text
stringlengths
64
6.72k
dataset
stringclasses
1 value
Question: As a teenager in 1972, Bill Gates boasted that he would be a millionaire by the time he was 20. While he did not quite achieve that goal, only 15 years later, he was a millionaire. And by 1992, as head of the Microsoft company, he became the richest man in America with assets of nearly US $ 6.3 billion. Born in Seattle, Washington on 28, October, 1956, Gates was named William Henry after his father and grandfather. From the beginning, he was an extremely energetic and intelligent child. He had read the entire world book encyclopedia by the age of nine. His favorite subjects at school were science and math and his favorite pastime was "thinking". Gates first started to play with computers at the age of 13. Before long he became an expert at working the school's computer. After his graduation from secondary school, Gates was accepted by the three top universities in the USA-Princeton, Harvard and Yale. He chose Harvard and began classes there the next autunm, majoring maths. But he was still obsessed with computers and spent as much time in the computer laboratories as he did in the lecture halls. By 1975, Gates and a partner, Paul Allen, had developed a software program called BASIC. This was not the first program ever created, but its inventors were the first to decide that people who wanted to use it should pay for it. BASIC was a success because until it came along, there had been no efficient way of getting computers to carry out instructions. Although he had not completed his degree, Gates left university and went to work full time for the new company he had formed called Microsoft. His next project was the software program that made him famous and very rich. It was called DOS, short for Disk Operating System, and it was purchased by IBM in 1980. Today it is the operating system used in more than 14 million personal computers around the world. As chief executive officer of Microsoft, Gates is known as a bright man, but one who is not easily satisfied. He is quick to criticize his staff and hates to be questioned about decisions he has made. He was regarded as a loner and unfashionable boring computer nut until his marriage to Microsoft manager Melinda French on New Year's Day 1994. Yet to many people now, Gates, is a person who is, in spite of his great wealth, humble and ordinary. He spends his money carefully. He eats in fast food restaurants and flies economy class. And when praised for Microsoft's great success, he has been heard to say, "All we do is put software in a box and if people see it in the stores and like it, they buy it." Most people think that Bill Gates is _ . A. a crazy person B. a person obsessed with making money C. someone who spends money freely D. a quite common, normal person Answer: D
mmlu
Question: Hi, I'm Sandy. I come from America. I have long hair. I like listening to music and singing. I don't like sports. I often call my friends at the weekend. My name is Jack. My Chinese name is Chen Tao. My eyes are not very good, so I often wear a pair of glasses. I enjoy playing computer games and swimming. I like making friends and I have a Chinese friend. Hello, everyone. I'm Luo Wei. I'm from China. My hair is short. I love running and pets. And I have a lovely dog. My name is Daniel. I come from England. I'm good at Maths. I often help my classmates with their Maths. I'm not very tall. I like playing computer games on the Internet. Would you like to be my friend? Please write e-mails to me. What does Luo Wei like? A. listening to music. B. Swimming. C. Running. D. Singing. Answer: C
mmlu
Question: The Touchstone When the great library of Alexandria burned, the story goes, one book was saved. But it was not a valuable book, and so a poor man, who could read little, bought it for very little money. The book wasn't very interesting, but between its pages there was something very interesting indeed. It was a thin strip of vellum on which was written the secret of the "Touchstone"! The touchstone was a small pebble that could turn any common metal into pure gold. The writing explained that it was lying among thousands and thousands of other pebbles that looked exactly like it. But the secret was this: The real stone would feel warm, while ordinary pebbles are cold. So the man sold his few belongings, bought some simple supplies, camped on the seashore, and began testing pebbles. He knew that if he picked up ordinary pebbles and threw them down again because they were cold, he might pick up the same pebble hundreds of times. So, when he felt one that was cold, he threw it into the sea. He spent a whole day doing this but none of them was the touchstone. Yet he went on and on this way. Pick up a pebble. Cold, throw it into the sea. Pick up another. Throw it into the sea. Pick up another. Throw it into the sea. The days continued over a long period of time. One day, however, about mid-afternoon, he picked up a pebble and it was warm. He threw it into the sea before he realized what he had done. He had formed such a strong habit of throwing each pebble into the sea that when the one he wanted came along he still threw it away. So it is with opportunity. Unless we are careful, it's easy to fail to recognize an opportunity when it is in hand and it's just as easy to throw it away. We can learn from the passage that the touchstone is _ . A. pure B. cold C. magic D. big Answer: C
mmlu
Question: Everyone knows that chickens lay eggs . Most people know that all the other birds do as well. But have you ever thought about other animals that lay eggs? They include bees, snakes and some sea animals. When a mother lays eggs, many more babies can be born at once, or in a few days, because there is very little development inside the parent. Animals that do not lay eggs often have fewer babies. Animals lay many eggs because other animals may eat the babies. However, even though some of their babies are eaten, they will still have some more to continue their family. Some animals that lay eggs do not take care of their young. Turtles come onto the beach and dig holes. Then they put their eggs in the sand and leave. A turtle mother can lay as many as 150 eggs. When the babies come out of the eggs, they must find their own way to the ocean. They must learn how to live on their own. Many young turtles get eaten by other animals. Most eggs have an outside shell that keeps the growing animal inside safe. The egg shell also keeps the young animal from drying out. After the animal is fully developed, it comes out of the egg. The animal grows bigger and bigger. Then it can have its own young. The passage is probably from _ . A. a newspaper B. a science book C. a sports magazine D. a story book Answer: B
mmlu
Question: What do you usually do after class? When class is over , most students in my class go out of the classroom, We have 20 minutes' rest between classes. Look! Most of us are playing during the rest time. Some students are on the playground . They are having a basketball match. Oh, a boy is running with a ball and another boy is trying to stop him. They are so cool. And some girls are watching the match. Some students are still in the classroom. They are talking. A few of them are reading and doing homework. A girl is looking at the birds in the trees, and she has a _ on her face. She is very happy. Where are the teachers? Some of them are working in the office, and some are talking with students. We are all busy and happy. There are _ students in the classroom. A. no B. some C. a lot of D. I don't know. Answer: B
mmlu
Question: There is very simple way of measuring the height of a water-tower, which we cannot measure by climbing. Suppose, for example, that we wish to find out the height of the water-tower, AB, in a factory. We first of all go to where the water-tower is standing and measure a distance of, say, 25 feet from it. Then we take a stick, and stand it in the ground at the spot we have just marked. Let us suppose the stick we are using is 4 feet in height. We now walk farther away from the water -tower in the same straight line as when we measured off the distance of 25 feet. We go from the water-tower until we come to point E, where with our head on the ground, we see the top of the stick and the top of the water-tower in the same height line---that is, the top of the stick just covers the highest part of the water-tower. Every schoolboy can work out the height of the water-tower now. Suppose that the line CE is five feet. We know that the stick is 4 feet high and the distance BE is 30 feet. Thus, 5 is to 4 as 30 is to AB. It is clear from this that the problem can be settled by _ . A. a child B. the boy who has little schooling C. everyone D. a girl at middle school Answer: D
mmlu
Question: E-mail is one of the biggest threats to your home computer. By understanding how E-mail works, and by taking some steps in how you deal with reading and writing messages, you can keep this threat out of your computer. When you exchange E-mail with someone else, the messages sent between you and that person pass through several computer before they reach their places. Imagine this conversation as it is taking place in an Internet "room", a very, very big room. Anyone, or more exactly, any program can probably understand what is being said, because most Internet conversations are not hidden in any way. As a result, others may be listening in, _ what you send, and using it for their own good. E-mail-borne viruses often arrive in attractive, fantastic appearances, much like the beautiful ads we receive by way of traditional mail that is made to sell us something. By beautiful appearances, an infected E-mail message seems to be something we want to read from someone we know, not a mean virus ready to destroy or damage our computers. There are some steps that you can take to help you decide what to do with every E-mail message with an attachment that you receive. You should only read a message that passes all of these tests: 1) The Know Test: Is the E-mail from someone that you know? 2) The Received Test: Have you received E-mail from this sender before? 3) The Expect Test: Were you waiting for E-mail with an attachment from this sender? 4) The Meaning Test: Do the topic line of the E-mail message and the name of the attachment both have meanings? 5) The Virus Test: Is the E-mail infected? As the Internet is open to anyone, we should _ . A. not read and write messages in our home computers B. not allowed nice advertisements to reach our computers C. stop our conversations while someone is listening in it D. be careful with the attractive E-mail sent by strangers Answer: D
mmlu
Question: A young man worked very hard on his lessons. He was too busy to have a rest. One day he found that he couldn't fall asleep at night. As he became ill, he couldn't go to sleep. When he went to bed, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep. But he always failed. After a few days he decided to see a doctor. "I just can't go to sleep at night. What should I do?" he asked. "I have a suggestion," said the doctor. "You can try to count numbers. When you count to one thousand, you will be asleep. I am sure of it. " The next day the man returned to the doctor's office. "Well," said the doctor. "How are you today? Did you try my suggestion?" The man still looked tired. "Yes," he said. "I tried to count one, two, three.. , up to one thousand. But when I counted to five hundred and sixty--nine, I began to feel sleepy. I had to get up and drink some tea so that I could go on counting up to one thousand. But then I still couldn't fall asleep. " The young man counted _ A. from 1 to 569 and got up to drink some tea B. from 1 to 569 and fell asleep C. from 1 to 1,000 and fell asleep D. from 568 to 1,000 Answer: A
mmlu
Question: We may have hosted some difficult house guests once or on even more occasions. Are you still worrying about how to deal with them? Here below are some tips on how to deal with those difficult house guests. You've been waiting an hour to eat breakfast but your guests are still sleeping. "Unless you adjusted a time for breakfast the evening before, let your guests sleep-in and enjoy your breakfast without them. If possible, keep their breakfast warm. Or better yet, when entertaining it's always a good idea to have cold breakfast (as well as lunch, dinner and snack) food on-hand." ----Pamela Eyring,president and director of The Protocol School of Washington Your guest's teenage son is a Facebook addict and hogs your computer all day long. "If you have a guest whose fingers are fixated to your keyboard, kindly let him know that you are expecting work email and give him enough time to finish using it." ----Ummu Bradley Thomas, founder of the Freddie Bell Jones Modeling and Finishing School, Inc. Your couch surfing, unemployed nephew has been here a month and is showing no sign of leaving. "There is nothing wrong with saying 'John, you have been here a month and have not put in any applications. What can I do to help you get your resume together? I would like to make a plan that will assist you in getting back on your feet and allow me to eventually have my extra room back for guests that will soon be arriving.'" ----Diane Gottsman, owner of The Protocol School of Texas Your guests expect you to accompany them to every single tourist attraction in your city. It's tiring and expensive. "If your guests didn't offer to treat you, politely decline and offer to meet them afterwards for dinner or drinks. That way they know you enjoy their company." ----Pamela Eyring, president and director of The Protocol School of Washington You gave your friend a closet shelf for her stuff but her clothes are thrown all over the place. "You should simply say 'I am happy to have you use my closet but your clothes seem to have a mind of their own. Would you mind keeping your clothes on the top shelf? It would make it easier for me to find my things when I am in a rush and looking for them. Thank you.'" ----Diane Gottsman, owner of The Protocol School of Texas Which of the following is the best title for this passage? A. How to Entertain Your Guests B. How to Keep Good Personal Relations C. How to Find the Best Solution D. How to Deal with Difficult House Guests Answer: D
mmlu
Question: My father has a great sports collection .he love sports very much. And he loves all balls. he likes playing basketball and volleyball. And he likes playing baseball and tennis. he also likes watching ball games. how many balls does he have? He has 15 basketballs,12 baseballs ,10 tennis bats.8 volleyballs and 14 baseball bats. and many other balls. _ has a great sports collection. A. My father B. My grandfather C. My uncle D. My friend. Answer: A
mmlu
Question: The first part of a new science-fiction series was shown on NBC last night. Star Trek is about a spacecraft which travels faster than the speed of light. The show is developed from three ideas about the 22ndcentury. First, we'll find other life forms great tools which will make amazing things possible. Let's think about these predictions. If we find life forms on other planets, will they be intelligent? I hope so. But we human beings might not be friendly - I don't think we'll believe in the idea of peace one hundred years from now. But this is science fiction, so we can be _ ! And Star Trek's idea of life in the future is 'communicators'. And we will be ablt to have conversatins with people who are on because you'll have an electronic notebook. And if you get ill, the doctor won't have to examine you - a machine will 'read' your body. The strangest manchine includes a 'teleport' which will take people to a different placein a second! The ideas are interesting, and in my opinion there's only one problem with star trek: the acting. The TV company will have to get better actors. If they do that, the show might be a success. If the acting doesn't improve, Star Trek won't last for more than one series. Of course, my prediction may be wrong. I can't see into the future! What is Star Trek? A. A TV play. B. A popular song. C. A spacecraft. D. An alien. Answer: A
mmlu
Question: Want to know what we can do to help make our city a better place to live in? Why not take part in "Clean & Green weekend"? Join us, and you can make new friends and help protect the environment at the same time. Park Life Do you like hanging out in the park with your friends? If so,why not take the chance to come with us and tidy up the park as you go?To add some fun, there is a gift for the person who collects the most rubbish! Meet us at the south entrance to Taohe Park at 9 a.m. next Saturday if you want to join in. The Air You Breathe A great way to make the air we breathe cleaner is by planting lots of trees!It is a fact that trees slowly filter a lot of pollutants from the air. So come and help us plant some new ones in Fenhe Park at 2 p.m. next Sunday. War on Graffiti Some people think graffiti is cool. Well, it is not! The best way to stop buildings from becoming totally covered in ugly graffiti is to get rid of it as soon as possible. And that is exactly what we are going to do. We are repainting the school walls from 1 p.m. on Saturday. You don't have to bring any tools, just remember to wear some old clothes! ,. The students who want to join in the rubbish collecting activity must meet _ . A. at 1 p.m. on Saturday B. at 2 p.m. next Sunday C. at 9 a.m. next Saturday D. at 3 a.m. on Sunday Answer: C
mmlu
Question: People often ask me how I became successful in that six-year period of time while many of the people I knew did not. The answer is simple: The things I found to be easy to do, they found to be easy not to do. I found it easy to set the goals that could change my life. They found it easy not to. I found it easy to read the books that could affect my thinking. They found that easy not to. I found it easy to attend the classes. They said it probably really wouldn't matter. Six years later, I'm a millionaire and they are all still blaming the economy, the government and company policies. They neglected to do the basic, easy things. In fact, the primary reason most people are not doing can be summed up in a single word: neglect. It is not the lack of money - banks are full of money. It is not the lack of opportunity - the government continues to offer the most opportunities. It is not the lack of books - libraries are full of books - and they are free! It is not the schools - the classrooms are full of good teachers. We have plenty of good advisors. The major reason that so few take advantage of all that we have is neglect. Don't do the things which cause us to feel guilty and guilt _ our self-confidence. As our self-confidence reduces, so does the level of our activity. And as our activity goes down, so do our results. And as our results suffer, our attitude begins to weaken. And as our attitude begins changing from positive to negative, our self-confidence becomes even less ... and on and on it goes. So my suggestion is that when giving choice of "easy to" and "easy not to", do not neglect to do the simple, basic, "easy" but potentially life-changing activities. What is the main reason that some people fail to succeed? A. They don't have good opportunities. B. They neglect the importance of success. C. They lack the government's support. D. They don't make use of what they have. Answer: D
