questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "kick, throw and carry the ball"
},
"options": [
"only kick the ball",
"only throw the ball",
"only carry the ball",
"kick, throw and carry the ball"
],
"question": "In American football players can _ .",
... | In almost every big university in the United States football is a favorite sport. American football is not like soccer.
Players sometimes kick the ball, but they also throw the ball and run with it. They try to take it to the other end of the field. They have four chances to move the ball ten yards. They can carry it or throw it. If they move it to the end of the field, they receive six points. This is called a touch--down. It is difficult to move the ball. Eleven men on the team try to stop the man who has the ball. If the man does not move the ball ten yards, his team kicks the ball to the other team.
Each university wants its team to win. Thousands of people come to watch. They all yell for their favorite team. Young men and women called cheerleaders come on the field to help the people yell more. They dance and jump while they yell.
Each team plays ten or eleven games each season. The season begins in September and ends in November. If a team is very good, it may play another game after the season ends. The best teams play again on January 1st, the first day of the New Year. Many people go to see these games and many others watch them on television | middle844.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "trying to save the starfishes"
},
"options": [
"Dancing along the beach",
"Walking with a dancer",
"picking up starfish for sale",
"trying to save the starfishes"
],
"question": "One day, the wise man saw a youn... | Once upon a time there was a wise man who used to go to the sea to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work. One day he was walking along the shore. As he looked down at the beach, he saw something moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought that someone would dance on the beach. So he began to walk faster to catch up.As he got close,he saw that it was a young man and the young man wasn't dancing,instead he was reaching down to the shore,picking up something and very gently and throwing it into the ocean. As he got closer he called out,"Good morning!What are you doing?''
The young man paused ,looked up and replied,"Throwing starfishes into the ocean."
"I guess I should have asked ,why are you throwing starfishes into the ocean?"
"The sun is up and the tide is going out.And if I don't throw them in, they will die."
"But ,young man ,don't you realize that there are miles of beach and starfishes all along it. You can't possibly make a difference!"
"The young man listened politely.Then he bent down ,picked another starfish and threw it into the sea ,and said ,It made a difference for that one."
The wise man was lost in thought when the young man kept trying. Yes, there is something very special in every one of us. We have all been gifted with the ability to make a difference. And if we can know that gift, we will gain the power to shape the future.Each of us can do something for the future,each of us must find our starfish. And if we throw our starfishes wisely and well,the world will be better. | middle4270.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Spring Festival."
},
"options": [
"Mid-Autumn Festival.",
"Spring Festival.",
"Children's Day.",
"Teachers' Day"
],
"question": "Which is the most important festival in China?",
"question_type": "factiod_que... | Every year there is a Spring Festival in China. Usually it is in January or February. It is the most important festival in China. So before it comes, everyone has to prepare things. They buy pork, beef, chicken, fruits and many other things. And they often make a special kind of food--"dumplings". It means "come together". On the day before the festival, parents buy new clothes for their children. Children also buy presents for their parents. On the Spring Festival Eve , all the family members come back to their hometown. This is a happy moment. Some sing and dance, some play cards and others get the dinner ready. When they enjoy the meal, they give each other the best wishes for the coming year. They all have a good time.
,,. (5
,2,10) | middle2601.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "177"
},
"options": [
"177",
"277",
"530",
"1,770"
],
"question": "How many students had good eyesight in the eye examination?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_ind... | Huzhou, May 10 (Huzhou Daily)--A city eye examination has showed that Huzhou primary and high school children's eyesight has been getting worse. It showed test results were lower than those from the last examination in 2010.
Only 10% of the tested students had good eyesight, but more than 30 percent in 2010. The examination covered 1,770 students from 54 classes. They were from primary and high schools in 5 districts.
According to the test results of the junior high school group, children from Anji District scored an average of four, much lower than 4.8. Below four is classed as short-sightedness. None of the students from Deqing District tested above 4.8.
