consider intervention to keep the dollar from sliding further. The United States has not intervened in currency markets since two thousand. That year the administration of president Bill Clinton bought euros to support the European currency. But on Tuesday, President Bush said in Slovenia that the \"relative value of economies will end up setting the proper valuation of the dollar.\" A weaker dollar helps American exporters. But it means Americans have to pay more for imports and for travel to other countries. Some experts say dollar weakness is the main reason why oil prices have risen so high. Oil is priced in dollars on the world market. But Treasury Secretary Paulson dismissed any link. He noted that since two thousand two, the dollar has fallen about twenty-four percent. But the price of oil has gone up well over five hundred percent. Adding to pressure on the dollar, European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet suggested that the E.C.B will raise interest rates next month. European officials are increasingly concerned with inflation. But investors can already get higher rates of return on investments in euros than in dollars. High prices for oil, food and other products have raised inflation concerns worldwide. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the latest increases in energy prices have added to inflation risks. His comments in recent days have suggested that the central bank could stop cutting rates as it has since September. Its rate for overnight loans between banks is currently at two percent. Some market watchers think the Fed could raise rates as early as this month. Finance ministers from nations in the Group of Eight will discuss the dollar and other issues at their meeting this weekend in Osaka, Japan. The passage is mainly concerned about _", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "Because of George Bush's visit to the Europe", "Because of the official's support of the policy.", "Because of the increasing of the oil price.", "Because of the meeting of the Group of Eight." ], "question": "For several years now, the dollar has fallen lower and lower against other major currencies. Lately, though, the dollar has risen, especially against the Japanese yen and the euro. Some traders think the dollar will continue to rise, but that is not clear. The dollar moved up this week after comments by American officials in support of a strong dollar policy. On Monday, before he left for his last trip as president to Europe, George Bush said: \"A strong dollar is in our nation's interests. It is in the interests of the global economy.\" Also Monday, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said on CNBC television that he would consider intervention to keep the dollar from sliding further. The United States has not intervened in currency markets since two thousand. That year the administration of president Bill Clinton bought euros to support the European currency. But on Tuesday, President Bush said in Slovenia that the \"relative value of economies will end up setting the proper valuation of the dollar.\" A weaker dollar helps American exporters. But it means Americans have to pay more for imports and for travel to other countries. Some experts say dollar weakness is the main reason why oil prices have risen so high. Oil is priced in dollars on the world market. But Treasury Secretary Paulson dismissed any link. He noted that since two thousand two, the dollar has fallen about twenty-four percent. But the price of oil has gone up well over five hundred percent. Adding to pressure on the dollar, European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet suggested that the E.C.B will raise interest rates next month. European officials are increasingly concerned with inflation. But investors can already get higher rates of return on investments in euros than in dollars. High prices for oil, food and other products have raised inflation concerns worldwide. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the latest increases in energy prices have added to inflation risks. His comments in recent days have suggested that the central bank could stop cutting rates as it has since September. Its rate for overnight loans between banks is currently at two percent. Some market watchers think the Fed could raise rates as early as this month. Finance ministers from nations in the Group of Eight will discuss the dollar and other issues at their meeting this weekend in Osaka, Japan. Why did the dollar move up a little this week according to the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "The dollar will continuously rise, especially against the Japanese yen and the euro.", "Some government officials' comments made the dollars rising a lot..", "Many measures have taken to stop dollars from falling further..", "Few countries in the world are all concerned about the inflation" ], "question": "For several years now, the dollar has fallen lower and lower against other major currencies. Lately, though, the dollar has risen, especially against the Japanese yen and the euro. Some traders think the dollar will continue to rise, but that is not clear. The dollar moved up this week after comments by American officials in support of a strong dollar policy. On Monday, before he left for his last trip as president to Europe, George Bush said: \"A strong dollar is in our nation's interests. It is in the interests of the global economy.\" Also Monday, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said on CNBC television that he would consider intervention to keep the dollar from sliding further. The United States has not intervened in currency markets since two thousand. That year the administration of president Bill Clinton bought euros to support the European currency. But on Tuesday, President Bush said in Slovenia that the \"relative value of economies will end up setting the proper valuation of the dollar.\" A weaker dollar helps American exporters. But it means Americans have to pay more for imports and for travel to other countries. Some experts say dollar weakness is the main reason why oil prices have risen so high. Oil is priced in dollars on the world market. But Treasury Secretary Paulson dismissed any link. He noted that since two thousand two, the dollar has fallen about twenty-four percent. But the price of oil has gone up well over five hundred percent. Adding to pressure on the dollar, European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet suggested that the E.C.B will raise interest rates next month. European officials are increasingly concerned with inflation. But investors can already get higher rates of return on investments in euros than in dollars. High prices for oil, food and other products have raised inflation concerns worldwide. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the latest increases in energy prices have added to inflation risks. His comments in recent days have suggested that the central bank could stop cutting rates as it has since September. Its rate for overnight loans between banks is currently at two percent. Some market watchers think the Fed could raise rates as early as this month. Finance ministers from nations in the Group of Eight will discuss the dollar and other issues at their meeting this weekend in Osaka, Japan. Which of the following statements is true?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "the dollar is sure to continue to rise", "the dollar is sure to slide further", "investors will get more benefit from dollars", "there is a chance of inflation in the world" ], "question": "For several years now, the dollar has fallen lower and lower against other major currencies. Lately, though, the dollar has risen, especially against the Japanese yen and the euro. Some traders think the dollar will continue to rise, but that is not clear. The dollar moved up this week after comments by American officials in support of a strong dollar policy. On Monday, before he left for his last trip as president to Europe, George Bush said: \"A strong dollar is in our nation's interests. It is in the interests of the global economy.\" Also Monday, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said on CNBC television that he would consider intervention to keep the dollar from sliding further. The United States has not intervened in currency markets since two thousand. That year the administration of president Bill Clinton bought euros to support the European currency. But on Tuesday, President Bush said in Slovenia that the \"relative value of economies will end up setting the proper valuation of the dollar.\" A weaker dollar helps American exporters. But it means Americans have to pay more for imports and for travel to other countries. Some experts say dollar weakness is the main reason why oil prices have risen so high. Oil is priced in dollars on the world market. But Treasury Secretary Paulson dismissed any link. He noted that since two thousand two, the dollar has fallen about twenty-four percent. But the price of oil has gone up well over five hundred percent. Adding to pressure on the dollar, European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet suggested that the E.C.B will raise interest rates next month. European officials are increasingly concerned with inflation. But investors can already get higher rates of return on investments in euros than in dollars. High prices for oil, food and other products have raised inflation concerns worldwide. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the latest increases in energy prices have added to inflation risks. His comments in recent days have suggested that the central bank could stop cutting rates as it has since September. Its rate for overnight loans between banks is currently at two percent. Some market watchers think the Fed could raise rates as early as this month. Finance ministers from nations in the Group of Eight will discuss the dollar and other issues at their meeting this weekend in Osaka, Japan. We can infer from the passage that _", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "they forgave the stockbroker", "they went to New York immediately", "they failed to get the check", "they spoke to their boss at once" ], "question": "When I was growing up in America, I was ashamed of my mother's Chinese English. Because of her English, she was often treated unfairly. People in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously ,did not give her good service ,pretended not to understand her ,or even acted as if they did not hear her .W _ w w.ks5 u.c@o m My mother has realized the limitations of her English as well. When I was fifteen, she used to have me call people on phone to pretend I was she . I was forced to ask for information or even to yell at people who had been rude to her. One time I had to call her stockbroker .I said in an adolescent voice that was not very convincing, \"This is Mrs.Tan..\" And my mother was standing beside me ,whispering loudly, \"Why he don't send me cheek already two week late.\" And then , in perfect English I said : \"I'm getting rather concerned .You agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn't arrived.\" Then she talked more loudly. \"What he want? I come to New York tell him front of his boss.\" And so I turned to the stockbroker again, \"I can't tolerate any more excuse. If I don't receive the check immediately , I am going to have to speak to your manager when I am in New York next week.\" The next week we ended up in New York. While I was sitting there red-faced, my mother, the real Mrs.Tan, was shouting to his boss in her broken English. When I was a teenager, my mother's broken English embarrassed me. But now, I see it differently. To me, my mother's English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It is my mother tongue. Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, and full of observation and wisdom. It was the language that helped shape the way I saw things, expressed ideas, and made sense of the world. After the author made the phone call, _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "It confuses her.", "It embarrasses her.", "It helps her understand the world.", "It helps her tolerate rude people." ], "question": "When I was growing up in America, I was ashamed of my mother's Chinese English. Because of her English, she was often treated unfairly. People in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously ,did not give her good service ,pretended not to understand her ,or even acted as if they did not hear her .W _ w w.ks5 u.c@o m My mother has realized the limitations of her English as well. When I was fifteen, she used to have me call people on phone to pretend I was she . I was forced to ask for information or even to yell at people who had been rude to her. One time I had to call her stockbroker .I said in an adolescent voice that was not very convincing, \"This is Mrs.Tan..\" And my mother was standing beside me ,whispering loudly, \"Why he don't send me cheek already two week late.\" And then , in perfect English I said : \"I'm getting rather concerned .You agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn't arrived.\" Then she talked more loudly. \"What he want? I come to New York tell him front of his boss.\" And so I turned to the stockbroker again, \"I can't tolerate any more excuse. If I don't receive the check immediately , I am going to have to speak to your manager when I am in New York next week.\" The next week we ended up in New York. While I was sitting there red-faced, my mother, the real Mrs.Tan, was shouting to his boss in her broken English. When I was a teenager, my mother's broken English embarrassed me. But now, I see it differently. To me, my mother's English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It is my mother tongue. Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, and full of observation and wisdom. It was the language that helped shape the way I saw things, expressed ideas, and made sense of the world. What does the author think of her mother's English now?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "an unemployed man", "a middle-school student", "a college student", "a door-to-door salesman" ], "question": "Recently in the hope of earning both money and social experience, I became a door-trw door salesman. I once read a saying. \"If somebody wants something of yours, you will be treated as warmly as spring, but if they don't you may be treated as coldly as winter.\" You may consider this an exaggeration , but if you are a salesman, it is clearly correct. You would never have found it to be so true if you hadn't been a salesman. You needn't stand doubtful looks and unfriendly comments; you needn't listen to something completely wrong and nod to say that it was quite right, you needn't worry about being refused time after time; you needn't always keep patience and a smile; you needn't repeat the same sentences over and over again; you needn't talk to somebody you dislike .... I did this work for a month, then I decided to give it up; Apart from the reasons above, I found I was paying too much attention to the job and thus sacrificing my study time. The latest test result proved that my grades were getting worse. Even worse, I hadn't enough time to join my classmates in college activities. Some times 1 felt lonely and unhappy because of both my study and my part-time job. Now I don't think it is worth doing such a thing for even though I was earning money it came at great cost. Newspapers and magazines often publish stories about excellent students who do part-time work while also keeping high scores in class. But according to my experience, park-time work can have some strong negative influences on study. Most students don't view the relationship between study and work correctly. In my opinion, if it isn't a must for financial reasons, students should be careful about taking up a part-time job. From the text, we can tell that the writer is _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "doing a part-time job was unnecessary", "part-time jobs had good effect upon study", "it was hard to deal with the relationship between study and work", "part-time jobs would be good for every college student" ], "question": "Recently in the hope of earning both money and social experience, I became a door-trw door salesman. I once read a saying. \"If somebody wants something of yours, you will be treated as warmly as spring, but if they don't you may be treated as coldly as winter.