mmlu
Question: Turning left under a bridge in Beijing, Hu Xingxin, 24, suddenly braked to a stop in front of a yellow light at a busy crossroad. "According to the new traffic regulations, running a yellow light is equal to running a red one," said the Beijing-based IT technician. "Since the new rules came into effect I'm always ready to hit the brakes to avoid a penalty." Authorities have since changed the rules and running a yellow light no longer results in a 6-point punishment. New traffic regulations are the latest measure to improve road safety, which has become a problem in China. Experts say that to achieve better road safety, various and comprehensive methods are needed. Updating the rules are only part of the story. According to the WHO (World Health Organization), traffic accidents kill more people around the world than malaria and are the leading cause of death for young people aged 5 to 29 -- especially in developing countries. Each year up to 1.3 million people are killed and more than 50 million injured in traffic accidents around the world. The economic consequences are also significant: according to a study by the World Bank and Harvard University, traffic accidents on average cost a country 1 to 3 percent of its annual Gross National Product.. The newly revised regulations impose much heavier punishment on drivers who violate traffic rules. Under the new regulations, 52 different violations result in penalties, up from 38 under the previous system. Eleven kinds of violations now result in the deduction of 12 points, compared to six points under the previous regulation. These violations include drunken driving and using fake license plates, as well as driving without a valid license. But traffic regulations are only one aspect of many regarding problems with road safety in China. Other components of road safety include technology and urban design. What is true according to the passage? A. Traffic accidents leads to very serious economic consequences. B. Malaria causes more deaths every year than traffic accidents. C. Running a yellow will result in a 6-point deduction. D. Most violators of the new traffic rules will end up in prison. Answer: A
mmlu
Question: What would you do if you were lost in the dark forest at night? The first sensible lesson is that you shouldn't bother trying to find your way in the dark at all, but just stay put until dawn. Because then you won't trip over things? No, mainly because you'll have an idea of direction. The sun rises in the east. But you will be amazed at how many people forget they know that. Apparently, the area underneath a holly bush provides a good makeshift shelter -- they are thick, and evergreen. The next thing to do -- or rather not to do -- is panic, for the obvious reason that unless there is someone there to hear you scream, it will get you nowhere. Just try to think of nice, happy things. There is always a point in films when a person who is lost in the desert or the snow, dehydrated and exhausted, comes across a set of their own footprints and realizes they have just walked in a huge, round circle. It is wrong to owe it to the unequal strengths or different lengths of your legs. Experiments prove that, without the sun or the moon (or landmarks) as a fixed guide, lots of small errors add up over time so the brain can't correctly identify the "straight ahead" direction. To just get out of somewhere, pick a spot on the horizon and just head for it. There are several ways to find directions in the dark, and by far the best is to establish north using the stars. Most people can identify the Plough, which is part of Ursa Major. It looks a lot like a saucepan. The Plough rotates through the sky, but let's imagine the saucepan lying horizontally , with its handle on the left. You need to trace a line from the star at the right-hand base of the pan, through the star at the right-hand rim , and follow it upwards; the north star is roughly five times the distance between those two "pointer" stars. Then drop a vertical line from the North Star to the horizon and that's north. "Tonight is very cloudy and I can't see the Plough." Maybe luckily, it is quite windy. Keep in mind that almost all of our weather comes from a south-westerly direction. (This only works if you are in the British Isles). To find the direction, you can throw light bits of dried-out grass in the air and see which way they blow; or, if there are clouds and patches of clear sky, see which way they blow across the stars. You can also get an idea of direction from leggy plants. If they look as if they have been blown over, they will probably be pointing north-east. If they are simply leaning in one direction as they grow, there's a good chance that is south (they will be reaching towards the sun). The last thing to do is to judge your direction and off you go. Why will people often walk in a circle if they are lost in the desert or the snow? A. Because without anything to refer to for directions, the brain will be confused by errors. B. Because one of the legs is longer and stronger than the other. C. Because the desert or the snow usually covers a large area for people to get across. D. Because people usually feel dehydrated and exhausted in the desert or the snow. Answer: A
mmlu
Question: Since 1936, many female space explorers have followed Russian astronaut Valentina Tereshkova. Let's look at the missions of four important female astronauts to find out what astronauts do in space. In 1983, Sally Ride became the first American women in space. Her team carried out scientific experiments in space and put two communications satellites in space. Satellites make it possible for us to communicate instantly with each other across the world through TV, radio, and telephones. In 1984, Kathryn Sullivan became the first American women to walk in space. During her mission, she discovered important information about the sun's energy and how it affects the climate in very hot and very cold places on Earth. She also took photographs of Earth and measured air pollution. In 1992, Mae Jemison became the first African-American in space. During her mission, she did scientific experiments using the weightless atmosphere. In space, there is no gravity, so everything floats! Dr. Jemison's experiments gave important information about the human body to produce better medicines and healthcare. In 2012, Liu Yang became the first Chinese women in space. She did experiments in space medicine, which look at how astronauts can survive and stay healthy in space. The conditions in space are very hard on the body and space medicine helps astronauts work safely. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage? A. Great Walking in Space B. Conditions in Space C. Healthcare in Space D. Women in Space Answer: D
mmlu
Question: Don't you think your schoolbag is too heavy to bear? The e-schoolbag will free you from the weight. It is said that e-schoolbags are going to be brought into use in Chinese middle schools soon. An experiment with several hundred e-schoolbags will begin in seven cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Dalian, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Taiyuan and Shijiazhuang. And the e-schoolbags are going to cover all over China if the experiment proves to be successful. In fact, the e-schoolbag should perhaps be called an e-notebook. It is a small hand-held computer for school students. Heavy schoolbags have long been a serious problem for school students. The average schoolbag of middle school students weighs up to 5 kilos. But the e-schoolbag will change everything. It is much lighter than a usual schoolbag, weighing under 1 kilo. Also, it is no bigger than a usual book, but it can still hold all the things for study, such as a textbook, a notebook and exercise book. They could be made into chips that are as small as a stamp. The students can read the text page by page on the screen. They can still take notes using a special electronic pen. If they want to know the meaning or the pronunciation of a new word, or even e-mail their teachers, it's just a press of a button. In some foreign countries, it is becoming common. But it is hard to tell when people will receive this new form of study. Some say that e-textbooks can be easily broken, some say that it is not good to students' eyesight to look at the screen for long. But only time will tell. The e-schoolbag has many functions EXCEPT _ . A. It can pronounce the words. B. It can send e-mail. C. It can be used as a dictionary. D. It can phone somebody. Answer: D
mmlu
Question: Jane is only four years o1d and she doesn't go to school. But she is very clever and learns a lot from her grandpa--an old teacher. One day, Jane's mother, Mrs John takes her to a party. The guests all praise a rich woman's son. Mrs John asks him a few questions, but his answers are wrong. Jane begins to laugh. The rich woman is angry. She te11s her friend--a teacher to ask Jane some questions, but the little girl answers all. Then she asks, ''There are three birds in a tree. How many will be left if I kill one?" "One" answers Jane. "You're wrong!" calls out the rich woman. "All of them will fly away","Do you think a dead bird can fly?"asks the little girl. The guests begin to 1augh and the woman's face turns red. From the story we know that Jane _ . A. only goes to her grandpa's school B. doesn't want to go to school C. will make her mother happy at the party D. 1ikes birds very much Answer: C
mmlu
Question: How was your Children's Day? What kind of gifts did you get? Eight third graders in some poor places in Hebei Province got new schoolbags as Children's Day gifts. They were very happy. There were pencils, pens, exercise books and many other school supplies in the schoolbags. These schoolbags are from students in Beijing Zhongguancun Fourth Primary School. They are in Class 5, Grade 3. They raised money by themselves. They printed out their writings. Their head teacher Mrs Hou helped them to make books. They sold the books at their school to make 800 yuan. Chen Hongsheng, 9 years old, is one of the students. "We use 800 yuan to buy eight schoolbags at the post office. The post office workers give us a list of the kids. These kids live in poor places. We can choose eight kids by ourselves and post these schoolbags to them," she said very proudly. "These schoolbags are gifts of our class. This summer vacation, I'll send out a schoolbag by myself. I hope the kid with my schoolbag can go to school happily like us in the new term." Which of the following is True according to the passage? A. There were many school supplies in the schoolbags. B. These schoolbags are from teachers in Beijing. C. Mrs Hou helped them to sell the books. D. Chen Hongsheng will send out eight schoolbags by herself. Answer: A
mmlu
Question: Our senses aren't just delivering a strict view of what's going on in the world; they're affected by what's going on in our heads. A new study finds that hungry people see food-related words more clearly than people who've just eaten. Psychologists have known for decades that what's going on inside our head affects our senses. For example, poorer children think coins are larger than they are, and hungry people think pictures of food are brighter. Remi Radel of University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis, France, wanted to investigate how this happens. Does it happen right away as the brain receives signals from the eyes or a little later as the brain's high-1evel thinking processes get involved. Radel recruited 42 students with a normal body mass index. On the day of his or her test, each student was told to arrive at the lab at noon after three or four hours of not eating. Then they were told there was a delay. Some were told to come back in 10 minutes; others were given an hour to get lunch first. So half the students were hungry when they did the experiment and the other half had just eaten. For the experiment, the participant looked at a computer screen. One by one, 80 words flashed on the screen for about l/300th of a second each. They flashed at so small a size that the students could only consciously perceive. A quarter of the words were food-related. After each word, each person was asked how bright the word was and asked to choose which of two words they'd seen-a food-related word like cake or a neutral word like boat. Each word appeared too briefly for the participant to really read it. Hungry people saw the food-related words as brighter and were better at identifying food- related words. Because the word appeared too quickly for them to be reliably seen, this means that the difference is in perception, not in thinking processes, Radel says. "This is something great to me. Humans can really perceive what they need or what they strive for. From the experiment, I know that our brain can really be at the disposal of our motives and needs. "Radel says. What does the writer want to tell us? A. Human's senses aren't just delivering a strict view of what's going on in the world. B. What's perceived by our senses affects our way of thinking. C. Human brains can really be at the disposal of our motives and needs. D. Thinking processes guarantee the normal functions of our senses. Answer: C
mmlu
Question: Wearing a big hat and playing a guitar, a country music singer is using his rising and falling voice to tell the audience about his love, hope and loss. Few people could avoid getting caught up in his feelings. This is the appeal of country music, which speaks to the basic emotions of human life. Throughout the 20th century, it has grown into one of the most original and lasting American musical forms. Country music's roots are in the songs of the American South, brought over by early immigrants from England. Those songs expressed the hardships of rural life and deep religious beliefs. In the 1920s, country music came into being as its first recordings were made. Early stars like Jimmy Rodger, known as "The Father of Country Music", and the Carter Family established its strong traditions - good song-writing, singing and playing. Much of this music was written for and brought to the American public through the cowboy films of the 1930s and 1940s. It was widely popular then and many singers turned up on stage wearing Western fringe and cowboy hats. In the 1950s, the country music recording industry was set up in Nashville and moved away from its rough roots. But singers like John Denver, with his hit track "Take Me Home, Country Roads", insisted on the originality and emotions of "real" country music. Younger artists in the 1990s turned to older country styles and mixed t3vhem with elements of rock 'n' roll. Steve Earle, with his song "The Devil's Right Hand", is typical of this so-called "another country music". Country music continues to speak to Americans of all ages and backgrounds. And it gives the nation an identity . Unlike pop music, country music was American, and only American. During its development, it continued to emphasize that "American" element and sounded completely different from its English ancestors. It may even be said that its sound and story tell the history of the United States. The author mentioned Jimmy Rodger, John Denver and Steve Earle to _ . A. tell us the stage singing style of country music B. show the process of the development of country music C. attract the audience's attention to country music D. introduce some famous stars to readers Answer: B
mmlu
Question: The journey two naval officers made some time ago to the very deepest point on the earth makes us realize how much of the world still remains to be explored. The two men went down seven miles to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean inside a small steel ball called a "bathyscaphe" to find out if there are any ocean currents or sings of life. It was necessary to set out early, so that the "bathyscaphe" would come to the surface in daylight, and so be easily found by the mother ship which would be waiting for it. The drivers began preparations at dawn and soon afterwards, when all was ready, the steel ball disappeared under the surface of the water. In time, the temperature dropped to freezing-point and the men trembled inside the ball. They kept in touch with the mother ship by telephone describing how they felt. Then, at a depth of 3,000 feet, the men were surprised by a sudden, loud noise, even the smallest hole in the ball would have meant instant death. Luckily, though, it was only one of the outer windows that had broken. Soon afterwards, the "bathyscaphe" touched the soft ocean floor raising a big cloud of "dust" made up of different kinds of small, dead sea animals. Here, powerful lights lit up the dark water and the men were surprised to see fish swimming just above them quite uncontrolled by the very large water-pressure. But they did not dare to leave the lights on for long, as the heat from them made the water boil. Quite unexpectedly, the telephone began working again and the weak but clear voices of the officers wre heard on the mother ship. After a stay of thirty minutes the men began their journey up, arriving three hours later, _ . The officers started their journey at dawn _ . A. because they could return in 24 hours B. because the sea was calm then C. when the sun was not strong D. so that they could return before dark Answer: D
mmlu
Question: Try this: for a whole day, _ . Eat when you're hungry and sleep when you're tired. What do you think will happen? You may be surprised to find that your day is much like most other days. You'll probably get hungry when you normally eat and tired when you normally sleep. Even though you don't know what time it is, your body does. Inside our bodies are several clocklike systems that follow a 24- hour cycle. Everyone is unique, which is why you might like to stay up late while your sister always wants to go to bed early. Regularly staying up late can make kids do worse on tests and quizzes. And working shifts at night leads to higher rates of heart disease. "There is a growing sense that when we eat and when we sleep are important parts of how healthy we are," says Steven Shea, Director of the Sleep Disorders Research Program at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. "During the night, we are prepared to sleep," Shea says. "During the day, we are prepared to eat and move around, If you reverse ( ) what you are doing, everything is out of phase. That can have adverse consequences. Everything is out of phase. means _ . A. everything is out of order B. everything is bad C. everything is good D. everything is not controlled Answer: A
mmlu
Question: Which of the following is an observation about grasshoppers that a science class could have made on their nature walk? A. The grasshoppers will live longest in a container filled with plants. B. The grasshoppers are green with long back legs and antennae. C. The grasshoppers will probably eat more grass than tree leaves. D. The grasshoppers all hatched from eggs laid the year before. Answer: B
mmlu
