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_ is next to the table. | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Look at this picture! It's a picture of a room. What can you see in the picture? I can see an apple on the table. Can you see an English book on the table? No, I can't. Where is it? It's in the schoolbag! The schoolbag is on the chair next to the bed. What is next to the table? Oh, it's a bookcase. Some books are in it. Look! What's that under the chair? It's a cat. A ball is beside the cat. The ball is mine. It is a volleyball. I like playing volleyball very much.
Question:
_ is next to the table.
Choices:
A. A bookcase
B. A chair
C. A bed
D. An orange | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle2566.txt | Look at this picture! It's a picture of a room. What can you see in the picture? I can see an apple on the table. Can you see an English book on the table? No, I can't. Where is it? It's in the schoolbag! The schoolbag is on the chair next to the bed. What is next to the table? Oh, it's a bookcase. Some books are in it. Look! What's that under the chair? It's a cat. A ball is beside the cat. The ball is mine. It is a volleyball. I like playing volleyball very much. | [
"A bookcase",
"A chair",
"A bed",
"An orange"
] |
What is the passage mainly about? | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Dyslexia is a problem that restricts the ability to recognize words and connect sounds with letters when people read. People with this learning disorder may also have problems when they write. Dyslexia is not related to eyesight or intelligence. The problem involves areas of the brain that process language. Brain scientists are studying whether they can predict which young children may struggle with reading to provide them with early help. John Gabrieli at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is leading the study of five-year-olds in about twenty schools in the Boston area.
They studied in the schools with kindergartens. And for all the children joining in the study, they give them a brief set of paper-and-pencil tests to look at which children appear to be at some risk for struggling to read. So far, fifty of them have been examined in a scanner, a special machine, to show brain activity. Written tests are not always able to identify dyslexia or other problems, while brain scans may offer a more scientific way to identify problems. And with reading problems, early identification is important. When it comes to helping children overcome reading difficulties, the younger the child, the more effective they are.
Reading problems are not usually identified until a child is in the third or fourth grade. The later children are recognized as poor readers, the less treatment can help. And, as Professor Gabrieli points out, poor reading can make education a struggle. Reading is everything. Even math and science have textbooks.
While the children are given tasks related to reading, the brain scans measure the extent to which certain parts of the brain become active while the children do the work. The scientists say they are pleased with early results from the study, but have a long way to go.
Question:
What is the passage mainly about?
Choices:
A. An effective way to identity Dyslexia at an early stage.
B. A learning disorder involving one's intelligence.
C. Dyslexia -- a problem affecting one's reading and writing.
D. A possible solution to the problems related to Dyslexia. | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high13002.txt | Dyslexia is a problem that restricts the ability to recognize words and connect sounds with letters when people read. People with this learning disorder may also have problems when they write. Dyslexia is not related to eyesight or intelligence. The problem involves areas of the brain that process language. Brain scientists are studying whether they can predict which young children may struggle with reading to provide them with early help. John Gabrieli at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is leading the study of five-year-olds in about twenty schools in the Boston area.
They studied in the schools with kindergartens. And for all the children joining in the study, they give them a brief set of paper-and-pencil tests to look at which children appear to be at some risk for struggling to read. So far, fifty of them have been examined in a scanner, a special machine, to show brain activity. Written tests are not always able to identify dyslexia or other problems, while brain scans may offer a more scientific way to identify problems. And with reading problems, early identification is important. When it comes to helping children overcome reading difficulties, the younger the child, the more effective they are.
Reading problems are not usually identified until a child is in the third or fourth grade. The later children are recognized as poor readers, the less treatment can help. And, as Professor Gabrieli points out, poor reading can make education a struggle. Reading is everything. Even math and science have textbooks.
While the children are given tasks related to reading, the brain scans measure the extent to which certain parts of the brain become active while the children do the work. The scientists say they are pleased with early results from the study, but have a long way to go. | [
"An effective way to identity Dyslexia at an early stage.",
"A learning disorder involving one's intelligence.",
"Dyslexia -- a problem affecting one's reading and writing.",
"A possible solution to the problems related to Dyslexia."
] |
What's the writer's purpose to write this passage ? | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Although there are no state controlled survival courses in Britain or the United States, there are various independent organizations offering similar activities.
Students can participate ( take part ) in outdoor training courses through university clubs and societies . Anyone can register ( ) with such groups , which then organize courses ,training and trips for all members .
One of the most popular outdoor training programmes in both the US and Britain , is Outward Bound ( ) . It was founded in 1941 in Wales and attracts hundreds of thousands of adventurous types every year .
The courses are to broaden minds through experiences that build confidence , self-esteem ( ) and character . As well as specialist courses such as canoeing , leadership skills and sailing , participants can take part in week long adventure training camps which include a host of sports and survival training education skills .
Michael Williams , an American student , took part in an Outward Bound course last year . He said : "We learned lots of first aid skills , lots of natural history , lots of environmental facts , and participated in a wildlife preservation ( protecting ) programme . Beyond that , my favorite skills learned were sailing and rock climbing ."
Courses can last up to 40 days and are open to anyone over the age of 14 . Students must be in general good health , but do not need to be experienced in outdoor-sports . There is no selection process ; everyone is welcome , although new participants are advised to pick a course matching their physical power .
Most of the British courses take place in the Beacons in Wales . Another similar organization is the UK Survival School , which includes courses on learning to live with the environment , sailing and winter survival . On a basic survival weekend students will learn how to get water and food , how to make fire and cook with it , to find and build a shelter , control survival life support , how to cross rivers , send off an SOS signal , and to use compasses by day and night .
According to the leaders , such adventures are "an awakening , an exploration into unknown." Outward Bound believes that participants will "use mind and body traveling some of the earth's roughest wildness areas ."
Question:
What's the writer's purpose to write this passage ?
Choices:
A. To introduce the training course to readers
B. To persuade readers to take part in the training courses.
C. To tell readers the danger of this training course
D. To introduce the wonders of the world to readers | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high4453.txt | Although there are no state controlled survival courses in Britain or the United States, there are various independent organizations offering similar activities.
Students can participate ( take part ) in outdoor training courses through university clubs and societies . Anyone can register ( ) with such groups , which then organize courses ,training and trips for all members .
One of the most popular outdoor training programmes in both the US and Britain , is Outward Bound ( ) . It was founded in 1941 in Wales and attracts hundreds of thousands of adventurous types every year .
The courses are to broaden minds through experiences that build confidence , self-esteem ( ) and character . As well as specialist courses such as canoeing , leadership skills and sailing , participants can take part in week long adventure training camps which include a host of sports and survival training education skills .
Michael Williams , an American student , took part in an Outward Bound course last year . He said : "We learned lots of first aid skills , lots of natural history , lots of environmental facts , and participated in a wildlife preservation ( protecting ) programme . Beyond that , my favorite skills learned were sailing and rock climbing ."
Courses can last up to 40 days and are open to anyone over the age of 14 . Students must be in general good health , but do not need to be experienced in outdoor-sports . There is no selection process ; everyone is welcome , although new participants are advised to pick a course matching their physical power .
Most of the British courses take place in the Beacons in Wales . Another similar organization is the UK Survival School , which includes courses on learning to live with the environment , sailing and winter survival . On a basic survival weekend students will learn how to get water and food , how to make fire and cook with it , to find and build a shelter , control survival life support , how to cross rivers , send off an SOS signal , and to use compasses by day and night .
According to the leaders , such adventures are "an awakening , an exploration into unknown." Outward Bound believes that participants will "use mind and body traveling some of the earth's roughest wildness areas ." | [
"To introduce the training course to readers",
"To persuade readers to take part in the training courses.",
"To tell readers the danger of this training course",
"To introduce the wonders of the world to readers"
] |
Which device will a high school student choose to use in the classrooms ? | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Livescribe Echo Smartpen, $79.99
This pen not only records audio, but also records whatever the user writes and even draws. This translates to almost two hours of full audio, or 32000 pages of written text. When using a Livescribe notebook, a college or high school student can easily edit notes without the disturbance of a laptop or tablet. This is perfect for the classrooms that don't allow the use of electronics. Best of all, it allows users to quickly deliver their notes to a computer or laptop.
Logitech Bluetooth Keyboard, $107.53
It is a great choice for those who own many different devices and want to use a keyboard over the ones that come with the device. It works on tablets, PCs and even smartphones. It offers four different settings for each device, so changing from one to the other is as easy as turning a knob . It even has a cradle to hold a tablet at the perfect angle, so typing is much easier and faster.
ILUV Syren Pro, $ 93.84
It is weather resistant and has a powerful sound engine that works in a full 360 degrees. This allows it to be used outdoors, next to pools and in other activities that are too risky to use other speakers. It offers Bluetooth support and works with iPhones, iPads and many other devices. With its top-mounted controls and wireless capabilities, it can be operated remotely.
Cobra JumPak $92.88
It can not only charge phones, but also do the same for most cars. It contains a built-in LED flashlight and a 7500mAh battery, as well as a USB port for charging phones. Best of all, it can be stored inside a backpack, so it is perfect for emergency situation and can even be stored in car console .
Question:
Which device will a high school student choose to use in the classrooms ?
Choices:
A. Livescribe Echo Smartpen
B. Logitech Bluetooth Keyboard
C. ILUV Syren Pro
D. Cobra JumPak | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high14646.txt | Livescribe Echo Smartpen, $79.99
This pen not only records audio, but also records whatever the user writes and even draws. This translates to almost two hours of full audio, or 32000 pages of written text. When using a Livescribe notebook, a college or high school student can easily edit notes without the disturbance of a laptop or tablet. This is perfect for the classrooms that don't allow the use of electronics. Best of all, it allows users to quickly deliver their notes to a computer or laptop.
Logitech Bluetooth Keyboard, $107.53
It is a great choice for those who own many different devices and want to use a keyboard over the ones that come with the device. It works on tablets, PCs and even smartphones. It offers four different settings for each device, so changing from one to the other is as easy as turning a knob . It even has a cradle to hold a tablet at the perfect angle, so typing is much easier and faster.
ILUV Syren Pro, $ 93.84
It is weather resistant and has a powerful sound engine that works in a full 360 degrees. This allows it to be used outdoors, next to pools and in other activities that are too risky to use other speakers. It offers Bluetooth support and works with iPhones, iPads and many other devices. With its top-mounted controls and wireless capabilities, it can be operated remotely.
Cobra JumPak $92.88
It can not only charge phones, but also do the same for most cars. It contains a built-in LED flashlight and a 7500mAh battery, as well as a USB port for charging phones. Best of all, it can be stored inside a backpack, so it is perfect for emergency situation and can even be stored in car console . | [
"Livescribe Echo Smartpen",
"Logitech Bluetooth Keyboard",
"ILUV Syren Pro",
"Cobra JumPak"
] |
Sunnyvale School was having a picnic. They wanted to make fruit punch. They had 4.5 liters of orange punch. They had twice as much cherry punch as orange punch and 1.5 liters less of apple juice than cherry punch. When they combined all of the fruit juices together, how many liters of fruit punch did they have? | Orange = <<4.5=4.5>>4.5 L
Cherry = 2 * 4.5 = <<2*4.5=9>>9 L
Apple = 9 - 1.5 = <<9-1.5=7.5>>7.5 L
Total punch = 4.5 + 9 + 7.5 = <<4.5+9+7.5=21>>21 L
They had 21 liters of fruit punch for the picnic.
#### 21 | Solve the following math problem and explain your reasoning step by step. | Sunnyvale School was having a picnic. They wanted to make fruit punch. They had 4.5 liters of orange punch. They had twice as much cherry punch as orange punch and 1.5 liters less of apple juice than cherry punch. When they combined all of the fruit juices together, how many liters of fruit punch did they have? | Orange = <<4.5=4.5>>4.5 L
Cherry = 2 * 4.5 = <<2*4.5=9>>9 L
Apple = 9 - 1.5 = <<9-1.5=7.5>>7.5 L
Total punch = 4.5 + 9 + 7.5 = <<4.5+9+7.5=21>>21 L
They had 21 liters of fruit punch for the picnic.
#### 21 | math | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Which of the following is not true? | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
It was late on a snowing night. Doctor Van was driving fast to the hospital to do an operation on a badly hurt person. Minutes later he came to a red traffic light and had to stop to wait. A man suddenly opened the door of the car and got in.
"Drive on, " shouted the man, "Just do what I've told you to. " The man was strong and tall while Doctor Van was not.
"But I'm a doctor, " Van tried to tell him what he was going to do. "I'm on my way to the hospital to save..." "Stop talking and drive faster, as fast as you can!" the man stopped Van and Van had to do so.
Only a few minutes had passed when the man made Van stop his car again and drove him off, and he himself drove away very quickly.
Van stood in the snow for a moment and then walked around to look for a taxi.
Another half an hour had passed when Van got out of the taxi and ran into the hospital. But it was too late and nothing could be done.
The man who had taken Van's car was standing by the person all the time. He was so sad! Only then did Van know that the man was the father of that badly hurt person!
Question:
Which of the following is not true?
Choices:
A. The man lost his son.
B. Doctor Van was stronger than the man.
C. Doctors need cars.
D. The weather was not fine that night. | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle1385.txt | It was late on a snowing night. Doctor Van was driving fast to the hospital to do an operation on a badly hurt person. Minutes later he came to a red traffic light and had to stop to wait. A man suddenly opened the door of the car and got in.
"Drive on, " shouted the man, "Just do what I've told you to. " The man was strong and tall while Doctor Van was not.
"But I'm a doctor, " Van tried to tell him what he was going to do. "I'm on my way to the hospital to save..." "Stop talking and drive faster, as fast as you can!" the man stopped Van and Van had to do so.
Only a few minutes had passed when the man made Van stop his car again and drove him off, and he himself drove away very quickly.
Van stood in the snow for a moment and then walked around to look for a taxi.
Another half an hour had passed when Van got out of the taxi and ran into the hospital. But it was too late and nothing could be done.
The man who had taken Van's car was standing by the person all the time. He was so sad! Only then did Van know that the man was the father of that badly hurt person! | [
"The man lost his son.",
"Doctor Van was stronger than the man.",
"Doctors need cars.",
"The weather was not fine that night."
] |
Later, _ carry the box of books to our classroom. | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
This is my first day in our new school. In the morning, I help my new teacher Mr. Hu put some new English textbooks into a big box. And then I carry it to the classroom. The box is very heavy.
I walk very slowly with the big heavy box in my arms. A boy runs very fast to me. He can't stop . Oh, dear! My box drops on the floor and there are books everywhere on the floor.
'I'm very sorry.' The boy says again and again. He helps me to pick up all the books. He then helps me to carry the books to our classroom.
Who is he? He is my classmate. His name is Jim. He comes to China with his father. He comes from England.
Question:
Later, _ carry the box of books to our classroom.
Choices:
A. Jim and I
B. Jim, Mr.Hu and I
C. Mr. Hu and Jim
D. some of my classmate and I | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle630.txt | This is my first day in our new school. In the morning, I help my new teacher Mr. Hu put some new English textbooks into a big box. And then I carry it to the classroom. The box is very heavy.
I walk very slowly with the big heavy box in my arms. A boy runs very fast to me. He can't stop . Oh, dear! My box drops on the floor and there are books everywhere on the floor.
'I'm very sorry.' The boy says again and again. He helps me to pick up all the books. He then helps me to carry the books to our classroom.
Who is he? He is my classmate. His name is Jim. He comes to China with his father. He comes from England. | [
"Jim and I",
"Jim, Mr.Hu and I",
"Mr. Hu and Jim",
"some of my classmate and I"
] |
What is the name for the tiny air sacs at the end of bronchioles? | null | Answer the following science question clearly and accurately. | What is the name for the tiny air sacs at the end of bronchioles? | alveoli | science | null | null | null | ganglion | gills | vacuoles | alveoli | Finally, air passes from the bronchi into smaller passages called bronchioles. The bronchioles end in tiny air sacs called alveoli. | null | null | null |
The author wrote the letter because _ . | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Dear Reader,
I receive many letters from children and can't answer them all--there wouldn't be time enough in a day. That is why I am sending you this printed reply to your letter. I'll try to answer some of the questions that are commonly asked.
Where did I get the idea for Stuart Little and for Charlotte's Web? Well, many years ago I went to bed one night in a railway sleeping car, and during the night I dreamed about a tiny boy who acted rather like a mouse. That's how the story of Stuart Little got started.
As for Charlotte's Web, I like animals and my barn is a very pleasant place to be, at all hours. One day when I was on my way to feed the pig, I began feeling sorry for the pig because, like most pigs, he was doomed to die. This made me sad. So I started thinking of ways to save a pig's life. I had been watching a big grey spider at her work and was impressed by how clever she was at weaving. Gradually I worked the spider into the story that you know, a story of friendship and salvation on a farm. Three years after I started writing it, it was published. (I am not a fast worker, as you can see.)
Sometimes I'm asked how old I was when I started to write, and what made me want to write. I started early--as soon as I could spell. In fact, I can't remember any time in my life when I wasn't busy writing. I don't know what caused me to do it, or why I enjoyed it, but I think children often find pleasure and satisfaction in trying to set their thoughts down on paper, either in words or in pictures. I was no good at drawing, so I used words instead. As I grew older, I found that writing can be a way of earning a living.
Some of my readers want me to visit their school. Some want me to send a picture, or an autograph, or a book. And some ask questions about my family and my animals and my pets. Much as I'd like to, I can't go visiting. I can't send books, either--you can find them in a bookstore or a library. Many children assume that a writer owns (or even makes) his own books. This is not true--books are made by the publisher. If a writer wants a copy, he must buy it. That's why I can't send books. And I do not send signatures--I leave that to the movie stars. I live most of the year in the country, in New England. From our windows we can look out at the sea and the mountains. I live near my married son and three grandchildren.
Are my stories true, you ask? No, they are imaginary tales, containing fantastic characters and events. In real life, a family doesn't have a child who looks like a mouse; in real life, a spider doesn't spin words in her web. In real life, a swan doesn't blow a trumpet. But real life is only one kind of life--there is also the life of the imagination. And although my stories are imaginary, I like to think that there is some truth in them, too--truth about the way people and animals feel and think and act.
Yours sincerely:E.B. White
Question:
The author wrote the letter because _ .
Choices:
A. he is not a fast worker
B. he was invited to answer the questions
C. he didn't have enough time to answer all the letters
D. he felt sorry for not being able to send books to his readers | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high18575.txt | Dear Reader,
I receive many letters from children and can't answer them all--there wouldn't be time enough in a day. That is why I am sending you this printed reply to your letter. I'll try to answer some of the questions that are commonly asked.
Where did I get the idea for Stuart Little and for Charlotte's Web? Well, many years ago I went to bed one night in a railway sleeping car, and during the night I dreamed about a tiny boy who acted rather like a mouse. That's how the story of Stuart Little got started.
As for Charlotte's Web, I like animals and my barn is a very pleasant place to be, at all hours. One day when I was on my way to feed the pig, I began feeling sorry for the pig because, like most pigs, he was doomed to die. This made me sad. So I started thinking of ways to save a pig's life. I had been watching a big grey spider at her work and was impressed by how clever she was at weaving. Gradually I worked the spider into the story that you know, a story of friendship and salvation on a farm. Three years after I started writing it, it was published. (I am not a fast worker, as you can see.)
Sometimes I'm asked how old I was when I started to write, and what made me want to write. I started early--as soon as I could spell. In fact, I can't remember any time in my life when I wasn't busy writing. I don't know what caused me to do it, or why I enjoyed it, but I think children often find pleasure and satisfaction in trying to set their thoughts down on paper, either in words or in pictures. I was no good at drawing, so I used words instead. As I grew older, I found that writing can be a way of earning a living.
Some of my readers want me to visit their school. Some want me to send a picture, or an autograph, or a book. And some ask questions about my family and my animals and my pets. Much as I'd like to, I can't go visiting. I can't send books, either--you can find them in a bookstore or a library. Many children assume that a writer owns (or even makes) his own books. This is not true--books are made by the publisher. If a writer wants a copy, he must buy it. That's why I can't send books. And I do not send signatures--I leave that to the movie stars. I live most of the year in the country, in New England. From our windows we can look out at the sea and the mountains. I live near my married son and three grandchildren.
Are my stories true, you ask? No, they are imaginary tales, containing fantastic characters and events. In real life, a family doesn't have a child who looks like a mouse; in real life, a spider doesn't spin words in her web. In real life, a swan doesn't blow a trumpet. But real life is only one kind of life--there is also the life of the imagination. And although my stories are imaginary, I like to think that there is some truth in them, too--truth about the way people and animals feel and think and act.
Yours sincerely:E.B. White | [
"he is not a fast worker",
"he was invited to answer the questions",
"he didn't have enough time to answer all the letters",
"he felt sorry for not being able to send books to his readers"
] |
According to the passage we can infer Mrs. Black touched her husband on the back so as to _ . | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Mr. Black was very forgetful. Each time when Mrs. Black wanted her husband to do something, she had to tell him again and again not to forget it.
Once Mr. Black was asked to post a letter, " Do remember to put it into the letter box on your way to work." The wife said. " This time I won't forget." Mr. Black said to his wife. "I will hold the letter in my pocket." "Oh, my dear, you may go now. Please come back early." Mrs. Black said. As Mr. Black was shown out, he felt as if his wife touched him affectionately on the back.
Hand in his pocket, Mr. Black walked slowly down the street. Soon a man caught up with him from behind and smiled at him, "Don't forget to post the letter." Mr. Black was wondering how the man knew he had a letter to post. Then a girl passed him and turned to smile at him, too."Now be sure to post the letter," the girl said. Mr. Black was even more puzzled, "Why are they smiling at me? And how do they know I'm going to post a letter?" he thought to himself.
Question:
According to the passage we can infer Mrs. Black touched her husband on the back so as to _ .
Choices:
A. stick something on his back
B. show her love
C. warn him not to forget to post the letter
D. let him go to work right now | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high13708.txt | Mr. Black was very forgetful. Each time when Mrs. Black wanted her husband to do something, she had to tell him again and again not to forget it.
Once Mr. Black was asked to post a letter, " Do remember to put it into the letter box on your way to work." The wife said. " This time I won't forget." Mr. Black said to his wife. "I will hold the letter in my pocket." "Oh, my dear, you may go now. Please come back early." Mrs. Black said. As Mr. Black was shown out, he felt as if his wife touched him affectionately on the back.
Hand in his pocket, Mr. Black walked slowly down the street. Soon a man caught up with him from behind and smiled at him, "Don't forget to post the letter." Mr. Black was wondering how the man knew he had a letter to post. Then a girl passed him and turned to smile at him, too."Now be sure to post the letter," the girl said. Mr. Black was even more puzzled, "Why are they smiling at me? And how do they know I'm going to post a letter?" he thought to himself. | [
"stick something on his back",
"show her love",
"warn him not to forget to post the letter",
"let him go to work right now"
] |
What makes malaria special in the world according to the passage? | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Doctors fighting malaria---one of the deadliest diseases on the planet--- may soon have a new affordable weapon in their smart phones. Researchers have found a way to use the phone's camera to detect the microorganism in the patient's blood that causes the disease.
According to the World Health Organization, almost 600,000 people died of malaria in 2013, making this mosquito-borne disease one of the deadliest in the world.
The saddest aspect of this calamity is that it affects mostly young children.
Early detection of the infection is important for successful treatment. But since the first symptoms resemble ordinary flu, a microbiologist must look at a drop of a patient's blood under a microscope for a proper diagnosis.
Scientists in Britain have now developed a smart phone attachment called Xrapid, that turns the phone into a 200-power microscope, while the attached app---based on facial recognition software - quickly detects the parasitic protozoa in the blood smear .
Jean Viry-Babel is the CEO of IanXen, the company that developed the app. He says it is cheap and works on the spot. "So we take a high-definition picture of a sample of blood. We separate the red blood cells from the rest---the white blood cells, the platelets ---and we start looking at each of the red blood cells individually," said Viry-Babel.
Viry-Babel says the app is affordable, easy to use and provides reliability of up to 98 percent. The only additional equipment required is an ordinary glass lab slide - called a "slate."
"There's only one button, which is called "Diagnose". So you put it on the slate and you put it on the dried blood, and you press diagnose and it tells you yes or no," he said.
Researchers say the field-testing of the device will begin in January and February in Tanzania, Benin and Indonesia --- while commercial use is scheduled to start by the end of March.
They also plan to expand the versatility of the new device---teaching it to recognize other diseases, such as tuberculosis and Lyme Disease.
Question:
What makes malaria special in the world according to the passage?
Choices:
A. There's no way to detect it.
B. It mainly infects young kids.
C. It kills many people every year.
D. It is one of the deadliest disease. | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high9753.txt | Doctors fighting malaria---one of the deadliest diseases on the planet--- may soon have a new affordable weapon in their smart phones. Researchers have found a way to use the phone's camera to detect the microorganism in the patient's blood that causes the disease.
According to the World Health Organization, almost 600,000 people died of malaria in 2013, making this mosquito-borne disease one of the deadliest in the world.
The saddest aspect of this calamity is that it affects mostly young children.
Early detection of the infection is important for successful treatment. But since the first symptoms resemble ordinary flu, a microbiologist must look at a drop of a patient's blood under a microscope for a proper diagnosis.
Scientists in Britain have now developed a smart phone attachment called Xrapid, that turns the phone into a 200-power microscope, while the attached app---based on facial recognition software - quickly detects the parasitic protozoa in the blood smear .
Jean Viry-Babel is the CEO of IanXen, the company that developed the app. He says it is cheap and works on the spot. "So we take a high-definition picture of a sample of blood. We separate the red blood cells from the rest---the white blood cells, the platelets ---and we start looking at each of the red blood cells individually," said Viry-Babel.
Viry-Babel says the app is affordable, easy to use and provides reliability of up to 98 percent. The only additional equipment required is an ordinary glass lab slide - called a "slate."
"There's only one button, which is called "Diagnose". So you put it on the slate and you put it on the dried blood, and you press diagnose and it tells you yes or no," he said.
Researchers say the field-testing of the device will begin in January and February in Tanzania, Benin and Indonesia --- while commercial use is scheduled to start by the end of March.
They also plan to expand the versatility of the new device---teaching it to recognize other diseases, such as tuberculosis and Lyme Disease. | [
"There's no way to detect it.",
"It mainly infects young kids.",
"It kills many people every year.",
"It is one of the deadliest disease."
] |
According to the passage,John Keynes Believed that _ . | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
In his 1930 essay "Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren ", John Keynes, acconmist, ewrote that human needs fall into two classes: needs ,which are indupe what other have , and needs ,which make us feel superior to our fellows He thought alough needs may indeed be insatible this isnottrue of
Keynes wans surely correct that only a small part of total spending id decided by the super iority He was gretly mistaken ,however ,in seeting this desive as the only source of demands
Decisions to spend are also driven by ideas of quality which can influnce the den almost all goods, including even basic goods like food. When a couple goes out for an anm dinner,for example,the thought of feeling superior to others probably never comes to them. The goal is to share a special meal that stands out from other meals.
There are no obvious limits to the _ of demand for quality.For example ,porsche famous car producer,has a model which was considered perhaps the best sport car on the mark Priced at over $120,000,it handles perfectly well and has great speen acceleration.But in 200 the producer introduced some changes which made the model slightly better in handling acceleration.People who really care about cars find these small improvemenmts exciting.To them,however,they must pay almost four times the price.
By placing the desire to be superior to other at the heart of his description of nisation demands,Keynes actually reduced such demands.However,the desire for higher quality has natural limits.
Question:
According to the passage,John Keynes Believed that _ .
Choices:
A. desire is the root of both and needs
B. needs come from our sense of superiority
C. needs alone lead to insatiable demands
D. needs are stronger than needs | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high20839.txt | In his 1930 essay "Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren ", John Keynes, acconmist, ewrote that human needs fall into two classes: needs ,which are indupe what other have , and needs ,which make us feel superior to our fellows He thought alough needs may indeed be insatible this isnottrue of
Keynes wans surely correct that only a small part of total spending id decided by the super iority He was gretly mistaken ,however ,in seeting this desive as the only source of demands
Decisions to spend are also driven by ideas of quality which can influnce the den almost all goods, including even basic goods like food. When a couple goes out for an anm dinner,for example,the thought of feeling superior to others probably never comes to them. The goal is to share a special meal that stands out from other meals.
There are no obvious limits to the _ of demand for quality.For example ,porsche famous car producer,has a model which was considered perhaps the best sport car on the mark Priced at over $120,000,it handles perfectly well and has great speen acceleration.But in 200 the producer introduced some changes which made the model slightly better in handling acceleration.People who really care about cars find these small improvemenmts exciting.To them,however,they must pay almost four times the price.
