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The man chose to buy the red and long fruit only because _ . | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Long long ago a man went to India and he had never been there before. When he got there, he saw a lot of fruit, but much of it was expensive because they couldn't grow much because there was little water. Finally he saw a big basket of some very red and long fruit. And it was the cheapest in the shop.
So he went up and asked, "How much each kilo?"and the shop keeper said, "Two rupees . "Two rupees in India was nothing. So he bought a whole kilogram of the fruit and started eating it. But after he ate some of it:oh, my god!His eyes watered, his mouth watered and burnt, and his face became red. He jumped up and down, saying, "Ah!Ah!Ah!"
But he still continued to eat the fruit!Some people who were looking at him shook their heads and said, "You're crazy, man. Those are chilies !You can't eat so many!People use them as a _ , but only a little bit to put into food for taste. You can't just eat them like that. "But the silly man said, "No, I can't stop!I paid money for them, and now I'll eat them up. It's my money!"
And you think that man was silly, right?We sometimes do a lot of things like that. We spend money, time or effort doing something. And even though it's been a long time, hard experience tells us it won't work, and we know there's no more hope, we still continue just because we've put money, time, effort and love in to it. Just like the man who ate the chilies and felt so bad but couldn't stop because he didn't want to waste the money he'd paid.
So even if you've lost something, let it go and move on. That's better than continuing to lose.
Question:
The man chose to buy the red and long fruit only because _ .
Choices:
A. he hadn't eaten it before
B. he was hungry
C. it was cheap
D. he hadn't seen it before | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle1733.txt | Long long ago a man went to India and he had never been there before. When he got there, he saw a lot of fruit, but much of it was expensive because they couldn't grow much because there was little water. Finally he saw a big basket of some very red and long fruit. And it was the cheapest in the shop.
So he went up and asked, "How much each kilo?"and the shop keeper said, "Two rupees . "Two rupees in India was nothing. So he bought a whole kilogram of the fruit and started eating it. But after he ate some of it:oh, my god!His eyes watered, his mouth watered and burnt, and his face became red. He jumped up and down, saying, "Ah!Ah!Ah!"
But he still continued to eat the fruit!Some people who were looking at him shook their heads and said, "You're crazy, man. Those are chilies !You can't eat so many!People use them as a _ , but only a little bit to put into food for taste. You can't just eat them like that. "But the silly man said, "No, I can't stop!I paid money for them, and now I'll eat them up. It's my money!"
And you think that man was silly, right?We sometimes do a lot of things like that. We spend money, time or effort doing something. And even though it's been a long time, hard experience tells us it won't work, and we know there's no more hope, we still continue just because we've put money, time, effort and love in to it. Just like the man who ate the chilies and felt so bad but couldn't stop because he didn't want to waste the money he'd paid.
So even if you've lost something, let it go and move on. That's better than continuing to lose. | [
"he hadn't eaten it before",
"he was hungry",
"it was cheap",
"he hadn't seen it before"
] |
According to the passage, it is generally accepted that _ . | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Education is another area where the presence of arts and crafts is more than welcome. If children realize the importance of art and creativity from a young age, they can grow up to be more confident, more creative, and definitely more mature. Schools are the breeding grounds for future painters and movie makers, and these arts should be encouraged wholesomely in such an environment.
Sadly, many parents do not understand why art is important for children, and subconsciously force them to follow career paths that are common and conformist in nature. This is fair enough in its own way, because the world does need some standard blue collar and white collar jobs to continue its existence; but this is a choice that children should be allowed to make for themselves. The doors to creativity and expression must not be shut in their faces, even if it comes at a cost of making more money.
To put it more scientifically, here are some benefits of kids' art activities that give a suitable answer to the question "Why is art important in schools?"
1.Exposure to art, music and drawings at an early age improves the amount of brain activity in children.
2.It increases the span of knowledge in the minds of children, thus making them sharper and more educated.
3.It builds up the levels of self-confidence, self-esteem , motivation, cooperation and communication in children.
4.It helps children understand other people's opinions and points of view as well.
5.It helps them sharpen their problem-solving skills, decision-making and gives them the possibility of really exploring their imaginations.
Question:
According to the passage, it is generally accepted that _ .
Choices:
A. art plays a very important role in education of children
B. children are expected to be blue-collar or white-collar workers
C. schools should encourage children to learn arts and crafts
D. children should be allowed to make choices for themselves | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high8834.txt | Education is another area where the presence of arts and crafts is more than welcome. If children realize the importance of art and creativity from a young age, they can grow up to be more confident, more creative, and definitely more mature. Schools are the breeding grounds for future painters and movie makers, and these arts should be encouraged wholesomely in such an environment.
Sadly, many parents do not understand why art is important for children, and subconsciously force them to follow career paths that are common and conformist in nature. This is fair enough in its own way, because the world does need some standard blue collar and white collar jobs to continue its existence; but this is a choice that children should be allowed to make for themselves. The doors to creativity and expression must not be shut in their faces, even if it comes at a cost of making more money.
To put it more scientifically, here are some benefits of kids' art activities that give a suitable answer to the question "Why is art important in schools?"
1.Exposure to art, music and drawings at an early age improves the amount of brain activity in children.
2.It increases the span of knowledge in the minds of children, thus making them sharper and more educated.
3.It builds up the levels of self-confidence, self-esteem , motivation, cooperation and communication in children.
4.It helps children understand other people's opinions and points of view as well.
5.It helps them sharpen their problem-solving skills, decision-making and gives them the possibility of really exploring their imaginations. | [
"art plays a very important role in education of children",
"children are expected to be blue-collar or white-collar workers",
"schools should encourage children to learn arts and crafts",
"children should be allowed to make choices for themselves"
] |
Which of the following words can't be used to describe Renee? | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Renee had been married for a long, long time. Her favorite part of being married was the weekend, when she was with her two horses. On the weekend, Renee was at the stables from morning until dark. She fed, groomed, and rode her horses. She was an excellent rider. She would ride the horses bareback on Saturday, and then she would saddle them up on Sunday.
Renee loved parades. She used to say, "A parade isn't a parade without a horse." Renee loved parades almost as much as she loved her horses. She belonged to an email list of volunteers for parades. She regularly visited the state website list of parades to see if there were any new parades that she didn't know about. All the state parades were organized in her computer. In the parades file, she listed the date, drive time and distance, parade time, contact people, and other details she felt were important.
She knew the parade director of every town within a four-hour drive. She never stayed overnight. She always left the parade in time to get her horses back to the stables before "bedtime". She had to feed them before they turned in. Her horses seemed to like parades, too. They knew a few tricks that always impressed the children.
Renee was very generous with her time and her horses. But owning horses wasn't cheap. You had to rent the stables, and there were always vet and feed bills. Renee knew how to cope with expenses, though. Her vet always gave her a 10-percent discount for paying cash. She always bought the no-name, generic food for the horses. Her vet had told her it was just as healthful and tasty as the brand name material. She always bought economy gasoline. And on parade days, Renee always packed her own lunch and ate with her horses.
Question:
Which of the following words can't be used to describe Renee?
Choices:
A. caring
B. money-saving
C. careful
D. mean | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high4112.txt | Renee had been married for a long, long time. Her favorite part of being married was the weekend, when she was with her two horses. On the weekend, Renee was at the stables from morning until dark. She fed, groomed, and rode her horses. She was an excellent rider. She would ride the horses bareback on Saturday, and then she would saddle them up on Sunday.
Renee loved parades. She used to say, "A parade isn't a parade without a horse." Renee loved parades almost as much as she loved her horses. She belonged to an email list of volunteers for parades. She regularly visited the state website list of parades to see if there were any new parades that she didn't know about. All the state parades were organized in her computer. In the parades file, she listed the date, drive time and distance, parade time, contact people, and other details she felt were important.
She knew the parade director of every town within a four-hour drive. She never stayed overnight. She always left the parade in time to get her horses back to the stables before "bedtime". She had to feed them before they turned in. Her horses seemed to like parades, too. They knew a few tricks that always impressed the children.
Renee was very generous with her time and her horses. But owning horses wasn't cheap. You had to rent the stables, and there were always vet and feed bills. Renee knew how to cope with expenses, though. Her vet always gave her a 10-percent discount for paying cash. She always bought the no-name, generic food for the horses. Her vet had told her it was just as healthful and tasty as the brand name material. She always bought economy gasoline. And on parade days, Renee always packed her own lunch and ate with her horses. | [
"caring",
"money-saving",
"careful",
"mean"
] |
. David Beckham is _ years old. | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Nice to meet you. I'm David Beckham. I'm from England and I'm English. I'm twenty-nine years old. I like playing football and I can play football very well.
My name is Zhou Jielun. I'm from Taiwan, China. I'm thirty years old. I like singing.
My name is Liu Qian. I'm from Taiwan,China. I'm thirty-three years old. I like playing magic cards
Hello! I'm Li Yuchun. I live in Chengdu now. I'm twenty-five years old. I like singing.
Question:
. David Beckham is _ years old.
Choices:
A. twenty-nine
B. twenty-five
C. thirty-three
D. thirty | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle1018.txt | Nice to meet you. I'm David Beckham. I'm from England and I'm English. I'm twenty-nine years old. I like playing football and I can play football very well.
My name is Zhou Jielun. I'm from Taiwan, China. I'm thirty years old. I like singing.
My name is Liu Qian. I'm from Taiwan,China. I'm thirty-three years old. I like playing magic cards
Hello! I'm Li Yuchun. I live in Chengdu now. I'm twenty-five years old. I like singing. | [
"twenty-nine",
"twenty-five",
"thirty-three",
"thirty"
] |
What can be the best title of this passage? | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Entering Space, astronauts can give us a fascinating account of a shuttle flight, describing the pressure of a countdown and launch, the complexities of living the days in the strange weightless environment, the challenges of working in space, the emotional effect of seeing earth from space, the drama of the meteoric landing.
However, there are also plenty of things that astronauts can't do because of their weightless environment, and that's very sad. What's more, they can't even let their sadness show, because it's impossible to cry in zero gravity.
Of course, astronauts can still produce tears. But crying is much more difficult in space, reported The Atlantic in January. Without gravity, tears don't flow downward out of the eyes like they do here on Earth. This means that when you cry in space, your tears have nowhere to go - they just stick to your eyes.
In May 2011, astronaut Andrew Feustel experienced this during one of his spacewalks. "Tears," he said, "don't fall off of your eye... They just kind of stay there."
Besides making your vision unclear, this can also cause physical pain. Back on Earth, tears are supposed to bring comfort to the eyes. But that's not the case in space. The space environment dries out astronauts' eyes, and when tears suddenly wet the eyes, it can cause pain rather than comfort. "My right eye is painful like crazy." Feustel told his teammate during the walk.
Since gravity doesn't work in space, astronauts need some extra help to get rid of the tears. Feustel chose to rub his eyes against his helmet to wipe the tears away. Another choice is to just wait - "When the tears get big enough they simply break free of the eye and float around," astronaut Ron Parise told The Atlantic.
There are lots of small things - things like crying - that we are so used to on Earth. We usually take them for granted, until they become a problem in a totally different environment, like space. There, astronauts can't talk to each other directly. They also can't eat or drink in normal ways. They can't even burp , because there is no gravity to hold the food down in their stomach. If they do burp, they just end up throwing up everything in their stomach, according to the UK National Space Center.
Thus, perhaps it's only space explorers who can honestly say: "Gravity, you're the best."
Question:
What can be the best title of this passage?
Choices:
A. In the sky, you can't cry
B. In the sky, you can't burp
C. No Gravity, no tears
D. Better life with gravity | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high7911.txt | Entering Space, astronauts can give us a fascinating account of a shuttle flight, describing the pressure of a countdown and launch, the complexities of living the days in the strange weightless environment, the challenges of working in space, the emotional effect of seeing earth from space, the drama of the meteoric landing.
However, there are also plenty of things that astronauts can't do because of their weightless environment, and that's very sad. What's more, they can't even let their sadness show, because it's impossible to cry in zero gravity.
Of course, astronauts can still produce tears. But crying is much more difficult in space, reported The Atlantic in January. Without gravity, tears don't flow downward out of the eyes like they do here on Earth. This means that when you cry in space, your tears have nowhere to go - they just stick to your eyes.
In May 2011, astronaut Andrew Feustel experienced this during one of his spacewalks. "Tears," he said, "don't fall off of your eye... They just kind of stay there."
Besides making your vision unclear, this can also cause physical pain. Back on Earth, tears are supposed to bring comfort to the eyes. But that's not the case in space. The space environment dries out astronauts' eyes, and when tears suddenly wet the eyes, it can cause pain rather than comfort. "My right eye is painful like crazy." Feustel told his teammate during the walk.
Since gravity doesn't work in space, astronauts need some extra help to get rid of the tears. Feustel chose to rub his eyes against his helmet to wipe the tears away. Another choice is to just wait - "When the tears get big enough they simply break free of the eye and float around," astronaut Ron Parise told The Atlantic.
There are lots of small things - things like crying - that we are so used to on Earth. We usually take them for granted, until they become a problem in a totally different environment, like space. There, astronauts can't talk to each other directly. They also can't eat or drink in normal ways. They can't even burp , because there is no gravity to hold the food down in their stomach. If they do burp, they just end up throwing up everything in their stomach, according to the UK National Space Center.
Thus, perhaps it's only space explorers who can honestly say: "Gravity, you're the best." | [
"In the sky, you can't cry",
"In the sky, you can't burp",
"No Gravity, no tears",
"Better life with gravity"
] |
What can we learn about Annabel? | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
"Linda, if beating yourself up were an Olympic sport, you'd win a gold medal!"
Annabel, my close friend, stunned(...)me with that frank observation after I told her how I had mishandled a situation with a student in a third-grade class where I was substituting . "I should never have let him go to the boy's room without a pass! It was my fault he got into trouble with the hall monitor! I'm so stupid!"
My friend burst out laughing, and then made her "Olympic" comment. After a brief period of reflection I had to admit that she was right. I did put myself down an awful lot. Why, just during the previous day I had called myself "a slob" for having some papers spread out on my desk, "ugly" when I left the house without makeup and "an idiot" when I left the house for an emergency substitute job without my emergency lesson plan.
In a more reflective tone, Annabel said, "I once took a workshop at church where the woman in charge had us list all the mean things we say about ourselves."
"How many did you have on your list?" I asked.
"Fifteen," she confessed. "But then the teacher said, 'Now turn to the person next to you and say all the items on your list as if you were speaking to that person!' "
My jaw dropped,"What did you do?"
"Nothing. Nobody did. We all just sat there, until I said, 'I could never say these things to anyone else!' "
"And our teacher replied, 'Well, if you can't say them to anyone else, then don't ever say them to yourself!' "
My friend had a point. I would never insult a child of God---and I'm God's child, too!
God, today let me be as kind to myself as I would be to another of Your children.
Question:
What can we learn about Annabel?
Choices:
A. She used to put herself down a lot.
B. She often goes to church.
C. She was in charge of a workshop.
D. She used to be too shy to talk to others. | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high3028.txt | "Linda, if beating yourself up were an Olympic sport, you'd win a gold medal!"
Annabel, my close friend, stunned(...)me with that frank observation after I told her how I had mishandled a situation with a student in a third-grade class where I was substituting . "I should never have let him go to the boy's room without a pass! It was my fault he got into trouble with the hall monitor! I'm so stupid!"
My friend burst out laughing, and then made her "Olympic" comment. After a brief period of reflection I had to admit that she was right. I did put myself down an awful lot. Why, just during the previous day I had called myself "a slob" for having some papers spread out on my desk, "ugly" when I left the house without makeup and "an idiot" when I left the house for an emergency substitute job without my emergency lesson plan.
In a more reflective tone, Annabel said, "I once took a workshop at church where the woman in charge had us list all the mean things we say about ourselves."
"How many did you have on your list?" I asked.
"Fifteen," she confessed. "But then the teacher said, 'Now turn to the person next to you and say all the items on your list as if you were speaking to that person!' "
My jaw dropped,"What did you do?"
"Nothing. Nobody did. We all just sat there, until I said, 'I could never say these things to anyone else!' "
"And our teacher replied, 'Well, if you can't say them to anyone else, then don't ever say them to yourself!' "
My friend had a point. I would never insult a child of God---and I'm God's child, too!
God, today let me be as kind to myself as I would be to another of Your children. | [
"She used to put herself down a lot.",
"She often goes to church.",
"She was in charge of a workshop.",
"She used to be too shy to talk to others."
] |
At first, Father's Day was fixed on June 19th because _ . | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
The United States is one of the few countries in the world that has an official day on which fathers are honored by their children. On the third Sunday in June, fathers all across the United States are given presents, treated to dinner or otherwise made to feel special.
However, the idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909. Having been raised by her father, Henry Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her.
It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a selfless and loving man. Sonora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910.
In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge declared the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Roses are the Father's Day flowers: red to be worn for a living father and white if the father has died.
When children can't visit their fathers or take them out to dinner, they send a greeting card. Traditionally, fathers prefer greeting cards that are not too sentimental(, ). Most greeting cards are too special so fathers laugh when they open them. Some give heartfelt thanks for being there whenever the child needed Dad.
Question:
At first, Father's Day was fixed on June 19th because _ .
Choices:
A. Sonora honored her father on her father's birthday
B. Sonora's birthday was June 19
C. it was decided by the president at that time
D. her mother died on June 19 | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high2496.txt | The United States is one of the few countries in the world that has an official day on which fathers are honored by their children. On the third Sunday in June, fathers all across the United States are given presents, treated to dinner or otherwise made to feel special.
However, the idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909. Having been raised by her father, Henry Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her.
It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a selfless and loving man. Sonora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910.
In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge declared the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Roses are the Father's Day flowers: red to be worn for a living father and white if the father has died.
When children can't visit their fathers or take them out to dinner, they send a greeting card. Traditionally, fathers prefer greeting cards that are not too sentimental(, ). Most greeting cards are too special so fathers laugh when they open them. Some give heartfelt thanks for being there whenever the child needed Dad. | [
"Sonora honored her father on her father's birthday",
"Sonora's birthday was June 19",
"it was decided by the president at that time",
"her mother died on June 19"
] |
Why is it better to wear a white T-shirt than a dark blue T-shirt in the summer? | null | Answer this science question and explain your reasoning. | Why is it better to wear a white T-shirt than a dark blue T-shirt in the summer?
Choices:
A. Light-colored clothes let more air in.
B. Light-colored clothes prevent sweating.
C. Light-colored clothes are not as heavy as dark-colored clothes.
D. Light-colored clothes reflect more sunlight than dark-colored clothes. | Correct answer: D | science | MCAS_1999_4_2 | {
"text": [
"Light-colored clothes let more air in.",
"Light-colored clothes prevent sweating.",
"Light-colored clothes are not as heavy as dark-colored clothes.",
"Light-colored clothes reflect more sunlight than dark-colored clothes."
],
"label": [
"A",
"B",
"C",
"D"
]
} | D | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
The first version of the Cinderella story was written by _ . | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Many of you have heard a Cinderella story, but what you may not know is that there are over a hundred different ways to tell the Cinderella story. Each of these stories is written by a different author. The story of Cinderella has many different versions.
The version that most people know is the oldest one written in 1697 by Charles Perrault from France. This is the version where the birds help make Cinderella's dress and the mice turn into carriage men and help Cinderella go to the ball in the pumpkin that turns into a carriage. In this version, many of the animals are Cinderella's friends. They help her meet the Prince, who Cinderella marries, and together they live happily ever after.
In another version of this story, written in the 1850s by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm from Germany, there are birds that help Cinderella throughout the story. Cinderella's mother is not living at the beginning of the story. She visits her mother's grave three times a day to say a prayer for her.
Cinderella's father has given her a brunch when he goes to the festival. She plants the brunch and her tears water the brunch until it grows into a tall tree.
The birds now live in the tree and they give Cinderella a dress of gold and silver and slippers of the same colours. Cinderella goes to the festival to meet and dance with the Prince. Later, Cinderella marries the Prince and they have a nice life ever after.
Have you read other versions of the Cinderella story? More than one author can tell a story in a different way from their viewpoints . That is why there are many versions of the same story.
Question:
The first version of the Cinderella story was written by _ .
Choices:
A. Jacob Grimm
B. Charles Perrault
C. Wilhelm Grimm
D. Christian Andersen | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle6663.txt | Many of you have heard a Cinderella story, but what you may not know is that there are over a hundred different ways to tell the Cinderella story. Each of these stories is written by a different author. The story of Cinderella has many different versions.
The version that most people know is the oldest one written in 1697 by Charles Perrault from France. This is the version where the birds help make Cinderella's dress and the mice turn into carriage men and help Cinderella go to the ball in the pumpkin that turns into a carriage. In this version, many of the animals are Cinderella's friends. They help her meet the Prince, who Cinderella marries, and together they live happily ever after.
In another version of this story, written in the 1850s by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm from Germany, there are birds that help Cinderella throughout the story. Cinderella's mother is not living at the beginning of the story. She visits her mother's grave three times a day to say a prayer for her.
Cinderella's father has given her a brunch when he goes to the festival. She plants the brunch and her tears water the brunch until it grows into a tall tree.
The birds now live in the tree and they give Cinderella a dress of gold and silver and slippers of the same colours. Cinderella goes to the festival to meet and dance with the Prince. Later, Cinderella marries the Prince and they have a nice life ever after.
Have you read other versions of the Cinderella story? More than one author can tell a story in a different way from their viewpoints . That is why there are many versions of the same story. | [
"Jacob Grimm",
"Charles Perrault",
"Wilhelm Grimm",
"Christian Andersen"
] |
The loss of oxygen to the heart muscle causes that part of the tissue to what? | null | Answer the following science question clearly and accurately. | The loss of oxygen to the heart muscle causes that part of the tissue to what? | die | science | null | null | null | beat erratically | beat harder | thrive | die | The image below shows the way in which a blocked coronary artery can cause a heart attack. The loss of oxygen to the heart muscle cause that part of the tissue to die. Maybe one day, stem cell therapy will allow for the replacement of the dead cells with new cardiac muscle cells. | null | null | null |
The phrase "in terms of" in the last sentence can best be replaced by _ | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
It is difficult to imagine what life will be like without memory. The meanings of thousands of everyday perceptions(, ), the bases for the decisions we make, and the roots of our habits and skills are to be found in our past experiences, which are brought into the present by memory.
Memory can be defined as the capacity to keep information available for later use. It includes not only "remembering" things like arithmetic or historical facts, but also involves any change in the way an animal typically behaves. Memory is involved when a rat gives up eating grain because he has sniffed something suspicious in the grain pile. Memory is also involved when a six-year-old child learns to swing a baseball bat.
Memory exists not only in humans and animals but also in some physical objects and machines. Computers, for example, contain devices from storing data for later use. It is interesting to compare the memory-storage capacity of a computer with that of a human being. The instant-access memory of a large computer may hold up to 100,000 "words"--ready for instant use. An average prefix = st1 /U. S. teenager probably recognizes the meaning of about 100,000 words of English. However, this is but a fraction(, ) of the total amount of information which the teenager has stored. Consider, for example, the number of faces and places that the teenager can recognize on sight.
The use of words is the advanced problem-solving intelligence of human beings. A large part of a person's memory is in terms of words and combinations of words.
Question:
The phrase "in terms of" in the last sentence can best be replaced by _
Choices:
A. in connection with
B. expressed by
C. consisting
D. by means of | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high23531.txt | It is difficult to imagine what life will be like without memory. The meanings of thousands of everyday perceptions(, ), the bases for the decisions we make, and the roots of our habits and skills are to be found in our past experiences, which are brought into the present by memory.
Memory can be defined as the capacity to keep information available for later use. It includes not only "remembering" things like arithmetic or historical facts, but also involves any change in the way an animal typically behaves. Memory is involved when a rat gives up eating grain because he has sniffed something suspicious in the grain pile. Memory is also involved when a six-year-old child learns to swing a baseball bat.
Memory exists not only in humans and animals but also in some physical objects and machines. Computers, for example, contain devices from storing data for later use. It is interesting to compare the memory-storage capacity of a computer with that of a human being. The instant-access memory of a large computer may hold up to 100,000 "words"--ready for instant use. An average prefix = st1 /U. S. teenager probably recognizes the meaning of about 100,000 words of English. However, this is but a fraction(, ) of the total amount of information which the teenager has stored. Consider, for example, the number of faces and places that the teenager can recognize on sight.
The use of words is the advanced problem-solving intelligence of human beings. A large part of a person's memory is in terms of words and combinations of words. | [
"in connection with",
"expressed by",
"consisting",
"by means of"
] |
Who was Jerry? | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Jerry Baldwin was 63 years old. He was manager of a pizza restaurant in America. He lived in an apartment about one mile north of the restaurant. He walked to and from the work. When it was rainy, he took the bus.
Jerry loved gangster movies. When a new one came out, he would go to the theatre and watch the new movie three or four times. Jerry would also buy videos at Barney's Video Store. Jerry had a home collection of over 1,000 gangster videos. Old ones, new ones, color, black and white, English, Spanish, Japanese - he loved them all. He could tell you the names, the directors, the stars and all the details of the movies. And then he would invite you to his place to watch a gangster film some time. He was a nice man.
Jerry finally decided that he would like to own a gun, just like the gangster. So he saved money for some months. Then he went to a gun store and bought a used revolver for
$ 300. While there, he also bought a lot of bullets . The following Saturday morning, he went to the gun club for only ten minutes when the accident happened. The gun went off, and the bullet went into Jerry's right knee.
Question:
Who was Jerry?
Choices:
A. He was manager of a video shop.
B. He was gangster film lover.
C. He was a gangster.
D. He was a director. | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle4472.txt | Jerry Baldwin was 63 years old. He was manager of a pizza restaurant in America. He lived in an apartment about one mile north of the restaurant. He walked to and from the work. When it was rainy, he took the bus.
Jerry loved gangster movies. When a new one came out, he would go to the theatre and watch the new movie three or four times. Jerry would also buy videos at Barney's Video Store. Jerry had a home collection of over 1,000 gangster videos. Old ones, new ones, color, black and white, English, Spanish, Japanese - he loved them all. He could tell you the names, the directors, the stars and all the details of the movies. And then he would invite you to his place to watch a gangster film some time. He was a nice man.
Jerry finally decided that he would like to own a gun, just like the gangster. So he saved money for some months. Then he went to a gun store and bought a used revolver for
$ 300. While there, he also bought a lot of bullets . The following Saturday morning, he went to the gun club for only ten minutes when the accident happened. The gun went off, and the bullet went into Jerry's right knee. | [
"He was manager of a video shop.",
"He was gangster film lover.",
"He was a gangster.",
"He was a director."
] |
Sarh's pencil case is _ . | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Good afternoon! My name is Sarah. I'm twelve. I'm a student. Nice to meet you!
Look at this. What's this in English? Oh, it's a pencil case . It's red. What's in it? Look! This is a ruler. It's green. This is an eraser. It's white. This is a pen. It's yellow. My pencil case is new and it is very nice. I like it very much. Tomorrow is Saturday. It's a hot day. Let me go swimming. I like summer.
Question:
Sarh's pencil case is _ .
Choices:
A. white
B. yellow
C. red
D. black | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle3769.txt | Good afternoon! My name is Sarah. I'm twelve. I'm a student. Nice to meet you!
Look at this. What's this in English? Oh, it's a pencil case . It's red. What's in it? Look! This is a ruler. It's green. This is an eraser. It's white. This is a pen. It's yellow. My pencil case is new and it is very nice. I like it very much. Tomorrow is Saturday. It's a hot day. Let me go swimming. I like summer. | [
"white",
"yellow",
"red",
"black"
] |
The writer's boyfriend laughed at her because _ . | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Last year, my boyfriend suggested that I should run the London marathon, and I laughed. He laughed too, but he laughed too long and too loud. That made me think. I realized that he didn't believe that I could do it. That made me angry, and determined. Now he knows that I can!
Training wasn't easy, but I kept going. I didn't need special training but I did need to buy very good shoes. Each day, I went a little further. By the end of three months, I was running five days a week. Sometimes in the evenings I ran 10 km; on Sunday mornings, I sometimes ran about 30 km. I used to come home, have a shower and eat my breakfast. I felt wonderful!
On the day of the race in London, I lined up with about 30,000 other runners. The faster runners were at the front, while slower runners like me were placed further back. In that way, the professional runners and club runners were not slowed down by the amateurs.
At first, there were so many runners close together that we were almost falling over each other. We could only run very slowly but that was a good thing because it meant that we didn't rush off too quickly. Gradually the runners spread out and there was more space. There were thousands of people watching us along the route and they cheered and clapped everyone, even the slowest runner. It was wonderful!
For the first 10 km I felt very happy and my legs felt very comfortable. However, at 15 km I got a pain in my side and running became difficult, but I kept going and the pain disappeared. At the 30 km mark, I felt extremely tired, and wanted to stop, but I kept on going. I covered another 3 km and then I began to feel better again.
By the time I reached the 35 km mark, I knew I was going to get to the end of the course. Somehow that confidence made me feel lighter and faster and it seemed as if my legs flew over the last few kilometers. I passed hundreds of slower runners, some of whom had passed me earlier, and I felt wonderful! As I came round the last bend and saw the finishing line, I could see three runners ahead of me. I raced past all of them to finish the race in just under four hours. The winner had completed the race in 2 hours and 10 minutes, but I didn't care! I had run 42 km and completed my first marathon!
Question:
The writer's boyfriend laughed at her because _ .
Choices:
A. he thought she could run the marathon
B. he didn't think she could run the marathon
C. he wanted her to run the marathon
D. she wanted to run the marathon | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high16042.txt | Last year, my boyfriend suggested that I should run the London marathon, and I laughed. He laughed too, but he laughed too long and too loud. That made me think. I realized that he didn't believe that I could do it. That made me angry, and determined. Now he knows that I can!
Training wasn't easy, but I kept going. I didn't need special training but I did need to buy very good shoes. Each day, I went a little further. By the end of three months, I was running five days a week. Sometimes in the evenings I ran 10 km; on Sunday mornings, I sometimes ran about 30 km. I used to come home, have a shower and eat my breakfast. I felt wonderful!
On the day of the race in London, I lined up with about 30,000 other runners. The faster runners were at the front, while slower runners like me were placed further back. In that way, the professional runners and club runners were not slowed down by the amateurs.
At first, there were so many runners close together that we were almost falling over each other. We could only run very slowly but that was a good thing because it meant that we didn't rush off too quickly. Gradually the runners spread out and there was more space. There were thousands of people watching us along the route and they cheered and clapped everyone, even the slowest runner. It was wonderful!