Question: While there are many fascinating countries in the world to visit, I think there is something more adventurous, exotic and romantic about visiting an island country. Take a look at some breathtakingly beautiful island countries in the world, which everyone should certainly visit at least once in his lifetime. Malta Malta is a beautiful southern European country in the Mediterranean Sea, which has a rich history and culture. There are amazing sky-high cliffs to climb, splendid temples to explore and lots of wonderful places to go scuba-diving. In fact, there are plenty of interesting things to see and to do in Malta and this island country has something for everyone. The historic part of Malta is shown in its incredible architecture, great walled cities, and many underground tunnels. Fiji Fiji is a fabulous island that has plenty of surprises for any adventurous travelers. It is famous for the world's best surf scenes, and many surfing enthusiasts travel to Fuji yearly to ride the great waves. Well, if surfing is not for you and you love sitting on the beach and relaxing, hiking or seeing breathtaking waterfalls, Fiji is certainly the best island country to visit. Maldives Not only is Maldives one of the most beautiful island countries, but it is one of the most popular honeymoon destinations. Situated in the middle of the Indian Ocean, Maldives is made up of a series of ancient coral reefs that grow up along the sides of ancient volcanoes, with fascinating beaches and luxurious resorts. In Malta, you can _ . A. see breathtaking waterfalls B. explore temples and tunnels C. ride the great waves D. hike in the hills Answer: B
mmlu
Question: When a needle points north on a compass and you are thirsty A. head south B. head towards water C. head forward D. head north Answer: B
mmlu
Question: One Sunday morning Mr Green and his child , Bill ,are in a big shop . Mr Green wants to buy a new blouse for Mrs Green . Bill likes oranges , so his father buys two kilos of oranges for him , too . Bill wants to buy some picture--books and colour pencils , too . There are many people in the shop . They are men and women , old and young . They all want to buy something there . Mr Green goes to the shop with _ . A. Mrs green B. his son C. his daughter D. his father Answer: B
mmlu
Question: Once upon a time, a man was walking on a mountain when he found an incredible cave with all kinds of treasure inside it. So he gave up his job, his home, and his friends, and spent all his time guarding the cave. He was so dedicated to it that he hardly ate or drank, and before long he fell ill. One day, when he could hardly move at all, he decided to share the treasure. He crawled into the cave to get a handful of jewels, but discovered, to his horror, that it was empty except for a small emerald . The man took it, and gave it to the first person he came by, a woman. Then an old man came by. "What bad luck!" the man said. "Just a moment ago I gave a woman the last of the treasure I was guarding." "Are you sure there is nothing left?" the old man asked. The man took him into the cave, where they found a chest with jewels and some bags of gold. The man was shocked, and the old man explained to him, "At last! At last someone has broken the spell of this cave. This is the Cave of Treasure, and you're the first to have passed its great test. Many have dedicated their lives to this cave, only to end up realizing there was nothing here..." "And why does this happen?" the man asked. "This magic cave has only as many riches as your own heart. When someone discovers it, the cave is filled with treasure, but later, when they have devoted themselves to guarding the treasure, their hearts empty, as does the cave. The only way to fill it is by filling your heart with all that is good, as you did by giving the woman that last jewel." From that day on, the man understood that it was better to share than to keep. Thanks to the cave and the old man, he became noble and generous. Why did the man give up his job, home and friends? A. Because he possessed a variety of treasure. B. Because he had to guard the treasure cave. C. Because he wanted to find the treasure cave. D. Because he devoted himself to a great test. Answer: B
mmlu
Question: A mother, who wished to encourage her son's progress in playing the piano, bought tickets for a performance by the great Polish pianist Ignace Paderewski.When the evening arrived, they found their seats near the front of the concert hall and eyed the impressive Steinway waiting on the stage.Not long after they arrived, the mother came across a friend in the hall and they began to talk with each other.Meanwhile the boy slipped away and could be found nowhere. At eight o'clock, the lights in the concert hall began to fail, and then the spotlights came on.Only then did they notice the boy who was up on the piano bench, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star".Seeing this, his mother was shocked and embarrassed.But before she could bring her son back, the master appeared on the stage and quickly moved to the keyboard. He whispered gently to the boy, "Don't quit.Keep playing." Learning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in the bass part.Soon his right arm reached around the other side and performed a delightful accompaniment .Together, the old master and the young boy performed so wonderfully and harmoniously on the stage and they held the attention of the crowd with their beautiful music. In all our lives, we receive helping hands from time to time--some we notice; some we don't.Equally we ourselves have countless opportunities to offer helping hands--sometimes we want our assistance to be noticed, sometimes we don't.Little of what we all achieve is without learning from others and without support from others.We are supposed to hand out what we have received. The author wrote this text in order to _ . A. show how patient the great master was B. tell the readers a very interesting story C. report an incident in a concert hall D. urge us to reach out to those in need Answer: D
mmlu
Question: What do astronauts eat in space, and why? How did astronaut food come into being? How do astronauts preserve food for long periods of time in space? NASA(the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) has been researching food for space travel since the 1960's to find the best way of keeping astronauts from going hungry. The research could date from an accident that took place on the first manned Gemini mission in 1965. astronaut John Young managed to sneak a corned beef sandwich onto the Geminni III capsule to eat during its orbit around Earth. To Young's surprise, the sandwich plan did not go as expected; instead the sandwich began to break apart and scatter through the Geminni IIIcapsule. This could have resulted in disaster, since a small piece of food could have stuck in the air vents and other equipment. The sandwich was stuffed into a pocket to avoid the further mess inside the small space capsule This incident caused NASA to enforce strict rules on what types of food can be taken into space. Space food has come a long way since then. During the Gemini period, the astronauts mostly ate cubed, compressed foods high in calories and lightweight. NASA expects a long shelf life for space food. The majority of food taken into space has been dried out or heat-treated. These process and use of sodium , make the food taken into space last longer. Research is ongoing into space food to seek out healthier ways to preserve it. Too much sodium is unhealthy, and can badly change the taste of some foods. What happened to John Young in the Geminni III capsule? A. His sandwich went bad as expected B. He couldn't eat the sandwich he had bought C. His sandwich caused trouble to some equipment D. He filled his pocket with the sandwich. Answer: B
mmlu
Question: Inventors are always looking for ways to make our lives easier, greener and a lot more fun.Take a look at 2010's biggest and coolest breakthroughs in science and technology.What in the world will inventors dream up next? Superhero Suit Have you ever dreamed of becoming a superhero? Dream no more.There's a real Iron Man suit, XOS 2, which provides the power to lift 200 pounds with ease .It was designed to help the military with heavy lifting.One person in the suit could do the work of three soldiers. Up, Up and Away! It took him 30 years to develop it, and now Glen Martin's invention is ready to take off.The Martin Jetpack allows its operator to fly 8,000 feet into the air.Unfortunately, you can't soar through the skies too long.The jetpack holds only about 30 minutes' worth of fuel. Hardworking Robot The EMIEW2 robot is the perfect office helper.Need a document delivered? No problem! It can also guide visitors to their destinations.The three-foot-tall robot can identify different human voices and respond to commands.One day, it may serve as a receptionist or a security guard. Green Machine Say goodbye to gasoline! The AirPod car runs on air power.That means this car won't pollute.A high-pressure air tank can fill the car in minutes.The three-wheeler can travel about 130 miles between fill-ups. Beef Power All aboard the beef train! Amtrak's Heartland Flyer runs partly on fuel that is made from cow fat.The goal is to reduce carbon emissions by 10%.The train travels between Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Fort Worth, Texas. Robo-Guard EMILY is a robotic, four-foot-long buoy .She can swim through riptides at up to 24 miles per hour.Her inventor, Tony Mulligan, says that's 15 times as fast as human lifeguards! EMILY is powered by a tiny electric pump and operated by remote. It is known from the passage that the EMIEW2 robot _ . A. is today's best robot to buy B. can tell different voices C. can help you finish your document D. has been widely used as a security guard Answer: B
mmlu
Question: The evidence for harmony may not be obvious in some families. But it seems that four out of five young people now get on well with their parents, which is the opposite of the popularly-held image of unhappy teenagers locked in their room after endless family quarrels. An important new study into teenage attitudes surprisingly shows that their family life is more harmonious than it had ever been in the past. "We were surprised by just how positive today's young people seem to be about their families," said one number of the research team. "They're expected to be rebellious and selfish but actually they have other things on their minds: they want a car and material goods, and they worry about whether school is serving them well. There's more negotiation and discussion between parents and children, and children expect to take part in the family decision-making process. They don't want to rock the boat." So it seems that this generation of parents is much more likely than parents of 30 years ago to treat their children as friends. "My parents are happy to discuss things with me and willing to listen to me," says 17-year-old Daniel Lazall. "I always tell them when I'm going out clubbing. As long as they know what I'm doing, they're fine with me." Susan Crome, who is now 21, agrees. "Looking back on the last 10 years, there was a lot of what you could call negotiation. For example, as long as I'd done all my homework, I could go out on a Saturday night. But I think my grandparents were a lot stricter with my parents than that." Maybe this positive view of family life should not be unexpected. It is possible that the idea of teenage rebellion is not rooted in real facts. A researcher comments, "Our surprise that teenagers say they get along well with their parents comes because of a brief period in our social history when teenagers were regarded as different beings. But that idea of rebelling and breaking away from their parents really happened during that one time in the 1960s when everyone rebelled. The normal situation throughout history has been a smooth change. " Compared with parents of 30 years ago, today's parents _ . A. go to clubs more often with their children B. are much stricter with their children C. give their children more freedom D. care less about their children's life Answer: C
mmlu
Question: The so-called post-90s generation have become even much "cooler" than the 1980s group, for they can speak "Martian language", a difficult code-like language created by themselves. And they probably think it very original and smart. The idea of this language is to prevent the authorities- parents and teachers- from understanding what is said. Ms. Li, mother of a 15-year-old girl, logged onto her daughter's online space and found lines of codes, mixed English, Japanese and half-finished Chinese characters, which looked completely meaningless to her. Her daughter told her that it was "Martian language" and her _ all used it. The new language is becoming very popular in online spaces- so much so that even some translating software has been created to translate the normal language into "Martian language". A 14-year-old netizen, nicknamed "S. _ Tangguo", explained that the language could be created by anyone. "At first, I just copied the language form other people's articles. Later , I began to create some words by myself. I split some Chinese characters, or use words that have similar pronunciations to interchange with each other, or even add some English, Japanese or Korean words into my article, and that makes the new language. My classmates all chat in 'Martian language'. It's in style and can help us hide our secrets from our parents or teachers." Unlike the worried parents, some experts have found positive aspects in the spread of this unusual online language. Wang Haiyong, a psychologist ,said that there's no need to be too worried about the phenomenon. This so-called "Martian language" is just a little hobby of the post-90s generation. On the other hand, the new language can inspire children's imaginations, which is a good thing. However, Wang also advised teachers and parents to give proper guidance to their children, helping them better distinguish between online language and the normative language of real life. What is the correct attitude we should take towards "Martian language" according to the psychologist? A. Parents should worry about losing control over their children. B. All generations should learn to be cooler by using the new language. C. We should help children understand the difference between the hobby online and the standard language. D. The authorities themselves should try to use the new language. Answer: C
mmlu
Question: Wonderful Museum Hours Monday - Thursday: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Friday: 10:00 am - 8:00 pm Saturday: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Sunday: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm Closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The Museum Shop is open during regular museum hours. The Museum Library Monday -Friday: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm The Skyliner Restaurant Monday - Saturday: during regular museum hours Sunday: 11:30 am - 5:00 pm Admission Adults:$7.00 The aged and students with ID: $6.00 Wonderful Museum offers a 50% discount to groups of 20 or more. Wonderful Museum usually opens _ except on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. A. from Monday to Thursday B. every day C. every day of the week D. on weekdays Answer: B
mmlu
Question: Reusing your paper plates is a good way to avoid making excess A. stars B. rubbish C. ears D. mice Answer: B
mmlu
Question: When Steven was a young boy, he moved quite often with his family and so he never had many friends. He spent a lot of time on his own and liked to play with electronic things. Steven had a neighbour, Steve Wozniak. Steve was a little bit younger than Steven but also liked to play with electronic things. Steven made a microphone and Steve asked him many questions about it until he understood how it worked. Steven liked the fact that such a young boy was also interest ed in electronic things and so he taught him everything he knew. When they were a little older and knew more about electronic things, they made a "blue box". People could make free phone calls by breaking into the phone company's system with this box. They sold this to many people even though it was illegal , but this is not why they are famous today. Steven and Steve were the inventors of the first PC--personal computer. They called their first computer the Apple I. They invented it only for fun and to make themselves known among their friends. They did not think it would become so popular. They just liked playing computer games on it. Their computer made it cheaper and easier for people to own and use a computer. Their PCs were so popular that they made a new PC called the Apple II. Soon many schools, families and factories were using their computers. Without the two clever men, the personal computers might never have appeared. What did the "blue box" do? A. People could play computer games with it. B. It helped people make electronic things. C. It paid for everybody's telephone calls. D. It helped people make free phone calls. Answer: D
mmlu
Question: On Wednesday evening in New York, Apple broke the news that Steve Jobs had died. Since then, praise and respect have poured over the world like rain. He changed industries, redefined business models, fused technology and art. People are comparing him to Thomas Edison, Walt Disney and Leonardo da Vinci, and saying it will be a very long time before the world sees the likes of Steve Jobs again. After all, there are other brilliant marketers, designers and business people. Many of them have studied Steve Jobs, tried to absorb his methods and his philosophy. Surely they can recreate some of his success. But nobody ever does, even when they copy his moves down. So how did he become a visionary who changed every business he touched? Actually, he has given us clues all along. The story of Steve Jobs boils down to this: Don't go with the flow. If Mr. Jobs saw something that could be made better, smarter or more beautiful, nothing else mattered. Apple has attained its current astonishing levels of influence and success because it is sensitive. It is incredibly focused. It has had amazingly few failures. And that is because Mr. Jobs didn't buy into focus groups, groupthink or decision by a committee. At its core ,Apple existed to carry out his vision. He focused on every button and every corner .He lost sleep over the cardboard of the packaging and the color1 of the power cord. He wanted to sell a smart phone that had no keyboard, when physical keys were what had made BlackBerry the most popular smart phone at the time. Eventually, of course, most people realized that he was just doing that Steve Jobs thing again: being ahead of his time. Mr. Jobs is gone. Everyone who knew him feels that sorrow. But the ripple of that loss will widen in the days, weeks and years to come: to the people in the industries he changed. Which of the following best describes Steve Jobs? A. He is a person who has a mind of his own. B. He insists on working for his own company. C. He is good at giving people clues all the time. D. He focuses on nothing but his business. Answer: A
mmlu