\" You may consider this an exaggeration , but if you are a salesman, it is clearly correct. You would never have found it to be so true if you hadn't been a salesman. You needn't stand doubtful looks and unfriendly comments; you needn't listen to something completely wrong and nod to say that it was quite right, you needn't worry about being refused time after time; you needn't always keep patience and a smile; you needn't repeat the same sentences over and over again; you needn't talk to somebody you dislike .... I did this work for a month, then I decided to give it up; Apart from the reasons above, I found I was paying too much attention to the job and thus sacrificing my study time. The latest test result proved that my grades were getting worse. Even worse, I hadn't enough time to join my classmates in college activities. Some times 1 felt lonely and unhappy because of both my study and my part-time job. Now I don't think it is worth doing such a thing for even though I was earning money it came at great cost. Newspapers and magazines often publish stories about excellent students who do part-time work while also keeping high scores in class. But according to my experience, park-time work can have some strong negative influences on study. Most students don't view the relationship between study and work correctly. In my opinion, if it isn't a must for financial reasons, students should be careful about taking up a part-time job. The writer thought _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "Part-time Jobs Are Useful", "Part-time Jobs Can Cost Dear", "Students Shouldn't Take Part-time Jobs", "Part-time Jobs Are Important to Many Students" ], "question": "Recently in the hope of earning both money and social experience, I became a door-trw door salesman. I once read a saying. \"If somebody wants something of yours, you will be treated as warmly as spring, but if they don't you may be treated as coldly as winter.\" You may consider this an exaggeration , but if you are a salesman, it is clearly correct. You would never have found it to be so true if you hadn't been a salesman. You needn't stand doubtful looks and unfriendly comments; you needn't listen to something completely wrong and nod to say that it was quite right, you needn't worry about being refused time after time; you needn't always keep patience and a smile; you needn't repeat the same sentences over and over again; you needn't talk to somebody you dislike .... I did this work for a month, then I decided to give it up; Apart from the reasons above, I found I was paying too much attention to the job and thus sacrificing my study time. The latest test result proved that my grades were getting worse. Even worse, I hadn't enough time to join my classmates in college activities. Some times 1 felt lonely and unhappy because of both my study and my part-time job. Now I don't think it is worth doing such a thing for even though I was earning money it came at great cost. Newspapers and magazines often publish stories about excellent students who do part-time work while also keeping high scores in class. But according to my experience, park-time work can have some strong negative influences on study. Most students don't view the relationship between study and work correctly. In my opinion, if it isn't a must for financial reasons, students should be careful about taking up a part-time job. What would be the best title for the text _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "investment banker", "famous magician", "actor", "investor" ], "question": "Owning a personal island is a luxurious treat one can imagine. New Holland Island $400 million, 18 acres Roman Abramovich Investment Banker Located in Saint Petersburg Canal in Russia, the island takes its name after its resemblance to areas in Amsterdam. The owner plans to turn it into a cultural center. The new look of this island is expected to be revealed in another six years. Musha Cay Island $150 million, 700 acres David Copperfield Famous magician World-famous magician David Copperfield has developed the island located in the southern part of Bahamas into a magical resort with adventures, treasure hunts, luxurious apartments, and water sports. All these, for $32,250 a night! Mago Island $10 million, 5,400 acres Mel Gibson Actor Interestingly, this island is almost the size of a small country! Mel Gibson does not plan on developing it into a resort, thus keeping its natural beauty. Mosquito Island $15 million, 120 acres Richard Branson Investor This island is rich in eco-diversity and is also one of the rich rainforest places. Branson plans to make this island the most eco-friendly and develop the biodiversity of this island. James Island $19 million, 780 acres Craig McCaw Cell phone pioneer Craig McCaw plans to develop the island, but not at the cost of losing its natural beauty. Smoking is banned on the island, and only electric bikes or cars are used for transport. All power lines are laid underground. The island also has a golf course designed by the excellent golf champion Jack Nicklaus. Allan Island $13.5 million, 292 acres Paul Allen Investor The island is reportedly named after a hero, and Paul Allen plans on building a vacation home here. However, his vacation home was built on another island nearby. So, the Allan Island now has only a caretaker's small house without electricity. And it is up for sale. Hands anybody? The island which has been developed now belongs to a(n) _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "120.", "700.", "780.", "5,400." ], "question": "Owning a personal island is a luxurious treat one can imagine. New Holland Island $400 million, 18 acres Roman Abramovich Investment Banker Located in Saint Petersburg Canal in Russia, the island takes its name after its resemblance to areas in Amsterdam. The owner plans to turn it into a cultural center. The new look of this island is expected to be revealed in another six years. Musha Cay Island $150 million, 700 acres David Copperfield Famous magician World-famous magician David Copperfield has developed the island located in the southern part of Bahamas into a magical resort with adventures, treasure hunts, luxurious apartments, and water sports. All these, for $32,250 a night! Mago Island $10 million, 5,400 acres Mel Gibson Actor Interestingly, this island is almost the size of a small country! Mel Gibson does not plan on developing it into a resort, thus keeping its natural beauty. Mosquito Island $15 million, 120 acres Richard Branson Investor This island is rich in eco-diversity and is also one of the rich rainforest places. Branson plans to make this island the most eco-friendly and develop the biodiversity of this island. James Island $19 million, 780 acres Craig McCaw Cell phone pioneer Craig McCaw plans to develop the island, but not at the cost of losing its natural beauty. Smoking is banned on the island, and only electric bikes or cars are used for transport. All power lines are laid underground. The island also has a golf course designed by the excellent golf champion Jack Nicklaus. Allan Island $13.5 million, 292 acres Paul Allen Investor The island is reportedly named after a hero, and Paul Allen plans on building a vacation home here. However, his vacation home was built on another island nearby. So, the Allan Island now has only a caretaker's small house without electricity. And it is up for sale. Hands anybody? How many acres does the cheapest island of the six cover?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "Those who like adventures and treasure hunts.", "Those who like rich cultural atmosphere.", "Those who long to live in a luxurious apartment.", "Those who agree with the environmentalists' ideas." ], "question": "Owning a personal island is a luxurious treat one can imagine. New Holland Island $400 million, 18 acres Roman Abramovich Investment Banker Located in Saint Petersburg Canal in Russia, the island takes its name after its resemblance to areas in Amsterdam. The owner plans to turn it into a cultural center. The new look of this island is expected to be revealed in another six years. Musha Cay Island $150 million, 700 acres David Copperfield Famous magician World-famous magician David Copperfield has developed the island located in the southern part of Bahamas into a magical resort with adventures, treasure hunts, luxurious apartments, and water sports. All these, for $32,250 a night! Mago Island $10 million, 5,400 acres Mel Gibson Actor Interestingly, this island is almost the size of a small country! Mel Gibson does not plan on developing it into a resort, thus keeping its natural beauty. Mosquito Island $15 million, 120 acres Richard Branson Investor This island is rich in eco-diversity and is also one of the rich rainforest places. Branson plans to make this island the most eco-friendly and develop the biodiversity of this island. James Island $19 million, 780 acres Craig McCaw Cell phone pioneer Craig McCaw plans to develop the island, but not at the cost of losing its natural beauty. Smoking is banned on the island, and only electric bikes or cars are used for transport. All power lines are laid underground. The island also has a golf course designed by the excellent golf champion Jack Nicklaus. Allan Island $13.5 million, 292 acres Paul Allen Investor The island is reportedly named after a hero, and Paul Allen plans on building a vacation home here. However, his vacation home was built on another island nearby. So, the Allan Island now has only a caretaker's small house without electricity. And it is up for sale. Hands anybody? Who will be potential visitors to the James Island?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "the Mago Island", "the Mosquito Island", "the Allan Island", "the James Island" ], "question": "Owning a personal island is a luxurious treat one can imagine. New Holland Island $400 million, 18 acres Roman Abramovich Investment Banker Located in Saint Petersburg Canal in Russia, the island takes its name after its resemblance to areas in Amsterdam. The owner plans to turn it into a cultural center. The new look of this island is expected to be revealed in another six years. Musha Cay Island $150 million, 700 acres David Copperfield Famous magician World-famous magician David Copperfield has developed the island located in the southern part of Bahamas into a magical resort with adventures, treasure hunts, luxurious apartments, and water sports. All these, for $32,250 a night! Mago Island $10 million, 5,400 acres Mel Gibson Actor Interestingly, this island is almost the size of a small country! Mel Gibson does not plan on developing it into a resort, thus keeping its natural beauty. Mosquito Island $15 million, 120 acres Richard Branson Investor This island is rich in eco-diversity and is also one of the rich rainforest places. Branson plans to make this island the most eco-friendly and develop the biodiversity of this island. James Island $19 million, 780 acres Craig McCaw Cell phone pioneer Craig McCaw plans to develop the island, but not at the cost of losing its natural beauty. Smoking is banned on the island, and only electric bikes or cars are used for transport. All power lines are laid underground. The island also has a golf course designed by the excellent golf champion Jack Nicklaus. Allan Island $13.5 million, 292 acres Paul Allen Investor The island is reportedly named after a hero, and Paul Allen plans on building a vacation home here. However, his vacation home was built on another island nearby. So, the Allan Island now has only a caretaker's small house without electricity. And it is up for sale. Hands anybody? If you want to buy a personal island, you should pay a visit to _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "It helps them to protect themselves from danger.", "It makes it easier for them to move through the mud.", "It makes them attractive to fish.", "It helps them to digest their food." ], "question": "Certainly no creature in the sea is stranger than the common sea cucumber . All living creatures, especially human beings, have their features, but everything about the little sea cucumber seems unusual. What else can be said about an unusual animal that eats mud, feeds almost continuously day and night but can live without eating for long periods, and can be poisonous but is considered eatable? For some fifty million years, in spite of all its strange features, the sea cucumber has lived on its diet of mud. It is adaptable enough to live attached to rocks by its tube feet, under rocks in shallow water, or on the surface of mud flats. Common in cool water on both Atlantic and Pacific shores, it has the ability to suck up mud or sand and digest whatever nutrients are present. Sea cucumbers come in a variety of color1s, ranging from black to reddish-brown to sand-color1 and nearly white. One form even has brilliant purple tentacles . Usually the creature are cucumber-shaped--where their name comes from--and because they live in rocks, this shape, combined with flexibility, enables them to press into crevices where they are safe from animal eater and ocean currents. Although they have greedy desire for food, eating day and night, sea cucumbers have the ability to become still and live at a low metabolic rate--feeding a little or not at all for long periods, so that the living things in the ocean that provide their food have a chance to increase by a large amount. If it were not for this natural ability, they would swallow all the food available in a short time and would probably starve themselves out of existence. But the most impressive thing about the sea cucumber is the way it defends itself. Its major enemies are fish and crabs. When attacked, it forces all its internal organs in its body out into water. It also removes attached structures such as tentacles. The sea cucumber will get rid of its organs and grow itself again if it is attacked or even touched; it will do the same if the surrounding water temperature is too high or if the water becomes too polluted. According to the passage, why is the shape of sea cucumbers important?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "They require group cooperation.", "They are almost useless.", "They are similar to those of most sea creatures.", "They are very sensitive to the surroundings." ], "question": "Certainly no creature in the sea is stranger than the common sea cucumber . All living creatures, especially human beings, have their features, but everything about the little sea cucumber seems unusual. What else can be said about an unusual animal that eats mud, feeds almost continuously day and night but can live without eating for long periods, and can be poisonous but is considered eatable? For some fifty million years, in spite of all its strange features, the sea cucumber has lived on its diet of mud. It is adaptable enough to live attached to rocks by its tube feet, under rocks in shallow water, or on the surface of mud flats. Common in cool water on both Atlantic and Pacific shores, it has the ability to suck up mud or sand and digest whatever nutrients are present. Sea cucumbers come in a variety of color1s, ranging from black to reddish-brown to sand-color1 and nearly white. One form even has brilliant purple tentacles . Usually the creature are cucumber-shaped--where their name comes from--and because they live in rocks, this shape, combined with flexibility, enables them to press into crevices where they are safe from animal eater and ocean currents. Although they have greedy desire for food, eating day and night, sea cucumbers have the ability to become still and live at a low metabolic rate--feeding a little or not at all for long periods, so that the living things in the ocean that provide their food have a chance to increase by a large amount. If it were not for this natural ability, they would swallow all the food available in a short time and would probably starve themselves out of existence. But the most impressive thing about the sea cucumber is the way it defends itself. Its major enemies are fish and crabs. When attacked, it forces all its internal organs in its body out into water. It also removes attached structures such as tentacles. The sea cucumber will get rid of its organs and grow itself again if it is attacked or even touched; it will do the same if the surrounding water temperature is too high or if the water becomes too polluted. What can be inferred about the defense system of the sea cucumber?