By placing the desire to be superior to other at the heart of his description of nisation demands,Keynes actually reduced such demands.However,the desire for higher quality has natural limits. | [
"desire is the root of both and needs",
"needs come from our sense of superiority",
"needs alone lead to insatiable demands",
"needs are stronger than needs"
] |
Which best describes the author's attitude toward international volunteering? | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Volunteering abroad is great. Not only do you travel to an exotic country, you also meet like-minded people, and at the end of it all you have something to put on your CV to impress employers with. But did you ever stop to think about how great it is for the people on the receiving end?
In this context, Daniela Papi has a point---foreigners rushing heroically to volunteer in a country they've never heard of are unlikely to make a difference. But turning volunteering camps into classrooms, as Papi seems to advocate in her article, risks throwing the baby out with the bath water by putting people off of volunteering.
Rather, learning should be a natural part of the experience, and the key to creating such an environment is positioning everyone as equals. In order for _ to happen, volunteers need competent leaders who create an environment of equality:
When, a few years ago, I joined a group of international volunteers to help a small farming community in the Swiss Alps, we were all quite ignorant about the local conditions. But thanks to our group leader, it was both a helpful project for the locals and a fun and eye-opening experience for us.Before we had even traveled (at our own expense) to the mountaintop village, our group leader had spent time with the villagers preparing the project to make sure it would be of benefit to them. She arranged for us to help in different areas, ensuring that we always worked alongside locals rather than for them. It was never "us" and "them", but always "we", like a big family. As a result, conversation flowed and we learned a great deal just by casually talking to the locals as we worked.At the end, we left with a deep appreciation for the labor of love that goes into producing the food we eat every dayan appreciation we could treasure ourselves and share with our peers.
Volunteering isn't about saving someone's life, or even about changing it. It's about touching a different world and reminding ourselves that there is much, much more to life than the daily routines we take for granted.With that knowledge, maybe, just maybe, we can go on to really change the world.
By Lukas Thibaut
Question:
Which best describes the author's attitude toward international volunteering?
Choices:
A. Objective.
B. Doubtful.
C. Disapproving.
D. Supportive. | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high7268.txt | Volunteering abroad is great. Not only do you travel to an exotic country, you also meet like-minded people, and at the end of it all you have something to put on your CV to impress employers with. But did you ever stop to think about how great it is for the people on the receiving end?
In this context, Daniela Papi has a point---foreigners rushing heroically to volunteer in a country they've never heard of are unlikely to make a difference. But turning volunteering camps into classrooms, as Papi seems to advocate in her article, risks throwing the baby out with the bath water by putting people off of volunteering.
Rather, learning should be a natural part of the experience, and the key to creating such an environment is positioning everyone as equals. In order for _ to happen, volunteers need competent leaders who create an environment of equality:
When, a few years ago, I joined a group of international volunteers to help a small farming community in the Swiss Alps, we were all quite ignorant about the local conditions. But thanks to our group leader, it was both a helpful project for the locals and a fun and eye-opening experience for us.Before we had even traveled (at our own expense) to the mountaintop village, our group leader had spent time with the villagers preparing the project to make sure it would be of benefit to them. She arranged for us to help in different areas, ensuring that we always worked alongside locals rather than for them. It was never "us" and "them", but always "we", like a big family. As a result, conversation flowed and we learned a great deal just by casually talking to the locals as we worked.At the end, we left with a deep appreciation for the labor of love that goes into producing the food we eat every dayan appreciation we could treasure ourselves and share with our peers.
Volunteering isn't about saving someone's life, or even about changing it. It's about touching a different world and reminding ourselves that there is much, much more to life than the daily routines we take for granted.With that knowledge, maybe, just maybe, we can go on to really change the world.
By Lukas Thibaut | [
"Objective.",
"Doubtful.",
"Disapproving.",
"Supportive."
] |
According to the passage, most children tend to believe that they go to school because they _ . | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Sunday is more like Monday than it used to be. Places of business that used to keep daytime "business hours" are now open late into the night. And on the Internet, the hour of the day and the day of the week have become irrelevant . A half century ago in the United States, most people experienced strong and precise dividing lines between days of rest and days of work, school time and summer time. Today the boundaries still exist, but they seem not clear.
The law in almost all states used to require stores to close on Sunday; in most, it no longer does. It used to keep the schools open in all seasons except summer; in most, it still does. And whether the work week should strengthen its legal limits, or whether it should become more "flexible," is often debated. How should we, as a society, organize our time? Should we go even further in relaxing the boundaries of time until we live in a world in which every minute is much like every other?
These are not easy questions even to ask. Part of the difficulty is that we rarely recognize the "law of time" even when we meet it face to face. We know as children that we have to attend school a certain number of hours, a certain number of days, a certain number of years--but unless we meet the truant officer , we may well think that we should go to school due to social custom and parents' demand rather than to the law. As adults we are familiar with "extra pay for overtime working," but less familiar with the fact that what constitutes "overtime" is a matter of legal definition. When we turn the clock forward to start daylight-saving time, have we ever thought to ourselves: "Here is the law in action"? As we shall see, there is a lot of law that has great influence on how we organize and use time: compulsory education law, overtime law, and daylight-saving law -- as well as law about Sunday closing, holidays, being late to work, time zones, and so on. Once we begin to look for it, we will have no trouble finding a law of time to examine and assess.
Question:
According to the passage, most children tend to believe that they go to school because they _ .
Choices:
A. need to acquire knowledge
B. have to obey their parents
C. need to find companions
D. have to observe the law | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high8127.txt | Sunday is more like Monday than it used to be. Places of business that used to keep daytime "business hours" are now open late into the night. And on the Internet, the hour of the day and the day of the week have become irrelevant . A half century ago in the United States, most people experienced strong and precise dividing lines between days of rest and days of work, school time and summer time. Today the boundaries still exist, but they seem not clear.
The law in almost all states used to require stores to close on Sunday; in most, it no longer does. It used to keep the schools open in all seasons except summer; in most, it still does. And whether the work week should strengthen its legal limits, or whether it should become more "flexible," is often debated. How should we, as a society, organize our time? Should we go even further in relaxing the boundaries of time until we live in a world in which every minute is much like every other?
These are not easy questions even to ask. Part of the difficulty is that we rarely recognize the "law of time" even when we meet it face to face. We know as children that we have to attend school a certain number of hours, a certain number of days, a certain number of years--but unless we meet the truant officer , we may well think that we should go to school due to social custom and parents' demand rather than to the law. As adults we are familiar with "extra pay for overtime working," but less familiar with the fact that what constitutes "overtime" is a matter of legal definition. When we turn the clock forward to start daylight-saving time, have we ever thought to ourselves: "Here is the law in action"? As we shall see, there is a lot of law that has great influence on how we organize and use time: compulsory education law, overtime law, and daylight-saving law -- as well as law about Sunday closing, holidays, being late to work, time zones, and so on. Once we begin to look for it, we will have no trouble finding a law of time to examine and assess. | [
"need to acquire knowledge",
"have to obey their parents",
"need to find companions",
"have to observe the law"
] |
Amanda has taken 4 quizzes this semester and averaged a 92% score on them. The final quiz is coming up, which is worth the same as each previous quiz. What score does she need in order to get an A in the class, which requires her to average 93% over the 5 quizzes? | Amanda's total number of points from the first 4 quizzes is 368 because 4 x 92 = <<4*92=368>>368
She needs a total of 465 points because 5 x 93 = <<5*93=465>>465
She needs to score a 97 on the final quiz because 465 - 368 = <<465-368=97>>97
#### 97 | Solve the following math problem and explain your reasoning step by step. | Amanda has taken 4 quizzes this semester and averaged a 92% score on them. The final quiz is coming up, which is worth the same as each previous quiz. What score does she need in order to get an A in the class, which requires her to average 93% over the 5 quizzes? | Amanda's total number of points from the first 4 quizzes is 368 because 4 x 92 = <<4*92=368>>368
She needs a total of 465 points because 5 x 93 = <<5*93=465>>465
She needs to score a 97 on the final quiz because 465 - 368 = <<465-368=97>>97
#### 97 | math | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
What do electric motors use to change electrical energy into kinetic? | null | Answer the following science question clearly and accurately. | What do electric motors use to change electrical energy into kinetic? | electromagnets | science | null | null | null | fans | resonances | generators | electromagnets | Many common electric devices, such as doorbells, contain electromagnets. If they have moving parts, they are likely to have an electric motor. An electric motor is a device that uses an electromagnet to change electrical energy to kinetic energy. | null | null | null |
Doctors started setting up home in Harley Street probably because _ . | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Savile Row was first developed in 1695 as part of the Burlington Estate. It had been part of the gardens of Burlington House previous to this. Originally it was named Savile Street. Houses were built on one side of the street, with gardens on the other side and was therefore nicknamed Savile Row, with a row of houses on one side. The name was officially changed in 1810.
The first tailors appear on the street in 1785, and over the next fifty years the trend continued. This is what made the area famous. Many Savile Row Tailors have gone out of business or moved elsewhere within London,bottes ugg, but plenty still remain and it is still the place many men go for their tailoring.
Fleet Street is synonymous with the British Press. The street runs from the east end of the Strand through to Farringdon Street.
In the late fifteenth and early sixteenth century the trend for printers and publishers moving into the area began. Later, and more famously, newspapers started to move their offices to Fleet Street. The first daily newspaper to do this was the Daily Courant in the early 1700's. By the 20th century a large majority of London and National newspapers had their headquarters in the area. This is no longer the case though, as many of the papers moved out of Fleet Street from the 1980's. All of the main newspapers have now left and it is now more associated with law practices .
Harley Street is world famous for its medical practices. Prior to the 18th century it only consisted of a few houses and was part of the village of Marylebone; not yet part of the City of London. As London grew in the 1700's century Marylebone became part of London. It was developed into a larger residential area between 1715 and 1720. Around a century later doctors started setting up home in the area, with a number of them setting up practices from then homes. As this trend continued the area became well known in this aspect.
Question:
Doctors started setting up home in Harley Street probably because _ .
Choices:
A. it was a poor part of London
B. it cost less to set up practices there
C. Hasrley Street had become a populated area
D. a lot of people in Harley Street became ill | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high20877.txt | Savile Row was first developed in 1695 as part of the Burlington Estate. It had been part of the gardens of Burlington House previous to this. Originally it was named Savile Street. Houses were built on one side of the street, with gardens on the other side and was therefore nicknamed Savile Row, with a row of houses on one side. The name was officially changed in 1810.
The first tailors appear on the street in 1785, and over the next fifty years the trend continued. This is what made the area famous. Many Savile Row Tailors have gone out of business or moved elsewhere within London,bottes ugg, but plenty still remain and it is still the place many men go for their tailoring.
Fleet Street is synonymous with the British Press. The street runs from the east end of the Strand through to Farringdon Street.
In the late fifteenth and early sixteenth century the trend for printers and publishers moving into the area began. Later, and more famously, newspapers started to move their offices to Fleet Street. The first daily newspaper to do this was the Daily Courant in the early 1700's. By the 20th century a large majority of London and National newspapers had their headquarters in the area. This is no longer the case though, as many of the papers moved out of Fleet Street from the 1980's. All of the main newspapers have now left and it is now more associated with law practices .
Harley Street is world famous for its medical practices. Prior to the 18th century it only consisted of a few houses and was part of the village of Marylebone; not yet part of the City of London. As London grew in the 1700's century Marylebone became part of London. It was developed into a larger residential area between 1715 and 1720. Around a century later doctors started setting up home in the area, with a number of them setting up practices from then homes. As this trend continued the area became well known in this aspect. | [
"it was a poor part of London",
"it cost less to set up practices there",
"Hasrley Street had become a populated area",
"a lot of people in Harley Street became ill"
] |
The passage is mainly about the _ between American youth and French youth. | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
The trip to the United State opened my eyes to the fact that there are a lot of similarities as well as differences between American youth and French youth.
The first difference is in appearance. Going around in the U.S., I found that American youth do not really care about their appearance. In the morning, they choose something in their closet and wear it with another thing, often of different colors and styles, without wondering whether their choices make them look strange. The reason behind this is that they don't care what people look like, but are just interested in their ideas. I think it's great, but it also causes problems. Since they don't care about their appearance, they don't really care about their weight. Often they get fat without realizing it.
There are differences in relationships too. When the American youth fall in love, they don't really think of the future. Also, there are differences in the rules concerning behavior that is allowed. In some _ , the French are more accepting. For example, in America it is generally unacceptable to make physical display of love. Lovers, actually, can't kiss or hold each other everywhere they want. People think that not showing love in public places is a way to respect others. On the contrary, the French youth can do almost everything they want.
As for other types of relationships, there are also big differences. Americans act differently from French people in front of unknown people. When an American girl, for example, arrives in front of people she has never met before, she will talk with them, trying to create a kind of tie between her and this new circle of people. The French girls will just think about rather than really do this kind of thing because they are too shy and lacking in self-confidence.
To finish, I noticed that in American classes, when pupils want to say or ask something, they just do it. In general, they don't really care how the others will judge them. In France, it's not the same case. If somebody wants to ask something, he/she will think about it before speaking up. I appreciate the freedom in Americans' behavior, ideas, and ways of expressing themselves.
Question:
The passage is mainly about the _ between American youth and French youth.
Choices:
A. differences
B. friendship
C. similarities
D. relationships | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high790.txt | The trip to the United State opened my eyes to the fact that there are a lot of similarities as well as differences between American youth and French youth.
The first difference is in appearance. Going around in the U.S., I found that American youth do not really care about their appearance. In the morning, they choose something in their closet and wear it with another thing, often of different colors and styles, without wondering whether their choices make them look strange. The reason behind this is that they don't care what people look like, but are just interested in their ideas. I think it's great, but it also causes problems. Since they don't care about their appearance, they don't really care about their weight. Often they get fat without realizing it.
There are differences in relationships too. When the American youth fall in love, they don't really think of the future. Also, there are differences in the rules concerning behavior that is allowed. In some _ , the French are more accepting. For example, in America it is generally unacceptable to make physical display of love. Lovers, actually, can't kiss or hold each other everywhere they want. People think that not showing love in public places is a way to respect others. On the contrary, the French youth can do almost everything they want.
As for other types of relationships, there are also big differences. Americans act differently from French people in front of unknown people. When an American girl, for example, arrives in front of people she has never met before, she will talk with them, trying to create a kind of tie between her and this new circle of people. The French girls will just think about rather than really do this kind of thing because they are too shy and lacking in self-confidence.
To finish, I noticed that in American classes, when pupils want to say or ask something, they just do it. In general, they don't really care how the others will judge them. In France, it's not the same case. If somebody wants to ask something, he/she will think about it before speaking up. I appreciate the freedom in Americans' behavior, ideas, and ways of expressing themselves. | [
"differences",
"friendship",
"similarities",
"relationships"
] |
Samson is going to another town which is 140 km away. He will use his car that uses ten liters of gasoline for a distance of 70 km. How many liters of gasoline will Samson need for a one-way trip? | Samson will need 140 km/70 km = <<140/70=2>>2 ten liters of gasoline for a one-way trip to a town.
Therefore, he will need a total of 2 x 10 liters = <<2*10=20>>20 liters of gasoline.
#### 20 | Solve the following math problem and explain your reasoning step by step. | Samson is going to another town which is 140 km away. He will use his car that uses ten liters of gasoline for a distance of 70 km. How many liters of gasoline will Samson need for a one-way trip? | Samson will need 140 km/70 km = <<140/70=2>>2 ten liters of gasoline for a one-way trip to a town.
Therefore, he will need a total of 2 x 10 liters = <<2*10=20>>20 liters of gasoline.
#### 20 | math | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
The passage mainly tell us _ | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Beach volleyball is one of those sports that can be an exciting game to play and watch. It's really easy, and all you need is sand, a net and a group of people, of any age or fitness level, who want to have fun.
Beach volleyball can be played with as few as two people in each team, making a total of four people. However, if you are less skilled and experienced in the game, it will be easier to play with a larger team. The more players you have, the less ground each person will be responsible for covering and the more time they will have to recover between shots. If you only have a few players, each of you will get a lot of running for the ball after each volley . If you are looking for a relaxing, fun, low-key experience, choose larger teams.
Beach volleyball is similar to regular volleyball in its rules. However, even experienced volleyball players do not realize how much more difficult it is to run and jump on sand. Since it is harder to move quickly on sand than a hard surface, play will be much slower than regular volleyball on a court. When an athlete trains for beach volleyball, he will focus on building lower body strength as well as upper body strength. Strengthening his legs is extremely important. This improves the player's ability to move quickly and accurately on sand despite the resistance. The ability to jump high and land without injury is necessary for beach volleyball players.
Whether you are in it for the competition, or just to have a great time with your friends, beach volleyball can be extremely exciting and fun. You may start out with friends and may soon fall in love with the sport.
Question:
The passage mainly tell us _
Choices:
A. the game of beach volleyball
B. how to become a good beach volleyball player
C. why beach volleyball is one of the exciting sports
D. what should be paid attention to when playing beach volleyball | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high8584.txt | Beach volleyball is one of those sports that can be an exciting game to play and watch. It's really easy, and all you need is sand, a net and a group of people, of any age or fitness level, who want to have fun.
Beach volleyball can be played with as few as two people in each team, making a total of four people. However, if you are less skilled and experienced in the game, it will be easier to play with a larger team. The more players you have, the less ground each person will be responsible for covering and the more time they will have to recover between shots. If you only have a few players, each of you will get a lot of running for the ball after each volley . If you are looking for a relaxing, fun, low-key experience, choose larger teams.
Beach volleyball is similar to regular volleyball in its rules. However, even experienced volleyball players do not realize how much more difficult it is to run and jump on sand. Since it is harder to move quickly on sand than a hard surface, play will be much slower than regular volleyball on a court. When an athlete trains for beach volleyball, he will focus on building lower body strength as well as upper body strength. Strengthening his legs is extremely important. This improves the player's ability to move quickly and accurately on sand despite the resistance. The ability to jump high and land without injury is necessary for beach volleyball players.
Whether you are in it for the competition, or just to have a great time with your friends, beach volleyball can be extremely exciting and fun. You may start out with friends and may soon fall in love with the sport. | [
"the game of beach volleyball",
"how to become a good beach volleyball player",
"why beach volleyball is one of the exciting sports",
"what should be paid attention to when playing beach volleyball"
] |
Japanese Boy's Day is probably comes from _ . | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
May 5
is Japanese Children's Day. In fact, it is usually called Boy's Day because it is mainly celebrated ( ) by boys. The celebration of Boy's Day has a long history. It is said that the festival comes from the Dragon Boat Festival in China.
On Boy's Day, Japanese boys eat a special kind of rice cake. It is covered with a leaf and filled with bean paste ( ). Children love to eat it very much.
On this day, children don't have to go to school. Each family with a boy hangs up huge carp-shaped flag ( ). The flags are usually three colors: black, red and blue. Black stands for the father, red stands for the mother and blue stands for the son. Japanese parents believe that the flags will bring their boys good luck and give them courage and power.
Question:
Japanese Boy's Day is probably comes from _ .
Choices:
A. the Dragon Boat Festival
B. The Spring Festival
C. Thanksgiving Day
D. Children's Day | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle8128.txt | May 5
is Japanese Children's Day. In fact, it is usually called Boy's Day because it is mainly celebrated ( ) by boys. The celebration of Boy's Day has a long history. It is said that the festival comes from the Dragon Boat Festival in China.
On Boy's Day, Japanese boys eat a special kind of rice cake. It is covered with a leaf and filled with bean paste ( ). Children love to eat it very much.
On this day, children don't have to go to school. Each family with a boy hangs up huge carp-shaped flag ( ). The flags are usually three colors: black, red and blue. Black stands for the father, red stands for the mother and blue stands for the son. Japanese parents believe that the flags will bring their boys good luck and give them courage and power. | [
"the Dragon Boat Festival",
"The Spring Festival",
"Thanksgiving Day",
"Children's Day"
] |
Which of following is not TRUE according to the passage? | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Have you ever seen people building houses? To build a house , you need workers. They use their hands , tools and machines to put things together. Building the ISS is the same. The difference is that the workers are astronauts. They walk in space and use robots' arms and hands to do their work.
In the space station ,astronauts are comfortable. The temperature there is about 21degC.But outside the station , it can be too hot or cold for people. In the sunlight, it's about 120degC. In the shadow of the station, it's about -85degC . So when astronauts walk in space , they have to wear heavy clothes---- _ s.
Spacesuits also keep astronauts safe from flying rubbish in space.Each time people go into space , they leave rubbish there. So astronauts should be careful because there's a lot of rubbish, some rubbish goes many times as fast as a plane !
Space walking is not easy , and it can be dangerous. So getting ready for it takes a lot of time to learn. Astronauts will need to do 160 space walks to finish their work in the ISS. That will take about 1,900man-hour of work.
Question:
Which of following is not TRUE according to the passage?
Choices:
A. Spacesuits can keep astronauts warm
B. Spacesuits can keep astronauts safe
C. Flying rubbish in space goes very slowly
D. Outside the station ,it can be too cold or hot for people. | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle7972.txt | Have you ever seen people building houses? To build a house , you need workers. They use their hands , tools and machines to put things together. Building the ISS is the same. The difference is that the workers are astronauts. They walk in space and use robots' arms and hands to do their work.
In the space station ,astronauts are comfortable. The temperature there is about 21degC.But outside the station , it can be too hot or cold for people. In the sunlight, it's about 120degC. In the shadow of the station, it's about -85degC . So when astronauts walk in space , they have to wear heavy clothes---- _ s.
Spacesuits also keep astronauts safe from flying rubbish in space.Each time people go into space , they leave rubbish there. So astronauts should be careful because there's a lot of rubbish, some rubbish goes many times as fast as a plane !
Space walking is not easy , and it can be dangerous. So getting ready for it takes a lot of time to learn. Astronauts will need to do 160 space walks to finish their work in the ISS. That will take about 1,900man-hour of work. | [
"Spacesuits can keep astronauts warm",
"Spacesuits can keep astronauts safe",
"Flying rubbish in space goes very slowly",
"Outside the station ,it can be too cold or hot for people."
] |
What's the best title for this passage? | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
It looks like a scene from the thriller movieJaws,but these photos of a huge shark swimming with swimmers were in fact taken in Britain. The amazing pictures,which showed that the basking shark was swimming friendly with swimmers,were taken at Porthcurno beach,Cornwall,where the basking shark was swimming just yards off shore.
The single 14foot giant was feeding in the shallow waters off the scenic area,and quickly became curious about the swimmers and surfers sharing the water. Though it came within touching distance,the swimmers and surfers were in no danger. The large sharks are plankton feeders-unlike the man-eating Great White fromJaws.
Beach-goer Rachel Hosken,who took the pictures,said that several basking sharks had been seen in the area."It is one of the few I have ever seen around this year and it was great to see," she said excitedly."There are usually more of them by now,but for some reason there are fewer around than normal at this time of year. I think more have been spotted in deeper waters,but the particular one in the pictures seems to have taken a liking to this spot. I have seen it a few times."
Known as the gentle giant of the sea,the basking shark is the second largest fish in the sea,only weighing lighter than the whale shark. They can grow to over 36 feet (11 meters) and weigh up to seven tons (7,000 kilograms) and feed on a diet of plankton and small fish. Basking sharks normally begin to appear in May and June.
Question:
What's the best title for this passage?
Choices:
A. A giant basking shark appeared in Cornwall,Britain.
B. A giant basking shark tried to please the British people.
C. Swimmers and surfers were frightened by a giant basking shark.
D. Brave swimmers swam together with a giant basking shark. | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high1184.txt | It looks like a scene from the thriller movieJaws,but these photos of a huge shark swimming with swimmers were in fact taken in Britain. The amazing pictures,which showed that the basking shark was swimming friendly with swimmers,were taken at Porthcurno beach,Cornwall,where the basking shark was swimming just yards off shore.
The single 14foot giant was feeding in the shallow waters off the scenic area,and quickly became curious about the swimmers and surfers sharing the water. Though it came within touching distance,the swimmers and surfers were in no danger. The large sharks are plankton feeders-unlike the man-eating Great White fromJaws.
Beach-goer Rachel Hosken,who took the pictures,said that several basking sharks had been seen in the area."It is one of the few I have ever seen around this year and it was great to see," she said excitedly."There are usually more of them by now,but for some reason there are fewer around than normal at this time of year. I think more have been spotted in deeper waters,but the particular one in the pictures seems to have taken a liking to this spot. I have seen it a few times."
Known as the gentle giant of the sea,the basking shark is the second largest fish in the sea,only weighing lighter than the whale shark. They can grow to over 36 feet (11 meters) and weigh up to seven tons (7,000 kilograms) and feed on a diet of plankton and small fish. Basking sharks normally begin to appear in May and June. | [
"A giant basking shark appeared in Cornwall,Britain.",
"A giant basking shark tried to please the British people.",
"Swimmers and surfers were frightened by a giant basking shark.",
"Brave swimmers swam together with a giant basking shark."
] |
Which of the following is the best title of this passage? | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Even the hardest days contain lessons that will help you be a better person.Feeling down? Consider these things to remember when you're having a bad day.
No one promised life would be perfect.If you look for perfection,you'11 never be content.Don't condition your happiness on meeting every expectation you set for yourself.It is good to be ambitious,but you'11 never be perfect.If you expect otherwise,your life will be filled with disappointments.
Success doesn't happen overnight. _ .Don't kid yourself into thinking success will come quickly.It isn't easy to be patient,but anything worth doing requires time.If you get frustrated,remind yourself why your goal is important.
There is a lesson in every struggle.And once the storm is over,you won't remember how you made it through or how you managed to survive.But one thing is certain.When you come out of the storm.you won't be the same person who walked in.That's what this storm's all about.Don't complain about how terrible your life is.If you search for the lesson in your present struggle,you'11 be able to make positive changes that would prevent similar situations in the future.
Without hard times,you wouldn't appreciate the good ones.Strength does not come from winning.Your struggles develop your strengths.When you go through hardships and decide not to give in,that is strength.It is hard to find much to smile about when you fail,but how else would you improve yourself? If you look at failure as a part of your evolutionary process,you'11 stay positive and pursue your goals for as long as it takes.
Question:
Which of the following is the best title of this passage?
Choices:
A. Every person has to go through hard times
B. We can learn a lot from our struggles
C. We should accept the fact that life is not perfect
D. Things to remember when you are having a bad day | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high10377.txt | Even the hardest days contain lessons that will help you be a better person.Feeling down? Consider these things to remember when you're having a bad day.
No one promised life would be perfect.If you look for perfection,you'11 never be content.Don't condition your happiness on meeting every expectation you set for yourself.It is good to be ambitious,but you'11 never be perfect.If you expect otherwise,your life will be filled with disappointments.
Success doesn't happen overnight. _ .Don't kid yourself into thinking success will come quickly.It isn't easy to be patient,but anything worth doing requires time.If you get frustrated,remind yourself why your goal is important.
There is a lesson in every struggle.And once the storm is over,you won't remember how you made it through or how you managed to survive.But one thing is certain.When you come out of the storm.you won't be the same person who walked in.That's what this storm's all about.Don't complain about how terrible your life is.If you search for the lesson in your present struggle,you'11 be able to make positive changes that would prevent similar situations in the future.
Without hard times,you wouldn't appreciate the good ones.Strength does not come from winning.Your struggles develop your strengths.When you go through hardships and decide not to give in,that is strength.It is hard to find much to smile about when you fail,but how else would you improve yourself? If you look at failure as a part of your evolutionary process,you'11 stay positive and pursue your goals for as long as it takes. | [
"Every person has to go through hard times",
"We can learn a lot from our struggles",
"We should accept the fact that life is not perfect",
"Things to remember when you are having a bad day"
] |
Merlin wanted to _ , so he put wheels under his shoes. | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Today, roller-skating is easy and fun. But a long time ago, it wasn't easy at all. Before 1750, no one had any ideas of roller-skating. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. He liked to make things and play the violin in his free time. Joseph Merlin was a man of ideas and dreams. People called him a dreamer.
One day Merlin was invited to a party. He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think how to make an amazing entrance at the party. He had an idea. He thought everyone at the party would show much interest if he could skate into the room.
Merlin tried different ways to make himself roll. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skates. Merlin was proud of his invention and dreamed of arrived at the party on wheels while playing the violin.
On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room playing his violin. Everyone was surprised to see him. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skates. He rolled on and on. Suddenly, he ran into a huge mirror that was hanging on the wall. The mirror fell down, breaking into pieces. Merlin's idea was so good that nobody forgot his special entrance for a long time. But could he find out a way to stop his roller skates?
Question:
Merlin wanted to _ , so he put wheels under his shoes.
Choices:
A. play the violin well
B. arrive at the party sooner
C. be taller than the others
D. surprise the people at the party | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle1040.txt | Today, roller-skating is easy and fun. But a long time ago, it wasn't easy at all. Before 1750, no one had any ideas of roller-skating. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. He liked to make things and play the violin in his free time. Joseph Merlin was a man of ideas and dreams. People called him a dreamer.