Huzhou would adopt measures to improve children's eyesight. Most importantly, students should be freed from the burden of exams and relax their eyes more often every day. | middle7989.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "All the above"
},
"options": [
"Eating too much.",
"Drinking too much.",
"Smoking cigarettes and not having enough exercise",
"All the above"
],
"question": "What bad habits do the health problem come from?",
... | Running is becoming popular these days. Many of us run for our health. Doctors say many of the health problems come from these bad habits: eating too much, drinking too much, smoking too much and not having enough exercise. Doctors tell us, "Eat less, don't smoke, and exercise more."
Running is good exercise because it helps build a strong heart. It also helps most people lose _ . One 68-year-old woman runs three times a week. She runs to lose weight. "I love to eat," she says.
Running is good for our health in other ways, too. Many runners say running makes colds and other small health problems go away. "Running is my doctor," says one man.
Running can also help people to relax. So today men and women of all ages enjoy running. | middle1320.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "they can invent their own moves"
},
"options": [
"it has a history of more than 30 years",
"it first began in the US",
"they can invent their own moves",
"many young black people often dance it"
],
"question": "... | Hip-pop Dancing
Hip-pop dancing is popular with many young people today. They like it because they can invent their own moves. They use this dance to show their love for life. It also shows that they feel good about life, that they just want to be themselves and enjoy life, and that they are not afraid of problems.
Hip-hop dancing has a history of more than 30 years. It first began in the 1980s in the US. In early times, it was seen in New York and Los Angeles. At that time, many young black people often danced to music in the streets. They used their legs, arms, heads and even shoulders to dance. Many young people still use most of these moves today.
Hip-pop dancing became popular all over the world because of the 1983 movie Flash Dance. Some people performed Hip-hop dancing in the movie. People enjoyed their performances. They began to dance like them. Then it became popular. There are two kinds of Hip-pop dancing: the new school and the old school. More and more young people are learning Hip-pop dancing. People believe that it is a good way to exercise their bodies, and that it is good for their health.
,. ( 5 ) | middle7751.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "keep warm"
},
"options": [
"keep warm",
"play games",
"learn from each other",
"cross the road"
],
"question": "Emperor penguins get together to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answ... | You're on the school bus. But as soon as you turn the corner, you find yourself at the end of a very long queue. It's another _ ! It is stop-start for the rest of your journey. Meanwhile, at the same time in Antarctica , snow covers the land. A group of emperor penguins crowd together to keep warm, using stop-and-go movements to protect themselves from the winds. Can you see the connection?
Emperor penguins move like cars in traffic jams to keep warm, that's according to new research by the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marina Research in Germany. A penguin only needs to move 2cm in any direction for its neighbor to do the same thing. These movements then flow through the whole group of penguins like a "traveling wave".
These waves also help smaller crowds join bigger groups, keeping more and more of their friends warm. A single Antarctic "traffic jam" has thousands of penguins. Interestingly, the technology used for studying road traffic jams was used to study the penguins. This included studying time-lapse videos. Scientists also discovered that unlike on the road, these waves can be made by any penguin and in any direction.
With temperatures usually dropping below -50degC, and winds reaching speeds of up to 200km/h, these traveling waves are very important for penguins to keep warm.
These penguins can also teach us a lesson. In big groups, they learn to be orderly and patient, and to never crash into each other. These are skills we should all learn from them when we are on the road! | middle3537.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "grave"
},
"options": [
"grave",
"tombstone",
"ancestor",
"custom"
],
"question": "The word \"tomb\" probably means the same as the word \" _ \" in the passage.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{... | Pure Brightness Festival, also known as Tomb-sweeping Day in China, falls on the 4thor 5thof April each year. It was started in the Han Dynasty. On this day, whole families, young and old, with flowers visit the graves of their ancestors to pay their respects. Following the custom, tomb sweepers clean and tidy the graves, decorate them with flowers. They burn paper money made for the dead, set off firecrackers and bow before their ancestors' tombstones. On this day, they don't cook. Only cold food is served.