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "The Variety of Sea Cucumbers.", "The Sources of Sea Cucumbers.", "The Strange Creature--Sea Cucumbers.", "The Similarity of Sea" ], "question": "Certainly no creature in the sea is stranger than the common sea cucumber . All living creatures, especially human beings, have their features, but everything about the little sea cucumber seems unusual. What else can be said about an unusual animal that eats mud, feeds almost continuously day and night but can live without eating for long periods, and can be poisonous but is considered eatable? For some fifty million years, in spite of all its strange features, the sea cucumber has lived on its diet of mud. It is adaptable enough to live attached to rocks by its tube feet, under rocks in shallow water, or on the surface of mud flats. Common in cool water on both Atlantic and Pacific shores, it has the ability to suck up mud or sand and digest whatever nutrients are present. Sea cucumbers come in a variety of color1s, ranging from black to reddish-brown to sand-color1 and nearly white. One form even has brilliant purple tentacles . Usually the creature are cucumber-shaped--where their name comes from--and because they live in rocks, this shape, combined with flexibility, enables them to press into crevices where they are safe from animal eater and ocean currents. Although they have greedy desire for food, eating day and night, sea cucumbers have the ability to become still and live at a low metabolic rate--feeding a little or not at all for long periods, so that the living things in the ocean that provide their food have a chance to increase by a large amount. If it were not for this natural ability, they would swallow all the food available in a short time and would probably starve themselves out of existence. But the most impressive thing about the sea cucumber is the way it defends itself. Its major enemies are fish and crabs. When attacked, it forces all its internal organs in its body out into water. It also removes attached structures such as tentacles. The sea cucumber will get rid of its organs and grow itself again if it is attacked or even touched; it will do the same if the surrounding water temperature is too high or if the water becomes too polluted. Which of the following can serve as the best title for the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "promote its production", "work out marketing plans", "speed up its life cycle", "increase its popularity" ], "question": "We can see how the product life cycle works by looking at the introduction of instant coffee. When it was introduced, most people did not like it as well as \"regular\" coffee, and it took several years to gain general acceptance(introduction stage).At one point, though, instant coffee grew rapidly in popularity, and many brands were introduced(stage of rapid growth). After a while, people became attached to one brand and sales leveled off(stage of maturity). Sales went into a slight decrease when freeze-dried coffees were introduced(stage of decline). The importance of the product life cycle to marketers is this: Different stages in the product life cycle call for different strategies. The goal is to extend product life so that sales and profits do not drop. One strategy is called market modification. It means that marketing managers look for new users and market sections. Did you know, for example, that the backpacks that so many students carry today were originally designed for the soldiers? Market modification also means searching for increased usage among present customers or going for a different market, such as senior citizens. A marketer may re-position the product to appeal to new market sections. Another product extension strategy is called product modification. It involves changing product quality, features, or style to attract new users or more usage from present users. American auto manufacturers are using quality improvement as one way to regain world markets. Note, also, how auto manufacturers once changed styles eagerly from year to year to keep demand from falling. Marketers need to know which of the four stages a product is in so as to _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "pleasing the young as well as the old", "increasing usage among students", "exploring new market sections", "finding creative product designers" ], "question": "We can see how the product life cycle works by looking at the introduction of instant coffee. When it was introduced, most people did not like it as well as \"regular\" coffee, and it took several years to gain general acceptance(introduction stage).At one point, though, instant coffee grew rapidly in popularity, and many brands were introduced(stage of rapid growth). After a while, people became attached to one brand and sales leveled off(stage of maturity). Sales went into a slight decrease when freeze-dried coffees were introduced(stage of decline). The importance of the product life cycle to marketers is this: Different stages in the product life cycle call for different strategies. The goal is to extend product life so that sales and profits do not drop. One strategy is called market modification. It means that marketing managers look for new users and market sections. Did you know, for example, that the backpacks that so many students carry today were originally designed for the soldiers? Market modification also means searching for increased usage among present customers or going for a different market, such as senior citizens. A marketer may re-position the product to appeal to new market sections. Another product extension strategy is called product modification. It involves changing product quality, features, or style to attract new users or more usage from present users. American auto manufacturers are using quality improvement as one way to regain world markets. Note, also, how auto manufacturers once changed styles eagerly from year to year to keep demand from falling. The author mentions the example of \"backpacks\" (Para.2) to show the importance of _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "modernizing product style", "increasing product features", "developing products of better quality", "re-positioning their product in the market" ], "question": "We can see how the product life cycle works by looking at the introduction of instant coffee. When it was introduced, most people did not like it as well as \"regular\" coffee, and it took several years to gain general acceptance(introduction stage).At one point, though, instant coffee grew rapidly in popularity, and many brands were introduced(stage of rapid growth). After a while, people became attached to one brand and sales leveled off(stage of maturity). Sales went into a slight decrease when freeze-dried coffees were introduced(stage of decline). The importance of the product life cycle to marketers is this: Different stages in the product life cycle call for different strategies. The goal is to extend product life so that sales and profits do not drop. One strategy is called market modification. It means that marketing managers look for new users and market sections. Did you know, for example, that the backpacks that so many students carry today were originally designed for the soldiers? Market modification also means searching for increased usage among present customers or going for a different market, such as senior citizens. A marketer may re-position the product to appeal to new market sections. Another product extension strategy is called product modification. It involves changing product quality, features, or style to attract new users or more usage from present users. American auto manufacturers are using quality improvement as one way to regain world markets. Note, also, how auto manufacturers once changed styles eagerly from year to year to keep demand from falling. In order to attract more consumers, U.S. auto makers are _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "Firm determination.", "Great imagination.", "Rich knowledge.", "Different personalities." ], "question": "Do you often find yourself crying in arguments? Does it feel like you just can't stop your emotions defeating you completely when you are in the middle of a heated discussion with someone, and you particularly want to make clear strong points and express yourself effectively? Many people think that someone who bursts into tears during an argument or a quarrel is 9 / 17 trying to handle the situation by bringing emotion into it. But the person who wells up tears during some heated discussion is not in control of those tears. They just can't control blushing or stop themselves breaking out in a sweat if they feel nervous. The body has a number of such automatic responses that switch on without your decision that you want to respond like this. These instinctive behaviors have evolved over millions of years to protect us. Basically, our brains make associations between things that seem similar, which is important for automatic responses. For example, a snake is a potentially dangerous creature, and you can see why it might be useful if, whenever you see a snake, you will run like crazy. And you can see why it might still be useful if you see a flexible stick and get the same reaction. However, these very simple associations can sometimes be really unhelpful. It's not useful to try to calmly argue an important point with someone, and suddenly find tears running down your cheeks. Tears can generally make you seem weak, or foolish, and less credible. Who's going to take what you say seriously if you're crying? But if these reactions are not under your control, what can you do about it? The good news is that although you can't control automatic reactions directly, you can unlink unhelpful associations. And that means that an unwanted reaction won't get started, and so won't happen. Besides, you can try the following: Begin to notice a change in how you feel about previous times when you were defeated by emotion; Develop a growing sense of confidence and optimism about how things will go in the future. What matters when people are making some automatic responses?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "Arguments should be avoided.", "Social activities are vital for mental health.", "Automatic responses don't always make a difference.", "Tears can help people handle arguments more calmly." ], "question": "Do you often find yourself crying in arguments? Does it feel like you just can't stop your emotions defeating you completely when you are in the middle of a heated discussion with someone, and you particularly want to make clear strong points and express yourself effectively? Many people think that someone who bursts into tears during an argument or a quarrel is 9 / 17 trying to handle the situation by bringing emotion into it. But the person who wells up tears during some heated discussion is not in control of those tears. They just can't control blushing or stop themselves breaking out in a sweat if they feel nervous. The body has a number of such automatic responses that switch on without your decision that you want to respond like this. These instinctive behaviors have evolved over millions of years to protect us. Basically, our brains make associations between things that seem similar, which is important for automatic responses. For example, a snake is a potentially dangerous creature, and you can see why it might be useful if, whenever you see a snake, you will run like crazy. And you can see why it might still be useful if you see a flexible stick and get the same reaction. However, these very simple associations can sometimes be really unhelpful. It's not useful to try to calmly argue an important point with someone, and suddenly find tears running down your cheeks. Tears can generally make you seem weak, or foolish, and less credible. Who's going to take what you say seriously if you're crying? But if these reactions are not under your control, what can you do about it? The good news is that although you can't control automatic reactions directly, you can unlink unhelpful associations. And that means that an unwanted reaction won't get started, and so won't happen. Besides, you can try the following: Begin to notice a change in how you feel about previous times when you were defeated by emotion; Develop a growing sense of confidence and optimism about how things will go in the future. What can we infer from the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "how to overcome our fears", "how to avoid tears in arguments", "how to express our feelings clearly", "how to communicate with people crying" ], "question": "Do you often find yourself crying in arguments? Does it feel like you just can't stop your emotions defeating you completely when you are in the middle of a heated discussion with someone, and you particularly want to make clear strong points and express yourself effectively? Many people think that someone who bursts into tears during an argument or a quarrel is 9 / 17 trying to handle the situation by bringing emotion into it. But the person who wells up tears during some heated discussion is not in control of those tears. They just can't control blushing or stop themselves breaking out in a sweat if they feel nervous. The body has a number of such automatic responses that switch on without your decision that you want to respond like this. These instinctive behaviors have evolved over millions of years to protect us. Basically, our brains make associations between things that seem similar, which is important for automatic responses. For example, a snake is a potentially dangerous creature, and you can see why it might be useful if, whenever you see a snake, you will run like crazy. And you can see why it might still be useful if you see a flexible stick and get the same reaction. However, these very simple associations can sometimes be really unhelpful. It's not useful to try to calmly argue an important point with someone, and suddenly find tears running down your cheeks. Tears can generally make you seem weak, or foolish, and less credible. Who's going to take what you say seriously if you're crying? But if these reactions are not under your control, what can you do about it? The good news is that although you can't control automatic reactions directly, you can unlink unhelpful associations. And that means that an unwanted reaction won't get started, and so won't happen. Besides, you can try the following: Begin to notice a change in how you feel about previous times when you were defeated by emotion; Develop a growing sense of confidence and optimism about how things will go in the future. The main purpose of the passage is to give advice on _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "Farmers work hard on a corn field.", "Workers pick and package strawberries.", "Scientists test machines in strawberry fields.", "Farmers operate strawberry-picking machines." ], "question": "Strawberry fields dotted with hunched-over workers picking and packaging, then pushing the delicate red fruit to waiting trucks -- it is a typical winter scene embedded in the patchwork of homes and farms that make up eastern Hillsborough County. That scene is changing, though, as the labor pool shrinks and technology comes knocking. Wish Farms owner Gary Wishnatzki and his engineer partner Bob Pitzer are banking on technology. As strawberry season wrapped up in February, their driverless strawberry-picking machine drove into the fields for some test runs. The results were impressive and enlightening , Wishnatzki said. For some three years now, farmers have been forced to abandon millions of dollars worth of strawberries in fields, mostly in Hillsborough and Manatee counties, because they lacked laborers, industry experts say. The problem has been just as serious in California, Arizona and other farm communities. The reasons for the shrinking worker pool are numerous. Migrant workers who have picked the fields for years are aging. Young adults in migrant families already in the United States are getting better educations and have more choices these days, including the construction industry, which again is on the upswing. Stricter security is allowing fewer undocumented workers to cross the border from Mexico. And Mexicans are having much smaller families now -- just over two children per family, compared with 7.3 per family in 1960, according to a Pew Hispanic Center report released in 2012. And since Mexico's economy bounced back faster than that of the U.S., more Mexicans have been able to find work closer to home, according to the study. \"We came up with a concept we perceive as a necessity,\" Wishnatzki said. \"The labor pool has been shrinking for over 10 years now. It has been pretty harmful.