One day Merlin was invited to a party. He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think how to make an amazing entrance at the party. He had an idea. He thought everyone at the party would show much interest if he could skate into the room.
Merlin tried different ways to make himself roll. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skates. Merlin was proud of his invention and dreamed of arrived at the party on wheels while playing the violin.
On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room playing his violin. Everyone was surprised to see him. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skates. He rolled on and on. Suddenly, he ran into a huge mirror that was hanging on the wall. The mirror fell down, breaking into pieces. Merlin's idea was so good that nobody forgot his special entrance for a long time. But could he find out a way to stop his roller skates? | [
"play the violin well",
"arrive at the party sooner",
"be taller than the others",
"surprise the people at the party"
] |
Edison _ in inventing new things. | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Edison often said, "1 will discover what the world needs, then I will try to invent it." It is true that he did more than any other man of his time in inventing things. He made more than one thousand inventions in his life and all these have changed our way of living. Edison was one of the greatest inventors in the world. When Edison died in 1931, someone said people should turn off all the lights in their homes, streets and factories for several minutes in honor of this great man. Of course it was impossible to do so. And this shows what Edison's inventions mean to people's life.
Question:
Edison _ in inventing new things.
Choices:
A. took all his time
B. paid all his money
C. spent his most time
D. spent his most money | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle136.txt | Edison often said, "1 will discover what the world needs, then I will try to invent it." It is true that he did more than any other man of his time in inventing things. He made more than one thousand inventions in his life and all these have changed our way of living. Edison was one of the greatest inventors in the world. When Edison died in 1931, someone said people should turn off all the lights in their homes, streets and factories for several minutes in honor of this great man. Of course it was impossible to do so. And this shows what Edison's inventions mean to people's life. | [
"took all his time",
"paid all his money",
"spent his most time",
"spent his most money"
] |
Billy's mom sends him to get ketchup. She gives him $10 and tells him to get the best deal on ketchup that he can and to spend all $10 on ketchup. He finds a bottle with 10 oz that cost $1 each. He finds a bottle that costs $2 that contains 16 ounces. He finds a bottle with 25 ounces that costs $2.5. He finds a $5 bottle that contains 50 ounces. Finally, he finds a $10 bottle with 200 ounces. How many bottles of ketchup does he buy? | The 10 ounce bottle costs $.1 an ounce because 1 / 10 = <<1/10=.1>>.1
The 16 ounce bottle costs $.125 an ounce because 2 / 12 = .125
The 25 ounce bottle costs $.125 an ounce because 2.5 / 20 = <<2.5/20=.125>>.125
The 50 ounce bottle costs $.1 an ounce because 5 / 50 = <<5/50=.1>>.1
The 200 ounce bottle cost $.05 an ounce because 10 / 200 = <<10/200=.05>>.05
The 200 ounce bottle is the cheapest per ounce because .05 < .08 < .1 < .125
He buys 1 bottle of ketchup because 10 / 10 = <<10/10=1>>1
#### 1 | Solve the following math problem and explain your reasoning step by step. | Billy's mom sends him to get ketchup. She gives him $10 and tells him to get the best deal on ketchup that he can and to spend all $10 on ketchup. He finds a bottle with 10 oz that cost $1 each. He finds a bottle that costs $2 that contains 16 ounces. He finds a bottle with 25 ounces that costs $2.5. He finds a $5 bottle that contains 50 ounces. Finally, he finds a $10 bottle with 200 ounces. How many bottles of ketchup does he buy? | The 10 ounce bottle costs $.1 an ounce because 1 / 10 = <<1/10=.1>>.1
The 16 ounce bottle costs $.125 an ounce because 2 / 12 = .125
The 25 ounce bottle costs $.125 an ounce because 2.5 / 20 = <<2.5/20=.125>>.125
The 50 ounce bottle costs $.1 an ounce because 5 / 50 = <<5/50=.1>>.1
The 200 ounce bottle cost $.05 an ounce because 10 / 200 = <<10/200=.05>>.05
The 200 ounce bottle is the cheapest per ounce because .05 < .08 < .1 < .125
He buys 1 bottle of ketchup because 10 / 10 = <<10/10=1>>1
#### 1 | math | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
The author's attitude towards the nurse system at Beth Israel Hospital is _ | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Nursing at Beth Israel Hospital produces the best patient care. If we are to solve the nursing shortage. hospital administration and doctors everywhere would do well to follow Beth Israel's example .
At Beth Israel each patient is assigned to a primary nurse who visits at length with the patient and constructs a full-scale health account that covers everything from his medical history to his emotional state. Then she writes a care plan centered on the patient's illness but which also includes everything else that is necessary.
The primary nurse stays with the patient through his hospitalization. keeping track with his progress and seeking further advice from his doctor. If a patient at Beth Israel is not responding to treatment. it is not uncommon for his nurse to propose another approach to his doctor. What the doctor at Beth Israel has in the primary nurse is a true colleague.
Nursing at Beth Israel also involves a decentralized nursing administration; every unit is a self-contained organization. There are nurse-managers instead of head nurses; in addition to their medical duties they do all their own hiring and dismissing, employee advising, and they make salary recommendations. Each unit's nurses decide among themselves who will work what shifts and when.
Beth Israel's nurse-in-chief ranks as an equal with other vice presidents of the hospital. She is also a member of the Medical Executive Committee. which in most hospitals includes only doctors.
Question:
The author's attitude towards the nurse system at Beth Israel Hospital is _
Choices:
A. negative
B. neutral
C. critical
D. positive | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high5150.txt | Nursing at Beth Israel Hospital produces the best patient care. If we are to solve the nursing shortage. hospital administration and doctors everywhere would do well to follow Beth Israel's example .
At Beth Israel each patient is assigned to a primary nurse who visits at length with the patient and constructs a full-scale health account that covers everything from his medical history to his emotional state. Then she writes a care plan centered on the patient's illness but which also includes everything else that is necessary.
The primary nurse stays with the patient through his hospitalization. keeping track with his progress and seeking further advice from his doctor. If a patient at Beth Israel is not responding to treatment. it is not uncommon for his nurse to propose another approach to his doctor. What the doctor at Beth Israel has in the primary nurse is a true colleague.
Nursing at Beth Israel also involves a decentralized nursing administration; every unit is a self-contained organization. There are nurse-managers instead of head nurses; in addition to their medical duties they do all their own hiring and dismissing, employee advising, and they make salary recommendations. Each unit's nurses decide among themselves who will work what shifts and when.
Beth Israel's nurse-in-chief ranks as an equal with other vice presidents of the hospital. She is also a member of the Medical Executive Committee. which in most hospitals includes only doctors. | [
"negative",
"neutral",
"critical",
"positive"
] |
Which of the following statements is WRONG? | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
The head of the World Health Organization (WTO) yesterday warned of worsening health in the country's vast rural areas while praising the government for its commitment on improving healthcare in the countryside.
"The health indicators have failed to improve in pace with economic indicators." said Margared Chan when addressing a conference on rural primary healthcare in prefix = st1 /China.
"The health gap between rural and urban areas has grown even wider and health in parts of rural China is deteriorating ,"she said, adding medical costs are rising faster than the growth of per capital income in rural areas.
She said she appreciated the government's efforts and plans to build a medical system for all people. Saying "when fair and accessible public health services become the clear targets of a country's public health policy, people's health will improve."
The WTO chief said she noticed that the tasks on improving people's well-being in the report by Party chief Hu Jintao at the 17thNational Congress of the Communist Party of China included a basic medical insurance system for urban dwellers and a cooperative medical care system in rural areas.
She said recent WTO research has found that diseases are the source of poverty for 30 to 50 percent of the rural population of 737 million.
A growing number of rural people, especially the aged, are suffering from various diseases; however, few have access to decent healthcare, she told the conference.
Chan criticized the practice of allowing healthcare services to be commercialized in rural areas, warning it will cause the patients more suffering.
The government has pledged to provide its population with basic medical care by 2020.
It's expanding medical care through the Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme, a plan under which subscribers are provided with 50 yuan($6.4) per person--20 yuan ($2.6) each from the central and local governments and 10 yuan ($1.3) from the individual.
Vice-Minister of Health Chen Xiaohong said nearly 85 percent of the country's rural area, or 2,429 counties, are participating in the plan.
Question:
Which of the following statements is WRONG?
Choices:
A. Diseases are the source of poverty for the rural population
B. About 200 million of the rural population are poor because of diseases.
C. The government has taken some measures to improve the rural healthcare.
D. The local governments will give 20 Yuan to each rural person | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high22260.txt | The head of the World Health Organization (WTO) yesterday warned of worsening health in the country's vast rural areas while praising the government for its commitment on improving healthcare in the countryside.
"The health indicators have failed to improve in pace with economic indicators." said Margared Chan when addressing a conference on rural primary healthcare in prefix = st1 /China.
"The health gap between rural and urban areas has grown even wider and health in parts of rural China is deteriorating ,"she said, adding medical costs are rising faster than the growth of per capital income in rural areas.
She said she appreciated the government's efforts and plans to build a medical system for all people. Saying "when fair and accessible public health services become the clear targets of a country's public health policy, people's health will improve."
The WTO chief said she noticed that the tasks on improving people's well-being in the report by Party chief Hu Jintao at the 17thNational Congress of the Communist Party of China included a basic medical insurance system for urban dwellers and a cooperative medical care system in rural areas.
She said recent WTO research has found that diseases are the source of poverty for 30 to 50 percent of the rural population of 737 million.
A growing number of rural people, especially the aged, are suffering from various diseases; however, few have access to decent healthcare, she told the conference.
Chan criticized the practice of allowing healthcare services to be commercialized in rural areas, warning it will cause the patients more suffering.
The government has pledged to provide its population with basic medical care by 2020.
It's expanding medical care through the Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme, a plan under which subscribers are provided with 50 yuan($6.4) per person--20 yuan ($2.6) each from the central and local governments and 10 yuan ($1.3) from the individual.
Vice-Minister of Health Chen Xiaohong said nearly 85 percent of the country's rural area, or 2,429 counties, are participating in the plan. | [
"Diseases are the source of poverty for the rural population",
"About 200 million of the rural population are poor because of diseases.",
"The government has taken some measures to improve the rural healthcare.",
"The local governments will give 20 Yuan to each rural person"
] |
What can be calculated given the mass and speed of an object? | null | Answer the following science question clearly and accurately. | What can be calculated given the mass and speed of an object? | kinetic energy | science | null | null | null | systematic energy | harmonic energy | residual energy | kinetic energy | Given the mass and speed of an object, calculate its kinetic energy. | null | null | null |
The best title for this passage should be _ . | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Water and its importance to human life are the center of the world's attention. March 22 is World Water Day, which has the theme "Water and culture "this year. There are more than one billion people in the world who live without safe drinking water. The United Nations hopes to cut this number in half by 2015.
Solving such a big problem seems like an unreal challenge. But everyone, even teenagers, can do something to help. A teenage girl in the U.S. has set an example to others of her age around the world. Rene Haggerty, 13, was awarded the 2004 Gloria Barron Prize for her work of collecting deserted batteries which pollute water.
In 2003, Haggerty went on a field trip to the Great Lakes Science Centre in Ohio. There, she saw an exhibit about how chemicals in old batteries harm the water of Lake Erie. Haggerty learnt that recycling the batteries was an easy solution. "I think everybody can do it, because everyone uses batteries, and it can make a big difference." With these words, she began to increase awareness in her area.
She talked to her county government and school board. She got permission to start a recycling programmed in schools as well as the public libraries, hospitals, and churches. With the help from her family, friends and local waste-management officials, she gathered containers, arranged transportation, and made an educational video.
Over the past two years, she collected four tons of batteries and drew the attention of officials, who were in charge of a battery recycling programmed but had made little progress. When asked if she feels like a hero, Haggerty is quite modest . "Not really. Well, maybe for the fish I saved!"
Every year the Gloria Barron Prize honors young Americans aged 8 to 18 who have shown leadership and courage in serving the public and the planet. Each year ten winners receive $2,000 each, to help with their education costs or their public service work.
Question:
The best title for this passage should be _ .
Choices:
A. A girl awarded the 2004 Gloria Barron Prize
B. A girl acts to clean the world's water
C. We should protect our environment
D. A girl collecting batteries | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high16025.txt | Water and its importance to human life are the center of the world's attention. March 22 is World Water Day, which has the theme "Water and culture "this year. There are more than one billion people in the world who live without safe drinking water. The United Nations hopes to cut this number in half by 2015.
Solving such a big problem seems like an unreal challenge. But everyone, even teenagers, can do something to help. A teenage girl in the U.S. has set an example to others of her age around the world. Rene Haggerty, 13, was awarded the 2004 Gloria Barron Prize for her work of collecting deserted batteries which pollute water.
In 2003, Haggerty went on a field trip to the Great Lakes Science Centre in Ohio. There, she saw an exhibit about how chemicals in old batteries harm the water of Lake Erie. Haggerty learnt that recycling the batteries was an easy solution. "I think everybody can do it, because everyone uses batteries, and it can make a big difference." With these words, she began to increase awareness in her area.
She talked to her county government and school board. She got permission to start a recycling programmed in schools as well as the public libraries, hospitals, and churches. With the help from her family, friends and local waste-management officials, she gathered containers, arranged transportation, and made an educational video.
Over the past two years, she collected four tons of batteries and drew the attention of officials, who were in charge of a battery recycling programmed but had made little progress. When asked if she feels like a hero, Haggerty is quite modest . "Not really. Well, maybe for the fish I saved!"
Every year the Gloria Barron Prize honors young Americans aged 8 to 18 who have shown leadership and courage in serving the public and the planet. Each year ten winners receive $2,000 each, to help with their education costs or their public service work. | [
"A girl awarded the 2004 Gloria Barron Prize",
"A girl acts to clean the world's water",
"We should protect our environment",
"A girl collecting batteries"
] |
How many pieces of advice does the writer give on saving money in Hawaii? | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
If you want to live in Hawaii,you need to think about how to save money,because it is one of the most expensive states in the USA.
Hawaii buys most of its goods from other countries.This makes the prices very high.Eating out can be expensive.Breakfast is at$5 or$8 and lunch ia around$12,while dinner goes from $15 to$30.
What makes living in Hawaii more difficult is that there are few high-paying jobs. For example, it is harder to find engineering jobs than waitressing jobs.
Here is some advice on how to get around and enjoy living in Hawaii.
*Check out online travel websites, magazines and books for information about the islands, from their beaches to their restaurants.
*Find hotels by reading newspapers. You can also find someone to share your room to save money.
*Try to find a job. Craigslist is a good website to start your search. Also, check the newspapers.
*Buy your food and other things at cheap chain stores like Costco and Wal-Mart.
Hawaii is an expensive place to live, but there are ways to save your money if you shop properly.
Question:
How many pieces of advice does the writer give on saving money in Hawaii?
Choices:
A. Two.
B. Three.
C. Four.
D. Five. | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle2294.txt | If you want to live in Hawaii,you need to think about how to save money,because it is one of the most expensive states in the USA.
Hawaii buys most of its goods from other countries.This makes the prices very high.Eating out can be expensive.Breakfast is at$5 or$8 and lunch ia around$12,while dinner goes from $15 to$30.
What makes living in Hawaii more difficult is that there are few high-paying jobs. For example, it is harder to find engineering jobs than waitressing jobs.
Here is some advice on how to get around and enjoy living in Hawaii.
*Check out online travel websites, magazines and books for information about the islands, from their beaches to their restaurants.
*Find hotels by reading newspapers. You can also find someone to share your room to save money.
*Try to find a job. Craigslist is a good website to start your search. Also, check the newspapers.
*Buy your food and other things at cheap chain stores like Costco and Wal-Mart.
Hawaii is an expensive place to live, but there are ways to save your money if you shop properly. | [
"Two.",
"Three.",
"Four.",
"Five."
] |
According to the passage,the purpose of the author's train ride was . | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Have you ever thought of taking a train and having an adventure ?Riding the train can be a real adventure. That is how I feel every time I take Amtrak. I often take a four-hour trip to visit my children. Every time I take this trip I never know what will happen.
Last week when I was on the train and over an hour into the train ride,there was a man sitting by himself in the back of the train carrying on a mobile phone conversation-in another language. It was loud and disturbed most of the people on the train. I think it was annoying.
Fortunately I sat next to a wonderful old lady who was taking a two-day trip by train. She said her two daughters were distraught at the thought of her driving for three days to reach her home,although she had no trouble driving. The train ride was the only choice for her. She loved to look out of the window and watch the world go by on the train.
She was fun to talk to and asked me when my children started being parents. That is a very good question. Both of us are old and have children. She asked that same question from time to time.
There are always many people on the train from all walks of life,different countries,and many languages. Riding the train is a great way to increase your knowledge and take in all kinds of cultures. If you get hungry,you can buy food in the food car at any time. If you need to use the restroom there is always one available.
It sure beats driving the car,which has to stop for food and restrooms. And it is better than taking the bus.
Question:
According to the passage,the purpose of the author's train ride was .
Choices:
A. to do business
B. to see her children
C. to visit places of interest
D. to see her old friends | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high1975.txt | Have you ever thought of taking a train and having an adventure ?Riding the train can be a real adventure. That is how I feel every time I take Amtrak. I often take a four-hour trip to visit my children. Every time I take this trip I never know what will happen.
Last week when I was on the train and over an hour into the train ride,there was a man sitting by himself in the back of the train carrying on a mobile phone conversation-in another language. It was loud and disturbed most of the people on the train. I think it was annoying.
Fortunately I sat next to a wonderful old lady who was taking a two-day trip by train. She said her two daughters were distraught at the thought of her driving for three days to reach her home,although she had no trouble driving. The train ride was the only choice for her. She loved to look out of the window and watch the world go by on the train.
She was fun to talk to and asked me when my children started being parents. That is a very good question. Both of us are old and have children. She asked that same question from time to time.
There are always many people on the train from all walks of life,different countries,and many languages. Riding the train is a great way to increase your knowledge and take in all kinds of cultures. If you get hungry,you can buy food in the food car at any time. If you need to use the restroom there is always one available.
It sure beats driving the car,which has to stop for food and restrooms. And it is better than taking the bus. | [
"to do business",
"to see her children",
"to visit places of interest",
"to see her old friends"
] |
Jim collects model cars, and he has 301 models total. Jim has 4 times as many Buicks as Fords, and 3 more than twice the number of Fords than Chevys. How many Buicks does Jim have? | Let x represent the number of Chevys
Fords:3+2x
Buicks:4(3+2x)=12+8x
Total:x+3+2x+12+8x=301
11x+15=301
11x=286
x=<<26=26>>26
Buicks:12+8(26)=220
#### 220 | Solve the following math problem and explain your reasoning step by step. | Jim collects model cars, and he has 301 models total. Jim has 4 times as many Buicks as Fords, and 3 more than twice the number of Fords than Chevys. How many Buicks does Jim have? | Let x represent the number of Chevys
Fords:3+2x
Buicks:4(3+2x)=12+8x
Total:x+3+2x+12+8x=301
11x+15=301
11x=286
x=<<26=26>>26
Buicks:12+8(26)=220
#### 220 | math | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Organs are groups of what working together? | null | Answer the following science question clearly and accurately. | Organs are groups of what working together? | tissues | science | null | null | null | tendons | muscles | bones | tissues | null | null | null | |
How many people are very careful not to let their partner know their income? | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Do you usually go Dutch(AA) when you take someone out to dinner? Do you expect your date to pay for the whole meal?
Many people say that as long as there's love, money doesn't matter much. But this might change when the relationship gets serious and it is related to the money borrowed from the bank, the family present accounts and debt.
A survey among 8 million couples in the UK suggested that 44% of married couples don't know exactly what their partner earns. An astonishing 23% actively try to keep their finances secret from their partners. About 38% of them are open to each other. Another 12% refuses to tell the truth.
British relationship expert Russell says: "It's very difficult to talk about money. Often there's guilt, there's shame. To start those conversations is difficult. Money can be about how we value ourselves, how we feel valued. It's not just a simple case of talking about hard cash."
So if you are in a couple, it might be a good idea to check if you both are on the same page about money before bills pile up on the kitchen table and love flies out of the window. When moving in together, couples should not only talk about their personal habits but also about their financial ones.
Russell has a word of advice: "Accept the fact that in your relationship you might do money differently - there might be a spender or a saver. It's very attractive if your partner does things differently to say they're wrong. Do it differently but plan it well."
And now, back to that date. Would you be bored with someone who was attractive but expected you to pay the bill by yourself? There's food for thought.
Question:
How many people are very careful not to let their partner know their income?
Choices:
A. About 3.5 million.
B. About 3 million.
C. About 1.9 million.
D. About 0.96 million. | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high19787.txt | Do you usually go Dutch(AA) when you take someone out to dinner? Do you expect your date to pay for the whole meal?
Many people say that as long as there's love, money doesn't matter much. But this might change when the relationship gets serious and it is related to the money borrowed from the bank, the family present accounts and debt.
A survey among 8 million couples in the UK suggested that 44% of married couples don't know exactly what their partner earns. An astonishing 23% actively try to keep their finances secret from their partners. About 38% of them are open to each other. Another 12% refuses to tell the truth.
British relationship expert Russell says: "It's very difficult to talk about money. Often there's guilt, there's shame. To start those conversations is difficult. Money can be about how we value ourselves, how we feel valued. It's not just a simple case of talking about hard cash."
So if you are in a couple, it might be a good idea to check if you both are on the same page about money before bills pile up on the kitchen table and love flies out of the window. When moving in together, couples should not only talk about their personal habits but also about their financial ones.
Russell has a word of advice: "Accept the fact that in your relationship you might do money differently - there might be a spender or a saver. It's very attractive if your partner does things differently to say they're wrong. Do it differently but plan it well."
And now, back to that date. Would you be bored with someone who was attractive but expected you to pay the bill by yourself? There's food for thought. | [
"About 3.5 million.",
"About 3 million.",
"About 1.9 million.",
"About 0.96 million."
] |
From this passage we know_. | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
In 2004,the World Health Organization,WHO,warned of a possible outbreak of another serious disease which may be even more deadly than SARS.The WHO believes that it is likely that bird flu will spread to human beings in the next few years.If it does,up to seven millions people could die from the disease.
Diseases like bird flu are caused by viruses,that is,tiny things which change and be come more dangerous over time.When a new type of a common virus changes,it may be able to get past the body'S immune system.If that happens,humans are in great danger until a cure or treatment becomes available.
There have always been viruses and people always get sick,of course,but as we saw with SARS,the situation is more difficult today.People travel more than ever before,which means that disease can spread quickly and across large areas----in fact the whole world.
Scientists are already working on drugs that will prevent or limit the effect of a new virus,but the process takes time.It is just as important to make sure that countries,especially poor countries,are prepared to deal with the disease. New disease usually affect poor areas the most,so we must help develop health care in all countries.
Question:
From this passage we know_.
Choices:
A. bird flu will surely spread to human beings in the next few years.
B. a virus changes and become less dangerous over time.
C. SARS is 1ikely to come again in some years.
D. poor areas usually suffers more from Dew diseases than rich areas. | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high16893.txt | In 2004,the World Health Organization,WHO,warned of a possible outbreak of another serious disease which may be even more deadly than SARS.The WHO believes that it is likely that bird flu will spread to human beings in the next few years.If it does,up to seven millions people could die from the disease.
Diseases like bird flu are caused by viruses,that is,tiny things which change and be come more dangerous over time.When a new type of a common virus changes,it may be able to get past the body'S immune system.If that happens,humans are in great danger until a cure or treatment becomes available.
There have always been viruses and people always get sick,of course,but as we saw with SARS,the situation is more difficult today.People travel more than ever before,which means that disease can spread quickly and across large areas----in fact the whole world.
Scientists are already working on drugs that will prevent or limit the effect of a new virus,but the process takes time.It is just as important to make sure that countries,especially poor countries,are prepared to deal with the disease. New disease usually affect poor areas the most,so we must help develop health care in all countries. | [
"bird flu will surely spread to human beings in the next few years.",
"a virus changes and become less dangerous over time.",
"SARS is 1ikely to come again in some years.",
"poor areas usually suffers more from Dew diseases than rich areas."
] |
What are proteins made up of? | null | Answer the following science question clearly and accurately. | What are proteins made up of? | amino acids | science | null | null | null | atoms acids | lewis acids | detected acids | amino acids | Proteins are formed when hundreds or even thousands of amino acids form amide bonds to make polymers. Proteins play a crucial role in living organisms. A carbohydrate is a compound that has the general formula Cn(H2O)n. Many carbohydrates are relatively small molecules, such as glucose:. | null | null | null |
What do rocket-based systems use to propel itself into space? | null | Answer the following science question clearly and accurately. | What do rocket-based systems use to propel itself into space? | chemical reactions | science | null | null | null | nuclear reactions | water reactions | hydrogen reactions | chemical reactions | The space shuttle—and any other rocket-based system—uses chemical reactions to propel itself into space and maneuver itself when it gets into orbit. The rockets that lift the orbiter are of two different types. The three main engines are powered by reacting liquid hydrogen with liquid oxygen to generate water. Then there are the two solid rocket boosters, which use a solid fuel mixture that contains mainly ammonium perchlorate and powdered aluminum. The chemical reaction between these substances produces aluminum oxide, water, nitrogen gas, and hydrogen chloride. Although the solid rocket boosters each have a significantly lower mass than the liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen tanks, they provide over 80% of the lift needed to put the shuttle into orbit—all because of chemical reactions. | null | null | null |
I like basketball best because it's _ . | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
My favourite sport is basketball because it is very exciting. I like basketball because the NBA stars play very well. Basketball is very cheap and it is a good sport for our health. We can grow taller if we play basketball often. Also it keeps me healthy. I play basketball three times a week. Most often I play it in my school. I often play it with my friends or I may play it myself. I feel very happy when I play basketball at school with my classmates. Sometimes I play basketball in the playground near my home. Basketball is very easy to play. If you play basketball very well, you can join the basketball team . If you win the basketball competition, you will have the prize. You may become a famous basketball star.
Question:
I like basketball best because it's _ .
Choices:
A. cheap
B. exciting
C. good
D. famous | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle1028.txt | My favourite sport is basketball because it is very exciting. I like basketball because the NBA stars play very well. Basketball is very cheap and it is a good sport for our health. We can grow taller if we play basketball often. Also it keeps me healthy. I play basketball three times a week. Most often I play it in my school. I often play it with my friends or I may play it myself. I feel very happy when I play basketball at school with my classmates. Sometimes I play basketball in the playground near my home. Basketball is very easy to play. If you play basketball very well, you can join the basketball team . If you win the basketball competition, you will have the prize. You may become a famous basketball star. | [
"cheap",
"exciting",
"good",
"famous"
] |
What has the recent research into children's reading show? | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
A good deal of fascinating research has been done about the reading patterns of young people,and it is surprising to discover at what an early age children start expressing preferences for particular kind of books. A recent report,which examined in detail the reading habits of primary-school children.showed that even seven-year-old boys and girls have clear views about what they want to read. Girls,in general,read more,and far more girls than boys preferred reading stories. Boys were showing a taste for the more instant appeal of picture stories,or else books about their hobbies.
These tastes continue unchanged until the children are teenagers. Apparently girls read more in general,but more fiction in particular .You could say that there are more opportunities for girls to read fiction:magazines encourage the fiction habit in girls in their early teens,and by their late teens they have probably moved on to the adult women's magazines.Teenage boys tend to buy magazines about their hobbies:motorcycles,heavy transport and to on.
Adult reading tastes are also the subject of research.Again the number of women who read for pleasure is considerably higher than the number of men. It seems that the majority of women still want love stories.There has also been some analysis of what men actually read Apparently only 38 percent of men read anything,but 50 percent of what they read is fiction in the form of action-packed stories of space or gunmen
Question:
What has the recent research into children's reading show?
Choices:
A. Children begin to read very fast at an early age
B. Children examine in detail what they read at school
C. Children can read clearly in primary schoo1.
D. Children form their reading tastes by the time they are seven | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high9248.txt | A good deal of fascinating research has been done about the reading patterns of young people,and it is surprising to discover at what an early age children start expressing preferences for particular kind of books. A recent report,which examined in detail the reading habits of primary-school children.showed that even seven-year-old boys and girls have clear views about what they want to read. Girls,in general,read more,and far more girls than boys preferred reading stories. Boys were showing a taste for the more instant appeal of picture stories,or else books about their hobbies.
These tastes continue unchanged until the children are teenagers. Apparently girls read more in general,but more fiction in particular .You could say that there are more opportunities for girls to read fiction:magazines encourage the fiction habit in girls in their early teens,and by their late teens they have probably moved on to the adult women's magazines.Teenage boys tend to buy magazines about their hobbies:motorcycles,heavy transport and to on.