Question: Nothing succeeds like confidence. When you are truly confident, it radiates from you like sunlight, and attracts success to you like a magnet . Besides, those who are self-confident can in turninspire (encourage)confidence in others: their audience, their peers, their bosses, their customers, and their friends. And gaining the confidence of others is one of the key ways in which a self-confident person finds success. So how can we build a sense of self-confidence and prepare ourselves on the way to success? First, do what you believe to be right, even if others _ or criticize you for it. Believe in yourself and believe that you can do it in any situations, because if you believe you can, then you really will. The belief keeps you searching for answers, which means that pretty soon you will get them. Second, govern your behavior based on what other people think. What's more important, be willing to take risks and go the extra miles to achieve better results, in which case mistakes can not be avoided. Always be ready to admit your mistakes, and learn from them. Next, work hard to settle the problems in order to cover up your mistakes before anyone notices. Building self-confidence is readily achievable, as long as you have the focus and determination to carry things through. And what's even better is that the things you'll do to build self-confidence will also build success -- after all, your confidence will come from real, solid achievement. No one can take this away from you! As you sow, so will you reap. With your perseverance and improvement, you are getting closer to success. At this stage, wait for others to give congratulations and compliments on your achievements. "Thanks, I really worked hard on it. I'm pleased you recognize my efforts." The congratulations and compliments from others will promote you to gain further success. Self-confidence is extremely important in almost every aspect of our lives, and it is no wonder that so many people struggle to find it. Self-confidence really can be learned and built on. Besides, whether you're working on your own self-confidence or building the confidence of people around you, it's well worth the effort! The purpose of the text is to _ . A. tell people how to become successful B. convince people to do what they believe to be right C. encourage people to build confidence and achieve success D. criticize people who lack confidence and thus fail in their career Answer: C
mmlu
Question: Saturday and Sunday together are A. 72 hours B. 24 hours C. 48 hours D. 36 hours Answer: C
mmlu
Question: In the course of working my ways through school , I took many jobs I would rather forget . But none of these jobs was as dreadful as my job in an apple plant. The work was hard ; the pay was poor ; and, most of all , the working conditions were terrible. First of all , the job made huge demands on my strength . For ten hours a night , I took boxes that rolled down a metal track and piled them onto a truck . Each box contained twelve heavy bottles of apple juice. I once figured out that I was lifting an average of twelve tons of apple juice every night . I would not have minded the difficulty of the work so much if the pay had not been so poor. I was paid the lowest wage of that time -- two dollars an hour. Because of the low pay , I felt eager to get as much as possible . I usually worked twelve hours a night but did not take home more than $ 100 a week. But even more than the low pay, what made me unhappy was the working conditions. During work I was limited to two ten-minute breaks and an unpaid half hour for lunch. Most of my time was spent outside loading trucks with those heavy boxes in near-zero-degree temperatures. The steel floors of the trucks were like ice, which made my feet feel like stone. And after the production line shut down at night and most people left, I had to spend two hours alone cleaning the floor. I stayed on the job for five months , all the while hating the difficulty of the work, the poor money , and the conditions under which I worked . By the time I left , I was determined never to go back there again. How is the text organized? A. Topic -- Argument -- Explanation B. Opinion-- Discussion -- Description C. Main idea -- Comparison --Supporting examples D. Introduction-- Supporting examples -- Conclusion Answer: D
mmlu
Question: Girls really prefer pink and boys prefer blue, recent research shows. The reasons could have its origins in the hunt for food on the African savannah thousands of years ago. Evolution may have developed women's preference for pink, perhaps because it helped to find ripe fruit and healthy men with reddish faces, while both men and women have a natural desire for blue, according to scientists at prefix = st1 /NewcastleUniversity. " Everyone in today's western culture, from parents to toy manufactures, seems to assume that little girls like pink." Said Prof. Anya Hulbert, who wanted to find out whether the reason was cultural or to do with biology. A love of salmon, _ and coral does seem to be rooted into females, rather than picked up from their mothers. The participants in the study were Chinese and British. The Chinese students showed a marked preference for red, " Culture may contribute to this natural female preference," said Pro. Hulbert. In her experience, 208 young adult men and women were asked to select, as rapidly as possible, their preferred color1. Hulbert and her colleague Dr. Yazhu Ling marked the results and found that while men preferred blue, women tended to choose pink. Hulbert said she could only prefer about the preference for blue: " Here again, I would favor evolutionary arguments. Going back to our savannah days, we would have a natural preference for a clear blue sky, because it signaled good weather. Clear blue also signals a good water source." By saying " the Chinese students for red." In Para. 5, the writer means _ . A. red is the Chinese students' favorite color1 B. the Chinese prefer red more than the British C. culture influences people's color1 preferences D. the study was carried out by two nations Answer: C
mmlu
Question: Earth's distance from the Sun helps the planet sustain life. If the Sun were larger, what would most likely also have to be true for Earth to sustain life? A. Earth would have to be further from the Sun. B. Earth would have to be closer to the Sun. C. Earth would have to be smaller. D. Earth would have to be larger. Answer: A
mmlu
Question: Bob is a middle school student. He is 13years old. He lives in Shanghai with his parents and his twin brother, Jack. They are in the same( ) school, but in different classes. Bob is good at Maths, but not good at English. He thinks it's a little difficult for him. But he plans to spend more time on it. Every morning, Bob gets up early. He usually reads English for half an hour. And then he has breakfast with his family. He usually has two eggs and a glass of milk. After breakfast, he walks to school with his brother. It takes them about twenty minutes to get to school. They get to school at about 7:40. Bob begins his classes at 8:00. After four lessons in the morning, he has a hamburger, some fish and vegetables for lunch at school. Then he has three classes in the afternoon. His last class is over at 4:50p.m. After school, he usually plays football or basketball from 5:00 p. m. to 6:00 p.m. He says it is good for his health to play sports every day. He gets home at 6:20 p.m. He usually eats some rice and vegetables for dinner. Sometimes, he eats some noodles. After dinner, he does his homework from 7:30to 9:30. Then he listens to music or reads books for a while( ). He doesn't watch TV or play computer games on weekdays. He goes to bed at 10:30 p.m. His friends say his lifestyle is very healthy. Do you think so? How long does Bob play sports after school? A. For an hour. B. For half an hour. C. For one and a half hours. D. For two hours. Answer: A
mmlu
Question: Conservationists have unveiled plans to preserve and protect the world's most important species of coral, in a response to increasing threats that they say will lead to "functional extinction" within decades. Led by scientists at the Zoological Society of London, the Edge Coral Reefs project has identified 10 coral species in most urgent risk of becoming extinct.The scientists say that reefs are under pressure from a variety of threats including rising sea temperatures due to climatic instability, increased acidity , overfishing and pollution. The Edge plan, which focuses on the most evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered species , will take a regional approach to conservation.This means focusing on the "coral triangle" around the Philippines, the West Indian Ocean around the Mozambique channel, and in the Caribbean channel. "Coral reefs are threatened with functional extinction in the next 20-50 years, due predominantly to global climatic instability," said Catherine Head, coordinator of the reefs project."In these regions, we'll be supporting and training in-country conservationists to carry out research and implement targeted conservation actions," she said."Their projects will last initially for two years.We provide them with a whole host of tools to carry out their projects including funding and intensive training." She added. Coral reefs are the planet's most diverse marine ecosystem , known as the rainforests of the oceans.Despite taking up under 0.2% of the ocean floor, they provide food and shelter for almost a third of all sea life.If we lose the ecosystems, we lose not only the biodiversity , but we also lose the capability of people to obtain income and food from coral reefs. Climatic instability, which leads to rising sea temperatures, causes corals to bleach.Bleaching occurs when sea temperatures rise and this causes the coral tissue to expel their symbiotic algae called zooxanthellae - these are what give the coral their colour.Bleached corals often die if the stress continues.Among the 10 species chosen to start the Edge project are the pearl bubble coral, a food source for the hawksbill turtle, and the Mushroom coral, which supports at least 15 brightly colored fish. What will probably happen to coral species with the increasing threats? A. Decrease. B. Losing functions C. Disappearance. D. Existence Answer: C
mmlu
Question: Tony Wheeler was born to travel. His father worked for an airline. For the first 16 years of his life, Wheeler and his family lived in many different countries. In the early 1970s,Tony met a young woman named Maureen. They soon married. Before getting jobs, Tony and Maureen wanted to travel. They took a year long trip from England, through Asia, to Australia. On the trip,they visited places like Iran ,India, and so on. When Tony and Maureen arrived in Australia, people asked many questions about their trip. To answer these questions, Wheeler wrote a book called Across Asia on the Cheap. The book told people about different countries' weather, customs , and places to see. But unlike other travel books then,Tony Wheeler's book also talked about places most tourists did not go. He also wrote about unusual things to see and do. The book was very popular. Tony and Maureen started a company called Lonely Planet. They continued travelling. They wrote books for each place they visited. Today,800 people work {or Lonely Planet. The company has over 650 books. Tony Wheeler,the great traveller, still writes about travels to many places and will bring us more surprises. Tony Wheeler wrote the bookAcross Asia on theCheatto _ . A. make money for his next trip B. tell people about his new company C. draw people's attention to his family D. answer people's questions about his trip Answer: D
mmlu
Question: Are we getting more stupid? According to Gerald Crabtree, a scientist at Stanford University in the US, we are. You may not want to hear this, but Crabtree believes that human intelligence reached its peak more than 2,000 years ago and ever since then has been going downhill. "If an average Greek from 1,000 BC were transported to modern times, he or she would be one of the brightest among us," Crabtree told The Guardian. At the heart of Crabtree's thinking is a simple idea. In the past, intelligence was critical for survival when our ancestors had to avoid dangerous animals and hunt for food. The difference of being smart or stupid is often life or death. However, after the spread of agriculture, when our ancestors began to live in dense farming communities, the need to keep their intelligence in peak condition gradually reduced. This is not hard to understand. Most of the time, pressure is what keeps us going - you need the pressure from your teachers to finish your homework; the pressure of looking pretty prompts you to lose weight when summer comes. And the same is also true of our intelligence - if we think less, we become less smart. These mutations are harmful to our intelligence and they were all developed in the past 3,000 years. The other evidence that Crabtree holds is in our genes. He found that among the 2,000 to 5,000 genes that we have that determine human intelligence , there are two or more mutations in each of us. However, Crabtree's theory has been criticized by some who say that early humans may have better hunting and surviving abilities, but people today have developed a more diverse intelligence. For example, spearing a tiger doesn't necessarily require more brainpower than playing chess or writing a poem. Moreover, the power of modern education means a lot more people have the opportunity to learn nowadays. "You wouldn't get Stephen Hawking 2,000 years ago. He just wouldn't exist," Thomas Hills of the University of Warwick, UK, told Live Science. "But now we have people of his intellectual capacity doing things and making insights that we would never have achieved in our environment of evolutionary adaptation." According to Crabtree, ancient humans _ . A. had much more genes that determine human intelligence B. were forced to be smart due to natural selection pressures C. relied more on group intelligence than individual intelligence D. developed a diverse intelligence to adapt to the hard realities Answer: B
mmlu
Question: Sailing Welcome to our TV showOn the Go. Today we are going to talk about an exciting sport--sailing. First let's talk to Sue,an 18yearold girl who loves sailing. Host: When did you start sailing,Sue? Sue: I started sailing when I was 15 years old. Host: Is it a difficult sport to learn? Sue: Yes,it is more difficult than any other sport. For example,you need to learn about the wind directions and how to move the sails in the right way. Host: How often do you go sailing? Sue: I go sailing with my father every weekend. Host: How far do you go sailing? Sue: It depends on the wind. Host:OK. Thank you,Sue. Good luck with your sailing. Are you interested in sailing after hearing the interview? If you want to learn sailing,here is a chance for you .The Water Sports Center will organize sailing lessons. Each lesson will cost you Y=20 and there are 5 lessons altogether . What does Sue think of learning sailing? A. Easy. B. Boring. C. Difficult. D. Dangerous. Answer: C
mmlu
Question: As we know, there are many kinds of clubs in the US middle schools, such as the music club, the sports club, the chess club, the swimming club.... But do you know the homework club? It is a popular club in many US middle schools. More and more students spend their afternoons in the homework clubs. The US middle school students need a quiet place to study. But games, computers and TVs are all around kids at home. So the homework club is just for them to do their homework. The club is quiet and it's good for students to study. Some teachers are there, too. They can answer students' questions and help with their homework. If students finish their homework, they will get a _ . It's always students' favorite food. Then they can go home and play games or watch TV happily. ,. The students in the US middle schools can go to the homework club _ . A. in the morning B. at noon C. in the afternoon D. at night Answer: C
mmlu
Question: In order to save money for a trip to Thailand to visit her family and friends, Emma White, a keeper in California, worked overtime. She saved more than 900 dollars and was planning to buy a ticket, but she lost her purse with all her money and credit cards . Emma looked through the garbage and all the buildings where she worked but came up empty-handed. She went home heartbroken. She believed that she had lost her money forever. While Emma was at home, sad and depressed, a homeless man was searching through the garbage looking for things to sell. As he was looking through a garbage bag, he found something wrapped in a plastic bag. The homeless man, who did not want to be recognized, took the purse to Sherry Wesley, because Sherry Wesley knew him from her volunteer work at a homeless shelter. The homeless man came to Sherry Wesley with the wad of money and said, "This probably belongs to someone that you work with; can you find the owner?" Sherry Wesley works in one of the buildings that Emma cleans and she knew Emma had lost her purse. Emma was amazed when she heard the good news. "I couldn't believe it when they called me," she said. "He has a very big heart. If someone else had found the purse, the money would be gone." As a reward, Emma gave the man 100 dollars. The homeless man gave half of the money to Sherry Wesley and asked her to donate it to charity for him. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A. The homeless man gave 50 dollars to thank Sherry Wesley. B. Sherry Wesley worked in a building cleaned by Emma. C. The homeless man found the owner of the purse by himself. D. Emma White once worked at a volunteer shelter. Answer: B
mmlu
Question: Have you ever noticed that people have thinner arms and legs as they get older? As we age it becomes harder to keep our muscles healthy. They get smaller, which reduces strength and increases the possibility of falls and fractures . New research is showing how this happens and what to do about it. A team of Nottingham researchers has already shown that when older people eat, they cannot make muscle as fast as the young. Now they've found that the ability to prevent muscle breakdown is reduced with age. When older people eat, they don't build enough muscle with the protein in food; also, the insulin fails to shut down the muscle breakdown that rises between meals and overnight. Normally, in young people, insulin acts to slow muscle breakdown. The research just published compared one group of people in their late 60s to a group of 25-year-olds, with equal numbers of men and women. "We studied our subjects first -- before breakfast -- and then after giving them a small amount of insulin to raise the hormone to what they would be if they had eaten breakfast," Professor Rennie said. " The results were clear. The younger people's muscles were able to use insulin we gave to stop the muscle breakdown, which had increased during the night. The muscles in the older people could not. In the course of our tests, we also noticed that the blood flow in the leg was greater in the younger people than the older ones," added Professor Rennie. However, scientists think that weight training may reactivate muscle blood flow and help retain muscles for older people. "In fact, doing exercise three times a week over 20 weeks reactivates the leg blood flow responses of older people. They became identical to those in the young," said Professor Rennie. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A. Older people have fewer muscles than the young. B. The more insulin we have, the stronger our muscles are. C. The insulin in older people's muscles could not stop muscles breakdown. D. There is less blood in older people's body. Answer: C