\" So in 2012, he and Pitzer formed their partnership, Harvest CROO Robotics, to develop a mechanical picker. The Harvest CROO design has multiple picking heads that will move across a field, picking 25 acres over a three-day period, the typical time for picking fruit as it ripens. It has a \"vision system\" to distinguish between red and green strawberries and is able to get under the leaves to find and pick the ripe berries. Picking strawberries is nothing like using a combine on a corn field, coming through and thrashing down the plants. Strawberries are delicate and ripen in various intervals, which Harvest CROO is taking into account in developing its machine. A strawberry-picking machine will never completely replace the need for human labor in the fields, Wishnatzki said, but if the machines can supplement labor enough to keep the industry profitable, he and Pitzer will have met their goal. Which of the following describes the typical winter scene of eastern Hillsborough County?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "the labor shortage", "the market demand", "the aging of the local population", "the new concept of farming" ], "question": "Strawberry fields dotted with hunched-over workers picking and packaging, then pushing the delicate red fruit to waiting trucks -- it is a typical winter scene embedded in the patchwork of homes and farms that make up eastern Hillsborough County. That scene is changing, though, as the labor pool shrinks and technology comes knocking. Wish Farms owner Gary Wishnatzki and his engineer partner Bob Pitzer are banking on technology. As strawberry season wrapped up in February, their driverless strawberry-picking machine drove into the fields for some test runs. The results were impressive and enlightening , Wishnatzki said. For some three years now, farmers have been forced to abandon millions of dollars worth of strawberries in fields, mostly in Hillsborough and Manatee counties, because they lacked laborers, industry experts say. The problem has been just as serious in California, Arizona and other farm communities. The reasons for the shrinking worker pool are numerous. Migrant workers who have picked the fields for years are aging. Young adults in migrant families already in the United States are getting better educations and have more choices these days, including the construction industry, which again is on the upswing. Stricter security is allowing fewer undocumented workers to cross the border from Mexico. And Mexicans are having much smaller families now -- just over two children per family, compared with 7.3 per family in 1960, according to a Pew Hispanic Center report released in 2012. And since Mexico's economy bounced back faster than that of the U.S., more Mexicans have been able to find work closer to home, according to the study. \"We came up with a concept we perceive as a necessity,\" Wishnatzki said. \"The labor pool has been shrinking for over 10 years now. It has been pretty harmful.\" So in 2012, he and Pitzer formed their partnership, Harvest CROO Robotics, to develop a mechanical picker. The Harvest CROO design has multiple picking heads that will move across a field, picking 25 acres over a three-day period, the typical time for picking fruit as it ripens. It has a \"vision system\" to distinguish between red and green strawberries and is able to get under the leaves to find and pick the ripe berries. Picking strawberries is nothing like using a combine on a corn field, coming through and thrashing down the plants. Strawberries are delicate and ripen in various intervals, which Harvest CROO is taking into account in developing its machine. A strawberry-picking machine will never completely replace the need for human labor in the fields, Wishnatzki said, but if the machines can supplement labor enough to keep the industry profitable, he and Pitzer will have met their goal. The mechanical picker is introduced due to _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "Mexicans like to find jobs far away from home.", "There are more Mexican laborers than needed in Arizona.", "Security regulations now make it easier to employ Mexicans.", "Young people from migrant Mexican families now have access to more career choices." ], "question": "Strawberry fields dotted with hunched-over workers picking and packaging, then pushing the delicate red fruit to waiting trucks -- it is a typical winter scene embedded in the patchwork of homes and farms that make up eastern Hillsborough County. That scene is changing, though, as the labor pool shrinks and technology comes knocking. Wish Farms owner Gary Wishnatzki and his engineer partner Bob Pitzer are banking on technology. As strawberry season wrapped up in February, their driverless strawberry-picking machine drove into the fields for some test runs. The results were impressive and enlightening , Wishnatzki said. For some three years now, farmers have been forced to abandon millions of dollars worth of strawberries in fields, mostly in Hillsborough and Manatee counties, because they lacked laborers, industry experts say. The problem has been just as serious in California, Arizona and other farm communities. The reasons for the shrinking worker pool are numerous. Migrant workers who have picked the fields for years are aging. Young adults in migrant families already in the United States are getting better educations and have more choices these days, including the construction industry, which again is on the upswing. Stricter security is allowing fewer undocumented workers to cross the border from Mexico. And Mexicans are having much smaller families now -- just over two children per family, compared with 7.3 per family in 1960, according to a Pew Hispanic Center report released in 2012. And since Mexico's economy bounced back faster than that of the U.S., more Mexicans have been able to find work closer to home, according to the study. \"We came up with a concept we perceive as a necessity,\" Wishnatzki said. \"The labor pool has been shrinking for over 10 years now. It has been pretty harmful.\" So in 2012, he and Pitzer formed their partnership, Harvest CROO Robotics, to develop a mechanical picker. The Harvest CROO design has multiple picking heads that will move across a field, picking 25 acres over a three-day period, the typical time for picking fruit as it ripens. It has a \"vision system\" to distinguish between red and green strawberries and is able to get under the leaves to find and pick the ripe berries. Picking strawberries is nothing like using a combine on a corn field, coming through and thrashing down the plants. Strawberries are delicate and ripen in various intervals, which Harvest CROO is taking into account in developing its machine. A strawberry-picking machine will never completely replace the need for human labor in the fields, Wishnatzki said, but if the machines can supplement labor enough to keep the industry profitable, he and Pitzer will have met their goal. Which of the following statements about Mexicans is true according to the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "take pictures", "locate leaves", "find the ripe berries", "help the color-blind" ], "question": "Strawberry fields dotted with hunched-over workers picking and packaging, then pushing the delicate red fruit to waiting trucks -- it is a typical winter scene embedded in the patchwork of homes and farms that make up eastern Hillsborough County. That scene is changing, though, as the labor pool shrinks and technology comes knocking. Wish Farms owner Gary Wishnatzki and his engineer partner Bob Pitzer are banking on technology. As strawberry season wrapped up in February, their driverless strawberry-picking machine drove into the fields for some test runs. The results were impressive and enlightening , Wishnatzki said. For some three years now, farmers have been forced to abandon millions of dollars worth of strawberries in fields, mostly in Hillsborough and Manatee counties, because they lacked laborers, industry experts say. The problem has been just as serious in California, Arizona and other farm communities. The reasons for the shrinking worker pool are numerous. Migrant workers who have picked the fields for years are aging. Young adults in migrant families already in the United States are getting better educations and have more choices these days, including the construction industry, which again is on the upswing. Stricter security is allowing fewer undocumented workers to cross the border from Mexico. And Mexicans are having much smaller families now -- just over two children per family, compared with 7.3 per family in 1960, according to a Pew Hispanic Center report released in 2012. And since Mexico's economy bounced back faster than that of the U.S., more Mexicans have been able to find work closer to home, according to the study. \"We came up with a concept we perceive as a necessity,\" Wishnatzki said. \"The labor pool has been shrinking for over 10 years now. It has been pretty harmful.\" So in 2012, he and Pitzer formed their partnership, Harvest CROO Robotics, to develop a mechanical picker. The Harvest CROO design has multiple picking heads that will move across a field, picking 25 acres over a three-day period, the typical time for picking fruit as it ripens. It has a \"vision system\" to distinguish between red and green strawberries and is able to get under the leaves to find and pick the ripe berries. Picking strawberries is nothing like using a combine on a corn field, coming through and thrashing down the plants. Strawberries are delicate and ripen in various intervals, which Harvest CROO is taking into account in developing its machine. A strawberry-picking machine will never completely replace the need for human labor in the fields, Wishnatzki said, but if the machines can supplement labor enough to keep the industry profitable, he and Pitzer will have met their goal. The \"vision system\" is designed to _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "get rid of human labor", "help farmers make money", "show the power of robots", "compete with the corn industry" ], "question": "Strawberry fields dotted with hunched-over workers picking and packaging, then pushing the delicate red fruit to waiting trucks -- it is a typical winter scene embedded in the patchwork of homes and farms that make up eastern Hillsborough County. That scene is changing, though, as the labor pool shrinks and technology comes knocking. Wish Farms owner Gary Wishnatzki and his engineer partner Bob Pitzer are banking on technology. As strawberry season wrapped up in February, their driverless strawberry-picking machine drove into the fields for some test runs. The results were impressive and enlightening , Wishnatzki said. For some three years now, farmers have been forced to abandon millions of dollars worth of strawberries in fields, mostly in Hillsborough and Manatee counties, because they lacked laborers, industry experts say. The problem has been just as serious in California, Arizona and other farm communities. The reasons for the shrinking worker pool are numerous. Migrant workers who have picked the fields for years are aging. Young adults in migrant families already in the United States are getting better educations and have more choices these days, including the construction industry, which again is on the upswing. Stricter security is allowing fewer undocumented workers to cross the border from Mexico. And Mexicans are having much smaller families now -- just over two children per family, compared with 7.3 per family in 1960, according to a Pew Hispanic Center report released in 2012. And since Mexico's economy bounced back faster than that of the U.S., more Mexicans have been able to find work closer to home, according to the study. \"We came up with a concept we perceive as a necessity,\" Wishnatzki said. \"The labor pool has been shrinking for over 10 years now. It has been pretty harmful.\" So in 2012, he and Pitzer formed their partnership, Harvest CROO Robotics, to develop a mechanical picker. The Harvest CROO design has multiple picking heads that will move across a field, picking 25 acres over a three-day period, the typical time for picking fruit as it ripens. It has a \"vision system\" to distinguish between red and green strawberries and is able to get under the leaves to find and pick the ripe berries. Picking strawberries is nothing like using a combine on a corn field, coming through and thrashing down the plants. Strawberries are delicate and ripen in various intervals, which Harvest CROO is taking into account in developing its machine. A strawberry-picking machine will never completely replace the need for human labor in the fields, Wishnatzki said, but if the machines can supplement labor enough to keep the industry profitable, he and Pitzer will have met their goal. The goal of developing the strawberry-picking machine is to _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "Sometimes an idol behaves quite foolishly.", "Hung's performance attracted the public eye.", "How an unsuccessful person became famous.", "Success sometimes does not require hard work." ], "question": "In the age of reality television, success isn't the only way to the public eye. Failure can also create fame, just like William Hung, 21, a native of Hong Kong. Hung recently has made an agreement with US-based entertainment firms Koch Records and Fuse Music Network. They will publish a full-length record, titled \"The True Idol\" on April 6. The idol is a civil engineering student at the University of California at Berkeley. He did a version of Ricky Martin's \"She Bangs\" on the television show \"American Idol 3\", on January 27. The Fox TV singing contest searches for pop stars among ordinary people. In the case of Hung, however, his act was so bad that the judges cut him off in mid-act. Hung's response? \"I already gave my best, so I have no regrets at all.