Adult reading tastes are also the subject of research.Again the number of women who read for pleasure is considerably higher than the number of men. It seems that the majority of women still want love stories.There has also been some analysis of what men actually read Apparently only 38 percent of men read anything,but 50 percent of what they read is fiction in the form of action-packed stories of space or gunmen | [
"Children begin to read very fast at an early age",
"Children examine in detail what they read at school",
"Children can read clearly in primary schoo1.",
"Children form their reading tastes by the time they are seven"
] |
By mentioning adolescent pregnancy, the author tries to tell us that _ . | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Spending a lot of time watching TV, playing video games and surfing the Web causes a lot of healthy problems to children such as overweight and smoking, US researchers said yesterday.
U.S. experts analyzed 173 studies on how media sources influence the physical health of children and adolescents . The studies, mostly carried out in the prefix = st1 /United States, largely focused on television, but some looked at video games, films, music, computer and Internet use. Three quarters of them found that increased media viewing was connected with poor health.
The studies offered strong evidence that children who get more media exposure are more likely to become overweight, start smoking and begin earlier sexual activity than those who spend less time in front of a screen, the researchers said. Studies also showed more media exposure is linked to drug and alcohol use and poorer school performance. "We were pretty surprised by the number of studies that showed these negative health results," said one of the researchers in the report.
For decades, experts have worried about the effect on young viewers of the violence and sexual content in some TV programs, movies and video games. Another issue is that kids are spending time sitting on a couch watching TV or playing computer games when they could be running around outside.
One study found that children who spend more than eight hours watching TV per week at age 3 are more likely to be overweight at 7. And research showed that many USchildren watch far more. Another study showed TV and other media content can have a deep influence on children's attitudes and beliefs, particularly among teens. A US study published in November showed that adolescents who watched more programs with sexual themes had a higher risk of becoming pregnant or causing a pregnancy. Thirteen of 14 studies that evaluated sexual behavior found a connection between media exposure and earlier sexual behavior, the researchers said.
Question:
By mentioning adolescent pregnancy, the author tries to tell us that _ .
Choices:
A. we'd better get rid of TV, movies, and the Internet
B. the present generation of youths is hopeless
C. sexual themes are as bad as violent themes
D. some media contents have a bad effect on teens | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high17067.txt | Spending a lot of time watching TV, playing video games and surfing the Web causes a lot of healthy problems to children such as overweight and smoking, US researchers said yesterday.
U.S. experts analyzed 173 studies on how media sources influence the physical health of children and adolescents . The studies, mostly carried out in the prefix = st1 /United States, largely focused on television, but some looked at video games, films, music, computer and Internet use. Three quarters of them found that increased media viewing was connected with poor health.
The studies offered strong evidence that children who get more media exposure are more likely to become overweight, start smoking and begin earlier sexual activity than those who spend less time in front of a screen, the researchers said. Studies also showed more media exposure is linked to drug and alcohol use and poorer school performance. "We were pretty surprised by the number of studies that showed these negative health results," said one of the researchers in the report.
For decades, experts have worried about the effect on young viewers of the violence and sexual content in some TV programs, movies and video games. Another issue is that kids are spending time sitting on a couch watching TV or playing computer games when they could be running around outside.
One study found that children who spend more than eight hours watching TV per week at age 3 are more likely to be overweight at 7. And research showed that many USchildren watch far more. Another study showed TV and other media content can have a deep influence on children's attitudes and beliefs, particularly among teens. A US study published in November showed that adolescents who watched more programs with sexual themes had a higher risk of becoming pregnant or causing a pregnancy. Thirteen of 14 studies that evaluated sexual behavior found a connection between media exposure and earlier sexual behavior, the researchers said. | [
"we'd better get rid of TV, movies, and the Internet",
"the present generation of youths is hopeless",
"sexual themes are as bad as violent themes",
"some media contents have a bad effect on teens"
] |
According to the passage. which of the following is NOT true? | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
It's a common belief that over time, pet owners start to look like their animals, and vice versa. Now conies the terrifying news that cats look up to their owners as role models and copy their behavior.
Next time you reach for your fridge, think twice. If Kitty is watching, she is likely to overeat as well.
What is your cat's IQ?
In a new study from the University of Messina, it turns out that indoor cats who live closely to their owners "mirror" the lives of their caregivers. They sleep at the same time, eat at the same time, and can even become more or less social depending on the behavior of their owners.
"Cats are intelligent animals with a long memory, "Jane Brunt, the executive director of the CATalyst Council, told Discovery News. "They watch and learn from us, noting the patterns of our actions. as evidenced by knowing where their food is kept and what time to expect to be fed, how to open the cupboard door that's been improperly closed, and where their feeding and toileting areas fife. "Because cats copy our habits, if you spend a lot of time raiding the fridge, your cat will return to its food bowl for that midnight snack, too. According to the study, _ explains why "human and cat overweight rates often seem to match. "So. if you felt guilty about leaving your precious kitty at home while you go to work, now you call feel even worse:You fife making your cat fat!
There's no word if drinking green tea and making sure you go to Yoga will benefit your cat, but based on the study. it sounds like sticking to a healthy eating and sleeping schedule is best for both of you.
There's a lot we can learn from our cats in return. "When they sit on our laps softly purring with rhythmic breathing and half-closed eyes. the sense of peace and calm that comes over us is like a private 1esson in inner meditation. "Brant said. Sure. But cats don't have to sit in rush hour traffic for an hour a day or worry about their in-laws. They're probably pretty good at remaining calm.
So, according to science. even though we assumed that cats were not close to us all these years, it turns out they fife in fact learning from us and looking up to us. Scary, huh?
Question:
According to the passage. which of the following is NOT true?
Choices:
A. Cats can copy humans' schedule.
B. Humans can learn from cats in some way.
C. Cats are smart and have fl long memory
D. Green tea and Yoga can benefit cats. | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high3966.txt | It's a common belief that over time, pet owners start to look like their animals, and vice versa. Now conies the terrifying news that cats look up to their owners as role models and copy their behavior.
Next time you reach for your fridge, think twice. If Kitty is watching, she is likely to overeat as well.
What is your cat's IQ?
In a new study from the University of Messina, it turns out that indoor cats who live closely to their owners "mirror" the lives of their caregivers. They sleep at the same time, eat at the same time, and can even become more or less social depending on the behavior of their owners.
"Cats are intelligent animals with a long memory, "Jane Brunt, the executive director of the CATalyst Council, told Discovery News. "They watch and learn from us, noting the patterns of our actions. as evidenced by knowing where their food is kept and what time to expect to be fed, how to open the cupboard door that's been improperly closed, and where their feeding and toileting areas fife. "Because cats copy our habits, if you spend a lot of time raiding the fridge, your cat will return to its food bowl for that midnight snack, too. According to the study, _ explains why "human and cat overweight rates often seem to match. "So. if you felt guilty about leaving your precious kitty at home while you go to work, now you call feel even worse:You fife making your cat fat!
There's no word if drinking green tea and making sure you go to Yoga will benefit your cat, but based on the study. it sounds like sticking to a healthy eating and sleeping schedule is best for both of you.
There's a lot we can learn from our cats in return. "When they sit on our laps softly purring with rhythmic breathing and half-closed eyes. the sense of peace and calm that comes over us is like a private 1esson in inner meditation. "Brant said. Sure. But cats don't have to sit in rush hour traffic for an hour a day or worry about their in-laws. They're probably pretty good at remaining calm.
So, according to science. even though we assumed that cats were not close to us all these years, it turns out they fife in fact learning from us and looking up to us. Scary, huh? | [
"Cats can copy humans' schedule.",
"Humans can learn from cats in some way.",
"Cats are smart and have fl long memory",
"Green tea and Yoga can benefit cats."
] |
What Was Ian Wilkinson's opinion on the trial? | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
No one would much like the idea of eating 61 pounds of tomatoes a day. But if their goodness was put into an easy-to-swallow pill that you were told might prevent strokes and heart attacks you would probably be putting in an order tomorrow.
Researchers believe they may have come up with just that after trials. The daily pill contains a chemical called lycopene which makes tomatoes red and is known to break down fat in the vessels . A Cambridge University study found taking the pills improved blood flow and the lining of vessels in patients with pre-existing heart conditions. It also increased the flexibility of their vessels by 50 percent. The scientists believe it could limit the damage caused by heart disease-responsible for 180,000 deaths a year-and help cut the 49,000 deaths a year from strokes. They also hope it could benefit those with arthritis , diabetes and even slow the progress of cancer.
Each pill is equal to eating around 61 pounds of ripe tomatoes. Studies have shown eating a Mediterranean-style diet rich in tomatoes fish, vegetables, nuts and olive oil can significantly reduce cholesterol and help prevent cardiovascular disease.
Preliminary results from a two-month trial, in which the pill was given to 36 heart disease patients and 36 healthy volunteers with an average age of 67, were presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association. It was shown to improve the function of the endothelium- the layer of cells lining blood vessels. It also improved their sensitivity to nitric oxide, the gas which causes the enlargement of the vessels in response to exercise.
Ian Wilkinson, head of Cambridge University's clinical trials unit, said "These results are potentially very significant and it meets the goal, but we need more trials to see if they translate into fewer heart attacks and strokes."
Further studies are planned, with researchers hoping it could offer a choice for heart disease sufferers who can not take the cholesterol-lowing drugs.
Mike Knapton, head of the British Heart Foundation, said, "Although this showed lycopene improved blood flow in people with heart disease, that's a long way from demonstrating that taking it could improve outcomes for people with heart disease. The best way to get the benefits of a good diet is to eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables."
Question:
What Was Ian Wilkinson's opinion on the trial?
Choices:
A. Disappointing.
B. Surprising.
C. Satisfactory.
D. Terrible. | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high10098.txt | No one would much like the idea of eating 61 pounds of tomatoes a day. But if their goodness was put into an easy-to-swallow pill that you were told might prevent strokes and heart attacks you would probably be putting in an order tomorrow.
Researchers believe they may have come up with just that after trials. The daily pill contains a chemical called lycopene which makes tomatoes red and is known to break down fat in the vessels . A Cambridge University study found taking the pills improved blood flow and the lining of vessels in patients with pre-existing heart conditions. It also increased the flexibility of their vessels by 50 percent. The scientists believe it could limit the damage caused by heart disease-responsible for 180,000 deaths a year-and help cut the 49,000 deaths a year from strokes. They also hope it could benefit those with arthritis , diabetes and even slow the progress of cancer.
Each pill is equal to eating around 61 pounds of ripe tomatoes. Studies have shown eating a Mediterranean-style diet rich in tomatoes fish, vegetables, nuts and olive oil can significantly reduce cholesterol and help prevent cardiovascular disease.
Preliminary results from a two-month trial, in which the pill was given to 36 heart disease patients and 36 healthy volunteers with an average age of 67, were presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association. It was shown to improve the function of the endothelium- the layer of cells lining blood vessels. It also improved their sensitivity to nitric oxide, the gas which causes the enlargement of the vessels in response to exercise.
Ian Wilkinson, head of Cambridge University's clinical trials unit, said "These results are potentially very significant and it meets the goal, but we need more trials to see if they translate into fewer heart attacks and strokes."
Further studies are planned, with researchers hoping it could offer a choice for heart disease sufferers who can not take the cholesterol-lowing drugs.
Mike Knapton, head of the British Heart Foundation, said, "Although this showed lycopene improved blood flow in people with heart disease, that's a long way from demonstrating that taking it could improve outcomes for people with heart disease. The best way to get the benefits of a good diet is to eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables." | [
"Disappointing.",
"Surprising.",
"Satisfactory.",
"Terrible."
] |
Which of the following will more encourage children's success at school according to the passage? | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
It is found that American students spend less than 15% of their time in school. While there's no doubt that school is important, a number of recent studies reminds us that parents are even more so. A study published earlier this month by researchers at North Carolina State University, for example, finds that parental involvement -- checking homework, attending school meetings and events, discussing school activities at home -- has a more powerful influence on students' academic performance than anything about the school the students attend. Another study, published in the Review of Economics and Statistics, reports that the effort put forth by parents (reading stories aloud, meeting with teachers) has a bigger impact on their children's educational achievement than the effort devoted by either teachers or the students themselves. And a third study concludes that schools would have to increase their spending by more than $1,000 per pupil in order to achieve the same results that are gained with parental involvement.
So parents matter. But it is also revealed in researches that parents, of all backgrounds, don't need to buy expensive educational toys or digital devices for their kids in order to give them an advantage. They don't need to drive their offspring (,)to enrichment classes or test-preparation courses. What they need to do with their children is much simpler: talk.
But not just any talk. Recent research has indicated exactly what kinds of talk at home encourage children's success at school. For example, a study conducted by researchers at the UCLA School of Public Health and published in the journal Pediatrics found that two-way adult-child conversations were six times as potent in promoting language development as the ones in which the adult did all the talking. Engaging in this reciprocal back-and-forth gives children a chance to try out language for themselves, and also gives them the sense that their thoughts and opinions matter.
The content of parents' conversations with kids matters, too. Children who hear talk about counting and numbers at home start school with much more extensive mathematical knowledge, report researchers from the University of Chicago. While the conversations parents have with their children change as kids grow older, the effect of these exchanges on academic achievement remains strong. Research finds that parents play an important role in what is called "academic socialization" -- setting expectations and making connections between current behavior and future goals. Engaging in these sorts of conversations has a greater impact on educational accomplishment.
Question:
Which of the following will more encourage children's success at school according to the passage?
Choices:
A. Parents order their children to stop playing video games.
B. Parents discuss with their children the possible future career.
C. Parents lecture their children on getting too low marks on tests.
D. Parents introduce colleges around the US to their children. | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high5385.txt | It is found that American students spend less than 15% of their time in school. While there's no doubt that school is important, a number of recent studies reminds us that parents are even more so. A study published earlier this month by researchers at North Carolina State University, for example, finds that parental involvement -- checking homework, attending school meetings and events, discussing school activities at home -- has a more powerful influence on students' academic performance than anything about the school the students attend. Another study, published in the Review of Economics and Statistics, reports that the effort put forth by parents (reading stories aloud, meeting with teachers) has a bigger impact on their children's educational achievement than the effort devoted by either teachers or the students themselves. And a third study concludes that schools would have to increase their spending by more than $1,000 per pupil in order to achieve the same results that are gained with parental involvement.
So parents matter. But it is also revealed in researches that parents, of all backgrounds, don't need to buy expensive educational toys or digital devices for their kids in order to give them an advantage. They don't need to drive their offspring (,)to enrichment classes or test-preparation courses. What they need to do with their children is much simpler: talk.
But not just any talk. Recent research has indicated exactly what kinds of talk at home encourage children's success at school. For example, a study conducted by researchers at the UCLA School of Public Health and published in the journal Pediatrics found that two-way adult-child conversations were six times as potent in promoting language development as the ones in which the adult did all the talking. Engaging in this reciprocal back-and-forth gives children a chance to try out language for themselves, and also gives them the sense that their thoughts and opinions matter.
The content of parents' conversations with kids matters, too. Children who hear talk about counting and numbers at home start school with much more extensive mathematical knowledge, report researchers from the University of Chicago. While the conversations parents have with their children change as kids grow older, the effect of these exchanges on academic achievement remains strong. Research finds that parents play an important role in what is called "academic socialization" -- setting expectations and making connections between current behavior and future goals. Engaging in these sorts of conversations has a greater impact on educational accomplishment. | [
"Parents order their children to stop playing video games.",
"Parents discuss with their children the possible future career.",
"Parents lecture their children on getting too low marks on tests.",
"Parents introduce colleges around the US to their children."
] |
Why did Uncle Peter send Johnny back home? | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Johnny lived with his mother and father in a small town in the mountains
One day there was an earthquake near the town. Many houses were damaged . Everyone thought that there would soon be another earthquake.
They were worried that the second earthquake would be worse than the first.
"We must send Johnny to a safe place," Johnny's mother said to her husband. "Many of our friends are sending their children to relatives in other towns,'
"We'll send him to my brother, Peter," Johnny's father said. "He lives a long way away. Johnny will be safe with him.'
He telephoned Johnny's Uncle Peter and asked him if he would let Johnny live with him.
"He's a good boy," he said. "He won't give you any trouble.'
"All right,' Johnny's Uncle Peter said, "but I'm not used to children. I live a very quiet and peaceful life."
"You won't know Johnny's in the house," his father told him.
So Johnny, who was five, went to live with his uncle.
Two days later, his mother and father received a telegram from Peter.
It said: "I am returning the child. Please send an earthquake."
Question:
Why did Uncle Peter send Johnny back home?
Choices:
A. There was an earthquake in his town.
B. The boy was more trouble than an earthquake.
C. Johnny was not happy with him.
D. His parents wanted him back. | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle1284.txt | Johnny lived with his mother and father in a small town in the mountains
One day there was an earthquake near the town. Many houses were damaged . Everyone thought that there would soon be another earthquake.
They were worried that the second earthquake would be worse than the first.
"We must send Johnny to a safe place," Johnny's mother said to her husband. "Many of our friends are sending their children to relatives in other towns,'
"We'll send him to my brother, Peter," Johnny's father said. "He lives a long way away. Johnny will be safe with him.'
He telephoned Johnny's Uncle Peter and asked him if he would let Johnny live with him.
"He's a good boy," he said. "He won't give you any trouble.'
"All right,' Johnny's Uncle Peter said, "but I'm not used to children. I live a very quiet and peaceful life."
"You won't know Johnny's in the house," his father told him.
So Johnny, who was five, went to live with his uncle.
Two days later, his mother and father received a telegram from Peter.
It said: "I am returning the child. Please send an earthquake." | [
"There was an earthquake in his town.",
"The boy was more trouble than an earthquake.",
"Johnny was not happy with him.",
"His parents wanted him back."
] |
In a basketball game, Cyrus made exactly eighty percent of the shots he attempted. He attempted twenty shots. How many times did he miss the shots? | Cyrus made 20 x 80/100 = <<20*80/100=16>>16 shots.
So, he missed 20 - 16 = <<20-16=4>>4 shots.
#### 4 | Solve the following math problem and explain your reasoning step by step. | In a basketball game, Cyrus made exactly eighty percent of the shots he attempted. He attempted twenty shots. How many times did he miss the shots? | Cyrus made 20 x 80/100 = <<20*80/100=16>>16 shots.
So, he missed 20 - 16 = <<20-16=4>>4 shots.
#### 4 | math | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
The author realized his mother's love when _ . | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
I am a senior in high school. For four years I have been a member of the marching band at my school---four years of commitment to an organization of 150 kids, four teachers and 100 parents working from August to June of every school year. For four years, my mom has been there for me---never complaining and never receiving a "Thanks, mom." My mom is pretty much a supermom and, unfortunately, it took me some seventeen years to realize it.
"Driver" is probably a more appropriate name for her. Every concert, every competition, every football game, my mom was there with a smile, and always stayed to watch. When she couldn't be there, she would be waiting for me when the bus pulled in to the school's parking lot.
She actually enjoyed arriving at the school at 10:30 at night just for me to tell her that I was going out with my friends and that I needed twenty dollars instead of a ride home. Now that I'm a senior, I have my own car and drive myself to my football games and concerts. My mother still comes to watch me. Recently, my band was invited to play for a celebration. When the bus pulled up to the flagpole in front of my high school, I had the strangest feeling. Something was missing. I found myself nervously searching for my mom in the parking lot. I needed to tell her I didn't need a ride home; I was going out. I then realized my mother was at home and probably in bed. I never realized how much I took her for granted until she wasn't there.
When I got home that night, I woke her up and told her I loved her and I missed her. I told my mom that I really appreciated all the times she had driven me back and forth. I told her I was glad she embarrassed me all those times, because I knew that it just meant she loved me, too. My mom looked back at me with tears and a big smile.
Question:
The author realized his mother's love when _ .
Choices:
A. he was a child
B. he graduated from senior high school
C. he couldn't find her one day
D. his mother was sleeping | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high20732.txt | I am a senior in high school. For four years I have been a member of the marching band at my school---four years of commitment to an organization of 150 kids, four teachers and 100 parents working from August to June of every school year. For four years, my mom has been there for me---never complaining and never receiving a "Thanks, mom." My mom is pretty much a supermom and, unfortunately, it took me some seventeen years to realize it.
"Driver" is probably a more appropriate name for her. Every concert, every competition, every football game, my mom was there with a smile, and always stayed to watch. When she couldn't be there, she would be waiting for me when the bus pulled in to the school's parking lot.
She actually enjoyed arriving at the school at 10:30 at night just for me to tell her that I was going out with my friends and that I needed twenty dollars instead of a ride home. Now that I'm a senior, I have my own car and drive myself to my football games and concerts. My mother still comes to watch me. Recently, my band was invited to play for a celebration. When the bus pulled up to the flagpole in front of my high school, I had the strangest feeling. Something was missing. I found myself nervously searching for my mom in the parking lot. I needed to tell her I didn't need a ride home; I was going out. I then realized my mother was at home and probably in bed. I never realized how much I took her for granted until she wasn't there.
When I got home that night, I woke her up and told her I loved her and I missed her. I told my mom that I really appreciated all the times she had driven me back and forth. I told her I was glad she embarrassed me all those times, because I knew that it just meant she loved me, too. My mom looked back at me with tears and a big smile. | [
"he was a child",
"he graduated from senior high school",
"he couldn't find her one day",
"his mother was sleeping"
] |
In 1939, President Roosevelt put forward the national day of Thanksgiving to _ . | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
A turkey named Courage gave thanks to President Obama for saving his life on the day before Thanksgiving. Honouring a 62-year-old tradition, the President pardoned the bird on Thanksgiving eve.
The tradition of a turkey pardon at Thanksgiving began with President Truman in 1947. Courage comes from Ellsworth, Iowa. The name Courage was chosen by voters who took part in a survey posted on the White House website. The lucky turkey walked on the lawn of the Rose Garden and posed for the cameras at the presidential podium .
The dinner that has become known as the First Thanksgiving was actually a harvest festival celebrated in December of 1621. That's when English settlers in Plymouth, Massachusetts, gave thanks for the progress they had made after a hard winter in their new country. As America grew, Thanksgiving customs also spread and got bigger. George Washington declared that the first national Thanksgiving would be on November 26, 1789. In the decades to follow, however, people celebrated Thanksgiving locally, with no official date. President Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday in November 1863 a national day of Thanksgiving. It stayed that way until 1939, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved it one week earlier. He wanted to lengthen the shopping period before Christmas to encourage gift-buyers and to help businesses. So Congress ruled that, after 1941, Thanksgiving would be an official federal holiday falling on the fourth Thursday of November.
This year we celebrated Thanksgiving on Thursday, November. Millions of Americans got together to give thanks with friends and family. The lucky turkey, Courage, was one of them. After his pardon, Courage would be sent to Disneyland Resort in California, where he would be the grand assemble of Disney's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Question:
In 1939, President Roosevelt put forward the national day of Thanksgiving to _ .
Choices:
A. encourage the economy
B. help the poor
C. please Congress
D. lengthen the summer holidays | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high10739.txt | A turkey named Courage gave thanks to President Obama for saving his life on the day before Thanksgiving. Honouring a 62-year-old tradition, the President pardoned the bird on Thanksgiving eve.
The tradition of a turkey pardon at Thanksgiving began with President Truman in 1947. Courage comes from Ellsworth, Iowa. The name Courage was chosen by voters who took part in a survey posted on the White House website. The lucky turkey walked on the lawn of the Rose Garden and posed for the cameras at the presidential podium .
The dinner that has become known as the First Thanksgiving was actually a harvest festival celebrated in December of 1621. That's when English settlers in Plymouth, Massachusetts, gave thanks for the progress they had made after a hard winter in their new country. As America grew, Thanksgiving customs also spread and got bigger. George Washington declared that the first national Thanksgiving would be on November 26, 1789. In the decades to follow, however, people celebrated Thanksgiving locally, with no official date. President Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday in November 1863 a national day of Thanksgiving. It stayed that way until 1939, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved it one week earlier. He wanted to lengthen the shopping period before Christmas to encourage gift-buyers and to help businesses. So Congress ruled that, after 1941, Thanksgiving would be an official federal holiday falling on the fourth Thursday of November.
This year we celebrated Thanksgiving on Thursday, November. Millions of Americans got together to give thanks with friends and family. The lucky turkey, Courage, was one of them. After his pardon, Courage would be sent to Disneyland Resort in California, where he would be the grand assemble of Disney's Thanksgiving Day Parade. | [
"encourage the economy",
"help the poor",
"please Congress",
"lengthen the summer holidays"
] |
Can Joe give the woman both pieces of meat? | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Joe Brown has a shop. He sells meat in his shop. One Thursday a woman comes into his shop at five to one. "I'm sorry I'm late," she says. "I need some more meat for my dinner tonight." Joe has only one piece of meat in his shop. He takes it out of the fridge and says, "This is $6.50." "That piece is too small," the woman says, "Don't you have anything bigger?" Joe goes into the room behind his shop, puts the piece of meat into the fridge, takes it out of the fridge again and closes the door with lots of noise. Then he brings the piece of meat to the woman and says, "This piece of meat is bigger and more expensive. It's $8.75." "Good," the woman says with a smile, "give me both of them, please."
Question:
Can Joe give the woman both pieces of meat?
Choices:
A. Of course not.
B. Sorry, I don't know.
C. He will try his best.
D. Yes, he can. | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle4210.txt | Joe Brown has a shop. He sells meat in his shop. One Thursday a woman comes into his shop at five to one. "I'm sorry I'm late," she says. "I need some more meat for my dinner tonight." Joe has only one piece of meat in his shop. He takes it out of the fridge and says, "This is $6.50." "That piece is too small," the woman says, "Don't you have anything bigger?" Joe goes into the room behind his shop, puts the piece of meat into the fridge, takes it out of the fridge again and closes the door with lots of noise. Then he brings the piece of meat to the woman and says, "This piece of meat is bigger and more expensive. It's $8.75." "Good," the woman says with a smile, "give me both of them, please." | [
"Of course not.",
"Sorry, I don't know.",
"He will try his best.",
"Yes, he can."
] |
What does the second number in a blood pressure reading measure? | null | Answer the following science question clearly and accurately. | What does the second number in a blood pressure reading measure? | diastolic pressure | science | null | null | null | epithelial pressure | external pressure | optimal pressure | diastolic pressure | Blood pressure is read as two numbers. The first number is the systolic pressure. The systolic pressure is the pressure on the blood vessels when the heart beats. This is the time when there is the highest pressure in the arteries. The diastolic pressure, which is the second number, is when your blood pressure is lowest, when the heart is resting between beats. | null | null | null |
Which of the following concerning the British men is NOT true according to the passage? | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
British men are encouraged to cry
There are certain things British men like to believe about themselves. The first is that one day they will again win the World Cup. They also believe they do not cry.
Over the centuries, Britons are believed to have a "stiff upper lip". But is this true?
Yes, it is. A recent study arranged by Kleenex on how the British express their emotions shows that 95 percent of them still contain their emotions.
Moreover, while 72 percent think this is unhealthy, 19 percent can't remember the last time they "let it out". As a result, Kleenex is carrying out the "Let It Out" campaign that encourages the British to grab a tissue and have a good cry.
These days, however, the male Briton's attitude toward crying is changing. Though the majority still struggles to open up emotionally, a 2004 study by Oxford's Social Issues Research Center found that 77 percent of British men considered crying in public increasingly acceptable. Half of London males admitted crying in front of their mothers. Scotsmen are the least emotional, although they are the most likely to cry at weddings.
Peter Marsh, director of the center, said: "Crying can now indicate sensitivity rather than weakness. Like with David Beckham, crying because you're dropping off your boy at nursery isn't seen as weak."
Winston Churchill was said to be a frequent crier, shedding tears at seeing a survivor in an air raid shelter, and when he saw his wife after a long absence.
Psychologists say that while society has accepted that men can cry, there are limits. Ronald Bracey, a consulting psychologist, said: "If a man began to cry when he was having stitches in hospital, he would be considered as a wimp . Men still need to be seen as strong when it comes to physical pain."
Question:
Which of the following concerning the British men is NOT true according to the passage?
Choices:
A. They are supposed to easily control emotions over the centuries.
B. They are confident that they will again get successful in the World Cup.
C. About 50% of British men admitted crying before their mothers.
D. Nowadays, the male Briton's attitude toward crying is changing. | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high20682.txt | British men are encouraged to cry
There are certain things British men like to believe about themselves. The first is that one day they will again win the World Cup. They also believe they do not cry.
Over the centuries, Britons are believed to have a "stiff upper lip". But is this true?
Yes, it is. A recent study arranged by Kleenex on how the British express their emotions shows that 95 percent of them still contain their emotions.
Moreover, while 72 percent think this is unhealthy, 19 percent can't remember the last time they "let it out". As a result, Kleenex is carrying out the "Let It Out" campaign that encourages the British to grab a tissue and have a good cry.
