questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Diet: a tricky path to weight loss"
},
"options": [
"Diet: a tricky path to weight loss",
"Important things for successful diet",
"Four in ten women gain weight on diets",
"Obesity: problem for 61.4% adults in UK"
]... | Four out of ten women who diet end up heavier than when they started watching their waistline, a study revealed today. The research also showed that a large percentage of women start noticing the pounds creeping back on just 21 days after reaching their ideal weight.
Yesterday, Dr Ian Campbell of the Jenny Craig weight management program said, 'In the UK 61.4 percent of adults are overweight or obese. Successful weight management requires a long-term commitment in order to lose weight successfully and for good. Dieting can be a real challenge so setting realistic goals and remaining focused on them is important. Otherwise as this research shows, women could end up heavier than when they started.'
The "Food, Body, Mind" report was publicized by Jenny Craig who quizzed 2000 women aged between 18 and 65 who diet regularly on their attitudes, beliefs and behaviors around weight loss. Six in ten said they were currently on a diet and one in five women said they were on a continuous diet.
It found the most common triggers to start dieting was seeing their reflection in the mirror, preparing for a summer holiday or unflattering photos posted on social networking sites. Other popular reasons include comments by friends or relatives or their other half.
However, the study showed that one in ten give up within one day, while almost a fifth manage to make it to a week or more. The average is ten days. Many blamed pressure they put on themselves to lose weight too quickly for the weight gain, which leaves them with a bigger appetite than normal. Others blamed colleagues, who tuck into fatty lunches and snacks unaware of the effect it has on the dieter, while mothers' polishing off their children's leftovers was another common cause of weight gain. | high2129.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "was too much to finish"
},
"options": [
"was too difficult",
"was too much to finish",
"was done more carefully than other students'",
"could be done as long as she helped her daughter"
],
"question": "The autho... | When my daughter was in the fifth grade, she came home from school almost every night with three or more hours of homework. It was my duty to help her get it done. One night she worked until midnight doing her homework.
I felt annoyed, but I didn't want the teacher to think I was lazy. So I never complained. I wasn't sure, but it seemed to me that five hours of homework was a bit too much for a fifth grade student.
Later, I found out that parents and educators have discussed about homework for more than a century. Parents who like more homework want to give their children every advantage to succeed in today's world. Some educators see homework as a way to help students perform better in tests.
Other parents dislike the recent trend toward more homework. They don't want to stay up until midnight helping their children. They would prefer to spend their time going to the park or reading some really good books with their children. Added to the opposition are those who say that homework increases the gap between the rich and the poor. That's because middle class families do better when it comes to helping their children with their homework.
So, who is right? Is homework an enemy or a help? According to experts, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. | high3237.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "All the people should have a good knowledge of how to make career choices and manage their career."
},
"options": [
"In the process of making career decisions, people should consider interests, abilities, values, personal needs and reali... | Understanding the process of making career choices and managing your career is a basic life skill that everyone should understand.
Your career decisions have such a profound effect on all aspects of your life. It's important to have the knowledge and resources needed to make smart, informed decisions. Whether you are looking for a new job, aiming to take the next step at your current job or planning your retirement options, you are making career decisions. Using good resources and the guidance of a career counselor can help you to make those decisions well.
Many people mistakenly believe that choosing a career is a one-time event that happens some time in early adulthood. However, career management is actually a life-long process, and we continue to make consequential career choices over the years. When people want to take action in their career, career management and job search are about so much more than writing a good resume. If you learn about and act on the following areas of career management, you'll be rewarded throughout your career.
Your interests, abilities, values, personal needs and realities should all be taken into account in any career decision making process. You spend countless hours at work, and it impacts your life in so many ways; it makes sense that you should be fully informed before making such profound decisions.
Do you know how many different career choices are available to you? Both The Dictionary of Occupational Titles (American) and The National Occupational Classification (Canadian) list well over 20,000 different job titles. So unless you've actively explored a variety of career options, there's a very good chance that there are great possibilities available to you, and you don't even realize they exist.
Match your understanding of yourself with your understanding of possible career options. Once you have developed a good understanding of yourself, you will be able to combine that self-knowledge with your career and labor market research to determine potential careers that are a great fit for you.
When you've made a well informed decision, then you're ready to make it happen. Making use of good career guidance and resources will help you to acquire the education, skills, and experience needed to get the job and learn and implement effective job search strategies.
Time spent understanding your needs, researching your career options and developing outstanding job search skills, guided by great career resources, is a powerful investment in your future. | high4558.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a Canadian"
},
"options": [
"a Canadian",
"an Englishman",
"Nancy's schoolmate",
"Nancy's father"
],
"question": "It can be learned from the passage that the writer is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questio... | Thank you for trusting me. I enjoy exchanging my ideas with yours
The first thing I want to tell you is that if the boys are calling you names it is their fault, not yours. Boys, at your age, are different from girls. They are trying to prove that they are manly and then often do this by picking on someone who can't really fight back. This is, of course, wrong but it happens. In general, the boys know they are bigger and stronger than you are, so they can make fun of you and make you cry and then laugh about it. If you let them see that they are hurting you, they will only do it more. It isn't that they want to hurt you; they simply want to make themselves feel superior . It's stupid, but it is common.
In English we say " sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me." Canadian children learn this from their mothers because the same thing that is happening to you in China also happens here. The best ways of getting the boys to stop calling your names is to simply ignore them, knowing that the names can't hurt you and that the boys are being stupid. If you can laugh at them they will get tired of trying to make you cry and they'll give up. It won't be easy, but, trust me, it will work. There is also something else working in your favor and that is that you are growing up and the boys are beginning to notice you as a young woman. I suspect some of them actually like you and are making fun of you just to get your attention. Again, it's stupid but it happens. In reality, you can control this situation by not letting them see you getting hurt. Laugh at them, tell them they're acting like children and they should grow up and then walk away with your head held high.
One more thing, Nancy. It is very important that you stop hurting yourself. If someone else hurts you, it is bad enough but you should't make it worse by then hurting yourself. Even sticking a pen into your finger can cause an infection and give you a lot of trouble and besides, it hurts. The next time you are disturbed by a group of stupid boys, write to me. You and I can talk about anything you like; about China, about Canada, about travel, anything. Having a conversation with me is better than sticking holes in your fingers, at least I hope it is. | high5652.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "it was the most popular thing happening"
},
"options": [
"it was in the newspaper",
"people spread mean rumors about it",
"it was the most popular thing happening",
"it was discussed in a city meeting"
],
"quest... | When Charles Stratton was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman, P.T.Barmum. Mr Barmum thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles' parents along with him, and they traveled the world together.
He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a name, General Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act, and tell jokes. When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads. To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England.
During the show, Tom fought battles pretendedly with tall people. He also danced upon a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall.
Tom's act was very popular and brought in a lot of money. By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich. He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty-five.
Fortunately for Tom, Mr. Barmum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well. One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a school teacher. Tom was able to win her love, and they married.
The ceremony and reception were _ They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about two thousand guests. Crowds filled the streets ofprefix = st1 /New Yorkto have a look at their tiny wedding carriage. The couple even met with President Abraham Lincoln on their honeymoon just before going to live in Tom's house inConnecticut.
Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war. Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade , communities throughout the country sponsored "Tom Thumb"weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremonies for fun. | high18026.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "more and more honors went to Einstein"
},
"options": [
"Einstein's theory was soon accepted even by ordinary people",
"more and more honors went to Einstein",
"Einstein almost had no chances for his research",
"Einstein... | Albert Einstein had a great effect on science and history. An American university president once said that Einstein had made a new outlook, a new view of the universe. It may be some time before the average mind understands fully the identity of time and space and so on--but even ordinary man now understand that the universe is something larger than ever thought before.
By 1914 young Einstein had been world-famous. He accepted the offer to become a professor at the Prussian Academy of Science in Berlin. He had few duties, little teaching and unlimited chances for study, but soon his peace and quiet life were broken by World War I.
Einstein hated fighting and killing. The great suffering of war affected him deeply, and he sat unhappily in his office doing little. He lost interest in his research. Only when peace came in 1918 was he able to get back to work. In the year following World War I honors were increasingly put on him. He became head of the Kaiser Whihem Institute of Theoretical Physics. But he himself refused the effort to put him in a position far above other people. He was well known for his humble manners. He often said that his success would certainly have been achieved by others if he had never lived. In 1921 he won the Nobel Prize, and he was honored in Germany until the rise of Nazism when he was driven from Germany because he was a Jew.www.ks5u.com | high17315.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "ride elephants"
},
"options": [
"have barbeques with natives",
"ride elephants",
"play with wild animals",
"race in canoes"
],
"question": "In the forest, tourists will be able to _ .",
"question_type": "c... | 6-Day Trek in the Highland National Parks
Destinations: Saigon -- Cat Tien National Park --Buon Ma Thuot --Lak Lake -- YokDon National Park
Estimated trekking time: Average 4-5 hours/day
Summary: This trip is ideal for those who love trekking in natural forests. From the southern part of Vietnam up to the central highlands, you will cross through two national parks. There will be opportunities to see wildlife and challenge yourself physically at a moderate level.
Indulge yourself in the beauty of nature, escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, rediscover yourself in the natural world and refresh both mind and body.
Highlights:
*Private tour
*Walk through the forest to a fascinating and beautiful wetland area. If you are lucky, you may be able to see many different kinds of animals using only binoculars .
*Night time wildlife-spotting excursion
*Elephant riding
Includes:
*Travel insurance
*Private transportation
*English-speaking guide
*Guest house-twin shared room
*Meals as indicated in the itinerary
*Elephants
*Canoe
*Mineral water
*Entrance fees & all permits
Excludes:
*Surcharges for other guides in other languages, festival season and peak season surcharges, which will be advised at time of booking
*Visa
*Gong show(80 USD/show)
*Tips
*Personal expenses | high3223.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "man quite agrees with nature"
},
"options": [
"man is the master of nature",
"man quite agrees with nature",
"nature is a helping hand to man",
"China has a long history of gardening"
],
"question": "Visitors to... | The subject of this year's Kunming International Expo is "man and nature walking hand in hand into the 21stCentury". When theprefix = st1 /UKwas asked to take part, it seemed natural to build a garden. Now theBritishGardenwill be a central part when Expo opens on May 1.
David Patterson , the Curator of the Department of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh, is leading the team now _ .The Royal Botanic Gardens were chosen for a very good reason. They have the largest collection of Chinese plants in the world outside China.
"Ever since people in Britainstarted gardening for pleasure they have used Chinese plants," Patterson told English Corner. "There are probably Chinese flowers in nearly every garden inBritain. This is a good chance to give something back."
The garden has been carefully designed to mix traditional British skills with the local Chinese environment. David Patterson describes the garden as "formal but gentle". It contains a raised flower bed, a summer house and a lot of local trees. The garden is contained behind a wall of local, yellow stone. It is intended to be a place of serious thinking and quiet enjoyment.
"You could say that we've painted a picture," said David Patterson. "And we have designed the garden to continue for a long time, so that the people of Kunmingwill be able to enjoy it long after the Expo is over." | high19338.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "to teach us how to face life and death"
},
"options": [
"to memorize his friend Veronica",
"to talk about the significance of life and death",
"to teach us how to face life and death",
"to compare his friend and the Hol... | The word "death" is a word many Chinese friends tell me I should not say aloud. They advise me to avoid the word because only speaking of it may bring ill fortune. I deeply believe, however, that to know how to live, we must also know how to die. The problem is how we talk about death.
Like everyone in Taiwan this week, I have had "Tomb Sweeping Day". I am proud to be part of a people whose culture sends millions of families to cemeteries on this special day to share memories and endless love.
Today, eight days after the death of Pope John Paul II, millions of people of all backgrounds still grieve his passing away. He was a deeply human person who knew how to laugh and show emotions, a writer with a gift for words a leader who appealed to us by the sheer light of his love for life.
On the same day and only hours before the Holy Father left us, a friend of mine named Veronica McBride died of cancer in a small Wisconsin city. My friend Veronica was 52 years old. She was an attractive, humorous young woman who, as the saying goes, "never married". She published several humor books with her mother, Mary McBride. She enjoyed traveling, and for years sent Christmas card photos of herself standing beside monuments or odd animals. She fought cancer for five years. She joked about her treatment keeping her pretty because it kept her thin, and told me she didn't mind losing her hair because of
. "I get to wear nice wigs!"
The last time I saw Veronica was when I visited her family on a sunny day in August in 2003. When she burst into the front door later and saw me in the living room, she ignored me completely in her hurry to hug her newest baby nephew, leaving me shaking my head in laughter at her.
As we look to the significance of the Holy Father and his life, surely we must also keep our eyes open to see the wonder and goodness in ordinary people who show us how to live and how to die. | high15502.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "products saving energy"
},
"options": [
"products made of wood",
"products saving energy",
"products releasing much CO\n2",
"products made by the EU"
],
"question": "The \"EU Ecolabel\" is probably awarded to _... | Surfing for hours on the Internet consumes a lot of electricity and is harmful to the environment. However, a new ecological PC saves energy as it operates:it produces about 70 percent less CO2than conventional computers.
As a work tool, a leisure activity resource, and a personal assistant, computers seem to be everywhere. Yet the environmental performance for today's computers leaves a lot to be improved: they rapidly become out of date, and typically contain poisonous materials and individual parts that are difficult to recycle. Moreover, they consume plenty of power whose production, in return, causes the release of CO2into the atmosphere.
Employees at the MicroPro Company in Ireland, teaming with colleagues at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM in Berlin, have engineered a wooden--frame computer with reduced environment impact. As the first computer for its class, the"iameco"(pronounced I-am-eco) was awarded the "EU Ecolabel", the European Union's environmental label. "This touch-screen PC has very low energy consumption over the entire lifecycle" explains Alexander Schlosser, scientist at IZM.
Over the full product life cycle, it releases 70 percent less CO2than a typical desktop PC with monitor. In addition, it can be easily recycled. Of the materials used, 98 percent can be recycled. Indeed, 20 percent of the computer can be reused immediately--in other words, many parts can be reused for repairing other computers--such as parts of the wooden frame. | high8376.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "immediately after the child wakes up"
},
"options": [
"before the child wakes up",
"immediately after the child wakes up",
"as soon as the child gets up",
"during the birthday party"
],
"question": "In England, ... | In England, we look forward to our birthdays for 364 days a year!
We invite special people to celebrate it with us.
The Presents
Presents are opened as soon as the children are awake. They can't wait for the birthday cake later in the day!
The Cards
Friends and family send birthday cards. Sending birthday cards is a custom that began in England about 100 years ago.
The Party
The birthday child will have a party to which friends and family are invited. Visitors to the party bring presents for the birthday child. The children play games such as musical chairs and pass the parcel .
The Cake
The birthday cake is decorated on a theme . A candle for each year is lit and placed on top and the child blows out the candles making a wish. We don't put objects inside the cake as stated on many websites.
The Bumps
It used to be traditional for the birthday child to have the bumps. Friends would hold the child by the legs and under the arms and lift the child up and down bumping them gently on the ground. The number of bumps given is the age of the child plus one for extra good luck. As this can be dangerous, clapping is often done instead.
The Sweets
Some children do take sweets to school to share with their classmates on their birthdays. | high7045.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "is one of the most successful businessmen"
},
"options": [
"is more successful than Bill Gates",
"has given readers some tips about success",
"has never dealt with unpleasant situations",
"is one of the most successful ... | We have all heard the old phrase "attitude is everything", and that phrase is certainly true.Your attitude can have a great impact on your personal motivation, so it is important to keep a positive attitude no matter what challenges you face.
As a matter of fact, keeping your attitude positive in the face of difficulties is the motivation tip that most successful business owners will tell you.The most successful business owners, from Sam Walton to Bill Gates, have all been able to triumph in the face of unpleasant situations.It is those successful business owners who tell you that attitude is everything.But how you deal with that knowledge will determine your level of success.
One of the most important ways to carry out "attitude is everything" is to observe who you associate with and who you surround yourself with.That is because when you surround yourself with negative people, their negative attitudes will infect you.So keeping your associates, colleagues, co-workers and friends as positive as possible is a great way to put the phrase "attitude is everything" into practice.
Whatever you decide to do in life, your attitude will have a great effect on the success you achieve.Success , whether in the world of business or in your personal life, is directly related to your attitude, and the attitude you bring to your work.A positive attitude will help you achieve greater success in your job, no matter what your current level of employment. | high1434.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Regrowth."
},
"options": [
"Peace.",
"Friendship.",
"Regrowth.",
"Health."
],
"question": "What should be the theme of the poems in the competition?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answe... | Regrowth Poetry Competition is open to all published and unpublished, UK and non-UK based male and female writers over 16 years of age. This competition is open to poetry submissions. Poems must be based around the theme of "regrowth, birth, survival, and new life" and in any genre. The poem should be between 5 and 30 lines in length (including title).
Entry details, rules and regulations to the competition are listed below:
1. All entries must be sent using the form online.
2. Entry will cost PS4.00. You can pay online via PayPal or credit card. You can also pay by cheque, making it payable to Susan Cawte. The postal address is 412 Thorold Road, Ilford, Essex, IG1 4HF. Multiple entries are allowed.
3. Entries will not be returned.
4. All entries submitted must be work which has not been published elsewhere or submitted to another competition which is currently still open.
5. All entries must be your own work. Any entry found to be _ or printed elsewhere will be disqualified.
6. All entries submitted must clearly state the author's name, address, email address and contact telephone number on the submission.
7. The winner will be notified within one month of the closing date.
8. The closing date for entries is midnight (BST) 30th April 2016.
Prizes:
1st: PS50, published story in the magazine, and a feature article about the winning author.
2nd: PS25, story published in the magazine.
The 20 shortlisted authors will be listed online in May. Winners will be announced on 1st June 2016. | high13173.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Punishment or Reward: Which Works Better on Behavior?"
},
"options": [
"Punishment",
"The Best Way to Influence Behavior.",
"Punishment or Reward: Which Works Better on Behavior?",
"Two Recent Studies."
],
"ques... | Two recent studies have found that punishment is not the best way to influence behavior.
One showed that adults are much more cooperative if they work in a system based on rewards. Researchers at Harvard University in the United States and the Stockholm School of Economics in Sweden did the study.
They had about two hundred college students play a version of the game known as the Prisoner's Dilemma. The game is based on the tension between the interests of an individual and a group. The students played in groups of four. Each player could win points for the group, so they would all gain equally. But each player could also reward or punish each of the other three players, at a cost to the punisher.
Harvard researcher David Rand says the most successful behavior proved to be cooperation. The groups that rewarded it the most earned about twice as much in the game as the groups that rewarded it the least. And the more a group punished itself, the lower its earnings were. The group with the most punishment earned twenty-five percent less than the group with the least punishment. The study appeared last month in the journal Science.