However, tomb sweeping is not the only activity during Pure Brightness Festival. This day is also a time for people to enjoy themselves. Other activities include spring outing, flying kites, planting trees, tasting tea and so on. In April, everything in nature takes on a new look. Trees turn green, flowers come out and the sun shines brightly. So it is a good time to be out to appreciate the beauty of nature. People fly kites not only in the daytime but at night. In the dark, some people fly kites with lanterns, which are called "God's lanterns". They plant trees because young trees which are planted during this period are easy to grow up. And they enjoy tea because the tea produced around the festival is said to have good quality. | middle2629.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "When we become teenagers ."
},
"options": [
"When we are children .",
"When we become teenagers .",
"When we are alone .",
"When we get married ."
],
"question": "When does the relationship with parents start ch... | While we are still children ,most of us live at home with our parents, more or less peacefully . But as we become teenagers , things change ,and we begin to grow apart from our parents . This means we are almost ready to leave the house where we grew up and make a new home of our own .
All humans must do this ,but they don't all do it in the same way . If ,for instance ,you belong to a primitive tribe ,then as you grew up ,you'd learn the skills you needed as an adult---how to catch fish ,how to keep the house and look after children . You would be ready to marry in your early teens and you would build a house and live near your family in the village.
This seems a very old way of life , but it is what humans have been used to through hundreds of years. And it is what we are still used to in the 21stcentury ,for man hasn't changed in the short time since he became civilized . But could you leave home and look after yourself during the teen years ? Most people would not do very well . Why ? Because although man hasn't changed very much , the society he lives in has changed greatly ,which means that we have to learn more and more before we are ready to leave our parents' shelter( ) and live alone .
However ,sometimes it is very frustrating to live at parents' home . Parents can be very upset about late nights ,criticizing friends and always saying that we are noisy and dirty . But we still need our emotional shelter till we finish our studies , and that is why we usually stay in our parents' home until we feel grown up enough to deal with living alone . | middle5620.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Four."
},
"options": [
"Four.",
"Two.",
"Three.",
"Five."
],
"question": "How many people are there in Bob's family?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_te... | Bob is 11 years old. He goes to a boarding school . He stays at school five days a week. He is in the baseball club and music club. He likes playing baseball very much and he is good at singing and playing instruments . He can play the violin , the piano and the guitar well. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, are music teachers. They teach in another school. They like music very much and are successful in music. They often sing at singing shows on TV. Bob's sister, Mary, is 5. She can sing a lot of songs. She can dance well, too. She says she wants to be a musician and a famous dancer. | middle3251.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Germany"
},
"options": [
"Germany",
"China",
"India",
"America"
],
"question": "The writer came to London from _",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
... | Dear Li Ming,
I've been in England for two months now. I hope you don't think I have forgotten you. There have been so many places to see and so many things to do that I've not had much time to write letters. I will soon be starting my studies at King's College. So far I've been learning about England and British ways of living. I will tell you about London. One great thing about it is that it has lots of books you can read and lots of pictures you can look at. I am sure you'll be more interested to know what I think about the life here.
I found some of the customs new and interesting. People here don't shake hands as much as we do in Germany. During the first few weeks I was often surprised because people didn't put out their hands when I met them. Men raise their hats to women but not to each other.
Wang Gang | middle7037.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Thanksgiving"
},
"options": [
"Halloween",
"Valentine`s Day",
"Labor Day",
"Thanksgiving"
],
"question": "The Little Rock Zoo is closed on _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {... | Welcome to the Little Rock Zoo!
The little Rock Zoo is open every day of the week, all year round, EXCEPT Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year`s Day.
Opening Hours:
9:00 am to 5:00 pm, and the last admission is at 4:00 pm.