For the first 10 km I felt very happy and my legs felt very comfortable. However, at 15 km I got a pain in my side and running became difficult, but I kept going and the pain disappeared. At the 30 km mark, I felt extremely tired, and wanted to stop, but I kept on going. I covered another 3 km and then I began to feel better again.
By the time I reached the 35 km mark, I knew I was going to get to the end of the course. Somehow that confidence made me feel lighter and faster and it seemed as if my legs flew over the last few kilometers. I passed hundreds of slower runners, some of whom had passed me earlier, and I felt wonderful! As I came round the last bend and saw the finishing line, I could see three runners ahead of me. I raced past all of them to finish the race in just under four hours. The winner had completed the race in 2 hours and 10 minutes, but I didn't care! I had run 42 km and completed my first marathon! | [
"he thought she could run the marathon",
"he didn't think she could run the marathon",
"he wanted her to run the marathon",
"she wanted to run the marathon"
] |
Bae Seul-Ki _ in the MV of the song according to the passage. | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
"I planted a seed. Finally grow fruits. Today is a great day. Pick off the star for you. Pick off the moon for you. Let it rise for you every day. Become candles burning myself. Just light you up, hey!... You are my little little apple. How much I love you, still no enough."
This words are from the popular song You Are My Little Dear Apple. Bae Seul-Ki acted as the leading dancer in the MV of the song. She loves dancing. She became crazy about hip-hop when she was a school girl.
Bai Seul-Ki was born on September 27, 1986. She is a South Korean singer and dancer. She is 168cm tall. She loves cooking. Her favourite food is spicy and salty. She like pink and red most. There are five members in her family---father, mother, two younger brothers and herself. She isn't married.
After her father and mother broke up, she lived with her mother and new daddy. She enjoys being alone.
Question:
Bae Seul-Ki _ in the MV of the song according to the passage.
Choices:
A. sang
B. danced
C. cried
D. laughed | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle4558.txt | "I planted a seed. Finally grow fruits. Today is a great day. Pick off the star for you. Pick off the moon for you. Let it rise for you every day. Become candles burning myself. Just light you up, hey!... You are my little little apple. How much I love you, still no enough."
This words are from the popular song You Are My Little Dear Apple. Bae Seul-Ki acted as the leading dancer in the MV of the song. She loves dancing. She became crazy about hip-hop when she was a school girl.
Bai Seul-Ki was born on September 27, 1986. She is a South Korean singer and dancer. She is 168cm tall. She loves cooking. Her favourite food is spicy and salty. She like pink and red most. There are five members in her family---father, mother, two younger brothers and herself. She isn't married.
After her father and mother broke up, she lived with her mother and new daddy. She enjoys being alone. | [
"sang",
"danced",
"cried",
"laughed"
] |
What does Mila Vulchanova mainly stress? | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
How many hours does it take to be fluent in English?
There are plenty of people in the UK for whom even basic English is a problem. According to the survey, 726,000 people in England and Wales said they could not speak English well, and another 138,000 said they did not speak it at all.
Ling, 40,who arrived five years ago from China, found it difficult to learn English. " When I came here l was pregnant and so I was at home for the next three years. It took me longer to learn as l was very busy with the children." Eventually she was able to begin taking classes and now speaks good conversational English. But even with classes, it can be a long process to pick up the language.
Age is the most important factor in language acquisition, says Mila Vulchanova, professor of linguistics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. "There is a sensitive period in language learning, which is biologically determined, with an onset at birth and a decline around puberty. So the younger the immigrant, the better. Since this decline is only gradual, teenagers are at an advantage over adults." he says.
There are a number of systems for grading English. The government expects immigrants to reach "ESOL Entry 3" or "B1 level" in Scotland, before they can be granted citizenship. It's equivalent to being able to hold a confident conversation and-it might take 360 hours of study to achieve.
George Osborne said in June following the spending review that welfare claimants who don't speak English will have their benefits cut if they fail to attend language courses.
Huan Japes, deputy chief executive of English UK, a trade body for language colleges, says a rule of thumb is 360 hours-120 hours for each of three stages-to get to the standard the government expects benefit claimants to reach.
But many of the people who attend courses are visiting students rather than people settling in the UK. Immigrants tend to have very varied levels of education.
" Using 120 hours( for each stage of English fluency) is a rather traditional approach to course book learning," says Dr Elaine Boyd, head of English language at Trinity College London. "If someone is really highly motivated, they can learn really quickly. It's common for children under the age of 11 to be very immersed and be fluent in about six months. "
Question:
What does Mila Vulchanova mainly stress?
Choices:
A. The necessity of working hard at English.
B. The function of the sensitive period.
C. The advantages of children's learning English.
D. The importance of starting learning English early. | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high12382.txt | How many hours does it take to be fluent in English?
There are plenty of people in the UK for whom even basic English is a problem. According to the survey, 726,000 people in England and Wales said they could not speak English well, and another 138,000 said they did not speak it at all.
Ling, 40,who arrived five years ago from China, found it difficult to learn English. " When I came here l was pregnant and so I was at home for the next three years. It took me longer to learn as l was very busy with the children." Eventually she was able to begin taking classes and now speaks good conversational English. But even with classes, it can be a long process to pick up the language.
Age is the most important factor in language acquisition, says Mila Vulchanova, professor of linguistics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. "There is a sensitive period in language learning, which is biologically determined, with an onset at birth and a decline around puberty. So the younger the immigrant, the better. Since this decline is only gradual, teenagers are at an advantage over adults." he says.
There are a number of systems for grading English. The government expects immigrants to reach "ESOL Entry 3" or "B1 level" in Scotland, before they can be granted citizenship. It's equivalent to being able to hold a confident conversation and-it might take 360 hours of study to achieve.
George Osborne said in June following the spending review that welfare claimants who don't speak English will have their benefits cut if they fail to attend language courses.
Huan Japes, deputy chief executive of English UK, a trade body for language colleges, says a rule of thumb is 360 hours-120 hours for each of three stages-to get to the standard the government expects benefit claimants to reach.
But many of the people who attend courses are visiting students rather than people settling in the UK. Immigrants tend to have very varied levels of education.
" Using 120 hours( for each stage of English fluency) is a rather traditional approach to course book learning," says Dr Elaine Boyd, head of English language at Trinity College London. "If someone is really highly motivated, they can learn really quickly. It's common for children under the age of 11 to be very immersed and be fluent in about six months. " | [
"The necessity of working hard at English.",
"The function of the sensitive period.",
"The advantages of children's learning English.",
"The importance of starting learning English early."
] |
Why do many overseas Chinese make their kids learn the Chinese language? | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Many overseas Chinese make their kids learn the Chinese language because they don't want them to lose their mother language.
In the city of Portland in the USA, there is a weekend Chinese school in a church. In the school, there are Chinese kids and American kids. They study Chinese on Saturdays and Sundays. Teachers at the school are usually some overseas Chinese women. Miss Tian is one of them. She is from Beijing. She teaches her students many Chinese characters, sentences and Chinese songs.
Most of these kids speak English better than Chinese, because they spend most of their time at the local school, and their classmates are American.Their teachers teach them in English.
When the overseas Chinese children get home after school, their parents often speak Chinese to them. Only at that time do they think they are at home.
Question:
Why do many overseas Chinese make their kids learn the Chinese language?
Choices:
A. Because they want them to speak Chinese.
B. Because they don't want them to lose their mother language.
C. Because they live in China.
D. Because they can't speak English. | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle2324.txt | Many overseas Chinese make their kids learn the Chinese language because they don't want them to lose their mother language.
In the city of Portland in the USA, there is a weekend Chinese school in a church. In the school, there are Chinese kids and American kids. They study Chinese on Saturdays and Sundays. Teachers at the school are usually some overseas Chinese women. Miss Tian is one of them. She is from Beijing. She teaches her students many Chinese characters, sentences and Chinese songs.
Most of these kids speak English better than Chinese, because they spend most of their time at the local school, and their classmates are American.Their teachers teach them in English.
When the overseas Chinese children get home after school, their parents often speak Chinese to them. Only at that time do they think they are at home. | [
"Because they want them to speak Chinese.",
"Because they don't want them to lose their mother language.",
"Because they live in China.",
"Because they can't speak English."
] |
In this passage, health includes all of the following EXCEPT _ . | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Almost every day, we discuss the topic of health, especially for kids. But what is health? "Health" means eating well, getting enough exercise, and having a healthy weight. Let's read the following rules. They can help you stay healthy.
1 Eat _ foods, especially fruit and vegetables. We all know that eating fruit and vegetables can help us stay healthy, but many of us only eat our favorite foods. Remember that we can only get the nutrition we need by eating different kinds of food, especially fruit and vegetables.
2 Drink water and milk most often. Everyone knows that water is important. Besides that, kids need plenty of calcium to grow strong bones, and milk has a lot of it. Every day, you should drink at least three cups of milk (1300 milligrams of calcium), when you are 9 years old or older. You should also try to have less sugary drinks, like soda and coca. They include a lot of sugar. Sugar just includes calories, not important nutrition.
3 Listen to your body. When you are eating, notice how your body feels. When your stomach feels comfortably full, stop eating. Eating too much makes you feel uncomfortable. If you do it too often, it can make you unhealthy and fat.
4 Limit screen time. What's screen time? It's the amount of time you spend watching TV, movies, and playing computer games. The more time you spend on these sitting-down activities, the less time you spend playing sports, like basketball, and doing other activities like bike riding and swimming. Try to spend no more than 2 hours a day on screen time.
Question:
In this passage, health includes all of the following EXCEPT _ .
Choices:
A. eating well
B. wearing comfortably
C. having a healthy weight
D. doing more exercise | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high10439.txt | Almost every day, we discuss the topic of health, especially for kids. But what is health? "Health" means eating well, getting enough exercise, and having a healthy weight. Let's read the following rules. They can help you stay healthy.
1 Eat _ foods, especially fruit and vegetables. We all know that eating fruit and vegetables can help us stay healthy, but many of us only eat our favorite foods. Remember that we can only get the nutrition we need by eating different kinds of food, especially fruit and vegetables.
2 Drink water and milk most often. Everyone knows that water is important. Besides that, kids need plenty of calcium to grow strong bones, and milk has a lot of it. Every day, you should drink at least three cups of milk (1300 milligrams of calcium), when you are 9 years old or older. You should also try to have less sugary drinks, like soda and coca. They include a lot of sugar. Sugar just includes calories, not important nutrition.
3 Listen to your body. When you are eating, notice how your body feels. When your stomach feels comfortably full, stop eating. Eating too much makes you feel uncomfortable. If you do it too often, it can make you unhealthy and fat.
4 Limit screen time. What's screen time? It's the amount of time you spend watching TV, movies, and playing computer games. The more time you spend on these sitting-down activities, the less time you spend playing sports, like basketball, and doing other activities like bike riding and swimming. Try to spend no more than 2 hours a day on screen time. | [
"eating well",
"wearing comfortably",
"having a healthy weight",
"doing more exercise"
] |
If an Englishman has much money, _ . | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
British society is considered to be divided into three main groups of classes--the Upper Class, the Middle Class, and the Lower or Working Class. This is known as the Class system and it is important to know something about it if you want to understand British people and society. Most British people grow up with a deep knowledge and understanding of the class system even if they are not very conscious of it. Most people know which class they belong to by the way they speak, their clothes, their interests or even the type of food they eat.
Social class is not only about behavior and attitudes. For example, although many upper class people are rich and may own a lot of land, having a lot of money does not make a person upper class. It is also important to come from a particular kind of family, have friends who are considered suitable, have been to a certain type of private school and speak with the right kind of accent. There are people who are poor but who do not think of themselves as working class, because their family background, education, political opinions, etc. are different from those of most working-class people. Many people do not like the class system but it is impossible to pretend that these differences do not exist or that British people do not sometimes form opinions in this way.
Question:
If an Englishman has much money, _ .
Choices:
A. he belongs to the middle class
B. he must be a member of the upper class
C. he is not likely to be from the upper class
D. he may buy an upper class title with the money | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high19287.txt | British society is considered to be divided into three main groups of classes--the Upper Class, the Middle Class, and the Lower or Working Class. This is known as the Class system and it is important to know something about it if you want to understand British people and society. Most British people grow up with a deep knowledge and understanding of the class system even if they are not very conscious of it. Most people know which class they belong to by the way they speak, their clothes, their interests or even the type of food they eat.
Social class is not only about behavior and attitudes. For example, although many upper class people are rich and may own a lot of land, having a lot of money does not make a person upper class. It is also important to come from a particular kind of family, have friends who are considered suitable, have been to a certain type of private school and speak with the right kind of accent. There are people who are poor but who do not think of themselves as working class, because their family background, education, political opinions, etc. are different from those of most working-class people. Many people do not like the class system but it is impossible to pretend that these differences do not exist or that British people do not sometimes form opinions in this way. | [
"he belongs to the middle class",
"he must be a member of the upper class",
"he is not likely to be from the upper class",
"he may buy an upper class title with the money"
] |
What does this passage mainly about? | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
We use both words and body language to express our thoughts and opinions and to communicate with other people. We can learn about what a person is thinking by watching his or her body language. Words are important, but the way a person stands, folds his or her arms, or moves his or her hands can also give us information about his or her feelings.
Just like spoken language, body language varies from culture to culture. Making eye contact --looking directly into someone's eyes -- is in some countries a way to show interest. In other countries, however, eye contact is rude or disrespectful. The gesture for Ok, making a circle with one's thumb and index finger, has different meanings in different cultures. In Japan, someone who sees another person making the gesture will think it means money. In France, a person seeing the same gesture will think it means zero. In Brazil and Germany, however, the gesture is rude. The thumbs-up gesture, meaning "great" or "good job" in the US is rude in Nigeria, but in Germany and Japan it means the number one. The "crazy" gesture, moving the index finger in a circle in front of the ear, means "you have a phone call" in Brazil.
Even the gesture we use for "yes" and "no" are different around the world. In many countries, shaking one's head means "no", and nodding means "yes". In Bulgaria, parts of Greece, and Iran, however, the gestures have the opposite meaning. There are also differences as to how often we touch each other, how close we stand to someone we are talking to, and how we act when we meet or part. In some countries, for example, France and Russia, a visiting friend is greeted with a kiss on the check, in other countries people greet each other with a firm handshake, a loving hug, a bow or a simply a nod of the head.
While there are many different interpretations of our body language, some gestures seem to be universal. Pressing one's palms together and resting one's head on the back of one's hand while closing the eyes as if sleeping means "I am tired." A good way of saying "I am full" is moving the hand in circles over the stomach after a meal. If a person pats his or her stomach before a meal, it usually means " I'm hungry."
Perhaps the best example of universally understood body language is the smile. A smile can help us get through difficult situation and find friends in a world of strangers. A smile can open doors and tear down walls. It can be used to express almost any emotion. We can use a smile to apologise, to greet someone, to ask for help or to start a conversation. We can smile at ourselves in the mirror to make ourselves feel happier and stronger. And if we are feeling down or lonely, there is nothing better than to see the smiling face of a good friend.
Question:
What does this passage mainly about?
Choices:
A. all the gestures in the world
B. the same body language in the world
C. gestures in the western countries
D. using proper gesture to express yourself | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high7753.txt | We use both words and body language to express our thoughts and opinions and to communicate with other people. We can learn about what a person is thinking by watching his or her body language. Words are important, but the way a person stands, folds his or her arms, or moves his or her hands can also give us information about his or her feelings.
Just like spoken language, body language varies from culture to culture. Making eye contact --looking directly into someone's eyes -- is in some countries a way to show interest. In other countries, however, eye contact is rude or disrespectful. The gesture for Ok, making a circle with one's thumb and index finger, has different meanings in different cultures. In Japan, someone who sees another person making the gesture will think it means money. In France, a person seeing the same gesture will think it means zero. In Brazil and Germany, however, the gesture is rude. The thumbs-up gesture, meaning "great" or "good job" in the US is rude in Nigeria, but in Germany and Japan it means the number one. The "crazy" gesture, moving the index finger in a circle in front of the ear, means "you have a phone call" in Brazil.
Even the gesture we use for "yes" and "no" are different around the world. In many countries, shaking one's head means "no", and nodding means "yes". In Bulgaria, parts of Greece, and Iran, however, the gestures have the opposite meaning. There are also differences as to how often we touch each other, how close we stand to someone we are talking to, and how we act when we meet or part. In some countries, for example, France and Russia, a visiting friend is greeted with a kiss on the check, in other countries people greet each other with a firm handshake, a loving hug, a bow or a simply a nod of the head.
While there are many different interpretations of our body language, some gestures seem to be universal. Pressing one's palms together and resting one's head on the back of one's hand while closing the eyes as if sleeping means "I am tired." A good way of saying "I am full" is moving the hand in circles over the stomach after a meal. If a person pats his or her stomach before a meal, it usually means " I'm hungry."
Perhaps the best example of universally understood body language is the smile. A smile can help us get through difficult situation and find friends in a world of strangers. A smile can open doors and tear down walls. It can be used to express almost any emotion. We can use a smile to apologise, to greet someone, to ask for help or to start a conversation. We can smile at ourselves in the mirror to make ourselves feel happier and stronger. And if we are feeling down or lonely, there is nothing better than to see the smiling face of a good friend. | [
"all the gestures in the world",
"the same body language in the world",
"gestures in the western countries",
"using proper gesture to express yourself"
] |
The author thinks music _ . | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
As a music teacher for twenty-seven years, I have always known that music touches the soul. It can break through all kinds of barriers to reach students in a very special way. It can be the means for each child to find their light.
A few years ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to teach pre-school students one afternoon a week. One of my most memorable students was Vanessa. She was five years old, had difficulty walking, and could not speak. We mostly sat on the floor for our music lessons and Vanessa liked to sit on my lap. One of her favorite songs was John the Rabbit. It was a call and response song where I sang the call and the students clapped two times while singing the repeating phrase, "Oh, yes!" Vanessa liked to put her hands together with mine and clap with me. We performed that song during every class, Vanessa and I clapping together. She never said or sang a word.
One day late in the school year, when the song was finished, Vanessa turned around, looked me in the eye, clapped her tiny hands two times and said the words "Oh, yes!" I opened my mouth and could not speak. Through music, we had made a connection.
Several years later, I came across Vanessa on the street in town. I stopped my car and waved to say hello. She waved back with a big smile on her face and then clapped her hands two times, mimicking the song we had performed in our music class. This precious little girl, through her connection with music, left an impression on me that will last forever.
Every child has the ability to learn and grow. It is up to us educators to discover the way to reach each and every one of our students. We all must find each child's light.
Question:
The author thinks music _ .
Choices:
A. can make children calm down
B. Can connect heart to heart
C. Is difficult for pre-school students
D. Is a good means to find a job | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high1137.txt | As a music teacher for twenty-seven years, I have always known that music touches the soul. It can break through all kinds of barriers to reach students in a very special way. It can be the means for each child to find their light.
A few years ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to teach pre-school students one afternoon a week. One of my most memorable students was Vanessa. She was five years old, had difficulty walking, and could not speak. We mostly sat on the floor for our music lessons and Vanessa liked to sit on my lap. One of her favorite songs was John the Rabbit. It was a call and response song where I sang the call and the students clapped two times while singing the repeating phrase, "Oh, yes!" Vanessa liked to put her hands together with mine and clap with me. We performed that song during every class, Vanessa and I clapping together. She never said or sang a word.
One day late in the school year, when the song was finished, Vanessa turned around, looked me in the eye, clapped her tiny hands two times and said the words "Oh, yes!" I opened my mouth and could not speak. Through music, we had made a connection.
Several years later, I came across Vanessa on the street in town. I stopped my car and waved to say hello. She waved back with a big smile on her face and then clapped her hands two times, mimicking the song we had performed in our music class. This precious little girl, through her connection with music, left an impression on me that will last forever.
Every child has the ability to learn and grow. It is up to us educators to discover the way to reach each and every one of our students. We all must find each child's light. | [
"can make children calm down",
"Can connect heart to heart",
"Is difficult for pre-school students",
"Is a good means to find a job"
] |
Why did Geena David like to wear sunglasses? | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Geena David knew she wanted to be a movie star when she was very young. She was not sure what gave her the idea, but she wanted to look like a movie star. "I have a lot of pictures from my childhood of me wearing sunglasses," she says. "I used to wear them to watch TV."
Early movie actors started wearing sunglasses not because they looked good, but because their eyes hurt. The lights used on movie sets were extremely bright and could cause a painful problem known as "Klieg eyes". It was named after the Klieg brothers who invented the lights. Actors wore sunglasses to give their eyes a rest. But when movie stars began wearing their sunglasses in public, they quickly became a must.
Eventually actors started wearing sunglasses in their movies as well as on the street. Audrey Hephburn wore ultra-cool Ray-Ban sunglasses in the 1961 movie, Breakfast at Tiffany's. As a result, Ray-Ban sunglasses started to appear more and more in the movies. In 1979, Ray-Ban "Wayfarers" were worn by Jake and Elwood in The Blue Brothers. Tom Cruise wore Ray-Ban "Aviator" sunglasses in the 1986 hit, Top Gun. Then in 1997, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones made Ray-Ban "Predator" sunglasses famous in Men in Black.
Of course sunglasses aren't just a fashion statement. The main reason to wear sunglasses is to protect our eyes against UV radiation. UV radiation can damage our eyes, so people now choose their sunglasses carefully. But you don't have to give up style for safety. The choice of frames and lenses available these days is huge. So you can protect your eyes and still be the coolest person on the beach.
Question:
Why did Geena David like to wear sunglasses?
Choices:
A. She wanted to follow a movie star.
B. She was a movie star.
C. Wearing sunglasses was good to her eyes.
D. It was good to wear sunglasses when watching TV. | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high8621.txt | Geena David knew she wanted to be a movie star when she was very young. She was not sure what gave her the idea, but she wanted to look like a movie star. "I have a lot of pictures from my childhood of me wearing sunglasses," she says. "I used to wear them to watch TV."
Early movie actors started wearing sunglasses not because they looked good, but because their eyes hurt. The lights used on movie sets were extremely bright and could cause a painful problem known as "Klieg eyes". It was named after the Klieg brothers who invented the lights. Actors wore sunglasses to give their eyes a rest. But when movie stars began wearing their sunglasses in public, they quickly became a must.
Eventually actors started wearing sunglasses in their movies as well as on the street. Audrey Hephburn wore ultra-cool Ray-Ban sunglasses in the 1961 movie, Breakfast at Tiffany's. As a result, Ray-Ban sunglasses started to appear more and more in the movies. In 1979, Ray-Ban "Wayfarers" were worn by Jake and Elwood in The Blue Brothers. Tom Cruise wore Ray-Ban "Aviator" sunglasses in the 1986 hit, Top Gun. Then in 1997, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones made Ray-Ban "Predator" sunglasses famous in Men in Black.
Of course sunglasses aren't just a fashion statement. The main reason to wear sunglasses is to protect our eyes against UV radiation. UV radiation can damage our eyes, so people now choose their sunglasses carefully. But you don't have to give up style for safety. The choice of frames and lenses available these days is huge. So you can protect your eyes and still be the coolest person on the beach. | [
"She wanted to follow a movie star.",
"She was a movie star.",
"Wearing sunglasses was good to her eyes.",
"It was good to wear sunglasses when watching TV."
] |
What surprised the author was that _ . | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
"Excuse me," said a young man , standing shyly at the open church door. " I'm here to pick up an Easter basket for my daughter. Am I in the right place ?" " Well, we have baskets, but they're not Easter baskets for kids; they're food baskets,"I explained.
That morning I arrived at St. Michael's Church in Carmichael, California, to help give out the baskets to needy families for Easter. To make sure every family would receive one, we had handed out numbers to them that matched the baskets they were supposed to receive . Each one contained a whole ham, potatoes, bread,vegetables, and a pie--enough food to help feed a family for a week.
"Why don't you come in ?" I said to the man. He looked disappointed. He shook his head and said," I can't ...My daughter is waiting for me over there.I'm grateful for the food,but when I heard you were giving away baskets for Easter...well, I thought they would be Easter baskets for children." He continued, "I promised my daughter one ,and I wanted to surprise her."
I felt bad, but there was nothing I could do.The man hadned me his number, and I walked over to the baskets. A bulge in one of the baskets caught my eye. " What is that ?" I wondered. Leaning over and looking more closely, I could see, unmistakably, an Easter basket filled with candy, chocolate, and Easter eggs.One of the volunteers must have added it by mistake! I thought. Then I looked at the man's number in my hand.Well, he'll be.....
"Happy Easter," I said to the man , handing him the only food basket with an Easter basket inside -the very same basket with his number on it. " Someone knew just what you needed."
Question:
What surprised the author was that _ .
Choices:
A. there was an Easter basket in the food basket
B. someone knew what the youngt man needed
C. one of the baskets was filled with more bread than others
D. he found that the young man's name was on the basktet. | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high22665.txt | "Excuse me," said a young man , standing shyly at the open church door. " I'm here to pick up an Easter basket for my daughter. Am I in the right place ?" " Well, we have baskets, but they're not Easter baskets for kids; they're food baskets,"I explained.
That morning I arrived at St. Michael's Church in Carmichael, California, to help give out the baskets to needy families for Easter. To make sure every family would receive one, we had handed out numbers to them that matched the baskets they were supposed to receive . Each one contained a whole ham, potatoes, bread,vegetables, and a pie--enough food to help feed a family for a week.
"Why don't you come in ?" I said to the man. He looked disappointed. He shook his head and said," I can't ...My daughter is waiting for me over there.I'm grateful for the food,but when I heard you were giving away baskets for Easter...well, I thought they would be Easter baskets for children." He continued, "I promised my daughter one ,and I wanted to surprise her."
I felt bad, but there was nothing I could do.The man hadned me his number, and I walked over to the baskets. A bulge in one of the baskets caught my eye. " What is that ?" I wondered. Leaning over and looking more closely, I could see, unmistakably, an Easter basket filled with candy, chocolate, and Easter eggs.One of the volunteers must have added it by mistake! I thought. Then I looked at the man's number in my hand.Well, he'll be.....
"Happy Easter," I said to the man , handing him the only food basket with an Easter basket inside -the very same basket with his number on it. " Someone knew just what you needed." | [
"there was an Easter basket in the food basket",
"someone knew what the youngt man needed",
"one of the baskets was filled with more bread than others",
"he found that the young man's name was on the basktet."
] |
How much will you be charged if your family (a couple and two children) goes on a special-Sunday-ticket trip? | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
The local bus network gives access to most of the attractions of Nottinghamshire,making it easy for you to enjoy all that the county has to offer.
Why not let Nottinghamshire's buses provide you with a cheep,convenient and safe way of enjoying a day out. they even take away the worry of stopping for lunch, having a drink and then deciding who's going to drive home.
Special Sunday ticket saves you money.
Nottinghamshire County Council's Day Ranger tickets give you unlimited travel on buses right across the county every Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday and will entitle(...)you to discounts at several visitor attractions.This means that you can save money by traveling by bus.Prices are currently:
Adults PS5.00
Children&Concessions PS2.50
Family ticket PS9.00
(2 adults&up to 3 children)
Simply buy your ticket on the first bus you board on a Sunday and then travel wherever you want in Nottinghamshire for the rest of the day.
Finding out about getting around the county couldn't be easier.Information on bus service is widely available at:
. Bus stations
. Libraries
. County contact points
.Tourist information centers.
You can also visit our web site at:www.Nottinghamshire.gov.uk/buses There is extensive information on bus travel and the attractions of the county. We also provide a journey planner and access to timetables for all the bus services operating in the county. There are links to the individual bus operators for further information on fares and special offers.
Traveline
Public transport info
0870 608 2 608
www. traveline.org.uk
Question:
How much will you be charged if your family (a couple and two children) goes on a special-Sunday-ticket trip?
Choices:
A. PS15.00
B. PS12.50
C. PS9.00
D. PS5.00 | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high22937.txt | The local bus network gives access to most of the attractions of Nottinghamshire,making it easy for you to enjoy all that the county has to offer.
Why not let Nottinghamshire's buses provide you with a cheep,convenient and safe way of enjoying a day out. they even take away the worry of stopping for lunch, having a drink and then deciding who's going to drive home.
Special Sunday ticket saves you money.
Nottinghamshire County Council's Day Ranger tickets give you unlimited travel on buses right across the county every Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday and will entitle(...)you to discounts at several visitor attractions.This means that you can save money by traveling by bus.Prices are currently:
Adults PS5.00
Children&Concessions PS2.50
Family ticket PS9.00
(2 adults&up to 3 children)
Simply buy your ticket on the first bus you board on a Sunday and then travel wherever you want in Nottinghamshire for the rest of the day.
Finding out about getting around the county couldn't be easier.Information on bus service is widely available at:
. Bus stations
. Libraries
. County contact points
.Tourist information centers.
You can also visit our web site at:www.Nottinghamshire.gov.uk/buses There is extensive information on bus travel and the attractions of the county. We also provide a journey planner and access to timetables for all the bus services operating in the county. There are links to the individual bus operators for further information on fares and special offers.
Traveline
Public transport info
0870 608 2 608
www. traveline.org.uk | [
"PS15.00",
"PS12.50",
"PS9.00",
"PS5.00"
] |
What does the writer mainly tell us? | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
A towering South American plant that is believed to kill animals with its spikes and use their rotting bodies as fertilizer is about to bloom in England. A rare Puya chilensis was planted at a greenhouse in Surrey, a county in the southeast of England about 15 years ago. However, despite its frightening description, the tall, spiked plant is considered a threatened species.
The Royal Horticultural Society has been feeding the plant a diet of liquid fertilizer. "In its natural habitat in the Andes it uses its razor sharp spikes to _ and trap sheep and other animals, which slowly starve to death and rot at the base of the plant, providing it with a bag of fertilizer," reads a description on the RHS website, which adds that the plant gives off a "gruesome scent."
But does the plant actually trap and eat sheep? Other sources have simply said it is "believed" that the plant traps small animals with its spikes. After the animals die of starvation, the plant is "believed" to then use their rotting bodies as fertilizer to feed itself.
"I'm really pleased that we've finally persuaded our Puya chilensis into producing flower," horticulturalist Cara Smith said in a press release on the RHS site. Regardless of whether it actually traps sheep, the plant does have sharp spikes that can grow up to 12 feet high and 5 feet wide. However, it's not all death and danger for this plant. Its flowery blooms reportedly provide nectar for bees and birds.