mmlu
Question: Mr Jones and Mr Brown worked in the same office. One day Mr Jones said to Mr Brown "We are going to have a small party at our house next Wednesday evening. Would you and your wife like to join us?" Mr Brown said, "Thank you very much. That is very kind of you. We are free that evening,I think. But I will telephone my wife and ask her. Maybe she wants to go somewhere else that evening." So Mr. Brown went to the other room and telephoned. When he came back,he looked very uneasy . "What's the matter?" said Mr Jones. "Did you speak to your wife?" "No," answered Mr Brown, "She wasn't there. My small son answered the telephone. I said to him, 'Is your mother there,David?' and he answered, 'No,she is not in the house!' 'Where is she then?' I asked. 'She is somewhere outside!' 'What is she doing?' 'She is looking for me.'" Mr. Brown spoke to _ on the phone. A. Mrs. Brown B. Mrs. Jones C. David D. David's friend Answer: A
mmlu
Question: NASA is moving ahead with plans to put a long-armed Lander on Mars' icy North Pole to search for clues for water and possible signs of life. The $386 million Phoenix Mars is planned to touch down in the Martian arctic in 2008. The stationary probe will use its robotic arm to dig into the icy land and pick up soil samples to analyze. In 2002, the Mars Odyssey orbiter spotted evidence of ice-rich soil near the arctic surface. Scientists hope the Phoenix mission will find clues to the geologic history of water on the Red Planet and determine whether microbes existed in the ice. Phoenix will be the first mission of the Mars Scout program, a renewed, low-cost effort to study the Red Planet. "The Phoenix mission explores new territory in the northern plains of Mars analogous to the permafrost regions on Earth," Peter Smith said. True to its name, Phoenix rose from the ashes of previous missions. The lander for Phoenix was built to fly as part of the 2001 Mars Surveyor program. But the program broke down after the well-known disappearance of the Mars Polar Lander in 1999. The Polar Lander lost contact during a landing attempt near the planet's south pole after its rocket engine shut off _ , causing the spacecraft to fall about 130 feet to almost certain destruction. The Phoenix probe had been in storage at a Lockheed Martin clean room in Denver before it was reused for its present mission. It will carry science instruments that were designed for the Mars Surveyor program including an improved panoramic camera and a trench-digging robotic arm. Phoenix will lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in August 2007 and land on the planet nine months later. The passage mainly tells readers that _ . A. clues of water will be found in Phoenix B. Phoenix will be sent to find clues of water on Mars C. August 2007 will see Phoenix lift off D. the Mars Scout program will be carried out Answer: B
mmlu
Question: Hiking is not only one of the best forms of physical exercise, but it is also one of the best forms of mental relaxation. It is good for all ages and especially good as a family and group activity. Since there are so many different kinds of hiking, it is not possible to give any general rules to follow. Short and frequent hikes, needing no planning or special equipment, are enjoyed by most people. *Keep in shape by walking at a fast pace for at least 15 minutes every day. Climbing stairs instead of using a lift and running not too far are also good ways of keeping in shape. *On any hike nothing is more important than good, comfortable shoes. *The things you take might include matches in a waterproof box, a knife, compass, map first aid items and flashlight. *Cameras may be taken, but don't load with too much. *On longer hikes keep a comfortable, steady pace and take rest stops often. *Drink only safe water. If in doubt, boil the water. *Don't go along the busy roads. When you have to use a road, keep as far over on the left as possible. *Leave word at home or some other place as to where you are going and when you plan to return. *On almost any hike, a map is a good idea. If going into a strange place, a detailed map is most useful. *Take along a field guide on flowers, birds, rocks, or other subjects depending upon your interests. This can add greatly to the enjoyment and educational value of your hike. The author thinks that hiking is especially valuable for _ . A. single person B. families C. old people D. everyone Answer: B
mmlu
Question: Australia's Northern Territory became the first legal authority in the world to perform euthanasia --that's to say, doctors are permitted to take the lives of incurably ill patients who wish to die. Word that the law was passed by the vote of 15 to 10 immediately flashed on the Internet and was picked up by John, the director of the Right to Die Society of Canada, who posted it on the group's homepage online, saying, "This isn't merely something that happened in Australia. It's world history." The NT Rights of the Terminally Ill Law has left physicians and citizens trying to deal with its moral and practical influence. Some have breathed sighs of relief; but others, including churches, right to life groups and the Australian Medical Association, bitterly attacked the law. But the tide is unlikely to turn back. In Australia--where an aging population, life-extending technology and changing community attitudes have all played their part--other states are going to consider making a similar law. In the U. S. and Canada, where the right to die movement is gathering strength, _ . Under the new Northern Territory law, an adult patient can request death--probably by a deadly injection or pill--to end suffering. The patient must be diagnosed as incurably ill by two doctors. After a "cooling off" period of seven days, the patient can sign a certificate of request. After 48 hours the wish for death can be met. For Lloyd, a 54-year-old Darwin resident suffering from lung cancer, the NT Rights of Terminally Ill Law means he can get on with living without the disturbing fear of his suffering: a terrifying death from his breathing condition. "I' m not afraid of dying from a spiritual point of view, but what I was afraid of was how I'd go, because I've watched people die in the hospital fighting for oxygen and clawing at their masks," he says. According to the text, which of the following statements is TURE? A. Patients will ask their doctors for euthanasia if they are afraid of illness. B. Australia, Canada and the US speak highly of the law of euthanasia. C. All people in Australia don't share the positive attitude to euthanasia D. If a patient requests death, he should sign a certificate after 48 hours. Answer: C
mmlu
Question: I'm beginning to think whether my grandmother was right when she complains, as she frequently does, that children nowadays aren't as well-behaved as they used to be. She recounts in detail how she used to be told to respect her elders and betters. She was taught to speak when she went out on her own, she was reminded to say please and thank you. Children in her days, she continues, were expected to be seen and not heard , but these days you are lucky if you ever hear parents telling their children to mind her manners. If you give her the chance she then takes out of her writing desk the old photograph album which she keeps there, and which she never tires of displaying. Of course when you look at pictures of her parents you feel sure that , with a father as strict looking as that , you too would have been "seen and not heard". Besides him sits his wife , with their children around her, Granny and her elder brothers. It always occurs to me that perhaps those long, stiff, black clothes were so burdensome to a little girl that she hadn't enough breath left to be talkative, let alone mischievous . It must have been a dull and lonely life too, for she stayed mainly at home during her childhood, while her brothers were sent to school from an early age. However, my childhood was much freer than Granny's. I went to school with my brother. I played football with him and his friends . We all spoke a common language , and we got up to the same mischief. I would have dies if I had to stay indoors , wearing tight , stiff clothes. When Granny was young , children were expected _ . A. to speak to the elders loudly B. to learn dancing C. to be present quietly D. to stay still and study and be themselves Answer: C
mmlu
Question: Joe Black, coach of a football team, and his family go to a small town for their holiday. One rainy afternoon, they can't go out to have fun, so the families go to the family. Joe, his wife and their three daughters walk down to the town's only cinema, buy tickets and go into the cinema. The lights are still on , and there are just six other people there. As Joe walks in, some of them see him and start clapping . Joe gives them a smile and turns to his wife, "Aha, I can't believe that they know me and they are giving me a warm welcome here," he says , " I guess they see my games on TV." They sit down and then a young man comes up to Joe and gives out his hand, "Thanks a lot," says Joe, " I just can't believe that you know me." The young man says, " I only know that they will not show the film until at least ten people buy tickets. In fact the people in the cinema greet Joe because _ . A. they often see him on TV B. they can shake hands with him C. with his family they can see the film D. they know him Answer: C
mmlu
Question: It's Jimmy's birthday and he is 9 years old. He gets a lot of presents from his family and one of them is a big drum . His grandfather buys it for him. Jimmy likes it very much. He plays with it every day and he often makes a terrible noise . His father works in the day and Jimmy is in bed when he gets home in the evening. So his father doesn't hear the noise. But Mrs Black doesn't like the noise, so one morning she takes a knife and goes to Jimmy's room when he hits his drum. She says to him, "Hello! Jimmy. Do you know there is something very nice in your drum? Here is a knife. Please open the drum and let's find it." Why does Mrs Black give Jimmy a knife? A. Because she likes Jimmy's drum. B. Because she knows there is something in the drum. C. Because she doesn't like the noise. D. Because she wants to know what is in the drum. Answer: C
mmlu
Question: Sharon,Aged 22 The most important thing to keep in mind when going into high school is to be yourself.Besides, I don't know what your middle school was like, but high school teachers will not care about things such as how much homework you already have in one night.It's best to just learn to deal with things and manage your time wisely so you can achieve everything you need to. Frank, Aged 21 I think almost every kid feels both nervous and excited before their first day.You will probably love it.I know I did.You should join some sports or activities that will make your high school experience more enjoyable.Good luck! Eddie,Aged 20 When I started high school I was really nervous too,especially since I had been homeschooled all through middle school and didn't really know anyone.I suppose the best advice would be to just relax.The first couple of days can be a little bit hard,but things will become easier before you know it. David,Aged 19 I'm not going to lie.The first day is kind of frightening .But you'll get used to it.Don't be afraid of anyone;upperclassmen will pick on you more if you let them know you're afraid.Just take it easy.Making some friends and staying with them will greatly help you get used to high school quickly.After the first week it's really not bad at all.Don't worry. How did Eddie feel on his first day of high school? A. Excited. B. Bored. C. Worried. D. Relaxed. Answer: C
mmlu
Question: Where Are They Now: Life after Olympic Gold These celebrated Olympic champions from decades past wrote sports history, but what are they up to now? Here's the latest on some of the greatest. Edwin Moses _ : Gold Medals in 400 Meters Hurdles (1976 Montreal Games, 1984 Los Angeles Games) _ : Moses earned a degree in physics and later held a full-time job as an engineer.After retirement, he earned his master's degree in business.In 2000, Moses took on the role of executive chairman of Laureus. Kerri Strug _ : Gold Medal in Gymnastics (1996 Atlanta), when she competed through the pain of the ankle damage to land the gold-winning vault. _ : Strug lives in Tucson, Arizona.She does public relations for USA Gymnastics, speaking regularly at events and attending the Games on behalf of sponsors. Dick Fosbury _ : Gold Medal in High Jump (1968 Mexico City Games) _ : Fosbury is an executive committee member of the World Olympians Association.But he hasn't left the tracks just yet - he coaches teenager athletes at Dick Fosbury Track Camps. Greg Louganis _ : Gold Medals in Diving (1984 Los Angeles Games, 1988 Seoul Games) _ : Louganis developed AIDS and retired in 1989.It wasn't until the mid-90s that he announced he was HTV-positive.Since then, Louganis has been an outspoken advocate for HTV awareness. Dominique Dawes _ : Gold Medal in Gymnastics (1996 Atlanta Games) _ : President Barack Obama appointed her and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees as co-chairs of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. Dawes is also the co-host for Yahoo! News Weekend Edition. Who won two gold medals? A. Edwin Moses and Greg Louganis. B. Dominique Dawes and Edwin Moses. C. Dick Fosbury and Kerri Strug. D. Greg Louganis and Dick Fosbury. Answer: A
mmlu
Question: On Sunday , April 22nd , people all over the world take time out to appreciate the earth that we all share .It's Earth Day , a special day to learn about our planet and how to take care of it . On Earth Day , some people listen to speeches about the environment . Others help clean up their offices or save water and electricity at home .Your parents may even decide to take a day off from driving their cars . The idea for Earth Day came from a U.S. Senator . He was worried about pollution and the health of plants and animals . And the idea quickly caught on . In 1970 , the first Earth Day was celebrated . More than 20 million people in cities all over the U.S. took part in it .Since then, Earth Day has been used to educate people about their roles in taking care of our planet . Now , Earth Day has become a worldwide celebration. In 1990, two hundred million people from 140 countries took part in clean-ups , tree planting and other environmental events on Earth Day . Why has Earth Day become a worldwide celebration ? Because _ . A. Earth Day is on Sundays . B. we can sing songs on Earth Day C. there are so many people on Earth Day D. Earth Day can teach people how to take care of our planet Answer: D
mmlu
Question: Jack was not a stupid kid,nor was he the shiniest spoon in the drawer. He didn't care for school. With his "I'd rather be fishing" attitude, Jack missed a lot of classes. Knowing that graduating from middle school was not going to be written in his life, Jack became a dropout at the age of fourteen. Jack was sent to live on his uncle's farm in Wisconsin. He happily stayed there until he reached the age of eighteen. He wanted to see more about the United States, so he went to California. He found a good job at an aircraft company. He had to lie about his education. Worrying that his background was found out, Jack was employed there. Two years later, Jack got married. He wanted to better his life, so he signed up for a home study course to get his high school diploma .He chose his elective subject to be automotive technology .Sadly, this was ended when he took his wife and son back to his uncle's farm. Jack found a job as a worker in a wire factory. Seven years later, Jack began dreaming of something better for them all. He wanted to be an automobile engineer, and he knew that it needed education to get into that field. Because of Jack's efforts, he joined a junior college in California. Jack was accepted to go for his Associates in Arts degree in automotive technology. Jack found that for the most parts, the studies covered most of what he had learned in elementary school. He studied hard for two years and passed the final examination. He received his diploma. Jack went on to work as an automotive technician for an excellent company. Within a year he was the engineer. To better the life of his family, Jack realized the importance of _ . A. being honest B. having fewer children C. receiving more education D. having more work experience Answer: C
mmlu
Question: The temperature changing may produce A. daisies B. black holes C. magic D. time travel Answer: A
mmlu
Question: My name is James Brown. I have an 8-year-old daughter. Her name is Ann. Her favorite activity is watching movies. She watches movies once a week . Movie World is in my neighborhood . And it is the biggest movie theater in the city . It has the most comfortable seats and the best sound . She likes watching movies there. Last Sunday, I took her to Movie World to watch the movie Epic . Epic is a movie about a father Bomba and his 17-year-old daughter Mary. Bomba was interested in looking for Leaf Men. He said they lived in a forest, but no one believed him. One day , Mary was swept into the world of the Leaf Men, and she found her father was right. At this early-afternoon showing, the theater was almost full. 60% of the _ were kids aged three to ten and their fathers. I didn't think it was because of the movie itself. In fact, a study showed that dads were 50% more likely than moms to take young kids to the movies in the United States. ,. Mary is _ years older than Ann. A. 8 B. 9 C. 11 D. 17 Answer: B
mmlu
Question: Because of the stem of plants, they are able to do what in the soil A. fly B. balance upright C. cry D. sing Answer: B
mmlu