Admission price:
Adults: $10
Children( 12 and under) : $8 ( only children 12 months of age are admitted free.)
Cafe:
Currently open every day from 9:30 am -4:00 pm
Opening hours may change according to the weather and special hours.
Zoo Train:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday :9:00 am--4:00 pm
Friday, Saturday, Sunday , : 9:30 am--4:00 pm
Run every half an hour | middle6329.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Leo"
},
"options": [
"Leo",
"Mike",
"Li Tian",
"Michael"
],
"question": "This letter is for _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "... | Dear Michael,
I'm very glad to be your pen-friend. My name is Li Tian, and my English name is Leo. I'm from Wuhan. It's in the middle of China. I'm in the Number 3 Middle School. There are 55 students in my class, and 28 are boys. From Monday to Friday, we have Chinese, math, physics and P.E. in the morning. I like Chinese and physics, because they're interesting. I don't like math. It's too boring. At noon, I have to have lunch at school because my home is far from my school. We usually have two classes in the afternoon. After school , I like watching TV and listening to the music. I also like playing football, but not the American football.
Please write to me soon.
Yours,
Leo | middle1446.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "7"
},
"options": [
"6",
"7",
"8",
"9"
],
"question": "How many tips are mentioned in the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Language."
... | As you are soon on your way to Eastern Europe, here are a few tips on what you should pack. In general, pack lightly, with only the most basic clothes. People dress casually in Eastern Europe, so you don't need to bring along your smartest clothing.
Batteries: If your camera, flash, or other appliances run on batteries, bring enough supply along. Certain types of batteries don't exist in Eastern Europe, and those that do often don't last very long.
Cash: We have found it good to have supply of small-unit U.S. bills($1and $5) to use in hard-currency stores, to buy international train tickets, etc. The hard-currency stores never seem to have the right _ .
Electric Current Adapter : If you bring any appliances, remember that the electricity in Eastern Europe uses 220 volts A.C., not the standard 110 volts of North America. A 110 volts appliance will soon burn out when attached to an unchanged 220-volt plug.
Language Tools: One of Europe's biggest challenges is communicating with the local people since their languages are so different from our own. To help overcome difficulties, you might buy phrasebooks before you go -- you won't find them once you are in Eastern Europe.
Money Belt: A money belt is especially helpful when you have many documents to carry around ( as you always do in Eastern Europe). The best one we find is made by Eagle Greek Travel Gear, 143 Cedros Ave. (P. O. box 651), Solona Beach, CA 92075 (tel. 619/755 - 9399, or toll free 800/874 - 9925) outside California.
Traveler's _ : These are necessary. Bring your traveler's checks in small to medium unit ($10, $20, or $50) to change a little bit at a time, so as not to be left with a lot of local money. To be on the safe side, be sure to copy down the check numbers in two places, just in case something happens to the checks. | middle1452.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "they are good friends"
},
"options": [
"they are in the same class",
"they are good friends",
"they like to talk about babies",
"they are in the same study group"
],
"question": "Why do Carol and Susan often go ... | Carol and Susan are very good friends. They are in the same class at school and they often go to each other's home on Sunday. Now they are both eight yeas old. Carol's mother has got a new baby. Carol is very glad to have a little sister, so she is always talking about her to Susan.
At first Susan is very interested in the new baby because she does not have any brothers or sisters. But after some time she begins to get tired of Carol's keeping on talking about it. She also feels a little jealous of her friend.
One morning when the two girls meet at the school gate, Carol says to Susan cheerfully , "Do you know, Susan, my baby sister has put on about half a pound in weight this week?"
"That is not very much," answers Carol. "I know a baby that puts on ten pounds a day."
"Oh, that can't be true!" answers Carol. "Whose baby is it?"
"An elephant's," says Susan. | middle5634.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "People often use the English word \" love him \" to pronounce\"@\"."