The Puya chilensis blooms annually in its native land of Chile, but this is the first time it has done so after more than a decade of cultivation efforts from the RHS. "We keep it well fed with liquid fertilizer as feeding it on its natural diet might prove a bit problematic," Smith said. "It's growing in the dry section of our glasshouse with its deadly spines well out of reach of both children and sheep alike."
Question:
What does the writer mainly tell us?
Choices:
A. A new plant is discovered in Chile.
B. How a rare plant is fed in England.
C. A rare plant is going to bloom in England.
D. How a plant traps animals in South America. | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high5431.txt | A towering South American plant that is believed to kill animals with its spikes and use their rotting bodies as fertilizer is about to bloom in England. A rare Puya chilensis was planted at a greenhouse in Surrey, a county in the southeast of England about 15 years ago. However, despite its frightening description, the tall, spiked plant is considered a threatened species.
The Royal Horticultural Society has been feeding the plant a diet of liquid fertilizer. "In its natural habitat in the Andes it uses its razor sharp spikes to _ and trap sheep and other animals, which slowly starve to death and rot at the base of the plant, providing it with a bag of fertilizer," reads a description on the RHS website, which adds that the plant gives off a "gruesome scent."
But does the plant actually trap and eat sheep? Other sources have simply said it is "believed" that the plant traps small animals with its spikes. After the animals die of starvation, the plant is "believed" to then use their rotting bodies as fertilizer to feed itself.
"I'm really pleased that we've finally persuaded our Puya chilensis into producing flower," horticulturalist Cara Smith said in a press release on the RHS site. Regardless of whether it actually traps sheep, the plant does have sharp spikes that can grow up to 12 feet high and 5 feet wide. However, it's not all death and danger for this plant. Its flowery blooms reportedly provide nectar for bees and birds.
The Puya chilensis blooms annually in its native land of Chile, but this is the first time it has done so after more than a decade of cultivation efforts from the RHS. "We keep it well fed with liquid fertilizer as feeding it on its natural diet might prove a bit problematic," Smith said. "It's growing in the dry section of our glasshouse with its deadly spines well out of reach of both children and sheep alike." | [
"A new plant is discovered in Chile.",
"How a rare plant is fed in England.",
"A rare plant is going to bloom in England.",
"How a plant traps animals in South America."
] |
The best title for the passage can be _ . | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Darling Kelli,
I'm so sorry I will not get to see you grow up as I so want to. Please don't blame people or the world for this. A lot of life is simply luck and mine is running out.
I wish I had the words to make you feel better. I wish you didn't have to see me in pain as you often do now. I wish so many things were different but they are not.
But while your old dad is still around, I thought I'd try to give you some life advice in one go. I hope it gives you some comfort. I hope cancer never returns so that your life is long, fulfilled and happy.
Everyone will say it's of great importance to work hard at school. I hope you'll always do your best. I did well at school but did it do me much good in life? Not really. Schoolwork is important, but make sure you have fun too.
You and your mom will argue at times, especially when you're a teenager. Please remember she loves you and wants the best for you. Give Mommy a hug when she is feeling sad. When you're a teenager you might think your friends are right and your mom is wrong. But she has to make hard decisions for you. Treat her well.
You'll have boyfriends when you're older, so here's some advice. It's very hard to describe how it feels to really be in love. You might remember seeing your mom and I laughing together and cuddling on the sofa, and once the love hearts and flowers fade that's what real love looks like. Have fun finding it.
Most important of all: Your laugh takes over your whole body. I hope you never lose that. There is no point in asking you not to be sad when I go. I know you will be, princess. And I wish I could be there to hug you until you smile again.
And finally, thank you for being you, Kelli. Enjoy your life. Don't rush through it. All my love, always, goes to you, princess.
Question:
The best title for the passage can be _ .
Choices:
A. Enjoy Your Life
B. Keep Healthy
C. Take Good Care of Your Mom
D. Learn to love your family | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle7498.txt | Darling Kelli,
I'm so sorry I will not get to see you grow up as I so want to. Please don't blame people or the world for this. A lot of life is simply luck and mine is running out.
I wish I had the words to make you feel better. I wish you didn't have to see me in pain as you often do now. I wish so many things were different but they are not.
But while your old dad is still around, I thought I'd try to give you some life advice in one go. I hope it gives you some comfort. I hope cancer never returns so that your life is long, fulfilled and happy.
Everyone will say it's of great importance to work hard at school. I hope you'll always do your best. I did well at school but did it do me much good in life? Not really. Schoolwork is important, but make sure you have fun too.
You and your mom will argue at times, especially when you're a teenager. Please remember she loves you and wants the best for you. Give Mommy a hug when she is feeling sad. When you're a teenager you might think your friends are right and your mom is wrong. But she has to make hard decisions for you. Treat her well.
You'll have boyfriends when you're older, so here's some advice. It's very hard to describe how it feels to really be in love. You might remember seeing your mom and I laughing together and cuddling on the sofa, and once the love hearts and flowers fade that's what real love looks like. Have fun finding it.
Most important of all: Your laugh takes over your whole body. I hope you never lose that. There is no point in asking you not to be sad when I go. I know you will be, princess. And I wish I could be there to hug you until you smile again.
And finally, thank you for being you, Kelli. Enjoy your life. Don't rush through it. All my love, always, goes to you, princess. | [
"Enjoy Your Life",
"Keep Healthy",
"Take Good Care of Your Mom",
"Learn to love your family"
] |
It can be inferred that _ . | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Tayka Hotel de Sal
Where:Tahua, Bolivia
How much:about $95 a night
Why it's cool:You've stayed at hotels made of brick or wood, but salt? That's something few can claim. Tayka Hotel de Sal is made totally of salt--including the beds (though you'll sleep on regular mattresses and blankets). The hotel sits on the Salar de Uyuni, a prehistoric driedup lake that's the world's biggest salt flat. Builders use the salt from the 4,633squaremile flat to make the bricks, and glue them together with a paste of wet salt that hardens when it dries. When rain starts to dissolve the hotel, the owners just mix up more salt paste to strengthen the bricks.
Green Magic Nature Resort
Where: Vythiri, India
How much: about $240 a night
Why it's cool: Riding a pulleyoperated lift 86 feet to your treetop room is just the start of your adventure. As you look out of your open window--there is no glass--you watch monkeys and birds in the rain forest canopy. Later you might test your fear of heights by crossing the handmade rope bridge to the main part of the hotel. You don't even have to come down for breakfast--the hotel will send it up on the pulleydrawn "elevator".
Dog Bark Park Inn B&B
Where: Cottonwood, Idaho
How much: $92 a night
Why it's cool: This doghouse isn't just for the family pet. Sweet Willy is a 30foottall dog with guest rooms in his belly. Climb the wooden stairs beside his hind leg to enter the door in his side. You can relax in the main bedroom, go up a few steps to the loft in Willy's head, or hang out inside his nose.
Gamirasu Cave Hotel
Where: Ayvali, Turkey
How much: between $130 and $475 a night
Why it's cool: Experience what it was like 5,000 years ago, when people lived in these mountain caves formed by volcanic ash. But your stay will be much more modern. Bathrooms and electricity provide what you expect from a modern hotel, and the white volcanic ash, called tufa, keeps the rooms cool, about 65degFin summer.
Question:
It can be inferred that _ .
Choices:
A. it is the same man who designed the four hotels
B. Green Magic Nature Resort is the dearest in India
C. the building of Dog Bark Park Inn B&B is like a dog
D. Gamirasu Cave Hotel is the oldest among the four ones | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high13204.txt | Tayka Hotel de Sal
Where:Tahua, Bolivia
How much:about $95 a night
Why it's cool:You've stayed at hotels made of brick or wood, but salt? That's something few can claim. Tayka Hotel de Sal is made totally of salt--including the beds (though you'll sleep on regular mattresses and blankets). The hotel sits on the Salar de Uyuni, a prehistoric driedup lake that's the world's biggest salt flat. Builders use the salt from the 4,633squaremile flat to make the bricks, and glue them together with a paste of wet salt that hardens when it dries. When rain starts to dissolve the hotel, the owners just mix up more salt paste to strengthen the bricks.
Green Magic Nature Resort
Where: Vythiri, India
How much: about $240 a night
Why it's cool: Riding a pulleyoperated lift 86 feet to your treetop room is just the start of your adventure. As you look out of your open window--there is no glass--you watch monkeys and birds in the rain forest canopy. Later you might test your fear of heights by crossing the handmade rope bridge to the main part of the hotel. You don't even have to come down for breakfast--the hotel will send it up on the pulleydrawn "elevator".
Dog Bark Park Inn B&B
Where: Cottonwood, Idaho
How much: $92 a night
Why it's cool: This doghouse isn't just for the family pet. Sweet Willy is a 30foottall dog with guest rooms in his belly. Climb the wooden stairs beside his hind leg to enter the door in his side. You can relax in the main bedroom, go up a few steps to the loft in Willy's head, or hang out inside his nose.
Gamirasu Cave Hotel
Where: Ayvali, Turkey
How much: between $130 and $475 a night
Why it's cool: Experience what it was like 5,000 years ago, when people lived in these mountain caves formed by volcanic ash. But your stay will be much more modern. Bathrooms and electricity provide what you expect from a modern hotel, and the white volcanic ash, called tufa, keeps the rooms cool, about 65degFin summer. | [
"it is the same man who designed the four hotels",
"Green Magic Nature Resort is the dearest in India",
"the building of Dog Bark Park Inn B&B is like a dog",
"Gamirasu Cave Hotel is the oldest among the four ones"
] |
Which would be the best title for the passage? | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Most of us seem to reach our peak of alertness around noon. Soon after that, alertness declines, and sleepiness may set in by mid-afternoon.
Your short-term memory is best during the morning--in fact, about 15 percent more efficient than at any other time of day. So, students, take notice: when you are faced with a morning exam, _ to review your notes right before the test is given.
However, long-term memory is different. Afternoon is the best time for learning materials that you want to recall days, weeks or months later. Politicians, business executives or others who must learn speeches would be smart to do their memorizing during that time of day. You should try to do most of your studying in the afternoon, rather than late at night. Many students believe they memorize better while burning the midnight oil because their short-term recall is better during the early hours of the morning than in the afternoon. But short-term memory won't help them much several days later, when they face the exam.
By contrast, we tend to do best on tasks related to the process of knowing, understanding, and learning numbers during the morning hours.
What about sports? During afternoon and early evening, you're able to react the quickest to an outside stimulus--like a baseball speeding toward you. Studies have also shown that late in the day, when your body temperature is peaking, you will consider PE easier and less tiring--whether it actually is or not. That means you are more likely to work harder during a late afternoon or early evening workout, and therefore benefit more from it.
In fact, all of your senses--taste, sight, hearing, touch and smell--may be at their keenest during late afternoon and early evening. That could be why dinner usually tastes better to us than breakfast.
While all of us follow the same general pattern of ups and downs, the exact timing varies from person to person. It all depends on how your "biological" day is structured. Each of us can increase our knowledge about our individual rhythms. Learn how to listen to the inner beats of your body; let them set the pace of your day. You will live a healthier and happier life.
Question:
Which would be the best title for the passage?
Choices:
A. What's Your Best Time of the Day for Different Tasks
B. How to Live a Healthier and Happier Life
C. How to Study Efficiently
D. How to Keep Your Best State of Learning | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high2252.txt | Most of us seem to reach our peak of alertness around noon. Soon after that, alertness declines, and sleepiness may set in by mid-afternoon.
Your short-term memory is best during the morning--in fact, about 15 percent more efficient than at any other time of day. So, students, take notice: when you are faced with a morning exam, _ to review your notes right before the test is given.
However, long-term memory is different. Afternoon is the best time for learning materials that you want to recall days, weeks or months later. Politicians, business executives or others who must learn speeches would be smart to do their memorizing during that time of day. You should try to do most of your studying in the afternoon, rather than late at night. Many students believe they memorize better while burning the midnight oil because their short-term recall is better during the early hours of the morning than in the afternoon. But short-term memory won't help them much several days later, when they face the exam.
By contrast, we tend to do best on tasks related to the process of knowing, understanding, and learning numbers during the morning hours.
What about sports? During afternoon and early evening, you're able to react the quickest to an outside stimulus--like a baseball speeding toward you. Studies have also shown that late in the day, when your body temperature is peaking, you will consider PE easier and less tiring--whether it actually is or not. That means you are more likely to work harder during a late afternoon or early evening workout, and therefore benefit more from it.
In fact, all of your senses--taste, sight, hearing, touch and smell--may be at their keenest during late afternoon and early evening. That could be why dinner usually tastes better to us than breakfast.
While all of us follow the same general pattern of ups and downs, the exact timing varies from person to person. It all depends on how your "biological" day is structured. Each of us can increase our knowledge about our individual rhythms. Learn how to listen to the inner beats of your body; let them set the pace of your day. You will live a healthier and happier life. | [
"What's Your Best Time of the Day for Different Tasks",
"How to Live a Healthier and Happier Life",
"How to Study Efficiently",
"How to Keep Your Best State of Learning"
] |
Those who are not sure about their Duty Free allowances _ . | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Passport Control
If you are arriving at London Heathrow Airport and are not transferring to another flight outside Britain or Northern Ireland,you must pass through Passport Control and Customs immediately after leaving your plane. If you are not British or a citizen of the European Community,you must fill out a special form before your passport is examined.This form is called a landing card and should be given to you during the flight to London.
After landing,follow the AKRIVALS signs.Make sure you are in the right channel when you reach Passport Control.There is one channel for holders of European Community passports,and a second channel marked "Other Passports".
Baggage Reclaim Area
After passing through Passport Control,follow the signs to the Baggage Reclaim Area.If you have luggage which was carried in the aircraft:along with other goods,it will be delivered to you in the Baggage Reclaim Area.Look for the sign with your flight number.If you have only hand luggage,go directly through the Baggage Reclaim Area to Customs.
Customs
All passengers must pass through Customs after Passport Control.There is a choice of two channels.Green and Red.If you have nothing to declare,go through the Green Channel.If you are not sure about your Duty Free allowances ,or if you have something to declare, go through the Red Channel.Information about Duty Free allowances can be found on special notice-boards in the Baggage Reclaim Area.You should study this information carefully whether you are going through the Red Channel or not.Please note that if you go through the Green Channel,you may be stopped and asked to open your luggage for inspection .
Question:
Those who are not sure about their Duty Free allowances _ .
Choices:
A. can do as those who have nothing to declare
B. need to go through the Green Channel
C. will be asked to open the luggage for inspection
D. can check the information in the Baggage Reclaim Area | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high16711.txt | Passport Control
If you are arriving at London Heathrow Airport and are not transferring to another flight outside Britain or Northern Ireland,you must pass through Passport Control and Customs immediately after leaving your plane. If you are not British or a citizen of the European Community,you must fill out a special form before your passport is examined.This form is called a landing card and should be given to you during the flight to London.
After landing,follow the AKRIVALS signs.Make sure you are in the right channel when you reach Passport Control.There is one channel for holders of European Community passports,and a second channel marked "Other Passports".
Baggage Reclaim Area
After passing through Passport Control,follow the signs to the Baggage Reclaim Area.If you have luggage which was carried in the aircraft:along with other goods,it will be delivered to you in the Baggage Reclaim Area.Look for the sign with your flight number.If you have only hand luggage,go directly through the Baggage Reclaim Area to Customs.
Customs
All passengers must pass through Customs after Passport Control.There is a choice of two channels.Green and Red.If you have nothing to declare,go through the Green Channel.If you are not sure about your Duty Free allowances ,or if you have something to declare, go through the Red Channel.Information about Duty Free allowances can be found on special notice-boards in the Baggage Reclaim Area.You should study this information carefully whether you are going through the Red Channel or not.Please note that if you go through the Green Channel,you may be stopped and asked to open your luggage for inspection . | [
"can do as those who have nothing to declare",
"need to go through the Green Channel",
"will be asked to open the luggage for inspection",
"can check the information in the Baggage Reclaim Area"
] |
If a solid object is taken from Earth far into space, which of the following measurements of the object will change most? | null | Answer this science question and explain your reasoning. | If a solid object is taken from Earth far into space, which of the following measurements of the object will change most?
Choices:
A. density
B. mass
C. volume
D. weight | Correct answer: D | science | MCAS_2009_8_1 | {
"text": [
"density",
"mass",
"volume",
"weight"
],
"label": [
"A",
"B",
"C",
"D"
]
} | D | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
The main idea of the passage is that Alzheimer's disease _ . | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Alzheimer's disease is a major national health problem. Nearly 2 million Americans over the age of 65 have Alzheimer's disease. It is a leading cause of death among the elderly. But Alzheimer's disease is not confined to the aged. There may be a million or more people under the age of 65 suffering from the disease.
At one time, people suffering from the disease were said to be "getting old". The disease was thought to be a natural part of growing old, but it is now known that Alzheimer's disease strikes young and old alike. It is an organic disease that destroys brain cells.
Alzheimer's disease affects the patient's memory, speech, and movement. In the beginning stages of the disease, the patient may seem slightly confused. He may have trouble speaking, then the patient's memory begins to fail. He may forget dates, numbers, names and plans.
As the disease progresses, the patient may not recognize family and friends. These symptoms often cause terrible anxiety in the patient. He may feel lost and frightened. Sometimes the patient reacts with wild and bad behavior.
In the last stages of the disease, the patient may not be able to take care of himself. He may have lost the ability to speak and walk.
Scientists don't know exactly what causes Alzheimer's disease. It may be caused by a virus .It may be caused by a poisonous substance in the environment. At present, there is no cure for the disease. But there are ways to slow its progress. Exercise and physical treatment can help the patients of this disease.
Question:
The main idea of the passage is that Alzheimer's disease _ .
Choices:
A. is a terrible part of the aging process
B. is an organic disease that affects young and old
C. can be cured by physical treatment
D. causes forgetfulness | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high1482.txt | Alzheimer's disease is a major national health problem. Nearly 2 million Americans over the age of 65 have Alzheimer's disease. It is a leading cause of death among the elderly. But Alzheimer's disease is not confined to the aged. There may be a million or more people under the age of 65 suffering from the disease.
At one time, people suffering from the disease were said to be "getting old". The disease was thought to be a natural part of growing old, but it is now known that Alzheimer's disease strikes young and old alike. It is an organic disease that destroys brain cells.
Alzheimer's disease affects the patient's memory, speech, and movement. In the beginning stages of the disease, the patient may seem slightly confused. He may have trouble speaking, then the patient's memory begins to fail. He may forget dates, numbers, names and plans.
As the disease progresses, the patient may not recognize family and friends. These symptoms often cause terrible anxiety in the patient. He may feel lost and frightened. Sometimes the patient reacts with wild and bad behavior.
In the last stages of the disease, the patient may not be able to take care of himself. He may have lost the ability to speak and walk.
Scientists don't know exactly what causes Alzheimer's disease. It may be caused by a virus .It may be caused by a poisonous substance in the environment. At present, there is no cure for the disease. But there are ways to slow its progress. Exercise and physical treatment can help the patients of this disease. | [
"is a terrible part of the aging process",
"is an organic disease that affects young and old",
"can be cured by physical treatment",
"causes forgetfulness"
] |
According to the passage, computer viruses seem to _ . | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
On October 12, 1987, some Chinese scientists were working at the computers to look for information they needed. Suddenly they saw a lot of very bright spots( )crossing the computers' screens. At the same time the computers were working much slower. To find out what was happening they stopped their work to check some parts of the computers. To their horror , they found out that most of their stored information was got rid of( ) by computer viruses! Obviously all these computers had been infected( ) by computer viruses.
It is said that the computer viruses were made by a group of young man fond of playing tricks. They all had excellent education. They created the viruses just to show their intelligence. These kinds of computer viruses are named Jerusalem( )Viruses. These viruses can stay in computers for a long time. When the time comes they will attack the computers by lowering the function , damaging their normal programs or even getting rid of all the information.
We now come to know that Jerusalem Viruses often attack computers on Fridays and that they are spreading to a list of computers. Among the countries that suffering computer viruses are Britain, Australia, Switzerland and the U.S. But till now, how to get rid of the terrible remains a problem.
Question:
According to the passage, computer viruses seem to _ .
Choices:
A. have been in nature for years
B. be difficult to get rid of at present
C. exist in any computers
D. be able to be got rid of in the near future | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high5291.txt | On October 12, 1987, some Chinese scientists were working at the computers to look for information they needed. Suddenly they saw a lot of very bright spots( )crossing the computers' screens. At the same time the computers were working much slower. To find out what was happening they stopped their work to check some parts of the computers. To their horror , they found out that most of their stored information was got rid of( ) by computer viruses! Obviously all these computers had been infected( ) by computer viruses.
It is said that the computer viruses were made by a group of young man fond of playing tricks. They all had excellent education. They created the viruses just to show their intelligence. These kinds of computer viruses are named Jerusalem( )Viruses. These viruses can stay in computers for a long time. When the time comes they will attack the computers by lowering the function , damaging their normal programs or even getting rid of all the information.
We now come to know that Jerusalem Viruses often attack computers on Fridays and that they are spreading to a list of computers. Among the countries that suffering computer viruses are Britain, Australia, Switzerland and the U.S. But till now, how to get rid of the terrible remains a problem. | [
"have been in nature for years",
"be difficult to get rid of at present",
"exist in any computers",
"be able to be got rid of in the near future"
] |
The young officer wanted to telephone his mother to tell her _ . | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
A very new, young officer was at a station. He was on his way to visit his mother in another town, and he wanted to telephone her to tell her the time of this train , so that she could meet him at the station in her car.He look in all his pockets, but found that he did not have the right money for the telephone, so he went outside and looked around for someone to help him.
At last an old soldier came by, and the young officer stopped him and said, "Have you got change for ten pence ?"
"Wait a moment, " the old soldier answered. He began to put his hand in his pocket, "I'll see whether I can help you. "
"Don't you know how to speak to an officer?" the young man said angrily. "Now let's start again. Have you got change for ten pence? "
"No, sir," the old soldier answered quickly.
Question:
The young officer wanted to telephone his mother to tell her _ .
Choices:
A. that he was going to visit her
B. where his train would leave for
C. what time his train would arrive at the station
D. that he was then at the station | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle7268.txt | A very new, young officer was at a station. He was on his way to visit his mother in another town, and he wanted to telephone her to tell her the time of this train , so that she could meet him at the station in her car.He look in all his pockets, but found that he did not have the right money for the telephone, so he went outside and looked around for someone to help him.
At last an old soldier came by, and the young officer stopped him and said, "Have you got change for ten pence ?"
"Wait a moment, " the old soldier answered. He began to put his hand in his pocket, "I'll see whether I can help you. "
"Don't you know how to speak to an officer?" the young man said angrily. "Now let's start again. Have you got change for ten pence? "
"No, sir," the old soldier answered quickly. | [
"that he was going to visit her",
"where his train would leave for",
"what time his train would arrive at the station",
"that he was then at the station"
] |
The purpose of the author in writing this article is _ . | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
According to a recent survey, Canadian parents realize their role as protectors and providers to raise their children both emotionally and physically. That's not very different from the way our parents saw themselves. But with more two-career families and busy schedules, one thing parents today recognize more than ever is the need to set aside special time for their children. These 'nurturing moments' are changed into memories that they will treasure all their lives. Nurturing moments might be the time between our work and life,bringing your child to work with you to see what you do during the day,visiting your child's make-believe world,discussing his other school day and exploring the natural world outside your door.
These times are not merely a luxury , they're a necessity. It's during these moments that parents pass values and attitudes to their children. Over time, children pick up good habits and positive self-image.
Here are a few tips for making the most of your family time together:
Regularly sit down as a family to share a meal. Allow each person to describe something interesting about his or her day.
Make one night a week family night. Family members take turns choosing a special activity for the evening everyone partakes in the fun.
Show your children you care about their interests by having them teach you about their activity or hobby.
Nurturing healthy children involves body, mind and spirit. The little things you do to your care are the building blocks for confidence, self-esteem and a healthy outlook. By giving your children these tools, you prepare them for life.
Question:
The purpose of the author in writing this article is _ .
Choices:
A. to persuade and advise
B. to argue and instruct
C. to amuse and interest
D. to explain and comment | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high15349.txt | According to a recent survey, Canadian parents realize their role as protectors and providers to raise their children both emotionally and physically. That's not very different from the way our parents saw themselves. But with more two-career families and busy schedules, one thing parents today recognize more than ever is the need to set aside special time for their children. These 'nurturing moments' are changed into memories that they will treasure all their lives. Nurturing moments might be the time between our work and life,bringing your child to work with you to see what you do during the day,visiting your child's make-believe world,discussing his other school day and exploring the natural world outside your door.
These times are not merely a luxury , they're a necessity. It's during these moments that parents pass values and attitudes to their children. Over time, children pick up good habits and positive self-image.
Here are a few tips for making the most of your family time together:
Regularly sit down as a family to share a meal. Allow each person to describe something interesting about his or her day.
Make one night a week family night. Family members take turns choosing a special activity for the evening everyone partakes in the fun.
Show your children you care about their interests by having them teach you about their activity or hobby.
Nurturing healthy children involves body, mind and spirit. The little things you do to your care are the building blocks for confidence, self-esteem and a healthy outlook. By giving your children these tools, you prepare them for life. | [
"to persuade and advise",
"to argue and instruct",
"to amuse and interest",
"to explain and comment"
] |
Which of the following is famous all over the world? | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Let's pretend we're sailing down the Rhine River on a pleasure boat. The Rhine is one of the main waterways of Germany, and the river traffic is heavy. It's interesting to watch the many boats going up and down the river. But the river traffic is not nearly so interesting as the beautiful scenery along the banks and hillsides. The boat is passing many old castles. We can see people working in the vineyards on the hillsides. There are vineyards as far as the eye can see. Wine from the Rhine Valley is famous all over the world.
Suddenly our boat slows down and begins to turn a little. We are coming to a sharp bend in the river. On our right we can see a rocky cliff over 400 feet high. At first it looks quite ordinary, but there is nothing ordinary about it. There are many stories, poems, and songs about the cliff. We are looking at the Lorelei. Then someone on the boat begins to sing in German, the song of the Lorelei. It is a song about a beautiful siren who has lured many sailors to their deaths.
The siren is supposed to sit on the rock combing her long golden hair and singing. The sailors who hear her forget to steer , and the current of river hurls their boats on the rocks and dashes them to pieces.
Soon other people on the boat begin to sing. The beautiful song adds to special magic to the moment, and you begin to realize why so many people have made this trip down the Rhine to see the rock of the Lorelei.
Question:
Which of the following is famous all over the world?
Choices:
A. The Rhine River.
B. The River Traffic.
C. Wine from the Rhine Valley.
D. The Lorelei. | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high15741.txt | Let's pretend we're sailing down the Rhine River on a pleasure boat. The Rhine is one of the main waterways of Germany, and the river traffic is heavy. It's interesting to watch the many boats going up and down the river. But the river traffic is not nearly so interesting as the beautiful scenery along the banks and hillsides. The boat is passing many old castles. We can see people working in the vineyards on the hillsides. There are vineyards as far as the eye can see. Wine from the Rhine Valley is famous all over the world.
Suddenly our boat slows down and begins to turn a little. We are coming to a sharp bend in the river. On our right we can see a rocky cliff over 400 feet high. At first it looks quite ordinary, but there is nothing ordinary about it. There are many stories, poems, and songs about the cliff. We are looking at the Lorelei. Then someone on the boat begins to sing in German, the song of the Lorelei. It is a song about a beautiful siren who has lured many sailors to their deaths.
The siren is supposed to sit on the rock combing her long golden hair and singing. The sailors who hear her forget to steer , and the current of river hurls their boats on the rocks and dashes them to pieces.
Soon other people on the boat begin to sing. The beautiful song adds to special magic to the moment, and you begin to realize why so many people have made this trip down the Rhine to see the rock of the Lorelei. | [
"The Rhine River.",
"The River Traffic.",
"Wine from the Rhine Valley.",
"The Lorelei."
] |
This passage is intended _ | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
The English language was first introduced to the Americas by British colonization, beginning in 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia. Similarly, the language spread to numerous other parts of the world as a result of British trade and colonization elsewhere and the spread of the former British Empire, which, by 1921, held sway over a population of 470-570 million people, approximately a quarter of the world's population at that time.
Over the past 400 years the form of the language used in the Americas--especially in the United States--and that used in the United Kingdom have diverged in a few minor ways, leading to the versions now occasionally referred to as American English and British English. Differences between the two include pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, idioms, and formatting of dates and numbers. A small number of words have completely different meanings in the two versions or are even unknown or not used in one of the versions. One particular contribution towards formalizing these differences came from Noah Webster, who wrote the first American dictionary (published 1828) with the intention of showing that people in the United States spoke a different dialect from Britain, much like a regional accent.
It may be the case that increased worldwide communication through radio, television, the Internet and globalization has reduced the tendency towards regional variation. This can result either in some variations becoming extinct (for instance, the wireless, being progressively superseded by the radio) or in the acceptance of wide variations as "perfectly good English" everywhere.
Chief among other native English dialects are Canadian English and Australian English, which rank third and fourth in the number of native speakers. For the most part, Canadian English, while featuring numerous British forms alongside native Canadianisms, shares vocabulary, phonology and syntax with American English, leading many to recognize North American English as an organic grouping of dialects. Australian English likewise shares many American and British English usages alongside plentiful features unique to Australia, and retains a significantly higher degree of distinctiveness from both the larger varieties than does Canadian English. South African English, New Zealand English and the Hiberno-English of Ireland are also distinctive and rank fifth, sixth and seventh in the number of native speakers.
Question:
This passage is intended _
Choices:
A. to persuade us to speak perfectly good English in the future.
B. to draw people's attention to the extinction of different English dialects.
C. to give the readers some useful information on variation of the English language.
D. to do a research on how the English language has influenced the world. | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high9295.txt | The English language was first introduced to the Americas by British colonization, beginning in 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia. Similarly, the language spread to numerous other parts of the world as a result of British trade and colonization elsewhere and the spread of the former British Empire, which, by 1921, held sway over a population of 470-570 million people, approximately a quarter of the world's population at that time.
Over the past 400 years the form of the language used in the Americas--especially in the United States--and that used in the United Kingdom have diverged in a few minor ways, leading to the versions now occasionally referred to as American English and British English. Differences between the two include pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, idioms, and formatting of dates and numbers. A small number of words have completely different meanings in the two versions or are even unknown or not used in one of the versions. One particular contribution towards formalizing these differences came from Noah Webster, who wrote the first American dictionary (published 1828) with the intention of showing that people in the United States spoke a different dialect from Britain, much like a regional accent.