The other study involved children. It was presented last month in California at a conference on violence and abuse. Researchers used intelligence tests given to two groups. More than eight hundred children aged two to four the first time they were tested. More than seven hundred children aged five to nine.
The two groups were retested four years later, and the study compared the results with the first test. Both groups contained children whose parents used physical punishment and children whose parents did not. The study says the IQs--or intelligence quotients--of the younger children who were not _ were five points higher than those who were. In the older group, the difference was almost three points.
Murray Strauss from the University of New Hampshire worked with Mallie Paschall from the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation. Professor Strauss has written extensively about physical punishment of children. He says the more they are spanked, the slower their mental development. He also looked at average IQs in other nations and found them lower where spanking was more common. | high9068.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "your work efficiency will decrease once you exceed a certain point of work"
},
"options": [
"the longer you study every day, the more you will learn",
"you'll achieve better learning results if you work three hours every day",
... | There is a lot of misunderstanding about studying. Most students have not been taught the principles behind really effective working. Imagine a graph showing the amount a person learns against the number of hours he works in a day. If he doesn't do any work, he learns nothing (point 0). If he does an hour's work he learns a certain amount (point 1). If he does two hours' work he learns about twice as much (point 2). If he does more work he'll learn still more (point 3). However, if he tries to do twenty-three and a half hours' work in a day, he will be so tired that he'll hardly remember anything: what he learns will be very little (point 4). If he did less work he'd learn more (point 5).
Now whatever the exact shape of the graph's curve , made by joining these points, it must have a high point. Point "X" is the very maximum anyone can learn in the day. And this represents the optimum , the best, amount of work to do. It is the best possible compromise between adequate time at the books and fatigue . Fatigue is an absolutely real thing; one can't escape it or ignore it. If you try to ignore it and press yourself to work past the optimum, you will only get on this downward slope and achieve less than the best - and then become very tired and lose your power of concentration.
The skill in being a student consists of getting one's daily study as near the optimum point as possible. I cannot tell you what the optimum is. It differs with the type of work, it differs from person to person, and even in the same person it varies from week to week. You must try to find your own. Every day you study, bear this principle of the optimum in mind. When you feel yourself getting fatigued, if you find yourself reading the same paragraph over and over again and not taking it in, that's a pretty good sign you've reached your highest point for the day and should stop. Most ordinary students find their optimum at five hours a day. Yours may be a little more or a little less - but if you get in five hours' good work a day, you will be doing well.
Now, what are you doing with yourself when you aren't working? Before examinations some students do nothing at all except sit in a chair and worry. Here is another misunderstanding. People often think that the mind works like the body; it does not. If one wanted to save one's physical energy in order to cut the maximum amount of firewood, one would lie flat on a bed and rest when one wasn't chopping. But the mind cannot rest. Even in sleep you dream, even if you forget your dreams. The mind is always turning. It gets its relaxation only by variety. That is what makes the mind rest.
When you've finished your optimum number of hours you must stop. You must not then sit around in the chair thinking about the work - that only tires without any learning. You must get out and do something. It doesn't matter what - anything so long as you are actively doing something else but work. | high1352.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Because cleaning the comb could make her happy."
},
"options": [
"Because her father forced her to do.",
"Because others things were dull.",
"Because cleaning the comb could make her happy.",
"Because she knew her fathe... | Dad had a green comb .He bought it when he married Mum. Every night,he would hand me his comb and say. "Good girl, help Daddy clean it, OK?"
I was pleased to do it. At age five, this dull task brought me such joy. I would excitedly turn the tap on and brush the comb carefully. Satisfied that I'd done a good job. I would happily return the comb to Dad. He would smile affectionately at me and place the comb on his wallet.
Two years later. Dad started his own business, which wasn't doing so well. That was when things started to change. Dad didn't come home as early and as much as he used to. Mum and I became mad with him for placing our family in trouble. With time, an uncomfortable silence grew between us.
After my graduation, Dad's business was getting back on track. On my 28th birthday. Dad came home early. As usual I helped him carry his bags into his study. When I turned to leave, he said," Hey, would you help me clean my comb?" I looked at him a while,then took the comb and headed to the sink.
It hit me then: why, as a child, helping Dad clean his comb was such a pleasure. That routine meant Dad was home early to spend the evening with Mum and me. It meant a happy and loving family.
I passed the clean comb back to Dad. He smiled at me and carefully placed his comb on his wallet. But this time, I noticed something different. Dad had aged. He had wrinkles next to his eyes when he smiled, yet his smile was still as heartwarming as before, the smile of a father who just wanted a good life for his family. | high13615.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Americans All"
},
"options": [
"Americans All",
"A Mother in My Head",
"One of Our Clowns Is Missing",
"My Fed Ex Christmas Request"
],
"question": "To encourage their children to stay in school, parents should ... | Americans All
Type: Musical Running Time: 50 Minutes
This is a musical play set in a high school classroom that will teach you the importance of staying in school. This fun and entertaining musical experience will appeal to anyone. It has a positive message that will be well received by students as well as their teachers and parents. Almost all of the roles can be played either by males or females. The dialogue teaches values, ethics and how to be the best you can be. The lyrics and music flow non-stop with piano accompaniment .
A Mother in My Head
Type: Short Play Running Time: 45 Minutes
Where does motherly advice and direction begin and where does it end? Or does it ever end? This fast-paced play follows the lives of two young people as they begin their careers, meet, and fall in love, each coached in every step of the way by the "mothers in their heads". The on-stage presence of the mothers provides an interaction between characters that is thoroughly enjoyable.
One of Our Clowns Is Missing
Type: Short Play Running Time: 30 Minutes
Adapted from the full-length play One of Our Clowns Is Missing by Robert Frankel, this play will bring the audience to cheers, tears, and applause. Sandy lacks self-esteem , but after meeting a group of characters that turn her life around, she regains her confidence and makes a new start.
My Fed Ex Christmas Request
Type: Short Play Running Time: 10 Minutes
Nicky is naughty every year so instead of getting toys under his Christmas tree, Santa has been leaving him a lump of coal in his stocking year after year. Well, Nicky has finally had it with being labeled as naughty by Santa and decides to pack himself in a FedEx box and ship it to the North Pole. He's going to defend his case face to face with Santa. This comedy shows us what happens when Nicky decides he's not going to take it anymore! | high15264.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "She was too young to sail alone."
},
"options": [
"She was too old to take care of herself",
"She was too young to sail alone.",
"She was not well prepared",
"It would cause trouble to the government."
],
"quest... | After a year of being prepared, Laura Dekker can't wait to set sail .Last August ,the Dutch government decided that Laura Dekker was too young to take on the challenge of sailing around the world alone. But after a year of preparing herself , Laura has been allowed to sail.
"I was so happy I almost jump into the water," Laura said , after learning of the court's judgement. She was born on a yacht in the South Pacific ,and now lives with her father in a boat. When Dutch child protection groups first heard about her plan to sail alone , they stopped her from doing so .
Since the decision, though, Laura had been preparing with her father to persuade the courts that she was ready. Last week she received the books and other materials she would need for school while she was at sea. She added safety equipment to a new, big ship. And she took her first aid course to learn several survival skills, like how to put out fires on the boat, take care of her own injuries and deal with lack of sleep. She also planned a safer course --- adding alternate routes to avoid pirate attacks, and planning a course that would have her on dry land as she moved from port to port across the world.
Laura is using a larger and more safer boat. If she finished successfully in less than two years, she will take the title from current record-holder Jessica Watson, of Australia, who was 16 when she completed the journey. | high8410.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Bon Stewart"
},
"options": [
"Kew Gardens",
"Harlow Carr",
"Bon Stewart",
"Wentworth Castle Gardens"
],
"question": "To enjoy pleasant-smelling flowers, you might visit _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_quest... | It took some time for spring to arrive but now it's here that UK's gardens are enjoying it. Many flowers that would usually be over by now are still at their best. Here are some of the best gardens right now.
Kew Gardens, London
The rock garden is one of the places to head for at Kew right now. It will be at its peak in the days ahead. The garden has waterfalls and streams over the land, and many plants and flower buds are all at their best. Equally those who can not be missed are the flowering cherry trees.
Open daily 9:30 am-6:30 pm, adults PS16, children free.
Wentworth Castle Gardens, near Barnsley
A yellow carpet surrounds Wentworth Castle at the moment, as the daffodils are still in full bloom. Another wonderful spot is the Victorian flower garden, created from an old bowling green in the 19th century.
Open daily 10:00 am- 5:00 pm, adults PS5.50, children PS2.95, family PS12.50.
Harlow Carr, Harrogate
The earlier bad weather means many daffodil varieties were extremely late, but at Harlow Car plenty of the plants can be found at the moment. The garden also has one of the longest streamside plantings in the country.
Open daily 9:30 am-6:00 pm, adults PS8.50, children PS4.25, family PS20.70.
Bon Stewart, Newtownards
There are great smells as well as great sights at Bon Stewart: Lady Londonderry, who created the garden in the 1920s and 1930s, love plants with a sweet smell. So go up to rhododendron hill. It's one of the best places here right now.
Open daily 10:00 am-6:00 pm, adults PS6.63, children PS3.31, family PS16.00. | high7723.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "help people control their use of mobile phones"
},
"options": [
"research how people use their mobile phones",
"help people control their use of mobile phones",
"make people better use mobile phones",
"increase the fun ... | You get anxious if there's no wi-fi in the hotel or mobile phone signal up the mountain. You feel upset if your phone is getting low on power, and you secretly worry things will go wrong at work if you're not there. All these can be called "always on" stress caused by smart phone addiction.
For some people, smart phones have liberated them from the nine-to-five work. Flexible working has given them more autonomy in their working lives and enabled them to spend more time with their friends and families. For many others though, smart phones have become tyrants in their pockets, never allowing them to turn them off, relax and recharge their batteries.
Pittsburgh-based developer Kevin Holesh was worried about how much he was ignoring his family and friends in favour of his iPhone. So he developed an app -- Moment -- to monitor his usage. The app enables users to see how much time they're spending on the device and set up warnings if the usage limits are breached . "Moment's goal is to promote balance in your life," his website explains. "Some time on your phone, some time off it enjoying your loving family and friends around you."
Dr Christine Grant, an occupational psychologist at Coventry University, said, "The effects of this 'always on' culture are that your mind is never resting, and you're not giving your body time to recover, so you're always stressed. And the more tired and stressed we get, the more mistakes we make. Physical and mental health can suffer."
And as the number of connected smart phones is increasing, so is the amount of data. This is leading to a sort of decision paralysis and is creating more stress in the workplace because people have to receive a broader range of data and communications which are often difficult to manage. "It actually makes it more difficult to make decisions and many do less because they're controlled by it all and feel they can never escape the office," said Dr Christine Grant. | high18998.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "exciting"
},
"options": [
"dangerous",
"exciting",
"boring",
"hard"
],
"question": "If all goes well,visiting relatives far away can be _ for kids.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answe... | Some families live quite far in the UK.Visiting them can either be an adventure or a chore .It depends on how much family members like each other.
If all goes well,kids have an exciting time.Your relatives will plan different fun activities and make you happy.Taking you to visit relatives gives your parents a chance to rest.It gives older relatives a good chance to _ when they had young kids.If they do not have children of their own,they get to play parent for a while.
I remember that Blackpool Pleasure Beach was the place I liked to go with my grandparents
It is an amusement park on the northwest coast.It is packed with roller coasters and candy stalls .You could race small boats on a lake or scare yourself into death riding the ghost train.I had good memories of my time there.
As you get older,you suddenly become the one who must help your relatives with their kids.I have four COUSINS aged between one and eleven.They are fantastic and I really enjoy seeing them.However,it is very tiring,as they get so excited and energetic .I fall asleep hoping they will remember our good times when they get older. | high11002.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "An Introduction to Newspapers"
},
"options": [
"Production of Newspapers",
"Functions of Newspapers",
"Publication of Newspapers",
"An Introduction to Newspapers"
],
"question": "Which is the best title for the ... | The earliest newspapers started in ancient Rome. They were handwritten news sheets. The first printed newspapers appeared in China during the Tang dynasty, which were printed from carved wooden blocks. Modern papers first appeared in Venice, Italy in the middle of the 14th century. The newspapers of today, with advertising and a mixture of political, economic, and social news and comments, were started in Britain in the mid-18th century.
The main function of newspapers is to report news. Many newspapers also provide special information to readers, such as weather reports and television timetables. They also provide comments on politics, economics, arts and culture. Almost all newspapers depend on advertising to make money.
Nearly six out of ten adults in the United States and Canada read a newspaper every day. Seven out of ten read a paper each weekend. Readers search newspapers for de-tailed background information and analysis . This is what television and radio news reports seldom offer. Newspapers tell readers what happened, and they also help readers understand what caused an event and how it will affect the world around them.
The workers at large newspaper companies work under a lot of pressure to bring news to readers as soon as possible. Reporters, photographers, artists, and editors collect articles in just a few hours. Page designers select articles, photos, advertisements, and eye-catching headlines to make the pages, and then rush their work to the printer. Printing workers may work overnight around printing presses to _ more than 60,000 copies per hour. | high3545.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a mathematician couldn't earn a lot of money"
},
"options": [
"a mathematician couldn't earn a lot of money",
"a mathematician needed a good memory",
"von Neumann had the ability to learn two subjects at the same time",
... | John von Neumann was the oldest of 3 children of an banker, and his speed of learning new ideas and solving problems stood out early. At 17, his father tired to persuade him not to become a mathematician because he may lead a poor life being a mathematician, and so von Neumann agreed to study chemistry as well. In 1926, at 23, he received a degree in chemical engineering and a Ph.D. in mathematics. From then on, mathematics provided well enough for him, and he never had to turn to chemistry.
In 1930, von Neumann visited Princeton University for a year and then became a professor there. His first book was published in 1932. In 1933, the Institute for Advanced Study was formed, and he became one of the 6 full-time people in the School of Mathematics(Einstein was one of the others)
World War II hugely changed von Neumann's areas of interest. Until 1940 he had been a great pure mathematician. During and after the war, he became one of the best mathematicians who put mathematics theories into practice. During the last part of the war he became interested in computing machines and made several fundamental contributions After the war, von Neumann continued his work with computers, and was generally very active in government service. He received many awards, was president of the American Mathematical Society and was a member of the Atomic Energy Commission. He died in 1957 of cancer.
Von Neumann made several great contributions and any one of them would have been enough to earn him a firm place in history. He will be remembered as one of the greatest minds of the 20th century.
Von Neumann really was a legend in his own time, and there are a number of stories about him. His driving ability is a part of his legend. He reported one accident this Way: "I was driving down the road. The trees on the right were passing me in an orderly fashion at 60 miles per hour. Suddenly one of them stepped in my path." | high5134.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Reminding girls not to roll up their skirts again and again."
},
"options": [
"Asking parents not to buy skirts for their daughters any more.",
"Keeping girls wearing inappropriate skirts out of school.",
"Reminding girls not... | A group of British schools are banning skirts after helplessly watching the fashion of "hemline _ creep" when girls roll up skirts to show more of their legs.Rising hemlines among girls in their midtolate teens have long been a headache for schools.Now,it seems,girls who are leaving homes with perfectly proper skirt lengths manage to transform their uniform into microminiskirts by the time they get to school.
Some are so short that the headmaster of Tewksbury School in Gloucestershire said they are "almost like belts".Obviously,they have become a bit of a distraction for both boys and male teachers.
Robert Kelly,headmaster of Berwickshire High School in Scotland,said short skirts could cause "inappropriate thoughts" among boys.And Hilary Winter,headmaster of Piggott School in Wargrave,Surrey,described short skirts as a "difficult distraction for members of staff ".
In the town of Ipswich alone three schools have removed skirts from their approved uniform list.David Hutton,headmaster of Northgate High School,said,"Unfortunately,despite getting in touch with specific parents,sending some girls home to change,requiring others to wear a schoolowned skirt for the day and repeatedly asking others to unroll their skirts,we still had some girls coming to school in inappropriate skirts."
"I have therefore introduced a trousersonly policy,which will enable my staff to focus their time and effort on providing students with the best education possible."
Girls at Nailsea School near Bristol are used to a uniform ban.Two years ago,they were forbidden from wearing trousers made by the clothing brand Miss Sexy,which were reportedly too low on the hips and too tight."Staff were becoming embarrassed by seeing too much of the girls instead of the uniform,"headmaster David New said."They were very low, hipsterstyle,very tight trousers."
Now they have been banned from wearing skirts.
"We didn't want to waste any more time on it.It just means that teachers can concentrate on what's important in education,"New said.
Megan Throp,a 15yearold student at Guiseley School in Leeds,facing a trousersonly policy,told the Yorkshire Evening Post newspaper,"Our rights and freedom of being young women have been taken away because we have been forced into wearing school trousers."
However,students are likely to find another means of adjusting dress code ,as David New told the LA Times,"I suspect that,teenagers being teenagers,there will be a new uniform violation that becomes the habit,"he said."That was true when I was at school,and I'm sure it was true when my father was at school." | high18740.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "trainers"
},
"options": [
"patients",
"merchants",
"trainers",
"communicators"
],
"question": "What kind of people who are in trouble are not mentioned in this passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"... | Don't Allow Your Weaknesses to Limit You
We all have weaknesses and strengths-no matter who we are. Sometimes the weaknesses seem to outweigh the strengths and sometimes it's the other way around. Some people get sick easily. Some struggle to manage their finances properly. Some people are hopeless communicators and struggle with relationships.
Many people leave it and accept it as just bad luck but not everyone. Some people are facing huge limit. Bret! Eastburn has no arms or legs and yet is an inspirational speaker and find still manage to achieve tremendous things. They rise above their weaknesses and do not allow limit their possibilities.
I attended a school prize-giving ceremony not so long ago and the guest speaker was Andrew Becroft, who had a severe stutter as a child. Instead of allowing this to limit him, he chose to work hard to overcome it. He is now the Principal Youth Court Judge for New Zealand. Not only did he become successful, but he did so in a profession where he had to speak in front of others regularly where his weakness is front and center for all to see. If he hadn't worked on his speaking ability, it would have been very limiting to his life and career prospects.
You can find similar people on New Zealand News channels, and I suspect the same in other countries. There are a number of presenters and reporters who have a noticeably unusual manner of speaking. Perhaps they have a peculiar accent or pitch of voice. These people have succeeded in spite of what would appear to be a weakness in their profession.
Lots of people face far more significant limitations than you do. They may be missing limbs or are born into extreme poverty. But no matter what the limitation, you will always find people who have overcome it. | high17473.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "show readers the American idea on good customer service"
},
"options": [
"suggest that customers believe what commercials say deeply",
"show readers the American idea on good customer service",
"express all the stores pay muc... | Would you like to be a king or queen? To have people waiting on you hand and foot? Many Americans experience this royal treatment every day. How? By being customers. The American idea of customer service is to make each customer the center of attention. Need proof? Just listen to the commercials. Most of them sound like the McDonald's ad: "We do it all for you." Actually, not all stores in America roll out the red carpet for their customers. But wherever you go, good customer service means making customers feel special.