},
"options": [
"Only a few people know the Chinese meanings of the abbreviations.",
"People often use the English word \" love him \" to pronounce\"@\".",
... | Does technology influence the purity of Chinese language? Yes!
Many Chinese use messenger tools such as MSN or QQ, listen to music on MP3 players and blog on the Internet using ADSL ,but most people don't know the Chinese meanings of the abbreviations, as many English letters have become part of the local lexicon . some parents are so crazy about English letters that a couple tried to name their baby "@", they say the character used in email addresses reflects their love for the child.
While the "@" is obviously familiar to Chinese e-mail users, they often use the English word "at" to pronounce it , which sounds like ai ta, or "love him", to Putonghua speakers.
"Nowadays, more and more English abbreviations are being used in Chinese, making them an important part of the modern language," said Hou Min, a professor at Communication University of China. "The abbreviations are very popular because they can be used easily," Hou said. "As more Chinese people learn foreign languages, especially English, in recent years, using abbreviations has become a trend among some educated people," she said.
Some language scholars fear _ will influence the purity of Chinese and cause confusion in communication. | middle3245.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "He heard a woman calling for help."
},
"options": [
"He heard a little girl crying.",
"He heard a woman calling for help.",
"He heard his neighbors arguing.",
"He heard someone calling his name."
],
"question": ... | Bob Butler lost his legs in 1965 in Vietnam. Later he returned to the USA and began his life in wheelchair . One day he was working in his yard when he heard a woman calling for help. He began moving towards the woman's house, but something on the ground stopped his wheelchair going through the back door. So he got out of his wheelchair and started to crawl .
When Butler got through the back door of the house, he found there was a little girl in the pool. She had no arms and couldn't swim. Her mother was calling for help crazily. Butler got into the pool and pulled the little girl out of the water. Her face was blue, and she was not breathing.
Butler did CPR on her right away. As Butler continued doing CPR, he talked to the mother. "Don't worry," he said. "It'll be OK. I was her arms to get out of the pool. I am now her lungs. Together we can make it."
Soon the little girl coughed and began to cry. The mother asked Butler how he knew it would be OK. "I didn't know," he told her. "But when my legs were blown off in the war, a little girl in Vietnam said to me in broken English, 'It'll be OK. You will live. I'll be your legs. Together we make it.' Her kind words brought hope to me and I wanted to do the same for your little girl." | middle5152.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "teacher"
},
"options": [
"sister",
"teacher",
"mum",
"father"
],
"question": "Tony is Ling Tao's _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_tex... | Ling Tao is a student in Class 6, Grade 1. He has a good friend in the school, and his name is Tony. Tony is not a student. He is Ling Tao's English teacher. He is from England. He is only twenty-three years old, and he is a tall boy. He likes to wear blue clothes. He likes eating healthy food.
Tony is good at singing. He often teaches the students to sing English songs and plays games with them. The students all love him and he loves them, too.
,. | middle1334.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "book"
},
"options": [
"club",
"teahouse",
"book",
"movie"
],
"question": "\"Three Cups of Tea\"is the name of a_.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
... | If you love books, then"Three Cups of Tea"will be your favorite. It will take you on an adventure to one of the highest mountains in the world. You will learn how the people and children there lived and how the writer, Greg Mortenson , helped build an education system.
While climbing K2 in Pakistan, one of the world's most difficult mountains to climb, Greg Mortenson became ill and got lost. He got help in a small village. The people of the village took good care of him, feeding him and letting him sleep in a villager's house. They also gave him their best food: sweet tea.
When Mortenson was fine, he found that the children of the village worked and studied outdoors. Their teacher came only three times a week and they didn't have blackboards. They used sticks to write on the ground.
The day he left the village, he told them he would come back and build a school. His school would have both boys and girls. Later on, he came back and helped build a school, so the kids were able to study in the classroom with real writing instruments.