These days, however, the male Briton's attitude toward crying is changing. Though the majority still struggles to open up emotionally, a 2004 study by Oxford's Social Issues Research Center found that 77 percent of British men considered crying in public increasingly acceptable. Half of London males admitted crying in front of their mothers. Scotsmen are the least emotional, although they are the most likely to cry at weddings.
Peter Marsh, director of the center, said: "Crying can now indicate sensitivity rather than weakness. Like with David Beckham, crying because you're dropping off your boy at nursery isn't seen as weak."
Winston Churchill was said to be a frequent crier, shedding tears at seeing a survivor in an air raid shelter, and when he saw his wife after a long absence.
Psychologists say that while society has accepted that men can cry, there are limits. Ronald Bracey, a consulting psychologist, said: "If a man began to cry when he was having stitches in hospital, he would be considered as a wimp . Men still need to be seen as strong when it comes to physical pain." | [
"They are supposed to easily control emotions over the centuries.",
"They are confident that they will again get successful in the World Cup.",
"About 50% of British men admitted crying before their mothers.",
"Nowadays, the male Briton's attitude toward crying is changing."
] |
The best title for this passage is " _ " | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
When you're curious about something, and want to know more about it, you can use the way of asking questions.Asking questions is the first step to make discoveries and find interesting answers.The steps below can guide you during the research.
Step1 On a note card or piece of paper, write down the subject that you are interested in.Just get the main idea down.For example, you might write: Discover more about dinosaurs.
Step2 Next, stop and think for a moment about what you already know about your subject.List what you already know like the sentences below:
(1)Dinosaurs lived long before human beings appeareD.
(2)Dinosaurs lived on the earth for more than 150 million years.
(3)Some dinosaurs fed on plants, some on meat.
Step3 What can you do with what you want to learn? By asking questions.On your paper, start writing down questions about the dinosaurs as you think of them:
(1)What's the best weather for dinosaurs to live in?
(2)How many kinds of dinosaurs are there?
(3)Have dinosaurs really disappeared?
Step4 Armed with your list of questions, you can now go to the nearest library or computer to begin your research.As you learn more about your subject, you'll probably discover some new questions.For example, you might discover that dinosaurs disappeared about 65 million years ago.Why? What happened? Asking new questions can help you research your subject more widely.
If you always find something interesting to research, take time to organize your thinking by asking good questions.And remember learning more always brings more questions.
Question:
The best title for this passage is " _ "
Choices:
A. Discovering Dinosaurs
B. Asking Good Questions
C. Finding Subjects
D. Learning Steps | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle6103.txt | When you're curious about something, and want to know more about it, you can use the way of asking questions.Asking questions is the first step to make discoveries and find interesting answers.The steps below can guide you during the research.
Step1 On a note card or piece of paper, write down the subject that you are interested in.Just get the main idea down.For example, you might write: Discover more about dinosaurs.
Step2 Next, stop and think for a moment about what you already know about your subject.List what you already know like the sentences below:
(1)Dinosaurs lived long before human beings appeareD.
(2)Dinosaurs lived on the earth for more than 150 million years.
(3)Some dinosaurs fed on plants, some on meat.
Step3 What can you do with what you want to learn? By asking questions.On your paper, start writing down questions about the dinosaurs as you think of them:
(1)What's the best weather for dinosaurs to live in?
(2)How many kinds of dinosaurs are there?
(3)Have dinosaurs really disappeared?
Step4 Armed with your list of questions, you can now go to the nearest library or computer to begin your research.As you learn more about your subject, you'll probably discover some new questions.For example, you might discover that dinosaurs disappeared about 65 million years ago.Why? What happened? Asking new questions can help you research your subject more widely.
If you always find something interesting to research, take time to organize your thinking by asking good questions.And remember learning more always brings more questions. | [
"Discovering Dinosaurs",
"Asking Good Questions",
"Finding Subjects",
"Learning Steps"
] |
Why was the author determined to save the cats? | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
A mother's love
I'M a New York City firefighter. Every day, I see terror -- sometimes even death. But the day I found Scarlett was different. That day I saw life. And love.
We were responding to a call about a burning garage. Outside, I heard the sound of cats crying. I couldn't stop -- I would have to look for the cats after the fire was put out.
It took a long time to finally bring the big fire under control, but we did it. No one inside was hurt.
At that point I was free to investigate the cat noises. There was still a lot of smoke and heat coming from the building. I followed the meowing to a spot on the sidewalk near the front of the garage. There, crying and huddled together, were five terrified kittens. They must have been inside the building, as their fur was badly singed .
I left the five kittens in a box on a neighbor's porch .
I wanted to find the mother. It was obvious that she had gone into the burning garage and carried out all of her babies, one by one -- unbelievable.
We finally found her. She was badly burnt: her eyes were blistered , her paws were blackened, and her fur was singed all over. You could even see her reddened skin beneath the burned fur. She could barely move. I picked her up, and she relaxed in my arms as much as her pain would allow. Sensing her trust, I shed a tear. I was determined to save this brave little cat and her family.
The vet told me they would observe the kittens and their mother overnight, but they weren't optimistic about the mother's changes.
About a week later, I found out she was going to live. One of the technicians suggested we name her Scarlett, because of her reddened skin.
Knowing what Scarlett endured for her kittens, it melted my heart to see her reunited with them. She touched each of them again, nose to nose, to make sure they were all safe. She had risked her life five separate times -- and it had paid off. All of her babies had survived.
As a firefighter, I see heroism every day. But what Scarlett showed me that day was the kind of bravery that can only come from a mother's love.
Question:
Why was the author determined to save the cats?
Choices:
A. He refused to watch someone else die in his work.
B. He was impressed by the mother's strong love and courage.
C. The cat's story had made many people concerned.
D. It had taken much time and effort for him to save them. | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high14867.txt | A mother's love
I'M a New York City firefighter. Every day, I see terror -- sometimes even death. But the day I found Scarlett was different. That day I saw life. And love.
We were responding to a call about a burning garage. Outside, I heard the sound of cats crying. I couldn't stop -- I would have to look for the cats after the fire was put out.
It took a long time to finally bring the big fire under control, but we did it. No one inside was hurt.
At that point I was free to investigate the cat noises. There was still a lot of smoke and heat coming from the building. I followed the meowing to a spot on the sidewalk near the front of the garage. There, crying and huddled together, were five terrified kittens. They must have been inside the building, as their fur was badly singed .
I left the five kittens in a box on a neighbor's porch .
I wanted to find the mother. It was obvious that she had gone into the burning garage and carried out all of her babies, one by one -- unbelievable.
We finally found her. She was badly burnt: her eyes were blistered , her paws were blackened, and her fur was singed all over. You could even see her reddened skin beneath the burned fur. She could barely move. I picked her up, and she relaxed in my arms as much as her pain would allow. Sensing her trust, I shed a tear. I was determined to save this brave little cat and her family.
The vet told me they would observe the kittens and their mother overnight, but they weren't optimistic about the mother's changes.
About a week later, I found out she was going to live. One of the technicians suggested we name her Scarlett, because of her reddened skin.
Knowing what Scarlett endured for her kittens, it melted my heart to see her reunited with them. She touched each of them again, nose to nose, to make sure they were all safe. She had risked her life five separate times -- and it had paid off. All of her babies had survived.
As a firefighter, I see heroism every day. But what Scarlett showed me that day was the kind of bravery that can only come from a mother's love. | [
"He refused to watch someone else die in his work.",
"He was impressed by the mother's strong love and courage.",
"The cat's story had made many people concerned.",
"It had taken much time and effort for him to save them."
] |
In the survey, mothers spend about 70 hours a week _ . | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
They spend more than ten hours a day cooking, cleaning the house, getting children ready for school and helping with homework. Cooking takes up about one hour and nine minutes a day. Doing the laundry takes about 61 minutes. Mothers also spend about 55 minutes getting children ready for school, about 53 minutes putting them to bed and about 47 minutes helping with homework.
However, 30% of those mothers with children under 16 get less than six hours' sleep at night. 83% are not happy because they have less than an hour of their own time every day. Only 17% are happy with this kind of life.
Question:
In the survey, mothers spend about 70 hours a week _ .
Choices:
A. going shopping
B. doing chores
C. looking after their families
D. Both B and C | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle40.txt | They spend more than ten hours a day cooking, cleaning the house, getting children ready for school and helping with homework. Cooking takes up about one hour and nine minutes a day. Doing the laundry takes about 61 minutes. Mothers also spend about 55 minutes getting children ready for school, about 53 minutes putting them to bed and about 47 minutes helping with homework.
However, 30% of those mothers with children under 16 get less than six hours' sleep at night. 83% are not happy because they have less than an hour of their own time every day. Only 17% are happy with this kind of life. | [
"going shopping",
"doing chores",
"looking after their families",
"Both B and C"
] |
What is the benefit of knowing more words? | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Read a lot, I mean a lot! You have to increase your ability for reading. Many students are in the habit of reading only when their exams are approaching while some others read only what they are taught or things that must be read because it is in their curriculum. But listen to me now, I am telling you from my own experience that it is a very bad habit and it is not enough to improve your intelligence.
You have to learn and get ready to become _ in your reading. The fact that you are studying medicine in school does not mean that you should not know one or two things on politics.
Many people have complained to me that they find it hard to read stuffs like novels but I just shake my head in pity for them because it is obvious they have failed to realize the truth in that wise saying by Margaret Fuller that "today a READER, tomorrow a LEADER!"
When you read, you get to "see" so many places and it will be as if you have visited those places in real life. This is because reading will improve your imagination and creativity and understanding. You also get experience from learning about how people dealt with their various problems thereby saving you from going through the pains and difficulties they must have gone through!
Reading will also help you in improving your vocabulary because you will certainly start coming across so many new words which you will try as much as possible to get accustomed to with the help of the dictionary! The good thing about increasing your vocabulary is that it will also improve your thinking ability. After all, we think in words and the more words you know, the easier it will become for you to express yourself or your thoughts.
And when you read, make sure you read so wide because the more you read, the more you know and the more you know the more intelligent you can become.
Question:
What is the benefit of knowing more words?
Choices:
A. You will get used to referring to the dictionary when meeting with new words.
B. You will have less difficulty expressing your opinions.
C. Vocabulary will improve your creativity.
D. You can pass your exams with ease. | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high6366.txt | Read a lot, I mean a lot! You have to increase your ability for reading. Many students are in the habit of reading only when their exams are approaching while some others read only what they are taught or things that must be read because it is in their curriculum. But listen to me now, I am telling you from my own experience that it is a very bad habit and it is not enough to improve your intelligence.
You have to learn and get ready to become _ in your reading. The fact that you are studying medicine in school does not mean that you should not know one or two things on politics.
Many people have complained to me that they find it hard to read stuffs like novels but I just shake my head in pity for them because it is obvious they have failed to realize the truth in that wise saying by Margaret Fuller that "today a READER, tomorrow a LEADER!"
When you read, you get to "see" so many places and it will be as if you have visited those places in real life. This is because reading will improve your imagination and creativity and understanding. You also get experience from learning about how people dealt with their various problems thereby saving you from going through the pains and difficulties they must have gone through!
Reading will also help you in improving your vocabulary because you will certainly start coming across so many new words which you will try as much as possible to get accustomed to with the help of the dictionary! The good thing about increasing your vocabulary is that it will also improve your thinking ability. After all, we think in words and the more words you know, the easier it will become for you to express yourself or your thoughts.
And when you read, make sure you read so wide because the more you read, the more you know and the more you know the more intelligent you can become. | [
"You will get used to referring to the dictionary when meeting with new words.",
"You will have less difficulty expressing your opinions.",
"Vocabulary will improve your creativity.",
"You can pass your exams with ease."
] |
Randy had $3,000. Smith gave him another $200. Randy then gave Sally $1,200 and kept the rest. What was the value, in dollars, of the rest? | After Smith gave him $200, Randy had 3000+200=<<3000+200=3200>>3200 dollars.
The value of the rest of the money is 3200-1200=<<3200-1200=2000>>2000 dollars.
#### 2000 | Solve the following math problem and explain your reasoning step by step. | Randy had $3,000. Smith gave him another $200. Randy then gave Sally $1,200 and kept the rest. What was the value, in dollars, of the rest? | After Smith gave him $200, Randy had 3000+200=<<3000+200=3200>>3200 dollars.
The value of the rest of the money is 3200-1200=<<3200-1200=2000>>2000 dollars.
#### 2000 | math | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Where can you get to know Singapore's past? | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Fun places to visit in Singapore
Jurong Bird Park
At Jurong Bird Park you can see more than 5,000 birds and even feed some of them by hand! If feeding birds makes you hungry, you can join the park's parrots for lunch.
PulauUbin
Take a small boat into Singapore's past.A 10-minute ride will take you to this island.The life on the island has not been changed since the 1960s.
Malls and Markets
Walk through Orchard Road's modern malls.Then try an open-air shopping experience at the markets.There you can buy inexpensive clothes,toys and old furniture.
Night Safari
Night Safari lets you see animals that are active at night in their natural environment.Walk through the park at night to get close to the animals from seven different areas.
Question:
Where can you get to know Singapore's past?
Choices:
A. At Jurong Bird Park.
B. At PulauUbin.
C. Malls and Markets.
D. At Night Safari. | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle6888.txt | Fun places to visit in Singapore
Jurong Bird Park
At Jurong Bird Park you can see more than 5,000 birds and even feed some of them by hand! If feeding birds makes you hungry, you can join the park's parrots for lunch.
PulauUbin
Take a small boat into Singapore's past.A 10-minute ride will take you to this island.The life on the island has not been changed since the 1960s.
Malls and Markets
Walk through Orchard Road's modern malls.Then try an open-air shopping experience at the markets.There you can buy inexpensive clothes,toys and old furniture.
Night Safari
Night Safari lets you see animals that are active at night in their natural environment.Walk through the park at night to get close to the animals from seven different areas. | [
"At Jurong Bird Park.",
"At PulauUbin.",
"Malls and Markets.",
"At Night Safari."
] |
[(The following aspects about killers whales are mentioned except _ . | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Orcas, or killer whales, are the largest of the dolphins and one of the world's most powerful animals feeding on meat. They feast on marine mammals such as seals, sea lions, and even whales, employing teeth that can be four inches (ten centimeters) long. They are known to grab seals right off the ice. They also eat fish, squid , and seabirds.
Though they often frequent cold, coastal waters, orcas can be found from the polar regions to the Equator .
Killer whales hunt in deadly groups, family groups of up to 40 individuals. There appear to be both permanent and temporary group populations of killer whales. These different groups may hunt different animals and use different techniques to catch them. Permanent groups tend to prefer fish, while temporary groups target marine mammals. All groups use effective, cooperative hunting techniques that some are similar to the behavior of wolf packs.
Whales make a wide variety of communicative sounds, and each group has various noises that its members will recognize even at a distance. They use echolocation to communicate and hunt, making sounds that travel underwater until they meet objects, then reflect back, showing their location, size, and shape.
Killer whales are protective of their young, and other adolescent females often assist the mother in caring for them. Mothers give birth every three to ten years, after a 17-month pregnancy.
Killer whales are immediately recognizable by their special black-and-white coloring and are the intelligent, trainable stars of many aquarium shows. Killer whales have never been widely hunted by humans.
Question:
[(The following aspects about killers whales are mentioned except _ .
Choices:
A. hunting
B. communication
C. weight
D. habitats | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high13383.txt | Orcas, or killer whales, are the largest of the dolphins and one of the world's most powerful animals feeding on meat. They feast on marine mammals such as seals, sea lions, and even whales, employing teeth that can be four inches (ten centimeters) long. They are known to grab seals right off the ice. They also eat fish, squid , and seabirds.
Though they often frequent cold, coastal waters, orcas can be found from the polar regions to the Equator .
Killer whales hunt in deadly groups, family groups of up to 40 individuals. There appear to be both permanent and temporary group populations of killer whales. These different groups may hunt different animals and use different techniques to catch them. Permanent groups tend to prefer fish, while temporary groups target marine mammals. All groups use effective, cooperative hunting techniques that some are similar to the behavior of wolf packs.
Whales make a wide variety of communicative sounds, and each group has various noises that its members will recognize even at a distance. They use echolocation to communicate and hunt, making sounds that travel underwater until they meet objects, then reflect back, showing their location, size, and shape.
Killer whales are protective of their young, and other adolescent females often assist the mother in caring for them. Mothers give birth every three to ten years, after a 17-month pregnancy.
Killer whales are immediately recognizable by their special black-and-white coloring and are the intelligent, trainable stars of many aquarium shows. Killer whales have never been widely hunted by humans. | [
"hunting",
"communication",
"weight",
"habitats"
] |
. The following statements are wrong EXCEPT _ according to the text. | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
What picture do you have of the future? Will life in the future be better, worse of the same as now? What do you hope about the future?
Futurologists predict that life will probably be very different in 2050 in all the fields of activity, from entertainment to technology. First of all, it seems that TV channels will have disappeared by 2050. Instead, people will choose a programme from a menu and a computer will send the programme directly to the television. Today, we can use the World Wide Web to read newspaper stories and see pictures on a computer thousands of kilometers away. By 2050, music, films, programmes, newspapers and books will come to us by computer.
In what concerns the environment, water will have become one of our most serious problems. In many places, agriculture is changing and they are growing fruit and vegetables to export. This uses a lot of water. Demand for water will increase ten times between now and 2050 and there could be serious shortages. Some futurologists predict that water could be the cause of war if we don't act now.
In transport, cars will run on new, clean fuels and they will go very fast. Cars will have computers to control the speed of the car and there won't be any accidents. Today, many cars have computers that tell the drivers exactly where they are. By 2050, the computer will control the car and drive it to your destination. On the other hand, space planes will take people half way around the world in two hours. Nowadays, the United States Shuttle can go into space and land on Earth again. By 2050, space planes will fly all over the world and people will fly from Los Angels to Tokyo in just two hours.
In the field of technology, robots will have replaced people in factories. Many factories already use robots. Big companies prefer robots -- they do not ask for pay rises or go on strike, and they work 24 hours a day. By 2050, we will see robots everywhere -- in factories, schools, offices, hospitals, shops and homes.
In particular, medicine technology will have conquered many diseases. Today, there are electronic devices that connect directly to the brain to help people hear. By 2050, we will be able to help blind and deaf people see again and hear again and scientists will be able to produce clones of people and decide how they look, how they behave and how much intelligence they have. Scientists will be able to do these things -- but should they?
Question:
. The following statements are wrong EXCEPT _ according to the text.
Choices:
A. The future world will be controlled by robots.
B. People won't be blind or deaf in the future.
C. Fewer and fewer workers are needed in the future in factories.
D. Scientists have the right to clone people of different kinds. | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high15721.txt | What picture do you have of the future? Will life in the future be better, worse of the same as now? What do you hope about the future?
Futurologists predict that life will probably be very different in 2050 in all the fields of activity, from entertainment to technology. First of all, it seems that TV channels will have disappeared by 2050. Instead, people will choose a programme from a menu and a computer will send the programme directly to the television. Today, we can use the World Wide Web to read newspaper stories and see pictures on a computer thousands of kilometers away. By 2050, music, films, programmes, newspapers and books will come to us by computer.
In what concerns the environment, water will have become one of our most serious problems. In many places, agriculture is changing and they are growing fruit and vegetables to export. This uses a lot of water. Demand for water will increase ten times between now and 2050 and there could be serious shortages. Some futurologists predict that water could be the cause of war if we don't act now.
In transport, cars will run on new, clean fuels and they will go very fast. Cars will have computers to control the speed of the car and there won't be any accidents. Today, many cars have computers that tell the drivers exactly where they are. By 2050, the computer will control the car and drive it to your destination. On the other hand, space planes will take people half way around the world in two hours. Nowadays, the United States Shuttle can go into space and land on Earth again. By 2050, space planes will fly all over the world and people will fly from Los Angels to Tokyo in just two hours.
In the field of technology, robots will have replaced people in factories. Many factories already use robots. Big companies prefer robots -- they do not ask for pay rises or go on strike, and they work 24 hours a day. By 2050, we will see robots everywhere -- in factories, schools, offices, hospitals, shops and homes.
In particular, medicine technology will have conquered many diseases. Today, there are electronic devices that connect directly to the brain to help people hear. By 2050, we will be able to help blind and deaf people see again and hear again and scientists will be able to produce clones of people and decide how they look, how they behave and how much intelligence they have. Scientists will be able to do these things -- but should they? | [
"The future world will be controlled by robots.",
"People won't be blind or deaf in the future.",
"Fewer and fewer workers are needed in the future in factories.",
"Scientists have the right to clone people of different kinds."
] |
Tina is a professional boxer. She wins her first 10 fights of her career. She then goes on to win 5 more before losing her first fight, and then doubles her number of wins before losing again. She then retires. How many more wins than losses does she have at the end of her career? | Tina wins her first 10, and then wins 5 more for 10+5 = 15 wins before losing 1.
She then doubles her number of wins for a total of 15*2=30 wins, before losing 1 more for 1+1=2 losses.
For her career she has 30-2=<<30-2=28>>28 more wins than losses.
#### 28 | Solve the following math problem and explain your reasoning step by step. | Tina is a professional boxer. She wins her first 10 fights of her career. She then goes on to win 5 more before losing her first fight, and then doubles her number of wins before losing again. She then retires. How many more wins than losses does she have at the end of her career? | Tina wins her first 10, and then wins 5 more for 10+5 = 15 wins before losing 1.
She then doubles her number of wins for a total of 15*2=30 wins, before losing 1 more for 1+1=2 losses.
For her career she has 30-2=<<30-2=28>>28 more wins than losses.
#### 28 | math | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
A teacher's work is most effective with a schoolboy when he _ . | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Tom was one of the brightest boys in the year, with supportive parents. But when he was 15 he suddenly stopped trying. He left school at 16 with only two scores for secondary school subjects. One of the reasons that made it cool for him not to care was the power of his peer group.
The lack of right male role models in many of their lives -- at home and particularly in the school environment -- means that their peers are the only people they have to judge themselves against.
They don't see men succeeding in society so it doesn't occur to them that they could make something of themselves. Without male teachers as a role model, the effect of peer actions and street culture is all-powerful. Boys want to be part of a club. However, schools can provide the environment for change, and provide the right role models for them. Teachers need to be trained to stop that but not in front of a child's peers. You have to do it one to one, because that is when you see the real child.
It's pointless sending a child home if he or she has done wrong. They see it as a welcome day off to watch television or play computer games. Instead, schools should have a special unit where a child who has done wrong goes for the day and gets advice about his problems -- somewhere he can work away from his peers and go home after the other children.
Question:
A teacher's work is most effective with a schoolboy when he _ .
Choices:
A. is with the boy alone
B. teaches the boy a lesson
C. sends the boy home as punishment
D. works together with another teacher | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high7330.txt | Tom was one of the brightest boys in the year, with supportive parents. But when he was 15 he suddenly stopped trying. He left school at 16 with only two scores for secondary school subjects. One of the reasons that made it cool for him not to care was the power of his peer group.
The lack of right male role models in many of their lives -- at home and particularly in the school environment -- means that their peers are the only people they have to judge themselves against.
They don't see men succeeding in society so it doesn't occur to them that they could make something of themselves. Without male teachers as a role model, the effect of peer actions and street culture is all-powerful. Boys want to be part of a club. However, schools can provide the environment for change, and provide the right role models for them. Teachers need to be trained to stop that but not in front of a child's peers. You have to do it one to one, because that is when you see the real child.
It's pointless sending a child home if he or she has done wrong. They see it as a welcome day off to watch television or play computer games. Instead, schools should have a special unit where a child who has done wrong goes for the day and gets advice about his problems -- somewhere he can work away from his peers and go home after the other children. | [
"is with the boy alone",
"teaches the boy a lesson",
"sends the boy home as punishment",
"works together with another teacher"
] |
A critic in those days usually _ . | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Jean-Michael Lourdis was a promising young pianist. But when the young man played, it seemed to him, as if his hands were iron. He worried so much about his playing that he became oversensitive to the comments of his playing. Unfortunately, in those days, a critic was not considered a critic, unless he found something wrong. This attitude of the critics would often leave the young man ready to give up his dream and return home.
He was invited to play in Helsinki. The rich, the famous, the leaders of State were all there. Jean-Michael had one of those days when everything went wrong. That night as he played, he felt as if it were the worst concert of his young life. The next day, in the newspapers, some of the comments were so unkind. The young musician was painful.
That day, as he sat in his hotel room in total despair , there came a knocking at his door. He had a visitor.The famous Finnish composer Jean Sibelius had come by to congratulate the young pianist on his performance. Jean-Michael asked how he thought of that and began to quote some of the newspaper critics. " Hands of iron. No imagination. Little skill. No joy. Don't you hear what they say?" he asked.
Jean Sibelius looked at young Jean-Michael and said, "Remember, son, there is no city in the world where they have erected a statue for a critic."
Question:
A critic in those days usually _ .
Choices:
A. found fault with musicians' performances
B. said kind and encouraging words to musicians
C. helped musicians become famous
D. asked more people to go to concerts | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high4727.txt | Jean-Michael Lourdis was a promising young pianist. But when the young man played, it seemed to him, as if his hands were iron. He worried so much about his playing that he became oversensitive to the comments of his playing. Unfortunately, in those days, a critic was not considered a critic, unless he found something wrong. This attitude of the critics would often leave the young man ready to give up his dream and return home.
He was invited to play in Helsinki. The rich, the famous, the leaders of State were all there. Jean-Michael had one of those days when everything went wrong. That night as he played, he felt as if it were the worst concert of his young life. The next day, in the newspapers, some of the comments were so unkind. The young musician was painful.
That day, as he sat in his hotel room in total despair , there came a knocking at his door. He had a visitor.The famous Finnish composer Jean Sibelius had come by to congratulate the young pianist on his performance. Jean-Michael asked how he thought of that and began to quote some of the newspaper critics. " Hands of iron. No imagination. Little skill. No joy. Don't you hear what they say?" he asked.
Jean Sibelius looked at young Jean-Michael and said, "Remember, son, there is no city in the world where they have erected a statue for a critic." | [
"found fault with musicians' performances",
"said kind and encouraging words to musicians",
"helped musicians become famous",
"asked more people to go to concerts"
] |
What is the main idea of the passage? | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Scientists are closely concerned with the structure of buildings and with the quality of building materials. The World health Organization (WHO) observes that the introduction of air conditioning and energy conservation measures have been accompanied by growing problems of indoor air quality. Some pollutants arise from insulation products, some from moving cars, and others from modern housing materials. As many Europeans spend up to 90% of their lives in buildings, the health effects of the indoor climate are very important.
Some construction materials, including fiberboard, insulation foams and certain glues for man-made wood floor boards, for example, give out organic products such as formaldehyde . Heat and humidity increase the release of formaldehyde and the gas seriously harms the eyes. Paint, lacquer, etc. can also release dangerous gas into indoor air.
Construction materials can cause serious damage, especially when they contain asbestos . Asbestos is naturally present in rock formations worldwide. It belongs to a family of mineral substances made up of solid, non-combustible fiber. These properties make asbestos a highly sought-after construction material. As early as 1931, however, public health officers in the prefix = st1 /United Kingdomrevealed the connection between breathing in asbestos dust and such diseases as lung cancer.
The land on which a building is sited may also contribute to pollution. Some kinds of granite or similar rocks contain traces of radium. As it breaks down, this naturally radioactive element produces some kind of radioactive gas that goes through tiny cracks in walls, floors and building materials, and makes its way into the building and the rooms. The better the homes are insulated, the more is the dangerous gas in indoor air. The main effect of this dangerous gas on health is to increase the risk of lung cancer.
Question:
What is the main idea of the passage?
Choices:
A. Some building materials pollute indoor air.
B. Some factors cause indoor air pollution.
C. Asbestos can cause lung cancer.
D. The land on which houses are built contributes to indoor pollution. | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high23766.txt | Scientists are closely concerned with the structure of buildings and with the quality of building materials. The World health Organization (WHO) observes that the introduction of air conditioning and energy conservation measures have been accompanied by growing problems of indoor air quality. Some pollutants arise from insulation products, some from moving cars, and others from modern housing materials. As many Europeans spend up to 90% of their lives in buildings, the health effects of the indoor climate are very important.
Some construction materials, including fiberboard, insulation foams and certain glues for man-made wood floor boards, for example, give out organic products such as formaldehyde . Heat and humidity increase the release of formaldehyde and the gas seriously harms the eyes. Paint, lacquer, etc. can also release dangerous gas into indoor air.
Construction materials can cause serious damage, especially when they contain asbestos . Asbestos is naturally present in rock formations worldwide. It belongs to a family of mineral substances made up of solid, non-combustible fiber. These properties make asbestos a highly sought-after construction material. As early as 1931, however, public health officers in the prefix = st1 /United Kingdomrevealed the connection between breathing in asbestos dust and such diseases as lung cancer.