People going shopping in America can expect to be treated with respect from the very beginning. Most places don't have a "furniture street" or a "computer road" which allow you to compare prices easily. Instead, people often "let their fingers do the walking" through the store hot lines. From the first "hello", customers receive a satisfying response to their questions. This initial contact can help them decide where to shop.
When customers get to the store, they are treated as honored guests. Customers don't usually find store clerks sitting around watching TV or playing cards. Instead, the clerks greet them warmly and offer to help them find what they want. In most stores, the clear signs that label each department make shopping a breeze. Customers usually don't have to ask how much items cost, since prices are clearly marked. And unless they're at a flea market or a yard sale, they don't bother trying to bargain.
When customers are ready to check out, they find the nearest and shortest checkout lane. But as Murphy's Law would have it, whichever lane they get in, all the other lanes will move faster. Good stores open new checkout lanes when the lanes get too long. Some even offer express lanes for customers with 10 items or less. After they pay for their purchases, customers receive a smile and a warm "thank you" from the clerk. Many stores even allow customers to take their shopping carts out to the parking lot. That way, they don't have to carry heavy bags out to the car. | high6415.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "trees"
},
"options": [
"smokers",
"non-smokers",
"pets",
"trees"
],
"question": "From the passage,we can see secondhand smoke maybe not harmful to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"an... | Secondhand smoke isn't just a health threat to people.It can also hurt dogs and cats,veterinarians say.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,more than 126 million Americans who don't smoke are exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes,vehicles,workplaces,and public places.This exposure causes thousands of lung cancer and heart disease deaths among nonsmokers every year,according to the California Environmental Protection Agency.
"Making the leap from the effects of secondhand smoke on humans to their effects on pets isn't a big one," says veterinarian Carolynn MacAllister of Oklahoma State University.
"There have been a number of scientific papers recently that have reported the significant health threat secondhand smoke poses to pets," MacAllister said."Secondhand smoke has been associated with oral cancer and lymphoma in cats,lung and nasal cancer in dogs,as well as lung cancer in birds."
Studies have also shown that dogs living in a smoking household are susceptible to cancers of the nose and sinus area,particularly if they are a long-nosed breed,because their noses have a greater surface area that is exposed to carcinogens and a greater area for them to accumulate.Dogs affected with nasal cancer normally don't survive for more than one year.
"Short and medium-nosed dogs are more susceptible to lung cancer,because their shorter nasal passage aren't as effective at accumulating the inhaled secondhand smoke carcinogens," MacAllister said."This results in more carcinogens reaching the lungs."
Birds are also at risk for lung cancer,as well as pneumonia,because their respiratory systems are hypersensitive to any type of air pollutant.
To help prevent animals from being adversely affected by smoking,pet owners who smoke should have a designated smoking area that is separated from the home or stop smoking altogether,MacAllister said. | high76.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The practice of adding caffeine to foods."
},
"options": [
"The fact that coffee contains caffeine.",
"The measures of avoiding caffeine's effects.",
"The practice of adding caffeine to foods.",
"The practice of using c... | You may have heard adults say they are uncomfortable in the morning without a cup of coffee. One reason they may feel that way is that coffee contains caffeine . Caffeine occurs naturally in coffee, tea, and cocoa beans, which are used to make chocolate. But now food makers are adding it to many products, from potato chips to water.
The US government is especially worried about the problem. That's why the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is studying the health effects of caffeine on young people. Studies show that too much caffeine can make people nervous and unable to sleep. What's more, caffeine is habit-forming. Those who consume it regularly and stop suddenly may experience headaches and feel tired.
One of the biggest concerns is the large amount of caffeine added to so-called energy drinks, like Red Bull. A 12-ounce can of cola has about 35 milligrams of caffeine. A similar serving of Red Bull contains more than three times that amount.
The Institute of Medicine is also working on caffeine-safety measures. "Teenagers should not drink beverages that contain caffeine. They should be aware of caffeine's effects on health and on how the brain works. Take, for example, teenagers who consume caffeine to stay awake and study for a test. They will remember less of what they just studied," said Stallings, a member of the institute.
Companies that make products with added caffeine claim they do not advertise them to kids. However, there is no law to stop children from buying them. So the FDA needs to set limits on caffeine, especially in energy drinks. As for added caffeine in foods, the government should just say no. If not, the amount of caffeine should be printed on food labels to remind consumers. The government must do that.
Doctors say kids should avoid caffeine. If you need extra energy, try these natural boosters: eat right, exercise, and get plenty of sleep. | high14152.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "there was a slight wind"
},
"options": [
"it was played loudly",
"there was a slight wind",
"the piano was old",
"he stopped walking"
],
"question": "Beethoven heard the music because _ .",
"question_type... | One summer night Ludwig Beethoven took a walk in the suburb of Bonn. Suddenly a gentle wind came. He heard some music. He listened carefully and found it was his F sonata. He followed the music and came to a small house. There through the window, he saw a girl playing a very old piano and a young man was making shoes beside her, he pushed the door open and went in. The host received him very warmly and told him that the girl was his sister, who was blind but very fond of music. They couldn't afford to send her to a master. So she was only trying to play some music she heard the neighbors play. She knew it was the work of a great composer. Beethoven was very much moved. Suddenly the candle was blown out. Moonlight struck on the girl's slender figure. Then Beethoven played music for them. He played so wonderful that the brother and sister were amazed. That was his famous Clair de lune. | high9726.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Children need to develop the virtue which will show them the right way."
},
"options": [
"Children need to develop the virtue which will show them the right way.",
"Only well-behaved children will have a bright future.",
"Chi... | One of my longest-running battles with my kids is about manners specifically,about whether it's necessary to send hand-written thank-you notes for gifts.I say yes,and my children have continued throughout their teens to write the notes.But they grumble that I'm out of step with the times.
If a new BabyCenter poll is any guide, _ .A surprisingly large number of parents still insist that their children practice such old-fashioned manners as putting pen-to-paper to say thank you,treating adults with respect and addressing adults as "Mr., Mrs.or Miss."A majority of the 1,000 parents surveyed also said they insist at dinner that children keep napkins in their laps,ask to be excused from the table and refrain from talking with a full mouth.
Among the reasons cited most often by parents,BabyCenter says,is that "the world is a more free-wheeling place,and they want to give their kids a stronger moral compass to guide them."This thinking was affirmed by 64%of those surveyed.And 58%say they see so many badly behaved kids around them that they're determined to raise their children differently.
This poses a particular challenge for parents who work outside the home and must find a sitter, nanny or other child-care provider who will insist on the manners they consider most important.
Pediatrician Perri Klass wrote recently in the New York Times about her annoyance at a rude,demanding child who was among her longtime patients.Although she veiled her injunctions to the mother in euphemisms ,talking to her about "setting limits,"Dr.Klass wrote,"I do pass judgment on kids with bad manners and so does every pediatrician I know."Rude kids make her wonder whether there is something wrong with the family,among other things,she says."The whole 'manners' concept might seem a bit odd,"she says,"until you recast it as 'social skills' a hot-button child-development issue,as I wrote in a recent column."
Readers,what manners do you insist upon for your children? Has other kids' bad behavior led you to toughen your standards? Do the strict rules embraced by parents in the BabyCenter survey seem right,or too formal? | high24091.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "The Michauxs."
},
"options": [
"The Michauxs.",
"Macmillan.",
"Comte Mede de Sivac.",
"Baron Karl von Drais de Sauerbrun."
],
"question": "Who is recognized as the inventor of the bicycle?",
"question_type":... | The Celerifere, an early version of the bicycle, was built around 1791 by a French man, Comte Mede de Sivrac. It was basically a scooter with a high seat. There were no pedals---you had to push with your feet like you do with a skateboard or a scooter.
Around 1816 Baron Karl Drais de Sauerbrun in Germany added a moveable steering handle. These early machines were often known as dandy horses or hobby horses, but weren't very popular.
The improvement that made them popular was added by a Scottish blacksmith around 1839. Kirkpatrick Macmillan added pedals to enable it to get up hills. It was this improvement that made the bicycle a serious form of transportation.
Bike were called velocipedes or bone-shakers, because of the lack of the proper tires made for a rough ride! It wasn't until around 1869 that they began to be called bicycles ("two-wheels"). Carriage makers in Paris (either Pierre and Ernest Michaux, or their employee Pierre Lallement) switched the pedal to the front wheel. That's why it is usually either Lallement or the Michauxs, not Macmillan, who are considered as the inventor of the bicycle.
In 1869 the penny-farthing or high-wheeler was invented. With the large wheel the rider could go much farther with each push of the pedal, but caused many accidents because the seat was so far off the ground.
In the mid-1880s Englishman James Starley manufactured what he called the "safety bicycle" , which had two similarly-sized wheels and a major improvement--- a chain and sprocket driven rear wheel, with the pedals between the two wheels like modern bicycles.
One more historical note---it's possible that the idea of the bicycle was thought of almost 400 years before it was actually invented. There is a drawing of a bicycle-like machine in one of Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks, which dates back to about 1493. | high12523.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Compost our home waste at the landfill site."
},
"options": [
"Share cars with other people if possible.",
"Make sure our car tires are well inflated.",
"Compost our home waste at the landfill site.",
"Buy less products... | There are many things we can do in our daily life to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas sent out. Probably the most important is to share what you have learned with your family and friends.
Use the family car less. Walk or cycle whenever possible. Take a bus. Try ride sharing.
Use less energy in the house by turning down the heat when you are away or sleeping and turning off lights and electrical equipment you aren't using.
If your family needs a car, make sure to buy a fuel-efficient one. An average car sends out nearly 60 tons of carbon dioxide during its lifetime, compared to between 22 and 30 tons from a fuel-efficient car.
Encourage your family to use the car more efficiently : for example, check the air in the tires. Underinflated tires can increase fuel use by 8%. Turn the car off instead of letting it run when it is stopped. Idling uses more gas and sets free carbon dioxide into the air,
Reuse, recycle and compost (... ) your waste. It takes much less energy to reuse or recycle a product than to make a new one. Correctly composting your food and yard waste removes the methane that they would cause at the landfill site. Buying less is al- ways the best.
Plant trees. Trees take in carbon dioxide, reduce pollution, provide shade, and look great. | high23926.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Exercise ---- Learn faster"
},
"options": [
"Exercise ---- Refresh you",
"Exercise ---- Look slim",
"Exercise ---- Live longer",
"Exercise ---- Learn faster"
],
"question": "What is the best title of this passag... | It is common sense that children who walk or cycle to school have a lower risk of obesity than those by car. But driving your youngsters to the gates could also cause their academic work to suffer.
Researchers found children who were driven to school, or who took public transport, had poorer concentration levels than those who took a more active route such as walking or cycling.
The joint study by researchers at two Danish universities found the regular exercise could advance a student up to half a year in their studies. Children who were driven to school, or who took public transport, performed less well in a test measuring concentration levels, than those who had walked or cycled.
The results surprised the researchers, as their hypothesis originally focused on the effects of eating breakfast and lunch on pupils' ability to concentrate.
"The exercise one uses to transport oneself to school is reflected in the level of concentration one has about four hours later," Niels Egelund, a co- author of the report said. "The results showed that having breakfast and lunch has an impact, but not very much compared to having exercise."
"As a third-grade pupil, if you exercise and bike to school, your ability to concentrate increases to the equivalent of someone half a year further in their studies," he added.
In the survey, taken by 19, 527 pupils aged five to 19 years old, participants were asked about their exercise habits and were then given a basic test measuring their concentration.
"Most people know the feeling of being refreshed after having exercised, but it is surprising that the effect lasts for so long," Egelund said.
Previous research from the university of Montreal has found that exercise helps our brains make better use of oxygen. It may also reduce mental fatigue and sharpen your thinking in between gym sessions. And last week Swedish researchers said they found that muscular boys will live longer than their weaker friends.
And even if they are overweight by the time they get to adulthood, those with stronger muscles tend to live longer. | high16745.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "dealing with a housing problem"
},
"options": [
"working on a poor trailer",
"helping a poor family",
"donating beds and bedding",
"dealing with a housing problem"
],
"question": "The author's first volunteer pr... | At the age of sixteen, I joined a volunteer group with my dad.I went on my first volunteer project in West Virginia.On the night we arrived, we discovered that "our family" was living in a trailer that was in poor conditions.A crew had been wolfing on it for two weeks, but every time they finished one problem, another surfaced.
We decided the only reasonable solution was to bridle a new house - something unusual but necessary under these circumstances.The family was overjoyed with their new house that was twenty by thirty feet with three bedrooms, a bath and a kitchen.
On Tuesday of that week, while we ate lunch together, I asked the family's three boys, Josh, Eric and Ryan, "What do you want for your new room?" Expecting toys and other gadgets that children suavity ask for, we were astonished when Josh responded, "I just want a bed."
The boys had never slept in a bed! They were accustomed to plastic mats.That night we had a meeting and decided that beds would be the perfect gift.On Thursday night, a few adults in our group drove to the nearest city and bought beds and new bedding.
When we saw the delivery truck coming, we told the family about the surprise. _ . It was like watching excited children on Christmas morning.
That afternoon, as we fitted the frames of the beds together, Eric ran into the house to watch us.Too dirty to enter his room, he observed with wide-eyed enthusiasm from the doorway.
As my father slipped a pillowcase onto one of the pillows, Eric asked, "What is that?"
"A pillow," he replied.
"What do you do with it?" Eric continued to ask
"When you go to sleep, you put your head on it," I answered softly.Tears came to my eyes as my father handed Eric the pillow.
"Oh...that's soft," he said, hugging it tightly.
Now, when my sister or I start to ask for something that seems urgent, my dad gently asks, "Do you have a pillow?"
We know exactly what he means. | high4202.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The overgrowing plants in this area have become a big danger of fire."
},
"options": [
"Fires destroyed thirty homes in a neighborhood four years ago.",
"The speed of rebuilding the houses is really too slow.",
"The overgrowi... | Goats are being hired to do the work of men in a neighborhood just outside of San Diego. The fires that occurred in Hillborough four years ago destroyed thirty homes, most of which have been rebuilt. While the home were rebuilt, the grasses, bushes, and shrubs were re-growing. The area is now so overgrown in brush that it again brings a major danger of fire.
The city government asked for bids to remove the brush. The lowest bid they received was $50,000. And that was if the city provided breakfast and lunch for the work crews for the six weeks it would take to clear the overgrown area. The city government said no, offering unlimited coffee and a doughnut a day for each crew member. When that offer was rejected, the city asked for help on its website.
A sheepherder in Montana and a goat-herder in San Bernardino read about the city's problem while surfing the web on their laptops. They both offered to do the job for $25,000. The government chose the goat-herder because he lived closer. When told that the city dump was overflowing, the goat-herder said, "No problem. My goats will eat everything in your dump. Except for the automobile engines, of course." So, for another $5,000, the city killed two birds with one stone. If all goes well, they will invite the goat-herder and his "family" back every three years. The goat-herder said he will probably visit San Diego while his goats are in the dump. "I want to go there by plane; I just hope we don't crash. My goats would miss me a lot," he said. | high19476.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Back pain"
},
"options": [
"Cancer.",
"Depression.",
"Back pain",
"Heart disease."
],
"question": "According to the passage, which of the following ranks NO. 1 among the causes of disability?",
"question_typ... | Depression is the second most common cause of disability worldwide after back pain, according to a review of research. The disease must be treated as a global public health priority , experts report in the journal PLOS Medicine. The study compared depression with more than 200 other diseases and injuries as a cause of disability. "Globally, only a small part of patients have opportunities to be treated," the World Health Organization (WHO) says.
Depression was ranked at number two as a global cause of disability, but its effects varied in different countries and regions. For example, rates of major depression were highest in Afghanistan and lowest in Japan. In the UK, depression was ranked number three in terms of years when people lived with a disability.
Dr Alize Ferrari from the University of Queensland's School of Population Health led the study. "Depression is a big problem and we definitely need to pay more attention to it than we do now," she told BBC News. "There's still more work to be done in terms of awareness of the disease and also successful ways of treating it. The burden is different between countries, so the rate of depression tends to be higher in low and middle income countries and lower in high income countries." Policy-makers have made an effort to bring depression to the forefront, but there is still a lot more work to be done."
"There're lots of confusions we know related to mental health," Prof. Alize Ferrari explained. "What one person recognizes as disabling might be different to another person and might be different across countries as well, there are lots of cultural effects and explanations that are related to depression, which makes it more important to raise awareness of the size of the problem and also signs and how to find depression."
The data--for the year 2010--follows similar studies in 1990 and 2000 looking at the global burden of depression. Commenting on the study, Dr Daniel Chisholm, a health economist at the department of mental health and substance abuse at the WHO said depression was a very disabling condition.
"It's a big public health challenge and a big problem to be thought about but not enough is being done. Around the world only a tiny part of people get any sort of treatment or diagnosis." Dr Daniel Chisholm said.
The WHO recently started a global mental health action plan to raise awareness of depression among policy-makers. | high10334.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Action."
},
"options": [
"Knowledge.",
"Action.",
"Green living.",
"Psychological distance."
],
"question": "What is especially important for environment protection in Mr. Hempel's opinion?",
"question_type"... | Monty Hempel is a professor of environmental sciences at Redlands University in California. He studies ecological literacy--or ecoliteracy, for short. Ecoliteracy is the ability to think about and understand the natural processes that make life possible.
Monty Hempel says ecoliteracy gives people knowledge about environmental problems. But he says it does not always work to get them to change their behavior.
Mr. Hempel wrote part of the Worldwatch Institute's latest State of the World report. He says in his article, "Some people think that ecoliteracy is just a green form of science literacy. And what I have tried to ask is whether that's enough. In other words, what an ecologically-literate person needs to know might include things like the cycles and the flows, the energy systems, all of those kind of things that we would call the science of ecology. "
"That doesn't seem to lead to action to protect our environment--to protect our life-support system to the level that we need to. Just because we know a lot about the environment doesn't mean that we actually act to save it. After all, actions speak louder than knowledge. "
He adds that people may not be very worried about environmental problems if they seem far away. "Some people call it psychological distance. A lot of climate issues are worse in the Arctic and most of us don't spend time in the Arctic. And so, there's a certain distance. But there's also a distance that's happening in the world as it urbanizes--people spending more time in front of screens and less time out in nature. We become, if you will, disconnected from the natural systems that used to be the key to success for a human being. "
To help children discover the wonders of nature, he adds that children should learn about nature in school. But he also points out we have a high mountain for people to climb from knowledge to action. | high18768.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "They are various small,but valuable things."
},
"options": [
"They are nothing useful.",
"They are various small,but valuable things.",
"They are the main things that factories produce.",
"They are odd moments students ... | There is no doubt that much of the profit of a business--sometimes the whole of its success--depends upon the use of the odds and ends.The odds and ends are various small things,which are left over when the main things are produced.But they possess a real value of their own.