It may be the case that increased worldwide communication through radio, television, the Internet and globalization has reduced the tendency towards regional variation. This can result either in some variations becoming extinct (for instance, the wireless, being progressively superseded by the radio) or in the acceptance of wide variations as "perfectly good English" everywhere.
Chief among other native English dialects are Canadian English and Australian English, which rank third and fourth in the number of native speakers. For the most part, Canadian English, while featuring numerous British forms alongside native Canadianisms, shares vocabulary, phonology and syntax with American English, leading many to recognize North American English as an organic grouping of dialects. Australian English likewise shares many American and British English usages alongside plentiful features unique to Australia, and retains a significantly higher degree of distinctiveness from both the larger varieties than does Canadian English. South African English, New Zealand English and the Hiberno-English of Ireland are also distinctive and rank fifth, sixth and seventh in the number of native speakers. | [
"to persuade us to speak perfectly good English in the future.",
"to draw people's attention to the extinction of different English dialects.",
"to give the readers some useful information on variation of the English language.",
"to do a research on how the English language has influenced the world."
] |
Leadville got its name for the following reasons EXCEPT _ . | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Among the more color1ful characters of Leadville's golden age were H.A.W.Tabor and his second wife, Elizabeth McCourt, better known as "Baby Doe". Their history is fast becoming one of the legends of the Old West. Horace Austin Warner Tabor was a school teacher in Vermont. With his first wife and two children he left Vermont by covered wagon in 1855 to homestead in Kansas. Perhaps he did not find farming to his liking, or perhaps he was lured by rumors of fortunes to be made in Colorado mines. At any rate, a few years later he moved west to the small Colorado mining camp known as California Gulch, which he later renamed Leadville when he became its leading citizen. "Great deposits of lead are sure to be found here." he said.
As it turned out, it was silver, not lead, that was to make Leadville's fortune and wealth. Tabor knew little about mining himself, so he opened a general store, which sold everything from boots to salt, flour, and tobacco.It was his custom to "grubstake" prospective miners, in other words, to supply them with food and supplies, or "grub", while they looked for ore , in return for which he would get a share in the mine if one was discovered. He did this for a number of years, but no one that he aided ever found anything of value.
Finally one day in the year 1878, so the story goes, two miners came in and asked for "grub". Tabor had decided to quit supplying it because he had lost too much money that way. These were persistent, however, and Tabor was too busy to argue with them. "Oh help yourself. One more time won't make any difference," He said and went on selling shoes and hats to other customers. The two miners took $17 worth of supplies, in return for which they gave Tabor a one-third interest in their findings. They picked a barren place on the mountain side and began to dig. After nine days they struck a rich vein of silver. Tabor bought the shares of the other two men, and so the mine belonged to him alone. This mine, known as the "Pittsburgh Mine," made $1,300,000 for Tabor in return for his $17 investment.
Later Tabor bought the Matchless Mine on another barren hillside just outside the town for $117,000. This turned out to be even more unbelievable than the Pittsburgh, yielding $35,000 worth of silver per day at one time. Leadville grew. Tabor became its first mayor, and later became lieutenant governor of the state.
Question:
Leadville got its name for the following reasons EXCEPT _ .
Choices:
A. because Tabor became its leading citizen
B. because great deposits of lead is expected to be found there
C. because it could bring good fortune to Tabor
D. because it was renamed | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high17737.txt | Among the more color1ful characters of Leadville's golden age were H.A.W.Tabor and his second wife, Elizabeth McCourt, better known as "Baby Doe". Their history is fast becoming one of the legends of the Old West. Horace Austin Warner Tabor was a school teacher in Vermont. With his first wife and two children he left Vermont by covered wagon in 1855 to homestead in Kansas. Perhaps he did not find farming to his liking, or perhaps he was lured by rumors of fortunes to be made in Colorado mines. At any rate, a few years later he moved west to the small Colorado mining camp known as California Gulch, which he later renamed Leadville when he became its leading citizen. "Great deposits of lead are sure to be found here." he said.
As it turned out, it was silver, not lead, that was to make Leadville's fortune and wealth. Tabor knew little about mining himself, so he opened a general store, which sold everything from boots to salt, flour, and tobacco.It was his custom to "grubstake" prospective miners, in other words, to supply them with food and supplies, or "grub", while they looked for ore , in return for which he would get a share in the mine if one was discovered. He did this for a number of years, but no one that he aided ever found anything of value.
Finally one day in the year 1878, so the story goes, two miners came in and asked for "grub". Tabor had decided to quit supplying it because he had lost too much money that way. These were persistent, however, and Tabor was too busy to argue with them. "Oh help yourself. One more time won't make any difference," He said and went on selling shoes and hats to other customers. The two miners took $17 worth of supplies, in return for which they gave Tabor a one-third interest in their findings. They picked a barren place on the mountain side and began to dig. After nine days they struck a rich vein of silver. Tabor bought the shares of the other two men, and so the mine belonged to him alone. This mine, known as the "Pittsburgh Mine," made $1,300,000 for Tabor in return for his $17 investment.
Later Tabor bought the Matchless Mine on another barren hillside just outside the town for $117,000. This turned out to be even more unbelievable than the Pittsburgh, yielding $35,000 worth of silver per day at one time. Leadville grew. Tabor became its first mayor, and later became lieutenant governor of the state. | [
"because Tabor became its leading citizen",
"because great deposits of lead is expected to be found there",
"because it could bring good fortune to Tabor",
"because it was renamed"
] |
Tina hardly tells her secrets to her friends. She probably goes to sleep _ . | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Everyone has got two personalities -the one that is shown to the world and the other that is secret and real. You don't show your secret personality when you're awake because you can control your behavior, but when you're asleep, your sleeping position shows the real you. In a normal night, of course, people frequently change their positions. The important position is the one that you go to sleep in.
If you go to sleep on your back, you're a very open person. You normally trust people and you are easily influenced by fashion or new ideas. You don't like to displease people. So you never express your real feelings. You're quite shy and you aren't quite sure of yourself.
If you sleep on your stomach, you are a rather secretive person. You worry a lot and you're always easily upset. You always stick to your own opinions or judgment, but you don't raise your hopes too much. You usually live for today not tomorrow. This means that you enjoy having a good time.
If you sleep curled up , you are probably a very nervous person. You have a low opinion of yourself and so you're often defensive. You're shy and you don't normally like meeting people. You prefer to be on your own. You're easily hurt.
If you sleep on your side, you have usually got a well--balanced personality. You know your strengths and weakness. You're usually careful. You believe in yourself. You sometimes feel anxious, but you don't often get sad. You always say what you think even if it makes people rather angry
Question:
Tina hardly tells her secrets to her friends. She probably goes to sleep _ .
Choices:
A. on curled up
B. on her stomach
C. on her back
D. on her side | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle106.txt | Everyone has got two personalities -the one that is shown to the world and the other that is secret and real. You don't show your secret personality when you're awake because you can control your behavior, but when you're asleep, your sleeping position shows the real you. In a normal night, of course, people frequently change their positions. The important position is the one that you go to sleep in.
If you go to sleep on your back, you're a very open person. You normally trust people and you are easily influenced by fashion or new ideas. You don't like to displease people. So you never express your real feelings. You're quite shy and you aren't quite sure of yourself.
If you sleep on your stomach, you are a rather secretive person. You worry a lot and you're always easily upset. You always stick to your own opinions or judgment, but you don't raise your hopes too much. You usually live for today not tomorrow. This means that you enjoy having a good time.
If you sleep curled up , you are probably a very nervous person. You have a low opinion of yourself and so you're often defensive. You're shy and you don't normally like meeting people. You prefer to be on your own. You're easily hurt.
If you sleep on your side, you have usually got a well--balanced personality. You know your strengths and weakness. You're usually careful. You believe in yourself. You sometimes feel anxious, but you don't often get sad. You always say what you think even if it makes people rather angry | [
"on curled up",
"on her stomach",
"on her back",
"on her side"
] |
According to the passage, the concept of "opportunity cost" is applied to _ . | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
However wealthy we may be, we can never find enough hours in the day to do everything we want. Economics deals with this problem through the concept of opportunity cost, which simply refers to whether someone's time or money could be better spent on something else.
Every hour of our time has a value. For every hour we work at one job we could quite easily be doing another, or be sleeping or watching a film. Each of these options has a different opportunity cost--namely, what they cost us in missed opportunities.
Say you intend to watch a football match but the tickets are expensive and it will take you a couple of hours to get to and from the stadium. Why not, you might reason, watch the game from home and use the _ money and _ to have dinner with friends? This--the alternative use of your cash and time--is the opportunity cost.
For economists, every decision is made by knowledge of what one must forgo--in terms of money and enjoyment--in order to take it up. By knowing precisely what you are receiving and what you are missing out on, you ought to be able to make better-informed, more reasonable decisions. Consider that most famous economic rule of all: there's no such thing as a free lunch. Even if someone offers to take you out to lunch for free, the time you will spend in the restaurant still costs you something in terms of forgone opportunities.
Some people find the idea of opportunity cost extremely discouraging: imagine spending your entire life calculating whether your time would be better spent elsewhere doing something more profitable or enjoyable. Yet, in a sense it's human nature to do precisely that--we assess the advantages and disadvantages of decisions all the time.
In the business world, a popular phrase is "value for money." People want their cash to go as far as possible. However, another is fast obtaining an advantage: "value for time." The biggest restriction on our resources is the number of hours we can devote to something, so we look to maximize the return we get on our investment of time. By reading this passage you are giving over a bit of your time which could be spent doing other activities, such as sleeping and eating. In return, however, this passage will help you to think like an economist, closely considering the opportunity cost of each of your decisions.
Question:
According to the passage, the concept of "opportunity cost" is applied to _ .
Choices:
A. making more money
B. taking more opportunities
C. reducing missed opportunities
D. weighing the choice of opportunities | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high6828.txt | However wealthy we may be, we can never find enough hours in the day to do everything we want. Economics deals with this problem through the concept of opportunity cost, which simply refers to whether someone's time or money could be better spent on something else.
Every hour of our time has a value. For every hour we work at one job we could quite easily be doing another, or be sleeping or watching a film. Each of these options has a different opportunity cost--namely, what they cost us in missed opportunities.
Say you intend to watch a football match but the tickets are expensive and it will take you a couple of hours to get to and from the stadium. Why not, you might reason, watch the game from home and use the _ money and _ to have dinner with friends? This--the alternative use of your cash and time--is the opportunity cost.
For economists, every decision is made by knowledge of what one must forgo--in terms of money and enjoyment--in order to take it up. By knowing precisely what you are receiving and what you are missing out on, you ought to be able to make better-informed, more reasonable decisions. Consider that most famous economic rule of all: there's no such thing as a free lunch. Even if someone offers to take you out to lunch for free, the time you will spend in the restaurant still costs you something in terms of forgone opportunities.
Some people find the idea of opportunity cost extremely discouraging: imagine spending your entire life calculating whether your time would be better spent elsewhere doing something more profitable or enjoyable. Yet, in a sense it's human nature to do precisely that--we assess the advantages and disadvantages of decisions all the time.
In the business world, a popular phrase is "value for money." People want their cash to go as far as possible. However, another is fast obtaining an advantage: "value for time." The biggest restriction on our resources is the number of hours we can devote to something, so we look to maximize the return we get on our investment of time. By reading this passage you are giving over a bit of your time which could be spent doing other activities, such as sleeping and eating. In return, however, this passage will help you to think like an economist, closely considering the opportunity cost of each of your decisions. | [
"making more money",
"taking more opportunities",
"reducing missed opportunities",
"weighing the choice of opportunities"
] |
What is David Chadwell's attitude toward separating elementary-age boys and girls while learning? | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
At a primary school in a small town in the east of South Carolina, second-grade teachers Garneau and Lynne are convinced that separating elementary-age boys and girls produces immediate academic improvement in both genders .
David Chadwell, South Carolina's expert of single gender education says, "Boys and girls learn, hear and respond to their surroundings differently.We can teach boys and girls based on what we now know."
Male and female eyes are not organized in the same way, he explains.The organization of the male eye makes it sensitive to motion and direction."Boys understand the world as objects moving through space," he says.
The male eye is also drawn to cooler colors like silver and black.It's no accident that boys tend to create pictures of moving objects instead of drawing the happy colorful family, like girls do in their class.
The female eye, on the other hand, is drawn to warmer colors like red, yellow and orange.To attract girls, Chadwell says, the teacher doesn't need to move as much as in boy's class.Using descriptive phrases and lots of colors in presentations or on the blackboard gets their attention.
Boys and girls also hear differently."When someone speaks in a loud tone, girls understand it as yelling," Chadwell says."They think you're mad and can shut down." Girls are more sensitive to sounds.He advises girls' teachers to watch the tone of their voices.Boys' teachers should sound more forceful, even excited.
A boy's nervous system causes him to be more cautious when he is standing, moving, and the room temperature is around 69 degrees Fahrenheit.Stress in boys, he says, tends to increase blood flow to their brains, a process that helps them stay focused.Girls are more focused when seated in a warmer room around 75 degrees Fahrenheit.Girls also respond to stress differently.When exposed to threat and conflict, blood goes to their guts , leaving them feeling nervous or anxious.
These differences can be applied in the classroom, Chadwell adds."Single gender programs are about making the best use of the learning."
Question:
What is David Chadwell's attitude toward separating elementary-age boys and girls while learning?
Choices:
A. Supportive
B. Worried
C. Concerned
D. Uninterested | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high7459.txt | At a primary school in a small town in the east of South Carolina, second-grade teachers Garneau and Lynne are convinced that separating elementary-age boys and girls produces immediate academic improvement in both genders .
David Chadwell, South Carolina's expert of single gender education says, "Boys and girls learn, hear and respond to their surroundings differently.We can teach boys and girls based on what we now know."
Male and female eyes are not organized in the same way, he explains.The organization of the male eye makes it sensitive to motion and direction."Boys understand the world as objects moving through space," he says.
The male eye is also drawn to cooler colors like silver and black.It's no accident that boys tend to create pictures of moving objects instead of drawing the happy colorful family, like girls do in their class.
The female eye, on the other hand, is drawn to warmer colors like red, yellow and orange.To attract girls, Chadwell says, the teacher doesn't need to move as much as in boy's class.Using descriptive phrases and lots of colors in presentations or on the blackboard gets their attention.
Boys and girls also hear differently."When someone speaks in a loud tone, girls understand it as yelling," Chadwell says."They think you're mad and can shut down." Girls are more sensitive to sounds.He advises girls' teachers to watch the tone of their voices.Boys' teachers should sound more forceful, even excited.
A boy's nervous system causes him to be more cautious when he is standing, moving, and the room temperature is around 69 degrees Fahrenheit.Stress in boys, he says, tends to increase blood flow to their brains, a process that helps them stay focused.Girls are more focused when seated in a warmer room around 75 degrees Fahrenheit.Girls also respond to stress differently.When exposed to threat and conflict, blood goes to their guts , leaving them feeling nervous or anxious.
These differences can be applied in the classroom, Chadwell adds."Single gender programs are about making the best use of the learning." | [
"Supportive",
"Worried",
"Concerned",
"Uninterested"
] |
What would happen if stress were got rid of completely? | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
While I will explain a bit about the science of stress and relaxation a little later simple way to think about it is that our body 's stress response works like a car alarm. Keep us safe by warning us of the presence of danger in our immediate environment.
But instead of warning us with a loud and annoying sound,our body alarm system lets us know that something is wrong by creating changes in our neurochemistry .If you've ever experienced pain in your stomach,periods of extreme anger, inability to focus or even insomnia ,chances are your body was paying the price in those moments for the brain chemistry of stress.
So if it's so uncomfortable,why not just get rid of stress altogether?
This is not only impractical,it would be dangerous. Let's go back to the metaphor of the car alarm. If the alarm is turned off altogether,the car is exposed to continual danger without there being any way of your knowing about it until it is too late. It would be like walking through the jungle without any fear signal in the presence of a poisonous snake or other dangerous animals -- while it might feel "nice" to be so relaxed,your body actually needs the stress response not only to remind you of danger but also to offer extra adrenaline for your heart and extra blood and oxygen for your arms and legs.
However,if the car alarm goes off at any time,someone just looks at the car with a bit of an attitude,and it becomes equally useless. Not only do we stop paying attention to it,but it begins to drive us and everyone around us becomes a little bit crazy. In the case of our bodies,walking around in a constant state of alarm also has some pretty alarming health consequences,which we will explore in greater depth in the next chapter.
Question:
What would happen if stress were got rid of completely?
Choices:
A. We'11 be free of worries.
B. We'11 achieve a sense of safety.
C. We'11 reach a perfect state of mind.
D. We'11 fail to realize the possible danger. | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high12842.txt | While I will explain a bit about the science of stress and relaxation a little later simple way to think about it is that our body 's stress response works like a car alarm. Keep us safe by warning us of the presence of danger in our immediate environment.
But instead of warning us with a loud and annoying sound,our body alarm system lets us know that something is wrong by creating changes in our neurochemistry .If you've ever experienced pain in your stomach,periods of extreme anger, inability to focus or even insomnia ,chances are your body was paying the price in those moments for the brain chemistry of stress.
So if it's so uncomfortable,why not just get rid of stress altogether?
This is not only impractical,it would be dangerous. Let's go back to the metaphor of the car alarm. If the alarm is turned off altogether,the car is exposed to continual danger without there being any way of your knowing about it until it is too late. It would be like walking through the jungle without any fear signal in the presence of a poisonous snake or other dangerous animals -- while it might feel "nice" to be so relaxed,your body actually needs the stress response not only to remind you of danger but also to offer extra adrenaline for your heart and extra blood and oxygen for your arms and legs.
However,if the car alarm goes off at any time,someone just looks at the car with a bit of an attitude,and it becomes equally useless. Not only do we stop paying attention to it,but it begins to drive us and everyone around us becomes a little bit crazy. In the case of our bodies,walking around in a constant state of alarm also has some pretty alarming health consequences,which we will explore in greater depth in the next chapter. | [
"We'11 be free of worries.",
"We'11 achieve a sense of safety.",
"We'11 reach a perfect state of mind.",
"We'11 fail to realize the possible danger."
] |
If you want your children to enjoy themselves you'd better choose _ . | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Many families find that when it comes to a Caribbean getaway, they prefer bigger hotels. If you're considering an Aruba vacation, there are plenty of resorts that will suit your every need.
Aruba Marriott Resort and Casino
This resort is on Aruba's famous palm Beach, and has the largest rooms of all Aruba hotels. A recent upgrade gives it a very fashionable look and feel. The resort offers excellent services on site including delicate fine dining and a 24-hour casino.
Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort
Popular with families, this resort stands out by its style and elegance. The most attractive aspect is the Spanish-style architecture and garden-like grounds. you will find waterfalls flowing into the beautiful man-made lake which add to the relaxing atmosphere. This hotel offers plenty to enjoy.
Renaissance Aruba Ocean Suites
This resort is absolutely fantastic for families with young children and features 40 acres of private beaches. The pool complex features several outdoor pools, two pool-side bars, and a swim-up bar. There is also a kids club which offers many activities. Guests at this hotel even have full access to the Radisson Aruba Resort Casino & Spring.
Occidental Grand Aruba
This resort is set on a beautiful white sandy beach and offers everything from sailing to late-night dancing. There is always plenty to do on the resort free of charge, but if you want to pay a little extra you can book yourself in for deep-sea fishing, golf, or private tennis lessons.
Question:
If you want your children to enjoy themselves you'd better choose _ .
Choices:
A. Aruba Marriott Resort
B. Occidental Grand Aruba
C. Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort
D. Renaissance Aruba Ocean Suites | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high11846.txt | Many families find that when it comes to a Caribbean getaway, they prefer bigger hotels. If you're considering an Aruba vacation, there are plenty of resorts that will suit your every need.
Aruba Marriott Resort and Casino
This resort is on Aruba's famous palm Beach, and has the largest rooms of all Aruba hotels. A recent upgrade gives it a very fashionable look and feel. The resort offers excellent services on site including delicate fine dining and a 24-hour casino.
Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort
Popular with families, this resort stands out by its style and elegance. The most attractive aspect is the Spanish-style architecture and garden-like grounds. you will find waterfalls flowing into the beautiful man-made lake which add to the relaxing atmosphere. This hotel offers plenty to enjoy.
Renaissance Aruba Ocean Suites
This resort is absolutely fantastic for families with young children and features 40 acres of private beaches. The pool complex features several outdoor pools, two pool-side bars, and a swim-up bar. There is also a kids club which offers many activities. Guests at this hotel even have full access to the Radisson Aruba Resort Casino & Spring.
Occidental Grand Aruba
This resort is set on a beautiful white sandy beach and offers everything from sailing to late-night dancing. There is always plenty to do on the resort free of charge, but if you want to pay a little extra you can book yourself in for deep-sea fishing, golf, or private tennis lessons. | [
"Aruba Marriott Resort",
"Occidental Grand Aruba",
"Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort",
"Renaissance Aruba Ocean Suites"
] |
What do you think is the tone of the story? | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
It was the small hours of the morning when we reached London Airport. I had cabled London from Amsterdam, and there was a hired car to meet, but there was one more unfortunate happening before I reached my flat. In all my travels I have never, but for that once, been required by the British customs to open a single bag or to do more than state that I carried no goods liable to duty. It was, of course, my fault; the extreme tiredness and nervous tension of the journey had destroyed my diplomacy. I was, for whichever reason, so tired that I could hardly stand, and to the question, "have you read this?" I replied with extreme foolishness, "yes, hundreds of times."
"And you have nothing to declare?"
"Nothing."
"How long have you been out of this country?"
"About three months."
"And during that time you have acquired nothing?"
"Nothing but what is on the list I have given you."
He seemed momentarily at a loss, but then he attacked. The attack, when it came, was utterly unexpected.
"Where did you get that watch?"
I could have kicked myself. Two days before, when playing water games with a friend in the bath, I had forgotten to take off my ROLEX OYSTER, and it had, not unnaturally, stopped. I had gone into the market and bought, for twelve shillings and six pence, an ugly time piece that made a strange noise. It had stopped twice, without any reason, during the journey.
I explained, but I had already lost face. I produced my own watch from a pocket, and added that I should be grateful if he would confiscate the replacement.
"It is not a question of confiscation," he said, "there is a fine for failing to declare dutiable goods. And now may I please examine that Rolex?"
It took another quarter of an hour to persuade him that the Rolex was not contraband . Just when I let out a sigh of relief, he began to search my luggage!
Question:
What do you think is the tone of the story?
Choices:
A. Humorous.
B. Indifferent.(uncaring)
C. Serious.
D. Matter-of-fact. | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high18022.txt | It was the small hours of the morning when we reached London Airport. I had cabled London from Amsterdam, and there was a hired car to meet, but there was one more unfortunate happening before I reached my flat. In all my travels I have never, but for that once, been required by the British customs to open a single bag or to do more than state that I carried no goods liable to duty. It was, of course, my fault; the extreme tiredness and nervous tension of the journey had destroyed my diplomacy. I was, for whichever reason, so tired that I could hardly stand, and to the question, "have you read this?" I replied with extreme foolishness, "yes, hundreds of times."
"And you have nothing to declare?"
"Nothing."
"How long have you been out of this country?"
"About three months."
"And during that time you have acquired nothing?"
"Nothing but what is on the list I have given you."
He seemed momentarily at a loss, but then he attacked. The attack, when it came, was utterly unexpected.
"Where did you get that watch?"
I could have kicked myself. Two days before, when playing water games with a friend in the bath, I had forgotten to take off my ROLEX OYSTER, and it had, not unnaturally, stopped. I had gone into the market and bought, for twelve shillings and six pence, an ugly time piece that made a strange noise. It had stopped twice, without any reason, during the journey.
I explained, but I had already lost face. I produced my own watch from a pocket, and added that I should be grateful if he would confiscate the replacement.
"It is not a question of confiscation," he said, "there is a fine for failing to declare dutiable goods. And now may I please examine that Rolex?"
It took another quarter of an hour to persuade him that the Rolex was not contraband . Just when I let out a sigh of relief, he began to search my luggage! | [
"Humorous.",
"Indifferent.(uncaring)",
"Serious.",
"Matter-of-fact."
] |
Land plants are classified into two major groups according to the absence or presence of what tissue? | null | Answer the following science question clearly and accurately. | Land plants are classified into two major groups according to the absence or presence of what tissue? | vascular | science | null | null | null | bacterial | disease | root | vascular | The Major Divisions of Land Plants Land plants are classified into two major groups according to the absence or presence of vascular tissue, as detailed in Figure 14.8. Plants that lack vascular tissue formed of specialized cells for the transport of water and nutrients are referred to as nonvascular plants. The bryophytes, liverworts, mosses, and hornworts are seedless and nonvascular, and likely appeared early in land plant evolution. Vascular plants developed a network of cells that conduct water and solutes through the plant body. The first vascular plants appeared in the late Ordovician (461–444 million years ago) and were probably similar to lycophytes, which include club mosses (not to be confused with the mosses) and the pterophytes (ferns, horsetails, and whisk ferns). Lycophytes and pterophytes are referred to as seedless vascular plants. They do not produce seeds, which are embryos with their stored food reserves protected by a hard casing. The seed plants form the largest group of all existing plants and, hence, dominate the landscape. Seed plants include gymnosperms, most notably conifers, which produce “naked. | null | null | null |
The main point of the passage is _ . | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Back in old times, people had little knowledge about the universe and nature. Things we now consider to be common sense were mysteries to our ancestors.
Over the years, major breakthroughs have been made in science and many phenomena have been explained. But still, there are always questions we can't yet answer, and The Guardian has listed some of them.
1. What makes us human?
Just looking at your DNA won't tell you - human DNA is 99 percent _ to that of the chimpanzee and, believe it or not, 50 percent identical to a banana's! A lot of the things we once thought were unique about us - language and tool use, recognizing ourselves in the mirror and so on - have since been seen in other animals. Perhaps it's our culture that makes the difference or maybe our ability to use fire. It's also possible that our capacity for co-operation and our trading skills are what make us unique.
2. Why do we dream?
Given the fact that we spend around a third of our lives sleeping, shouldn't we know everything about it? Unfortunately, scientists are still searching for a complete explanation of what happens when we sleep and why we dream.
Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud believed dreams were the expressions of wishes that we can't fulfill in our real lives. Others have wondered whether dreams are just random "noise" coming from a sleeping brain.
3. Could we someday live forever?
Apart from accidents, most people die because of diseases that can be treated and aging. And since many diseases, such as diabetes and cancer, are diseases of aging, treating aging itself could be the key to extending our lives.
Our knowledge of what causes us to age - and what allows some animals to live longer than others - is expanding rapidly. And though we haven't quite worked out all the details, we've worked out some pieces of the puzzles such as DNA damage and metabolism , which are all leading to the invention of drugs that can slow down the aging process.
If we're lucky enough to lengthen our lives, we might even get to see the day when all of these questions are answered.
Question:
The main point of the passage is _ .
Choices:
A. to inform people of the knowledge about the universe and nature
B. to introduce major breakthroughs that have been made in science
C. to present some questions we can't yet answer
D. to explain what were once mysteries to our ancestors | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high4912.txt | Back in old times, people had little knowledge about the universe and nature. Things we now consider to be common sense were mysteries to our ancestors.
Over the years, major breakthroughs have been made in science and many phenomena have been explained. But still, there are always questions we can't yet answer, and The Guardian has listed some of them.
1. What makes us human?
Just looking at your DNA won't tell you - human DNA is 99 percent _ to that of the chimpanzee and, believe it or not, 50 percent identical to a banana's! A lot of the things we once thought were unique about us - language and tool use, recognizing ourselves in the mirror and so on - have since been seen in other animals. Perhaps it's our culture that makes the difference or maybe our ability to use fire. It's also possible that our capacity for co-operation and our trading skills are what make us unique.
2. Why do we dream?
Given the fact that we spend around a third of our lives sleeping, shouldn't we know everything about it? Unfortunately, scientists are still searching for a complete explanation of what happens when we sleep and why we dream.
Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud believed dreams were the expressions of wishes that we can't fulfill in our real lives. Others have wondered whether dreams are just random "noise" coming from a sleeping brain.
3. Could we someday live forever?
Apart from accidents, most people die because of diseases that can be treated and aging. And since many diseases, such as diabetes and cancer, are diseases of aging, treating aging itself could be the key to extending our lives.
Our knowledge of what causes us to age - and what allows some animals to live longer than others - is expanding rapidly. And though we haven't quite worked out all the details, we've worked out some pieces of the puzzles such as DNA damage and metabolism , which are all leading to the invention of drugs that can slow down the aging process.
If we're lucky enough to lengthen our lives, we might even get to see the day when all of these questions are answered. | [
"to inform people of the knowledge about the universe and nature",
"to introduce major breakthroughs that have been made in science",
"to present some questions we can't yet answer",
"to explain what were once mysteries to our ancestors"
] |
In Hawaii, they normally get an average of 2 inches of rain a day. With 100 days left in the year, they've gotten 430 inches of rain. How many inches on average do they need to finish the year with the normal average? | They need 730 inches of rain a year to average 2 inches a day because 365 x 2 = 730
They need 300 more inches because 730 - 430 = <<730-430=300>>300
They need 3 inches a day because 300 / 100 = <<300/100=3>>3
#### 3 | Solve the following math problem and explain your reasoning step by step. | In Hawaii, they normally get an average of 2 inches of rain a day. With 100 days left in the year, they've gotten 430 inches of rain. How many inches on average do they need to finish the year with the normal average? | They need 730 inches of rain a year to average 2 inches a day because 365 x 2 = 730
They need 300 more inches because 730 - 430 = <<730-430=300>>300
They need 3 inches a day because 300 / 100 = <<300/100=3>>3
#### 3 | math | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Connie redeemed all her arcade tickets today. She spent half of them on a stuffed koala bear. She spent 10 tickets on a pair of earbuds. She spent another 15 tickets on glow bracelets. How many tickets did Connie redeem today? | Connie spent 10 tickets on earbuds + 15 tickets on glow bracelets = <<10+15=25>>25 tickets.
Since Connie spends half of her tickets on a stuffed koala bear, that means the 25 tickets she spent on earbuds and glow bracelets is the other half, so she spent 25 tickets on the stuffed koala bear.
In all, Connie spent 25 tickets on earbuds and glow bracelets + 25 tickets on a stuffed koala bear = <<25+25=50>>50 tickets.