The land on which a building is sited may also contribute to pollution. Some kinds of granite or similar rocks contain traces of radium. As it breaks down, this naturally radioactive element produces some kind of radioactive gas that goes through tiny cracks in walls, floors and building materials, and makes its way into the building and the rooms. The better the homes are insulated, the more is the dangerous gas in indoor air. The main effect of this dangerous gas on health is to increase the risk of lung cancer. | [
"Some building materials pollute indoor air.",
"Some factors cause indoor air pollution.",
"Asbestos can cause lung cancer.",
"The land on which houses are built contributes to indoor pollution."
] |
This is a short _ written by Yeats, a famous writer from Ireland. | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Down by the salley gardens
Down by the salley gardens
my love and I did meet;
She passed the salley gardens
with little snow-white feet.
She bid me take love easy,
as the leaves grow on the tree;
But I, being young and foolish,
with her would not agree.
In a field by the river
my love and I did stand,
And on my leaning shoulder
she laid her snow-white _ .
She bid me take life easy,
as the grass grows on the weirs;
But I was young and foolish,
and now am full of tears.
Question:
This is a short _ written by Yeats, a famous writer from Ireland.
Choices:
A. story
B. poem
C. slogan
D. letter | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle7119.txt | Down by the salley gardens
Down by the salley gardens
my love and I did meet;
She passed the salley gardens
with little snow-white feet.
She bid me take love easy,
as the leaves grow on the tree;
But I, being young and foolish,
with her would not agree.
In a field by the river
my love and I did stand,
And on my leaning shoulder
she laid her snow-white _ .
She bid me take life easy,
as the grass grows on the weirs;
But I was young and foolish,
and now am full of tears. | [
"story",
"poem",
"slogan",
"letter"
] |
It can be inferred form the passage that _ . | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
When you get a job interview, it is the chance that you impress them employer and prove you really are the right person for the job. The following key points may he the important steps you can take to ensure you make a good impression from the get-go
Be Prepared
Research the company thoroughly before the job interview. Read through the company website to gain a thorough understanding of what" does its values, clients or audience and any technologies it uses. You should also Google the company and read any press releases. Note important issues or points you can discuss at the interview. Take copies of the job description with you to the interview. Don't he afraid of showing off, you can bet the other candidates won't be holding back!
Interview Questions
All this preparation work will go a long way to helping you for questions you might be asked during the interview. As well as preparing for the standard questions, you also need to come up with relevant questions to ask the interviewer about the company and your role. You may want to ask something along the lines of "what's it like to work here?",
"what are the career prospects l like?"
Timekeeping
Plan your route in advance and make a dry run to the interview location a few days beforehand to make sure you're clear on where you're going. Print out directions and maps from sites like Google Maps and make sure you should he there without any problems
After the Interview
If you're unsuccessful, use it as an opportunity to improve. Ask for feedback from the interviewer. This will improve your future interview success chances; the interviewer might consider you for future vacancies at the company based on this action alone
Question:
It can be inferred form the passage that _ .
Choices:
A. the interviewer can help you through the back door
B. a polite attitude can help you find a way out
C. it is impossible to get a job at the first interview
D. it is important to keep cautious about an interview | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high10421.txt | When you get a job interview, it is the chance that you impress them employer and prove you really are the right person for the job. The following key points may he the important steps you can take to ensure you make a good impression from the get-go
Be Prepared
Research the company thoroughly before the job interview. Read through the company website to gain a thorough understanding of what" does its values, clients or audience and any technologies it uses. You should also Google the company and read any press releases. Note important issues or points you can discuss at the interview. Take copies of the job description with you to the interview. Don't he afraid of showing off, you can bet the other candidates won't be holding back!
Interview Questions
All this preparation work will go a long way to helping you for questions you might be asked during the interview. As well as preparing for the standard questions, you also need to come up with relevant questions to ask the interviewer about the company and your role. You may want to ask something along the lines of "what's it like to work here?",
"what are the career prospects l like?"
Timekeeping
Plan your route in advance and make a dry run to the interview location a few days beforehand to make sure you're clear on where you're going. Print out directions and maps from sites like Google Maps and make sure you should he there without any problems
After the Interview
If you're unsuccessful, use it as an opportunity to improve. Ask for feedback from the interviewer. This will improve your future interview success chances; the interviewer might consider you for future vacancies at the company based on this action alone | [
"the interviewer can help you through the back door",
"a polite attitude can help you find a way out",
"it is impossible to get a job at the first interview",
"it is important to keep cautious about an interview"
] |
Drew knows that Earth is tilted on its axis. He also knows this tilt is responsible for the season that a region on Earth will experience. When the South Pole is tilted toward the Sun, what season will it be in Florida? | null | Answer this science question and explain your reasoning. | Drew knows that Earth is tilted on its axis. He also knows this tilt is responsible for the season that a region on Earth will experience. When the South Pole is tilted toward the Sun, what season will it be in Florida?
Choices:
A. fall
B. spring
C. summer
D. winter | Correct answer: D | science | Mercury_SC_409578 | {
"text": [
"fall",
"spring",
"summer",
"winter"
],
"label": [
"A",
"B",
"C",
"D"
]
} | D | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Why did the world start to change in the early 1800's? | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
There have been many great inventions that changed the way we live.The first great invention was one that is still very important today--the wheel.This made it easier to carry heavy things and to travel long distances.For hundreds of years after that there were few inventions that had as much effect as the wheel.Then in the early 1800's the world started to change.There was little unknown land left in the world.People did not have to explore much anymore.They began to work instead to make life better.In the second half of the 19th century many great inventions were made.Among them were the camera, the electric light and the radio.These all became a big part of our life today.
The first part of the 20th century saw more great inventions.The helicopter in 1909.Movies with sound in 1926.The computer in 1928.And jet planes in 1930.This was also a time when a new material was first made.Nylon came out in 1935.It changed the kind of clothes people wear.The middle part of the 20th century brought new ways to help people get over disease. _ worked very well.They made people healthier and let them live longer lives.By the 1960's most people could expect to live to be at least 60.By this time most people had a very good life.
Of course new inventions continued to be made.But man now had a desire to explore again.The world was known to man but the stars were not.Man began looking for ways to go into space.Russia made the first step.Then the United States took a step.Since then other countries, including China and Japan, have made their steps into space.In 1969 man took his biggest step away from the earth.Americans first walked on the moon.This is certainly just a beginning though.
New inventions will someday allow us to do things we have never yet dreamed of.
Question:
Why did the world start to change in the early 1800's?
Choices:
A. Because there were few inventions that had as much effect as the wheel for hundreds of years.
B. Because there was little unknown land left in the world.
C. Because people did not have to explore much anymore.
D. Because people began to work to make life better instead of exploring unknown world. | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high14266.txt | There have been many great inventions that changed the way we live.The first great invention was one that is still very important today--the wheel.This made it easier to carry heavy things and to travel long distances.For hundreds of years after that there were few inventions that had as much effect as the wheel.Then in the early 1800's the world started to change.There was little unknown land left in the world.People did not have to explore much anymore.They began to work instead to make life better.In the second half of the 19th century many great inventions were made.Among them were the camera, the electric light and the radio.These all became a big part of our life today.
The first part of the 20th century saw more great inventions.The helicopter in 1909.Movies with sound in 1926.The computer in 1928.And jet planes in 1930.This was also a time when a new material was first made.Nylon came out in 1935.It changed the kind of clothes people wear.The middle part of the 20th century brought new ways to help people get over disease. _ worked very well.They made people healthier and let them live longer lives.By the 1960's most people could expect to live to be at least 60.By this time most people had a very good life.
Of course new inventions continued to be made.But man now had a desire to explore again.The world was known to man but the stars were not.Man began looking for ways to go into space.Russia made the first step.Then the United States took a step.Since then other countries, including China and Japan, have made their steps into space.In 1969 man took his biggest step away from the earth.Americans first walked on the moon.This is certainly just a beginning though.
New inventions will someday allow us to do things we have never yet dreamed of. | [
"Because there were few inventions that had as much effect as the wheel for hundreds of years.",
"Because there was little unknown land left in the world.",
"Because people did not have to explore much anymore.",
"Because people began to work to make life better instead of exploring unknown world."
] |
You can be slim if you play these sports except _ . | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Running
Running is good for people with too much fat because it can help them become slim. It also makes people strong. But it may be bad for joints . If we don't feel comfortable in our joints, we should stop for another activity.
Walking
Walking makes our bodies relaxed . It can also help people to be slim.
Swimming
Swimming is a great way to make different places of your body strong. But it is not a good way to keep slim. The water in a swimming pool is cooler than our body. The body protects itself from the cold by keeping fat.
Cycling
Riding a bike will help us be slim and make our legs strong, too. But be careful! If you live in the city, you should ride on the bike road and be away from the busy traffic.
Question:
You can be slim if you play these sports except _ .
Choices:
A. running
B. walking
C. swimming
D. cycling | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle3023.txt | Running
Running is good for people with too much fat because it can help them become slim. It also makes people strong. But it may be bad for joints . If we don't feel comfortable in our joints, we should stop for another activity.
Walking
Walking makes our bodies relaxed . It can also help people to be slim.
Swimming
Swimming is a great way to make different places of your body strong. But it is not a good way to keep slim. The water in a swimming pool is cooler than our body. The body protects itself from the cold by keeping fat.
Cycling
Riding a bike will help us be slim and make our legs strong, too. But be careful! If you live in the city, you should ride on the bike road and be away from the busy traffic. | [
"running",
"walking",
"swimming",
"cycling"
] |
When the writer saw Mary's jasmine, she felt _ . | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
I bought a jasmine plant for my office. When I bought it, I was told it would bloom and the sweet smell would fill my office. I had the plant for two months, and every day I looked at it, but there weren't any flowers or pleasant smell. I was not happy, so I gave the plant to my friend Linda.
One day, another friend Mary called and invited me to her office. When I walked in, her jasmine flowers surprised me. I reached out to touch the flowers. Mary cut some and gave them to me. I couldn't help smelling them. Surrounded by the sweet smell of only a handful of these flowers, I suddenly understood something.
Mary bought her plant the same time I did. It took a year for her jasmine to bloom. I was so impatient for mine to bloom; regretfully, I gave it away.
In a way my life is like the jasmine plant. I need to be patient and let things happen.
Last Sunday Linda told me that she was going abroad the next week. Before she left, she returned the plant to me. This time I am going to wait. I have learned that when we want something in our life, we have to be patient. I am slowly learning to have that patience to wait for my jasmine to bloom.
Question:
When the writer saw Mary's jasmine, she felt _ .
Choices:
A. unhappy
B. peaceful
C. hopeful
D. surprised | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle2113.txt | I bought a jasmine plant for my office. When I bought it, I was told it would bloom and the sweet smell would fill my office. I had the plant for two months, and every day I looked at it, but there weren't any flowers or pleasant smell. I was not happy, so I gave the plant to my friend Linda.
One day, another friend Mary called and invited me to her office. When I walked in, her jasmine flowers surprised me. I reached out to touch the flowers. Mary cut some and gave them to me. I couldn't help smelling them. Surrounded by the sweet smell of only a handful of these flowers, I suddenly understood something.
Mary bought her plant the same time I did. It took a year for her jasmine to bloom. I was so impatient for mine to bloom; regretfully, I gave it away.
In a way my life is like the jasmine plant. I need to be patient and let things happen.
Last Sunday Linda told me that she was going abroad the next week. Before she left, she returned the plant to me. This time I am going to wait. I have learned that when we want something in our life, we have to be patient. I am slowly learning to have that patience to wait for my jasmine to bloom. | [
"unhappy",
"peaceful",
"hopeful",
"surprised"
] |
Which of the following may be one of the reasons for the popularity of the Super Bowl? | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
On "Super Bowl Sunday", millions of Americans are glued to their TVs. They are eating pizza, chicken wings and chips and cheering every move. They're watching the Super Bowl.
Why are Americans so crazy about American football? Well, it is more exciting than other sports. One team can lose possession of the ball in a minute, which may allow their opponents to make a touchdown . Then that team may win the game unexpectedly.
The Super Bowl also entertains its audience with a great halftime show. The football field is turned into a stage. Then an impressive performance of dancing and singing with special effects occurs.
Since the Super Bowl is the most-watched TV program in America, commercial airtime is also very expensive. Big money is also spent on commercials. They draw the viewers' attention and advertise their image or products during the commercial break.
After football season, the "March Madness" begins. The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) competitions begin with 68 men's college basketball teams. They play until the field is reduced to the "Final Four". The winning team becomes the national champion. The NBA (National Basketball Association) All-Star game is also held in February. The best players from all the teams play in this game.
Baseball is no doubt American's national sport. From grandpas to young kids, whole families go to ball games together. They wear their favorite team's caps or even carry their mascot . Our family went to watch Wang Chien-Ming play in D.C. once. We ate hot dogs, waved flags and sang during the 7th inning stretch.
If you are not a sports fan yet, come and pick a sport or a team. Go to a ball game with your family, and cheer your team on. Sports are definitely a part of American culture one should not miss.
Question:
Which of the following may be one of the reasons for the popularity of the Super Bowl?
Choices:
A. Its results are too exciting to meet viewers' expectations.
B. People can eat pizza, chicken wings and chips when watching it.
C. Its commercials are expensive enough to draw viewers' attention.
D. The performances during its halftime show are appealing to viewers. | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high17776.txt | On "Super Bowl Sunday", millions of Americans are glued to their TVs. They are eating pizza, chicken wings and chips and cheering every move. They're watching the Super Bowl.
Why are Americans so crazy about American football? Well, it is more exciting than other sports. One team can lose possession of the ball in a minute, which may allow their opponents to make a touchdown . Then that team may win the game unexpectedly.
The Super Bowl also entertains its audience with a great halftime show. The football field is turned into a stage. Then an impressive performance of dancing and singing with special effects occurs.
Since the Super Bowl is the most-watched TV program in America, commercial airtime is also very expensive. Big money is also spent on commercials. They draw the viewers' attention and advertise their image or products during the commercial break.
After football season, the "March Madness" begins. The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) competitions begin with 68 men's college basketball teams. They play until the field is reduced to the "Final Four". The winning team becomes the national champion. The NBA (National Basketball Association) All-Star game is also held in February. The best players from all the teams play in this game.
Baseball is no doubt American's national sport. From grandpas to young kids, whole families go to ball games together. They wear their favorite team's caps or even carry their mascot . Our family went to watch Wang Chien-Ming play in D.C. once. We ate hot dogs, waved flags and sang during the 7th inning stretch.
If you are not a sports fan yet, come and pick a sport or a team. Go to a ball game with your family, and cheer your team on. Sports are definitely a part of American culture one should not miss. | [
"Its results are too exciting to meet viewers' expectations.",
"People can eat pizza, chicken wings and chips when watching it.",
"Its commercials are expensive enough to draw viewers' attention.",
"The performances during its halftime show are appealing to viewers."
] |
Some parents pay their children for doing housework because _ . | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Most American families are smaller than the families in other countries.Most American families have one or two parents and one or two children each.
Children in the US will leave their parents' home when they grow up.They usually live far from their parents because they want to find good jobs.They often write to their parents or telephone them.And they often go to visit their parents on holiday.
Parents usually let their children choose their own jobs.Americans think it is important for young people to decide on their lives by themselves.
Parents ask children to do some work around their house.And in many families, parents pay their children for doing some housework so that hey learn how to make money for their own use.
Question:
Some parents pay their children for doing housework because _ .
Choices:
A. they want their children to learn how to make money for themselves
B. their children asked them to do so
C. they are rich
D. the law requires them to do so | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle1316.txt | Most American families are smaller than the families in other countries.Most American families have one or two parents and one or two children each.
Children in the US will leave their parents' home when they grow up.They usually live far from their parents because they want to find good jobs.They often write to their parents or telephone them.And they often go to visit their parents on holiday.
Parents usually let their children choose their own jobs.Americans think it is important for young people to decide on their lives by themselves.
Parents ask children to do some work around their house.And in many families, parents pay their children for doing some housework so that hey learn how to make money for their own use. | [
"they want their children to learn how to make money for themselves",
"their children asked them to do so",
"they are rich",
"the law requires them to do so"
] |
Because collisions are ______, energy can be transferred between molecules during them. | null | Answer the following science question clearly and accurately. | Because collisions are ______, energy can be transferred between molecules during them. | elastic | science | null | null | null | preservative | conductive | inelastic | elastic | Energy can be transferred between molecules during collisions. Collisions are completely elastic. | null | null | null |
Why did Ben turn around when he saw the black cat crossing the street? | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Ben Jones was walking home from school one day when he saw a black cat. It was walking across the
srteet in front of him.Ben stopped, turned around, and walked down a different srteet to go home. Why did he do that?
"It's unlucky when a black cat crossed the street in front of you," says Ben, "I did not want to walk down that street!"
Many people think that some things bring bad luck or good luck. For example, some people think that 13 is an unlucky number. They never invite 13 people to a party.
"I never walk under a ladder ," says Ben. "And I never open an umbrella inside the house. They both bring bad luck."
And what brings good luck? "We have a horseshoe over the front door of our house for good luck," says Ben."And when I find a peney on the ground, I always pick it up. That brings me good luck all day!"
Question:
Why did Ben turn around when he saw the black cat crossing the street?
Choices:
A. Because he thought it was lucky.
B. Because he disliked a black cat.
C. Because he was afraid of the cat.
D. Because he thought it was unlucky. | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle4025.txt | Ben Jones was walking home from school one day when he saw a black cat. It was walking across the
srteet in front of him.Ben stopped, turned around, and walked down a different srteet to go home. Why did he do that?
"It's unlucky when a black cat crossed the street in front of you," says Ben, "I did not want to walk down that street!"
Many people think that some things bring bad luck or good luck. For example, some people think that 13 is an unlucky number. They never invite 13 people to a party.
"I never walk under a ladder ," says Ben. "And I never open an umbrella inside the house. They both bring bad luck."
And what brings good luck? "We have a horseshoe over the front door of our house for good luck," says Ben."And when I find a peney on the ground, I always pick it up. That brings me good luck all day!" | [
"Because he thought it was lucky.",
"Because he disliked a black cat.",
"Because he was afraid of the cat.",
"Because he thought it was unlucky."
] |
Who clarifies the idea in his/her work that people are socially related? | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Dear Textual Healing,
I would be very interested in your recommendations for any books to help me through a difficult time of my life. At 57, I am feeling a bit lost. I have a wonderful, loving husband and bright, caring teenage daughter but I am lonely and have lost my spark for life.
I have always taken care of everyone and managed a career, but, after the death of my father this summer, my difficulties as a child in a terribly abnormal family have come back to me regularly. I have become unfocused and often alone while my husband is away frequently on business and my daughter busy with school and friends.
I am seeking the help of a therapist and taking care of myself but I would love to read something to help me "get my groove back" and reengage with life.
PC
Dear PC,
From the letter you've given us about your life, it's no wonder you're feeling a little lost. But before prescribing titles to help you get your groove back, I'd recommend taking a journey into Rebecca Solnit's non-fiction book,A Field Guide to Getting Lost, which is packed with the wisdom of everyone from Pat Barker to Thoreau and Keats.
The word lost is rooted in the Old Norse "los", meaning the disbanding of an army. "This origin suggests soldiers falling out of formation to go home, ceasing fighting with the wide world. I worry now that many people never disband their armies, never go beyond what they know," Solnit writes. So instead of fearing that lost feeling, try seeing its potential for discovery. Explorers, remember, are always lost simply because they're forever someplace new.
"Leave the door open for the unknown, the door into the dark," Solnit advises. "That's where the most important things come from, where you yourself came from, and where you will go."
For something that asks a little less of the reader while still giving plenty in return, try a dose (--) of Anne Tyler, the beloved creator of numerous heroes whose serious conditions will move anyone who finds themselves in a midlife difficult situation. One such character is 53-year-old Rebecca Davitch, the heroine ofBack When We Were Grownups. Like you, she's combined marriage and motherhood with a career but suddenly finds herself feeling lonely in her own home. Could it be, she wonders, that she's "turned into the wrong person"? Don't be fooled by the way this novel ambles along -- as Rebecca revisits youthful ambitions and the college boyfriend she abandoned, it asks some heart-rending questions before arriving at a place of graceful, joyous acceptance.
Along similar lines, I'm also going to recommendThe Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fryby Rachel Joyce. Its hero is 65 when he learns that a former colleague sick. On his way to post her a note,he decides instead to visit her -- on foot, from his home in deepest Devon to England's northernmost town, more than 600 miles away. You don't manage that without focus! It's a journey to a holy place that will take him 87 days to complete, during which he considers his childhood, marriage and relationship with his son, and becomes an accidental media sensation . By the time he reaches his destination, you'll feel anything but tired.
Finally, Ruth Ozeki's novelA Tale for the Time Beingwill charm the missing spark back into your life. Combining the diary of a sad Tokyo teenager with the story of the middle-aged novelist who finds it, washed ashore on a remote island off the coast of British Columbia, it's a beautiful illustration of how our lives touch -- and are touched by -- others in ways we mightn't even be aware of. This "Man Booker Prize" finalist has plenty to teach about Zen Buddhism, and unless you happen to live in one of its settings, it provides a bracing change of scene, too.
One other suggestion: books, as we all know, make great companions but that doesn't mean they can't be enjoyed in the company of others. If you find yourself home alone, why not slip one into your back pack and head out to a favourite cafe.
Question:
Who clarifies the idea in his/her work that people are socially related?
Choices:
A. Rebecca Solnit.
B. Anne Tyler.
C. Rachel Joyce.
D. Ruth 0zeki. | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high12948.txt | Dear Textual Healing,
I would be very interested in your recommendations for any books to help me through a difficult time of my life. At 57, I am feeling a bit lost. I have a wonderful, loving husband and bright, caring teenage daughter but I am lonely and have lost my spark for life.
I have always taken care of everyone and managed a career, but, after the death of my father this summer, my difficulties as a child in a terribly abnormal family have come back to me regularly. I have become unfocused and often alone while my husband is away frequently on business and my daughter busy with school and friends.
I am seeking the help of a therapist and taking care of myself but I would love to read something to help me "get my groove back" and reengage with life.
PC
Dear PC,
From the letter you've given us about your life, it's no wonder you're feeling a little lost. But before prescribing titles to help you get your groove back, I'd recommend taking a journey into Rebecca Solnit's non-fiction book,A Field Guide to Getting Lost, which is packed with the wisdom of everyone from Pat Barker to Thoreau and Keats.
The word lost is rooted in the Old Norse "los", meaning the disbanding of an army. "This origin suggests soldiers falling out of formation to go home, ceasing fighting with the wide world. I worry now that many people never disband their armies, never go beyond what they know," Solnit writes. So instead of fearing that lost feeling, try seeing its potential for discovery. Explorers, remember, are always lost simply because they're forever someplace new.
"Leave the door open for the unknown, the door into the dark," Solnit advises. "That's where the most important things come from, where you yourself came from, and where you will go."
For something that asks a little less of the reader while still giving plenty in return, try a dose (--) of Anne Tyler, the beloved creator of numerous heroes whose serious conditions will move anyone who finds themselves in a midlife difficult situation. One such character is 53-year-old Rebecca Davitch, the heroine ofBack When We Were Grownups. Like you, she's combined marriage and motherhood with a career but suddenly finds herself feeling lonely in her own home. Could it be, she wonders, that she's "turned into the wrong person"? Don't be fooled by the way this novel ambles along -- as Rebecca revisits youthful ambitions and the college boyfriend she abandoned, it asks some heart-rending questions before arriving at a place of graceful, joyous acceptance.
Along similar lines, I'm also going to recommendThe Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fryby Rachel Joyce. Its hero is 65 when he learns that a former colleague sick. On his way to post her a note,he decides instead to visit her -- on foot, from his home in deepest Devon to England's northernmost town, more than 600 miles away. You don't manage that without focus! It's a journey to a holy place that will take him 87 days to complete, during which he considers his childhood, marriage and relationship with his son, and becomes an accidental media sensation . By the time he reaches his destination, you'll feel anything but tired.
Finally, Ruth Ozeki's novelA Tale for the Time Beingwill charm the missing spark back into your life. Combining the diary of a sad Tokyo teenager with the story of the middle-aged novelist who finds it, washed ashore on a remote island off the coast of British Columbia, it's a beautiful illustration of how our lives touch -- and are touched by -- others in ways we mightn't even be aware of. This "Man Booker Prize" finalist has plenty to teach about Zen Buddhism, and unless you happen to live in one of its settings, it provides a bracing change of scene, too.
One other suggestion: books, as we all know, make great companions but that doesn't mean they can't be enjoyed in the company of others. If you find yourself home alone, why not slip one into your back pack and head out to a favourite cafe. | [
"Rebecca Solnit.",
"Anne Tyler.",
"Rachel Joyce.",
"Ruth 0zeki."
] |
Why do American travelers prefer staying at bedandbreakfast inns? | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Americans like to travel on their yearly holiday. Today, more and more travelers in the United States are spending nights at small houses or inns instead of hotels. They get a room for the night and the breakfast the next morning.
Rooms for the night in private homes with breakfast have been popular with travelers in Europe for many years. In the past five to ten years, these bedandbreakfast places have become popular in the United States. Many of these America's bedandbreakfast inns are old historic buildings. Some bedandbreakfast inns have only a few rooms. Others are much larger. Some inns do not provide telephones or televisions in the rooms, others do.
Staying at a bedandbreakfast inn is much different from staying at a hotel. Usually the cost is much less. Staying at an inn is almost like visiting someone's home. The owners are glad to tell about the areas and the interesting places to visit. Many vacationists say they enjoy the chance to meet local families.
Question:
Why do American travelers prefer staying at bedandbreakfast inns?
Choices:
A. They can meet local families.
B. The money they spend there is much less.
C. It is like visiting someone's home
D. All of the above. | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high10767.txt | Americans like to travel on their yearly holiday. Today, more and more travelers in the United States are spending nights at small houses or inns instead of hotels. They get a room for the night and the breakfast the next morning.
Rooms for the night in private homes with breakfast have been popular with travelers in Europe for many years. In the past five to ten years, these bedandbreakfast places have become popular in the United States. Many of these America's bedandbreakfast inns are old historic buildings. Some bedandbreakfast inns have only a few rooms. Others are much larger. Some inns do not provide telephones or televisions in the rooms, others do.
Staying at a bedandbreakfast inn is much different from staying at a hotel. Usually the cost is much less. Staying at an inn is almost like visiting someone's home. The owners are glad to tell about the areas and the interesting places to visit. Many vacationists say they enjoy the chance to meet local families. | [
"They can meet local families.",
"The money they spend there is much less.",
"It is like visiting someone's home",
"All of the above."
] |
The seats of a bus are arranged in 23 rows of 4 seats. At the start, 16 people climb. At the first stop, 15 people board the bus and 3 get off. At the second stop, 17 people get on the bus and 10 get off. How many empty seats are there after the second stop? | There are 23 * 4 = <<23*4=92>>92 seats on this bus.
After the first stop, there are 16+15 - 3 = <<16+15-3=28>>28 people on the bus.
After the 2nd stop, there are 28+17 - 10 = <<28+17-10=35>>35 people on the bus.
So there are 92 - 35 = <<92-35=57>>57 empty seats on the bus after the 2nd stop.
#### 57 | Solve the following math problem and explain your reasoning step by step. | The seats of a bus are arranged in 23 rows of 4 seats. At the start, 16 people climb. At the first stop, 15 people board the bus and 3 get off. At the second stop, 17 people get on the bus and 10 get off. How many empty seats are there after the second stop? | There are 23 * 4 = <<23*4=92>>92 seats on this bus.
After the first stop, there are 16+15 - 3 = <<16+15-3=28>>28 people on the bus.
After the 2nd stop, there are 28+17 - 10 = <<28+17-10=35>>35 people on the bus.
So there are 92 - 35 = <<92-35=57>>57 empty seats on the bus after the 2nd stop.