If a business,big or small,looked down upon these odds and ends,it would mean a big difference in the amount of the benefit of the business.Take a meat factory for instance, there are countless odds and ends--bones and hair,which can be made into glue and rope to increase its profit greatly.
Then,if we are college students,what about our odds and ends--the odd moments? Take time for example.Every one of us has the exact same amount of it.Everyone's success or failure depends on the use of their time.But everyone uses the time more or less in the same way.However,why many great men in science or art have made huge successes for themselves in the world?Because they have made best use of their odd moments.Take Thomas A.Edison, he never allowed his odd moments to slip by.He thought,planned,and tried his inventions.He always worked twenty hours out of each twenty-four.His inventions made him famous all over the world,and provided valuable wealth for the human beings.
So, remember this axiom:very busy people always find time for everything.However,people with great spare time find time for nothing.Is it very strange?Not at all!The question is how to gather up fragments of time and make full use of them.As many big businesses have found,that the real profit is in using the odds and ends.We also must do in this way to make best use of our odd moments and manage to be successful in something that we do. | high11994.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "so interesting"
},
"options": [
"so small",
"so quiet",
"so interesting",
"such interesting"
],
"question": "Mr. David's house was _ that many visitors came to see it.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
... | When Mr. David retired , he bought a small house in a village near the sea. He liked it and hoped to live a quiet life in it. But to his surprise, many visitors came to see his house in summer holidays, for _ was the most interesting building in the village. From morning to night, there were visitors outside the house. They kept looking into the rooms through the windows and many of them even went into the house. He decided to drive the visitors away. So he put a notice on the window. The notice said,"If you want to satisfy your curiosity ,come in and look around. Price: twenty dollars."Mr. David was sure that the visitors would stop coming, but he was wrong. More and more visitors came and Mr. David had to spend every day showing them around his house. "I came here to retire, not to work as a guide ", he said angrily. In the end, he sold the house and moved away. | high2115.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "It helps the underside of plants grow faster than the topside."
},
"options": [
"It helps the plant to bend at the right places while growing.",
"It prevents the roots of plants from growing faster.",
"It is no use when the s... | Have you ever wondered why stems grow upwards and roots downwards? Why plants always seem to turn, towards the light and climbing plants run up rather than down? The answer is simple:auxin,a chemical substance that controls growth in plants.
Auxin gives away its secrets
Auxin is a plant hormone . Darwin was already interested in it in the 19th century. Only in recent years, however, has the hormone started to give away its secrets ,thanks to intensive molecular research.Auxin is produced in the young,growing parts of plants and then transported throughout the plant-to a low -lying stem for example. The stem needs to straighten out as soon as possible to be able to absorb the topside,resulting in the underside growing faster and the stem straightening out. For the same reason, plants in front of windows will always turn to the light . This active regulation of auxin transport allows plants to take ideal advantage of local and changing conditions.
A new means of transport for auxin?
The transport of auxin through the plant plays a vital role. And ,from all appearances,it is not a
simple matter. The researchers identified an important new link and means of transport for auxin: PILS proteins . PILS proteins are vital for auxin-dependent plant growth and adjust the intracellular storage of the hormone. It is exactly this compartmentalizing of auxin that seems functionally important for the various developmental processes.
Growing crops more efficiently: the right amount of auxin in the right place
Higher auxin levels at the right moment and in the right place result in better growth and greater harvest. Better adjustment of auxin levels would make plants grow more efficiently. The researchers hope to contribute to the development of more efficient growing processes by continuing to sort out auxin transport processes. | high21857.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Education."
},
"options": [
"Opinions.",
"Politics.",
"Education.",
"Lifestyles."
],
"question": "In which section can readers probably read the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
... | Life comes in a package. This package includes happiness and sorrow, failure and success, hope and despair. Life is a learning process. Experiences in life teach us new lessons and make us a better person. With each passing day we learn to handle various situations.
Love
Love plays a pivotal role on out life. Love makes you feel wanted. Without love a person could go hayward and also become cruel and ferocious. In the early stage of our life, our parents are the ones who shower us with unconditional love and care, they teach us about what is right and wrong, good and bad. But we always tend to take this for granted. It is only after marriage and having kids that a person understands and becomes sensitive to others feelings. Kids make a person responsible and mature and help us to understand life better.
Happiness and sorrow
Materialistic happiness is short-lived, but happiness achieved by bringing a smile on others face gives a certain level of fulfillment. Peace of mind is the main link to happiness. No mind is happy without peace. We realize the true worth of happiness when we are in sorrow. Sorrow is basically due to death of a loved one, failure and despair. But these things are temporary and pass away.
Failure and success
Failure is the path to success. It helps us to touch the sky, teaches us to survive and shows us a specific way. Success brings in money, fame, pride and self-respect. Here it becomes very important to keep our head on out shoulder. The only way to show our gratitude to god for bestowing success on us is by being humble, modest, courteous and respectful to the less fortunate ones.
Hope and despair
Hope is what keeps life going. Parents always hope their children will do well. Hope makes us dream. Hope builds in patience. Life teaches us not to despair even in the darkest hour, because after every night there is a day. Nothing remains the same we have only one choice keep moving on in life and be hopeful. Life teaches us not to regret over yesterday, for it has passed and is beyond our control. Tomorrow is unknown, for it could either be bright or dull. So the only alternative is work hard today, so that we will enjoy a better tomorrow. | high10452.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "They grew germs from the scrapings on dishes."
},
"options": [
"They visited many top scientists.",
"They consulted the hospital's nurses.",
"They collected experimental samples at a school.",
"They grew germs from the ... | Ashleigh Fraser and Leah Guskjolen, both 18, wondered why they would not be allowed to wear nail polish or artificial nails during their training to become certified nursing assistants. But when they asked, the only response which they got was that "rules are rules." Not satisfied, the teens decided to explore the issue themselves.
For their new study, Ashleigh and Leah, seniors at Willcox High School in Willcox, Arizona., borrowed materials from the hospital where they had been trained as nursing assistants. Ten nurses there agreed to give them little scrapings off the top side of their nails. Half of the participants had natural nails. The other half wore nail polish or fake nails on top of their natural nails. The teens grew bacteria from the scrapings on plates; these are plastic dishes with a gel that feeds bacterial growth.
Natural nails produced an average of 4.3 bacterial colonies. In contrast, scrapings from nail polish or artificial nails produced an average of 17.5 colonies! Leah and Ashleigh had their answer to the question. Only natural nails are allowed because polished or artificial nails tend to harbor far more bacteria. The germs could be dangerous to sick patients.
Leah notes that they are not the first to look at nails in a medical setting. Still, she says, "It is something that should be taken much more seriously than it is." To emphasize that, she points to the large list of similar studies she and Ashleigh uncovered during their research.
When nurses touch patients, they often wear gloves, but many small tasks are performed bare-handed. The teens hope to raise awareness of how dangerous artificial nails can be in the medical setting. "What shocked me," Leah says, "is how unconcerned some of the nurses were. They did not think their nails were dangerous." Ashleigh agrees and observes that to preserve their manicures , nurses with polish or fake nails tended to scrub less vigorously when washing their hands. Their nails might look nice, but this might contribute to the large numbers of germs that hang onto their nails.
Ashleigh has never really liked nail polish, so she will not have to change much to pursue her dream of being a surgeon. But the results have reminded Leah, who wants to be a nurse, to give up her artificial nails for good. "They are very pretty," she says, "I love them." But now that she knows the risks they can cause, she admits that for a health professional they just are "not worth it." | high19310.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "He became a soldier in Navy."
},
"options": [
"He bought many for Julie.",
"He became a soldier in Navy.",
"He kept writing to his son.",
"He got many masters degrees."
],
"question": "What did Rowan's dad do to... | A young boy recently received an unexpected message in the mail from his father Joseph, who died two years ago.
Rowan's dad was a hardworking man who wanted to give his son the best life he could. It was why Rowan's mother, Julie Van Stone, said Joseph joined the Navy and went to MIT to get two masters degrees.
While at school in Boston, he would often write to Rowan. Even when he left school and was driving back to Colorado, he would send postcards from each state he stopped in. Those postcards were sent in 2007. "I remember him saying he had sent 5 or 6, and I only got 3 or 4 in the mail. But I never thought anything of it," Van Stone said.
Those postcards and pictures are priceless memories for Van Stone and her son, especially after Joseph passed away from a rare brain disease. Rowan never had a chance to say goodbye. But, on Saturday, just days before the two-year anniversary of Joseph's death, a postcard arrived in the mail. It arrived March 11, 2015. The message read: "Hello from Pennsylvania. I love you, and I miss you so much. See you soon. Love, Daddy."
Neither he nor his mother knows how it happened, and they may never know. But, they have their own ideas why. "I feel like that was the final goodbye that he didn't get to say," Van Stone said. Van Stone says Joseph's last words to her before he died were: "Everything is a circle. We will see each other again. All that matters is love." | high12245.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "He expected too much of her."
},
"options": [
"He was silent most of the time.",
"He was too proud of himself.",
"He did not love his children.",
"He expected too much of her."
],
"question": "Why did the writer... | Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson, Arizona. He moved there a few years ago, and I was eager to see his new place and meet his friends.
My earliest memories of my father are a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and his family, but uncomfortable with his children. He seemed to expect too much of me. He seemed unhappy with me unless I got straight A's and unhappy with my boyfriends if their fathers were not as "successful" as he was. Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to feel very nervous.
On the first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father's friends for lunch at an outdoor cafe. We talked along that afternoon, did some shopping, ate on the street table, and laughed over my son's funny facial expressions. Gone was my father's critical air and strict rules. After my visit to Tucson , My father seemed to be so friendly and gentle. What had held him back before?
The next day dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, I never felt closer to him at that moment. After so many years, I'm at last seeing another side of my father. And in doing so, I'm delighted with _ . My dad, in his new home in Arizona, is back to me from where he was. | high188.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "probably impress participants deeply"
},
"options": [
"probably impress participants deeply",
"provide a few competitions",
"help the participants set their life goals",
"check the records of personal growth"
],
... | Teen Climbing Camp 2010
This 5-day climbing camp is suitable for teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18 who have an interest in rock climbing. The climbing days are designed for beginners and those who have some basic experience in a gym or outdoors. Participants will find themselves challenged physically and mentally.
Rock Dimensions camps are designed to be a positive and memorable experience by providing healthy communication between participants, individual goal setting, and challenges that lead to personal growth.
Dates
Monday, June 29-Friday, July 3
Monday, July 27-Friday, July 31
Locations
Climbing Tower at Footsloggers
Linville Gorge and Table Rock area
Local climbing areas near Boone
Responsibilities
Participants will meet Rock Dimensions guides at our location each morning and at the end of each day. Rock Dimensions will provide all climbing items, including a safety rope, a helmet and climbing shoes for each participant. Participants are responsible for bringing their own lunch, water, small backpack, appropriate clothing, and personal items like sun cream, etc.
Pre-camp planning
Participants will receive the following information in their registration packet Medical Form, Responsibility Agreement, Clothing/Equipment List, and Directions.
Cost
$575/person for the 5-day camp
$325/person for the first 3 days
Anyone interested in participating in just the last two days of the camp should call to discuss pricing and necessary skills/experience. | high6373.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To remember her grandmother."
},
"options": [
"To show her good baking skills.",
"To remember her grandmother.",
"To talk about her happy family life.",
"To describe her childhood memories."
],
"question": "What... | Both of my parents worked full-time when I was a little girl, so my grandmother would stay at our house during the day. We would watch game shows in the living room. Our favorite was The Price is Right. We would call out our answers along with the contestants.
When I got older and started going to school, we couldn't watch our game shows regularly. That was okay with me, though, because the one thing I liked better than watching game shows with my grandmother was helping her bake cakes. Watching her in the kitchen was amazing: she never seemed to need the recipes but everything she made tasted delicious.
At first I would just sit in the kitchen and watch, even though I didn't understand what she was doing, As I got older, she let me help with the easy parts, such as measuring the sugar. The day she let me separate the eggs, I felt like I had found complete pleasure.
At last, my parents decided that I could take care of myself, and my grandmother stopped coming over every day. The love of baking, however, stayed with me. I started baking by myself, and even if the cookies ended up burnt sometimes, more often they turned out pretty well. I tried out new recipes, and whenever I got to a _ part, I would call my grandmother for advice. Sometimes I would call her just to talk, too. I felt like I could talk to her about anything.
My grandmother passed away ten years ago, but I still think of her every day. Last week, I found a recipe book she made for me. It included her recipes for brownies, cookies, and my favorite, lemon pie. As I looked through the pages, I thought I could hear her voice. She was the one who taught me not just about baking, but about life. | high14634.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "were the largest bird population in the Us"
},
"options": [
"were the largest bird population in the Us",
"lived mainly in the south of America",
"did great harm to the natural environment",
"were the biggest bird in th... | Passenger pigeons once flew over much of the United States in unbelievable numbers. Written accounts from the 18th and 19th centuries described flocks so large that they darkened the sky for hours.
It was calculated that when its population reached its highest point, there were more than 3 billion passenger pigeons--a number equal to 24 to 40 percent of the total bird population in the United States, making it perhaps the most abundant bird in the world. Even as late as 1870 when their numbers had already become smaller, a flock believed to be 1 mile wide and 320 miles (about 515 kilometers) long was seen near Cincinnati.
Sadly, the abundance of passenger pigeons may have been their _ . Where the birds were most abundant, people believed there was an ever-lasting supply and killed them by the thousands. Commercial hunters attracted them to small clearings with grain, waited until pigeons had settled to feed, then threw large nets over them, taking hundreds at a time. The birds were shipped to large cities and sold in restaurants.
By the closing decades of the 19th century, the hardwood forests where passenger pigeons nested had been damaged by Americans' need for wood, which scattered the flocks and forced the birds to go farther north, where cold temperatures and spring storms contributed to their decline. Soon the great flocks were gone, never to be seen again.
In 1897, the state of Michigan passed a law prohibiting the killing of passenger pigeons, but by then, no sizable flocks had been seen in the state for 10 years. The last confirmed wild pigeon in the United States was shot by a boy in Pike County, Ohio, in 1900. For a time, a few birds survived under human care. The last of them, known affectionately as Martha, died at the Cincinnati Zoological Garden on September 1, 1914. | high9040.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "A special fish living in freezing waters."
},
"options": [
"The terrible conditions in the Antarctic.",
"A special fish living in freezing waters.",
"The ice shelf around Antarctica.",
"Protection of the Antarctic cod."... | Far from the land of Antarctica, a huge shelf of ice meets the ocean. At the underside of the shelf there lives a small fish, the Antarctic cod.
For forty years scientists have been curious about that fish. How does it live where most fish would freeze to death? It must have some secret. The Antarctic is not a comfortable place to work and research has been slow. Now it seems we have an answer.
Research was begun by cutting holes in the ice and catching the fish. Scientists studied the fish's blood and measured its freezing point.
The fish were taken from seawater that had a temperature of -1.88degC and many tiny pieces of ice floating in it. The blood of the fish did not begin to freeze until its temperature was lowered to -2.05degC. That small difference is enough for the fish to live at the freezing temperature of the ice-salt mixture.
The scientists' next research job was clear: Find out what in the fish's blood kept it from freezing. Their search led to some really strange thing made up of a protein never before seen in the blood of a fish. When _ was removed, the blood froze at seawater temperature. When it was put back, the blood again had its antifreeze quality and a lowered freezing point.
Study showed that it is an unusual kind of protein. It has many small sugar molecules held in special positions within each big protein molecule. Because of its sugar content, it is called a glycoprotein. So it has come to be called the antifreeze fish glycoprotein. Or AFGP. | high7079.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "5"
},
"options": [
"4",
"5",
"6",
"7"
],
"question": "How many centenarians are mentioned in this passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "old ... | Famous centenarians still active in arts, science are in no mood to retire."Those who stand still, die," is one of Oliveira's favorite phrases.He knows from experience what it means, as the Portuguese film director has reached the age of 102 and is still active in his profession.Every year, Oliveira shoots a film and is currently working on his next project."You have to work, work, work in order to forget that death is not far away," he said.When asked about his age, Oliveira said with some humility: "It's down to mother nature.It gave to me what it took from others."
Being both mentally and physically fit in old age is partly a matter of luck, but it also has something to do with character.Not every white-haired person is wise and social skills, openness and the ability to train the brain are essential for senior citizens.
Along with the architect Oscar Niemeyer (103), Nobel laureate Montalcini (101) and director Kurt Maetzig (100), Oliveira is one of those people of whom it would be very wrong to think as members of a listless elderly generation.
Another master in his profession is the architect Oscar Niemeyer.The 103-year-old Brazilian is best known for his futuristic-looking buildings in Brasilia, but he also speaks out on behalf of the poor."The role of the architect is to struggle for a better world where we can develop a form of architecture that serves everyone and not just a privileged few," said Niemeyer recently.He spends almost every day working in his office in Copacabana, and even when he falls ill he keeps working on ideas: After a gallbladder operation he composed a samba tune in the clinic.
Another man who could sing a song about age is 107-year-old Heesters.The Dutch-born opera singer spent most of his life performing in Germany, where he still works.Recently Heesters said: "I want to be at least 108-years-old." He also plans to keep performing." _ " Heesters has not given up trying to add to his tally of awards and is looking for a "good stage role".
Italian scientist Rita Levi-Montalcini, who is 101-year-old and is still active in medical science, has described the force that keeps driving her on: "Progress is created through imperfection." In 1986 she and her lab colleague were awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine for their work on nerve growth factor.She's convinced that humans grow on challenges.
With so many brilliant examples given, we can see clearly that age is no barrier to some high
achievers. | high22392.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The cleverest son."
},
"options": [
"The oldest son.",
"The richest son.",
"The cleverest son.",
"The silliest son."
],
"question": "Who would get father's fortune?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
}... | Long long ago, there was an old merchant who had three sons. "To which one shall I leave my fortune?" he wondered. "It must be to the cleverest son. But which one is the cleverest?"
He called his three sons to him. "Here is some money," he told them, "you must each take one coin to buy something that will fill this room. Anyone who can do this shall have my fortune."
"It is a big room," said the eldest son.
"One coin will not buy very much," said the second son.
But the youngest son said nothing. He stood and thought, and then he smiled, "Come, brothers," he said, "let us go to the market."
The eldest son bought straw with his coin. But one coin bought only a bit of straw. Even when he had spread it as much as he could, the straw covered only a corner of the room.
The second son bought sand with his coin. But one coin bought only a bit of sand. Even when he had spread it as much as he could, the sand covered only half of the floor.
"What did you buy?" the eldest son angrily asked the youngest son. "You don't have any straw."
"Yes, what did you buy?" the second son asked angrily. "You don't have any sand."
"I bought this," said the youngest son.
"A candle!" cried his brothers. "What good is a candle?"