#### 50 | Solve the following math problem and explain your reasoning step by step. | Connie redeemed all her arcade tickets today. She spent half of them on a stuffed koala bear. She spent 10 tickets on a pair of earbuds. She spent another 15 tickets on glow bracelets. How many tickets did Connie redeem today? | Connie spent 10 tickets on earbuds + 15 tickets on glow bracelets = <<10+15=25>>25 tickets.
Since Connie spends half of her tickets on a stuffed koala bear, that means the 25 tickets she spent on earbuds and glow bracelets is the other half, so she spent 25 tickets on the stuffed koala bear.
In all, Connie spent 25 tickets on earbuds and glow bracelets + 25 tickets on a stuffed koala bear = <<25+25=50>>50 tickets.
#### 50 | math | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Luisa drives 10 miles to the grocery store, 6 miles to the mall, 5 miles to the pet store, then 9 miles back home. One gallon of gas can be used to drive 15 miles. If one gallon of gas costs $3.50, what is the total cost of the gas for Luisa’s entire trip? | Luisa drives a total of 10 + 6 + 5 + 9 = <<10+6+5+9=30>>30 miles
Luisa uses 30 / 15 = <<30/15=2>>2 gallons of gas for her trip
The total cost of the gas for Luisa’s trip is 2 * $3.50 = $<<2*3.5=7>>7
#### 7 | Solve the following math problem and explain your reasoning step by step. | Luisa drives 10 miles to the grocery store, 6 miles to the mall, 5 miles to the pet store, then 9 miles back home. One gallon of gas can be used to drive 15 miles. If one gallon of gas costs $3.50, what is the total cost of the gas for Luisa’s entire trip? | Luisa drives a total of 10 + 6 + 5 + 9 = <<10+6+5+9=30>>30 miles
Luisa uses 30 / 15 = <<30/15=2>>2 gallons of gas for her trip
The total cost of the gas for Luisa’s trip is 2 * $3.50 = $<<2*3.5=7>>7
#### 7 | math | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
For the labour-importing countries,the flow of labour may lead to _ . | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Last year more than one million Filipinos worked abroad as servants,nurses,sailors and in other difficult but low-paid jobs.Southeast Asians leave their poorer countries for their richer neighbours.
Many of these wage-earners return in the end.In the meantime,they send home huge amounts of money--in the Philippines' case,over 10% of its GDP.Between January and November,the amount was up 18% on the same period of 2005.Poverty and unemployment are still high in the Philippines and other labour-exporting countries.They would be far worse but for this outflow of bodies and inflow of dollars.As for those Asian countries that import labour,as in Europe,falling birth rates mean they are going to need more foreign workers.
On January 13th leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) signed an agreement to help migrant workers--with the realization that the flow of labour between their countries is a growing problem that they cannot blame on outsiders.A 2005 study showed that 8.4 million Southeast Asians worked outside their home countries,but this did not include the huge numbers of Indonesians doing so without papers.So the true total is probably rather higher.
Of the ten ASEAN countries,the Philippines,Indonesia,Myanmar,Cambodia,Vietnam and Laos export labour,Singapore and Brunei import it,and Thailand and Malaysia do both.Sziraczki of the UN's International Labour Organization points out that,in the next ten years,the total labour force of the worker-exporting countries should grow by about a third.It makes sense to work on the problem before it gets out of control.
People in the receiving countries seem to be worried about competition for their jobs.Most Thais said their government should admit no more foreign workers,and a few thought otherwise.Even in Singapore,just over half of people are against admitting more foreign workers.Malaysians think that the increase in foreign workers has worsened crime rates .
Question:
For the labour-importing countries,the flow of labour may lead to _ .
Choices:
A. higher birth rates
B. lower crime rates
C. greater money inflows
D. stronger job competition | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high8279.txt | Last year more than one million Filipinos worked abroad as servants,nurses,sailors and in other difficult but low-paid jobs.Southeast Asians leave their poorer countries for their richer neighbours.
Many of these wage-earners return in the end.In the meantime,they send home huge amounts of money--in the Philippines' case,over 10% of its GDP.Between January and November,the amount was up 18% on the same period of 2005.Poverty and unemployment are still high in the Philippines and other labour-exporting countries.They would be far worse but for this outflow of bodies and inflow of dollars.As for those Asian countries that import labour,as in Europe,falling birth rates mean they are going to need more foreign workers.
On January 13th leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) signed an agreement to help migrant workers--with the realization that the flow of labour between their countries is a growing problem that they cannot blame on outsiders.A 2005 study showed that 8.4 million Southeast Asians worked outside their home countries,but this did not include the huge numbers of Indonesians doing so without papers.So the true total is probably rather higher.
Of the ten ASEAN countries,the Philippines,Indonesia,Myanmar,Cambodia,Vietnam and Laos export labour,Singapore and Brunei import it,and Thailand and Malaysia do both.Sziraczki of the UN's International Labour Organization points out that,in the next ten years,the total labour force of the worker-exporting countries should grow by about a third.It makes sense to work on the problem before it gets out of control.
People in the receiving countries seem to be worried about competition for their jobs.Most Thais said their government should admit no more foreign workers,and a few thought otherwise.Even in Singapore,just over half of people are against admitting more foreign workers.Malaysians think that the increase in foreign workers has worsened crime rates . | [
"higher birth rates",
"lower crime rates",
"greater money inflows",
"stronger job competition"
] |
What is formed when an enzyme binds its substrate? | null | Answer the following science question clearly and accurately. | What is formed when an enzyme binds its substrate? | enzyme - substrate complex | science | null | null | null | lock and key model | vessel - substrate complex | nucleus - substrate complex | enzyme - substrate complex | View an animation (http://openstaxcollege. org/l/hexokinase2) of induced fit. When an enzyme binds its substrate, an enzyme-substrate complex is formed. This complex lowers the activation energy of the reaction and promotes its rapid progression in one of multiple possible ways. On a basic level, enzymes promote chemical reactions that involve more than one substrate by bringing the substrates together in an optimal orientation for reaction. Another way in which enzymes promote the reaction of their substrates is by creating an optimal environment within the active site for the reaction to occur. The chemical properties that emerge from the particular arrangement of amino acid R groups within an active site create the perfect environment for an enzyme’s specific substrates to react. The enzyme-substrate complex can also lower activation energy by compromising the bond structure so that it is easier to break. Finally, enzymes can also lower activation energies by taking part in the chemical reaction itself. In these cases, it is important to remember that the enzyme will always return to its original state by the completion of the reaction. One of the hallmark properties of enzymes is that they remain ultimately unchanged by the reactions they catalyze. After an enzyme has catalyzed a reaction, it releases its product(s) and can catalyze a new reaction. | null | null | null |
There are 20 students in the orchestra and twice that number in the band. There are 12 boys and 16 girls in the choir. If each student only participates in one group, how many students, in total, are there in the orchestra, the band, and the choir? | There are 20 x 2 = <<20*2=40>>40 students in the band.
There are 12 + 16 = <<12+16=28>>28 students in the choir.
In total there are 20 + 40 + 28 = <<20+40+28=88>>88 students.
#### 88 | Solve the following math problem and explain your reasoning step by step. | There are 20 students in the orchestra and twice that number in the band. There are 12 boys and 16 girls in the choir. If each student only participates in one group, how many students, in total, are there in the orchestra, the band, and the choir? | There are 20 x 2 = <<20*2=40>>40 students in the band.
There are 12 + 16 = <<12+16=28>>28 students in the choir.
In total there are 20 + 40 + 28 = <<20+40+28=88>>88 students.
#### 88 | math | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
What can we learn about free - form gestures? | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
As more people use smart phones to pay bills and store personal information, strict password security has become more important than ever. A new study shows that free - form gestures - sweeping fingers in shapes across the screen of a smart phone--can be used to unlock phones. These gestures are less likely to be observed and reproduced by others than traditional typed passwords.
"All that it takes to steal a password is a quick eye," said one of the researchers of the study. "With all the personal information we have on our phones today, improving their security is becoming increasingly necessary." In developing a secure solution to this problem, the researchers studied the practicality of using free - form gestures. With the ability to create any shape in any size and location on the screen, the gestures were popular as passwords. Since users create them without following a template, the researchers predicted these gestures would allow for greater complexity.
The researchers carried out a create - test - retest experiment where 63 people were asked to create a gesture, recall it, and recall it again 10 days later. The gestures were captured on a recognizer system designed by the team. Using this data, they tested the complexity and accuracy of each gesture using information theory. The result of their analysis is that people are favorable to use free - form gestures as passwords.
To put their analysis into practice, the researchers then had seven students in computer science and engineering, each with considerable experience with touchscreens , attempt to steal a free - form gesture password by observing a phone user secretly. None of them were able to copy the gestures with enough accuracy. The gestures appear to be extremely powerful against attacks.
Though the testing is in its early stage and widespread adaptation of this technology is not yet clear, the research team plans to continue to analyze the security and management of free - form passwords in the future. They believe this is the first study to explore free - form gestures as passwords. They will soon publish their findings.
Question:
What can we learn about free - form gestures?
Choices:
A. They are improving mobile security in a way.
B. Users will have to make use of simple gestures.
C. They will never be copied by others.
D. Users must move their fingers in fixed shapes. | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high9861.txt | As more people use smart phones to pay bills and store personal information, strict password security has become more important than ever. A new study shows that free - form gestures - sweeping fingers in shapes across the screen of a smart phone--can be used to unlock phones. These gestures are less likely to be observed and reproduced by others than traditional typed passwords.
"All that it takes to steal a password is a quick eye," said one of the researchers of the study. "With all the personal information we have on our phones today, improving their security is becoming increasingly necessary." In developing a secure solution to this problem, the researchers studied the practicality of using free - form gestures. With the ability to create any shape in any size and location on the screen, the gestures were popular as passwords. Since users create them without following a template, the researchers predicted these gestures would allow for greater complexity.
The researchers carried out a create - test - retest experiment where 63 people were asked to create a gesture, recall it, and recall it again 10 days later. The gestures were captured on a recognizer system designed by the team. Using this data, they tested the complexity and accuracy of each gesture using information theory. The result of their analysis is that people are favorable to use free - form gestures as passwords.
To put their analysis into practice, the researchers then had seven students in computer science and engineering, each with considerable experience with touchscreens , attempt to steal a free - form gesture password by observing a phone user secretly. None of them were able to copy the gestures with enough accuracy. The gestures appear to be extremely powerful against attacks.
Though the testing is in its early stage and widespread adaptation of this technology is not yet clear, the research team plans to continue to analyze the security and management of free - form passwords in the future. They believe this is the first study to explore free - form gestures as passwords. They will soon publish their findings. | [
"They are improving mobile security in a way.",
"Users will have to make use of simple gestures.",
"They will never be copied by others.",
"Users must move their fingers in fixed shapes."
] |
The best title for the passage might be _ . | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Norah has a cottage on a cliff above a big bay. In winter it could be very nasty because of strong winds and sea _ In fact, when a gale was blowing, Norah and her husband got used to sleeping in a small room downstairs, because their bedroom upstairs, which faced the gales, had a very big window, and they were afraid that an extra violent gust might break it and blow pieces of broken glass over them.
Also, the salt spray from the sea put an end to many of the colorful plants Norah planted in the garden. She tried putting up a fence to protect them, but the wind just hit it, went up over the top and then down the other side, so in the end she filled the garden with trees and bushes that liked salt.
But most of the summer Norah enjoyed her cottage and garden very much. At weekends she could sit out-of-doors in the sun, looking at the beautiful view, with interesting ships and boats passing by, and she could very easily cycle down to the sea for a swim.
Now, Norah and her husband had plenty of friends and relations. In the summer most of them used to come to enjoy the beautiful place, and in the end it really became quite annoying for Norah and her husband. When they were at home, they found friends and relations arriving, expecting to be given unlimited drinks and meals, and to sit in the sun for hours, talking as if Norah and her husband had nothing else to do but entertain and listen to them.
This went on for several years. Norah did not wish to appear rude by refusing to let her friends and relations in, but on the other hand, she was getting tired every summer.
Then one day Norah was complaining about this to her hairdresser while she was doing her hair. "You're disturbed by too many uninvited guests, are you?" said the hairdresser. "Why don't you try my way of escaping?"
"What's that?" asked Norah.
"Well," the hairdresser answered, "when the bell rings, I put on my coat and take my shopping bag. If it's someone I don't want to see, I say innocently, 'I'm sorry, but I've got to go out. But...'"
Question:
The best title for the passage might be _ .
Choices:
A. A Good Place of Enjoying the Sea
B. A Warm-hearted Couple
C. A Clever Way of Escaping
D. A Visit to Norah | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high14081.txt | Norah has a cottage on a cliff above a big bay. In winter it could be very nasty because of strong winds and sea _ In fact, when a gale was blowing, Norah and her husband got used to sleeping in a small room downstairs, because their bedroom upstairs, which faced the gales, had a very big window, and they were afraid that an extra violent gust might break it and blow pieces of broken glass over them.
Also, the salt spray from the sea put an end to many of the colorful plants Norah planted in the garden. She tried putting up a fence to protect them, but the wind just hit it, went up over the top and then down the other side, so in the end she filled the garden with trees and bushes that liked salt.
But most of the summer Norah enjoyed her cottage and garden very much. At weekends she could sit out-of-doors in the sun, looking at the beautiful view, with interesting ships and boats passing by, and she could very easily cycle down to the sea for a swim.
Now, Norah and her husband had plenty of friends and relations. In the summer most of them used to come to enjoy the beautiful place, and in the end it really became quite annoying for Norah and her husband. When they were at home, they found friends and relations arriving, expecting to be given unlimited drinks and meals, and to sit in the sun for hours, talking as if Norah and her husband had nothing else to do but entertain and listen to them.
This went on for several years. Norah did not wish to appear rude by refusing to let her friends and relations in, but on the other hand, she was getting tired every summer.
Then one day Norah was complaining about this to her hairdresser while she was doing her hair. "You're disturbed by too many uninvited guests, are you?" said the hairdresser. "Why don't you try my way of escaping?"
"What's that?" asked Norah.
"Well," the hairdresser answered, "when the bell rings, I put on my coat and take my shopping bag. If it's someone I don't want to see, I say innocently, 'I'm sorry, but I've got to go out. But...'" | [
"A Good Place of Enjoying the Sea",
"A Warm-hearted Couple",
"A Clever Way of Escaping",
"A Visit to Norah"
] |
The last sentence of the passage implies that pepperoni and cheese _ . | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Children in the United States eat too much pizza that some researchers now argue the food should join the ranks of sugary drinks and fast food for the harm they do to health.
In a new study, the researchers found that pizza is a large source of calories, saturated fat and salt in children's diets.Children should not eat more than two slices of pizza for a meal,and should pair that with salad, rather than with another high-calorie food,the researchers concluded.
"Parents should aim to control pizza consumption , particularly as a snack where it was shown to have a very adverse impact on children, and they should put their pizza dollars toward healthier brands."Said Lisa Powel, director of the Illinois Prevention Research Center.
Pizza has become a matter of focus in recent years for researchers who look at the meals children eat, rather than the nutrients within them.Studies have found pizza is among the greatest sources of calories for children.
"Since pizza remains a common part of children's diet, we need to make 'healthy' pizza."Powel said.To make pizza healthier, food producers should reduce its saturated fat and salt, and increase its whole grain content," she said.
Whether or not pizza is harmful enough to be picked out as an unhealthy food, the study attracts attention to a larger issue with the modern American lifestyle, said Alexis Tindall, who was not involved in the flow research. "Many foods are eaten too frequently and in large sizes," said Tindall.To solve the problem, people don't have to give up eating pizza, but instead, they can eat smaller and healthier pizza,"she said.
"Make it at home, instead of ordering it out where you don't have any control over how it's made." Tindall said. "When we make it at home, we can choose healthier ingredients,increase the vegetables, reduce fat, and put in less cheese.Pizza doesn't have to be just pepperoni and cheese."
Question:
The last sentence of the passage implies that pepperoni and cheese _ .
Choices:
A. are necessary ingredients of pizza
B. are not the only healthy ingredients of pizza
C. should all be replaced with healthier ingredient.
D. should be reduced by adding healthier ingredients. | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high11166.txt | Children in the United States eat too much pizza that some researchers now argue the food should join the ranks of sugary drinks and fast food for the harm they do to health.
In a new study, the researchers found that pizza is a large source of calories, saturated fat and salt in children's diets.Children should not eat more than two slices of pizza for a meal,and should pair that with salad, rather than with another high-calorie food,the researchers concluded.
"Parents should aim to control pizza consumption , particularly as a snack where it was shown to have a very adverse impact on children, and they should put their pizza dollars toward healthier brands."Said Lisa Powel, director of the Illinois Prevention Research Center.
Pizza has become a matter of focus in recent years for researchers who look at the meals children eat, rather than the nutrients within them.Studies have found pizza is among the greatest sources of calories for children.
"Since pizza remains a common part of children's diet, we need to make 'healthy' pizza."Powel said.To make pizza healthier, food producers should reduce its saturated fat and salt, and increase its whole grain content," she said.
Whether or not pizza is harmful enough to be picked out as an unhealthy food, the study attracts attention to a larger issue with the modern American lifestyle, said Alexis Tindall, who was not involved in the flow research. "Many foods are eaten too frequently and in large sizes," said Tindall.To solve the problem, people don't have to give up eating pizza, but instead, they can eat smaller and healthier pizza,"she said.
"Make it at home, instead of ordering it out where you don't have any control over how it's made." Tindall said. "When we make it at home, we can choose healthier ingredients,increase the vegetables, reduce fat, and put in less cheese.Pizza doesn't have to be just pepperoni and cheese." | [
"are necessary ingredients of pizza",
"are not the only healthy ingredients of pizza",
"should all be replaced with healthier ingredient.",
"should be reduced by adding healthier ingredients."
] |
According to the professor, many people's attitude towards American colleges is _ . | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
As a professor I have grown accustomed to the opinion regarding American education. We are repeatedly told that American schools are failing, that colleges are not teaching, and that the students of today are not as good as the students of the past.
There are, of course, problems with the education system. Because of economic inequality some schools are significantly better than others and the ideas of equality of education and equality of opportunity are cruel jokes. However, the mere fact that there are some serious problems does not mean that all the _ claims are true.
One stock claim is that America has fallen behind the world in education in terms of performance on various tests. While the fact that America is behind other countries is a point of concern, there are at least three points worth considering here. The first is the above-mentioned economic inequality which will tend to result in poorer performance when taking the average for America. The second is that many countries have put considerable effort into improving their education systems and hence it is worth considering that America's decline is also due to the improvement of others. The third is the matter of the measures-- do they, in fact, present an accurate picture of the situation? I am not claiming that the data is bad. I am merely raising a reasonable concern about how accurate our picture of education is at this time.
Another stock claim is that American students are doing badly on standardized tests. While there is clearly value in assessment, it is reasonable to consider whether or not such tests are a proper and adequate measure of education. It is also worth considering whether the puzzle with these tests is itself causing damage to education. That is, as teachers teach for the test and students learn for the test, it might be the case that what is being taught is not what should be taught and what is being learned is not what should be learned.
Question:
According to the professor, many people's attitude towards American colleges is _ .
Choices:
A. negative
B. positive
C. approving
D. indifferent | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high6390.txt | As a professor I have grown accustomed to the opinion regarding American education. We are repeatedly told that American schools are failing, that colleges are not teaching, and that the students of today are not as good as the students of the past.
There are, of course, problems with the education system. Because of economic inequality some schools are significantly better than others and the ideas of equality of education and equality of opportunity are cruel jokes. However, the mere fact that there are some serious problems does not mean that all the _ claims are true.
One stock claim is that America has fallen behind the world in education in terms of performance on various tests. While the fact that America is behind other countries is a point of concern, there are at least three points worth considering here. The first is the above-mentioned economic inequality which will tend to result in poorer performance when taking the average for America. The second is that many countries have put considerable effort into improving their education systems and hence it is worth considering that America's decline is also due to the improvement of others. The third is the matter of the measures-- do they, in fact, present an accurate picture of the situation? I am not claiming that the data is bad. I am merely raising a reasonable concern about how accurate our picture of education is at this time.
Another stock claim is that American students are doing badly on standardized tests. While there is clearly value in assessment, it is reasonable to consider whether or not such tests are a proper and adequate measure of education. It is also worth considering whether the puzzle with these tests is itself causing damage to education. That is, as teachers teach for the test and students learn for the test, it might be the case that what is being taught is not what should be taught and what is being learned is not what should be learned. | [
"negative",
"positive",
"approving",
"indifferent"
] |
The best title of the passage is " _ ". | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Mrs Brown has a big garden and she likes growing vegetables very much. There are many kinds of vegetables in Mrs Brown's garden. She looks after them and the vegetables look very nice.
The vegetables grow well and Mrs Brown wants to make dinner with them one day. Today, it is sunny. Mrs Brown's son, four-year-old Johnson, is playing in the garden. Mrs Brown is cleaning the house. Suddenly ,Johnson runs in and says, "Mom, Mom! Come to the garden! Our neighbor's ducks are in the garden and they are eating our vegetables."
But it is too late. The ducks eat up all the vegetables. Mrs Brown is very sad and her neighbor is very sorry. After a few days, the neighbor brings a box to Mrs Brown. There is a roast duck in the box. And there is also a piece of paper in it. Some words are on _ : I am sorry. Enjoy your vegetables.
Question:
The best title of the passage is " _ ".
Choices:
A. A good boy
B. Nice vegetables
C. The neighbor's ducks
D. Enjoy your vegetables. | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle7805.txt | Mrs Brown has a big garden and she likes growing vegetables very much. There are many kinds of vegetables in Mrs Brown's garden. She looks after them and the vegetables look very nice.
The vegetables grow well and Mrs Brown wants to make dinner with them one day. Today, it is sunny. Mrs Brown's son, four-year-old Johnson, is playing in the garden. Mrs Brown is cleaning the house. Suddenly ,Johnson runs in and says, "Mom, Mom! Come to the garden! Our neighbor's ducks are in the garden and they are eating our vegetables."
But it is too late. The ducks eat up all the vegetables. Mrs Brown is very sad and her neighbor is very sorry. After a few days, the neighbor brings a box to Mrs Brown. There is a roast duck in the box. And there is also a piece of paper in it. Some words are on _ : I am sorry. Enjoy your vegetables. | [
"A good boy",
"Nice vegetables",
"The neighbor's ducks",
"Enjoy your vegetables."
] |
Which of the following is NOT true? | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Don't be afraid! We are not encouraging people to steal. It's one of the most popular topics currently talked about by people in cities, together with, "How many vegetables did you steal today?"or, "It's harvest time for your peaches," and, "I bought you a new car today."
Listening to a conversation like this, you do not have to feel strange. These people don't really have their own farms or so much money that they can casually buy someone else a car.
They are just playing games on Social Networking Sites(SNS) like kaixing001.com. Can you imagine millions of people in China spending lots of time on SNS playing games and talking to friends? This is especially true of white-collar workers in cities, Take kaixing001.com for example --the number of current members has already hit 38 million.
However, the large number of people using SNS highlights another problem. That is, lots of people choose to escape from reality, NSN just offers them a virtual environment where they can escape from reality.
Different games provide netizens with different experiences: dreaming, chatting and playing. It offers people the opportunity to escape from reality. But the virtual world is not the real one; no one can live in _ forever, and reality is not as surfing on the Internet.
Since this kind of social networking sites have become so popular, people have started to think about moving it into the real world. And so far as we know, a farmland of this kind exists in Shanghai where it has reached its first base.
After playing the "Happy Farm"game on kaixing001.com, would you like to put yourself among the real world while smelling the fragrances of the countryside? Recently a farmland service called "Happy Farm in Reality" was opened in the suburbs of Shanghai where white-collar workers can experience the real farmers' for themselves.
Question:
Which of the following is NOT true?
Choices:
A. Millions of people in China are spending lots of time on SNS.
B. People steal vegetables on SNS for living.
C. Lots of people play games on SNS to escape from reality.
D. White-collar workers can have the real farmers' life. | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high8454.txt | Don't be afraid! We are not encouraging people to steal. It's one of the most popular topics currently talked about by people in cities, together with, "How many vegetables did you steal today?"or, "It's harvest time for your peaches," and, "I bought you a new car today."
Listening to a conversation like this, you do not have to feel strange. These people don't really have their own farms or so much money that they can casually buy someone else a car.
They are just playing games on Social Networking Sites(SNS) like kaixing001.com. Can you imagine millions of people in China spending lots of time on SNS playing games and talking to friends? This is especially true of white-collar workers in cities, Take kaixing001.com for example --the number of current members has already hit 38 million.
However, the large number of people using SNS highlights another problem. That is, lots of people choose to escape from reality, NSN just offers them a virtual environment where they can escape from reality.
Different games provide netizens with different experiences: dreaming, chatting and playing. It offers people the opportunity to escape from reality. But the virtual world is not the real one; no one can live in _ forever, and reality is not as surfing on the Internet.
Since this kind of social networking sites have become so popular, people have started to think about moving it into the real world. And so far as we know, a farmland of this kind exists in Shanghai where it has reached its first base.
After playing the "Happy Farm"game on kaixing001.com, would you like to put yourself among the real world while smelling the fragrances of the countryside? Recently a farmland service called "Happy Farm in Reality" was opened in the suburbs of Shanghai where white-collar workers can experience the real farmers' for themselves. | [
"Millions of people in China are spending lots of time on SNS.",
"People steal vegetables on SNS for living.",
"Lots of people play games on SNS to escape from reality.",
"White-collar workers can have the real farmers' life."
] |
It can be inferred that_. | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Men weigh up potential partners almost instantaneously based on their appearance because their "ancient" genetic preference for attractive mates leads them to, experts claim.
According to research, a woman with an attractive face is taken by men to be fertile and able to continue the family line, appealing to the man's survival instinct.
In contrast women take longer to decide their feelings for a man because they need to weigh up whether he will be a committed partner who will provide for them well - part of their survival programming.
They tested men and women's preference towards looks by conducting a series of tests on 20 women and 20 men, making them perform tasks while recording their brain activity.
While the subjects were doing the task they were shown a series of photographs of faces of the opposite sex, ranging from attractive to ugly.
Men were easily distracted when they saw a pretty face but women stuck to the task.
Prof van Vugt said: "Men definitely have the most wandering eye but it is because they have evolved to pay attention to cues of fertility and one of those cues is facial beauty - it's not that men are shallow."
But we found they do make snap judgments about women, much earlier than was previously thought. They make that decision on whether a woman would be a good mating partner in milliseconds.
This is something very ancient and a way of helping men find the best mate to produce children.
Women were not distracted by attractive male faces because women need more proof of whether a man is a good mate.
"Women make that decision on behaviour, whether a man is trustworthy and committed. They make their decision much later than men."
Question:
It can be inferred that_.
Choices:
A. to find a best mate takes a man more time
B. to find a best mate takes a woman more time
C. to find a best mate isn't important for a man
D. to find a best mate isn't important for a woman | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high18642.txt | Men weigh up potential partners almost instantaneously based on their appearance because their "ancient" genetic preference for attractive mates leads them to, experts claim.
According to research, a woman with an attractive face is taken by men to be fertile and able to continue the family line, appealing to the man's survival instinct.
In contrast women take longer to decide their feelings for a man because they need to weigh up whether he will be a committed partner who will provide for them well - part of their survival programming.
They tested men and women's preference towards looks by conducting a series of tests on 20 women and 20 men, making them perform tasks while recording their brain activity.
While the subjects were doing the task they were shown a series of photographs of faces of the opposite sex, ranging from attractive to ugly.
Men were easily distracted when they saw a pretty face but women stuck to the task.
Prof van Vugt said: "Men definitely have the most wandering eye but it is because they have evolved to pay attention to cues of fertility and one of those cues is facial beauty - it's not that men are shallow."
But we found they do make snap judgments about women, much earlier than was previously thought. They make that decision on whether a woman would be a good mating partner in milliseconds.
This is something very ancient and a way of helping men find the best mate to produce children.
Women were not distracted by attractive male faces because women need more proof of whether a man is a good mate.
"Women make that decision on behaviour, whether a man is trustworthy and committed. They make their decision much later than men." | [
"to find a best mate takes a man more time",
"to find a best mate takes a woman more time",
"to find a best mate isn't important for a man",
"to find a best mate isn't important for a woman"
] |
In mammals, the cells on the exterior form the trophectoderm, which goes on to form what? | null | Answer the following science question clearly and accurately. | In mammals, the cells on the exterior form the trophectoderm, which goes on to form what? | extraembryonic tissues | science | null | null | null | cardiac tissues | protoplanetary tissues | aeroponics tissues | extraembryonic tissues | organism’s life cycle is as subject to the effects of evolutionary pressures as any other (although it is easy to concentrate our attentions on adult forms and behaviors). The study of these processes, known as embryology, is beyond our scope here, but we can outline a few common themes. If fertilized eggs develop outside of the body of the mother and without parental protection, these new organisms are highly vulnerable to predation. In such organisms, early embryonic development generally proceeds rapidly. The eggs are large and contain all of the nutrients required for development to proceed up to the point where the new organism can feed on its own. To facilitate such rapid development, the egg is essentially pre-organized, that is, it is highly asymmetric, with specific factors that can influence gene expression, either directly or indirectly, positioned in various regions of the egg (→). Entry of the sperm (the male gamete), which itself is an inherently asymmetric process, can also lead to reorganization of the cytoplasm (SEP marks sperm entry point in the figure early frog development). Maternal and fertilization-driven asymmetries are stabilized by the rapid cycles of DNA replication and cell division, with growth being dependent upon the utilization of maternally supplied nutrients. As distinct cells are formed, they begin to become different from one another as i) they inherit different determinants, ii) the presence of these determinants leads to changes in gene expression, and iii) cells secrete and respond to different factors that drive their differentiation further into different cell types, with different behaviors based on differences in gene expression. On the other hand, in a number of organisms, and specifically mammals, embryonic development occurs within the mother, so there is no compelling need to stockpile nutrients within the egg and the rate of development is (generally) dramatically slower. In such developmental systems, it is not the asymmetries associated with the oocyte and fertilized egg that are critical, but rather the asymmetries that arise during embryonic development. As the zygote divides, a major factor that drives the differentiation is whether a cell comes to lie on the surface of the embryo or within the interior (→). In mammals, the cells on the exterior form the trophectoderm, which goes on to form extraembryonic tissues, in particular the membranous tissues that surround the embryo and become part of the placenta, the interface between the embryo and the mother. Cells within the interior form the inner cell mass that produces to the embryo proper. Changes in gene expression will lead to changes in the ability to produce and respond to inductive signals, which will in turn influence cell behavior and gene expression. Through this process, the cells of the inner cell mass come to form the various tissues and organs of the organism; that is, skin, muscle, nerve, hair, bone, blood, etc. It is easy to tell a muscle cell from a neuron from a bone cell from a skin cell by the set of genes they express, the proteins they contain, their shapes (morphology), their internal organization, and their behaviors. biofundamentals – coreBIO. | null | null | null |
Where is Wu Huan? | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Here are my three photos.