#### 57 | math | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
John's hair grows 1.5 inches every month. Every time it gets to 9 inches long he cuts it down to 6 inches. A haircut costs $45 and he gives a 20% tip. How much does he spend on haircuts a year? | He cuts off 9-6=<<9-6=3>>3 inches when he gets a haircut
That means he needs to cut it every 3/1.5=<<3/1.5=2>>2 months
So he gets 12/2=<<12/2=6>>6 haircuts a year
He gives a 45*.2=$<<45*.2=9>>9 tip
So that means each hair cut cost 45+9=$<<45+9=54>>54
So he pays 54*6=$<<54*6=324>>324 a year
#### 324 | Solve the following math problem and explain your reasoning step by step. | John's hair grows 1.5 inches every month. Every time it gets to 9 inches long he cuts it down to 6 inches. A haircut costs $45 and he gives a 20% tip. How much does he spend on haircuts a year? | He cuts off 9-6=<<9-6=3>>3 inches when he gets a haircut
That means he needs to cut it every 3/1.5=<<3/1.5=2>>2 months
So he gets 12/2=<<12/2=6>>6 haircuts a year
He gives a 45*.2=$<<45*.2=9>>9 tip
So that means each hair cut cost 45+9=$<<45+9=54>>54
So he pays 54*6=$<<54*6=324>>324 a year
#### 324 | math | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
There is three less than four times the number of students in Elementary School as there are in Middle School. If the number of students in Middle school is 50, calculate the total number of students in both levels. | The number of students in elementary school is three less than four times the number in middle school: 4 * 50 students = 200 students.
This means that there are 200 students - 3 students = <<200-3=197>>197 students in Elementary school.
The total number of students in both levels is 197 students + 50 students = <<197+50=247>>247 students
#### 247 | Solve the following math problem and explain your reasoning step by step. | There is three less than four times the number of students in Elementary School as there are in Middle School. If the number of students in Middle school is 50, calculate the total number of students in both levels. | The number of students in elementary school is three less than four times the number in middle school: 4 * 50 students = 200 students.
This means that there are 200 students - 3 students = <<200-3=197>>197 students in Elementary school.
The total number of students in both levels is 197 students + 50 students = <<197+50=247>>247 students
#### 247 | math | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
The passage is intended to _ . | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Liz had been bleeding for a long time! She was my closest professional colleague and good friend at the time when we worked in an IT company. It was her first day back at work after an operation and I thought she should have taken a few more days to recover.
Realizing that we couldn't stop the bleeding, we headed to the emergency room and spent hours there waiting to be seen. After the treatment, I drove her to my apartment. I had to leave her in my apartment while I dashed off to take a final exam for a very important course I was taking. Upon my return, we decided Liz was in a good enough condition to sustain a trip back from my Northern Virginia apartment to her home in Maryland.
Although it was nearly midnight and we were both exhausted, we still decided to set off. Unfortunately, in a not particularly safe part of town, we heard my car make a strange noise, and then ti was shaking violently as we drove along. Quickly, I stopped the car in the road and found a tire had blown out. Not knowing how to change a tire and feeling scared, I was trying out to figure out what to do next. Liz, weak from losing all that blood all day and weighing only about eighty pounds to begin with, came out and tried to help me. I had to scream at her to get back in the car and relax.
Within seconds, a taxi pulled up behind us. A huge man appeared and began walking toward us. I felt that the blood drained out of my face and I nearly fainted in fear.
"Got a flat tire, girls?" he asked.
"Yes," I answered in a trembling voice.
In no time at all, the man changed the tire for us and rushed off back to his taxi. He refused any payment and did not even tell me his name. He would never know how badly we needed his services that particular evening. And I, with a grateful heart, will never forget his kindness.
Question:
The passage is intended to _ .
Choices:
A. report a medical emergency
B. show us how to change a car tire
C. warn us of the danger in the town
D. tell us about a midnight assistance | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high9257.txt | Liz had been bleeding for a long time! She was my closest professional colleague and good friend at the time when we worked in an IT company. It was her first day back at work after an operation and I thought she should have taken a few more days to recover.
Realizing that we couldn't stop the bleeding, we headed to the emergency room and spent hours there waiting to be seen. After the treatment, I drove her to my apartment. I had to leave her in my apartment while I dashed off to take a final exam for a very important course I was taking. Upon my return, we decided Liz was in a good enough condition to sustain a trip back from my Northern Virginia apartment to her home in Maryland.
Although it was nearly midnight and we were both exhausted, we still decided to set off. Unfortunately, in a not particularly safe part of town, we heard my car make a strange noise, and then ti was shaking violently as we drove along. Quickly, I stopped the car in the road and found a tire had blown out. Not knowing how to change a tire and feeling scared, I was trying out to figure out what to do next. Liz, weak from losing all that blood all day and weighing only about eighty pounds to begin with, came out and tried to help me. I had to scream at her to get back in the car and relax.
Within seconds, a taxi pulled up behind us. A huge man appeared and began walking toward us. I felt that the blood drained out of my face and I nearly fainted in fear.
"Got a flat tire, girls?" he asked.
"Yes," I answered in a trembling voice.
In no time at all, the man changed the tire for us and rushed off back to his taxi. He refused any payment and did not even tell me his name. He would never know how badly we needed his services that particular evening. And I, with a grateful heart, will never forget his kindness. | [
"report a medical emergency",
"show us how to change a car tire",
"warn us of the danger in the town",
"tell us about a midnight assistance"
] |
What is special about the donors of Silicon Valley? | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
For decades,the San Francisco Bay area has been the heart of the computer technology industry.Many of the biggest technology companies have their headquarters in the area called Silicon Valley.But the area has not always been associated with charity .
Now,a new generation of entrepreneurs appears to be changing Silicon Valley.One example is Marc Benioff,a donor ,who has called on wealthy donors to give more to their communities.He also is the founder of Salesforce.com,a computer services company in San Francisco who has helped build a children's hospital and given millions of dollars to non-profit organizations in the city.
Money from the technology industry has also started to change the face of charity.Benjamin Soskis writes about the history and ideas behind charity in America.His articles have appeared in The Atlantic magazine and a number of major publications.He says,traditionally,donors have given after they spent much of their lives building up wealth.Usually donors are in their 70s.But an increasing number of people appearing on the list of top donors are younger than 40 years of age.Benjamin Soskis says that is something new."There's a whole new model that's appearing in which people give and accumulate at the same time."
Some of the young donors on this year's top 50 list have started to change in the way people see charity.That is especially the case in the San Francisco area,where giving money and making money appear to be coming together."I think it's fair to say that charity is now a part of the Silicon Valley identity."
Question:
What is special about the donors of Silicon Valley?
Choices:
A. They prefer to give rather than make money.
B. They give after accumulating a lot of wealth.
C. They are much younger than the usual donors.
D. They donate more money to their communities. | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high10300.txt | For decades,the San Francisco Bay area has been the heart of the computer technology industry.Many of the biggest technology companies have their headquarters in the area called Silicon Valley.But the area has not always been associated with charity .
Now,a new generation of entrepreneurs appears to be changing Silicon Valley.One example is Marc Benioff,a donor ,who has called on wealthy donors to give more to their communities.He also is the founder of Salesforce.com,a computer services company in San Francisco who has helped build a children's hospital and given millions of dollars to non-profit organizations in the city.
Money from the technology industry has also started to change the face of charity.Benjamin Soskis writes about the history and ideas behind charity in America.His articles have appeared in The Atlantic magazine and a number of major publications.He says,traditionally,donors have given after they spent much of their lives building up wealth.Usually donors are in their 70s.But an increasing number of people appearing on the list of top donors are younger than 40 years of age.Benjamin Soskis says that is something new."There's a whole new model that's appearing in which people give and accumulate at the same time."
Some of the young donors on this year's top 50 list have started to change in the way people see charity.That is especially the case in the San Francisco area,where giving money and making money appear to be coming together."I think it's fair to say that charity is now a part of the Silicon Valley identity." | [
"They prefer to give rather than make money.",
"They give after accumulating a lot of wealth.",
"They are much younger than the usual donors.",
"They donate more money to their communities."
] |
Chemical reactions either require or release what? | null | Answer the following science question clearly and accurately. | Chemical reactions either require or release what? | energy | science | null | null | null | enzymes | light | electricity | energy | Chemical reactions either require energy or release energy. The amount of energy needed or released depends upon the structure of the molecules that are involved in the reaction. Some reactions need to be heated for long periods of time in order for change to take place. Other reactions release energy, allowing heat to be given off to the surroundings. | null | null | null |
People in _ have their main meal in the middle of the day. | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
There is a famous saying in the West: Eat breakfast like a king. It means breakfast should be the most important meal of your day. Why?
The answer is in the word breakfast itself. Breakfast means "breaking of the fast ". There are about twelve hours between dinner and breakfast, so it's important to eat breakfast to keep in good health. Also, the food for breakfast will give you what you need in the day.
Eating a good breakfast is important, but not many people are changing their eating habits. In the USA, about 60% of people have their main meal in the evening. For most Japanese and Australians, the evening meal is the main meal of the day, too.
In Mexico, the main meal for many families is usually at 2:00 pm. In Switzerland, the main meal is also in the middle of the day.
Many nutritionist say people should eat small, low-fat meals five or six times a day. However, most people think that what you eat is more important than when you eat it. Eating healthy foods like vegetables, fish, and fresh fruit is a good way to enjoy a healthy life.
Question:
People in _ have their main meal in the middle of the day.
Choices:
A. Japan and Australia
B. Japan and Mexico
C. Mexico and Switzerland
D. Australia and Switzerland | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle6509.txt | There is a famous saying in the West: Eat breakfast like a king. It means breakfast should be the most important meal of your day. Why?
The answer is in the word breakfast itself. Breakfast means "breaking of the fast ". There are about twelve hours between dinner and breakfast, so it's important to eat breakfast to keep in good health. Also, the food for breakfast will give you what you need in the day.
Eating a good breakfast is important, but not many people are changing their eating habits. In the USA, about 60% of people have their main meal in the evening. For most Japanese and Australians, the evening meal is the main meal of the day, too.
In Mexico, the main meal for many families is usually at 2:00 pm. In Switzerland, the main meal is also in the middle of the day.
Many nutritionist say people should eat small, low-fat meals five or six times a day. However, most people think that what you eat is more important than when you eat it. Eating healthy foods like vegetables, fish, and fresh fruit is a good way to enjoy a healthy life. | [
"Japan and Australia",
"Japan and Mexico",
"Mexico and Switzerland",
"Australia and Switzerland"
] |
What is nutrition expert's attitude toward restricting bake sales ? | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Some schools are now forbidding or restricting bake sales in an effort to fight a rise in obesity among kids.
In February,the New York City Board of Education ordered that only fruits,vegetables,and approved packaged foods be sold at schools. Many students and parents objected to the restrictions on bake sales , which have long been a way to raise money for schools and community causes , including athletic events and Haitian earthquake relief.New York City finally compromised,allowing each school to hold one bake sale a month.But California and school districts in other states still limit bake sales.Should all schools forbid bake sales?
Childhood obesity has been a growing problem for decades.The number of obese school-age children in the U.S.has increased by three times in the past 20 years.According to Eric Goldstein,the head of food services for New York City schools.40 percent of the city's 1.1 million pupils are obese.
"We have a big problem in the city,state,and the country with obesity,"Goldstein said."During the school day, we have to focus on what is healthy for the mind and the body."
A. J. Juarez, a community organizer for the Massachusetts Public Health Association,agrees.Restricting the kinds of food sold in schools is ''about teaching kids good habits,"he said.
Nutrition experts believe schools are supposed to be a place where teachers and students set up a model environment, and the last thing kids need is an extra source of pointless calories.
But many parents and students _ ."It's not fair. Bake sales have always been a positive way to raise money for school programs,and to make that against the rules is not appropriate," said a parent.
"I don't think they should forbid bake sales,''Reese Butler,12,told The New York Times.A sixth-grader from Wrightstown,New Jersey,he reasoned that,"Money raised by selling cookies is sometimes used for field trips and for community causes,including Haitian earthquake relief."
For Alyssa Howell,11,a fifth-grader in Ann Arbor, Michigan,the issue of choosing what to eat is about freedom."It is the child's decision to make the right choice."she said.
Question:
What is nutrition expert's attitude toward restricting bake sales ?
Choices:
A. Opposed
B. Positive
C. Disappointed
D. Doubtful | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high22832.txt | Some schools are now forbidding or restricting bake sales in an effort to fight a rise in obesity among kids.
In February,the New York City Board of Education ordered that only fruits,vegetables,and approved packaged foods be sold at schools. Many students and parents objected to the restrictions on bake sales , which have long been a way to raise money for schools and community causes , including athletic events and Haitian earthquake relief.New York City finally compromised,allowing each school to hold one bake sale a month.But California and school districts in other states still limit bake sales.Should all schools forbid bake sales?
Childhood obesity has been a growing problem for decades.The number of obese school-age children in the U.S.has increased by three times in the past 20 years.According to Eric Goldstein,the head of food services for New York City schools.40 percent of the city's 1.1 million pupils are obese.
"We have a big problem in the city,state,and the country with obesity,"Goldstein said."During the school day, we have to focus on what is healthy for the mind and the body."
A. J. Juarez, a community organizer for the Massachusetts Public Health Association,agrees.Restricting the kinds of food sold in schools is ''about teaching kids good habits,"he said.
Nutrition experts believe schools are supposed to be a place where teachers and students set up a model environment, and the last thing kids need is an extra source of pointless calories.
But many parents and students _ ."It's not fair. Bake sales have always been a positive way to raise money for school programs,and to make that against the rules is not appropriate," said a parent.
"I don't think they should forbid bake sales,''Reese Butler,12,told The New York Times.A sixth-grader from Wrightstown,New Jersey,he reasoned that,"Money raised by selling cookies is sometimes used for field trips and for community causes,including Haitian earthquake relief."
For Alyssa Howell,11,a fifth-grader in Ann Arbor, Michigan,the issue of choosing what to eat is about freedom."It is the child's decision to make the right choice."she said. | [
"Opposed",
"Positive",
"Disappointed",
"Doubtful"
] |
Jaynie wants to make leis for the graduation party. It will take 2 and half dozen plumeria flowers to make 1 lei. If she wants to make 4 leis, how many plumeria flowers must she pick from the trees in her yard? | To make 1 lei, Jaynie will need 2.5 x 12 = <<12*2.5=30>>30 plumeria flowers.
To make 4 leis, she will need to pick 30 x 4 = <<30*4=120>>120 plumeria flowers from the trees.
#### 120 | Solve the following math problem and explain your reasoning step by step. | Jaynie wants to make leis for the graduation party. It will take 2 and half dozen plumeria flowers to make 1 lei. If she wants to make 4 leis, how many plumeria flowers must she pick from the trees in her yard? | To make 1 lei, Jaynie will need 2.5 x 12 = <<12*2.5=30>>30 plumeria flowers.
To make 4 leis, she will need to pick 30 x 4 = <<30*4=120>>120 plumeria flowers from the trees.
#### 120 | math | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
What quality of sound makes a tuba and a piccolo very different to a listener? | null | Answer the following science question clearly and accurately. | What quality of sound makes a tuba and a piccolo very different to a listener? | pitch | science | null | null | null | curve | wavelength | tune | pitch | A piccolo and a tuba sound very different. One difference is the pitch of their sounds. | null | null | null |
John's camera broke so he decided to rent one for 4 weeks. It was a $5000 camera and the rental fee was 10% of the value per week. His friend who was there when it broke agreed to pay 40% of the rental fee. How much did John pay? | The rental fee is 5000*.1=$<<5000*.1=500>>500 per week
So it cost 500*4=$<<500*4=2000>>2000
His friend pays 2000*.4=$<<2000*.4=800>>800
So he pays 2000-800=$<<2000-800=1200>>1200
#### 1200 | Solve the following math problem and explain your reasoning step by step. | John's camera broke so he decided to rent one for 4 weeks. It was a $5000 camera and the rental fee was 10% of the value per week. His friend who was there when it broke agreed to pay 40% of the rental fee. How much did John pay? | The rental fee is 5000*.1=$<<5000*.1=500>>500 per week
So it cost 500*4=$<<500*4=2000>>2000
His friend pays 2000*.4=$<<2000*.4=800>>800
So he pays 2000-800=$<<2000-800=1200>>1200
#### 1200 | math | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
How will Hancock get to Rockall? | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Nick Hancock hopes to set a new record by living alone for 60 days on a small island in the Atlantic.
Tom McClean, an SAS soldier who holds the solo record for occupying Rockall for 40 days in 1985, told Hancock that being alone for two months was the greatest challenge Hancock would have to face.
"I'm fully expecting it to be tough," Nick Hancock said. "I'm hoping that by doing my daily tasks fairly slowly, I'm going to be able to keep most of my time busy. I think the worst times will come if I'm boxed up for several days by bad weather."
Hancock hopes to land on Rockall in early June and will carry out the last tests of his boat next week. He has a small wind turbine and a solar panel for power, more than two months' food, a satellite phone and a laptop loaded with e-books to keep him going. Hancock will update an adventure blog, texting messages out on Twitter and emailing his wife Pam and friends every day.
Rockall has been occupied before, most famously by McClean but also by three Greenpeace campaigners, who set the long-stay record of 42 days in 1997 by occupying the rock in protest at oil and gas exploration in the area.
The last human inhabitants Hancock knows of are a small group of Belgian amateur radio enthusiasts, who are interested in broadcasting from distant islands; they were on Rockall overnight in late 2010.
Hancock has no large support team behind him. Except for the coastguard , his only lifeline will be the Orca III, the passenger boat which will take him to Rockall.
Question:
How will Hancock get to Rockall?
Choices:
A. On the coastguard's boat
B. On a passenger boat
C. On his own plane
D. On a passenger plane | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high8434.txt | Nick Hancock hopes to set a new record by living alone for 60 days on a small island in the Atlantic.
Tom McClean, an SAS soldier who holds the solo record for occupying Rockall for 40 days in 1985, told Hancock that being alone for two months was the greatest challenge Hancock would have to face.
"I'm fully expecting it to be tough," Nick Hancock said. "I'm hoping that by doing my daily tasks fairly slowly, I'm going to be able to keep most of my time busy. I think the worst times will come if I'm boxed up for several days by bad weather."
Hancock hopes to land on Rockall in early June and will carry out the last tests of his boat next week. He has a small wind turbine and a solar panel for power, more than two months' food, a satellite phone and a laptop loaded with e-books to keep him going. Hancock will update an adventure blog, texting messages out on Twitter and emailing his wife Pam and friends every day.
Rockall has been occupied before, most famously by McClean but also by three Greenpeace campaigners, who set the long-stay record of 42 days in 1997 by occupying the rock in protest at oil and gas exploration in the area.
The last human inhabitants Hancock knows of are a small group of Belgian amateur radio enthusiasts, who are interested in broadcasting from distant islands; they were on Rockall overnight in late 2010.
Hancock has no large support team behind him. Except for the coastguard , his only lifeline will be the Orca III, the passenger boat which will take him to Rockall. | [
"On the coastguard's boat",
"On a passenger boat",
"On his own plane",
"On a passenger plane"
] |
As to speaking English , the author implies that _ . | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
It is an issue I have realized ever since I heard about an Austrian banker who said,"I always find it easier to do business with partners from Greece or Russia or Denmark. But when the lrish call, it gets complex and difficult." ks5u
As I wrote recently, those speaking English as a second language frequently say they find it easier to talk to each other than to someone from the US, the UK ,Canada ,Ireland or Australia.
Anyone wanting to get to the top of international business, medicine or academia(but possibly not sport)needs to be able to speak English to a pretty high level .Equally, any native English speaker wanting to deal with these new high achievers needs to know how to talk without confusing them.
Because so many English-speakers today are monoglots ,they have little idea how difficult it is to master another language. Many think the best way to make foreigners understand is to be chatty and informal. This may seem friendly but,as it probably involves using informal expressions, it makes comprehension harder.
Speaking slowly helps, but avoiding figurative or idiomatic expressions is more important. Phrasal verbs are another trouble for non-native English speakers; imagine trying to understand the difference between" I couldn't put up with him"and " I agreed to put him up".It's better to say "I couldn't tolerate him"and " I agreed to let him stay for night ". The words may be longer but the meaning is easier to understand.
The greatest friend to anyone trying to understand another language is repetition; not saying the same thing over and over again,but saying it in different ways.
Question:
As to speaking English , the author implies that _ .
Choices:
A. there's no need for athletes to speak so well
B. a successful person must speak advanced English well
C. advanced English shouldn't be spoken in sports
D. a successful person must speak simple English to others | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high22426.txt | It is an issue I have realized ever since I heard about an Austrian banker who said,"I always find it easier to do business with partners from Greece or Russia or Denmark. But when the lrish call, it gets complex and difficult." ks5u
As I wrote recently, those speaking English as a second language frequently say they find it easier to talk to each other than to someone from the US, the UK ,Canada ,Ireland or Australia.
Anyone wanting to get to the top of international business, medicine or academia(but possibly not sport)needs to be able to speak English to a pretty high level .Equally, any native English speaker wanting to deal with these new high achievers needs to know how to talk without confusing them.
Because so many English-speakers today are monoglots ,they have little idea how difficult it is to master another language. Many think the best way to make foreigners understand is to be chatty and informal. This may seem friendly but,as it probably involves using informal expressions, it makes comprehension harder.
Speaking slowly helps, but avoiding figurative or idiomatic expressions is more important. Phrasal verbs are another trouble for non-native English speakers; imagine trying to understand the difference between" I couldn't put up with him"and " I agreed to put him up".It's better to say "I couldn't tolerate him"and " I agreed to let him stay for night ". The words may be longer but the meaning is easier to understand.
The greatest friend to anyone trying to understand another language is repetition; not saying the same thing over and over again,but saying it in different ways. | [
"there's no need for athletes to speak so well",
"a successful person must speak advanced English well",
"advanced English shouldn't be spoken in sports",
"a successful person must speak simple English to others"
] |
The shape of snow depends on _ . | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Winter weather has returned to northern areas of the world. In much of the United States, winter means the return of snow.
Snow is a form of frozen water. It contains many groups of tiny ice particles ( ) called snow crystals ( ) . These crystals grow from water particles in cold clouds. They usually grow around a piece of dust. All snow crystals have six sides, but they grow in different shapes. The shape depends mainly on the temperature and water levels in the air. The shape of a snow crystal may change from one form to another as the crystal passes through levels of air with different temperatures. Snow contains much less water than rain. About seventy-five centimeters of snow has as much water as two and one-half centimeters of rain.
Generally, the color1 of snow and ice appears white. This is because the light we see from the sun is white. Most natural materials take in some sunlight. However, when light travels from air to snow, some light is sent back, or reflected ( ). Snow crystals have many surfaces to reflect sunlight. It is this light that gives snow its white color1.
Much of the water we use comes from snow. Melting snow gives water to rivers and crops. Snowfall helps to protect plants and some wild animals from cold. Fresh snow is made largely of air which is kept among the snow crystals. Because the air has trouble moving, the movement of heat is greatly reduced. However, snow is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people in the United States every year. Many people die in traffic accidents on roads that are covered with snow or ice.
Question:
The shape of snow depends on _ .
Choices:
A. different temperatures
B. different water levels
C. temperatures and water levels in the air
D. temperatures and levels of air | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high18966.txt | Winter weather has returned to northern areas of the world. In much of the United States, winter means the return of snow.
Snow is a form of frozen water. It contains many groups of tiny ice particles ( ) called snow crystals ( ) . These crystals grow from water particles in cold clouds. They usually grow around a piece of dust. All snow crystals have six sides, but they grow in different shapes. The shape depends mainly on the temperature and water levels in the air. The shape of a snow crystal may change from one form to another as the crystal passes through levels of air with different temperatures. Snow contains much less water than rain. About seventy-five centimeters of snow has as much water as two and one-half centimeters of rain.
Generally, the color1 of snow and ice appears white. This is because the light we see from the sun is white. Most natural materials take in some sunlight. However, when light travels from air to snow, some light is sent back, or reflected ( ). Snow crystals have many surfaces to reflect sunlight. It is this light that gives snow its white color1.
Much of the water we use comes from snow. Melting snow gives water to rivers and crops. Snowfall helps to protect plants and some wild animals from cold. Fresh snow is made largely of air which is kept among the snow crystals. Because the air has trouble moving, the movement of heat is greatly reduced. However, snow is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people in the United States every year. Many people die in traffic accidents on roads that are covered with snow or ice. | [
"different temperatures",
"different water levels",
"temperatures and water levels in the air",
"temperatures and levels of air"
] |
What can we learn from the end of the story ? | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Many years ago, there lived an old man with his three sons, Dharma, Harrison and Keith, in a village. The man worked hard when he was young, son he had the largest farmyard and the most beautiful house in the village. However, his sons were all born to be lazy, which mad him disappointed. He was worried that his sons would use up his money and starve to death.
One day, the old man came up with a plan. He called his sons and said to them, "Look, my dear sons: in the land we have at the farmyard, there is lots of hidden gold. If you should work together, you may find it"
In a wish to find out the gold, his sons worked hard from the morning to the evening digging and digging all through the land. The days had passed, but they didn't find what were they were looking for. They got frustrated and angry. They decided to give up and returned to ask their father.
"There is no gold in the land. We are cheated."
"Since the land has been dup soft. Why don't you pant some crops there?" was the reply of the father to the sons.
Off went the sons. Soon the whole once-useless land was rich crops.
"This if the real gold, my sons." Said the now proud father.
Question:
What can we learn from the end of the story ?
Choices:
A. The old man had achieved his goal.
B. The three sons were still as lazy as before.
C. The sons were quite angry with their father.
D. The old man was still worried about his sons. | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle5508.txt | Many years ago, there lived an old man with his three sons, Dharma, Harrison and Keith, in a village. The man worked hard when he was young, son he had the largest farmyard and the most beautiful house in the village. However, his sons were all born to be lazy, which mad him disappointed. He was worried that his sons would use up his money and starve to death.
One day, the old man came up with a plan. He called his sons and said to them, "Look, my dear sons: in the land we have at the farmyard, there is lots of hidden gold. If you should work together, you may find it"
In a wish to find out the gold, his sons worked hard from the morning to the evening digging and digging all through the land. The days had passed, but they didn't find what were they were looking for. They got frustrated and angry. They decided to give up and returned to ask their father.
"There is no gold in the land. We are cheated."
"Since the land has been dup soft. Why don't you pant some crops there?" was the reply of the father to the sons.
Off went the sons. Soon the whole once-useless land was rich crops.
"This if the real gold, my sons." Said the now proud father. | [
"The old man had achieved his goal.",
"The three sons were still as lazy as before.",
"The sons were quite angry with their father.",
"The old man was still worried about his sons."
] |
Which of the following is TRUE about Talia? | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Each year, prizes are presented to adults who make great achievements in art, writing, science, and economics. So why not give awards to kids?
Harry Leibowitz asked himself that question in 1996. As an answer, he and his wife, Kay, created the World of Children organization and began handing out awards to kids and adults whose work has helped kids all over the world. The awards the World of Children presents arenicknamed(......)the " Children's Nobel Prize".
"You know, children are so important," Leibowitz, a retired business manager, told me. " We should have prizes for children if we're going to have prizes for everything else."
Talia Leman, from Iowa, was awarded a Founder's Youth Award for Leadership this year. She is only 13 years old, but she has completed a lot. In 2005, she founded " RandomKid". Since then, it has raised more than$10 million to help kids in 48 states in the U.S. and in 19 other countries.
One place helped by RandomKid was a school built in Cambodia to enable 300 kids to go to school. The organization has also helped fix a school for 200 kids in Louisiana, and provided interactive play centers that serve more than 500 kids in hospitals in Iowa. In faraway places like Africa, RandomKid has provided money to buywater pumps .
Talia never thought that the organization she founded would be as successful as it has become. She said, " My first goal was to raise $1million. That seemed really high, but when you reach a goal, you always wind up reaching higher, and we actually raised $10 million."
I asked her what advice she would offer to other young people who want to help kids in need. " Well, I'd say the first thing would be to find an adult and tell them your idea," Talia said. " They're really the people who can help, and from there I think it can just really take off."
Question:
Which of the following is TRUE about Talia?
Choices:
A. She founded a hospital for 500 kids in Iowa.
B. She offered money to buy water pumps for Africans.
C. She helped teach 300 kids in a school in Cambodia.
D. She built a school for 200 kids in Louisiana. | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high10667.txt | Each year, prizes are presented to adults who make great achievements in art, writing, science, and economics. So why not give awards to kids?
Harry Leibowitz asked himself that question in 1996. As an answer, he and his wife, Kay, created the World of Children organization and began handing out awards to kids and adults whose work has helped kids all over the world. The awards the World of Children presents arenicknamed(......)the " Children's Nobel Prize".
"You know, children are so important," Leibowitz, a retired business manager, told me. " We should have prizes for children if we're going to have prizes for everything else."
Talia Leman, from Iowa, was awarded a Founder's Youth Award for Leadership this year. She is only 13 years old, but she has completed a lot. In 2005, she founded " RandomKid". Since then, it has raised more than$10 million to help kids in 48 states in the U.S. and in 19 other countries.
One place helped by RandomKid was a school built in Cambodia to enable 300 kids to go to school. The organization has also helped fix a school for 200 kids in Louisiana, and provided interactive play centers that serve more than 500 kids in hospitals in Iowa. In faraway places like Africa, RandomKid has provided money to buywater pumps .