Question: I needed to get some money so, after Christmas, I took a job in the clothes department at Graham's for the first fortnight of the January sale.I can't say that I enjoyed it, but it was an experience I'll never forget. I could never understand why there were so many things in the sales, where did they all come from? Now I know the secret! Firstly, there is the special winter stock and the stock that people buy all the year round; some of these things are slightly reduced.Secondly, there are the summer clothes they couldn't sell last year; these are heavily reduced to clear them.Thirdly, there are cheap clothes bought in specially for the sales; these are put out at high prices ten days before the sale begins and then are reduced by 60% in the sale.Clever! Lastly, they buy in "seconds"(clothes not in perfect condition) for the sale and they are sold very cheaply. When I arrived half an hour before opening on the first day of the sale, there was already a queue around three sides of the building.This made me very nervous. When the big moment arrived to open the doors, the security guards looking less confident than usual, came up to them, keys in hand.The moment they had unlocked the doors, they hid behind the doors for protection as the noisy crowd charged in.I couldn't believe my eyes; this wasn't shopping, it was a battlefield! One poor lady couldn't keep her feet and was knocked over by people pushing from behind. Clothes were flying in all directions as people searched for the sizes, colours and styles they wanted.Quarrels broke out.Mothers were using their small children to crawl through people's legs and get hold of things they couldn't get near themselves. Within minutes I had half a dozen people pushing clothes under my nose; each wanting to be the first served.Where had the famous English queue gone? The whole day continued like that, but I kept my temper81 was taking money hand over fist and began to realize why twice a year, Graham's were happy to turn their expensive store into a battlefield like this. In the sale fever; people were spending money like water without thinking whether they needed what they were buying.As long as it was a bargain it was OK.You won't believe this.But as soon as I got home I crashed out for four hours.Then I had dinner and went back to bed, fearing the sound of the alarm which would tell me to get ready for the second day of the sale. What kind of clothes is likely to be s0ld 5% cheaper? A. Last summer's clothes, B. Clothes not in perfect condition. C. Clothes bought in specially for the sales. D. Clothes for winter. Answer: D
mmlu
Question: Mr. Jackson is a teacher of science in a middle school. His students like his classes because his classes are very interesting. They can learn a lot in his class. The students can make many things. His little son Val also likes making things. He makes lots of machines , such as a machine like a man. It can do the job that is dangerous for people to do. He says, "I want to be a scientist." ,. What does Mr. Jackson teach? A. English B. Science C. Math D. History Answer: B
mmlu
Question: Scientists have not come close to understanding all the different kinds of life on the planet, but US researcher Craig Venter is already working on creating the first artificial life. Venter and his researchers made a breakthrough this August. They successfully moved the DNA of one type of bacteria to a yeast cell, changed it, then put it into another bacterial cell. "Bacteria have systems that protect them from foreign DNA," Venter explained to the BBC. In the experiment, the team managed to block this system. The experiment was performed on a simple type of bacteria called Mycoplasma mycoides. The team took the bacteria's genes and put them into a yeast cell. Putting the DNA in a yeast cell allowed the team to change the genes----in this case, taking out a gene that was not necessary for the bacteria to live. They then put the gene into a host bacteria cell. The cell went on to divide normally, producing new healthy bacteria. In January, the team created artificial genes of a new type of bacteria. Their next goal is to put the artificial DNA into a host cell to create a new species, according to a report inSciencemagazine. "If we don't make any errors, I think it should work and we should have the first artificial species by the end of the year," Venter said in the report. The first artificial life from is likely to be a simple man-made bacteria, to prove that the technology can work. But that form will be followed by more complex bacteria that turn coal into cleaner natural gas, or algae that can take in carbon dioxide and change it into fuel. Many scientists think it's good news to have this artificial life, but others are worried that the technology to create new organisms might end up in the wrong hands, with dangerous results. Craig Venter and his team are working to _ . A. create a new animal B. clone a new species C. produce the first artificial bacteria D. develop a new system Answer: C
mmlu
Question: Young Jack moved to a new house. When entering his new bedroom, he saw that it was full of toys but it was tidy. That day he played all he liked, but went to bed without tidying up. The next morning, when Jack got up, he found all the toys had been put back in their proper places. He was sure that no one had entered his bedroom, but the boy didn't pay much attention to it. The exact same thing happened that day, and the next day. But on the fourth day when he went to get his favourite toy, the toy jumped out of his hands and said, "I don't want to play with you!" Jack felt surprised, but the same happened with every toy he touched. Finally, one toy said to him: "We don't want to play with you. You always leave us so far away from our proper places. You don't know how _ it is for us to climb back up onto the shelves, or jump into the box. We feel most uncomfortable and unhappy. You don't know how uncomfortable and cold the floor is! We don't play with you any more if you don't promise to leave us in our proper places before you go to bed." Jack remembered how comfortable he felt in his bed and how bad he felt when he had once slept in a chair. He realized how badly he had treated his friends, the toys. He asked for their forgiveness , and from that day on he always put his toys nicely in their proper places before he got into bed. when Jack moved into his bedroom, _ . A. it needed to be cleaned B. he found lots of toys C. he brought lots of toys D. he put away his toys Answer: B
mmlu
Question: How many hours do you spend sitting in a chair every day? Eight hours in the office plus three hours in front of the TV after work is the norm for many people. You probably don't need an expert to tell you that sitting too much is not good for your health--from an increased risk of heart disease and obesity in the long term,to reduced cholesterol maintenance in the short term,not to mention the strain on your neck and spine. To make matters worse,many researches show a good diet and regular exercise call't reduce the negative effects of sitting too much. A 2010 study of nearly 9,000 Australians found that for each additional hour of television a person watched per day,the risk of dying rose by 11 percent.Another study tracked the health of 123,000 Americans between 1992 and 2006.The death rate for men who spent six hours or more per day sitting was about 20 percent higher than for men who sat for three hours or less. So what can we do about it? Health experts suggest we break up those many hours spent sitting with more hours spent standing. The BBC conducted a simple experiment with a group of 10 volunteers who usually spent most of the day sitting.They were asked to stand for at least three hours a day.The researchers took measurements Oil days when the volunteers stood,and when they sat around.When they looked at the data there were some striking differences,the BBC reported. Blood sugar leveled off much quicker on the days when the study subjects stood compared with the days they spent in a chair.Standing also burned more calories----about 50 calories an hour.A member said although doing exercise offers many proven benefits,our bodies also need the increase in muscle activity that standing provides. The researchers believe that even small adjustments,like standing while talking on the phone,will help. What is the purpose of the experiment in the text? A. To help the 10 volunteers to lose weight. B. To find the difference between standing and sitting. C. To prove the benefit of standing. D. To teach us how to control blood sugar. Answer: C
mmlu
Question: Robert and Peter study in the same university. They do everything together and help each other. But they often play jokes on each other. The school year was over last month and they decided to travel through the country in America. They drove a car and could stop wherever they were interested in and started whenever they wanted. Of course they enjoyed themselves. It was very hot one day and they were both hungry and thirsty. They stopped in front of a restaurant by the road. They came in, sat down at a table and ordered some dishes. Robert looked around and found there was a small bowl on the table. He thought there was some ice cream in it and took a spoonful of it and put it into his mouth. Immediately he knew it was mustard ,but it was too late. Tears ran down his face, but he pretended nothing had happened. The other young man, seeing his friend crying, asked, "What are you crying about, Robert?" "I'm thinking of my father who was hanged twenty years ago," was his reply. After a while, Peter made the same mistake. Tears ran down his cheeks, too. And his friend asked him why. "I wonder why your father hadn't been hanged before he got married!" The writer mainly wants to tell us _ in this passage. A. not to trust your friend. B. a joke C. not to mistake mustard for Ice cream. D. it's wrong to lie to friends Answer: B
mmlu
Question: Many scientists theorize that global warming will melt the polar ice caps. What would most likely happen if the polar ice caps melted? A. Ocean levels would increase. B. Human population would increase. C. Vegetation in water would decrease. D. Global precipitation would decrease. Answer: A
mmlu
Question: Pretending to be happy can actually make you more miserable--especially if you're a woman, according to a new study. Researchers found that walking around with a forced smile and faking happiness simply led to people feeling gloomier. So, putting a brave face on your woes could actually be counterproductive. The research found that women suffered more than men when pretending to be happy. Psychologist, Dr. Brent Scott, who led the study, said employers should take note because forcing workers to smile when workers were dealing with clients could backfire . He said:"Smiling for the sake of smiling can lead to emotional exhaustion, and that's bad for the organization." Dr. Scott said the research showed customer service workers who"faked smiles"throughout a day worsened their moods and then withdrew from work, so their productivity dropped. He added:"Bosses may think that getting their staff to smile is good for the organization, but that's not necessarily the case."Dr. Scott, assistant professor of management at Michigan State University, analyzed a group of bus drivers during a two -week period. The study is one of the first of its kind to examine emotional displays over a period of time and compare the different effects that they have on men and women. His team examined the effects of"surface acting"--or fake smiling--compared to what was termed"deep acting", or cultivating positive emotions by recalling pleasant memories. Dr. Scott said: "Women were harmed more by'surface acting', meaning their moods worsened even more than men and they withdrew more from work. However , they were helped more by'deep acting',which meant their moods improved more." Dr. Scott suggested women tended to suffer more when pretending to be happy because they were expected to be more emotionally expressive than men. Therefore, faking a smile while they are feeling down is more likely to go against their normal behavior and cause more harmful feelings. Although,"deep acting"seemed to improve moods in the short term, Dr. Scott said it was not a long-term solution to feeling unhappy. He said:"You're trying to cultivate positive emotions, but at the end of the day you may not feel like yourself any more" Deep actingis helpful to women in that_. A. they forget their trouble B. they will behave normally C. they become more talkative D. their moods are getting better Answer: D
mmlu
Question: Have you wondered why you have two eyes and why they are set close together on the front of your face? The reasons are simple and important to the way you see the rest of your world. Your eyes are like two small cameras. A camera catches an image of an object and records it on film.Similarly,when you look at something,each eye takes in what it sees and sends this image to the back of the eyeball.Because your eyes are set close together,they view the world from about the same height but from slightly different angles. Working as a team, the eyes send the images to your brain, which puts them together into a single, centered image. Seeing in stereo means seeing with two eyes working together,which is called stereoscopic sight.This allows you to view the world in three dimensions,or 3-D.Seeing depth helps you to judge the distance between you and the objects you see and to adjust to the changing angle at which you see something as you move closer to or farther away from it.If images are coming from only one eye, however,only two of these dimensions-height and width-can be perceived.A world seen with one eye is thus two-dimensional,as in a photograph. Now consider why your two eyes are on the front of your face.Think of other animals with this same arrangement.They are all animals that hunt,like lions and wolves.Their eyes face directly in front of them.This provides a field of sight about 180 degrees wide,which is called binocular sight.On the other hand,animals that are hunted have eyes on the sides of the head,which provides nearly 360-degree field of sight.In order to stay alive,they need to see things coming from the sides and from behind.However,without stereoscopic sight,they have difficulty determining how far a danger is. With sight both stereoscopic and binocular,humans share with animal hunters the ability to see from side to side and to accurately determine the distance.If you think it would be great to have another type of sight,perhaps with hundreds of tiny eyes like many insects do,think again! Each tiny insect eye sees only a tiny part.Besides,what if you needed glasses? Be glad for the eyesight that you have. Stereoscopic sight is a result of having A. a three-hundred-sixty-degree field of sight B. hundreds of eyes,all seeing parts of an image C. two eyes close to one another that work together D. one eye on either side of the head,each seeing a different image Answer: C
mmlu
Question: American English is full of colorful expressions. One such expression is to touch all bases. There are four bases in baseball - first, second, third and home plate. When a baseball player hits the ball, he must run to each base - in order - and touch it with his foot. It is the only way to get a point. If the player hits the ball and fails to touch all the bases, the point will not be counted. The importance of touching all the bases was shown at the start of the 1974 baseball seasons. Hank Aaron was a player with the Atlanta Braves team. He was trying to find the record for hitting the most home runs . Aaron needed just one home run to be well matched with the record held by Babe Ruth, the greatest hitter in baseball history. Aaron got that home run the very first time he had a chance to hit the ball. That gave him 714 home runs - the same as Babe Ruth. After that day, baseball fans held their breath every time when it was Hank Aaron's turn to hit. When would he hit home run number 715? The wait was not long. In the second week of the season, Aaron again hit the ball over the wall. He had beaten Babe Ruth's record. But first, he had to run around the four bases. The other players on his team watched carefully to make sure he touched each one. So, to touch all bases means to do what is necessary to complete an activity. The expression is used to business and politics. No business deal or political events are really complete until you discuss all the problems involved. Or, as it is said, until you touch all bases. When was the importance of touching all the bases shown? A. At the start of the 1974 baseball seasons. B. At the end of the 1974 baseball seasons. C. Before the baseball rules made. D. In the second week of 1974. Answer: A
mmlu
Question: Caffeine not only gives us a daily jump start, but new research suggests it also can strengthen long-term memory. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, nearly 90 percent of people worldwide consume about 200 milligrams of caffeine each day. That' s equivalent to about one strong cup of coffee a day. Writing in " Nature Neuroscience" , Johns Hopkins University researchers say their findings show that caffeine strengthens certain memories for up t0 24 hours after being taken in. " We've always known that caffeine has cognitive-enhancing effects , but its ,particular effects on strengthening memories and making them resistant to forgetting has never been examined in detail in humans, " said senior author of the paper Michael Yassa. " We re- port for the first time a specific effect of caffeine on reducing forgetting over 24 hours. " Conducting a double-blind trial, the researchers worked with a test group of people who didn't regularly consume caffeinated products. Five minutes after studying a series of images, the test subjects were given either a placebo or a 200-milligram caffeine tablet. To check the caffeine levels of their test subjects, the research team took saliva samples from them before they took their tablets and again one, three and 24 hours after- wards. Both groups of test participants ( those who took the placebo and those who took the caffeine tablet) were tested the following day to see if they could recognize the images they' d seen the previous day. The test included showing the test subjects another series of images that included some new images , those that were shown the previous day, as well as other images that were similar, but not the same as those they had viewed earlier. The researchers found that more members of the group who were given the caffeine tablets were able to correctly identify some of the new images as " similar" to previously viewed images rather than incorrectly identifying them as the same. "We also know that caffeine is associated with health and longevity and may havesome protective effects from cognitive decline like Alzheimer' s disease . " said Yassa. During the research ,the researchers did the following things EXCEPT A. giving the test subjects placebos or caffeine tablets B. checking the caffeine levels of the test subjects C. encouraging the test subjects to drink more coffee D. showing the test subjects series of images Answer: C
mmlu
Question: Dukuly Dogbah, a 14-year-old Liberian boy, grew up in a war. He was born in the same year the Liberian war started. Since then fighting between the government forces and the rebel armies has not stopped. Dukuly is one of around 10,000 child soldiers in Liberia. At 10, Dukuly lost contact with his family in the war and had to fight for the rebels. During the war he learnt to kill people with guns. He has killed many people and seen many of his friends die. "You have to," he said, "because it is war." Lots of children had to join the army. Some did it out of their own will. They thought they would be safe with a gun. The army leaders use child soldiers because they are easy to control and do not get paid much. Child soldiers do terrible things. Most of them take drugs. "I cannot control myself because it makes me brave," Dukuly said. There are 120,000 child soldiers in Africa and 300,000 around the world. Many child soldiers die and nobody cares for them. According to a United Nation's report, 23 armies in the world use children. Some African and Asian countries often use child soldiers. Myanmar has the highest number of child soldiers in their army: around 50,000. Most of the child soldiers are under 18 years of age and the youngest is only 7 years old. The UN has called for the protection of children in war. The UN Children's Fund wants African countries to ban child soldiers. Many UN organizations are trying to take child soldiers away from war and send them back to school. The following are the reasons for so many child soldiers EXCEPT _ . A. they are easy to control B. they don't get much paid C. having a gun makes them feel safe D. they like to do terrible things. Answer: D