This is my friend,Wu Huan.She is a good girl.She is 11 years old.She is in Chongqing with her family.She likes vegetables and chicken.She doesn't like ice cream or strawberries.
This is me.My name is Chen Ming. I am 12 years old.I am a middle school student in Suzhou.I like eating fruit and vegetables. But I don't like eggs or carrots.
This is my friend,too.His name is Doudou. He is in Suzhou with me. He likes bones( ). He doesn't like vegetables .He likes playing with balls. He is a nice dog!
:
Question:
Where is Wu Huan?
Choices:
A. In Chongqing
B. In Suzhou
C. In Hangzhou
D. In Wuhan | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle2401.txt | Here are my three photos.
This is my friend,Wu Huan.She is a good girl.She is 11 years old.She is in Chongqing with her family.She likes vegetables and chicken.She doesn't like ice cream or strawberries.
This is me.My name is Chen Ming. I am 12 years old.I am a middle school student in Suzhou.I like eating fruit and vegetables. But I don't like eggs or carrots.
This is my friend,too.His name is Doudou. He is in Suzhou with me. He likes bones( ). He doesn't like vegetables .He likes playing with balls. He is a nice dog!
: | [
"In Chongqing",
"In Suzhou",
"In Hangzhou",
"In Wuhan"
] |
Farmers who grow grapes with natural and organic methods _ . | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Growers around the world are using new methods to grow grapes to make wine. They use natural and organic methods to control harmful insects and weeds instead of using chemicals. Now, a winery in Canada has adopted a natural way to control its grapevines .The Featherstone Winery is in southern Ontario. The grapevines, like other plants, need to be cut every year.
Cutting grapevines must be done very carefully. Only a targeted area of leaves is removed from the lower part of the vines to help the grapes grow better. But at the Featherstone Winery, no man or machine does the cutting. Instead, the job is done by 40 little wooly lambs.www.zxxk.com
David Johnson owns the vineyard. He says he learned about using lambs while visiting wineries in New Zealand. The young lambs are perfectly designed to do the job. They eat the grape leaves on the lower parts of the vine. But they are not tall enough to reach the grapes. They only weigh about 22 kilograms, so they do not beat down the soil. And their waste makes good organic fertilizer. In addition, using the lambs costs much less than hiring workers to cut the vines for seven weeks in summer. And when the cutting is done in August, the lambs become tasty dishes.
Mr Johnson says he had a difficult time finding enough lambs to do the job. There are about 50 million lambs in New Zealand. But there are not nearly as many in Ontario. Also, some organic pesticides are harmful to lambs. And the lambs must be watched to make sure they do not eat too much of the grapevines.
David Johnson says the lambs help him carry out his environmental ideas about farming. They are lovely and peaceful and he likes having them in his vineyard. People visiting the vineyard also enjoy watching the lambs do their job.
Question:
Farmers who grow grapes with natural and organic methods _ .
Choices:
A. don't cut grapevines every year
B. don't use chemicals to control harmful insects and weeds
C. don't need to control harmful insects and weeds
D. don't use organic fertilizer | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high5007.txt | Growers around the world are using new methods to grow grapes to make wine. They use natural and organic methods to control harmful insects and weeds instead of using chemicals. Now, a winery in Canada has adopted a natural way to control its grapevines .The Featherstone Winery is in southern Ontario. The grapevines, like other plants, need to be cut every year.
Cutting grapevines must be done very carefully. Only a targeted area of leaves is removed from the lower part of the vines to help the grapes grow better. But at the Featherstone Winery, no man or machine does the cutting. Instead, the job is done by 40 little wooly lambs.www.zxxk.com
David Johnson owns the vineyard. He says he learned about using lambs while visiting wineries in New Zealand. The young lambs are perfectly designed to do the job. They eat the grape leaves on the lower parts of the vine. But they are not tall enough to reach the grapes. They only weigh about 22 kilograms, so they do not beat down the soil. And their waste makes good organic fertilizer. In addition, using the lambs costs much less than hiring workers to cut the vines for seven weeks in summer. And when the cutting is done in August, the lambs become tasty dishes.
Mr Johnson says he had a difficult time finding enough lambs to do the job. There are about 50 million lambs in New Zealand. But there are not nearly as many in Ontario. Also, some organic pesticides are harmful to lambs. And the lambs must be watched to make sure they do not eat too much of the grapevines.
David Johnson says the lambs help him carry out his environmental ideas about farming. They are lovely and peaceful and he likes having them in his vineyard. People visiting the vineyard also enjoy watching the lambs do their job. | [
"don't cut grapevines every year",
"don't use chemicals to control harmful insects and weeds",
"don't need to control harmful insects and weeds",
"don't use organic fertilizer"
] |
What force causes waves to topple over and break on the shore? | null | Answer the following science question clearly and accurately. | What force causes waves to topple over and break on the shore? | friction | science | null | null | null | vibration | momentum | tension | friction | Waves topple over and break on the shore because of friction with the bottom in shallow water. | null | null | null |
The author wrote this passage in order to _ . | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
On the first day of the New Year 2013, I made up my mind to go to Thailand to teach English as a volunteer. Fresh out of college with the world at my fingertips, all I cared about was travelling and seeing the world. Little did I know how awesome my life would be in the coming months!
My journey began with the attendance of TESOL certification course in my home state of Florida last February. After 3 weekends of study and another 40 hours' post-study online, I received my TESOL certificate.
I was put in touch with Philip, who is Program Director of the Teach in Thailand. In close consultation with Philip, I chose my employment school and after many months of excitement, I finally boarded my plane to Thailand in early April, and set off on an adventure!
After a few weeks of single travel, I met up with Philip and the other new teachers in my program in Bangkok. It was great to meet other people who were on the same journey as me, see some cool sights and hang out in Thailand's cities! Directly after that, I attended the week-long seminar , which is included in the Teach in Thailand Program. At the end of the seminar, I was transported to my employment school---Anuban Buriram Primary School.
I truly love my job--- I teach Grades 5 and 6 and I have the cleverest and most motivated kids in the world. It's a truly fantastic thing that you can see the difference you make in someone else's life, right in front of you!
The city Buriram is small, surrounded with green rice fields. People here are more friendly than anyone I've ever met--I've never been anywhere where a smile is so easily received, where everyone you pass is so eager to say "Hello" and "Good morning". I've been taken out to countless dinners, and been lent a guitar, a digital camera, and even a motorbike, and I am constantly given little Thai treats and the most delicious fresh fruits many times a week. I only hope to pay it forward in the future.
Question:
The author wrote this passage in order to _ .
Choices:
A. encourage more people to travel in Thailand
B. give some advice to future volunteers
C. show the readers how to become a volunteer
D. tell us his voluntary experience in Thailand | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high13443.txt | On the first day of the New Year 2013, I made up my mind to go to Thailand to teach English as a volunteer. Fresh out of college with the world at my fingertips, all I cared about was travelling and seeing the world. Little did I know how awesome my life would be in the coming months!
My journey began with the attendance of TESOL certification course in my home state of Florida last February. After 3 weekends of study and another 40 hours' post-study online, I received my TESOL certificate.
I was put in touch with Philip, who is Program Director of the Teach in Thailand. In close consultation with Philip, I chose my employment school and after many months of excitement, I finally boarded my plane to Thailand in early April, and set off on an adventure!
After a few weeks of single travel, I met up with Philip and the other new teachers in my program in Bangkok. It was great to meet other people who were on the same journey as me, see some cool sights and hang out in Thailand's cities! Directly after that, I attended the week-long seminar , which is included in the Teach in Thailand Program. At the end of the seminar, I was transported to my employment school---Anuban Buriram Primary School.
I truly love my job--- I teach Grades 5 and 6 and I have the cleverest and most motivated kids in the world. It's a truly fantastic thing that you can see the difference you make in someone else's life, right in front of you!
The city Buriram is small, surrounded with green rice fields. People here are more friendly than anyone I've ever met--I've never been anywhere where a smile is so easily received, where everyone you pass is so eager to say "Hello" and "Good morning". I've been taken out to countless dinners, and been lent a guitar, a digital camera, and even a motorbike, and I am constantly given little Thai treats and the most delicious fresh fruits many times a week. I only hope to pay it forward in the future. | [
"encourage more people to travel in Thailand",
"give some advice to future volunteers",
"show the readers how to become a volunteer",
"tell us his voluntary experience in Thailand"
] |
From the article we understand _ . | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
New York City consists of five parts: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. The population is about 7.5 million and there are 1.5 million in Manhattan alone.
Manhattan, the center of the city, is on the island between the Hudson River and the East River. Most of the famous buildings such as the Empire State and the United Nations and other skyscrapers are in Manhattan. Some of its districts are: Broadway, which has many theatres and cinemas, Fifth Avenue, with stores and apartments, Greenwich Village, where many artists and writers have lived, and Central Park, with a skating rink . From Manhattan you have to cross to the other parts of New York City through a tunnel or over a bridge. The bridge from Brooklyn to Staten Island is the longest in the world.
New York is the second biggest port in the world and it has two airports. The people who live there come from all over the world and speak many different languages. There are 324,000 Germans and 390,000 Poles as well as people from Greece, Scotland, Ireland, Italy and Romania. People call one district "Little Italy" and another "China town".
Question:
From the article we understand _ .
Choices:
A. Staten Island and Brooklyn are separated by the sea
B. Staten Island and Brooklyn are one landmass
C. Manhattan and Queens are one landmass
D. Brooklyn and Queens are separated by the sea | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high284.txt | New York City consists of five parts: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. The population is about 7.5 million and there are 1.5 million in Manhattan alone.
Manhattan, the center of the city, is on the island between the Hudson River and the East River. Most of the famous buildings such as the Empire State and the United Nations and other skyscrapers are in Manhattan. Some of its districts are: Broadway, which has many theatres and cinemas, Fifth Avenue, with stores and apartments, Greenwich Village, where many artists and writers have lived, and Central Park, with a skating rink . From Manhattan you have to cross to the other parts of New York City through a tunnel or over a bridge. The bridge from Brooklyn to Staten Island is the longest in the world.
New York is the second biggest port in the world and it has two airports. The people who live there come from all over the world and speak many different languages. There are 324,000 Germans and 390,000 Poles as well as people from Greece, Scotland, Ireland, Italy and Romania. People call one district "Little Italy" and another "China town". | [
"Staten Island and Brooklyn are separated by the sea",
"Staten Island and Brooklyn are one landmass",
"Manhattan and Queens are one landmass",
"Brooklyn and Queens are separated by the sea"
] |
Constriction and dilation allow the circulatory system to change the amount of blood flowing to which body parts? | null | Answer the following science question clearly and accurately. | Constriction and dilation allow the circulatory system to change the amount of blood flowing to which body parts? | organs | science | null | null | null | muscles | arteries | tissues | organs | Constriction and dilation allow the circulatory system to change the amount of blood flowing to different organs. For example, during a fight-or-flight response, dilation and constriction of blood vessels allow more blood to flow to skeletal muscles and less to flow to digestive organs. Dilation of blood vessels in the skin allows more blood to flow to the body surface so the body can lose heat. Constriction of these blood vessels has the opposite effect and helps conserve body heat. | null | null | null |
Who will most probably read the passage? | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
These are some signs that you can see on the roads of Great Britain.
Number one is a sign with the number thirty on it. When drivers see this sign they must not go at more than thirty miles an hour. We see this sign when we get to parts of the country where there are many houses and other buildings, for example, when we are getting near a town. Thirty miles an hour is the speed limit. Number two is sign for the end of the speed limit. We are out of the town now and may go at more than thirty miles an hour. Number three is a sign that we are near a crossroads, that is, a place where two roads cross. We must drive carefully. Number four is a sign that there is a bend in the road. Again, we must drive slowly and carefully. Number five is a sign that there is a hill and number six is a sign that the roads get narrow. Drivers must go slowly and carefully. Number seven has the word "school" on it. This is a sign that there is a school at the side of a street or road. Perhaps there are children going to school or leaving school. So drivers must look carefully and go slowly until they are past the school building.
Number eight is a sign with the letter P on it. The letter P is for "parking." A parking place is a place where drivers may leave their cars. If the driver of a car wants to leave his car and go to the shops, he looks for this sign. Then he knows that he may leave his or her car there.
Question:
Who will most probably read the passage?
Choices:
A. People who drive badly.
B. People who are learning to drive.
C. People who drive well.
D. People who drive carelessly. | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high11918.txt | These are some signs that you can see on the roads of Great Britain.
Number one is a sign with the number thirty on it. When drivers see this sign they must not go at more than thirty miles an hour. We see this sign when we get to parts of the country where there are many houses and other buildings, for example, when we are getting near a town. Thirty miles an hour is the speed limit. Number two is sign for the end of the speed limit. We are out of the town now and may go at more than thirty miles an hour. Number three is a sign that we are near a crossroads, that is, a place where two roads cross. We must drive carefully. Number four is a sign that there is a bend in the road. Again, we must drive slowly and carefully. Number five is a sign that there is a hill and number six is a sign that the roads get narrow. Drivers must go slowly and carefully. Number seven has the word "school" on it. This is a sign that there is a school at the side of a street or road. Perhaps there are children going to school or leaving school. So drivers must look carefully and go slowly until they are past the school building.
Number eight is a sign with the letter P on it. The letter P is for "parking." A parking place is a place where drivers may leave their cars. If the driver of a car wants to leave his car and go to the shops, he looks for this sign. Then he knows that he may leave his or her car there. | [
"People who drive badly.",
"People who are learning to drive.",
"People who drive well.",
"People who drive carelessly."
] |
Every year the number of the students who die or are injured because of alcohol in the USA adds up to about _ . | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
The legal age for drinking alcohol in the Unite States is twenty-one. Underage drinking is a crime but also a common part of college social life. This week in our Foreign Student Series, we look at alcohol rules at American colleges and universities. These rules differ from school to school, but many schools have been moving to strengthen their rules.
The United States has more than 17,000,000 students in higher education. Each year, 1700 of them die from alcohol-related road crashes and other injuries. 600,000 more are injured while under the influence of alcohol. And almost 700,000 are attacked by another drunken.
One behavior that college officials are trying to prevent is too much drink. Some researchers have found that students who think binge drinking is normal often think extremely how much other students really drink. A person can die of alcohol poisoning. At Oklahoma University, a nineteen-year-old student died from drinking heavily at a party in 2005.
Now alcohol is banned from all sorority houses and university housing. Student organizations can serve alcohol at events but only on Friday and Saturday nights. Other new requirements include an alcohol education program that first-year students take online.
The rules govern behavior on campus and off. With a first violation ,students pay seventy-five dollars and their parents are told. They must also take an alcohol education class. For a second "strike", they have to pay one hundred fifty dollars. A third strike means that they have to be suspended school for at least one semester.
Since 2005,363 students have had a first strike. 30 have had a second strike-and only one hasn't allowed to go to school for one semester. The president at Oklahoma tells us the aim is not just to punish but to change the behavior and culture at the university.
Question:
Every year the number of the students who die or are injured because of alcohol in the USA adds up to about _ .
Choices:
A. 17,000,000
B. 1,301,700
C. 601,700
D. 1300,000 | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high12481.txt | The legal age for drinking alcohol in the Unite States is twenty-one. Underage drinking is a crime but also a common part of college social life. This week in our Foreign Student Series, we look at alcohol rules at American colleges and universities. These rules differ from school to school, but many schools have been moving to strengthen their rules.
The United States has more than 17,000,000 students in higher education. Each year, 1700 of them die from alcohol-related road crashes and other injuries. 600,000 more are injured while under the influence of alcohol. And almost 700,000 are attacked by another drunken.
One behavior that college officials are trying to prevent is too much drink. Some researchers have found that students who think binge drinking is normal often think extremely how much other students really drink. A person can die of alcohol poisoning. At Oklahoma University, a nineteen-year-old student died from drinking heavily at a party in 2005.
Now alcohol is banned from all sorority houses and university housing. Student organizations can serve alcohol at events but only on Friday and Saturday nights. Other new requirements include an alcohol education program that first-year students take online.
The rules govern behavior on campus and off. With a first violation ,students pay seventy-five dollars and their parents are told. They must also take an alcohol education class. For a second "strike", they have to pay one hundred fifty dollars. A third strike means that they have to be suspended school for at least one semester.
Since 2005,363 students have had a first strike. 30 have had a second strike-and only one hasn't allowed to go to school for one semester. The president at Oklahoma tells us the aim is not just to punish but to change the behavior and culture at the university. | [
"17,000,000",
"1,301,700",
"601,700",
"1300,000"
] |
A boy has 12 oranges. He gives one-third of this number to his brother, one-fourth of the remainder to his friend and keeps the rest for himself. How many does his friend get? | He gives a third of 12 oranges to his brother which is 12*(1/3) = <<12*(1/3)=4>>4 oranges
He has 12-4 = <<12-4=8>>8 oranges left
He gives a fourth of 8 oranges to his friend which is 8*(1/4) = <<8*(1/4)=2>>2 oranges
#### 2 | Solve the following math problem and explain your reasoning step by step. | A boy has 12 oranges. He gives one-third of this number to his brother, one-fourth of the remainder to his friend and keeps the rest for himself. How many does his friend get? | He gives a third of 12 oranges to his brother which is 12*(1/3) = <<12*(1/3)=4>>4 oranges
He has 12-4 = <<12-4=8>>8 oranges left
He gives a fourth of 8 oranges to his friend which is 8*(1/4) = <<8*(1/4)=2>>2 oranges
#### 2 | math | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
What's the best title of the passage? | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
A new U.S.government report says more than two million Americans fall ill each year with drug--resistant bacterial infections ,and 23,000 of them are dying as a result.The head of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention[CDC]said that the number probably will grow.Officials warn that steps must be taken now to preserve the effectiveness of antibiotic drugs.
Without urgent action to stop that trend,warned Tom Frieden whose agency wrote the report,the miracle drugs to fight them won't be available in the future.
"If we are not careful,the medicine chest will be empty when we go there to look for a lifesaving antibiotic for someone with a deadly infection.But if we act now,we can preserve these medications while we continue to work on development of new medicines."The report names a drug--resistant abuse of gonorrhea ,which causes about one quarter of a million hospitalizations in the United States annually.Of the number at least 1 4,000 result in death.
Drug resistance develops through the overuse and inappropriate use of anti--bacterial agents.These can be:doctors prescribing them to patients who have viral infections that are not affected by medicine meant to fight bacteria;patients not taking all of their medicine as prescribed,so the bacteria making them sick are only weakened,not killed;antibiotic use in healthy farm animals to prevent illness and promote growth.Antibiotic remainders left in meat and animal products can then lead to drug resistance in humans.
To limit the spread of resistant infections,experts recommend wider use of routine immunizations ,as well as hand--washing in hospitals and other health care facilities.Also,the report urges hand--washing by food handlers.
Michael Bell,deputy director of the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at CDC,said Patients also can play a role in preserving the effectiveness of antibiotics by asking health care providers a few simple questions.
Question:
What's the best title of the passage?
Choices:
A. Drug Resistance Developing Quickly in the US
B. Drug--Resistant Bacterial Infections Growing in the US
C. Actions for Preserving Anti-Bacterial Medications in the US
D. Preventions of Drug-resistant Bacterial Infections in the US | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high13544.txt | A new U.S.government report says more than two million Americans fall ill each year with drug--resistant bacterial infections ,and 23,000 of them are dying as a result.The head of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention[CDC]said that the number probably will grow.Officials warn that steps must be taken now to preserve the effectiveness of antibiotic drugs.
Without urgent action to stop that trend,warned Tom Frieden whose agency wrote the report,the miracle drugs to fight them won't be available in the future.
"If we are not careful,the medicine chest will be empty when we go there to look for a lifesaving antibiotic for someone with a deadly infection.But if we act now,we can preserve these medications while we continue to work on development of new medicines."The report names a drug--resistant abuse of gonorrhea ,which causes about one quarter of a million hospitalizations in the United States annually.Of the number at least 1 4,000 result in death.
Drug resistance develops through the overuse and inappropriate use of anti--bacterial agents.These can be:doctors prescribing them to patients who have viral infections that are not affected by medicine meant to fight bacteria;patients not taking all of their medicine as prescribed,so the bacteria making them sick are only weakened,not killed;antibiotic use in healthy farm animals to prevent illness and promote growth.Antibiotic remainders left in meat and animal products can then lead to drug resistance in humans.
To limit the spread of resistant infections,experts recommend wider use of routine immunizations ,as well as hand--washing in hospitals and other health care facilities.Also,the report urges hand--washing by food handlers.
Michael Bell,deputy director of the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at CDC,said Patients also can play a role in preserving the effectiveness of antibiotics by asking health care providers a few simple questions. | [
"Drug Resistance Developing Quickly in the US",
"Drug--Resistant Bacterial Infections Growing in the US",
"Actions for Preserving Anti-Bacterial Medications in the US",
"Preventions of Drug-resistant Bacterial Infections in the US"
] |
Some kids need help from teachers to make friends because _ * | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Feeling left out?
A reader wrote in to say that she was feeling lonely at break because her best friend wasn't around.Here's our advice to her--and to all kids who feel lonely sometimes.
It's hard when a best friend isn't around--maybe because she moved to a different school or a different class.You may feel lonely at break or lunchtime.You want to have new friends.but how do you make them? Maybe it seems like everybody else already has their friends.But remember, there's always room for more friends.
Start by looking around your classroom--think about which kids you'd like to play with at break.Look for chances to say hi to them,smile,and be friendly.Offer to share something or express your appreciation to them.Invite someone to play with you or say "Do you want to sit here?" in the lunchroom.When you're at break,walk over to kids you want to play with.act friendly,and say "Hi,can l play, too?" or just join in.If you have trouble doing _ or if you're feeling shy, ask your teacher to help you make new friends.Teachers are usually pretty good at matching up friends.The best way to make friends is to be a friend.Be kind,be friendly,share,say nice things,offer to help--and pretty soon,you'll have one,or two,or even more new friends.
You might still miss that special best friend.But when you see each other, you can share something you didn't have before she left:You can introduce her to your new friends!
Question:
Some kids need help from teachers to make friends because _ *
Choices:
A. they miss their old friends a lot
B. they have no time to stay with others
C. teachers know who wants a new friend
D. they are shy or not good at making friends | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle184.txt | Feeling left out?
A reader wrote in to say that she was feeling lonely at break because her best friend wasn't around.Here's our advice to her--and to all kids who feel lonely sometimes.
It's hard when a best friend isn't around--maybe because she moved to a different school or a different class.You may feel lonely at break or lunchtime.You want to have new friends.but how do you make them? Maybe it seems like everybody else already has their friends.But remember, there's always room for more friends.
Start by looking around your classroom--think about which kids you'd like to play with at break.Look for chances to say hi to them,smile,and be friendly.Offer to share something or express your appreciation to them.Invite someone to play with you or say "Do you want to sit here?" in the lunchroom.When you're at break,walk over to kids you want to play with.act friendly,and say "Hi,can l play, too?" or just join in.If you have trouble doing _ or if you're feeling shy, ask your teacher to help you make new friends.Teachers are usually pretty good at matching up friends.The best way to make friends is to be a friend.Be kind,be friendly,share,say nice things,offer to help--and pretty soon,you'll have one,or two,or even more new friends.
You might still miss that special best friend.But when you see each other, you can share something you didn't have before she left:You can introduce her to your new friends! | [
"they miss their old friends a lot",
"they have no time to stay with others",
"teachers know who wants a new friend",
"they are shy or not good at making friends"
] |
Unlike plants, animal species rely almost exclusively on what type of reproduction? | null | Answer the following science question clearly and accurately. | Unlike plants, animal species rely almost exclusively on what type of reproduction? | sexual reproduction | science | null | null | null | regeneration | pollination | multiplication | sexual reproduction | Introduction Plants have evolved different reproductive strategies for the continuation of their species. Some plants reproduce sexually, and others asexually, in contrast to animal species, which rely almost exclusively on sexual reproduction. Plant sexual reproduction usually depends on pollinating agents, while asexual reproduction is independent of these agents. Flowers are often the showiest or most strongly scented part of plants. With their bright colors, fragrances, and interesting shapes and sizes, flowers attract insects, birds, and animals to serve their pollination needs. Other plants pollinate via wind or water; still others self-pollinate. | null | null | null |
Why do you think the tomato must be lattened in the hand first? | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Celebrations and traditions hold a special place in a country. It is a time when the families come together and celebrate a holiday,for a particular purpose. Besides (he national festivals and celebrations,many places enjoy some whacky celebrations.
Henley-on-Todd Regatta
If you want something quieter, trip over to Alice Springs in the dry heart of Australia. There you will find the Todd Regatta in a riverbed that normally has no water. "the boats are bottomless and without paddle .The teams run up the riverbed with their feet sticking out of the bottom of their boats.
World Black Pudding Throwing Championship
In Greater Manchester UK they throw black puddings. The contest dates back to the 1850s, Competitors from across the world come here for the contest. The aim is to knock Yorkshire puddings off a 20-foot shelf by throwing black puddings at them.
Sauna Bathing Championships
If you prefer it hot, Finland is (he place for you to compete in the Sauna Bathing Championships. Every 30 seconds the heat is turned up, but the contestants must remain seated in an up- right position on the wooden seat. The last person left in the sauna is the winner.
The La Tomatlna Festival
Every August truckloads of tomatoes an pulled in Bunol each year and damped in the city centre. The people throw tomatoes at each other for the whole day, but the only rule is that the tomato must be flattened in the hand first, before being thrown. Even elderly grandmothers have been known to take part.
The Naked Festival
Japan hosts the Naked Festival. All male contestants are dressed in oversize diapers and parade through the winter street. Bystanders throw cold water over the contestanta,who drink large amounts of sake in an effort to slop from freezing.
Question:
Why do you think the tomato must be lattened in the hand first?
Choices:
A. To make it easy to throw.
B. To make it tastier.
C. To give it to elderly grandmothers.
D. To avoid hurting people. | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high19378.txt | Celebrations and traditions hold a special place in a country. It is a time when the families come together and celebrate a holiday,for a particular purpose. Besides (he national festivals and celebrations,many places enjoy some whacky celebrations.
Henley-on-Todd Regatta
If you want something quieter, trip over to Alice Springs in the dry heart of Australia. There you will find the Todd Regatta in a riverbed that normally has no water. "the boats are bottomless and without paddle .The teams run up the riverbed with their feet sticking out of the bottom of their boats.
World Black Pudding Throwing Championship
In Greater Manchester UK they throw black puddings. The contest dates back to the 1850s, Competitors from across the world come here for the contest. The aim is to knock Yorkshire puddings off a 20-foot shelf by throwing black puddings at them.
Sauna Bathing Championships
If you prefer it hot, Finland is (he place for you to compete in the Sauna Bathing Championships. Every 30 seconds the heat is turned up, but the contestants must remain seated in an up- right position on the wooden seat. The last person left in the sauna is the winner.
The La Tomatlna Festival
Every August truckloads of tomatoes an pulled in Bunol each year and damped in the city centre. The people throw tomatoes at each other for the whole day, but the only rule is that the tomato must be flattened in the hand first, before being thrown. Even elderly grandmothers have been known to take part.
The Naked Festival
Japan hosts the Naked Festival. All male contestants are dressed in oversize diapers and parade through the winter street. Bystanders throw cold water over the contestanta,who drink large amounts of sake in an effort to slop from freezing. | [
"To make it easy to throw.",
"To make it tastier.",
"To give it to elderly grandmothers.",
"To avoid hurting people."
] |
What is regulated by the reticular formation? | null | Answer the following science question clearly and accurately. | What is regulated by the reticular formation? | wakefulness | science | null | null | null | anxiousness | awkwardness | sleepiness | wakefulness | Wakefulness is regulated by the reticular formation, which is present in the. | null | null | null |
Weight refers to what force acting on a mass? | null | Answer the following science question clearly and accurately. | Weight refers to what force acting on a mass? | gravitational | science | null | null | null | solar | electronic | magnetic | gravitational | The terms mass and weight, while often used interchangeably, are technically different terms. Mass is the quantity of inertia possessed by an object. Weight refers to the gravitational force acting on a mass, as measured on a scale. On the surface of the earth, the numerical values of mass and the corresponding force of gravity (weight) are approximately equivalent. For now, we will use the terms mass and weight interchangeably although mass is the more appropriate scientific term. | null | null | null |
When cardiac muscle contracts, the heart does what? | null | Answer the following science question clearly and accurately. | When cardiac muscle contracts, the heart does what? | pumps blood | science | null | null | null | heart murmur | cardiac arrest | irregular heartbeat | pumps blood | Cardiac muscle is found only in the walls of the heart. It is striated, or striped, because its muscle fibers are arranged in bundles. Contractions of cardiac muscle are involuntary. This means that they are not under conscious control. When cardiac muscle contracts, the heart beats and pumps blood. | null | null | null |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage? | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
A small group of people around the world have started implanting microchips to link the body and the computer.
Mr. Donelson and three friends, who had driven 100 miles from their homes in Loockport, New York, to have the implants put in by Dr. Jesse Villemaire, whom they had persuaded to do the work, are part of a small group, about 30 people around the world, who have independently put in microchips into their bodies, according to Web-based reports.
At a shop William Donelson was having a four-millimeter-wide needle put into his left hand. "I'm set,"he said with a deep breath. He watched as the needle pierced the fleshy webbing between his thumb and a microchip was set under his skin. At last he would be able to do what he had long imagined: strengthen his body's powers through technology.
By putting the chip inside--a radio frequency identification device (RFID)--Mr. Donelson would have at his fingertips the same magic that makes safety gates open with a knock of a card, and bridge and tunnel traffic flow smoothly with an E-Zpass. With a wave of his hand he plans to connect with his computer, open doors and unlock his car.
Implanting the chip was relatively simple task but very meaningful to Mr. Doneselson, a 21-year-old computer networking student so interested in the link between technology and the body that he has data-input jacks inside his body. _ might lead to an imagined future when people can be connected directly into computers. His new chip is enclosed in a glass container no bigger than a piece of rice and has a small memory where he has stored the words "Technology".