Talia never thought that the organization she founded would be as successful as it has become. She said, " My first goal was to raise $1million. That seemed really high, but when you reach a goal, you always wind up reaching higher, and we actually raised $10 million."
I asked her what advice she would offer to other young people who want to help kids in need. " Well, I'd say the first thing would be to find an adult and tell them your idea," Talia said. " They're really the people who can help, and from there I think it can just really take off." | [
"She founded a hospital for 500 kids in Iowa.",
"She offered money to buy water pumps for Africans.",
"She helped teach 300 kids in a school in Cambodia.",
"She built a school for 200 kids in Louisiana."
] |
The Clean Your Plate Campaign calls on people to _ . | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Qi Haoran, a Junior 1 student at High School Attached to Harbin Institute of Technology, was quite busy over the past winter vacation--and not just with homework. Qi, together with 10 other classmates made a volunteer group to call on people to join the Clean Your Plate Campaign .
The 11 students went to many restaurants and told people the importance of saving food."Excuse me, do you know that 950 million people around the world still haven't got enough to eat? Could you please not waste food?"They would say this kind of thing hundreds of times every day.
China in recent years has experienced serious problems with wasted food. CCTV reported in January that the food Chinese people waste every year is enough to feed 200 million people for a year. It's a tradition that Chinese people offer lots of food when they invite others to dinner. Many even feel that they will lose face if their guests have eaten all their food.
Luckily the campaign has got the support of many. In a restaurant in Xinjiang, the owner gives the guests who have eaten up all that they ordered a sticker. People can enjoy a free meal when they have 10 stickers. More than 750 restaurants in Beijing have begun to offer smaller dishes and encourage their guests to take leftovers home.
Wasting food is a serious problem around the world, not only in China. It's said that 2 billion tons of food ends up as waste every year in our country. This is as much as half of all the food in the world. The UN Environment Program and the Food and Agriculture Organization held a"Think, Eat, Save" program on January 24 to help reduce food waste.
To reduce food waste is a big task, and it needs time. It's important that everyone does their bit, just like Qi. Did you finish your meals today?
Question:
The Clean Your Plate Campaign calls on people to _ .
Choices:
A. do volunteer work
B. work part time in restaurants
C. stop wasting food
D. wash their plates after dinner | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle1659.txt | Qi Haoran, a Junior 1 student at High School Attached to Harbin Institute of Technology, was quite busy over the past winter vacation--and not just with homework. Qi, together with 10 other classmates made a volunteer group to call on people to join the Clean Your Plate Campaign .
The 11 students went to many restaurants and told people the importance of saving food."Excuse me, do you know that 950 million people around the world still haven't got enough to eat? Could you please not waste food?"They would say this kind of thing hundreds of times every day.
China in recent years has experienced serious problems with wasted food. CCTV reported in January that the food Chinese people waste every year is enough to feed 200 million people for a year. It's a tradition that Chinese people offer lots of food when they invite others to dinner. Many even feel that they will lose face if their guests have eaten all their food.
Luckily the campaign has got the support of many. In a restaurant in Xinjiang, the owner gives the guests who have eaten up all that they ordered a sticker. People can enjoy a free meal when they have 10 stickers. More than 750 restaurants in Beijing have begun to offer smaller dishes and encourage their guests to take leftovers home.
Wasting food is a serious problem around the world, not only in China. It's said that 2 billion tons of food ends up as waste every year in our country. This is as much as half of all the food in the world. The UN Environment Program and the Food and Agriculture Organization held a"Think, Eat, Save" program on January 24 to help reduce food waste.
To reduce food waste is a big task, and it needs time. It's important that everyone does their bit, just like Qi. Did you finish your meals today? | [
"do volunteer work",
"work part time in restaurants",
"stop wasting food",
"wash their plates after dinner"
] |
What can we learn from the story? | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Little Mike's grandma died weeks ago. He missed her very much. One afternoon Mike went to the city park where his grandma used to go. There he saw an old lady. She looked very kind. She was sitting there, watching pigeons . Little Mike went up and sat next to her. He took out his food and drinks and gave some to her. She smiled at him. Her smile was so sweet that Mike wanted to see it again. She seemed to understand him, so once again she smiled. Mike was very glad.
They sat there all the afternoon, eating and talking. As it got dark, Mike got up to leave. Before he left, he hugged the old lady and she gave him her sweetest smile.
When Mike got home, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. "I met a granny in the park. Her smile was like the kind of smile I had seen on Grandma's face."
The old lady also returned to her home happily. She told her son that she had food and drinks with a little boy. "He was as lovely as Brittany," she said. Her son was surprised, because he had never seen her so happy since Brittany, her grandson, died weeks ago.
.
Question:
What can we learn from the story?
Choices:
A. When one feels unhappy, he must go to a park.
B. Old people are always kind and happy.
C. Children and old people should get on well with each other.
D. When people are kind to each other, they will feel happy. | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle7195.txt | Little Mike's grandma died weeks ago. He missed her very much. One afternoon Mike went to the city park where his grandma used to go. There he saw an old lady. She looked very kind. She was sitting there, watching pigeons . Little Mike went up and sat next to her. He took out his food and drinks and gave some to her. She smiled at him. Her smile was so sweet that Mike wanted to see it again. She seemed to understand him, so once again she smiled. Mike was very glad.
They sat there all the afternoon, eating and talking. As it got dark, Mike got up to leave. Before he left, he hugged the old lady and she gave him her sweetest smile.
When Mike got home, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. "I met a granny in the park. Her smile was like the kind of smile I had seen on Grandma's face."
The old lady also returned to her home happily. She told her son that she had food and drinks with a little boy. "He was as lovely as Brittany," she said. Her son was surprised, because he had never seen her so happy since Brittany, her grandson, died weeks ago.
. | [
"When one feels unhappy, he must go to a park.",
"Old people are always kind and happy.",
"Children and old people should get on well with each other.",
"When people are kind to each other, they will feel happy."
] |
What would be the best title for the passage? | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
One day while driving from my home to work. I noticed a car in front of me had a wobbly wheel. It was clear that the wheel had been changed recently and had not been fixed correctly. On a slow road this would not show much of a problem but I knew a highway was coming soon. There the traffic would move much faster and the driver would be in danger as the wheel could come off at that speed.
I was driving a large jeep at the time and the car in front was a small one driven by a young lady on her own. So as I tried to flash my lights and wave her to pull over, I was worried that she wouldn' t pull over on the road side when she found in her mirror a single man chasing her down in a jeep and waving for her to pull over.
Thankfully. she trusted more in the good nature of people and pulled over where I could explain the problem. She said the wheel was changed only the night before and that she would pull into the nearest garage where the repairman had tools to fix the wheel correctly.
My belief is that the act of kindness was hers and not mine. How so? Well, it was she who chose to believe in the possibility that people are good over the belief that bad things would come from being waved over to the side of the road by strangers.
I am glad I was able to wave her down in time and so a serious accident might have been avoided. But I am even happier that she believed in a stranger.
Question:
What would be the best title for the passage?
Choices:
A. Trusting in the Kindness of Strangers
B. A Wobbly Wheel of a Car
C. A Lady Who Was Saved
D. Accident That Didn' t Happen | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle5321.txt | One day while driving from my home to work. I noticed a car in front of me had a wobbly wheel. It was clear that the wheel had been changed recently and had not been fixed correctly. On a slow road this would not show much of a problem but I knew a highway was coming soon. There the traffic would move much faster and the driver would be in danger as the wheel could come off at that speed.
I was driving a large jeep at the time and the car in front was a small one driven by a young lady on her own. So as I tried to flash my lights and wave her to pull over, I was worried that she wouldn' t pull over on the road side when she found in her mirror a single man chasing her down in a jeep and waving for her to pull over.
Thankfully. she trusted more in the good nature of people and pulled over where I could explain the problem. She said the wheel was changed only the night before and that she would pull into the nearest garage where the repairman had tools to fix the wheel correctly.
My belief is that the act of kindness was hers and not mine. How so? Well, it was she who chose to believe in the possibility that people are good over the belief that bad things would come from being waved over to the side of the road by strangers.
I am glad I was able to wave her down in time and so a serious accident might have been avoided. But I am even happier that she believed in a stranger. | [
"Trusting in the Kindness of Strangers",
"A Wobbly Wheel of a Car",
"A Lady Who Was Saved",
"Accident That Didn' t Happen"
] |
What is the author's firm belief? | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Most of us spend our lives seeking the natural world. To this end, we walk the dog, play golf, go fishing, sit in the garden, drink outside rather than inside the pub, have a picnic, live in the suburbs, go to the seaside, buy a weekend place in the country. The most popular free time activity in Britain is going for a walk. And when joggers jog, they don't run down the streets. Every one of them automatically heads to the park or the river. It is my firm belief that not only do we all need nature, but we all seek nature, whether we know we are doing so or not.
But despite this, our children are growing up nature-deprived . I spent my boyhood climbing trees. These days, children are robbed of these ancient freedoms, due to problems like crime, traffic, the loss of the open spaces and strange new ideas about what is best for children, that is to say, things that can be bought, rather than things that can be found.
The truth is to be found elsewhere. A study in the US: families had moved to better housing and the children were assessed for ADHD . Those whose housing had more natural views showed an improvement of 19%; those who had the same improvement in material surroundings but no nice view improved just 4%.
A study in Sweden indicated that kindergarten children who could play in a natural environment had less illness and greater physical ability than children used only to a normal playground. A US study suggested that when a school gave children access to a natural environment, the entire school would do better in studies.
Another study found that children play differently in a natural environment. In playgrounds, children create a hierarchy based on physical abilities, with the tough ones taking the lead. But when a grassy area was planted with bushes, the children got much more into fantasy play, and the social hierarchy was now based on imagination and creativity.
Most bullying is found in schools where there is a tarmac playground; the least bullying is in a natural area that the children are encouraged to explore. This reminds me unpleasantly of Sunnyhill School, with its hard tarmac, where I used to hang about in corners dreaming about wildlife.
But children are frequently discouraged from involvement with natural spaces, for health and safety reasons, for fear that they might get dirty or that they might cause damage. So, instead, the damage is done to the children themselves: not to their bodies but to their souls.
One of the great problems of modern childhood is ADHD, now increasingly and expensively treated with drugs. Yet one study after another indicates that contact with nature gives huge benefits to ADHD children. However, we spend money on drugs rather than on green places.
The life of old people is much better when they have access to nature. The most important for the growing population of old people is in quality rather than quantity of years. And study after study finds that a garden is the single most important thing in finding that quality.
In wider and more difficult areas of life, there is evidence to indicate that natural surroundings improve all kinds of things. Even problems with crime and aggressive behaviour are reduced when there is contact with the natural world.
Dr William Bird, researcher from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, states in his study, "A natural environment can reduce violent behaviour because its process helps reduce anger and behavior that people might regret later." Wild places need encouraging for this reason, no matter how small their contribution.
We tend to think human beings are doing nature some kind of favour when we are protecting nature. The error here is far too deep: not only do humans need nature for themselves, but the very idea that humanity and the natural world are separable things is damaging.
Human beings are a species of animals. For seven million years we lived on the planet as part of nature. So we miss the natural world and long for contact with non-human life. Anyone who has patted a dog, stroked a cat, sat under a tree with a glass of beer, given or received a bunch of flowers or chosen to walk through the park on a nice day, understands that.
We need the wild world. It is necessary to our well-being, our health, our happiness. Without other living things around us we are less than human.
Question:
What is the author's firm belief?
Choices:
A. People seek nature in different ways.
B. People should spend most of their lives in the wild.
C. People have quite different ideas of nature.
D. People must make more efforts to study nature. | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high21336.txt | Most of us spend our lives seeking the natural world. To this end, we walk the dog, play golf, go fishing, sit in the garden, drink outside rather than inside the pub, have a picnic, live in the suburbs, go to the seaside, buy a weekend place in the country. The most popular free time activity in Britain is going for a walk. And when joggers jog, they don't run down the streets. Every one of them automatically heads to the park or the river. It is my firm belief that not only do we all need nature, but we all seek nature, whether we know we are doing so or not.
But despite this, our children are growing up nature-deprived . I spent my boyhood climbing trees. These days, children are robbed of these ancient freedoms, due to problems like crime, traffic, the loss of the open spaces and strange new ideas about what is best for children, that is to say, things that can be bought, rather than things that can be found.
The truth is to be found elsewhere. A study in the US: families had moved to better housing and the children were assessed for ADHD . Those whose housing had more natural views showed an improvement of 19%; those who had the same improvement in material surroundings but no nice view improved just 4%.
A study in Sweden indicated that kindergarten children who could play in a natural environment had less illness and greater physical ability than children used only to a normal playground. A US study suggested that when a school gave children access to a natural environment, the entire school would do better in studies.
Another study found that children play differently in a natural environment. In playgrounds, children create a hierarchy based on physical abilities, with the tough ones taking the lead. But when a grassy area was planted with bushes, the children got much more into fantasy play, and the social hierarchy was now based on imagination and creativity.
Most bullying is found in schools where there is a tarmac playground; the least bullying is in a natural area that the children are encouraged to explore. This reminds me unpleasantly of Sunnyhill School, with its hard tarmac, where I used to hang about in corners dreaming about wildlife.
But children are frequently discouraged from involvement with natural spaces, for health and safety reasons, for fear that they might get dirty or that they might cause damage. So, instead, the damage is done to the children themselves: not to their bodies but to their souls.
One of the great problems of modern childhood is ADHD, now increasingly and expensively treated with drugs. Yet one study after another indicates that contact with nature gives huge benefits to ADHD children. However, we spend money on drugs rather than on green places.
The life of old people is much better when they have access to nature. The most important for the growing population of old people is in quality rather than quantity of years. And study after study finds that a garden is the single most important thing in finding that quality.
In wider and more difficult areas of life, there is evidence to indicate that natural surroundings improve all kinds of things. Even problems with crime and aggressive behaviour are reduced when there is contact with the natural world.
Dr William Bird, researcher from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, states in his study, "A natural environment can reduce violent behaviour because its process helps reduce anger and behavior that people might regret later." Wild places need encouraging for this reason, no matter how small their contribution.
We tend to think human beings are doing nature some kind of favour when we are protecting nature. The error here is far too deep: not only do humans need nature for themselves, but the very idea that humanity and the natural world are separable things is damaging.
Human beings are a species of animals. For seven million years we lived on the planet as part of nature. So we miss the natural world and long for contact with non-human life. Anyone who has patted a dog, stroked a cat, sat under a tree with a glass of beer, given or received a bunch of flowers or chosen to walk through the park on a nice day, understands that.
We need the wild world. It is necessary to our well-being, our health, our happiness. Without other living things around us we are less than human. | [
"People seek nature in different ways.",
"People should spend most of their lives in the wild.",
"People have quite different ideas of nature.",
"People must make more efforts to study nature."
] |
Where can we probably find the passage? | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
The story happens on an island called Berk. Hiccup, a Viking teenager, lives with his tribe on the island. The Vikings are strong and good sailors . They often go on adventures . Fighting dragons is one of their traditions. Hiccup's father, Stoick the Vast, is the leader of the island. He hopes his son will become as strong as him and be the leader one day.
But it does not seem to go well for him. Hiccup is nothing like his father. He is weak. People say he is not suitable to be the future leader. But Hiccup is smart and has a great sense of humor.
Now Hiccup and other Viking teens are in Dragon Training. Hiccup will have to show others that he has what it takes to be a fighter.
One day Hiccup hits a dragon with a stone cannon . He finds the hurt dragon named Toothless. Hiccup sets Toothless free and the two became friends.
But his new friendship goes against the village's tradition. He has to stop others from killing the dragon!
Will Hiccup be able to save his friend? What difficulties will he have to face? Go to see How to Train Your Dragon, a Hollywood 3D cartoon film. You'll find the answer. The film comes out on March 26.
Question:
Where can we probably find the passage?
Choices:
A. in a film magazine.
B. in a science book.
C. in a story book.
D. in a travel guide book. | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle6530.txt | The story happens on an island called Berk. Hiccup, a Viking teenager, lives with his tribe on the island. The Vikings are strong and good sailors . They often go on adventures . Fighting dragons is one of their traditions. Hiccup's father, Stoick the Vast, is the leader of the island. He hopes his son will become as strong as him and be the leader one day.
But it does not seem to go well for him. Hiccup is nothing like his father. He is weak. People say he is not suitable to be the future leader. But Hiccup is smart and has a great sense of humor.
Now Hiccup and other Viking teens are in Dragon Training. Hiccup will have to show others that he has what it takes to be a fighter.
One day Hiccup hits a dragon with a stone cannon . He finds the hurt dragon named Toothless. Hiccup sets Toothless free and the two became friends.
But his new friendship goes against the village's tradition. He has to stop others from killing the dragon!
Will Hiccup be able to save his friend? What difficulties will he have to face? Go to see How to Train Your Dragon, a Hollywood 3D cartoon film. You'll find the answer. The film comes out on March 26. | [
"in a film magazine.",
"in a science book.",
"in a story book.",
"in a travel guide book."
] |
Why does the writer want to have Internet at his place? | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Maybelle said she wouldn't be coming with me to the library. I asked why, and she said she could get all the short stories she wanted off the Internet. Saved walking all the way to the library, and putting up with my long chat on the way there, and on the way back. Maybelle is very direct like that, always has been.
"But, Maybelle, we've been walking to the library every' Monday for the last fifty years!"
She said," Why don't you get Internet'? We can send each other emails."
So I had to get Internet. I called the local high school. They said they'd send me a good student to tell me all about computers and such.
Evil thing, this Internet. Makes you lose old friends, forces you to learn new complex ideas, even if you're too old. But Maybelle said you have to be modern; otherwise, you're dead.
The kid came the next day. Tall skinny black kid, by tile name of Arsenius, said his work would cost me.
I said, "All right. As long as I get Internet."
"You need a computer, then you need to get hooked up," he said.
"Let's buy a computer and get hooked up, then."
"How much you want to spend?"
"Whatever it takes."
"How many rams you want?"
I wasn't going to show him my ignorance, so I said, "Whatever it takes."
"Let's go to the mall. You got a car?"
"In the garage."
When I opened the garage door, he gasped. Daddy's car is still there, a'57 Chevy. I never drive it. Walk everywhere.
I said," Let's walk. It's only a mile or so."
He said," Let's drive, or you will faint on me in this heat."
"Young man, I don't faint, never have. We're walking."
"I get paid by the hour," he said. "Walking will cost you a lot more. Also, you feel like carrying a computer a mile or so?"
Question:
Why does the writer want to have Internet at his place?
Choices:
A. Because the writer believes that one is never too old to learn.
B. Because the writer thinks that it is better late than never.
C. Because of the pressure from people of his age.
D. Because of the convenience the Internet will bring. | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high875.txt | Maybelle said she wouldn't be coming with me to the library. I asked why, and she said she could get all the short stories she wanted off the Internet. Saved walking all the way to the library, and putting up with my long chat on the way there, and on the way back. Maybelle is very direct like that, always has been.
"But, Maybelle, we've been walking to the library every' Monday for the last fifty years!"
She said," Why don't you get Internet'? We can send each other emails."
So I had to get Internet. I called the local high school. They said they'd send me a good student to tell me all about computers and such.
Evil thing, this Internet. Makes you lose old friends, forces you to learn new complex ideas, even if you're too old. But Maybelle said you have to be modern; otherwise, you're dead.
The kid came the next day. Tall skinny black kid, by tile name of Arsenius, said his work would cost me.
I said, "All right. As long as I get Internet."
"You need a computer, then you need to get hooked up," he said.
"Let's buy a computer and get hooked up, then."
"How much you want to spend?"
"Whatever it takes."
"How many rams you want?"
I wasn't going to show him my ignorance, so I said, "Whatever it takes."
"Let's go to the mall. You got a car?"
"In the garage."
When I opened the garage door, he gasped. Daddy's car is still there, a'57 Chevy. I never drive it. Walk everywhere.
I said," Let's walk. It's only a mile or so."
He said," Let's drive, or you will faint on me in this heat."
"Young man, I don't faint, never have. We're walking."
"I get paid by the hour," he said. "Walking will cost you a lot more. Also, you feel like carrying a computer a mile or so?" | [
"Because the writer believes that one is never too old to learn.",
"Because the writer thinks that it is better late than never.",
"Because of the pressure from people of his age.",
"Because of the convenience the Internet will bring."
] |
According to the passage, taking money-management courses will _ . | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
During her junior year of high school, Diane Ray's teacher handed her a worksheet and instructed the 17-year-old to map out her future financial life. Ray pretended to buy a car, rent an apartment, and apply for a credit card. Then, she and her classmates played the "stock market game", investing the hypothetical earnings from their hypothetical jobs in the market in the disastrous fall of 2008. "Our pretend investments crashed," Ray says, still frightened. "We got to know how it felt to lose money."
That pain of earning and losing money is a feeling that public schools increasingly want to teach. Forty states now offer some type of financial instruction at the high-school level, teaching students how to balance checkbooks and buy stock in math and social-studies classes. Though it's too early to measure the full influence of the Great Recession , the interest in personal-finance classes has risen since 2007 when bank failures started to occur regularly. Now, many states including Missouri, Utah, and Tennessee require teenagers to take financial classes to graduate from high school. School districts such as Chicago are encouraging money-management classes for kids as young as primary school, and about 300 colleges or universities now offer online personal-finance classes for incoming students. "These classes really say, 'This is how you live independently,' " says Ted Beck, president of National Endowment for Financial Education.
Rather than teach investment methods or financial skills, these courses offer a back-to-the-basics approach to handling money: Don't spend what you don't have. Put part of your monthly salary into a savings account, and invest in the stock market for the long-term rather than short-term gains. For Ray, this means dividing her earnings from her part-time job at a fast-food restaurant into separate envelopes for paying bills, spending and saving. "Money is so hard to make but so easy to spend," she says one weekday after school. "That is the big takeaway."
Teaching kids about the value of cash certainly is one of the programs' goals, but teachers also want students to think hard about their finances long term. It's easy for teenagers to get annoyed about gas prices because many of them drive cars. But the hard part is urging them to put off the instant satisfaction of buying a new T-shirt or an iPod. "Investing and retirement aren't things teenagers are thinking about. For them, the future is this weekend," says Gayle Whitefield, a business and marketing teacher at Uth's Riverton High School.
That's a big goal for these classes: preventing kids from making the same financial missteps their parents did when it comes to saving, spending, and debt. Though the personal savings rate has increased up to 4. 2 percent, that's still a far distance from 1982, when Americans saved 11. 2 percent of their incomes. "It's hard for schools to reach strict money-management skills when teenagers go home and watch their parents increase credit-card debt. It's like telling your kids not to smoke and then lighting up a cigarette in front of them," Beck says.
Even with these challenges, students such as Ray say learning about money in school is worthwhile. After Ray finished her financial class, she opened up a savings account at her local bank and started to think more about how she and her family would pay for college. "She just has a better understanding of money and how it affects the world," says her mother, Darleen-and that's sown to the details of how money is spent from daily expenses to various taxes. All of this talk of money can make Ray worry, she says, but luckily, she feels prepared to face it.
Question:
According to the passage, taking money-management courses will _ .
Choices:
A. better students' learning methods
B. prevent students going into debt
C. help students get accepted by colleges
D. make students become very wealthy | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high6468.txt | During her junior year of high school, Diane Ray's teacher handed her a worksheet and instructed the 17-year-old to map out her future financial life. Ray pretended to buy a car, rent an apartment, and apply for a credit card. Then, she and her classmates played the "stock market game", investing the hypothetical earnings from their hypothetical jobs in the market in the disastrous fall of 2008. "Our pretend investments crashed," Ray says, still frightened. "We got to know how it felt to lose money."
That pain of earning and losing money is a feeling that public schools increasingly want to teach. Forty states now offer some type of financial instruction at the high-school level, teaching students how to balance checkbooks and buy stock in math and social-studies classes. Though it's too early to measure the full influence of the Great Recession , the interest in personal-finance classes has risen since 2007 when bank failures started to occur regularly. Now, many states including Missouri, Utah, and Tennessee require teenagers to take financial classes to graduate from high school. School districts such as Chicago are encouraging money-management classes for kids as young as primary school, and about 300 colleges or universities now offer online personal-finance classes for incoming students. "These classes really say, 'This is how you live independently,' " says Ted Beck, president of National Endowment for Financial Education.
Rather than teach investment methods or financial skills, these courses offer a back-to-the-basics approach to handling money: Don't spend what you don't have. Put part of your monthly salary into a savings account, and invest in the stock market for the long-term rather than short-term gains. For Ray, this means dividing her earnings from her part-time job at a fast-food restaurant into separate envelopes for paying bills, spending and saving. "Money is so hard to make but so easy to spend," she says one weekday after school. "That is the big takeaway."
Teaching kids about the value of cash certainly is one of the programs' goals, but teachers also want students to think hard about their finances long term. It's easy for teenagers to get annoyed about gas prices because many of them drive cars. But the hard part is urging them to put off the instant satisfaction of buying a new T-shirt or an iPod. "Investing and retirement aren't things teenagers are thinking about. For them, the future is this weekend," says Gayle Whitefield, a business and marketing teacher at Uth's Riverton High School.
That's a big goal for these classes: preventing kids from making the same financial missteps their parents did when it comes to saving, spending, and debt. Though the personal savings rate has increased up to 4. 2 percent, that's still a far distance from 1982, when Americans saved 11. 2 percent of their incomes. "It's hard for schools to reach strict money-management skills when teenagers go home and watch their parents increase credit-card debt. It's like telling your kids not to smoke and then lighting up a cigarette in front of them," Beck says.
Even with these challenges, students such as Ray say learning about money in school is worthwhile. After Ray finished her financial class, she opened up a savings account at her local bank and started to think more about how she and her family would pay for college. "She just has a better understanding of money and how it affects the world," says her mother, Darleen-and that's sown to the details of how money is spent from daily expenses to various taxes. All of this talk of money can make Ray worry, she says, but luckily, she feels prepared to face it. | [
"better students' learning methods",
"prevent students going into debt",
"help students get accepted by colleges",
"make students become very wealthy"
] |
From the passage, we can infer that _ | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
We have heard about people who have special memories. Recently there has been a report about a woman from Australia who can remember almost every detail of all the events in her daily life.
Rebecca Sharrock, 25, is one of just 80 people worldwide who have been identified as having Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory ( HSAM,). It means she can remember every small event-which most people would forget with in (......) days-as if it had happened just minutes ago.
"I remember my mum putting me in the driver's seat of a car and taking a picture of me when I was 12 days old," she said. "That's my earliest memory. I remember every day since then. I can't tell all the dates exactly because I was too young to understand calendars, but I remember what I did that every day, what the weather was like and so on."
Rebecca can also re-experience taste. If she's eating something that she doesn't like, she thinks about Black Forest cake, her favorite food, and the memory will be so strong that she can nearly "taste" it.
However, sometimes her memories prove to be painful. Because they're not just events that she remembers. "When I relive memories, the feelings return, too," Rebecca said. "For example, I remember falling over when I was three at my grandparents' house and hurting my left knee. Talking about it now, I feel painful in my left knee. "
"At night, I have to sleep with the radio/recorder and a soft light on, she added. "1f it's too dark or quiet, my mind would be filled with all these memories and I can't sleep. "
Question:
From the passage, we can infer that _
Choices:
A. HSAM can do her good, but it also brings her pain
B. she feels painful if she recalls her experiences
C. she can fall asleep while she is re-experiencing memories
D. HSAM can greatly improve her living conditions | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle7239.txt | We have heard about people who have special memories. Recently there has been a report about a woman from Australia who can remember almost every detail of all the events in her daily life.
Rebecca Sharrock, 25, is one of just 80 people worldwide who have been identified as having Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory ( HSAM,). It means she can remember every small event-which most people would forget with in (......) days-as if it had happened just minutes ago.
"I remember my mum putting me in the driver's seat of a car and taking a picture of me when I was 12 days old," she said. "That's my earliest memory. I remember every day since then. I can't tell all the dates exactly because I was too young to understand calendars, but I remember what I did that every day, what the weather was like and so on."
Rebecca can also re-experience taste. If she's eating something that she doesn't like, she thinks about Black Forest cake, her favorite food, and the memory will be so strong that she can nearly "taste" it.
However, sometimes her memories prove to be painful. Because they're not just events that she remembers. "When I relive memories, the feelings return, too," Rebecca said. "For example, I remember falling over when I was three at my grandparents' house and hurting my left knee. Talking about it now, I feel painful in my left knee. "
"At night, I have to sleep with the radio/recorder and a soft light on, she added. "1f it's too dark or quiet, my mind would be filled with all these memories and I can't sleep. " | [
"HSAM can do her good, but it also brings her pain",
"she feels painful if she recalls her experiences",
"she can fall asleep while she is re-experiencing memories",
"HSAM can greatly improve her living conditions"
] |
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