\" That's good, because any common person would have found plenty to regret: The off-key singing. The blue Hawaiian shirt worn with pants pulled up too high. The terrible dancing. The hips jerking to a beat that did not belong to the song, maybe not even to this planet. It was, by all accounts, bad. But, it was this very bad act that sold well. Marc Juries, president of Fuse, explained it this way: \"Every one of us is happily guilty of singing our favorite song at the top of our lungs with complete freedom, completely off-key and completely unworried. That's what William did and immediately won the hearts of America.\" Whatever _ is, for the moment it's big. Three websites devoted to Hung have gone up on the Internet in the past few weeks. Versions of his performance have been remixed with hip hop and techno-music and have made it to the top 10 request list at a Chicago radio station. So, what does Hung think of this? \"There were all these people saying things about me. A lot were saying I was very courageous and that I was great on the show, but some didn't have much respect for me and some were kind of mean.\" Now he says he's not so sure whether to distance himself from the glamour or to accept it. Returning to normal hasn't been easy. What is the main idea of this passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "An old phone - a new phone - a street bike - a laptop - a Porsche.", "An old phone - a new phone - a laptop - a street bike - a Porsche.", "An old phone - an album - a new phone - a laptop - a street bike - a Porsche.", "An old phone - a movie ticket - a new phone - a laptop - a street bike - a Porsche." ], "question": "For most teenagers, swapping an old mobile phone with a friend for the latest album or movie ticket might be considered a good trade.But 17-year-old Steven Ortiz set his sights a little higher, and -- after a series of swaps -- is now driving himself to school in a Porsche.The youngster started exchanging items two years ago after a schoolmate gave him an unwanted phone.Through a series of online swaps, Steven worked his way up through newer phones, laptop computers, and street bikes before landing the prized Porsche. Steven developed a love for online trading long before taking up the swaps that led to the Porsche.As a young teenager, he would buy his friends' unwanted mobile phones for around PS20, clean them up and sell them over the Internet for three times that amount. His father, Esteban Ortiz, said Steven was also useful to have around when the family needed something like a new washing machine, as he would use his nose for a bargain to pick up somebody's discarded appliance for next to nothing and fix it up cheaply.\"I think this is teaching him something.I want him to go to college, and make something of his life.He is learning the value of things, responsibility and negotiation skills.\" Steven got his first car at 15, but he was too young to drive, so he traded for a golf cart before moving back into cars when he got his license a year ago.Steven said swapping the Bronco, worth about PS10,000 at the time, for the Porsche was actually a trade down because the car was valued at PS6,000.Another downside is the running costs.He must pay PS100 every time the Porsche needs an oil change, and $1,000 for a routine service. Steven, however, still has some way to go before matching the achievement of Canadian Kyle MacDonald, who became famous four years ago for turning a single red paperclip into a two-storey farmhouse through a series of trade. What's the order of Steven's swapping process? _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "He took on heavy responsibilities at a young age.", "He could always get real bargains.", "He has made some progress and is promising.", "He has spent too much time bargaining." ], "question": "For most teenagers, swapping an old mobile phone with a friend for the latest album or movie ticket might be considered a good trade.But 17-year-old Steven Ortiz set his sights a little higher, and -- after a series of swaps -- is now driving himself to school in a Porsche.The youngster started exchanging items two years ago after a schoolmate gave him an unwanted phone.Through a series of online swaps, Steven worked his way up through newer phones, laptop computers, and street bikes before landing the prized Porsche. Steven developed a love for online trading long before taking up the swaps that led to the Porsche.As a young teenager, he would buy his friends' unwanted mobile phones for around PS20, clean them up and sell them over the Internet for three times that amount. His father, Esteban Ortiz, said Steven was also useful to have around when the family needed something like a new washing machine, as he would use his nose for a bargain to pick up somebody's discarded appliance for next to nothing and fix it up cheaply.\"I think this is teaching him something.I want him to go to college, and make something of his life.He is learning the value of things, responsibility and negotiation skills.\" Steven got his first car at 15, but he was too young to drive, so he traded for a golf cart before moving back into cars when he got his license a year ago.Steven said swapping the Bronco, worth about PS10,000 at the time, for the Porsche was actually a trade down because the car was valued at PS6,000.Another downside is the running costs.He must pay PS100 every time the Porsche needs an oil change, and $1,000 for a routine service. Steven, however, still has some way to go before matching the achievement of Canadian Kyle MacDonald, who became famous four years ago for turning a single red paperclip into a two-storey farmhouse through a series of trade. What does Steven's father think of him? _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "it was a loss as a matter of fact", "he was too young to drive it", "the running costs of both are very high ks5u", "he gained much profit from it" ], "question": "For most teenagers, swapping an old mobile phone with a friend for the latest album or movie ticket might be considered a good trade.But 17-year-old Steven Ortiz set his sights a little higher, and -- after a series of swaps -- is now driving himself to school in a Porsche.The youngster started exchanging items two years ago after a schoolmate gave him an unwanted phone.Through a series of online swaps, Steven worked his way up through newer phones, laptop computers, and street bikes before landing the prized Porsche. Steven developed a love for online trading long before taking up the swaps that led to the Porsche.As a young teenager, he would buy his friends' unwanted mobile phones for around PS20, clean them up and sell them over the Internet for three times that amount. His father, Esteban Ortiz, said Steven was also useful to have around when the family needed something like a new washing machine, as he would use his nose for a bargain to pick up somebody's discarded appliance for next to nothing and fix it up cheaply.\"I think this is teaching him something.I want him to go to college, and make something of his life.He is learning the value of things, responsibility and negotiation skills.\" Steven got his first car at 15, but he was too young to drive, so he traded for a golf cart before moving back into cars when he got his license a year ago.Steven said swapping the Bronco, worth about PS10,000 at the time, for the Porsche was actually a trade down because the car was valued at PS6,000.Another downside is the running costs.He must pay PS100 every time the Porsche needs an oil change, and $1,000 for a routine service. Steven, however, still has some way to go before matching the achievement of Canadian Kyle MacDonald, who became famous four years ago for turning a single red paperclip into a two-storey farmhouse through a series of trade. In terms of swapping the Bronco for the Porsche, Steven thought that _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "A schoolmate encouraged Steven to trade online.", "Steven learned a lot from his father's negotiation skills.", "Steven got his driving license before trading his first car.", "Kyle MacDonald was more successful than Steven in terms of swapping." ], "question": "For most teenagers, swapping an old mobile phone with a friend for the latest album or movie ticket might be considered a good trade.But 17-year-old Steven Ortiz set his sights a little higher, and -- after a series of swaps -- is now driving himself to school in a Porsche.The youngster started exchanging items two years ago after a schoolmate gave him an unwanted phone.Through a series of online swaps, Steven worked his way up through newer phones, laptop computers, and street bikes before landing the prized Porsche. Steven developed a love for online trading long before taking up the swaps that led to the Porsche.As a young teenager, he would buy his friends' unwanted mobile phones for around PS20, clean them up and sell them over the Internet for three times that amount. His father, Esteban Ortiz, said Steven was also useful to have around when the family needed something like a new washing machine, as he would use his nose for a bargain to pick up somebody's discarded appliance for next to nothing and fix it up cheaply.\"I think this is teaching him something.I want him to go to college, and make something of his life.He is learning the value of things, responsibility and negotiation skills.\" Steven got his first car at 15, but he was too young to drive, so he traded for a golf cart before moving back into cars when he got his license a year ago.Steven said swapping the Bronco, worth about PS10,000 at the time, for the Porsche was actually a trade down because the car was valued at PS6,000.Another downside is the running costs.He must pay PS100 every time the Porsche needs an oil change, and $1,000 for a routine service. Steven, however, still has some way to go before matching the achievement of Canadian Kyle MacDonald, who became famous four years ago for turning a single red paperclip into a two-storey farmhouse through a series of trade. What can be inferred from the passage? _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "Text messaging,", "Net chatting.", "Telephoning.", "Letter writing." ], "question": "Directions: Read the following four passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are 4 choices marked A,B,C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage. I've always known that my son uses his cellphone a lot, but his cellphone bill last month really got my attention, He had received nearly 2,000 text messages ,and had sent nearly as many. Of course, he was out of school for the summer, and communicating more with friends who were far away. However ,I had to wonder how he found time to keep a summer job and complete a summer course in between all that typing with his thumb. I was even more surprised to learn that my son is normal. Teenagers with cellphones send and receive an average of 2. 272 text messages a month, Nielsen Mobile says, author of a book called The Dumbest Geheraiion: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes( ) Our Future Some experts say that all that text messaging is making our children stupid, and unable to read nonverbal cues such as facial expressions, gestures, postures and other silent signals of mood and attitude. \"Unlike telephoning, text messaging doesn't even allow tones or pauses to be sent to others,\" says Mark Bauerlein Beyond that ,though, I'm not sure I see as much harm as critics of the trend do. I've written before on how I initially tried to control my sons texting. But over time, I've seen that my son suffers no apparent bad effects, and that he gains a big benefit of easy and continuing contact with many friends. Also, the time he spends texting replaces the hours teenagers used to spend on the phone; he dislikes talking on the phone ,and says he really doesn't need to do so to stay in touch. I don't think texting makes children stupid. It may make them annoying, when they try to text and talk to you. And it may distract them from math problems or what they have to do for school. I don't see that texting harms the ability of teenagers to communicate, either. My son is as good at interpreting nonverbal cues as any of the older members of our family. If anything , I've found him more engaged and easier to communicate with from a distance ,since he's constantly available through texting, and responds with faithfulness and speed that any mother would find reassuring . Which of the following may Mark Bauerlein encourage children to use more?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "It didn't harm her son's ability to communicate.", "It didn't make her son stupid.", "Her son didn't spend much time on the phone.", "Her son didn't seem to suffer any bad effects from it." ], "question": "Directions: Read the following four passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are 4 choices marked A,B,C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage. I've always known that my son uses his cellphone a lot, but his cellphone bill last month really got my attention, He had received nearly 2,000 text messages ,and had sent nearly as many. Of course, he was out of school for the summer, and communicating more with friends who were far away. However ,I had to wonder how he found time to keep a summer job and complete a summer course in between all that typing with his thumb. I was even more surprised to learn that my son is normal. Teenagers with cellphones send and receive an average of 2. 272 text messages a month, Nielsen Mobile says, author of a book called The Dumbest Geheraiion: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes( ) Our Future Some experts say that all that text messaging is making our children stupid, and unable to read nonverbal cues such as facial expressions, gestures, postures and other silent signals of mood and attitude. \"Unlike telephoning, text messaging doesn't even allow tones or pauses to be sent to others,\" says Mark Bauerlein Beyond that ,though, I'm not sure I see as much harm as critics of the trend do. I've written before on how I initially tried to control my sons texting. But over time, I've seen that my son suffers no apparent bad effects, and that he gains a big benefit of easy and continuing contact with many friends. Also, the time he spends texting replaces the hours teenagers used to spend on the phone; he dislikes talking on the phone ,and says he really doesn't need to do so to stay in touch. I don't think texting makes children stupid. It may make them annoying, when they try to text and talk to you. And it may distract them from math problems or what they have to do for school. I don't see that texting harms the ability of teenagers to communicate, either. My son is as good at interpreting nonverbal cues as any of the older members of our family. If anything , I've found him more engaged and easier to communicate with from a distance ,since he's constantly available through texting, and responds with faithfulness and speed that any mother would find reassuring . What was the main reason the author changed her mind about her son's texting?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "She has seen some harm being done by text messaging, but not much.", "She often uses text messages to keep in touch with her son.", "She will do something to limit her son's cellphone use.", "She will try to find out how text messaging makes children stupid." ], "question": "Directions: Read the following four passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are 4 choices marked A,B,C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage. I've always known that my son uses his cellphone a lot, but his cellphone bill last month really got my attention, He had received nearly 2,000 text messages ,and had sent nearly as many. Of course, he was out of school for the summer, and communicating more with friends who were far away. However ,I had to wonder how he found time to keep a summer job and complete a summer course in between all that typing with his thumb. I was even more surprised to learn that my son is normal. Teenagers with cellphones send and receive an average of 2. 