Some doctors have done the piercing in people's homes, and others have implanted chips in their offices after patients signed forms showing the fact that long-term studies have not been done on their safety. Piercers treat the implants much like any other medical operation steps, instructing people to keep the site dry, and advising them that swelling and redness should last a week.
Question:
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
Choices:
A. High Tech, Under the Skin
B. A Needle, So Magic
C. Donelson, a Powerful Man
D. Data-input Jacks, Inside the Body | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high14616.txt | A small group of people around the world have started implanting microchips to link the body and the computer.
Mr. Donelson and three friends, who had driven 100 miles from their homes in Loockport, New York, to have the implants put in by Dr. Jesse Villemaire, whom they had persuaded to do the work, are part of a small group, about 30 people around the world, who have independently put in microchips into their bodies, according to Web-based reports.
At a shop William Donelson was having a four-millimeter-wide needle put into his left hand. "I'm set,"he said with a deep breath. He watched as the needle pierced the fleshy webbing between his thumb and a microchip was set under his skin. At last he would be able to do what he had long imagined: strengthen his body's powers through technology.
By putting the chip inside--a radio frequency identification device (RFID)--Mr. Donelson would have at his fingertips the same magic that makes safety gates open with a knock of a card, and bridge and tunnel traffic flow smoothly with an E-Zpass. With a wave of his hand he plans to connect with his computer, open doors and unlock his car.
Implanting the chip was relatively simple task but very meaningful to Mr. Doneselson, a 21-year-old computer networking student so interested in the link between technology and the body that he has data-input jacks inside his body. _ might lead to an imagined future when people can be connected directly into computers. His new chip is enclosed in a glass container no bigger than a piece of rice and has a small memory where he has stored the words "Technology".
Some doctors have done the piercing in people's homes, and others have implanted chips in their offices after patients signed forms showing the fact that long-term studies have not been done on their safety. Piercers treat the implants much like any other medical operation steps, instructing people to keep the site dry, and advising them that swelling and redness should last a week. | [
"High Tech, Under the Skin",
"A Needle, So Magic",
"Donelson, a Powerful Man",
"Data-input Jacks, Inside the Body"
] |
What term is used to refer to the external female reproductive structures collectively? | null | Answer the following science question clearly and accurately. | What term is used to refer to the external female reproductive structures collectively? | vulva | science | null | null | null | uterus | cervix | vagina | vulva | External Female Genitals The external female reproductive structures are referred to collectively as the vulva (Figure 27.10). The mons pubis is a pad of fat that is located at the anterior, over the pubic bone. After puberty, it becomes covered in pubic hair. The labia majora (labia = “lips”; majora = “larger”) are folds of hair-covered skin that begin just posterior to the mons pubis. The thinner and more pigmented labia minora (labia = “lips”; minora = “smaller”) extend medial to the labia majora. Although they naturally vary in shape and size from woman to woman, the labia minora serve to protect the female urethra and the entrance to the female reproductive tract. The superior, anterior portions of the labia minora come together to encircle the clitoris (or glans clitoris), an organ that originates from the same cells as the glans penis and has abundant nerves that make it important in sexual sensation and orgasm. The hymen is a thin membrane that sometimes partially covers the entrance to the vagina. An intact hymen cannot be used as an indication of “virginity”; even at birth, this is only a partial membrane, as menstrual fluid and other secretions must be able to exit the body, regardless of penile–vaginal intercourse. The vaginal opening is located between the opening of the urethra and the anus. It is flanked by outlets to the Bartholin’s glands (or greater vestibular glands). | null | null | null |
When did Halley's comet come close to the sun and the earth last time? | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
If you look at the sky one night and see something moving and shining that you have never seen before, it might be a comet .
A comet sometimes looks like a star. Like a planet, a comet has no light of its own. It shines from the sunlight it reflects . Like the earth a comet goes around the sun, but on a much longer path than the earth travels.
If a comet isn't a star, what is it then?
Some scientists think that a large part of a comet is water frozen into pieces of ice and mixed with iron and rock dust and perhaps a few big pieces of rock. When sunshine melts the ice in the comet, great clouds of gas go trailing after it. These clouds, together with the dust, form a long tail.
Many people have seen a comet. However, no one knows how many comets there are. There may be millions of comets, but only a few come close enough for us to see.
An Englishman named Edmund Halley, who lived from 1656 to 1742, found out a lot about the paths that comets take through the sky. Some comets move out of our sight and never come back. Others keep coming back at regular times. A big comet that keeps coming back was named after Halley comet, because the last time it came close to the sun and the earth was in the year 1986. Then people all over the world were outside at night to look at it. You will probably be able to see Halley's comet when it comes near the earth again.
,A, B, C, D,.
Question:
When did Halley's comet come close to the sun and the earth last time?
Choices:
A. In 1656.
B. In 1742.
C. In 1986.
D. In 1996. | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle7884.txt | If you look at the sky one night and see something moving and shining that you have never seen before, it might be a comet .
A comet sometimes looks like a star. Like a planet, a comet has no light of its own. It shines from the sunlight it reflects . Like the earth a comet goes around the sun, but on a much longer path than the earth travels.
If a comet isn't a star, what is it then?
Some scientists think that a large part of a comet is water frozen into pieces of ice and mixed with iron and rock dust and perhaps a few big pieces of rock. When sunshine melts the ice in the comet, great clouds of gas go trailing after it. These clouds, together with the dust, form a long tail.
Many people have seen a comet. However, no one knows how many comets there are. There may be millions of comets, but only a few come close enough for us to see.
An Englishman named Edmund Halley, who lived from 1656 to 1742, found out a lot about the paths that comets take through the sky. Some comets move out of our sight and never come back. Others keep coming back at regular times. A big comet that keeps coming back was named after Halley comet, because the last time it came close to the sun and the earth was in the year 1986. Then people all over the world were outside at night to look at it. You will probably be able to see Halley's comet when it comes near the earth again.
,A, B, C, D,. | [
"In 1656.",
"In 1742.",
"In 1986.",
"In 1996."
] |
According to the passage, obesity is directly linked to _ . | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
"Children who eat less salt and drink fewer sugar-sweetened soft drinks may significantly lower their risks of obesity," researchers recently reported in the journal Hypertension.
"Sugar-sweetened soft drinks are a significant source of calorie intake in children," said Feng J. He, a researcher at St George's University of London, England. "It has been shown that sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption is related to obesity in young people." They wanted to know whether there is a link between salt intake and sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption.
Dr He and colleagues analyzed data from a 1997 national survey of more than 2,000 people between 4 and 18 in Britain. "We found that children eating a lower-salt diet drank less fluid," said He. "From our research, we estimated that 1 gram of salt cut from their daily diet would reduce fluid intake by 100 grams per day."
The researchers also found that children eating a lower-salt diet drank fewer sugar-sweetened soft drinks. From their research, they predicted that reducing salt intake by 1 gram each day would reduce sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption by 27 grams per day, after. "If children aged 4 to 18 cut their salt intake by half, there would be a decrease of about two sugar-sweetened soft drinks per week per child, so each child would decrease calorie intake by almost 250 kilocalories per week," Dr He said.
In previous studies, researchers found that a low-salt diet lowers blood pressure in children, and prevents the development of high blood pressure later in life. "Both high blood pressure and obesity increase the risk of having strokes and heart attacks," Dr He said.
Dr He recommends that parents check labels and choose low-salt food products. "Small reductions in the salt content of 10 to 20 percent cannot be detected by the human salt taste receptors and do not cause any technological or safety problems," Dr He said.
Question:
According to the passage, obesity is directly linked to _ .
Choices:
A. high-salt foods
B. sugar-sweetened soft drinks
C. high blood pressure
D. strokes and heart attacks | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high7288.txt | "Children who eat less salt and drink fewer sugar-sweetened soft drinks may significantly lower their risks of obesity," researchers recently reported in the journal Hypertension.
"Sugar-sweetened soft drinks are a significant source of calorie intake in children," said Feng J. He, a researcher at St George's University of London, England. "It has been shown that sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption is related to obesity in young people." They wanted to know whether there is a link between salt intake and sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption.
Dr He and colleagues analyzed data from a 1997 national survey of more than 2,000 people between 4 and 18 in Britain. "We found that children eating a lower-salt diet drank less fluid," said He. "From our research, we estimated that 1 gram of salt cut from their daily diet would reduce fluid intake by 100 grams per day."
The researchers also found that children eating a lower-salt diet drank fewer sugar-sweetened soft drinks. From their research, they predicted that reducing salt intake by 1 gram each day would reduce sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption by 27 grams per day, after. "If children aged 4 to 18 cut their salt intake by half, there would be a decrease of about two sugar-sweetened soft drinks per week per child, so each child would decrease calorie intake by almost 250 kilocalories per week," Dr He said.
In previous studies, researchers found that a low-salt diet lowers blood pressure in children, and prevents the development of high blood pressure later in life. "Both high blood pressure and obesity increase the risk of having strokes and heart attacks," Dr He said.
Dr He recommends that parents check labels and choose low-salt food products. "Small reductions in the salt content of 10 to 20 percent cannot be detected by the human salt taste receptors and do not cause any technological or safety problems," Dr He said. | [
"high-salt foods",
"sugar-sweetened soft drinks",
"high blood pressure",
"strokes and heart attacks"
] |
A driver travels 30 miles per hour for 3 hours and 25 miles per hour for 4 hours to deliver goods to a town every day from Monday to Saturday. How many miles does the driver travel in a week? | The driver travels (3 hours * 30 mph) + (25 mph * 4 hours) = <<(3*30)+(25*4)=190>>190 miles per day
From Monday to Saturday he travels in total 190 miles/day * 6 days = <<190*6=1140>>1,140 miles in a week
#### 1140 | Solve the following math problem and explain your reasoning step by step. | A driver travels 30 miles per hour for 3 hours and 25 miles per hour for 4 hours to deliver goods to a town every day from Monday to Saturday. How many miles does the driver travel in a week? | The driver travels (3 hours * 30 mph) + (25 mph * 4 hours) = <<(3*30)+(25*4)=190>>190 miles per day
From Monday to Saturday he travels in total 190 miles/day * 6 days = <<190*6=1140>>1,140 miles in a week
#### 1140 | math | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
What will they eat tomorrow? | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Tom:Good evening, Mum.
Mum:Good evening, Tom.
Tom:Do we eat chicken for dinner, Mum?
Mum:No, we eat fish and carrots, dear.
Tom:Mum, I don't like carrots. I like chicken.
Mum:But we need more vegetables, not only meat . It's not healthy to eat chicken every day.
Tom:OK. But dad likes chicken, too.
Mum:Well, let's eat chicken and tomatoes tomorrow .
Tom:That sounds great!
Question:
What will they eat tomorrow?
Choices:
A. Fish and carrots.
B. Chicken and fish.
C. Chicken and carrots.
D. Tomatoes and chicken. | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle4412.txt | Tom:Good evening, Mum.
Mum:Good evening, Tom.
Tom:Do we eat chicken for dinner, Mum?
Mum:No, we eat fish and carrots, dear.
Tom:Mum, I don't like carrots. I like chicken.
Mum:But we need more vegetables, not only meat . It's not healthy to eat chicken every day.
Tom:OK. But dad likes chicken, too.
Mum:Well, let's eat chicken and tomatoes tomorrow .
Tom:That sounds great! | [
"Fish and carrots.",
"Chicken and fish.",
"Chicken and carrots.",
"Tomatoes and chicken."
] |
Which of the following statements might Robert Eres disagree with? | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Do you have an emotional brain or a rational one? Researchers at Australia's Monash University have found actual difference in the brains of people who respond emotionally to others' feelings compared with those who respond more rationally.
A study published in the journal NeuroImage has looked at whether people who have more brain cells in certain areas of the brain are better at certain types of empathy, according to Science Daily. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person, and the two types investigated were cognitive empathy and affective empathy.
"Every day people use empathy with, and without, their knowledge to get around in the social world," said Robert Eres from Monash University's School of Psychological Sciences. "We use it for communication, to build relationships, and to increase our understanding of others."
"People who are high on affective empathy are often those who get quite fearful when watching a scary movie, or start crying during a sad scene. Those who have high cognitive empathy are those who are more rational, for example a psychologist helping someone," explained Eres.
The results of the study showed that people with high scores for affective empathy had more gray matter in a part of the brain called the insula, found right in the "middle" of the brain. Those who scored higher for cognitive empathy had more in a part called the midcingulate cortex--an area above the corpus callosum, which connects the two halves of the brain.
The discovery "raises new questions--like whether people could train themselves to have more empathy, and whether those areas of the brain would become larger if they did, or whether we can lose our ability to empathize if we don't use it enough", according to Science Daily.
"In the future we want to investigate further by testing whether training people in empathy-related tasks can lead to changes in these brain areas. We also want to investigate if damage to these brain areas, as a result of a stroke for example, can lead to empathy problems." said Eres.
Perhaps in the future we will all be able to empathize more with other people. Maybe you will cry at that sad movie after all!
Question:
Which of the following statements might Robert Eres disagree with?
Choices:
A. People use empathy when they are or aren't aware of it.
B. People tend to use empathy to build relationships or understand others.
C. People with higher affective empathy feel heart-broken when watching sad movies.
D. People who are more rational have been found to have more gray matter in their brains. | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high13602.txt | Do you have an emotional brain or a rational one? Researchers at Australia's Monash University have found actual difference in the brains of people who respond emotionally to others' feelings compared with those who respond more rationally.
A study published in the journal NeuroImage has looked at whether people who have more brain cells in certain areas of the brain are better at certain types of empathy, according to Science Daily. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person, and the two types investigated were cognitive empathy and affective empathy.
"Every day people use empathy with, and without, their knowledge to get around in the social world," said Robert Eres from Monash University's School of Psychological Sciences. "We use it for communication, to build relationships, and to increase our understanding of others."
"People who are high on affective empathy are often those who get quite fearful when watching a scary movie, or start crying during a sad scene. Those who have high cognitive empathy are those who are more rational, for example a psychologist helping someone," explained Eres.
The results of the study showed that people with high scores for affective empathy had more gray matter in a part of the brain called the insula, found right in the "middle" of the brain. Those who scored higher for cognitive empathy had more in a part called the midcingulate cortex--an area above the corpus callosum, which connects the two halves of the brain.
The discovery "raises new questions--like whether people could train themselves to have more empathy, and whether those areas of the brain would become larger if they did, or whether we can lose our ability to empathize if we don't use it enough", according to Science Daily.
"In the future we want to investigate further by testing whether training people in empathy-related tasks can lead to changes in these brain areas. We also want to investigate if damage to these brain areas, as a result of a stroke for example, can lead to empathy problems." said Eres.
Perhaps in the future we will all be able to empathize more with other people. Maybe you will cry at that sad movie after all! | [
"People use empathy when they are or aren't aware of it.",
"People tend to use empathy to build relationships or understand others.",
"People with higher affective empathy feel heart-broken when watching sad movies.",
"People who are more rational have been found to have more gray matter in their brains."
] |
With Lego in the room, the author probably feels _ . | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
When asked what they want for a gift, most teens would say a CD player, or maybe an iPod, but I want Lego. I received my first set for my fifth birthday, a tiny pizzeria with an umbrella and a delivery truck. Since then my collection has expanded rapidly and I have built skyscrapers, constructed spaceships and designed submarines.
There is a small area in my house designated as The Lego Room. Beyond its door, I fantasize and govern my own small world of castles, modem cities, and thousands of Lego people. Each time I enter The Lego Room, a new story is created. Once, a friend asked to tour this room.
Amazed by my Star Wars models, he reached for a ship and accidentally knocked over a restaurant, breaking it to pieces! This disaster became an opportunity to rebuild and I fashioned a two-story food court with a McDonald's, pizzeria, and drive-thru. It was better than the original!
Ideas for new constructions fill my head and I write them down in a sketchbook. Lego represents a creative consistency in my life, much as an artist has his canvas and a musician, his violin. Lego has taught me to be an architect, engineer, governor, economist and so on.
Lego has provided the building blocks of my future, developing my math skills and ability to follow complex directions. As I build new worlds, brick by brick, I imagine my own possibilities and opportunities. Through the "lives" of my Lego friends, I have been able to act out all kinds of experiences. They have served as a link between my childhood and manhood. My friends say I'm childlike and there is truth to that, but perhaps we should all find a way to keep in touch with our childhood. Lego is mine.
Question:
With Lego in the room, the author probably feels _ .
Choices:
A. regretful
B. shameful
C. childlike
D. proud | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high17149.txt | When asked what they want for a gift, most teens would say a CD player, or maybe an iPod, but I want Lego. I received my first set for my fifth birthday, a tiny pizzeria with an umbrella and a delivery truck. Since then my collection has expanded rapidly and I have built skyscrapers, constructed spaceships and designed submarines.
There is a small area in my house designated as The Lego Room. Beyond its door, I fantasize and govern my own small world of castles, modem cities, and thousands of Lego people. Each time I enter The Lego Room, a new story is created. Once, a friend asked to tour this room.
Amazed by my Star Wars models, he reached for a ship and accidentally knocked over a restaurant, breaking it to pieces! This disaster became an opportunity to rebuild and I fashioned a two-story food court with a McDonald's, pizzeria, and drive-thru. It was better than the original!
Ideas for new constructions fill my head and I write them down in a sketchbook. Lego represents a creative consistency in my life, much as an artist has his canvas and a musician, his violin. Lego has taught me to be an architect, engineer, governor, economist and so on.
Lego has provided the building blocks of my future, developing my math skills and ability to follow complex directions. As I build new worlds, brick by brick, I imagine my own possibilities and opportunities. Through the "lives" of my Lego friends, I have been able to act out all kinds of experiences. They have served as a link between my childhood and manhood. My friends say I'm childlike and there is truth to that, but perhaps we should all find a way to keep in touch with our childhood. Lego is mine. | [
"regretful",
"shameful",
"childlike",
"proud"
] |
What did the author decide to do with the room at last? | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
I decided a few months ago that l was going to treat myself to a 4-day getaway from Los Angeles and visit Chicago. I turned in some long-saved frequent flier miles for the airplane ticket, but had to shell out cash I really couldn't afford for the hotel. I found a travel website where a discounted promotional 3-night stay was purchased from a recently opened hotel.
About three weeks before the trip, I had to regretfully cancel and only then realized the room, while transferable to another person, couldn't be changed to a later date and wasn't refundable .For the next two weeks, I tried selling it on Craig's list with no success. Five days before the "big weekend" I gave up trying to spend any money and decided I'd contact some friends who live in Chicago and offer someone a free "staycation". After trying a handful of people all of whom already had their own plans, I was determined to have the room not go to waste.
That's when it suddenly occurred to me that I was looking at the rooms in the wrong way. Instead of viewing them for vacation purposes, surely there must be a way to put them to good use, and that was when the idea that some sort of shelter might be able to use it hit me. I finally found one whose focus is aiding victims of domestic violence. This particular one was willing to listen to my out-of-left-field story and facilitated the transfer of the rooms. The shelter was working with a desperate woman and her young daughter, who were fortunately able to make use of the room.
Question:
What did the author decide to do with the room at last?
Choices:
A. Sell it online.
B. Let it go to waste.
C. Use it to help strangers in need.
D. Offer it to one of his friends. | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high13306.txt | I decided a few months ago that l was going to treat myself to a 4-day getaway from Los Angeles and visit Chicago. I turned in some long-saved frequent flier miles for the airplane ticket, but had to shell out cash I really couldn't afford for the hotel. I found a travel website where a discounted promotional 3-night stay was purchased from a recently opened hotel.
About three weeks before the trip, I had to regretfully cancel and only then realized the room, while transferable to another person, couldn't be changed to a later date and wasn't refundable .For the next two weeks, I tried selling it on Craig's list with no success. Five days before the "big weekend" I gave up trying to spend any money and decided I'd contact some friends who live in Chicago and offer someone a free "staycation". After trying a handful of people all of whom already had their own plans, I was determined to have the room not go to waste.
That's when it suddenly occurred to me that I was looking at the rooms in the wrong way. Instead of viewing them for vacation purposes, surely there must be a way to put them to good use, and that was when the idea that some sort of shelter might be able to use it hit me. I finally found one whose focus is aiding victims of domestic violence. This particular one was willing to listen to my out-of-left-field story and facilitated the transfer of the rooms. The shelter was working with a desperate woman and her young daughter, who were fortunately able to make use of the room. | [
"Sell it online.",
"Let it go to waste.",
"Use it to help strangers in need.",
"Offer it to one of his friends."
] |
Why does the writer introduce so many animals from different places to us? | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Visiting the forest zoo
Come and see the Indian elephants and the new tigers from Northeast of China. The beautiful birds from England are ready to sing songs for you, and the monkeys from Mount Emei will be happy to talk to you. The lovely dogs from Australia want to laugh at you. Sichuan pandas will play balls for you. The giraffes from Africa are waiting to look down on you.
Tickets Opening time
Grown-ups : 3 yuan 9:00 a.m.--4:00 p.m. (Monday--Saturday)
Children over 1.4 m : 2 yuan except Friday (closed)
Children under 1.4 m : Free 10:00 a.m. --3: 00 p.m. (Sunday)
Keep the zoo clean!
Do not touch , give food or go near to the animals.
Question:
Why does the writer introduce so many animals from different places to us?
Choices:
A. To frighten us in the zoo.
B. To make us lovely in the zoo.
C. To attract us to the zoo.
D. To show animals can do everything. | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle3859.txt | Visiting the forest zoo
Come and see the Indian elephants and the new tigers from Northeast of China. The beautiful birds from England are ready to sing songs for you, and the monkeys from Mount Emei will be happy to talk to you. The lovely dogs from Australia want to laugh at you. Sichuan pandas will play balls for you. The giraffes from Africa are waiting to look down on you.
Tickets Opening time
Grown-ups : 3 yuan 9:00 a.m.--4:00 p.m. (Monday--Saturday)
Children over 1.4 m : 2 yuan except Friday (closed)
Children under 1.4 m : Free 10:00 a.m. --3: 00 p.m. (Sunday)
Keep the zoo clean!
Do not touch , give food or go near to the animals. | [
"To frighten us in the zoo.",
"To make us lovely in the zoo.",
"To attract us to the zoo.",
"To show animals can do everything."
] |
Simon and Peter have a big stamp collection. Simon collects red stamps and Peter collects white stamps. Simon has 30 red stamps and Peter has 80 white stamps. If the red stamps are then sold for 50 cents each and the white stamps are sold for 20 cents each, what is the difference in the amount of money they make in dollars? | Red stamps are 50 cents each and for 30 stamps, Simon would get 50 * 30 = <<50*30=1500>>1500 cents
White stamps are 20 cents each and for 80 stamps, Peter would get 20 * 80 = <<20*80=1600>>1600 cents
The difference in cents is 1600 - 1500 = <<1600-1500=100>>100 cents
One dollar equals 100 cents, so the difference in dollars is 100/100 = $<<100/100=1>>1
#### 1 | Solve the following math problem and explain your reasoning step by step. | Simon and Peter have a big stamp collection. Simon collects red stamps and Peter collects white stamps. Simon has 30 red stamps and Peter has 80 white stamps. If the red stamps are then sold for 50 cents each and the white stamps are sold for 20 cents each, what is the difference in the amount of money they make in dollars? | Red stamps are 50 cents each and for 30 stamps, Simon would get 50 * 30 = <<50*30=1500>>1500 cents
White stamps are 20 cents each and for 80 stamps, Peter would get 20 * 80 = <<20*80=1600>>1600 cents
The difference in cents is 1600 - 1500 = <<1600-1500=100>>100 cents
One dollar equals 100 cents, so the difference in dollars is 100/100 = $<<100/100=1>>1
#### 1 | math | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Somatosensation refers to what of the five senses? | null | Answer the following science question clearly and accurately. | Somatosensation refers to what of the five senses? | touch | science | null | null | null | sight | balance | thought | touch | 36.2 | Somatosensation By the end of this section, you will be able to: • Describe four important mechanoreceptors in human skin • Describe the topographical distribution of somatosensory receptors between glabrous and hairy skin • Explain why the perception of pain is subjective Somatosensation is a mixed sensory category and includes all sensation received from the skin and mucous membranes, as well from as the limbs and joints. Somatosensation is also known as tactile sense, or more familiarly, as the sense of touch. Somatosensation occurs all over the exterior of the body and at some interior locations as well. A variety of receptor types—embedded in the skin, mucous membranes, muscles, joints, internal organs, and cardiovascular system—play a role. Recall that the epidermis is the outermost layer of skin in mammals. It is relatively thin, is composed of keratin-filled cells, and has no blood supply. The epidermis serves as a barrier to water and to invasion by pathogens. Below this, the much thicker dermis contains blood vessels, sweat glands, hair follicles, lymph vessels, and lipid-secreting sebaceous glands (Figure 36.4). Below the epidermis and dermis is the subcutaneous tissue, or hypodermis, the fatty layer that contains blood vessels, connective tissue, and the axons of sensory neurons. The hypodermis, which holds about 50 percent of the body’s fat, attaches the dermis to the bone and muscle, and supplies nerves and blood vessels to the dermis. | null | null | null |
How is the university students' English in Japan? | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Japanese people work very hard at studying English. They start studying English at the age of 12. Most young Japanese people spend a lot of time and work hard at studying English, but Japanese people are not good at English. Here are the reasons:
There are few people from English-speaking countries in Japan. They don't have enough chances to speak with them.
Japan is an island country and they feel that other countries are far away. So they don't use English very often. And the Japanese feel that it is strange to talk to each other in English.
The Japanese education doesn't always follow the educational trends in the world. It puts a lot of importance on grammar and vocabulary, and less on speaking, listening and reading skills.
Many Japanese students' English becomes worse after they go to university .They have to learn English again if they work in English-speaking countries.
Sometimes the Japanese feel shy about speaking wrong or broken English.
Question:
How is the university students' English in Japan?
Choices:
A. Very good
B. Worse than before
C. Very bad
D. As good as before | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle1808.txt | Japanese people work very hard at studying English. They start studying English at the age of 12. Most young Japanese people spend a lot of time and work hard at studying English, but Japanese people are not good at English. Here are the reasons:
There are few people from English-speaking countries in Japan. They don't have enough chances to speak with them.
Japan is an island country and they feel that other countries are far away. So they don't use English very often. And the Japanese feel that it is strange to talk to each other in English.
The Japanese education doesn't always follow the educational trends in the world. It puts a lot of importance on grammar and vocabulary, and less on speaking, listening and reading skills.
Many Japanese students' English becomes worse after they go to university .They have to learn English again if they work in English-speaking countries.
Sometimes the Japanese feel shy about speaking wrong or broken English. | [
"Very good",
"Worse than before",
"Very bad",
"As good as before"
] |
What do you know about the product? | D | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
INTEX Giant Dolphin Inflatable Swimming Pool Ride-On Raft
Price:$88
*Great design is as impressive as it is comfortable !
*Handles are great for maintain control
*Dimensions:79" x 30"
Product Description
Great for pools and the beach, the INTEX Dolphin Ride - On Raft is sure to catch some eyes! This impressive raft features heavy duty handles and a uniquely large design. Get out there and enjoy the water this summer on the INTEX Dolphin Ride-On Raft. Enjoy a restful day on the water, lying in the comfort of this soft, durable , colorful inflatable ( ) raft from water product maker Intex. Made of special material, its as durable as it is soft and comfortable, and has two handles for easy on-and-off. It will bring a lot of fun to both adults and children.
About Intex Recreation:
Intex Recreation makes above-ground swimming pools, air beds, inflatable toys, pool and lake boats. The company has been in business for over 40 years, and is a global leader in designing and producing innovative products for indoor and outdoor recreation. Intex products meet the most strict safety standards, taking testing to ensure years of safety and satisfaction.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Hello, my name is Mike Smith. I bought the raft for my family. It worked perfectly. It is a great size for the three of us. We hit many rocks and low tree branches drifting down a river, but the raft came out safety. This is an excellent raft. It's durable and floats like it should. Great for kids or adults. And great for family use.
Contact Information of intex Recreation: Tel:800-876-0987 E-mail: In texrecreation@hotmail.com
Question:
What do you know about the product?
Choices:
A. It is hard for children to control.
B. It can be used only for adults.
C. It is easily broken by rocks and small branches.
D. It is soft, comfortable and inflatable. | Answer: D | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high11013.txt | INTEX Giant Dolphin Inflatable Swimming Pool Ride-On Raft
Price:$88
*Great design is as impressive as it is comfortable !
*Handles are great for maintain control
*Dimensions:79" x 30"
Product Description
Great for pools and the beach, the INTEX Dolphin Ride - On Raft is sure to catch some eyes! This impressive raft features heavy duty handles and a uniquely large design. Get out there and enjoy the water this summer on the INTEX Dolphin Ride-On Raft. Enjoy a restful day on the water, lying in the comfort of this soft, durable , colorful inflatable ( ) raft from water product maker Intex. Made of special material, its as durable as it is soft and comfortable, and has two handles for easy on-and-off. It will bring a lot of fun to both adults and children.
About Intex Recreation:
Intex Recreation makes above-ground swimming pools, air beds, inflatable toys, pool and lake boats. The company has been in business for over 40 years, and is a global leader in designing and producing innovative products for indoor and outdoor recreation. Intex products meet the most strict safety standards, taking testing to ensure years of safety and satisfaction.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Hello, my name is Mike Smith. I bought the raft for my family. It worked perfectly. It is a great size for the three of us. We hit many rocks and low tree branches drifting down a river, but the raft came out safety. This is an excellent raft. It's durable and floats like it should. Great for kids or adults. And great for family use.
Contact Information of intex Recreation: Tel:800-876-0987 E-mail: In texrecreation@hotmail.com | [
"It is hard for children to control.",
"It can be used only for adults.",
"It is easily broken by rocks and small branches.",
"It is soft, comfortable and inflatable."
] |
What's more important for senior school students? | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Swimming and English Learning
Can you swim? Do you like swimming? Yes? Well, how can you learn to swim? I think the best way is to go into the water and learn. I'm afraid you'll never learn to swim just by reading books about swimming or looking at others swimming. It's the same with the English study. We must practice, practice and practice.
Listening and speaking are very important for beginners. The children in English-speaking countries first listen to others. Then they try to imitate and speak. We can listen to English programs on radio. You may just understand a few words. It doesn't matter. Just be relaxed, try to catch every word.