That was in 1993. Today Mortenson is going to build 80 schools in Central Asia. He started a foundation called the Central Asia Institute to raise money for these schools. He has helped more than 18,000 girls receive education so far. | middle38.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "It's on the day before All Saints Day."
},
"options": [
"It's on the day before All Saints Day.",
"It's on the children's New Year's Eve.",
"It's on October 30th.",
"It's before Children's Day."
],
"question": "... | Halloween is a festival on October 31st.The name of the holiday means --"hallowed" because it comes the day before All Saints Day.
Before the festival, people paint homes, shops and classrooms in the traditional Halloween colours, orange and black. Some people make costumes at home. Some people buy them in shops. People also make decorations for the festival. These decorations look like witches, black cats, ghosts, skeletons and jack-o-lanterns. Jack-o- lanterns are pumpkins that are cut to look like faces.
People think that Halloween is the children's New Year's Eve. On that day children dress up in special costumes and masks. They eat too much, and go to bed very late after celebrating. They go from one door to another saying "trick or treat". People give them candies,cookies,fruit or money.
Adults and older children also celebrate Halloween with parades ,festivals and costumes parties. One kind of the parties welcomed by children is dunking for apples. Apples are put in tubs full of water. People try to get the apples using only their mouths; they cannot use their hands. | middle7745.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "White."
},
"options": [
"Blue.",
"White.",
"Green.",
"Red."
],
"question": "Which colour is a summer colour?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"an... | Colours often have different meanings in different cultures. In the U.S., people have found the following to be true.
Black
Black is the colour of power. It is also popular in fashion because it makes people appear thinner.
White
White is the symbol of purity. White is thought to be a summer colour. However, white shows dirt and is more difficult to keep clean than other colours.
Red
This is the most exciting colour. Red furniture should look very good since it will attract a lot of attention. Red cars are the thieves' favourite. Red is often used in restaurants because it is an appetite _ . This means it can make people eat more.
Blue
Blue is the colour of the sky and the ocean. Peaceful blue is often used in bedrooms. Studies show that weightlifters are able to lift heavier weights in blue gyms.
Green
Green represents nature. _ Hospitals often use green because it relaxes patients.
Yellow
Sunny yellow is a cheerful colour, yet people lose their tempers more often in yellow rooms, and babies cry more. | middle878.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the anniversary of marriage"
},
"options": [
"their first day of work",
"the day they win",
"their birthday days",
"the anniversary of marriage"
],
"question": "Which is not regarded as the most important day fo... | Which day is the most important for you? Your birthday, the first day of your work or the day you win a prize. Many teenagers may think their birthday is the happiest time because they can receive many wonderful presents and have much fun with their friends. Others may regard the starting day of their work as the most meaningful. They think it's the first big step in their life and they can depend on themselves. They like to deal with challenges rather than to ask for the help of adults.
According to a survey, more than half of the Chinese people, certain ages and birthdays are especially important. One hundred days after a baby's birth has special meaning. On that day, relatives and friends come to bless the baby. In northern part of China, like Inner Mongolia, a child's 12th birthday is a big day. This is when a child becomes a teenager. Eighteen is another important age, which means you must be responsible for what you have done in laws. As for adults, maybe the anniversary of their marriage is the most important. For some old people, the 60th or 70th birthday is also very important. They like to be cared about by all his family and friends, and the big family get-together can provide them a good chance to recall the past. | middle7976.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Blu was the last one of this kind of bird."
},
"options": [
"Blu came from the US.",
"Blu was the last one of this kind of bird.",
"Jewel was a parrot, too.",
"Blu had to face his fears and learned to fly to win Jewel's... | As a parrot. Blu was special for two reasons. First , he had bright blue feathers . He was a rare species of bird . Second, Blu couldn't fly. He stayed inside every day and never learned to fly. This bird lived a comfortable life with his owner, Linda, in a small town in Minnesota, US.