mmlu
Question: There's no better place to be than beside the seaside in the summer. And even in Britainyou can still find beaches away from the crowds with golden sand. COMPTON BAY, ISLE OF WIGHT This wide sandy beach is on the south west coast, between Freshwater and Brook and is part of the TennysonHeritageCoast. There are striking views of the white cliffs further along the coast. A coastal path passes behind the beach, and you can enjoy scenic cliff top walks in either direction. Accommodation: Sandpipers Hotel (01983 758150, www.sandpipersh.tel.com) with doubles fromPS10pp. KINGSGATE BAY,KENT Around the beach round a bend in the coastal road from Ramsgate is white cliffs with KingsgateCastledominating the whole landscape. It is fairly isolated, with few facilities, but is perfect for summer bathing or for bracing winter walks. Accommodation: Fayreness Hotel (0188 86866, www.fayreness.com) with doubles with breakfast fromPS69. 15pp. RINGSTEAD BAY, DORSET A picturesque 210ft crescent of pebbles with clean water that's a perfect escape from some of the busier beaches around Weymouth. You reach it by passing through the village of Upton,then along a narrow country road. Next to the car park is a well stocked shop. The cliffs behind RingsteadBayare an excellent place for fossil hunting. Accommodation: Glenburn Hotel (01305 832318, www.glenburnhotell.com) with doubles fromPS7 9 including breakfast. BRANSCOMBE.DEVON Lying on the EastDevonHeritageCoast, Branscombe has good facilities with toilets and a car park close to the beach, as well as a small picnic area. A well stocked shop sells the most attractive dairy ice cream. Next to the shop is the Sea Shanty restaurant--open every day until 5 p.m. during the summer. Accommodation: The Mason's Arms, Branscombe Village (01297 680300, www.masonsarms.co.uk) with doubles fromPS6 5 pp with breakfast. What's the purpose of the passage? _ A. To attract more tourists. B. To describe some beautiful beaches. C. To tell us the most beautiful places in UKare beaches. D. To tell us where to spend summer. Answer: A
mmlu
Question: At a talk to some businessmen earlier today, one fellow asked me, "Would you give money to a homeless person, even when you know he's going to use it to buy alcohol?" I replied, "If all I was giving was money, it'll be one thing.But for me, whenever I do give money, that's just the wrapping .The real gift is hidden inside - it's love.And l haven't ever found any reason to limit gifts of love " By the end of the night, I decided to get some pizza.In front of me in line was a homeless-looking man.He was counting the few dollars bills in his hand, over and over again, until it was his turn to order.Just then, he told the young woman behind the counter, "I'II have the full cheese pizza." "Full?" she countered."It's really big." she added, although what she really meant to say is that it'll be too expensive for him."Yeah, the full " "$18.65," she submitted.The bills he was counting weren't going to make it.I wasn't intending to get the whole pizza for him.But thinking back to my conversation with the business man, l realized that money was really just the wrapping. I made my move."Can you charge that pizza with my order" I said to the cashier."Really?'' the homeless-looking man said."Really?" the young woman behind the counter repeated."Yes, really." That confused man and I had a sweet silent moment.To his silent question of why I was doing it, I added, "Just pay it forward for someone else." And he said, "Well, you know what? I was actually treating those five homeless guys out there." He was actually paying it forward, in the first place! What an unexpected fortune to get a chance to be a part of a man's act of kindness. Why did the homeless-looking man want to buy the whole pizza? A. Because he was too hungry. B. Because he wanted to pay it forward. C. Because he wanted to treat his own five children. D. Because he wanted to help some homeless people. Answer: D
mmlu
Question: Mr. Jackson was a doctor in a small town. He was very absent-minded . One afternoon, he went to visit a friend who lived not far from the town. They had dinner together and then talked and talked, for Mr. Jackson was very fond of talking. It was already midnight, then one o'clock, two o'clock and still Mr. Jackson kept on talking. But this time the friend was feeling very tired and kept looking at the clock on the wall. He didn't want to be impolite , but at last he said, "Charles, my dear friend, I don't want to put you out, but I have to go to work at six tomorrow morning, I must go to bed now. " "Oh, my God!" said Mr. Jackson in surprise. "I thought you were at my house. " After reading the story, you know Mr. Jackson was _ . A. careful B. careless C. on duty D. helpful Answer: B
mmlu
Question: I was on the escalator in a market. There was an old man who was about five or six people in the front of me. People behind him were all in a hurry and saw him as a rock. The old man knew these clearly and tried hard to step aside. I remember...Sometimes when walking or driving behind an older person, I've gotten impatient and upset. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me!" said the old man, "I don't mean to hold you up." He then tried his best to get off the escalator. I suddenly saw this in a whole new light. I felt sick to my stomach. The old man was apologizing to everyone, when we should have helped him to calm his fears. One by one, people went around him quickly. By the time I got to him, I asked, "Sir, can I help you?" The man thought for a while, then said, "Well, yes, thank you!" I placed my hand under his left arm and walked away from the rush of people quickly. "So what are you shopping for, sir?" "Oh, today is Mother's Day. I want to buy something for my neighbor. She's a single mother and she is always so nice to me." he said, stopping suddenly as he searched his pocket. "Oh, it's here! I always carry them with me," he said. Then he took out some business cards and handed me one which read: "John Smith. Friend to all...enemy to no one! I said a prayer today and you were the answer. Thank you!" "That's for you," he said. "Thanks for stopping to help an old man." "My friend, you helped me. I discovered why I was unhappy with the world. Now I know how to solve the problem. No more with me!" What did the writer think about the people that passed by? A. Cold. B. Boring. C. Warm. D. Friendly. Answer: A
mmlu
Question: I began to think about my future job at the age of fourteen. I was born into a family of teachers. My parents are both teachers and I like the job. When I was a little girl, I often went to school with my mother. When my mother was in the class I watched her, and I wanted to be popular among (......) pupils like her. One day in the 9th grade, the head teacher asked me to give an English lesson to the 5th grade pupils because their English teacher caught a cold. When I entered the classroom, many pupils had been at their desks. I said, "Good morning," and began the lesson.[:ZXXK] I wanted the pupils to like English. We read, wrote, sang songs, asked questions and answered questions. Later, I gave English lessons several times and I was happy teaching the pupils. Now I know what I am going to do after leaving school. I want to be an English teacher. It's a very interesting but difficult job. It's interesting because I can work with pupils. It's difficult because I have to teach them a foreign language. To be a good teacher means to know a lot. Every day I improve my English by reading books, reading English newspapers, looking through magazines and speaking with English people. I like English and I want to be a good teacher. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A. The writer has left school and is a good teacher now. B. The writer often went to school with her mother when she was young. C. The writer gave an English lesson to the 5th grade pupils one afternoon. D. The writer's English teacher asked her to give an English lesson to the 5th grade pupils. Answer: B
mmlu
Question: "A child is dying---out of breath!" I had just begun my working day in the city, when these words came through the radio of the police car I was driving. I turned on the red lights and siren and drove off as fast as I could. "Just my luck!" I thought. I didn't know this city well and my first call of the day was a life-and-death sudden happening, several kilometers away. I got to the house. A mother, filled with fear, handed me her baby, his face already blue. Was I too late? Dear me! I did what had been taught to do in such a serious condition. A small thing flew out of the baby's mouth on to the floor. It was a button. Thank heaven! The holes in it let a little air through. A doctor rushed into the room. He had with him an oxygen bag. The child began to cry at the top of his voice, burned red and started to look for his mother. He was angry but was saved. The writer of the story is _ . A. a policeman B. a driver C. a doctor D. the boy's father Answer: A
mmlu
Question: Paper is one of the most important products ever invented by man. The invention of paper meant that more people could be educated because more books could be printed. Paper provided an important way to communicate with knowledge. Paper was first made in China about 2,000 years ago. In Egypt and the West, paper was not very commonly used before the year 1400. Paper was not made in southern Europe until about the year 1100. After that, the forest countries of Canada, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and the United States became the most important in paper-making. Today Finland makes the best paper in the world. When we think of paper, we think of newspapers, books, letters, envelopes, and writing paper. So paper plays an important role in our lives. Paper is very good for keeping you warm. Houses are often with paper. You have perhaps seen homeless men sleep on a large number of newspapers. They are insulating themselves from the cold. In Finland, in winter it is sometimes 40 degrees below zero. The farmers wear paper boots in the snow. Nothing could be warmer. When was paper made in southern Europe? A. Before 1100 B. After 1400 C. After 1100 D. Before 1400 Answer: C
mmlu
Question: Several days ago, while I got online, my cousin's QQ head popped out . We hadn't seen each other for a few months, so I decided to start a talk with her. My cousin is studying in a college of our city. Her hobby is surfing the Internet. Every time I am on the computer, she is always online, listening to music or decorating her "personal space". I like visiting her space. It's creative and modern. I can't design such a colorful web page as hers. When I read the sentences she sent to me, I noticed that the Chinese characters had been changed, but I could still guess their meanings. I took a strong interest in this type of new characters. Further watching made me realize that they added some common Chinese radicals to the original characters, making them more vivid , a little like Japanese. My cousin said this gives new life to the Chinese language and culture. It is true that the Internet has _ our language, but I still can't accept this new change. Some Chinese characters have meanings in the shapes; one shouldn't superficially change them by adding an additional radical. So I advised my cousin to change her new idea and use standard characters to communicate. And she willingly accepted my advice. The author would like to visit his cousin's space _ . A. because he wants to design a web page B. because the music is well worth listening to C. because it is very creative and modern D. because it is the best one on the Internet Answer: C
mmlu
Question: Relax and unwind in our new state of the Loch Ness Easery. Whether you are looking for a snack or a full meal we have almost anything to be suitable for everyone. We will be ready for helping you at all times. * Fresh Tea, Coffee, Hot Chocolate etc. * Good choice of Home Baking and Cakes. * Home Made Soup and Sandwiches. * Packed lunches for those who prefer a picnic. * Seating for over 150 visitors. Tel:+44(0)1456 450321 Web: www.lochness.com At the Loch Ness Eatery, visitors can _ . A. book comfortable rooms B. have a picnic C. cook for themselves D. get a good relaxation Answer: D
mmlu
Question: It seems that school children all over the world complain about their school food. What do students of your age eat for lunch at school in other countries? Japan High schools have dining rooms. They serve everything from noodles to rice, but not burgers and chips. Other children bring food from home, such as cold rice balls, meat or fish, pickles and vegetables. Twice a year parents are invited to have a taste of the food. United States A typical menu from a US school is made up of a hamburger with fried potatoes or roast chicken, lettuce and pickles, fruit and cookies. School lunches must also provide at least one third of the daily amount of necessary nutrition , such as, vitamin A, vitamin C and calcium . Australia Meat pies, sausage rolls and hotdogs are all traditional dishes in Australian school shops. But as the country pays more attention to children's health, healthier foods have started to appear on school menus. Many schools have used a traffic light system. The sale of red labeled c) foods, including cookies, chocolate and soft drinks. Is served only twice a week. Healthier green labeled foods such as sushi, sandwiches, corn and watermelons, however, are available every day. South Africa Most of South African schools do not serve meals at all. Classes end at l; 30 p. m. and students get their own lunches. Many students bring food from home, usually sandwiches. Fast food and fried food sell the best among students. As a result, it has caused a rise in obesity c) among children. But as more people began to realize that being too fat may cause different kinds of serious illnesses, some schools in towns have led the way towards better nutrition. Now students at these schools are offered lunches of porridge with vegetables, such as cabbage, onions, beans, carrots and tomatoes. Which are traditional dishes in Australia? A. Meat pies and hotdogs. B. Chocolate and soft drinks. C. Cookies and sushi. D. Sandwiches and corn. Answer: A
mmlu
Question: About 35 percent of British adults sleep with teddy bears. Many more share a bed with a partner or spouse. Others still co - sleep, alongside children in a family bed. But lying with your iPad? A recent survey by marketing agency Rosette found that 68 percent of tablet owners use the device in the bedroom, more than in any other location. The living room took a close second place, at 63 percent, reports AdAge. com, and only 45 percent of respondents said they use their tablets on the go. But bringing devices into the bedroom is a bad idea, if quality rest is your goal. One of the most important factors of sleepiness is darkness, which signals to the brain that it's time to start speeding up production of the sleep - inducing hormone melatonin. But as the New York Times points out, in our modern world, we are exposed to light long after the sun sets. While any type of light can disturb your sleep, the blue wavelength light given off by cell phones, laptops, tablets and other gadgets is particularly troublesome. Research shows that this blue light causes alertness so decisively that it can actually be used to fight tiredness. According to the National Sleep Foundation, 95 percent of Americans use some device, whether it's a TV, laptop, cell phone or other products, within an hour of killing time. "Artificial light exposure between dusk and the time we go to bed at night push our sleeping sense to a later hour - making it more difficult to fall asleep," said Charles Czeisler, Ph. D. , M. D. , chief of the division of sleep medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Instead, experts recommend turning off all devices an hour before bedtime and finding another method for relaxation, like reading a book, taking a warm bath or performing a series of calming yoga poses. It's also a good idea to exercise and lay off the caffeine several hours before bedtime. What can we know from this passage? A. The light from cell phones is harmful B. Modern people have trouble falling asleep C. Darkness can create a good sleeping environment D. Blue light can prevent sleepiness decreasing Answer: C
mmlu
Question: "When I grow up, I want to be..." Almost all of us have thought about, or been asked to think about, our future careers. Our answers may differ greatly. Even now your aspirations may have changed from when you were in primary school. However, it seems career options aren't only based on personal taste. In a survey carried out by Teens, doctors, lawyers, and bankers were some of most popular careers that people said they hoped to follow. This is in line with a similar survey carried out in the UK in May 2011 by job website monster. Co.uk, in which medicine was the top choice among UK teenagers aged between 13 and 17. Medicine and law are two of the oldest and best known professions. Their prestige may come from the fact that doctors and lawyers are some of the most esteemed members of society, and they make good money. Joining these high-profile professions is often seen as a sign of upward social mobility. It is equally unsurprising that banking is now one of the most common career choices. Youngsters worldwide think of banking and see the money rolling in. Wealth is increasingly becoming one of the most important indicators of a successful career. British young men list the UK tycoon Alan Sugar, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg as their top role models "for their wealth". Just as Chinese teenagers see being a banker as a good and fun pathway to "wealth". However, not every child has the makings of doctor, lawyer, or banker. They are those who see fulfillment and happiness in other areas, and many teenagers dare to ink more individuality into their career options. As the Teens' survey discovered, a variety of unconventional jobs---coffee shop owner, gourmet ,waiter at a fast food restaurant---are among teenagers' career choices. They can be equally interesting and rewarding jobs. With every choice comes responsibility and challenge, and all career paths require specific education and training, you have to learn to balance optimism and confidence with being realistic about your particular talents and skills. According to the article, all of the following are the benefits of being a doctor except _ . A. respect from others B. the oldest profession C. high pay D. upward social mobility. Answer: B
mmlu