"Watch", said the youngest son.
He lit the candle, and all at once the room was filled from wall to wall, from ceiling to floor. It was filled with light!
"Although you are the youngest, you are indeed the cleverest of my sons," the old merchant said.
And that is how, the old merchant left his fortune to his youngest son, the one who could fill a room with light. | high12251.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Jane Addams and Marie Curie."
},
"options": [
"Jane Addams and Marie Curie.",
"Jane Addams and Margaret Thatcher.",
"Marie Curie and Angela Merkel.",
"Marie Curie and Rachel Carson."
],
"question": "Who once won... | Who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?
Jane Addams (1860 - 1935)
Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She created shelters, education opportunities and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Rachel Carson (1907 - 1964)
Rachel Carson was born in the rural river town of Springdale, Pennsylvania in America. The popular 1962 book "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson made people realize the dangers and the harmful effects of pollution on humans and on the world's lakes and oceans.
Angela Merkel (1954 - )
In 2005, Germans chose Angela Merkel as their first woman head of the country. She had been a scientist in the past. As Germany's leader, she has had an effect on the whole world.
Sandra Day O'Connor (1930 - )
When Sandra Day O'Connor finished her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work because she was a woman. However, she became the first woman to join the U.S. Supreme Court in 1981 after years of hard work.
Margaret Thatcher (1925 - )
In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first woman Prime Minister . She served until 1990, which made her the first British leader to serve three terms in a row. Because of her high standards and strong will, people called her Britain's Iron Lady.
Marie Curie (1867-19245102534)
Polish-born scientist Marie Curie discovered that some types of metal give off energy called radiation . Her research led to new medical treatments and arms. She received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 and in Chemistry in 1911. | high1408.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "wanted to see how his father reacted"
},
"options": [
"wanted to see how his father reacted",
"pretended not to notice it",
"pretended to enjoy the burnt food",
"stopped his father eating the burnt toast"
],
"qu... | When I was a kid, my Mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at hospital.
On that evening so long ago, my Mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned toast in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his toast, smile at my Mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him spread butter and jelly on that toast and eat every bite!
When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my Mom apologize to my dad for burning the toast. And I'll never forget what he said: "Honey, I love burned toast."
Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his toast burned. He took me in his arms and said, "Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she's really tired. And besides - a little burned toast never hurt anyone!"
You know, life is full of imperfect things and imperfect people. What I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each other's faults is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship. This good quality is the base of any relationship --- husband-wife or parent-child or friendship! As far as I'm concerned, I'm not the best engineer as expected. However, I have made my efforts. That's enough.
So learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life. Burnt toast isn't a deal-breaker! Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket but into your own. | high6367.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "They can offer teen models that cost clients less money."
},
"options": [
"They can help the clients to train teen models in a short time.",
"They can offer teen models that cost clients less money.",
"They can make the produ... | Teen models are not difficult to find. An online agency features both models young as well as older. Those who are looking for child models to show off their products and make them look better can find what they are looking for by hiring children models from these online modeling agencies. This is less expensive than trying to go through large modeling agencies that often cost thousands of dollars for the client .
Many of those who are selling children's products and have websites for parents and children are looking for teen models. As a result, there is more of a need for young models to participate in the field of modeling. The best way for clients to hire models that will not end up costing them a fortune is to use an online modeling site. An online modeling site will have portfolios of models young as well as old. Someone who is looking for teen models can find a variety of different children when they take a look at these sites.
Online teen models usually work for less money than offline models, although they are still paid well enough to make it worth their while to model. Clients who are looking for young models can go on an online modeling agency to look for portfolios of the teens that they will want to use in their advertising campaigns. Parents or guardians must agree to the modeling offers and the agency will act as a go-between for both the teen models as well as the clients who are looking for young models.
Clients can look through portfolios for the young models and get the ones that are right for what they are looking for to advertise for them. It is now affordable for anyone to hire teen models when using an online modeling agency site. Parents of young models can also use these sites to get their teens a chance to get a head start in the world of modeling. | high9054.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "to survive"
},
"options": [
"to have her parents return",
"to have more netizens read her article",
"to survive",
"to have her grandparents survive"
],
"question": "What is Jiajia's biggest wish?",
"question... | Jiajia, a third grader who was born with anemia, a medical condition in which there are too few red cells in blood, wrote an affecting article that moved many netizens.
In the article, she shared her biggest wish: to survive so she could take care of her grandparents. Jiajia, 9, currently lives in the city of Suining in Sichuan province. In the article, she writes, "My heart gets heavier each time I see my grandma cry for me. If I ever get to grow up, I will take good care of her."
Jiajia contracted pneumonia when she was 4 months old. Since then, she has required a blood transfusion every two weeks.
After her parents' divorce, her grandparents took her in and faced many challenges in the process of raising her. The girl's article was only 235 words long, and it was handed in as a school assignment.
Nevertheless, Jiajia's words "deeply impressed" her elementary school teacher, who then posted the article online, where it struck a chord with many people.
Up till now, a fund started by teachers at Jiajia's school has reached more than 30,000 RMB, which will be put toward Jiajia's future blood transfusions. | high14620.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "how Graffiti came onto being"
},
"options": [
"how Graffiti came onto being",
"graffiti is an art form",
"what graffiti is",
"the story of a mailman"
],
"question": "The author mainly wants to tell us _ .",
... | The story of Graffiti is an interesting one. In the early 1970's, a New York City mailman used to travel across the city on the buses and subways to deliver his mail. He dreamt of riding on all the buses and subways in New York. His problem was that many buses and subways looked the same, so he would have to mark the buses and subways to know which one he had been on before. His name was Vic and his work ID was 156---so he left the mark VIC 156 on every journey he took. Soon people started to notice these sighs and wondered what they meant. When word got round what was happening, people would check the buses and subways to see if Vic had ridden on them. Other people decided they would take Vic's example and started leaving their own names. These marks became known as "Tags" .
Tags became more color1ful and artistic and gangs of teenagers started leaving them on the walls in their neighborhood. This was to mark their area from other gangs. For many years people thought nothing of graffiti, but gradually they came to realize that graffiti was an art from that young people used to express themselves. So they gave them special area to paint on. But remember: If you paint on public walls, it is illegal and you shouldn't do it. | high20585.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "It encourages readers to realize their dreams."
},
"options": [
"It shows readers what Lucinda Bassett is.",
"It encourages readers to realize their dreams.",
"It describes how hard the actual life is.",
"It implies it ... | Product Description
Life Without Limits helps you clarify what you want in every area of your life. By using Bassett's powerful techniques you will change; therefore your life will change. You control your life. And only you can take steps to change it. Life Without Limits helps you take back your power.
Life Without Limits helps you to achieve satisfaction and fulfillment personally, professionally, and financially. Once you have defined what success means for you, you will clarify your dreams and start pursuing them.
Product Details
Published in: 2001-12
Released on: 2001-12-24
Original language: English
Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.7 x 8 inches
Binding: Paperback
304 pages
About the Author
Lucinda Bassett is the founder and CEO of one of the most successful self-help companies in the country, the Midwest Center for Stress and Anxiety, Inc. Author of the national bestseller From Panic to Power, Lucinda Bassett produces and hosts the award-winning infomercial, Attacking Anxiety. She has shared her techniques with such clients as McDonalds, Chrysler, and AT&T. She has appeared on numerous talk shows, including Operah and The View, and been featured in Family Circle, Reader's Digest, and many more.
Customer Reviews
This book has helped me to gain hope and courage to cope with all my fears and worries. Lucinda writes with such a great understanding and sympathy. She herself had problems with panic and worry. Her positive thinking tips are easy to follow. I don't get lost in a lot of mental problems. It's as if she were holding your hand, sitting right beside you, cheering you on! I believe I can do anything I set my mind to after reading this book. However, there are some other readers holding the contrary views. | high11980.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "introduce a new kind of energy"
},
"options": [
"promote the new product",
"ask people to do the research",
"introduce a new kind of energy",
"show the process of photosynthesis"
],
"question": "The purpose of t... | What will power your house in the future? According to scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, it might be artificial leaves.
Natural leaves can change sunlight and water into energy. It is known as photosynthesis . Now researchers have found a way to imitate this process.
The artificial leaf developed by Daniel Nocera and his colleagues at MIT can be seen as a special silicon chip with catalysts . Similar to natural leaves, it can split water into hydrogen and oxygen when put into a bucket of water. The hydrogen and oxygen gases are then stored in a fuel cell, using those two materials to produce electricity, located either on top of a house or beside the house.
Though the leaf is shaped like a poker card, scientists stated that it is promising to be an inexpensive somtoe of electricity in developing countries. "One can imagine villages in India and Africa not long from now purchasing an affordable basic power system based on this technology," said an American scientist, Docera.
An artificial leaf is not a new idea. The first artificial leaf was invented in 1997 but too expensive and unstable for practical use. The new leaf, however, is made of cheap materials, easy to use and highly stable. In laboratory studies, Nocera showed that an artificial leaf could operate continuously for at least 45 hours.
The wonderful improvements come from Nocera's recent discovery of several powerful new, inexpensive catalysts. These catalysts make the energy transformation inside the leaf more efficient with water and sunlight. Right now, the new leaf is about 10 times more effective at carrying out photosynthesis than a natural one. Besides, the device can run in whatever water is available.
Hopefully, each home could possible have the access to the new application in the future. | high21843.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "admired the Miller very much"
},
"options": [
"was extremely wise and noble",
"admired the Miller very much",
"was highly valued by the Miller",
"had a strong desire for fortune"
],
"question": "From the passage... | Hans was an honest fellow with a funny round good-humored face. Living alone, every day he worked in his garden. In all the countryside there was no garden so lovely as his. All sorts of flowers grew there, blooming in their proper order as the months went by, one flower taking another flower's place, so that there were always beautiful things to see, and pleasant odors to smell.
Hans had many friends, the most devoted being the Miller. So devoted was the rich Miller to Hans that he'd never go by his garden without plucking a large bunch of flowers or a handful of sweet herbs, or filling his pockets with fruits. The Miller used to talk about noble ideas, and Hans nodded and smiled, feeling proud of having such a friend.
The neighbors thought it strange that the rich Miller never gave Hans anything in return, though he had hundreds of sacks of flour, many cows and sheep, but Hans never troubled his head about these, and nothing gave him greater pleasure than to listen to all the wonderful things about the unselfishness of true friendship.
In spring, summer, and autumn Hans was very happy, but when winter came, and he had no fruit or flowers to sell, he suffered from cold and hunger. Though extremely lonely, the Miller never came to see him then.
"There's no good in going to see Hans while the snow lasts." The Miller said to his wife, "When people are in trouble they shouldn't be bothered. So I'll wait till the spring comes when he's happy to give me flowers."
"You're certainly very thoughtful," answered his wife, "It's quite a treat to hear you talk about friendship."
"Couldn't we ask Hans up here?" said their son. "I'll give him half my meal, and show him my white rabbits."
"How silly you are!" cried the Miller. "I really don't know what's the use of sending you to school. If Hans came up here, and saw our warm fire, our good supper, and our red wine, he might get envious, and envy is a most terrible thing, and would spoil anybody's nature. I am his best friend, and I'll always watch over him, and see that he's not led into any temptation. Besides, if Hans came here, he might ask me for some flour. Flour is one thing, and friendship is another, and they shouldn't be confused. The words are spelt differently, and mean quite different things. Everybody can see that." He looked seriously at his son, who felt so ashamed that he hung his head down, and grew quite scared, and began to cry into his tea.
Spring coming, the Miller went down to see Hans. Again he talked about friendship. "Hans, friendship never forgets. I'm afraid you don't understand the poetry of life. See, how lovely your roses are!"
Hans said he wanted to sell them in the market to buy back his things which were sold during the hard time of the winter.
"I'll give you many good things. I think being generous is the base of friendship." said the Miller. "And now, as I'll give you many good things, I'm sure you'd like to give me some flowers in return. Here's the basket, and fill it quite full."
Poor Hans was afraid to say anything. He ran and plucked all his pretty roses, and filled the Miller's basket, imagining the many good things promised by the Miller.
The next day he heard the Miller calling: "Hans, would you mind carrying this sack of flour for me to market?"
"I'm sorry, but I am really very busy today."
"Well," said the Miller, "considering that I'm going to give you my things, it's rather unfriendly of you to refuse. Upon my word, you mustn't mind my speaking quite plainly to you."
Poor Hans was driven by his friendship theory to work hard for his best friend, leaving his garden dry and wasted.
One evening Hans was sitting by fire when the Miller came.
"Hans," cried the Miller, "My little boy has fallen off a ladder and hurt himself, and I'm going for the Doctor. But he lives so far away, and it's such a bad windy night. It has just occurred to me that you can go instead of me. You know I'm going to give you my good things, so you should do something for me in return."
"Certainly," cried Hans. He struggled into the stormy night, and got the doctor to ride a horse to the Miller's house in time to save the boy. However, Hans got lost in the darkness, and wandered off into a deep pool, drowned.
At Hans' funeral, the Miller said, "I was his best friend. I should walk at the head of the procession." Every now and then he wiped his eyes with a handkerchief. | high2101.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "family members should learn to get their messages across directly"
},
"options": [
"family members should learn to get their messages across directly",
"parents should send their children taking drugs for treatment",
"childre... | Do you remember the game "Telephone"? A message gets passed from person to person, and everyone laughs at how distorted it becomes. As a game, telephone can be fun. In real life, sending messages through third parties fouls things up. It is important for family members who have "business" with other family members to take it up directly.
When tension arises in a relationship between two people, a frequent way of dealing with this is to send messages through a third person. Family doctors refer to the process as 'triangulation". Following a quarrel, a mother may say to her son, "Tell your father to pass the salt", which may be answered by, "Tell your mother to get her own salt." In many long cases of triangulation, the middleman becomes severely disturbed.
Two years ago, Ruth and Ralph Gordon brought their 17-year-old daughter for treatment. Lucille was not doing well in school, using drugs heavily. When I began to work with her, she was uncommunicative and aggressive. After some time, however, she opened up and told me her parents rarely talked to each other, but both used her as a middleman. Mrs. Gordon was sexually unsatisfied and suggested to Lucille that she ask her father to go for marriage advice. Mr. Gordon told Lucille that he was seeing another woman, and he urged Lucille to speak to her mother about improving her behaviour. Caught in this confusing situation, Lucille became more and more troubled. It wasn't until she refused to play middleman that she began to improve. When either parent began to send a message through her, she learned to say, "Tell him/her yourself!"
You'll find that when family members learn to dial each other directly, there's rarely a busy signal or wrong number. With direct dialing, a sense of freshness is created. | high11758.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Baymont Hotel"
},
"options": [
"Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel",
"Beach Plaza Hotel",
"Baymont Hotel",
"All the three hotels"
],
"question": "Which hotel gives a promise?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
... | HOTEL INFORMATION
3800 W. Commercial, Ft. Lauderdale, FL33309
Lowest Prices 110% Guaranteed .
Room Information:
Rooms are equipped with Double, Queen, or King bed (s) .smoking or non-smoking based on location and availability. Provided in each guest room is a hairdryer, coffee maker, iron, ironing board and cable TV.
Check-in Time: 7:00 P. M.
Hotel Amenities : Air Conditioner, Parking, 24 Hour Front Desk, Pool, Television with Cable, Coffee Maker in Room, Hairdryers Available.
625N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd, Ft. Lauderdale. FL 33304
Room Information:
The oceanfront accommodations at Beach Plaza Hotel are some of the most affordable on Fort Lauderdale Beach. Each room has direct-dial telephone, cable television and daily maid service. Full kitchens available! All rooms surround the private poolside garden courtyard.
Check-in Time: 7:05 P. M.
Hotel Amenities: Air Conditioner, Coffee Maker in Room, 24 Hour Front Desk, Free Parking, Hairdryers Available, Pool, Television with Cable. w.w.^w.k.&s.5*u.c.#om
3711N. Ocean Blvd. Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33308
Room Information:
Guest rooms include TVs, in-room movies, Internet access, in-room safes, alarm clock radios, hairdryers, refrigerators, microwaves and balconies.
Check-in Time: 7:00 A. M.
Hotel Amenities: Parking, Heated Pool, Cable TV and Coffee Maker in Room. | high16037.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "They can't understand why he always does like this."
},
"options": [
"They show sympathy for him.",
"They blame him for his lateness.",
"They think he suffers from an illness.",
"They can't understand why he always does... | Jim Dunbar has been late for work, holidays, meals with friends, left women waiting on first dates and even had to sneak into funerals long after they've begun.
The 57-year-old said that his poor timekeeping is down to a medical condition that he was diagnosed with at an appointment at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, which he was 20 minutes late for.
It is thought that the condition is caused by the same part of the brain affected by those who suffer from Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and means Mr Dunbar cannot properly judge how long things take to complete.
"I blamed it on myself and thought.Why can't I be on time? I lost a lot of jobs.I can understand people's reaction and why they don't believe me," said Mr Dunbar.
Mr Dunbar recently tried to go to the cinema and knowing it could be a problem getting there for a 7 pm showing, he gave himself an 11-hour head start.But he still managed to arrive 20 minutes late.
He has a special clock in his living room to make sure that the time it displays is always exactly right, but it doesn't help.He has tried wearing a watch, setting his clocks fast but still hasn't found a solution.
"I've been late for funerals and slipped in and hid at the back of the hall.I arranged to pick my friend up at midday to go on holiday and was four hours late.He was angry because we had booked a ferry and everything.A friend invited me for a meal and I was more than three hours late.It has affected my entire life."
But some experts are skeptical about Mr Dunbar's diagnosis.
"The condition isn't in the DSM5 (the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) so I'm not sure you can really call it a condition," said Dr Sheri Jacobson."Repeated lateness is usually a symptom of a condition such as ADHD or depression but it can also just be habit.I think making everyday human behaviour into a medical condition is unwise." | high19304.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "explain what influences a person's sense of humor"
},
"options": [
"explain what influences a person's sense of humor",
"tell readers the importance of being healthy",
"explain how to make better decisions",
"tell reade... | Most people agree that it's important to have a sense of humor. Having the ability to laugh can help one overcome anxiety, and make better decisions in difficult situations. People with a well-developed sense of humor appear to be happier, and some are healthier as well. This suggests that having a sense of humor is good for you. Humorless people may find themselves being treated as a fool, and become anxious and upset.
A sense of humor also plays an important role in human relationships. However, not everyone has a sense of humor. People with developmental disabilities can sometimes have no sense of humor, or have a very strange one.
A number of factors affect a person's sense of humor, with the age probably being the main one. Young children are often highly amused by simple jokes or shows, while teenagers prefer to enjoy the ironic events. Educational level, culture, and religious faith also affect one's sense of humor. While Christians, for example, may have a deep appreciation of jokes about the Bible, others may find them disrespectful.