272 text messages a month, Nielsen Mobile says, author of a book called The Dumbest Geheraiion: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes( ) Our Future Some experts say that all that text messaging is making our children stupid, and unable to read nonverbal cues such as facial expressions, gestures, postures and other silent signals of mood and attitude. \"Unlike telephoning, text messaging doesn't even allow tones or pauses to be sent to others,\" says Mark Bauerlein Beyond that ,though, I'm not sure I see as much harm as critics of the trend do. I've written before on how I initially tried to control my sons texting. But over time, I've seen that my son suffers no apparent bad effects, and that he gains a big benefit of easy and continuing contact with many friends. Also, the time he spends texting replaces the hours teenagers used to spend on the phone; he dislikes talking on the phone ,and says he really doesn't need to do so to stay in touch. I don't think texting makes children stupid. It may make them annoying, when they try to text and talk to you. And it may distract them from math problems or what they have to do for school. I don't see that texting harms the ability of teenagers to communicate, either. My son is as good at interpreting nonverbal cues as any of the older members of our family. If anything , I've found him more engaged and easier to communicate with from a distance ,since he's constantly available through texting, and responds with faithfulness and speed that any mother would find reassuring . What can we infer from the passage?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "Use of text messages has both advantages and disadvantages.", "Some suggestions on encouraging children to use text messages.", "Some good changes of her son after using a cellphone.", "Text messaging is actually beneficial to children;" ], "question": "Directions: Read the following four passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are 4 choices marked A,B,C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage. I've always known that my son uses his cellphone a lot, but his cellphone bill last month really got my attention, He had received nearly 2,000 text messages ,and had sent nearly as many. Of course, he was out of school for the summer, and communicating more with friends who were far away. However ,I had to wonder how he found time to keep a summer job and complete a summer course in between all that typing with his thumb. I was even more surprised to learn that my son is normal. Teenagers with cellphones send and receive an average of 2. 272 text messages a month, Nielsen Mobile says, author of a book called The Dumbest Geheraiion: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes( ) Our Future Some experts say that all that text messaging is making our children stupid, and unable to read nonverbal cues such as facial expressions, gestures, postures and other silent signals of mood and attitude. \"Unlike telephoning, text messaging doesn't even allow tones or pauses to be sent to others,\" says Mark Bauerlein Beyond that ,though, I'm not sure I see as much harm as critics of the trend do. I've written before on how I initially tried to control my sons texting. But over time, I've seen that my son suffers no apparent bad effects, and that he gains a big benefit of easy and continuing contact with many friends. Also, the time he spends texting replaces the hours teenagers used to spend on the phone; he dislikes talking on the phone ,and says he really doesn't need to do so to stay in touch. I don't think texting makes children stupid. It may make them annoying, when they try to text and talk to you. And it may distract them from math problems or what they have to do for school. I don't see that texting harms the ability of teenagers to communicate, either. My son is as good at interpreting nonverbal cues as any of the older members of our family. If anything , I've found him more engaged and easier to communicate with from a distance ,since he's constantly available through texting, and responds with faithfulness and speed that any mother would find reassuring . What does the author want to tell us?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "People take the holiday to avoid modern entertainment.", "People go on an adventurous sailing like Robinson Crusoe.", "People take the holiday to learn to be a skillful fisherman.", "People take the holiday on a place without any basic living facilities." ], "question": "What's life like on a deserted island? Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona decided to find out. The adventurous senator took a vacation from Capitol Hill and went on a four-day Robinson Crusoe style holiday with his two teenage sons to a remote, uninhabited island in the North Pacific Ocean. The senator and his sons, 15-year-old Tanner and 13-year-old Dallin, traveled 5,200 miles from Phoenix, Arizona to the island of Biggarenn. They didn't carry any food or water. The island is part of the Marshall Islands. It offered no basic facilities, so the Flakes had to catch and cook their own food and purify their water. Their diet was made up of coconuts, crab and fish. They captured the crab and fish themselves and cooked the food over an open fire started with a magnifying glass . The Flakes brought along a lobster trap in hopes of having some delicious treats, but lost it within the first few hours after it was attacked by a shark. They also carried two pumps to remove salt from ocean water. It took them hours each night pumping for just a few gallons of fresh water. One of the most memorable moments of the trip, the father said, was when he and his 15-year-old son were chased by sharks after spearing a fish in the ocean. Still, it was quite an enjoyable holiday for the senator. \"For a dad it was a wonderful thing. No video games around, no television, no distractions, no texting,\" Flake recalled. What's a Robinson Crusoe style holiday like?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "On a hill.", "On an island.", "In the ocean.", "In a desert." ], "question": "What's life like on a deserted island? Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona decided to find out. The adventurous senator took a vacation from Capitol Hill and went on a four-day Robinson Crusoe style holiday with his two teenage sons to a remote, uninhabited island in the North Pacific Ocean. The senator and his sons, 15-year-old Tanner and 13-year-old Dallin, traveled 5,200 miles from Phoenix, Arizona to the island of Biggarenn. They didn't carry any food or water. The island is part of the Marshall Islands. It offered no basic facilities, so the Flakes had to catch and cook their own food and purify their water. Their diet was made up of coconuts, crab and fish. They captured the crab and fish themselves and cooked the food over an open fire started with a magnifying glass . The Flakes brought along a lobster trap in hopes of having some delicious treats, but lost it within the first few hours after it was attacked by a shark. They also carried two pumps to remove salt from ocean water. It took them hours each night pumping for just a few gallons of fresh water. One of the most memorable moments of the trip, the father said, was when he and his 15-year-old son were chased by sharks after spearing a fish in the ocean. Still, it was quite an enjoyable holiday for the senator. \"For a dad it was a wonderful thing. No video games around, no television, no distractions, no texting,\" Flake recalled. Where did the Flakes take their holiday?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "coconuts", "crab", "fish", "lobster" ], "question": "What's life like on a deserted island? Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona decided to find out. The adventurous senator took a vacation from Capitol Hill and went on a four-day Robinson Crusoe style holiday with his two teenage sons to a remote, uninhabited island in the North Pacific Ocean. The senator and his sons, 15-year-old Tanner and 13-year-old Dallin, traveled 5,200 miles from Phoenix, Arizona to the island of Biggarenn. They didn't carry any food or water. The island is part of the Marshall Islands. It offered no basic facilities, so the Flakes had to catch and cook their own food and purify their water. Their diet was made up of coconuts, crab and fish. They captured the crab and fish themselves and cooked the food over an open fire started with a magnifying glass . The Flakes brought along a lobster trap in hopes of having some delicious treats, but lost it within the first few hours after it was attacked by a shark. They also carried two pumps to remove salt from ocean water. It took them hours each night pumping for just a few gallons of fresh water. One of the most memorable moments of the trip, the father said, was when he and his 15-year-old son were chased by sharks after spearing a fish in the ocean. Still, it was quite an enjoyable holiday for the senator. \"For a dad it was a wonderful thing. No video games around, no television, no distractions, no texting,\" Flake recalled. They might have had all the things EXCEPT _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "The purified sea water.", "Water from the river.", "The running water nearby.", "Water they brought from home." ], "question": "What's life like on a deserted island? Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona decided to find out. The adventurous senator took a vacation from Capitol Hill and went on a four-day Robinson Crusoe style holiday with his two teenage sons to a remote, uninhabited island in the North Pacific Ocean. The senator and his sons, 15-year-old Tanner and 13-year-old Dallin, traveled 5,200 miles from Phoenix, Arizona to the island of Biggarenn. They didn't carry any food or water. The island is part of the Marshall Islands. It offered no basic facilities, so the Flakes had to catch and cook their own food and purify their water. Their diet was made up of coconuts, crab and fish. They captured the crab and fish themselves and cooked the food over an open fire started with a magnifying glass . The Flakes brought along a lobster trap in hopes of having some delicious treats, but lost it within the first few hours after it was attacked by a shark. They also carried two pumps to remove salt from ocean water. It took them hours each night pumping for just a few gallons of fresh water. One of the most memorable moments of the trip, the father said, was when he and his 15-year-old son were chased by sharks after spearing a fish in the ocean. Still, it was quite an enjoyable holiday for the senator. \"For a dad it was a wonderful thing. No video games around, no television, no distractions, no texting,\" Flake recalled. What kind of water did they drink?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "Being unable to make a fire.", "Being unable to get fresh water.", "Being chased by sharks.", "Being unable to meet people." ], "question": "What's life like on a deserted island? Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona decided to find out. The adventurous senator took a vacation from Capitol Hill and went on a four-day Robinson Crusoe style holiday with his two teenage sons to a remote, uninhabited island in the North Pacific Ocean. The senator and his sons, 15-year-old Tanner and 13-year-old Dallin, traveled 5,200 miles from Phoenix, Arizona to the island of Biggarenn. They didn't carry any food or water. The island is part of the Marshall Islands. It offered no basic facilities, so the Flakes had to catch and cook their own food and purify their water. Their diet was made up of coconuts, crab and fish. They captured the crab and fish themselves and cooked the food over an open fire started with a magnifying glass . The Flakes brought along a lobster trap in hopes of having some delicious treats, but lost it within the first few hours after it was attacked by a shark. They also carried two pumps to remove salt from ocean water. It took them hours each night pumping for just a few gallons of fresh water. One of the most memorable moments of the trip, the father said, was when he and his 15-year-old son were chased by sharks after spearing a fish in the ocean. Still, it was quite an enjoyable holiday for the senator. \"For a dad it was a wonderful thing. No video games around, no television, no distractions, no texting,\" Flake recalled. What was probably the most difficult period for the Flakes during the holiday?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "Because he can help to solve crime.", "Because three or four is better than six or seven.", "Because the young criminals have a hard life on the road.", "Because he can stop crime in the country." ], "question": "Americans think that travel is good for you. Some even think it can help to solve one of the country ' s worst problems ~: crime . Crime worries a lot of people. Every year, the number of crimes is up and up. And many criminals are young. They often come from sad homes, with only one parent or no parents at all. There are many young criminals in prison,but prison doesn ' t change them. Six or seven in ten will go back to crime when they come out of prison. One man ,Bob Burton, thought of a new idea. In the old days, young men had to live a difficult life on the road. They learned to be strong and brave, and to help their friends to be strong and brave, and to help their friends in time of danger. This helped them grow into men. So Bob Burton started \"Vision Quest. \" He takes young criminals on a long ,long journey with horses and wagons , 3,000 miles through seven states. They are on the road for more than a year. The young people in Vision Quest all have bad problems. Most of them have already spent time in prison. This is their last chance. It's hard work on the road. The day starts before the sun comes up. The boys and girls have to feed the horses. Some of them have never loved anyone before but they love their horses. That love can help them to live a new life. Not all the young people on Vision Quest will leave crime behind them. Three or four in ten will one day be in prison again. Bob Burton is right. Travel can be good for you. Even today, Americans still say, \" Go west, young men. \" Why is Bob Burton right?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "getting up before the sun rises can help out of crime", "we can hardly find a person who has no love for anybody or anything", "travelling can help all criminals out of prison", "young people can do anything freely" ], "question": "Americans think that travel is good for you. Some even think it can help to solve one of the country ' s worst problems ~: crime . Crime worries a lot of people. Every year, the number of crimes is up and up. And many criminals are young. They often come from sad homes, with only one parent or no parents at all. There are many young criminals in prison,but prison doesn ' t change them. Six or seven in ten will go back to crime when they come out of prison. One man ,Bob Burton, thought of a new idea. In the old days, young men had to live a difficult life on the road. They learned to be strong and brave, and to help their friends to be strong and brave, and to help their friends in time of danger. This helped them grow into men. So Bob Burton started \"Vision Quest. \" He takes young criminals on a long ,long journey with horses and wagons , 3,000 miles through seven states. They are on the road for more than a year. The young people in Vision Quest all have bad problems. Most of them have already spent time in prison. This is their last chance. It's hard work on the road. The day starts before the sun comes up. The boys and girls have to feed the horses. Some of them have never loved anyone before but they love their horses. That love can help them to live a new life. Not all the young people on Vision Quest will leave crime behind them. Three or four in ten will one day be in prison again. Bob Burton is right. Travel can be good for you. Even today, Americans still say, \" Go west, young men. \" Form the passage we may infer that .