Question: Sports City Bar Every Tuesday and Thursday evening in Sports City Bar everyone can enjoy a "Buy one, get one free"Tex-Mex &seafood Buffet* for 118 yuan. At our Sunday Family Buffet, we have exciting games for children. The buffet lasts from 11:00am to 2:00 pm. And costs 98 yuan per adult. Children aged 12 to 16 eat for half price, and children under 12(limited* to two) eat for free. Happy hours at Sports City Bar lasts from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm. But one soft drink, get one free. Tel:65118976-4228 Location: The fourth floor, Blue Sky shopping centre. If you are thirteen, you _ A. can't buy one, get one free in Sports City Bar. B. Can eat for free at Sunday Family Buffet. C. Must pay 49 yuan for your lunch at Sunday Family Buffet D. Must go to the Sports City Bar with your parents Answer: C
mmlu
Question: The Firegathering 18-20 May The Firegathering festival returns to an unidentified place somewhere in the Sussex countryside this May.The ticket price is a very agreeable PS40,an amount that the organisers promise covers only the costs of staging the event.As well as the nightclub singers and dancers and circus performers,you can expect live performances from local stars.If this looks like it might be right for you,you'd be well advised to book your ticket soon;the event has sold out every year since its beginning four years ago. Sheep Music 20-22 July Sheep Music started life as a garden party and has developed into a fullscale community event.Even though the advertising has always been limited to word of mouth,the huge number of people in 2005 left organizers worried that the large crowds could ruin the festival's family feel.Luckily July sees the return of this brilliant party.The climax comes in the shape of Saturday night's fullscale parade and fancy dress ball that you just would not expect to happen in the other sleepy Welsh borders. The Big Chill 3-5 August Ten years on and The Big Chill could very well be close to becoming a big pop festival like Glastonbury.That said,the many thousands in attendance are still able to relax in the beautiful Eastnor deer park and listen to plenty of music that would otherwise pass them by.Families have always been given a warm welcome and it's fair to say that The Big Chill is probably the most childfriendly of all the mediumsized festivals.If you've never been,you should certainly go. Summer Sundae 10-12 August Although only a year old this summer,Summer Sundae has quickly inspired the imaginations of Leicesteks music lovers.Last year's event was a success,noted by more than a few mentions at the UK Festival Awards.It is set in the impressive grounds of De Montfort Hall.Although the performers are still to be confirmed,the cabins are sure to be there.These small buildings are made from wood and carpets,storage space,and can fit a family for the night. What can we learn about The Firegathering? A. The festival will take place in a park. B. No profits will be made from the festival. C. The audience will be bigger than expected. D. A lot of national stars will perform at the festival. Answer: B
mmlu
Question: Jealousy is a horrible feeling that weeds its way into your life and relationships before you know it. You might want something someone else has, or feel like they're happier than you. It might seem like an uncontrollable emotion, but it's truly not! Remember your big accomplishments. If your coworker gets the promotion you wanted, it doesn't mean you haven't done great work. List out your accomplishments and think about how you got them and what you've done since then. You'll quickly find that you're just as worthy as the person you're envying! Appreciate your own good fortune. Think of where you are in your life and how you got there. Did you just buy your first car? Are you able to save one paycheck each month? Are you surrounded by loving family and amazing friends? You have a lot of good things,and you have a lot of good fortune coming your way. Stop letting jealousy eat you alive and realize that you can better spend that energy on furthering your own success and happiness. Appreciate that others can do what you can't. How boring would life be if everyone was the same? What if the entire population of your city was applying for your job, and they all had the same qualifications? Appreciate that everyone is different. Some people are better in powerful management positions, while maybe you're better working with people. A friend might be an excellent artist--a quality you're envious of, but don't forget that you're a great musician! Acknowledge that people need to be different, need to be better at various things. We should appreciate that others can do what you can't, because _ . A. you can further your own success and happiness B. things in the world are various C. the entire population of your city is applying for your job D. you're worthless compared to anyone else Answer: B
mmlu
Question: Our lives were supposed to be more flexible and family-friendly thanks to the technology at our fingertips. But in this age of BlackBerrys, recession pressures, working at home after hours and on weekends, family time may not be working out the way we thought. Busy parents who expected more time with the kids are Finding that more work hours at home don't necessarily translate into quality time with them. A new generation of parents needs to discover the meaning of "quality time," researchers say. "Personally, just given the life I lead, I think there is something to this idea of quality time- spending productive time with children vs. just being around," says Peter Brandon, a professor at Carleton College. He says engaging or interacting with a child in activities such as reading or playing counts as quality time rather than "passive monitoring," such as washing the dishes while the child is watching TV. " _ ," Brandon says. He notes that good parent-child relationships result in children being happier and more successful, including at school. As parents struggle to be more available to their kids, new research on work and family schedules to be presented Friday at the meeting in Dallas includes a study that shows parents' availability is on the decline because more parents are in the workforce. Although parents today may be spending more time on child care, they are less available overall. Working parents who spend less time with their children should try to make sure the time they do spend is communicating with them, vs. doing the dishes or spending more time on themselves, Brandon says "The trade-off is not necessarily taking away time from your kid," he says "You're taking away time from other things" According to Brandon, the quality time means A. just, being around with children B. work time is separate from family time C. spending instructive time with children D. letting the children do whatever they want to do Answer: C
mmlu
Question: Have you ever been ill? When you are ill,you must be unhappy because your body becomes hot,and there are pains all over your body. You don't want to work,you stay in bed,feeling very sad. What makes us ill? It is germs . Germs are everywhere. They are very small and you can't find them with your eyes,but you can see them with a microscope. They are very small and there could be hundreds of them on a very small thing. Germs are always found in dirty water. When we look at dirty water under the microscope,we shall see them in it. So your father and mother will not let you drink dirty water. Germs aren't found only in water. They are found in air and dust. If you cut your finger,if some of the dust from the floor goes into the cut ,some of the germs would go into your finger. Your finger would become big and red,and you will have much pain in it. Sometimes the germs would go into all of your body,and you would have pain everywhere. What is a microscope used for? A. Making very small things look much bigger. B. Making very big things look much smaller. C. Helping you read some newspapers. D. Helping you if you can't see things clearly. Answer: A
mmlu
Question: Poet Dean Young has dealt with impermanence( )a lot in his career, but it's a particularly strong theme in Young's latest collection, Fall Higher.The new collection was published in April, just days after the poet received a life-saving heart transplant after about a decade of living with a weakening heart condition. Young, whose work is often frank and rich with twisted humor, tells NPR's Renee Montaigne that as he recovers from operation, he's also slowly returning to his everyday writing habits. "I'm getting back to it," Young says."Not with the sort of concentration and sort of flame that I look forward to in the future, but I am blackening some pages." And on those blackened pages you'll find poems like " How Grasp Green," which carries themes of springtime and rebirth.It's one of the first poems Young has written since his transplant. It's easy to spot clues to Young's awful health situation in the lines of his poetry. Fall Higher's "Vintage" opens with, "Because I will die soon, I fall asleep, during the lecture on the ongoing emergency." And the poem "-The Rhythms Pronounce Themselves Then Vanish--published in The /Vew Barker in February --opens with the CT scan that revealed Young's heart condition. Young says "Rhythms" was written about the beginning of his illness. "I had been having a lot of physical pain so that I could hardly walk a block.I got sent to a gastroenterologist and he did a series of tests, and then the tests came back to me and it was all heart related," he says." And the outlook wasn't good. Hearts tend to come up a lot in poetry, and that's especially true of Young's work, which has clearly been influenced by the troubles of his own heart, "A lot of times, it's not just a metaphor ," Young says."For me, it's an actual concern because I've been living with this disease for over 10 years.My father died of heart problems when he was 49, so it's been a sort of shadowy concern for me my whole life. But Young's poems also deal with more abstract matters of the heart.He wrote Fall Higher's, "Late Valentine" for his wife."We've been married since late November and most of it has been spent in the hospital," Young says of his marriage to poet Laurie Saurborn Young, who says " 'Late Valentine' is very sweet. Today, Young says, his friends can't help but comment on how pink his cheeks have become--the result of a new heart and better circulation .But Young wrote the poems of Fall Higher before the transplant, at a time when, at its weakest point, his old heart was pumping at 8 percent of what it should have been. He was staring death in the face--but he was still able to look at his life and see art in it. Young's work also touches on themes of randomness and fate --two factors that contributed to him getting a second chance in the form of a new heart from a 22-year-old student. "Everything in life is molecules bouncing against molecules," Young says, and having a successful transplant is no different." Somebody had to die; it had to be a fit; my blood and his blood had to not have an argument; the heart had to be transported; I had to get it." There were, in short, an amazing number of variables that led to Young being here today. "I just feel enormous gratitude," he says of his donor ."He gave me a heart so I'm still alive-"I'm sure I'm going to think about this person for the rest of my life." We can learn from the text that Young _ . A. was born with heart disease B. received a heart transplant in February C. married a female poet after he wrote "Late Valentine" D. wrote a poem for his wife in his collection Answer: D
mmlu
Question: Are you looking for a fun vacation spot? Do you like to sleep in a hotel, go shopping, and eat fancy meals? If so, Mona Island might Not be the place for you! That's because Mona Island has no hotels, no museums, no shops, and no restaurants. None at all! But if you like nature , Mona Island is an amazing place to take a vacation. Some of the animals living there are not found anywhere else in the world. There are beautiful beaches and caves to explore. The sea around the island has colorful fish. There are many things that make Mona Island an unusual place. Mona Island is very small, On a map it looks like a tiny green lima bean floating in the big blue ocean. the only way to get there is by taking a long boat ride from the island of Puerto Rico. The government of Puerto Rico takes care of the island and has made it a natural reserve. That means the island's animals and plants are protected from being harmed by people. Mona Island is different from most places because people are not allowed to live there. Only a few park rangers are able to stay. The park ranger's job is to keep Mona Island safe and beautiful. They insist that rules be followed. One rule is that only 100 people at a time can visit the island. That way, the park rangers can make sure the land and animals remain safe. B. Why is Mona Island different from most places? Because _ A. It is small B. people are not allowed to live there. C. it looks like a tiny green lima bean. D. it is a natural reserve. Answer: B
mmlu
Question: The Kingdome in Seattle was destroyed on March 26, 2000. It was taken down to make room for a new stadium. The blast from the falling building caused the earth to shake as if an earthquake had happened Scientists placed more than 200 earthquake recorders in the earth to measure the movement. They found which parts of the city shook the most. This information helped them know which parts of the city would be damaged in a real earthquake at an early time. A real earthquake happened on February 28, 2001 in Seattle. The Nisqually earthquake was 6.8 on the Richter scale(6.8). It damaged the same parts of Seattle that scientists had predicted from the pulling down of the Kingdome. It was a plate quake. It started deep in the earth, 37 miles below the surface on the Juan de Fuca Plate. Sometimes, huge plates under the earth cause earthquakes when the plates move against each other suddenly. Scientists have learned that deep earthquakes have very few aftershocks . The Nisqually earthquake had only 4 ones. Another earthquake in California that was close to the surface had over 120 aftershocks. Scientists do not know why the deep earthquakes have fewer aftershocks. Scientists plan to blast in the ground near Seattle with the purpose of testing the plate. The shockwaves from the blast will jump off the plate and give them an idea of where the plate is and how it is moving. This will give them more information in case another real earthquake hits the area. According to the passage, _ have the most aftershocks A. blast earthquakes B. earthquakes close to the surface C. deep earthquakes D. earthquakes more than 6.8 Richter scale Answer: B
mmlu
Question: I was eleven years old, waiting for my exam at Saraswati Vidyalaya, my school in Nagpur. "No. 12, please come forward." Kirti, a very fat girl from my class, stepped ahead. I heard my classmates laughing and so I tried to stop them with my eyes. But my good intentions were mistaken. The next morning, my teacher, Mrs. Kamble, told me, "Ashwini, I've received a complaint about you." I was shocked. The girl I was protecting thought I'd been laughing at her. I tried to explain but the teacher refused to hear me out. She punished me by making me stand by the door. I knew I was right. Such punishment to a class topper was simply unheard of. But, slowly, my pride disappeared. Instead of being angry, I understood the other students who have been punished at times. For the first time, I felt humbled . Three years later, I was in the math class. Mr. Prabhuraman, wrote an equation -- one he'd taught us the day before -- on the blackboard. "Anyone who doesn't know how to solve this," he said, "please leave the class at once." I knew I could solve only the first two steps. But my pride made me stay there. Unfortunately, the one who was asked to solve it was me. I just stood there, chalk in hand, trying not to look foolish. I prepared myself for a good talking-to , but Mr. Prabhuraman told me kindly, "Go back to your seat." Today, two decades later, those incidents have made me think. One teacher punished me for something I didn't do; the other forgave me for something I did wrong. Both experiences had an effect on me. They remind me that no matter what you accomplish , you must always be humble. When the very fat girl appeared, Ashwini _ . A. took no notice of her B. laughed at her C. said hello to her D. tried to stop others making fun of her Answer: D
mmlu
Question: One day a rich boy bought a magic mirror . When he got home, he looked in the mirror. His face looked sad. He tried to smile , his face looked still sad. The he did many happy things, but his face always looked sad. " Oh, what a terrible mirror! It doesn't work!" he said angrily. The next day on his way to buy some chocolate, he saw a little girl crying sadly. The rich boy went up to her and asked what had happened. The little girl said she couldn't find her parents. "Don't worry. I'll help you." The rich boy said. So they went to look for them together. Finally they found her parents. They were so thankful for his help . After the rich boy arrived home, he looked in the mirror as usual. To his surprise,his face looked very happy. The boy understood the magic of the mirror. The mirror could show the true feelings of its owner. This was true--the rich boy had helped that little girl so he felt really happy. The little cried because _ . A. She lost her money. B. She couldn't find her home. C. She couldn't find her parents. D. She had no money to buy chocolate. Answer: C
mmlu
Question: (This selection was originally published in 1992. Pluto is no longer classified as a planet.) Pluto is in many ways the strangest of the planets. It is small and has a large moon(called Charon). Its orbit is unusual, which may cause it to have seasons in the sense that when it is close to the sun, the liquid methane on its surface boils to form a kind of atmospheric haze . When the planet moves farther away from the sun, it starts to snow solid methane. Pluto is not dark. Despite its great distance from the sun, the surface of Pluto is probably as bright as a moonlit night on Earth. The reason is all that methane, which is as white as newly fallen snow. The discovery of Pluto was more accident than design. The American astronomer Percival Lowell had predicted the existence of a ninth planet(he called it Planet X)based on what he took to be irregularities in the orbit of Neptune. Today astronomers argue that these "irregularities" weren't real, but the result of instrumental error. Nevertheless, Lowell produced predictions about where Planet X ought to be(although, to be honest, the predictions changed occasionally when he redid the calculations).In any case, in 1930 Clyde Tombaugh, doing a systemic sky survey that would have found the planet no matter where it was, discovered the planet we now call Pluto. By coincidence, its position was pretty close to where Lowell's last prediction said it should be. Was it just luck? We'll never know. The text mainly wants to _ . A. give a brief introduction of Pluto B. talk about the discovery of Pluto C. prove the exact position of Pluto D. describe the strangeness of Pluto Answer: A
mmlu
Question: Viruses are killed by objects used in a A. backyard B. bathroom C. kitchen D. living room Answer: C
mmlu