Many people believe that a sense of humor is something that develops on its own, and that you cannot teach someone to understand why jokes, certain comments, situations or events are funny. However, things can be done to _ one's sense of humor. Children, for example, benefit from being told jokes and encouraged to laugh, although some children's jokes might seem rather strange to adults. If you have children, try to encourage them to tell jokes and think about what makes things funny. And it will help them develop a sense of humor. | high4570.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "cheating others easily"
},
"options": [
"finding many more good jobs",
"a better chance of finishing high school",
"a promotion and earning more money",
"cheating others easily"
],
"question": "Learning English ... | Learning English has a powerful effect on the type of job you can get. If you don't speak English well, you won't find many jobs, and yes, you'll earn much less money. Only 2% of company managers can't speak English! Your family can also benefit from you learning English. And you can learn with them, helping each other as a family. Children have up to a 40% better chance of finishing high school if their parents speak English well. If you speak English better , you'll find more jobs--- good jobs. Or you can get a promotion and earn more money. Learn how the Beehive can help you find the right job.
School. Children go to their parents when they need help with school. If you speak better English, you can help your child with homework and you can also talk to teachers and other parents.
Health. Most doctors and pharmacists in America only speak English, and if you can explain what the problem is and understand what the doctor is saying, you'll get better sooner! On the Beehive, you can find cheap, free medical help or find important information for your family.
Education. With a little more English, you might be able to take your high school diploma (GED), go to a vocational school to learn a profession or even go to college! Find out what type of education is right for you, and how to do it. It is never too late!
Money. If you understand what people tell you at the bank, a store or a lawyer's office, nobody will be able to cheat you! With more English, you can save more, send more money to your family and even start your own business. Don't wait! Find an English course now! And remember, with the Beehive you can practice English and find a good job, open a bank account or find a doctor! The Beehive is written very clearly so you can make life better. Many people are doing it! | high16751.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "They are warm-hearted."
},
"options": [
"They are wealthy.",
"They are creative.",
"They are indifferent.",
"They are warm-hearted."
],
"question": "What can we learn about the people in London?",
"question_... | Wait for it...that sigh of relief you hearing is wives, girlfriends and partners across London celebrating the end of Movember.
This year's annual moustache-growing campaign in London will surpass 2014 fundraising numbers.
Last year, London men grew enough facial hair to raise S 200,000. As of Thursday, 2015 fundraising sat at $250.000, with additional money still expected to roll in.
"Well, I think London is a pretty charitable community," said Lincoln McCardle, president of the London chapter. "Whether it is a food drive or Movember, we always step up and either meet or surpass the goal."
As a result of last year's success, London was awarded a wrap-up gala , which took place Thursday night at Jim Bob Ray's on Richmond Street.
"Up until now, the galas have been happening in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary," said McCandle. "We wanted to have a gala. I told the guys in head office in Toronto, to pick a number - not to tell me - but if we hit it, I want a gala in London. And we did. It is a chance to thank the people who registered, hand out a few awards and have some fun. "
This year, 60 percent of the money collected in Canada will still go to prostrate cancer research with the remaining 40 percent being directed towards men's mental health.
For men looking for a professional to take off their month-long growth, there are a number of "shave-off" events around the city Friday. One will be at David E. White at the corner of Richmond Street and Queens Avenue. For a $20 donation, your prized moustache will be professionally removed. Organizers are hoping to set a Guinness World Record for the most number of shaves given in a day.
Started in Australia in 2003, the craze found its way to Canadian men by 2007, and in the last couple of years, Canada has collected more, setting the pace in terms of fundraising. Money raised has traditionally gone toward prostate-cancer research, which is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men, according to Health Canada. | high19462.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "They are mostly small in size."
},
"options": [
"They are often located in poor neighborhoods.",
"They are popular with high-achieving students.",
"They are mostly small in size.",
"Another 150 schools invested by the F... | This year's Newsweek list of the top 100 high schools shows that today those with fewer students are rising.
Ten years ago, when the first Newsweek Top School List based on college-level test participation was published, only three of the top 100 schools had graduating classes smaller than 100 students. This year there are 22.
Fifty years ago, they were the latest thing in educational reform: big, modern high schools outside the cities with thousands of students. Big schools meant economic efficiency, a greater choice of courses, and better football teams. But only years later did we understand that it involved the difficulty of strengthening personal connections between teachers and students. SAT scores began dropping; on average, 30% of students did not complete high school in four years, a figure that rose to 50% in poor city neighborhoods. High schools for a variety of reasons seemed to have made little progress.
Size isn't everything, but it does matter, and the past decade has seen a noticeable trend toward smaller schools. This has been partly due to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has invested $1.8 billion in American high schools, helping to open about 1,000 small schools -- most of them with about 400 kids, each with an average enrollment of only 150 students per grade. About 500 more are on the drawing board. Districts all over the country are taking notice, along with mayors in cities like New York, Chicago and San Diego. And most noticeable of all, there is the phenomenon of large urban and suburban high schools that have split up into smaller units of a few hundred.
Hillsdale High School in San Mateo, California, is one of those ranking No.423 -- among the top 2% in the country. In 2003, Hillsdale remade itself into three "houses". 300 students arriving ninth graders are randomly assigned to one of the houses, where they will keep the same four core subject teachers for two years before moving on to another for 11th and 12th grades. Teachers meet with students in groups of 25, five mornings a week, for open-ended discussions of everything from homework problems to bad Saturday-night dates. The advisers also meet with students privately and stay in touch with parents. Along with the new structure came the percentage of freshmen taking biology jumped from 17 to 95."It was rough for some. But by senior year, two-thirds have moved up to physics," says Jeff Gilbert. "Our kids are coming to school in part because they know there are adults here who know them and care for them."
But not all schools show advances after downsizing, and it remains to be seen whether smaller schools will be a cure-all solution.
Ranking schools is always controversial. Over the years this system has been criticized for its simplicity -- list of top U.S. high schools was made merely according to the proportion of students taking college-level exams. This year a group of 38 superintendents from five states wrote to ask that their schools should be excluded from the calculation. "It is impossible to know which high schools are 'the best' in the nation," their letter read. "Determining whether different schools do or don't offer a high quality of education requires a look at many different measures, including students' overall academic accomplishments, their later performance in college, and taking into consideration the unique needs of their communities." | high4216.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "coastline"
},
"options": [
"forest",
"desert",
"savannas",
"coastline"
],
"question": "According to the passage, the most dangerous place for city expansion is the _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"... | The rapid growth of cities worldwide over the next two decades will cause significant risks to people and the global environment, according to analysis.
Researches from Yale and Stanford predict that by 2030 urban areas will expand by 590,000 square miles--nearly the size of Mongolia--to meet the needs of 1.47 billion more people living in urban areas.
"It is likely that these cities are going to be developed in places that are the most biologically diverse," said Karen Seto, a famous scientist at Yale University. "They are going to be growing and expanding into forests, biological hotspots, savannas , coastlines--sensitive and _ places."
Urban areas, they found, have been expanding more rapidly along coasts. "Of all the places for cities to grow, coasts are the most sensitive. People and buildings along the coast are at risk of flooding and other environmental disasters," said Seto.
The study provides the first estimate of how fast urban areas globally are growing and how fast they may grow in the future. "We know a lot about global patterns of urban population growth, but we know significantly less about how urban areas are changing," she said. "Changes in land cover associated with urbanization lead to many environmental changes, from habitats loss and agricultural land conversion to changes in local and regional climate."
The researchers examined studies that used satellite data to map urban growth and found that from 1970 to 2000 the world's urban footprint had grown by at least 22,400 square miles--half the size of Ohio.
"This number is numerous, but, in actuality, urban land expansion has been far greater than what our analysis shows because we only looked at the published studies that used satellite data," said Seto. "We found that 48 of the most populated urban areas have been studied using satellite data, with findings in journals. This means that we're not tracking the physical expansion of more than half of the world's largest cities."
Half of urban land expansion in China is driven by a rising middle class, whereas the size of cities in India and Africa is driven primarily by population growth. "Rising incomes translate into rising demand for bigger homes and more land for urban development, which has a great effect on biodiversity conservations, loss of carbon sinks and energy use." | high3579.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "how much Yuxin's caring host family in America changed her"
},
"options": [
"the cultural differences Yuxin experienced in America",
"how Yuxin learned to get along with younger kids in America",
"how much Yuxin's caring host... | When I saw a big handmade signboard "Welcome Yuxin" at the airport,I knew I had found a caring family at the other side of the world -- the United States.
My host mom had already decorated my room for me. There was a doll on one side of the room,and a bookcase full of books on the other -- they had heard I loved reading. Mom had also prepared a keyboard for me,since she knew that I played the piano.
My life in the family did not go so well at first. Because I am the only child in my family in China,I was not used to having two younger kids -- Zachary and Grace--running around me yelling all the time.
Mom had a serious talk with me about this problem on a Sunday afternoon. She told me,"You can't just come home from school every day,go to your room and do your homework. You need to be a part of this family. You need to play with my kids for at least an hour. " This rule was very annoying at first. I did not have much experience playing with children.
However,the more time I spent with the kids,the more I grew to love them. We played games and read books together. I even taught them Chinese. Thanks to Mom's rule,I began to feel like I was really part of the family.
Mom also inspired me to live a healthier life. She got up early every morning to go running. On weekends,she took the whole family to visit parks or go camping.
I did not like sports much when I was back home,but now I love to join all kinds of sports. I am healthier and more confident too.
With my American family,I found joy and laughter. I learned to live with energy and optimism ,thanks to the care and responsibility of my loving American parents. | high16989.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "have met with difficulties in life"
},
"options": [
"have done a lot for others",
"have met with difficulties in life",
"have something to do in return",
"don't know how to be thankful"
],
"question": "The passa... | If practicing an attitude of gratitude during the storms of life is too much for you right now, that's OK. When things are tough, most people have a hard time being thankful. They're so caught up in what's wrong in the present moment that they simply can't see some things are still right.
If that's true for you, then accept it. You're going through a particularly difficult or unhappy period of time, and you don't like it one bit. Very normal, very human. But remember this: there is always something to be grateful for. It maybe only a small comfort right now, but it is a start. Make a list of some of the terrible things that didn't happen. For example:
*You're in debt...but you're not homeless.
*You lost your job...but you didn't lose your health.
*You broke your leg...but you didn't break your neck.
*Your mother has Alzheimer's disease...but your father doesn't.
No matter how bad things are, they could always be worse. Start finding gratitude for what might have happened, but didn't. It does help a lot. Of course, you may not be thankful for everything-- but you can always be thankful for something. | high2667.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "get one free book for a cash purchase of 3 books"
},
"options": [
"buy books at cost price",
"get one free book for a cash purchase of 3 books",
"receive a gift after each order",
"expect 3 free books each month"
],... | The Evergreen Teen Book Club invites you to join us and take full advantage of our limited-time introductory offer.
If you join our club, you will receive a certificate for 3 free books. These are yours to keep, even if you decide to cancel your membership. However, if you decide to purchase just one book at the regular club price, you will receive a certificate for an additional 3 free selections after your first order is placed.
As our member, you can benefit from all of our super sales and our Bonus Program. You accumulate 2 bonus points with each cash purchase of one book. Every 6 bonus points will earn you a certificate for one free book!
To join our club, fill in the brief application listing your name, address, and phone number on the postage-paid card at the bottom of this page. Then drop the card in the mail and our present catalogue will be immediately mailed out to you for your 3 free selections!
This catalogue offers a wide selection of over 500 books in every issue, including mysteries, adventures, biographies, cookbooks, sports, and many more. Our catalogue also contains interviews with your favorite authors, reviews of newly published novels, and a teen top-ten list for both fiction and nonfiction.
Once you are a member, you will receive our catalogue monthly, but you don't need to purchase any selections. We send you only exactly what you order.
If you join before June 30th, we will also provide complimentary shipping ,even if you choose to order nothing except your 3 free books.
You can build a great book collection!
Begin now by taking advantage of this great offer. | high10320.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "do their best at school and be educated and respected citizens"
},
"options": [
"do their best at school and be educated and respected citizens",
"be top students in school and graduate with honors",
"stop seeing her friends ... | I had the meanest mother in the whole world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal, eggs or toast. While others had Cokes and candy for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess, my supper was different from the other kids' too. But at least, I wasn't alone in my sufferings. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.
My mother insisted upon knowing where we were at all times. She had to know who our friends were and where we were going. She insisted if we said we'd be gone an hour, then we should be gone one hour or less -- not one hour and one minute. And she always insisted upon us telling the truth. Now you can see how mean she was.
The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by nine each night and up at eight the next morning. We couldn't sleep till noon like our friends. So while they slept - my mother actually had the courage to break the Child Labor Law. She made us work. We had to wash dishes, make beds, and learn to cook. We had to wear clean clothes and take a bath every day. The other kids always wore their clothes for days. We reached the height of disgrace because she made our clothes herself, just to save money. I believe she laid awake at night thinking up mean things to do to us.
Through the years, things didn't improve a bit. We could not lie in bed "sick" like our friends did, and miss school. Our marks in school had to live up to expectations. Our friends' report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing. My mother, being as different as she was, would be satisfied with nothing less than ugly black marks.
As the years rolled by, first one and then the other of us was put to shame. We graduated from high school. With our mother behind us, talking, hitting and demanding respect, none of us was allowed the pleasure of being a drop-out.
My mother was a complete failure as a mother. Out of four children, a couple of us attained some higher education. None of us have ever been arrested or divorced. Each of my brothers served his time in the service of this country. She forced us to grow up into God-fearing, educated, honest adults. I am now trying to raise my three children. I am filled with pride when my children call me mean. Why? Because now I thank God every day for giving me the meanest mother in the whole world. | high5108.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "giving smile cards"
},
"options": [
"giving smile cards",
"giving samples",
"making eye contact",
"giving groceries"
],
"question": "At first, the writer's daughter made an experiment by _ .",
"question_t... | My 8-year-old daughter is making an experiment. She has been making her own colorful smile cards and often takes them with her everywhere.
Last Sunday, I took my kid to go shopping with me. She was hoping to see John, who is an elderly man and gives out samples. We see him from time to time and he is so happy and friendly. John wasn't at the store on Sunday, so my daughter decided that it would be a good idea to _ her smile cards to the store's other employees.
So she did. In the produce department, she gave a card to a young man and she hoped it would make him smile. And he smiled at her and thanked her. Then she came across an older gentleman who looked rather impatient. And she snuck a card into his cart on top of his groceries, remarking to me later that he looked at her suspiciously as if she was dumping trash in his cart. But I thought he would be happy later.
When we got back from our shopping trip, she had run out of cards. She was walking by a woman with two babies in her cart. My daughter smiled at her and the young mother smiled back. My daughter came to me and said excitedly, "Mom, I just realized something. You don't need cards to make someone smile. All you need to do is make eye contact and smile into their eyes and they will smile back."
What a beautiful lesson my daughter reminded me of. You are never too young or too old to experiment with kindness and smiles. | high62.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "to own a horse ranch"
},
"options": [
"to own a horse ranch",
"to be a senior trainer",
"to build many buildings",
"to buy many horses."
],
"question": "What was the boy's goal described in his seven-page paper?... | I have a friend named John Roberts who owns a horse ranch in San Ysidro.The last time I was there he shared a story with me. "It is a story about a young man who was the son of an itinerant horse trainer. When he was a senior,he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be and do when he grew up."
That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of someday owning a horse ranch. He wrote about his dream in great detail and he even drew a diagram of a 200-acre ranch, showing the location of all the buildings,the stables and the track.
"The next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later he received his paper back. On the front page was a large red F with a note that read, 'See me after class.'"
"The boy went to see the teacher after class and asked, 'Why did I receive an F?'"
"The teacher said, 'This is an unrealistic dream for a young boy like you. You have no money. You come from an itinerant family. You have no resources. Owning a horse ranch requires a lot of money. You have to buy the land. You have to pay for the original breeding stock and later you'll have to pay large stud fees. There's no way you could ever do it.' Then the teacher added, 'If you will rewrite this paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your grade.'"
"The boy went home and asked his father what he should do. His father said, 'Look, son, you have to make up your own mind on this. However, I think it is a very important decision for you.'"
"Finally,after sitting with it for a week, the boy turned in the same paper, making no changes at all. He stated, 'You can keep the F and I'll keep my dream.'"
John continued, "I tell you this story because you are sitting in the middle of my 200-acre horse ranch. I still have that school paper framed over the fireplace." He added, "If I had changed my paper at that time, maybe we would not have the chance to be here talking about the dreams ." | high6401.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "a person who is lucky all the time"
},
"options": [
"a child who is mother's favorite",
"a student who is hated by everybody",
"a pet who is hated by everybody",
"a person who is lucky all the time"
],
"question... | Everywhere you will always find "the white--haired boy", sometimes called "the fair-haired boy" He gets special treatment, as if he were above everybody else. You will find him in school, in college, at home, or where you work.
In school, he is the teacher's pet, her darling who can do nothing wrong. Sometimes she lets him do little jobs for her. He comes to class in the morning, all shiny and clean, He is always raising his hand, ready with an answer to the teacher's questions. And he knows all the answers. _ especially if you are at the bottom of the class and the teacher thinks you are stupid. How you hate the white-haired boy!
In college, he walks--more often strides--across the school grounds as if he owned them. Sometimes he wears a colorful football or basketball shirt or sweater, with a bright red, or green or yellow college letter proudly worn on the front of it--as a big B, for Bullfinch University. What broad shoulders, what muscles he has! He makes the girls happy by just smiling at them. He has the mark of success on him.
At home, "the fair-haired boy" is mother's choice, her favorite. Sometimes, he is the oldest son--at times, the youngest. If you are in between, you are out of luck.
On the job, you might meet another of these "white-haired boys"; you cannot escape him. For some strange reason, he is the man who always moves ahead. He gets better and better jobs, with more and more money. But you stand still, wondering why, and trying to explain to your-self why you hate him so much.
Then, you discover that there are others who share your feelings, ready to "let their hair down" --to tell you their private thoughts. One of them asks: "What does he have that I haven't got?" You ask yourself the same question.
Finally, there comes a day when you decide to stop hating him. Is it perhaps because he has been made boss and you find yourself working for him? | high9732.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Their brains were not as active as they were"
},
"options": [
"They slept for about five minutes longer.",
"They could only sleep for 20 minutes.",
"Their brains were not as active as they were",
"They complained they w... | Werewolves aren't the only creatures affected by the moon's cycles . A full moon also affects people's sleep more or less, reports a Swiss team of scientists. Even people who sleep in a lab without windows could reduce their sleeping time a little once a month.
To test the moon's influence, 33 adults of both sexes and ages of many kinds spent several nights in a sleep lab. As they slept, researchers recorded their brain activity, eye movements and hormone levels . On nights closer to a full moon, the sleepers took an average of five minutes longer to fall asleep, and slept for 20 minutes less. In addition, brain activity fell by 30 percent during the sleep. And hormone levels that help control sleep cycles went down. On these nights, the sleepers complained they couldn't sleep well even though they didn't know the moon's cycle. On the bright side, no sleeper turned into a werewolf.