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "young people have bad problems", "young people grow tall very fast", "young people often help their friends in time of danger", "all of the above" ], "question": "Americans think that travel is good for you. Some even think it can help to solve one of the country ' s worst problems ~: crime . Crime worries a lot of people. Every year, the number of crimes is up and up. And many criminals are young. They often come from sad homes, with only one parent or no parents at all. There are many young criminals in prison,but prison doesn ' t change them. Six or seven in ten will go back to crime when they come out of prison. One man ,Bob Burton, thought of a new idea. In the old days, young men had to live a difficult life on the road. They learned to be strong and brave, and to help their friends to be strong and brave, and to help their friends in time of danger. This helped them grow into men. So Bob Burton started \"Vision Quest. \" He takes young criminals on a long ,long journey with horses and wagons , 3,000 miles through seven states. They are on the road for more than a year. The young people in Vision Quest all have bad problems. Most of them have already spent time in prison. This is their last chance. It's hard work on the road. The day starts before the sun comes up. The boys and girls have to feed the horses. Some of them have never loved anyone before but they love their horses. That love can help them to live a new life. Not all the young people on Vision Quest will leave crime behind them. Three or four in ten will one day be in prison again. Bob Burton is right. Travel can be good for you. Even today, Americans still say, \" Go west, young men. \" _ On \" Vision Quest\" .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "if they go west they can have a travel", "in the west there is a prison", "there they have to live a hard life to grow into men", "prison doesn't change them" ], "question": "Americans think that travel is good for you. Some even think it can help to solve one of the country ' s worst problems ~: crime . Crime worries a lot of people. Every year, the number of crimes is up and up. And many criminals are young. They often come from sad homes, with only one parent or no parents at all. There are many young criminals in prison,but prison doesn ' t change them. Six or seven in ten will go back to crime when they come out of prison. One man ,Bob Burton, thought of a new idea. In the old days, young men had to live a difficult life on the road. They learned to be strong and brave, and to help their friends to be strong and brave, and to help their friends in time of danger. This helped them grow into men. So Bob Burton started \"Vision Quest. \" He takes young criminals on a long ,long journey with horses and wagons , 3,000 miles through seven states. They are on the road for more than a year. The young people in Vision Quest all have bad problems. Most of them have already spent time in prison. This is their last chance. It's hard work on the road. The day starts before the sun comes up. The boys and girls have to feed the horses. Some of them have never loved anyone before but they love their horses. That love can help them to live a new life. Not all the young people on Vision Quest will leave crime behind them. Three or four in ten will one day be in prison again. Bob Burton is right. Travel can be good for you. Even today, Americans still say, \" Go west, young men. \" Americans still say, \"Go west, young men. \"because .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "It has no tail at all.", "It has a long beak.", "Its feathers are thick and brown.", "There are nostrils at the end of its beak." ], "question": "The kiwi bird The kiwi bird is a flightless bird,about the size of a chicken. It sleeps during the day and is active at nighttime. It has a long beak that is onethird the length of its body, and its beak actually has nostrils at the end. The kiwi is the only bird with this feature. Another unique feature of the kiwi is that it has no tail. It has thick brown hairlike feathers. This bird has many physical features unlike any other bird on earth. Kiwi birds have been called a genetic leftover. Their characteristics seem very odd to us probably due to the fact that they haven't evolved much at all. They are suspected to be about 8 million years old. That's 7 million years older than humans. Due to New Zealand's isolated environment, it has been safe from predators and hasn't needed to do much adapting. They just hang around. With its long beak, the kiwi digs up and chows down on worms. A kiwi is almost blind; it can see about six feet at night and around two feet during the day,so when it comes to hunting the kiwi is not well equipped.It uses the nostrils on its beak to find its food and then picks up the worms with its beak. The kiwi bird is native of New Zealand.It is the island country's national bird, and is rare anywhere but here and a few Pacific island neighbors. Of course,it is available for viewing at certain zoos.It has stayed in its native land due to the facts that it is an isolated island and that kiwis can't fly. Kiwi birds are extremely unique in the bird world. Though they are the size of chickens, they lay eggs the size of ostrich eggs, weighing around a pound each.Their enormous eggs are the largest in the bird world, compared to their bodies. These birds were named after their distinctive shrill cry \"keewee keewee\". Which of the following is NOT the distinctive feature of the kiwi bird?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "the climate is mild", "they have no enemy", "something is wrong with their genes", "they have adapted to living on the island" ], "question": "The kiwi bird The kiwi bird is a flightless bird,about the size of a chicken. It sleeps during the day and is active at nighttime. It has a long beak that is onethird the length of its body, and its beak actually has nostrils at the end. The kiwi is the only bird with this feature. Another unique feature of the kiwi is that it has no tail. It has thick brown hairlike feathers. This bird has many physical features unlike any other bird on earth. Kiwi birds have been called a genetic leftover. Their characteristics seem very odd to us probably due to the fact that they haven't evolved much at all. They are suspected to be about 8 million years old. That's 7 million years older than humans. Due to New Zealand's isolated environment, it has been safe from predators and hasn't needed to do much adapting. They just hang around. With its long beak, the kiwi digs up and chows down on worms. A kiwi is almost blind; it can see about six feet at night and around two feet during the day,so when it comes to hunting the kiwi is not well equipped.It uses the nostrils on its beak to find its food and then picks up the worms with its beak. The kiwi bird is native of New Zealand.It is the island country's national bird, and is rare anywhere but here and a few Pacific island neighbors. Of course,it is available for viewing at certain zoos.It has stayed in its native land due to the facts that it is an isolated island and that kiwis can't fly. Kiwi birds are extremely unique in the bird world. Though they are the size of chickens, they lay eggs the size of ostrich eggs, weighing around a pound each.Their enormous eggs are the largest in the bird world, compared to their bodies. These birds were named after their distinctive shrill cry \"keewee keewee\". Kiwi birds haven't evolved much over the past 8 million years probably because _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "Its long beak.", "Its eyes.", "The nostrils.", "Its tail" ], "question": "The kiwi bird The kiwi bird is a flightless bird,about the size of a chicken. It sleeps during the day and is active at nighttime. It has a long beak that is onethird the length of its body, and its beak actually has nostrils at the end. The kiwi is the only bird with this feature. Another unique feature of the kiwi is that it has no tail. It has thick brown hairlike feathers. This bird has many physical features unlike any other bird on earth. Kiwi birds have been called a genetic leftover. Their characteristics seem very odd to us probably due to the fact that they haven't evolved much at all. They are suspected to be about 8 million years old. That's 7 million years older than humans. Due to New Zealand's isolated environment, it has been safe from predators and hasn't needed to do much adapting. They just hang around. With its long beak, the kiwi digs up and chows down on worms. A kiwi is almost blind; it can see about six feet at night and around two feet during the day,so when it comes to hunting the kiwi is not well equipped.It uses the nostrils on its beak to find its food and then picks up the worms with its beak. The kiwi bird is native of New Zealand.It is the island country's national bird, and is rare anywhere but here and a few Pacific island neighbors. Of course,it is available for viewing at certain zoos.It has stayed in its native land due to the facts that it is an isolated island and that kiwis can't fly. Kiwi birds are extremely unique in the bird world. Though they are the size of chickens, they lay eggs the size of ostrich eggs, weighing around a pound each.Their enormous eggs are the largest in the bird world, compared to their bodies. These birds were named after their distinctive shrill cry \"keewee keewee\". What plays a key role in looking for food?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "the large size of their eggs", "the food they feed on", "their appearance", "their unique cry" ], "question": "The kiwi bird The kiwi bird is a flightless bird,about the size of a chicken. It sleeps during the day and is active at nighttime. It has a long beak that is onethird the length of its body, and its beak actually has nostrils at the end. The kiwi is the only bird with this feature. Another unique feature of the kiwi is that it has no tail. It has thick brown hairlike feathers. This bird has many physical features unlike any other bird on earth. Kiwi birds have been called a genetic leftover. Their characteristics seem very odd to us probably due to the fact that they haven't evolved much at all. They are suspected to be about 8 million years old. That's 7 million years older than humans. Due to New Zealand's isolated environment, it has been safe from predators and hasn't needed to do much adapting. They just hang around. With its long beak, the kiwi digs up and chows down on worms. A kiwi is almost blind; it can see about six feet at night and around two feet during the day,so when it comes to hunting the kiwi is not well equipped.It uses the nostrils on its beak to find its food and then picks up the worms with its beak. The kiwi bird is native of New Zealand.It is the island country's national bird, and is rare anywhere but here and a few Pacific island neighbors. Of course,it is available for viewing at certain zoos.It has stayed in its native land due to the facts that it is an isolated island and that kiwis can't fly. Kiwi birds are extremely unique in the bird world. Though they are the size of chickens, they lay eggs the size of ostrich eggs, weighing around a pound each.Their enormous eggs are the largest in the bird world, compared to their bodies. These birds were named after their distinctive shrill cry \"keewee keewee\". Kiwi birds got their name from _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "They wanted to give their son the best education.", "They wanted their son to receive the best treatment.", "They weren't used to life in India or Australia.", "They wanted their son to go to Stanford University." ], "question": "When Siva Kalyan was born, his backbone was deformed resulting in a lifelong difficulty in walking. But that hasn't stopped the nine-year-old from becoming a prodigy . Until he was three-and-a-half years old, Siva could not even crawl. Wanting the best treatment for their son, Siva's parents moved with him from India to Australia and later to the USA. In the USA, his parents enrolled him in the second grade based on his age. But his teachers soon realized they had a genius. Siva was then tested for the eighth grade, but it was soon found out that he was actually qualified for college courses. As one advanced course was not enough, the brilliant boy is now taking two courses from Stanford University. Due to the treatment he received, Siva's physical condition has improved as well. But none of _ \"just happened\". It was his parents' understanding and correct guidance, and the loving care of his grandparents that contributed to the growth of the genius. Siva's highly educated and hardworking family has brought him up on the basis of certain principles. The family believes that once a strong foundation is built for the child in English and mathematics, the child is equipped to master any other subject, law, history, or engineering. It is equally important to recognize the strengths of a child rather than forcing the child to do things that he may not want to do. Siva's parents helped. Siva focus his energies on his strength, which is mathematics. At the same time they took care to see that he had friends to play with and enjoyed a few recreational activities. The only activity that's restricted for Siva is viewing television. Siva watches TV only for 30 minutes a day and video games are a bonus for special occasions. Thanks to his mother who is a singer, Siva has also learned music and even won the first and second prize at two competitions. In sports, he likes to swim. He began to learn swimming to strengthen his muscles, and by the age of eight he was able to swim a kilometer in both the backstroke and the freestyle. Why did Siva's parents move to the USA?