Somebody may be a good listener. But he dare not speak. He's afraid of making mistakes. You know we sometimes make mistakes when we speak Chinese. Don't be afraid. We must be brave. If you really want to learn English well, you must try to speak with everyone so long as he knows English. Whether you know him or not is not important when there's nobody to talk with, you can talk to yourself in English. It's interesting and also a good way to practice your spoken English. Remember, the more you speak, the fewer mistakes you'll make.
Reading and writing are more important for senior school students. First we must choose the books we're interested in. A lot of reading will improve your language sense. This is the most important.
Keep writing English diaries. We can also write English articles. You may even post them to English magazines. Don't be afraid of failure. Failure is the mother of success.
Easier said than done. Well, let's do more practice from now on. I'm sure you'll learn English well in this way.
Question:
What's more important for senior school students?
Choices:
A. listening
B. speaking
C. reading and writing
D. learning | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle850.txt | Swimming and English Learning
Can you swim? Do you like swimming? Yes? Well, how can you learn to swim? I think the best way is to go into the water and learn. I'm afraid you'll never learn to swim just by reading books about swimming or looking at others swimming. It's the same with the English study. We must practice, practice and practice.
Listening and speaking are very important for beginners. The children in English-speaking countries first listen to others. Then they try to imitate and speak. We can listen to English programs on radio. You may just understand a few words. It doesn't matter. Just be relaxed, try to catch every word.
Somebody may be a good listener. But he dare not speak. He's afraid of making mistakes. You know we sometimes make mistakes when we speak Chinese. Don't be afraid. We must be brave. If you really want to learn English well, you must try to speak with everyone so long as he knows English. Whether you know him or not is not important when there's nobody to talk with, you can talk to yourself in English. It's interesting and also a good way to practice your spoken English. Remember, the more you speak, the fewer mistakes you'll make.
Reading and writing are more important for senior school students. First we must choose the books we're interested in. A lot of reading will improve your language sense. This is the most important.
Keep writing English diaries. We can also write English articles. You may even post them to English magazines. Don't be afraid of failure. Failure is the mother of success.
Easier said than done. Well, let's do more practice from now on. I'm sure you'll learn English well in this way. | [
"listening",
"speaking",
"reading and writing",
"learning"
] |
After they got to the bottom of the ocean , _ . | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
The journey two naval officers made some time ago to the very deepest point on the earth makes us realize how much of the world still remains to be explored.The two men went down 7 miles to the bottoms of the Pacific Ocean inside a small steel ball called a "bathyscaphe" to find out if there are any ocean currents or signs of life.Above the ball there was a special tank full of petrol which was slowly emptied into the water to make the bathyscaphe heavy enough to complete its journey.
It was necessary to set out early, so that the bathyscaphe would come to the surface in daylight, and so be easily found by the mother ship which would be waiting for it.The divers began preparations at dawn and soon afterwards, when all was ready, the steel ball disappeared under the surface of the water.
The divers felt as if they were going down steps as they passed through warm and cold layers of water.In time, the temperature dropped to freezing point and the men shivered inside the ball.They kept in touch with the mother ship by telephone describing how they felt.Then , at a depth of 3,000 feet, the telephone stopped working and they were quite cut off from the outside world.All went well until some four hours later at 30,000 feet, the men were startled by a loud, cracking noise; even the smallest hole in the ball would have meant instant death.Luckily, though, it was only one of the outer windows that badly broken.Soon afterwards, the bathyscaphe touched the soft ocean floor raising a big cloud of "dust" made up of small, dead sea-creatures.Here, powerful lights lit up the dark water and the men were surprised to see fish swimming just above them quite untroubled by the enormous pressure.But they didn't dare to leave the lights on for long, as the heat from the lights made the water boil.Quite unexpectedly, the telephone began working again and the faint but clear voices of the officers were heard on the mother ship 7 miles away.After a stay of thirty minutes the men began their journey up, arriving three hours later, cold and wet through, but none the worse for their experience.
Question:
After they got to the bottom of the ocean , _ .
Choices:
A. they could get in touch with the mother ship seven miles away
B. they were cut off from the outside world
C. one of the outer windows broke Ks5u
D. they found the water boil | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high21278.txt | The journey two naval officers made some time ago to the very deepest point on the earth makes us realize how much of the world still remains to be explored.The two men went down 7 miles to the bottoms of the Pacific Ocean inside a small steel ball called a "bathyscaphe" to find out if there are any ocean currents or signs of life.Above the ball there was a special tank full of petrol which was slowly emptied into the water to make the bathyscaphe heavy enough to complete its journey.
It was necessary to set out early, so that the bathyscaphe would come to the surface in daylight, and so be easily found by the mother ship which would be waiting for it.The divers began preparations at dawn and soon afterwards, when all was ready, the steel ball disappeared under the surface of the water.
The divers felt as if they were going down steps as they passed through warm and cold layers of water.In time, the temperature dropped to freezing point and the men shivered inside the ball.They kept in touch with the mother ship by telephone describing how they felt.Then , at a depth of 3,000 feet, the telephone stopped working and they were quite cut off from the outside world.All went well until some four hours later at 30,000 feet, the men were startled by a loud, cracking noise; even the smallest hole in the ball would have meant instant death.Luckily, though, it was only one of the outer windows that badly broken.Soon afterwards, the bathyscaphe touched the soft ocean floor raising a big cloud of "dust" made up of small, dead sea-creatures.Here, powerful lights lit up the dark water and the men were surprised to see fish swimming just above them quite untroubled by the enormous pressure.But they didn't dare to leave the lights on for long, as the heat from the lights made the water boil.Quite unexpectedly, the telephone began working again and the faint but clear voices of the officers were heard on the mother ship 7 miles away.After a stay of thirty minutes the men began their journey up, arriving three hours later, cold and wet through, but none the worse for their experience. | [
"they could get in touch with the mother ship seven miles away",
"they were cut off from the outside world",
"one of the outer windows broke Ks5u",
"they found the water boil"
] |
To study smarter,you'd better _ . | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Tests can be stressful even for the most prepared students,and,unfortunately,test anxiety can actually have a negative impact on your performance.(Just having that knowledge adds to the stress,doesn't it?)Well,the following tips can help you get through your next test with much greater ease--and likely more success!
Get Enough Sleep
Getting 6 hours of less can put you into what's called a sleep deficit,or lack of sufficient sleep,which can actually make you less sharp mentally and thus negatively affect your performance on tests,even if you spent those missed hours of sleep studying.So it's very important for you to get all of your studying done so you can get a good night of sleep before your big day.
Study Smarter
Being organized with your studies can help you keep from pulling all-nighters to get all of your studying in and blowing the test because you're exhausted.How do you study 'smarter'? Make a list of the most important things you need to learn,in order of importance,and hit the items at the top of the list first.That way,if you run out of time,you're mostly covered.Make a list of all the work you have to do,estimate how much time each item will take,and compare that with the amount of hours you have available;this will tell you if you can carefully read or just skim,how many times you can afford to revise papers,and other ways to pace yourself so you can get everything done.If you're pressed for time,it's important to learn to let go of being perfect.Oh,and turn off the TV as much as possible until your tests are behind you.
Visualize Success
Before you fall asleep each night,it is a great way to visualize yourself taking the tests and doing wonderfully.Detailed visualizations can help you feel like you're really experiencing something,and visualizing yourself doing well is a way to 'practice' success in a way that can actually help you perform better and feel confident.Being confident as you take your exams can keep you from choking because of the stress.Visualizations can also help you to remember facts: you can create detailed scenarios that involve the information you're trying to remember,and this can help cement the facts in your memory.
Stay Calm
Because stress can impair your memory,it's important to stay calm before and during tests.While that's easier said than done,there are several stress relief techniques that can help you calm down quickly whenever you feel overwhelmed.For example,breathing exercise has been shown by research to reduce test anxiety,and can be extremely effective in helping you relax and reverse your stress response in a variety of situations: just take deep breaths,expanding your belly on the inhale,and let the stress come out with your exhales.
Question:
To study smarter,you'd better _ .
Choices:
A. finish the most important things first
B. stay up to prepare for the coming exams
C. try to be perfect in every part of your study
D. divide your available time equally among all work | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high9254.txt | Tests can be stressful even for the most prepared students,and,unfortunately,test anxiety can actually have a negative impact on your performance.(Just having that knowledge adds to the stress,doesn't it?)Well,the following tips can help you get through your next test with much greater ease--and likely more success!
Get Enough Sleep
Getting 6 hours of less can put you into what's called a sleep deficit,or lack of sufficient sleep,which can actually make you less sharp mentally and thus negatively affect your performance on tests,even if you spent those missed hours of sleep studying.So it's very important for you to get all of your studying done so you can get a good night of sleep before your big day.
Study Smarter
Being organized with your studies can help you keep from pulling all-nighters to get all of your studying in and blowing the test because you're exhausted.How do you study 'smarter'? Make a list of the most important things you need to learn,in order of importance,and hit the items at the top of the list first.That way,if you run out of time,you're mostly covered.Make a list of all the work you have to do,estimate how much time each item will take,and compare that with the amount of hours you have available;this will tell you if you can carefully read or just skim,how many times you can afford to revise papers,and other ways to pace yourself so you can get everything done.If you're pressed for time,it's important to learn to let go of being perfect.Oh,and turn off the TV as much as possible until your tests are behind you.
Visualize Success
Before you fall asleep each night,it is a great way to visualize yourself taking the tests and doing wonderfully.Detailed visualizations can help you feel like you're really experiencing something,and visualizing yourself doing well is a way to 'practice' success in a way that can actually help you perform better and feel confident.Being confident as you take your exams can keep you from choking because of the stress.Visualizations can also help you to remember facts: you can create detailed scenarios that involve the information you're trying to remember,and this can help cement the facts in your memory.
Stay Calm
Because stress can impair your memory,it's important to stay calm before and during tests.While that's easier said than done,there are several stress relief techniques that can help you calm down quickly whenever you feel overwhelmed.For example,breathing exercise has been shown by research to reduce test anxiety,and can be extremely effective in helping you relax and reverse your stress response in a variety of situations: just take deep breaths,expanding your belly on the inhale,and let the stress come out with your exhales. | [
"finish the most important things first",
"stay up to prepare for the coming exams",
"try to be perfect in every part of your study",
"divide your available time equally among all work"
] |
A student has a pink eraser on her desk. Which property shows that the eraser is a solid? | null | Answer this science question and explain your reasoning. | A student has a pink eraser on her desk. Which property shows that the eraser is a solid?
Choices:
A. Its color stays the same when it is broken in half.
B. Its temperature goes up when it is rubbed on paper.
C. Its shape is definite when it is placed in a new spot.
D. Its size changes when it is used to remove pencil marks. | Correct answer: C | science | Mercury_SC_414079 | {
"text": [
"Its color stays the same when it is broken in half.",
"Its temperature goes up when it is rubbed on paper.",
"Its shape is definite when it is placed in a new spot.",
"Its size changes when it is used to remove pencil marks."
],
"label": [
"A",
"B",
"C",
"D"
]
} | C | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
On Friday morning students don't have _ lesson. | B | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Rockfield High Sch ool
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
8:10 English Eng lish Math Spanish Biology
9:00 Math Math Self-study Math Self-study
10:00 Biology Biology Spanish Art Math
10:40 Self-study Art P.E. Biology English
12:20 Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch
1:10 P.E. Self-study English Self-study P.E.
2:00 Spanish Spanish Biology English Spanish
Question:
On Friday morning students don't have _ lesson.
Choices:
A. biology
B. Spanish
C. math
D. English | Answer: B | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle2830.txt | Rockfield High Sch ool
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
8:10 English Eng lish Math Spanish Biology
9:00 Math Math Self-study Math Self-study
10:00 Biology Biology Spanish Art Math
10:40 Self-study Art P.E. Biology English
12:20 Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch
1:10 P.E. Self-study English Self-study P.E.
2:00 Spanish Spanish Biology English Spanish | [
"biology",
"Spanish",
"math",
"English"
] |
What carries warm or cold water throughout the world’s oceans? | null | Answer the following science question clearly and accurately. | What carries warm or cold water throughout the world’s oceans? | ocean currents | science | null | null | null | earth rotation | gravity | pipes | ocean currents | Ocean currents carry warm or cold water throughout the world’s oceans. They help to even out the temperatures in the oceans. This also affects the temperature of the atmosphere and the climate around the world. Currents that are near shore have a direct impact on climate. They may make the climate much colder or warmer. You can see examples of this in Figure below . | null | null | null |
The story of the Dutch old man at the beginning of the passage serves as _ . | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Recently a friend of mine wrote to me about her experience in Holland:
A very old man asked me to come to his apartment, and he would donate a bike to the project. I went over to get it, and it was half a bike, which was locked to a pole and had obviously been there for years. The temperature was well below zero. It became clear that he was in fact super-lonely, and torn between usual Dutch distrust of strangers and desperation for human contact. He finally begged me to come up to his apartment (where he obviously lived alone).
You may know that Dutch people are the tallest in the world, reflecting a very high standard of living. But -- if this old man is not unusual -- reducing the loneliness of old people isn't part of the Dutch social contact, admirable as _ may be.
I recently watched the Frontline program Sick Around the World. It suggested that the old man isn't unusual. In England, where doctor visits are free, a doctor said he has several patients who come weekly, purely because they're lonely. In Japan, some patients have their blood pressure measured very often -- most probably for the same reason. In Taiwan, if you see a doctor 20 times in one month, someone from the government will come to talk to you. Not about loneliness -- about overuse of medical care. The Frontline program made nothing of any of these facts, which were included to show that access was easy. Really the idea that everyone needs human contact isn't mysterious or controversial.
My explanation is there's a double blow: Not only do lonely old people have little power, it's also clear that their problem (loneliness) isn't caused by a "chemical imbalance". So no drugs can be sold to treat it. And there's no diagnostic category. When these lonely old people use what little power they have by visiting their doctor, the doctor -- I'm assuming -- doesn't do anything to get rid of the loneliness. Even if you visit 20 times in a month.
Question:
The story of the Dutch old man at the beginning of the passage serves as _ .
Choices:
A. an example of the lonely people
B. an important reminder of her friend
C. an introduction to Dutch social problems
D. an example of Dutch suspicion of strangers | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high20964.txt | Recently a friend of mine wrote to me about her experience in Holland:
A very old man asked me to come to his apartment, and he would donate a bike to the project. I went over to get it, and it was half a bike, which was locked to a pole and had obviously been there for years. The temperature was well below zero. It became clear that he was in fact super-lonely, and torn between usual Dutch distrust of strangers and desperation for human contact. He finally begged me to come up to his apartment (where he obviously lived alone).
You may know that Dutch people are the tallest in the world, reflecting a very high standard of living. But -- if this old man is not unusual -- reducing the loneliness of old people isn't part of the Dutch social contact, admirable as _ may be.
I recently watched the Frontline program Sick Around the World. It suggested that the old man isn't unusual. In England, where doctor visits are free, a doctor said he has several patients who come weekly, purely because they're lonely. In Japan, some patients have their blood pressure measured very often -- most probably for the same reason. In Taiwan, if you see a doctor 20 times in one month, someone from the government will come to talk to you. Not about loneliness -- about overuse of medical care. The Frontline program made nothing of any of these facts, which were included to show that access was easy. Really the idea that everyone needs human contact isn't mysterious or controversial.
My explanation is there's a double blow: Not only do lonely old people have little power, it's also clear that their problem (loneliness) isn't caused by a "chemical imbalance". So no drugs can be sold to treat it. And there's no diagnostic category. When these lonely old people use what little power they have by visiting their doctor, the doctor -- I'm assuming -- doesn't do anything to get rid of the loneliness. Even if you visit 20 times in a month. | [
"an example of the lonely people",
"an important reminder of her friend",
"an introduction to Dutch social problems",
"an example of Dutch suspicion of strangers"
] |
What is part of long johns in the US? | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Your mom tells you to put on your hat and gloves. But as the cold winter season gets closer, it's so cold that even mom's advice does not work.
That means it's time to put on your qiuku! This is a kind of "thermal underwear " or long underpants that keep people warm in the coldest months of the year.
In Western countries, qiuku is usually known as long johns, but they aren't popular. Long johns in the US are usually two pieces, a long-sleeved shirt and long pants, worn under other clothing or sometimes even used as pajamas .
Long johns first appeared in England during the 17thcentury. We call them long johns because the US boxer John L. Sullivan wore them while he boxed. But this is not a historical fact.
In the US, it gets quite cold and snowy in many places. And while parents often push kids to wear more clothes and long underwear, _
Part of the reason might be because it's not very fashionable and another reason might be because people don't spend much time outside during the cold months. So they just deal with the freezing temperatures when they have to leave the warm building. But in their parents' eyes, staying warm is more important than looking nice.
Question:
What is part of long johns in the US?
Choices:
A. Socks
B. T-shirts
C. Long pants
D. Coats | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | middle7829.txt | Your mom tells you to put on your hat and gloves. But as the cold winter season gets closer, it's so cold that even mom's advice does not work.
That means it's time to put on your qiuku! This is a kind of "thermal underwear " or long underpants that keep people warm in the coldest months of the year.
In Western countries, qiuku is usually known as long johns, but they aren't popular. Long johns in the US are usually two pieces, a long-sleeved shirt and long pants, worn under other clothing or sometimes even used as pajamas .
Long johns first appeared in England during the 17thcentury. We call them long johns because the US boxer John L. Sullivan wore them while he boxed. But this is not a historical fact.
In the US, it gets quite cold and snowy in many places. And while parents often push kids to wear more clothes and long underwear, _
Part of the reason might be because it's not very fashionable and another reason might be because people don't spend much time outside during the cold months. So they just deal with the freezing temperatures when they have to leave the warm building. But in their parents' eyes, staying warm is more important than looking nice. | [
"Socks",
"T-shirts",
"Long pants",
"Coats"
] |
Which of the following best describes Fulton's feeling when the wallet was returned? | C | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Bill Fulton doesn't remember losing his wallet, but its return helped him remember the past. The leather stayed smooth and the cowboy design unblemished . And when he looked inside, the contents brought back memories from 1946, when he apparently dropped the wallet behind the balcony bleachers in the Baker Middle School gym.
Fulton's Social Security Card and bicycle license, bearing the address where he lived during his teenage years, were positioned in their respective compartments, apparently untouched since the year after World War Il ended.
Worker Nathan Osborne found the wallet -- along with old homework, lost library books and a 1964 talent show program -- while removing the bleachers for renovations on June 17. It was brought to Fulton's door the following day by Melanie Trindle, the Baker Middle School secretary.
Middle School Principal Mindi Vaughan said the brown pine bleachers were connected to the gym balcony's brick wall and had remained in the same place since the school, known as the Helen M. Stack Building, opened in 1936.
Fulton, 78, said he probably lost the wallet while cheering for the Baker High basketball team with a group of friends. Fulton said the bicycle ID was needed because he delivered medicine for Rodamar Drug. He was surprised, however, that his bicycle ID wasn't inside. He said he always kept it there.
But rather than focus on what was inside the wallet, Fulton said the recovery has led him to reflect on his life -- one that took him to the Korean War and Berlin before the return to Baker City. He worked at Ellingson Lumber Company for 30 years, from March 1964 to April 1994.
Since his retirement, Fulton has enjoyed spending time with his 11-year-old black dog, Smokey. The two often hike the nearby mountains.
Trindle's knock on the door, wallet in hand, induced a slight ripple in his life, prompting him to consider the times he hadn't thought about in many years. "Where did all the times go?" Fulton said with a deep sigh. "It' s hard to believe that the times have gone so fast."
Question:
Which of the following best describes Fulton's feeling when the wallet was returned?
Choices:
A. Thankful.
B. Overjoyed.
C. Surprised.
D. Doubtful. | Answer: C | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high22684.txt | Bill Fulton doesn't remember losing his wallet, but its return helped him remember the past. The leather stayed smooth and the cowboy design unblemished . And when he looked inside, the contents brought back memories from 1946, when he apparently dropped the wallet behind the balcony bleachers in the Baker Middle School gym.
Fulton's Social Security Card and bicycle license, bearing the address where he lived during his teenage years, were positioned in their respective compartments, apparently untouched since the year after World War Il ended.
Worker Nathan Osborne found the wallet -- along with old homework, lost library books and a 1964 talent show program -- while removing the bleachers for renovations on June 17. It was brought to Fulton's door the following day by Melanie Trindle, the Baker Middle School secretary.
Middle School Principal Mindi Vaughan said the brown pine bleachers were connected to the gym balcony's brick wall and had remained in the same place since the school, known as the Helen M. Stack Building, opened in 1936.
Fulton, 78, said he probably lost the wallet while cheering for the Baker High basketball team with a group of friends. Fulton said the bicycle ID was needed because he delivered medicine for Rodamar Drug. He was surprised, however, that his bicycle ID wasn't inside. He said he always kept it there.
But rather than focus on what was inside the wallet, Fulton said the recovery has led him to reflect on his life -- one that took him to the Korean War and Berlin before the return to Baker City. He worked at Ellingson Lumber Company for 30 years, from March 1964 to April 1994.
Since his retirement, Fulton has enjoyed spending time with his 11-year-old black dog, Smokey. The two often hike the nearby mountains.
Trindle's knock on the door, wallet in hand, induced a slight ripple in his life, prompting him to consider the times he hadn't thought about in many years. "Where did all the times go?" Fulton said with a deep sigh. "It' s hard to believe that the times have gone so fast." | [
"Thankful.",
"Overjoyed.",
"Surprised.",
"Doubtful."
] |
According to the passage,which way is not likely to be accepted by English beginners? | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
Among the four skills in learning English ,which of these is the "Odd-Man-Out"?The answer is speaking. The other three you can do alone on your own. But you can't really speak alone! Speaking to yourself can be "dangerous" because men in white coats may come and take you away!
Where can you find people to speak English? And how can you practise speaking when you are alone?At school if you pay to go to a language school ,you should use the chance to speak .If your teacher asks you to speak in pairs or groups with other students ,try to say as much as possible. Don't worry about your mistakes. Just speak!
Conversation Clubs Many cities around the world have conversation clubs where people can exchange one language for another .Look in your local newspaper to find a conversation club near you .They are usually free although some may charge a small entrance fee.
Shopping Even if you don't want to buy anything ,you can ask questions about products that interest you in a shop."How much does this cost?" "Can I pay by cheque?" Often you can start a real conversation--and it costs you nothing!
Cafe and Bars There are often American, Britain, Irish and Australian bars in many large cities .If you can find one, you'll probably meet many people speaking English as a first or second language.
Language is all around you Everywhere you go, you find language .Shop names, street names ,advertisements ,notices ,and car numbers....When you walk down the street ,practise reading the words and numbers that you see .Say them to yourself .It's not exactly a conversation ,but it will help you to "think" in English .But don't speak too loud!
Songs and Video Repeat the words of an English-language song singing with the music until it becomes automatic. It's good practice for your memory and for the mouth muscles that you need for English.
Above all ,speak as much as possible! Make as many mistakes as possible! When you know that you have made a mistake, you know that you have made progress!
Question:
According to the passage,which way is not likely to be accepted by English beginners?
Choices:
A. Recite poems loudly along the riverside.
B. Listen to some English pop songs and video.
C. Find an Englishman to speak English with.
D. Take to the TV showing programmes at home. | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high3254.txt | Among the four skills in learning English ,which of these is the "Odd-Man-Out"?The answer is speaking. The other three you can do alone on your own. But you can't really speak alone! Speaking to yourself can be "dangerous" because men in white coats may come and take you away!
Where can you find people to speak English? And how can you practise speaking when you are alone?At school if you pay to go to a language school ,you should use the chance to speak .If your teacher asks you to speak in pairs or groups with other students ,try to say as much as possible. Don't worry about your mistakes. Just speak!
Conversation Clubs Many cities around the world have conversation clubs where people can exchange one language for another .Look in your local newspaper to find a conversation club near you .They are usually free although some may charge a small entrance fee.
Shopping Even if you don't want to buy anything ,you can ask questions about products that interest you in a shop."How much does this cost?" "Can I pay by cheque?" Often you can start a real conversation--and it costs you nothing!
Cafe and Bars There are often American, Britain, Irish and Australian bars in many large cities .If you can find one, you'll probably meet many people speaking English as a first or second language.
Language is all around you Everywhere you go, you find language .Shop names, street names ,advertisements ,notices ,and car numbers....When you walk down the street ,practise reading the words and numbers that you see .Say them to yourself .It's not exactly a conversation ,but it will help you to "think" in English .But don't speak too loud!
Songs and Video Repeat the words of an English-language song singing with the music until it becomes automatic. It's good practice for your memory and for the mouth muscles that you need for English.
Above all ,speak as much as possible! Make as many mistakes as possible! When you know that you have made a mistake, you know that you have made progress! | [
"Recite poems loudly along the riverside.",
"Listen to some English pop songs and video.",
"Find an Englishman to speak English with.",
"Take to the TV showing programmes at home."
] |
The author mentioned stories of two women in order to _ . | A | Read the passage and answer the question. | Passage:
I learned a long time ago that hair has meanings--plenty of meanings. Growing up in the 1960s, my friends and I struggled without parents' control over the length and style of our hair.
At the time, hair represented our need to break free from adults in our lives. Long hair represented our freed inner selves.
My clients are often surprised when I asked them questions about their hairstyle--why they choose it, how else they've worn their hair, how they feel about it, and so on. However, while it may seem to be a simple topic, even today our hairstyles still have many psychological and emotional meanings. Understanding some of those meanings can lead to understanding of many different aspects of a person's mind. How we view our hair, for example, can show something about how we view ourselves.
Our hair can show physical and emotional wellbeing, desirability, and even social and financial status. When it becomes dull or fragile, it can communicate emotional and physical diseases. But hair can also show unrecognized and often unspoken daydreams about oneself and one's world. One woman--a successful professional--wore her long hair in a thick bun .
But one day she showed me that tangled hair was kept in the bun. She said that she never brushed out the tangles because the hair showed her secret image of herself as a helpless, disturbed woman, like Ophelia in the play Hamlet.
Another woman came to therapy in a huge shirt and huge pants that she believed they could hide the weight she had put on since the birth of her child. She talked about how much she hated her body and how helpless she felt about doing anything about it. But her hair was always beautifully coloured and decorated. When I pointed out that she seemed to have a different relationship with her hair from she did with her body, she said that her hair had been thinning and that she was trying to make it look as good as she could. I pointed out that what she was doing with her hair and her body was kind of contradictory, and wondered if she had any thoughts about that.
She was surprised. But as we talked about her contradictory attitudes towards different parts of her physical self, we began to open up all sorts of other thoughts and ideas about her inner self.
And interestingly, as we continued opening those internal doors, changes started to happen. She started eating differently and exercising regularly. One day some months later, she appeared in my office in skinny jeans and a tight sweater, and her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. "I decided to see what would happen if I stopped trying to hide myself, " she said with a big smile.
"And...? " I asked. "People keep smiling at me in the street. My husband hugged me this morning for the first time in ages. And I feel good! "
Besides, selfrespect in both men and women can be damaged by thinning hair;they may feel alone even though they are really not. Given our cultural focus on physical appearance, youth, and health, hair loss can be unpleasant for both men and women. The market is filled with hairenhancing treatments, but there are those who have decided to be against the system and change to the "bald is beautiful" position. But it is much harder for women to take the "bald is beautiful" approach to hair loss. We tend to try to hide it in one way or another.
But no matter what approach you use, it is important to remember that the thickness of your hair has nothing to do with your value in the world. Remember that you have nothing to be ashamed of if you have thinning hair. Thinning hair may not be something you can change, but it doesn't have to control how you represent the person who lives underneath it.
Question:
The author mentioned stories of two women in order to _ .
Choices:
A. prove her idea
B. introduce the topic
C. make comparisons
D. stress the importance of good hair | Answer: A | reading | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | high9924.txt | I learned a long time ago that hair has meanings--plenty of meanings. Growing up in the 1960s, my friends and I struggled without parents' control over the length and style of our hair.
At the time, hair represented our need to break free from adults in our lives. Long hair represented our freed inner selves.
My clients are often surprised when I asked them questions about their hairstyle--why they choose it, how else they've worn their hair, how they feel about it, and so on. However, while it may seem to be a simple topic, even today our hairstyles still have many psychological and emotional meanings. Understanding some of those meanings can lead to understanding of many different aspects of a person's mind. How we view our hair, for example, can show something about how we view ourselves.
Our hair can show physical and emotional wellbeing, desirability, and even social and financial status. When it becomes dull or fragile, it can communicate emotional and physical diseases. But hair can also show unrecognized and often unspoken daydreams about oneself and one's world. One woman--a successful professional--wore her long hair in a thick bun .
But one day she showed me that tangled hair was kept in the bun. She said that she never brushed out the tangles because the hair showed her secret image of herself as a helpless, disturbed woman, like Ophelia in the play Hamlet.
Another woman came to therapy in a huge shirt and huge pants that she believed they could hide the weight she had put on since the birth of her child. She talked about how much she hated her body and how helpless she felt about doing anything about it. But her hair was always beautifully coloured and decorated. When I pointed out that she seemed to have a different relationship with her hair from she did with her body, she said that her hair had been thinning and that she was trying to make it look as good as she could. I pointed out that what she was doing with her hair and her body was kind of contradictory, and wondered if she had any thoughts about that.
She was surprised. But as we talked about her contradictory attitudes towards different parts of her physical self, we began to open up all sorts of other thoughts and ideas about her inner self.
And interestingly, as we continued opening those internal doors, changes started to happen. She started eating differently and exercising regularly. One day some months later, she appeared in my office in skinny jeans and a tight sweater, and her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. "I decided to see what would happen if I stopped trying to hide myself, " she said with a big smile.
"And...? " I asked. "People keep smiling at me in the street. My husband hugged me this morning for the first time in ages. And I feel good! "
Besides, selfrespect in both men and women can be damaged by thinning hair;they may feel alone even though they are really not. Given our cultural focus on physical appearance, youth, and health, hair loss can be unpleasant for both men and women. The market is filled with hairenhancing treatments, but there are those who have decided to be against the system and change to the "bald is beautiful" position. But it is much harder for women to take the "bald is beautiful" approach to hair loss. We tend to try to hide it in one way or another.
But no matter what approach you use, it is important to remember that the thickness of your hair has nothing to do with your value in the world. Remember that you have nothing to be ashamed of if you have thinning hair. Thinning hair may not be something you can change, but it doesn't have to control how you represent the person who lives underneath it. | [
"prove her idea",
"introduce the topic",
"make comparisons",
"stress the importance of good hair"
] |
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