The Swiss team doesn't know how the moon affects sleep. The gravity of the moon causes ocean tides to rise and fall. But that force is too weak to affect sleep, Gajochen says. He believed some body's biological clock may be affected by the moon cycles. There may be another reason, says David Dinges. This sleep researcher at the University Of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia says that the body clock is very sensitive to light at night. Those sleepers could have been affected by having too much moonlight before arriving at the lab. | high14146.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the strong belief in religion"
},
"options": [
"the application of one's intelligence",
"the strong belief in religion",
"a certain degree of good faith",
"the trust in one's ability"
],
"question": "The Bible t... | For thousands of years, people have been debating the meaning of happiness and how to find it. From the ancient Greeks and Romans to current day writers and professors, the debate about happiness continues. What makes someone happy? In what parts of the world are people the happiest? Why even study happiness? The Greek philosopher Aristotle said that a person's highest happiness comes from the use of his or her intelligence. Religious books such as the Koran and Bible discuss faith as a form of happiness. The British scientist Charles Darwin believed that all species were formed in a way so as to enjoy happiness. People throughout history may have had different ideas about happiness. But today, many people are still searching for its meaning.
How do you study something like happiness? You could start with the World Database of Happiness at Erasmus University in prefix = st1 /Rotterdam, The Netherlands. This set of information includes how to define and measure happiness. Some findings are not surprising. For example, the database suggests that married people are happier than single people. People who like to be with other people are happier than unsocial people. But other findings are less expected: People with children are equally happy as couples without children. And wealthier people are only a little happier than poorer people.
Positive psychology is the new term for a method of scientific study that tries to examine the things that make life worth living instead of life's problems. Traditional psychology generally studies negative situations like mental suffering and sickness. But positive psychology aims to study the strengths that allow people and communities to do well. There is also an increasing amount of medical research on the physical qualities of happiness. Doctors can now look at happiness at work in a person's brain using a method called magnetic resonance imaging , or MRI. For example, an MRI can show how one area of a person's brain activates when he or she is shown happy pictures. A different area of the brain becomes active when the person sees pictures of terrible subjects. | high24085.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "calm"
},
"options": [
"angry",
"nervous",
"calm",
"upset"
],
"question": "When the advisor was put in prison, he remained _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_i... | There was once a king who had a wise advisor. The advisor followed the king everywhere and his favorite piece of advice to the king was "Everything happens for the good."
One day the king went hunting and had a small accident. His foot was injured. Fortunately, he was not badly injured but as always he was forced to ask his advisor what he thought about the accident, to which the advisor replied, "Everything happens for the good."
This time the king was really angry and put his advisor in prison . The king then asked his advisor, "Now, what do you think?" The advisor again answered, "Everything happens for the good."
About a week later the king went on another hunting trip. As it turned out the king was caught by some cannibals and taken to their camp where he would be prepared to be their evening meal. Before putting him into the cooking pot, he was examined and the cannibals realized that the king's foot was injured. They decided to throw him back into the forests. It is the tradition for the cannibals not to eat anything that was in any way injured.
It is true that everything in our lives happens for a purpose, and most often for our own good. If you think about it, all our past experiences actually happened to bring us to where we are today and make us a better person. So whatever challenges that we may face today, consider it happening to bring us to the next level. | high13629.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "he would be adopted by a family"
},
"options": [
"service in his foster agency would improve",
"his biological mother would come to him",
"a foster agency would accept him",
"he would be adopted by a family"
],
... | In October 2013, Davion Only made an appeal on the Internet. He had learned that his biological mothr had died not long before. "My name is Davion and I've been in foster care since I was born," he said, "but I'm not giving up hope. "
The heartbreaking appeal spread quickly, and Only's foster agency received calls from more than 10,000 people. Only ended up travelling to Ohio to live with a family. But after Only got into a physical fight with one of his elder would-be brothers, the family changed their minds.
Back in Florida, Only passed through four different temporary homes over the following year, until he called Connie Going, his adoption case worker, to make a special request. Only had known Going for nearly ten years, and had asked every year if she would adopt him, but she always hesitated. "I always believed there was a better family than us out there," Going said in an interview. But last July, when Only called and asked again if she might adopt him, Going said something felt different. "When he asked me, my heart felt this ache and I just
knew he was my son," she said.
So Going, 52, invited Only to start spending time with the rest of her family-her two daughters, Sydney, 21, and Carly 17, and a son Taylor, 14, who she also adopted out of foster care. Eventually, after seeing how well the arrangement was working, Going, who had rented a bigger home, started adopting Only. Only moved in with her family last December.He officially joined Going's family on April 22, 2015 when the adoption papers went through.
"Today, I feel blessed and honored to have been chosen to be the parent of all my children," Going said. | high12537.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "they were afraid that drums would help slaves escape"
},
"options": [
"they thought drums would distract slaves from work",
"they expected that all slaves became Christians.",
"they were afraid that drums would help slaves es... | In the south there were large cotton farms called plantations. Growing cotton was very hard work, so saves were brought from Africa to work in the fields. The white slave owners did not let the slaves have drums because they knew that Africans could use drums to send messages. They were afraid the slaves would help each other to run away.
Most slave owners did not let the slaves keep their African dances or their religions. All the slaves had to become Christian. They sang white religious songs but they added African rhythms to the music. We call these songs "spirituals". Some spirituals told about the hard life of the slaves or their wish to run away. Although the slaves could not do African dances, in church, they clapped their hands and moved their whole bodies. Today black religious music is called gospel music
In Louisiana and the city of New Orleans the slave owners were French. They let the slaves and the free blacks play drums and horns, they also let them keep their African dances. Black musicians in New Orleans put European musical instruments and songs together with African rhythms. They made a new musical sound that was later called jazz.
Many of the first jazz instruments were home made. Black people also made rhythm with their hands, feet, and bodies. Later black brass bands , in the French style, became common. These bands played at special times like weddings and funerals. You can still hear early form of jazz in the city of New Orleans.
The slaves were set free in 1865, ahead the Civil War between the North and the South. Since that time black gospel music and jazz have become an important part of the popular music in America. | high23932.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Opera companies are trying to keep opera alive."
},
"options": [
"Opera is famous for its long history.",
"Opera is only performed for rich people.",
"Opera companies are trying to keep opera alive.",
"Young people are ... | For a 400-year-old art form, opera had a bad fame: overweight actresses singing the words which were hard to understand in one of those romance languages you were supposed to learn in high school. And with tickets costing as much as $145 a performance, opera goers also had a certain appearance in people's mind: rich, well-dressed and old.[:]
But now opera companies around the country are loosening their ties and kicking off their shoes in an attempt to keep opera alive and take it to a younger and not so wealthy audience.
Opera producers have found that to attract this crowd, they need to make the opera closer to common people. Because young people don't or won't come to the opera, companies are bringing the opera to them, giving performances in such unusual places as parks, libraries and public schools.
The Houston Grand Opera's choice is the public library, where it performs "mobile operas" shortened versions of child-friendly operas. This summer's production is Hansel & Gretel. By performing smaller versions of large productions, producers are able to make people interested while keeping costs at a reasonable level. The San Francisco Opera, which will be celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, is staging Cinderella free of charge, keeping costs down by employing students from its Young Artists' Training Program. | high15258.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "want to be employed by German companies"
},
"options": [
"seek a job as a language translator",
"wish to work for professional training providers",
"are interested in German",
"want to be employed by German companies"
... | The iMOVE database is a foreign-language information platform for persons interested in job opportunities offered by German companies. The information can be obtained in seven languages: German, English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and Arabic.
All programs in the area of professional training are carried out by German training providers. All these programs have a clear content to meet your special needs.
Programs which take place in Germany are carried out in English. Many of the German training providers have stated their training activities towards the international market. Therefore, they also offer courses abroad. These courses are taught in English or the language of the target country. Providers will be glad to supply you with additional information on these courses. You can contact the provider directly to find out more about a program and the training provider.
To guarantee high standards in the database, iMOVE has developed quality standards for training providers and their services. All of the training facilities in the iMOVE database have to follow these quality criteria . All training providers who publish their international training programs in the iMOVE database have recognized general terms and conditions. | high9901.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "humans control the future of the human race"
},
"options": [
"the practice takes too much time and money",
"the cloning technology is still not mature",
"humans control the future of the human race",
"the population in ... | The scientific world continues to be amazed by the speed of the development of cloning. Some scientists now suggest that the cloning of humans could occur in the near future. Despite the benefits of cloning, however, certain ethical questions concerning the possible abuse of cloning have been raised. At the heart of these questions is the idea of humans influencing life in a way that could harm society, either morally or in a real physical sense. Some people object to cloning because it allows scientists to "act like God" in the handling of living organisms.
The cloning of Dolly raised the debate over this practice to a whole new level. It has become obvious that the technology for cloning Dolly could also be used to clone humans. A person could choose to make two or ten or a hundred copies of himself or herself by the same techniques used with Dolly. An active debate about the morality of cloning humans arises. Some people see benefits from the practice, such as providing a way for parents to produce a new child to replace one dying of a fatal disease. Other people worry about humans taking into their own hands the future of the human race.
At the beginning of the twenty-first century, many scientists say the controversy over the ethics of cloning humans is overstressed because of the unpredictability of cloning in general. While scientists have cloned animals such as sheep, mice, cows, pigs, and goats, fewer than 3 percent of all those cloning efforts have succeeded. The animal clones that have been produced often have health problems. Scientists believe the rapid reprogramming in cloning can introduce random errors into a clone's DNA. Those errors have altered individual genes in minor ways, and the genetic defects have led to the development of major medical problems. Some scientists say this should make human cloning out of the question, but others argue that cloning humans may actually be easier and safer than cloning animals. Whatever, I agree that further research in the field of cloning is needed. | high23701.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "They lack financial intelligence."
},
"options": [
"They don't work hard enough.",
"They lack financial intelligence.",
"They don't make full use of their talents.",
"They have no specialized skills."
],
"questi... | The world is filled with smart, talented, educated and gifted people. We meet them every day. A few days ago, my car was not running well. I pulled it into a garage and the young mechanic had it fixed in just a few minutes. He knew what was wrong by simply listening to the engine. I was amazed. The sad truth is, great talent is not enough.
I am constantly shocked at how little talented people earn. I heard the other day that less than 5 percent of Americans earn more than $100, 000 a year. A business consultant who specializes in the medical trade was telling me how many doctors and dentists struggle financially. It was this business consultant who gave me the phrase, "They are one skill away from great wealth."
There is an old saying that goes, "Job means' just over broke ' ". And unfortunately, I would say that the saying applies to millions of people. Because school does not think financial intelligence is intelligence, most workers" _ ". They work and they pay the bills. Instead I recommend to young people to seek work for what they will learn, more than what they will earn.
When I ask the classes I teach, "How many of you can cook a better hamburger than McDonald's?" almost all the students raise their hands. I then ask, "So if most of you can cook a better hamburger, how come McDonald's makes more money than you?" The answer is obvious: McDonald's is excellent at business systems. The reason so many talented people are poor is because they focus on bui1ding a better hamburger and know little or nothing about business systems. The world is filled with talented poor people. They focus on perfecting their skills at building a better hamburger rather than the skills of selling and delivering the hamburger. | high89.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "440,000"
},
"options": [
"350,000",
"1,500,000",
"440,000",
"110,000"
],
"question": "The National Coalition for the homeless believes that the number of homeless children is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze... | Until the 1980s, the American homeless population comprised mainly older males. Today, homelessness strikes much younger part of society. In fact, a 25-city survey by the U. S. Conference of Mayors in 1987 found that families with children make up the fastest growing part of the homeless population. Many homeless children gather in inner cities; this transient and frequently frightened student population creates additional problems -- both legal and educational -- for already overburdened urban school administrators and teachers.
Estimates of the number of homeless Americans range from 350,000 to three million. Likewise, estimates of the number of homeless school children vary radically. A U.S. Department of Education report, based on state estimates, states that there are 220,000 homeless school-age children, about a third of whom do not attend school on a regular basis, But the National Coalition for the Homeless estimates that there are at least two times as many homeless children, and that less than half of them attend school regularly.
One part of the homeless population that is particularly difficult to count consists of the "throwaway" youths who have been cast of their homes. The Elementary School Center in New York City estimates that there are 1.5 million of them, many of whom are not counted as children because they do not stay in family shelters and tend to live by themselves on the streets.
Federal law, the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, includes a section that addresses the educational needs of homeless children. The educational provisions of the McKinney Act are based on the belief that all homeless children have the right to a free, appropriate education. | high611.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Fairs Attract the World Wide Attention."
},
"options": [
"The Fifth Fair Will Be Held.",
"The Fair is Famous.",
"Fairs Attract the World Wide Attention.",
"Xiamenis a Trade Zone."
],
"question": "What is the bes... | The Fifth China International Fair for Investment and Trade is expected to expand the country's economic relations with the international community when it opens on September 9. The four-day fair will be held in the Economic Zone of Xiamen, a coastal city in East China's prefix = st1 /Fujianprovince. Compared with the previous four fairs held annually since 1997, this year's fair will provide more detailed information and better services for the participants, according to Xi Jinping, governor of the Fujian province and director of the organizing committee of the fair.
A series of high-level forums will be held on international investment and China's entry into the World Trade Organization. Since 1997,Xiamenhas successfully hosted four sessions of the China International Fair for Investment and Trade, drawing global attention.Xiamenwill redouble its efforts to offer better services for all its guests and friends attending the fair, according to ZhuYayan, the mayor. Altogether 9,141 overseas-funded projects have been negotiated at the past four fairs, with a combined overseas investment of US $ 48.3 billion.
Altogether 1,838 projects using foreign investment were negotiated with a total overseas investment of US $ 9,47 billion. The 1,261 contracts signed at the fourth fair registered a combined pledged overseas investment of US $ 5 billion. The total export and import volume reached US $ 786 million. | high16962.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The expense and the benefit of studying abroad."
},
"options": [
"The concept of overseas study.",
"The safe of studying abroad.",
"Which country is better to choose for overseas study.",
"The expense and the benefit of... | With the release of the Annual Report on the Development of Chinese Returnees, concerns regarding the cost of studying abroad and the future benefits are rising among both students and parents. According to the report, it takes most overseas returnees at least five years to earn back their study abroad costs.
Whether it is worth the investment made to obtain a foreign degree has always been an issue concerning the growing trend of studying abroad in recent years.
In order to find out if studying abroad is still a worthwhile investment, 21st Century talked to experts in related fields.
More students are returning after studying abroad
Despite the heated debates about the value of overseas study, there has been a steady increase in the number of students going abroad.
According to the Chinese Ministry of Education, the number of Chinese students who studied abroad increased by 17. 7 percent from 2011 to 2012. A total of 399 , 600 Chinese students went to study abroad last year.
The US is certainly benefiting from Chinese students' ambition to study abroad: according to the US-based Institute of International Education's Open Doors 2013 report, which provides detailed data on student flows into and out of the US, during the 2012/13 academic year, Chinese student enrollments( ,) increased by 21. 4 percent to more than 235,000.
Similarly, the number of overseas returnees is surging, especially since 2008 when developed countries were greatly affected by the economic crisis. In 2009, the number of returnees, for the first time, broke through 100,000 and this has increased at an annual rate of about 50 percent ever since.
Various reasons contribute to this growing trend, with family issues believed to be the primary one. According to Wang Huiyao, the report's author, most students are only children and tend to depend on their parents. Besides, the economic situation in China has boosted returnees' confidence in a future career at home.
Surging cost
Accompanying the increase in the number of students leaving and returning to China is the increase in the study abroad costs. According to the Open Doors 2013 report, international students pay an average of 135,000 yuan per year to attend a public university in the US, a 3. 1 percent increase on the previous year. | high18797.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "writing; young"
},
"options": [
"languages; young",
"writing; young",
"writing; old enough",
"languages; old enough"
],
"question": "Benjamin liked _ very much when he was _ .",
"question_type": "clo... | Benjamin Franklin only studied in school for two years. But he liked to read and write very much. Once he discussed a question with his friend in letters. His father found the letters and read them. He felt Ben did not express himself well. Nor did Ben make his meaning clear. He agreed that his father was right, From then on, he paid more attention to the style of his writing so that he could write better.
About that time he bought a copy of the British periodical called The Spectator (<<>> ). He read it over and over. He thought the writing excellent, and wished, if possible, to write in the same style.
With this in mind, he studied some of the stories and made a note of the thought in each sentence. Then, a few days later, without looking at the magazine, he tried to write the stories. He tried to express each thought as fully as it had been expressed before. Then he compared his writing with the magazine. He found some of his faults in the compositions.
In this way he discovered he needed to know many more words. He felt that writing poetry would help him since that needed to use many different words which had the same meaning. So he turned some of the stories into poems; and after a time, he wrote them as stories again. He insisted on doing this for a long time.
He learned much from his efforts and went on to practise his writing. Then he became the first famous writer in American history. | high20208.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "It first came into being in the 1990s."
},
"options": [
"It has a simple but entertaining plot.",
"It is about friendship between college students.",
"It was criticized by Entertainment Weekly.",
"It first came into bei... | It never occurred to anybody, not even the creators that the world would care about the complex lives, loves and sufferings of a group of attractive and witty New Yorkers. But there's no doubt that Friends has become more than just a successful situation comedy--it has established itself as one of the last great television phenomena of the last century. Along the way, it has made its half-dozen leading actors famous.
Looking back on the strong friendship between the group of three men and three women who frequently gather at each other's apartments and at Greenwich Village's Central Perk coffee house, Friends was created by television producers, David Crane and Marta Kauffman. In 1993, the pair met producer Kevin S. Bright. Then the three became partners and got a deal to produce a new comedy for Warner Brothers. What they came up with was based on Crane and Kauffman's after-college years, when they hung out at the local coffee house and involved themselves in every aspect of each other's lives.
It didn't take long for viewers to make friends with Friends. The situation comedy quickly became a top ten hit. Critics loved it as well. Entertainment Weekly said the show operated like a Broadway show, with twisty plots and unique jokes. The television theme song has also been a success with the public. The song's success helped save the television theme song. An ABC executive was ready to order very short music intros on his network's shows, thinking that viewers would hit the remote control as soon as the opening started. But the success of the Friends theme song led the ABC executive to change his mind-- remote controls or not, the TV theme song would stay.
Years have gone by, but Friends remains and will remain an example of a modern US situation comedy that is both hugely entertaining television and nothing short of a genuine latter-day social phenomenon. | high19489.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "managed to take control of the car"
},
"options": [
"told his sister not to worry",
"called the police for help at once",
"tried his best to save his father",
"managed to take control of the car"
],
"question": ... | When looking back at the scary situation that happened to him on Saturday, Patrick Canney said he couldn't still believe that it was true. It was a situation that could have ended with a tragedy for Patrick, his father and his sister. But it didn't really happen thanks to Patrick.