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 1, "choices": [ "English and mathematics are easier to learn than other subjects", "it is important to recognize the strengths of a child", "a child must learn English rather than law or history", "forcing a child to do things is also quite important" ], "question": "When Siva Kalyan was born, his backbone was deformed resulting in a lifelong difficulty in walking. But that hasn't stopped the nine-year-old from becoming a prodigy . Until he was three-and-a-half years old, Siva could not even crawl. Wanting the best treatment for their son, Siva's parents moved with him from India to Australia and later to the USA. In the USA, his parents enrolled him in the second grade based on his age. But his teachers soon realized they had a genius. Siva was then tested for the eighth grade, but it was soon found out that he was actually qualified for college courses. As one advanced course was not enough, the brilliant boy is now taking two courses from Stanford University. Due to the treatment he received, Siva's physical condition has improved as well. But none of _ \"just happened\". It was his parents' understanding and correct guidance, and the loving care of his grandparents that contributed to the growth of the genius. Siva's highly educated and hardworking family has brought him up on the basis of certain principles. The family believes that once a strong foundation is built for the child in English and mathematics, the child is equipped to master any other subject, law, history, or engineering. It is equally important to recognize the strengths of a child rather than forcing the child to do things that he may not want to do. Siva's parents helped. Siva focus his energies on his strength, which is mathematics. At the same time they took care to see that he had friends to play with and enjoyed a few recreational activities. The only activity that's restricted for Siva is viewing television. Siva watches TV only for 30 minutes a day and video games are a bonus for special occasions. Thanks to his mother who is a singer, Siva has also learned music and even won the first and second prize at two competitions. In sports, he likes to swim. He began to learn swimming to strengthen his muscles, and by the age of eight he was able to swim a kilometer in both the backstroke and the freestyle. The family believes that _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "He is really good at mathematics.", "He has no friends to play with.", "He is not allowed to play video games.", "He learned swimming from his mother." ], "question": "When Siva Kalyan was born, his backbone was deformed resulting in a lifelong difficulty in walking. But that hasn't stopped the nine-year-old from becoming a prodigy . Until he was three-and-a-half years old, Siva could not even crawl. Wanting the best treatment for their son, Siva's parents moved with him from India to Australia and later to the USA. In the USA, his parents enrolled him in the second grade based on his age. But his teachers soon realized they had a genius. Siva was then tested for the eighth grade, but it was soon found out that he was actually qualified for college courses. As one advanced course was not enough, the brilliant boy is now taking two courses from Stanford University. Due to the treatment he received, Siva's physical condition has improved as well. But none of _ \"just happened\". It was his parents' understanding and correct guidance, and the loving care of his grandparents that contributed to the growth of the genius. Siva's highly educated and hardworking family has brought him up on the basis of certain principles. The family believes that once a strong foundation is built for the child in English and mathematics, the child is equipped to master any other subject, law, history, or engineering. It is equally important to recognize the strengths of a child rather than forcing the child to do things that he may not want to do. Siva's parents helped. Siva focus his energies on his strength, which is mathematics. At the same time they took care to see that he had friends to play with and enjoyed a few recreational activities. The only activity that's restricted for Siva is viewing television. Siva watches TV only for 30 minutes a day and video games are a bonus for special occasions. Thanks to his mother who is a singer, Siva has also learned music and even won the first and second prize at two competitions. In sports, he likes to swim. He began to learn swimming to strengthen his muscles, and by the age of eight he was able to swim a kilometer in both the backstroke and the freestyle. What can we learn about Siva?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "the growth of a disabled child prodigy", "certain principles to bring up a child", "the special ways to train a genius", "the influence of parents on their child" ], "question": "When Siva Kalyan was born, his backbone was deformed resulting in a lifelong difficulty in walking. But that hasn't stopped the nine-year-old from becoming a prodigy . Until he was three-and-a-half years old, Siva could not even crawl. Wanting the best treatment for their son, Siva's parents moved with him from India to Australia and later to the USA. In the USA, his parents enrolled him in the second grade based on his age. But his teachers soon realized they had a genius. Siva was then tested for the eighth grade, but it was soon found out that he was actually qualified for college courses. As one advanced course was not enough, the brilliant boy is now taking two courses from Stanford University. Due to the treatment he received, Siva's physical condition has improved as well. But none of _ \"just happened\". It was his parents' understanding and correct guidance, and the loving care of his grandparents that contributed to the growth of the genius. Siva's highly educated and hardworking family has brought him up on the basis of certain principles. The family believes that once a strong foundation is built for the child in English and mathematics, the child is equipped to master any other subject, law, history, or engineering. It is equally important to recognize the strengths of a child rather than forcing the child to do things that he may not want to do. Siva's parents helped. Siva focus his energies on his strength, which is mathematics. At the same time they took care to see that he had friends to play with and enjoyed a few recreational activities. The only activity that's restricted for Siva is viewing television. Siva watches TV only for 30 minutes a day and video games are a bonus for special occasions. Thanks to his mother who is a singer, Siva has also learned music and even won the first and second prize at two competitions. In sports, he likes to swim. He began to learn swimming to strengthen his muscles, and by the age of eight he was able to swim a kilometer in both the backstroke and the freestyle. The text is mainly about _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "their suitcases were too heavy", "the agents wanted to play a joke on them", "they were suspected to carry dangerous objects", "the agents wanted to admire the jewelry inside the suitcases" ], "question": "As jewelry designers,my sister Jodie and I are always traveling for work.We need to go to a lot of shows,so we can't pack lightly and usually bring about four suitcases filled with our work. Most of our stuff is made from heavy materials and metals.So part of the routine for us when we fly is getting stopped by security.Our jewelry sets off the alarms,and we've become accustomed to arriving early to go through private screenings.Most of the time,it's not troublesome. However,on our recent trip to a Paris trade show,we were stopped at security and asked to empty our bags. One of the agents walked over to another agent and they started whispering to each other.Both gentlemen came back,and one of them then told us that it seemed that we were carrying a very dangerous object. My sister and I just said,\"Huh?\"Of course,we were a little concerned,thinking that maybe someone put something dangerous in one of our bags when we weren't looking. One of the agents then started to unpack our bags.I kept asking what he was 1ooking for and then the object in question finally appeared.It was our Cosima necklace.It's a piece of jewelry,with large,metal triangular spikes. My sister and I 1ooked at each other and breathed a huge sigh of relief.We started laughing and explained to the two male agents that it was just a necklace from our collection.not a weapon of mass destruction.They thought we were lying,and one agent kept repeating that he believed it was a weapon. I tried to explain that we were jewelry designers going to a trade show,and this was simply a piece from our collection.But the agents didn't _ it.Then a few women guards came over to assist.One of the women guards was holding an earring up to her ear and another was trying on a ring.Apparently,they liked our stuff. It was only at this point that the male guards gave up.And I think they also got tired of listening to a bunch of women talk about jewelry.They let us through. We took the names of the women agents and sent them a piece of jewelry when we got back to say thanks. The writer and her sister were stopped by the agents because _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "persuade them to buy her jewelry later", "get help from them next time", "show them her talent in designing jewelry", "show them her gratitude for their assistance" ], "question": "As jewelry designers,my sister Jodie and I are always traveling for work.We need to go to a lot of shows,so we can't pack lightly and usually bring about four suitcases filled with our work. Most of our stuff is made from heavy materials and metals.So part of the routine for us when we fly is getting stopped by security.Our jewelry sets off the alarms,and we've become accustomed to arriving early to go through private screenings.Most of the time,it's not troublesome. However,on our recent trip to a Paris trade show,we were stopped at security and asked to empty our bags. One of the agents walked over to another agent and they started whispering to each other.Both gentlemen came back,and one of them then told us that it seemed that we were carrying a very dangerous object. My sister and I just said,\"Huh?\"Of course,we were a little concerned,thinking that maybe someone put something dangerous in one of our bags when we weren't looking. One of the agents then started to unpack our bags.I kept asking what he was 1ooking for and then the object in question finally appeared.It was our Cosima necklace.It's a piece of jewelry,with large,metal triangular spikes. My sister and I 1ooked at each other and breathed a huge sigh of relief.We started laughing and explained to the two male agents that it was just a necklace from our collection.not a weapon of mass destruction.They thought we were lying,and one agent kept repeating that he believed it was a weapon. I tried to explain that we were jewelry designers going to a trade show,and this was simply a piece from our collection.But the agents didn't _ it.Then a few women guards came over to assist.One of the women guards was holding an earring up to her ear and another was trying on a ring.Apparently,they liked our stuff. It was only at this point that the male guards gave up.And I think they also got tired of listening to a bunch of women talk about jewelry.They let us through. We took the names of the women agents and sent them a piece of jewelry when we got back to say thanks. The writer sent the women agents a piece of jewelry in order to _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 0, "choices": [ "Someone put something dangerous in one of the writer's bags.", "The male agents didn't believe the writer at first.", "The female agents liked the jewelry.", "The writer is always travelling on business." ], "question": "As jewelry designers,my sister Jodie and I are always traveling for work.We need to go to a lot of shows,so we can't pack lightly and usually bring about four suitcases filled with our work. Most of our stuff is made from heavy materials and metals.So part of the routine for us when we fly is getting stopped by security.Our jewelry sets off the alarms,and we've become accustomed to arriving early to go through private screenings.Most of the time,it's not troublesome. However,on our recent trip to a Paris trade show,we were stopped at security and asked to empty our bags. One of the agents walked over to another agent and they started whispering to each other.Both gentlemen came back,and one of them then told us that it seemed that we were carrying a very dangerous object. My sister and I just said,\"Huh?\"Of course,we were a little concerned,thinking that maybe someone put something dangerous in one of our bags when we weren't looking. One of the agents then started to unpack our bags.I kept asking what he was 1ooking for and then the object in question finally appeared.It was our Cosima necklace.It's a piece of jewelry,with large,metal triangular spikes. My sister and I 1ooked at each other and breathed a huge sigh of relief.We started laughing and explained to the two male agents that it was just a necklace from our collection.not a weapon of mass destruction.They thought we were lying,and one agent kept repeating that he believed it was a weapon. I tried to explain that we were jewelry designers going to a trade show,and this was simply a piece from our collection.But the agents didn't _ it.Then a few women guards came over to assist.One of the women guards was holding an earring up to her ear and another was trying on a ring.Apparently,they liked our stuff. It was only at this point that the male guards gave up.And I think they also got tired of listening to a bunch of women talk about jewelry.They let us through. We took the names of the women agents and sent them a piece of jewelry when we got back to say thanks. According to this passage,which of the following statements is NOT true?", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 3, "choices": [ "dogs like to live with people", "dogs are easier to be trained", "few dogs can be leaders", "dogs live in groups" ], "question": "A typical day at work for Cesar Millan might include putting on his running shoes and taking a fourhour jog with 40 dogs--large and small, young and old. Amazingly, most of those dogs belong to him. The rest are at the heart of his work; they are troubled dogs sent to Millan to learn good behavior. Obviously Millan, star of the TV show \"Dog Whisperer\" and author of the bestselling book Cesar's Way,has a special gift for working with these animals. Growing up on a farm in Mexico, Millan knew he wanted to work with dogs. His first job, at age 15,was helping a veterinarian .He was so good at calming scared dogs and handling all kinds of situations that people started calling him \"el perrero\", Spanish for \"the dog boy\".Since then, he has built a rewarding career around his favorite animal. \"My grandfather taught me at an early age not to work against nature,\"he explains. In nature, _ . They form a group and follow one leader. Millan's specialty is teaching people to be pack leaders for their dogs. Studying dogs on the farm where he grew up,Millan realized they need lots of exercise to be calm. He explains his approach,\"Exercise and discipline first,and then affection!\"He says a lot of people get it backwards because they don't realize what dogs really need. Therefore, while he trains dogs, he teaches owners to understand that their pets need rules. He's helped famous people like Oprah Winfrey and movie star Will Smith and everyday people too. To find the right career, Millan encourages kids to do what they enjoy. \"A lot of people don't realize I've been working with dogs for more than 20 years--long before my TV show or book. Success followed me because I was following my dream of being the best dog trainer in the world.\" By saying \"dogs are pack animals\"(in Para.4),the author means that _ .", "subject": "" }
{ "answer": 2, "choices": [ "Dogs are quiet animals.", "Dogs should be trained on farms.", "Rules are more important than love in training dogs.", "Famous people have more problems in training dogs." ], "question": "A typical day at work for Cesar Millan might include putting on his running shoes and taking a fourhour jog with 40 dogs--large and small, young and old. Amazingly, most of those dogs belong to him. The rest are at the heart of his work; they are troubled dogs sent to Millan to learn good behavior. Obviously Millan, star of the TV show \"Dog Whisperer\" and author of the bestselling book Cesar's Way,has a special gift for working with these animals. Growing up on a farm in Mexico, Millan knew he wanted to work with dogs. His first job, at age 15,was helping a veterinarian .He was so good at calming scared dogs and handling all kinds of situations that people started calling him \"el perrero\", Spanish for \"the dog boy\".Since then, he has built a rewarding career around his favorite animal. \"My grandfather taught me at an early age not to work against nature,\"he explains. In nature, _ . They form a group and follow one leader. Millan's specialty is teaching people to be pack leaders for their dogs. Studying dogs on the farm where he grew up,Millan realized they need lots of exercise to be calm. He explains his approach,\"Exercise and discipline first,and then affection!\"He says a lot of people get it backwards because they don't realize what dogs really need. Therefore, while he trains dogs, he teaches owners to understand that their pets need rules. He's helped famous people like Oprah Winfrey and movie star Will Smith and everyday people too. To find the right career, Millan encourages kids to do what they enjoy. \"A lot of people don't realize I've been working with dogs for more than 20 years--long before my TV show or book. Success followed me because I was following my dream of being the best dog trainer in the world.\" Which of the following would Millan agree with?", "subject": "" }

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