That morning, Patrick's father was driving down busy Interstate 95 in Peabody, Massachusetts. The car started going really slowly, which seized Patrick's attention. And then he realized that something was wrong. At that point, Patrick found his father was having a seizure .
"It was really scary," he said. "It was unlike anything that had ever really happened to me." But Patrick didn't act scared. He took control of the situation and got behind the wheel of the SUV. He turned the key off and pulled the car over to the breakdown lane . He then stopped the SUV, grabbed a cell phone out of his dad's pocket and called 911 for help.
Patrick's 9-year-old sister was in the SUV, too. He told his little sister not to worry about it. Then he opened the door and stood right next to the guard rail. Thanks to Patrick's description of their location during the 911 call, Massachusetts State Police were able to locate the Canneys within minutes -- and get them all to safety.
"A 12-year-old boy's clear thinking and decisive action actually saved this family from a tragedy," said state police spokesman David. "That's Patrick. He is cool and _ . I couldn't imagine what would be the result if he were panicked ."
Patrick's father was expected to recover fully from the seizure. And thanks to Patrick, all of the Canneys are still alive. "The word hero may be overused in our society," said David. "But Patrick is surely that -- and then some." | high2854.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Health."
},
"options": [
"Family.",
"Food.",
"Sports.",
"Health."
],
"question": "In which section in a web site can you see this text?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"... | It would be a totally dark world without your eyesight.However, there is a lot we can do to preserve our eyesight.
Protect your eyes from the sun.Continuous exposure to the sun's UV rays can severely damage your eyes over time.The UV rays from the sun will result in brown spots in the eyes or some eye diseases, in order to prevent harmful UV rays.if you plan to be in the sun for extended periods of time, you need to wear protective eye wear.
Practice disease prevention.Diabetes is among the few diseases that can cause blindness if left untreated, mistreated or undiagnosed.One of the best ways to prevent disease related blindness is to prevent or control your disease.For example, if you have diabetes it is highly recommended that you eat a healthy diet.check your blood sugar often and lake medicine if your blood sugar is above 150.
Add vitamin A to your diet.This concept is usually taught during your younger years.Vitamin A is required for the production of rhodopsin which is an eye pigment highly sensitive to light that is used to see in poor lighting conditions.To get your healthy portion of vitamin A, you can go to your local grocery store and pick up carrots, broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables.
Visit your eye doctor routinely.Visiting your eye doctor can keep you up to dale on your eye health.You should visit your eye doctor for an eye exam once every one to two years (more often if you wear glasses) to help you keep good eyesight.You are advised to see your eye doctor immediately if you experience eye diseases or symptoms like loss of eye vision, eye pain, redness and itching around the eyes because _ eye diseases can result in permanent eye damage or blindness. | high21116.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "can make anything stand for anything by agreement"
},
"options": [
"have made use of language for centuries",
"use our nervous systems to support language",
"have made various noises stand for any events",
"can make any... | Language as a System of Symbols
Of all systems of symbols , language is the most highly developed. It has been pointed out that human beings, by agreement, can make anything stand for anything. Human beings have agreed, in the course of centuries of mutual dependency, to let the various noises that they can produce with their lungs, throats, tongues, teeth, and lips systematically stand for certain happenings in their nervous systems. We call that system of agreements language.
There is no necessary connection between the symbol and that which it stands for. Just as social positions can be symbolized by feathers worn on the head, by gold on the watch chain, or by a thousand other things according to the culture we live in, so the fact of being hungry can be symbolized by a thousand different noises according to the culture we live in.
However obvious these facts may appear at first glance, they are actually not so obvious as they seem except when we _ to think about the subject. Symbols and the things they stand for are independent of each other, yet we all have a way of feeling as if, and sometimes acting as if, there were necessary connections. For example, there are people who feel that foreign languages are unreasonable by nature: foreigners have such funny names for things, and why can't they call things by their right names? This feeling exhibits itself most strongly in those English and American tourists who seem to believe that they can make the natives of any country understand English if they shout loud enough. Like the little boy who is reported to have said: "Pigs are called pigs because they are such dirty animals," they feel the symbol is inherently connected in some way with the things symbolized. | high21670.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Mutations in genes that decide human intelligence have affected the development of intelligence."
},
"options": [
"The Greeks from 1,000 BC could have been the smartest in human history.",
"Our ancient ancestors had no better survi... | Are we getting more stupid? According to Gerald Crabtree, a scientist at Stanford University in the US, we are.
You may not want to hear this, but Crabtree believes that human intelligence reached its peak more than 2,000 years ago and ever since then has been going downhill. "If an average Greek from 1,000 BC were transported to modern times, he or she would be one of the brightest among us," Crabtree told The Guardian.
At the heart of Crabtree's thinking is a simple idea. In the past, intelligence was critical for survival when our ancestors had to avoid dangerous animals and hunt for food. The difference of being smart or stupid is often life or death. However, after the spread of agriculture, when our ancestors began to live in dense farming communities, the need to keep their intelligence in peak condition gradually reduced.
This is not hard to understand. Most of the time, pressure is what keeps us going - you need the pressure from your teachers to finish your homework; the pressure of looking pretty prompts you to lose weight when summer comes. And the same is also true of our intelligence - if we think less, we become less smart.
These mutations are harmful to our intelligence and they were all developed in the past 3,000 years. The other evidence that Crabtree holds is in our genes. He found that among the 2,000 to 5,000 genes that we have that determine human intelligence , there are two or more mutations in each of us.
However, Crabtree's theory has been criticized by some who say that early humans may have better hunting and surviving abilities, but people today have developed a more diverse intelligence. For example, spearing a tiger doesn't necessarily require more brainpower than playing chess or writing a poem. Moreover, the power of modern education means a lot more people have the opportunity to learn nowadays.
"You wouldn't get Stephen Hawking 2,000 years ago. He just wouldn't exist," Thomas Hills of the University of Warwick, UK, told Live Science. "But now we have people of his intellectual capacity doing things and making insights that we would never have achieved in our environment of evolutionary adaptation." | high5685.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "patriotism."
},
"options": [
"patriotism.",
"the Beatles.",
"politeness.",
"Shakespeare."
],
"question": "According to the passage, the following statements are British most outstanding symbols except _ .",
... | What image does the word "Britain" conjure up in your mind? Big Ben,the frequently changing weather, fish and chips... But have you ever wondered what British people think means "Britain"?
English playwright William Shakespeare and pop group The Beatles are the icons which inspire a sense of national pride in British people, according to a recent survey.
More than 2,000 people were asked what aspect of Britain made them feel most proud. Shakespeare topped the list, followed by the National Trust, a charity which protects places of historical or environmental interest. These beat the British currency, the pound, and the BBC.
Surprisingly, the royal family only made it to seventh on the list. "The royal family, while popular, does not inspire widespread pride," said a spokesman for Demos, the think tank which carried out the research. "However, it is certainly the case that -- through their unique capacity to hold and lead national events -- the royal family has a central role to play in developing pride."
Terence Blacker, a reporter for The Independent, believes the study shows the nature of new patriotism . "It turns out that modern British patriotism is not really about nationhood at all," he wrote.
According to the poll, the most impressive symbols of national pride concerned private conduct and character. Volunteering topped the list, followed by politeness and patience. | high177.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "the model encouragement from Sally"
},
"options": [
"the model encouragement from Sally",
"Sally's interest in space travel",
"young girls bright future",
"the importance of science and math"
],
"question": "In ... | Sally Ride, the first American woman to fly in space, died on Monday after a 17-month battle with cancer, her company said. She was 61.
"Sally lived her life to the fullest, with boundless energy, curiosity, intelligence, passion, commitment and love. Her integrity was ; her spirit was immeasurable; her approach to life was fearless, " read a statement on the website of Sally Ride Science, a company she started to help teach students, particularly young women and girls, about science, math and technology.
Sally flew into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1983 to become America's first woman in space. She took a second trip aboard the same shuttle one year later. The first woman in space was Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, who orbited the Earth 48 times in 1963. She was assigned to a third flight, but that was cancelled after the Challenger exploded shortly after lift-off in 1986, claiming the lives of seven crew members on board. Sally helped investigate that accident and later _ of Space Shuttle Columbia, becoming the only person to serve on the commissions investigating both accidents. In 2003, the Columbia crashed during re-entry into the atmosphere, killing all seven crew members.
"As the first American woman to travel into space, Sally was a national hero and a powerful role model," President Barack Obama said soon after news of her death broke. "She inspired generations of young girls to reach for the stars and later fought tirelessly to help them get there by advocating for a greater focus on science and math in our schools. Sally's life showed us that there are no limits to what we can achieve."
As a Los Angeles native, Ride attended Stanford University, where she earned four degrees, including a doctorate in physics, according to NASA. She joined the agency as part of the class of 1978, the first to include women. Ride responded to an ad in the Stanford student newspaper and was selected from some 8,000 applicants. | high23067.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Brown who is 22 years old"
},
"options": [
"Tom who is 17 years old",
"Jenny who is 19 years old",
"Mike who is 20 years old",
"Brown who is 22 years old"
],
"question": "Who is allowed to rent a car in Spain?",... | Spain is a country that lies in southwestern Europe. It's surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea on the south and the east, while to the north of Spain lie France, Andorra and the Bay of Biscay. The west and northwest of Spain are surrounded by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean.
The official name of the state is the Kingdom of Spain. Madrid is the capital city, which is also one of the famous places in Spain. Spain, which covers 506,000 square kilometers, is one of the largest countries in Europe.
The weather in Spain differs from one area to another. Most of the rain that happens in Spain is in the mountainous areas. The plains hardly receive any rainfall.
Soccer in Spain is an important part of life of the people in Spain. It's said that Spanish children learn to walk and play soccer at exactly the same time. Real Madrid and FC Barcelona are two Spanish soccer teams, which are respected by soccer fans not only in Spain, but all over the world. The popularity of the sport can be judged from the fact that three major soccer teams, which are Real Madrid, Atletico de Madrid , and Rayo Vallecano, were born in Madrid.
If you are a tourist, then you would want to know about the driving rules in Spain. If you're not from the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein, then for you to drive you'll have to carry your international driver's license. Bad news if you haven't celebrated your 18th birthday. If you want to rent a car, then you must have completed 21 years of age. If you're driving, make sure you carry all the documents on you at all times during your stay in Spain. | high14813.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "He had an autopilot impvoved."
},
"options": [
"He made the balloon's capsule bigger.",
"He had an autopilot impvoved.",
"He formed a team to fly with him.",
"He improved the balloon's engine."
],
"question": "W... | Steve Fossett did not really look like an adventurer, but he reached some of the most difficult goals in sailing and flying.
Fossett was most proud of being the first person to fly around the world alone in a hot-air balloon. To make a trip around the world alone, it was necessary to have an improvedautopilot device. Fossett had one of his team members develop a more advanced balloon autopilot that would allow him to sleep and do other tasks while flying safely.
Steve Fossett attempted the hot-air balloon trip around the world six times. This was not easy to do. He flew in the balloon'scapsule that was too small to stand upright. During his fourth attempt in 1998, he was almost killed during a storm off the coast of Australia. He fell 9,000 meters into the Coral Sea with his balloon's capsule on fire. He was later rescued at sea.
Fossett successfully made the trip in 2002. The trip started and ended in Australia. He traveled more than 33,000 kilometers for more than 14 days. On this flight, Fossett set other records including a speed record of 322 kilometers per hour. One main problem with earlier balloon flights was the threat of dangerous storms. A team of weather experts e-mailed and talked to Fossett by a satellite telephone to help him avoid such weather.
Steve Fossett's hot-air balloon is now at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. It is there as an example for other people to try and succeed in doing something important to them. | high163.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "their privacy has been violated"
},
"options": [
"their privacy has been violated",
"they are afraid of being assessed",
"their evaluations are unfair",
"the results are not satisfying"
],
"question": "Many teac... | There were times when it was only schoolchildren who felt sick before they got their grades.But now teachers in prefix = st1 /Germanyare scared, too, as they are being graded by their students.
Many teachers are opposed to it.They don't mind being evaluated.But they are upset because the results are then being posted on the Internet and accessible to millions of Internet users.On the website www.spickmich.deduring the past four months students have posted evaluations of 100,000 teachers.
The teachers are graded on categories such as "motivated", "good instruction," "easy examinations", or even "sexy." Many teachers think that their privacy has been violated.
The creators of the website say that the students are only being offered the chance to provide teachers with some feedback about their classroom instruction.Bernd Dicks, who founded the website with three friends, says that the students are largely quite satisfied with their teachers.On a grading scale of one to six, the teachers' average grade is 2.7 and it has been improving lately.He often says the impression is that students are bullying their teachers.But there is also bullying of the students by teachers.
"Teachers must also learn to live with criticism," he added.But still, the website is not totally immune from manipulation , as one teacher near the northern city of Hanover recently proved.He registered himself on the website as a student and then rated his own teaching colleagues highly.Within a few days, seven of his colleagues were listed in the top 10 rankings of Germany's best teachers. | high23073.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "In a popular magazine"
},
"options": [
"In a popular magazine",
"In a tourist guidebook",
"In a physics textbook",
"In an official report"
],
"question": "Where can you probably find the text?",
"question_ty... | People say, you can not change the environment, but can change their own; you can not change the facts, but can change attitudes; you can not change the past, but can be changed now; you can not control other people, but can be masters of our own; you can not do everything well, but can be conscientious in everything; you can not about the weather, but you can change the mood; you can not choose looks, but it can show a smile.
Indeed, one key to the success lies in his (her) mind. The difference between successful people and the losers are: winners will be setbacks and difficulties due to personal ability, experience, imperfect, to emphasize the inherent, they are willing to continuously improve and develop the right direction; and the losers will blame on the opportunity, and the environment injustice, emphasizing external and uncontrollable factors that created the position of their life, they always complain, wait and give up!
In many cases, is a _ person who is looked down upon his own. Person's appearance, his family, and so a priori condition that can not be changed, but at least inner state, the spirit of the will is entirely their own control. Mentality, the final decision of life high. There is no absolute bad thing, only the mentality of the absolute poor people. If even the state of mind will not adjust, how they deal with things more complicated than the mentality of it!
No matter what the situation, a person's attitude is very important. Passion put to work, and numbness sluggish to work completely different. Emerson said: "A move toward their goals is always people who gave him the whole world to give way." On the contrary, failure is not because we do not have the strength, but because we are susceptible to all around us, used to go along with the lack of assertive, attitude unstable, easily frustrated reason.
As long as we believe that the strength of mind, change their attitude and courage to face a number of disappointments in life, do not despair, brave go on. I believe the power of mind, mind you're in the height of the final decision. | high6398.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "don't believe they can be"
},
"options": [
"don't have great ideas",
"don't want to develop their ideas",
"are too shy to talk about their ideas",
"don't believe they can be"
],
"question": "Most people can't be... | You have some great ideas. But they don't come out because of what your friends say or because you think that only a few people can be creative geniuses . And, you, of course, think that you couldn't be one of them. But actually, this is not true at all.
Anyone who is a creative genius will tell you that creativity is very much like a muscle that needs to be developed. If you don't learn how to develop creative thinking, this skill, just like a muscle, will become poor and useless. On the other hand, keep working at _ , and this skill will soon be ready for action whenever you need it. So how do you develop your own personal style of creative thinking?
You should realize that your brain has a greater capacity and a higher speed than the world's biggest and fastest computer. So it's important to get as much information as you can every day. Read, watch and listen to everything around you --good and bad. The more you know, the more you'll want to know, and the more your brain will be exercised.
Try something new every day and let your experiences show you more about the world and people around you. You need to step out of your comfort zone more and more each day.
Follow these suggestions, and begin thinking beyond your "limits" from today. You'll soon have a life full of interesting and exciting adventures. Who knows, your idea might be the next great idea to change the world. | high5849.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "dull"
},
"options": [
"adventurous",
"pleasant",
"exciting",
"dull"
],
"question": "The author expected the train trip to be _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer... | There were smiling children all the way. Clearly they knew at what time the train passed their homes and they made it their business to stand along the railway, wave to complete strangers and cheer them up as they rushed towards Penang. Often whole families stood outside their homes and waved and smiled as if those on the trains were their favorite s. This is the simple village people of Malaysia. I was moved.
I had always traveled to Malaysia by plane or car, so this was the first time I was on a train. I did not particularly _ the long train journey and had brought along a dozen magazines to read and reread. I looked about the train. There was not one familiar face. I sighed and sat down to read my Economics.
It was not long before the train was across the Causeway and in Malaysia. Johore Baru was just another city like Singapore, so I was tired of looking at the crowds of people as they hurried past. As we went beyond the city, I watched the straight rows of rubber trees and miles and miles of green. Then the first village came into sight. Immediately I came alive; I decided to wave back.
From then on my journey became interesting. I threw my magazines into the waste basket and decided to join in Malaysian life. Then everything came alive. The mountains seemed to speak to me. Even the trees were smiling. I stared at everything as if I was looking at it for the first time.
The day passed fast and I even forgot to have my lunch until I felt hungry. I looked at my watch and was surprised that it was 3:00 pm. Soon the train pulled up at Butterworth. I looked at the people all around me. They all looked beautiful. When my uncle arrived with a smile, I threw my arms around him to give him a warm hug . I had never done this before. He seemed surprised and then his weather-beaten face warmed up with a huge smile. We walked arm in arm to his car.
I looked forward to the return journey. | high21664.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Rose."
},
"options": [
"Sally.",
"Michael.",
"Jim.",
"Rose."
],
"question": "Many people are mentioned in this passage. Who is the writer's true friend?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
... | My grandmother often said to me, "You can count the number of your true friends on the fingers of one hand." For a long time I thought this was true. However, I've now discovered my grandmother was only half right. Maybe we do only make a few "best" friends in our lifetime, but those aren't the only people that we can call friends. There are many different types. Let me tell you about a few of them.
One type of friends is the type I call the "football mom friend". My neighbor Sally is a good example. We both have kids who play football in a football club, and someone has to take them to practice and pick them up. Sally and I and two other mothers take turns to do this. We meet sometimes and have tea and talk about what our kids are doing, but those are the only times that we meet each other. I enjoy being with these women, but we don't do anything else together.
Another type is called the "hobby friend". That's the person you share an interest or a hobby with. Michael and Cater, who are brothers, are a good example of this type. We're all in a bird watching club. Every few weekends the members of the club go on a trip to watch different kinds of birds. There's nothing romantic about my relationship with Michael and Cater, of course. We just share interest in birds.
Then there's the "other half of the couple" type of friends. Jim is married to Rose, a friend that I've known since college. When Rose married Jim, I realized that I would have to be Jim's friend if I want to continue to be Rose's. Jim and I don't share so many interests, but we do have a friendly relationship. | high5691.txt |
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