Both Blu and Linda thought he was the last one of this kind of bird until one day they got the news - there was another bird of the same kind in Rio de Janeiro , a Brazilian city ! It was a girl bird named Jewel.
Blu decided to go to the faraway land to find Jewel. When he arrived there, he fell in love with the beautiful Jewel at first sight.
But soon a group of bad people kidnapped the pair , trying to sell them for money . Luckily, with the help of Jewel and some city birds, Blu and Jewel ran away.
Now in a strange country, Blu still had a lot of problems. He had to face his fears and learned to fly to win Jewel's heart. The bad people were still trying to catch them. How could Blu and Jewel stay safe? And how would he find his way back to Linda? Would Blu be able to get over all these problems?
Let's find the answers in the movie " Rio " on the coming Saturday. | middle5807.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "80"
},
"options": [
"35",
"80",
"70",
"45"
],
"question": "About 100 years ago, the ave rage life span was _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
... | How old is "old"? The answer has changed over the years.Two hundred years ago, you were old at 35.At the beginning of the 20th century, the average life span was 45.In 1950,70-year-olds were really old.Today, a healthy 70-year-old person is still thought young.
So, how old is old? The answer is one you've heard many times, from all kinds of people."You are as old(or young) as you feel." Your age simply tells you how many years you have lived.Your body tells you how well you've lived.
"Nobody grows old by living a number of years," wrote a writer."People grow old when they don't have their ideals ." People should not have the wrong ideals about aging.Sometimes, old minds can be as bright as young minds.Alice Brophy once said, "It makes me happy who people say.You look young for your age." What does that mean? You know you can die old at 30 (30) and live young at 80. | middle5813.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "a bucket of water fell on his foot"
},
"options": [
"he fell off the bike",
"a bucket of water fell on his foot",
"he fell and hurt his foot",
"he was ill"
],
"question": "The small boy's foot hurt because _ ... | A small boy lived with his mother and grandmother in a big house. His father had died.
A bucket of water fell on the small boy's left foot, and it began hurting a hot. His mother said, "I'm going to put something very hot on your foot tonight. That's always very good. Tomorrow your foot won't hurt any longer."
In the evening, the small boy's mother came to his bedroom. She had a hot poultice in a bowl. The small boy looked at it and said, "I don't want that. I had one a month ago. Poultices hurt."
His mother sat down on his bed and said, "You're going to have this poultice on." She pulled his sheets and blankets away, and put the poultice near his foot, but the boy pulled it away quickly, and poultice fell on the bed.
His mother was angry. She went down stairs and came back with his grandmother and a stick. She said to her son, "Your grandmother's going to put the poultice on your foot, and I'm going to hold this stick. Now don't be a stupid boy."
She held the stick over the boy, and the grandmother took his foot and put the poultice near it. The boy said. "Stop, you..." but his mother brought the stick nearer, and he did not say anything else.
The grandmother brought the poultice near the foot again, and the boy stopped her again, but his mother was angry now and said, "I'm going to hit you." The boy did not finish his words, and his grandmother put the poultice on his foot. He let it there for a few minutes and then took it off again.
The boy's mother and grandmother put the sheets and blankets over him again and he said, "My left foot hurts, but you put the poultice on my right foot. I stopped you twice, but you didn't listen to me." | middle887.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "he was helpful to their business"
},
"options": [
"he liked the delicious foods",
"he was ready to help others",
"he was friendly to the shopkeepers",
"he was helpful to their business"
],
"question": "Mr.Jenkin... | Mr.Jenkins liked all kinds of delicious foods.As an important officer,he was often asked to dinner.The shopkeepers tried their best to fawn on him.They knew it was good for their business.Now the officer got fatter and fatter.He could hardly go upstairs at home and had to sleep downstairs. He often felt tired if he walked or did some housework. He was worried about it and had to go to see a doctor."Stop eating much fat and sugar,Mr Jenkins,"said the doctor .Or it will be worse for your health! It was difficult for the officer to do it. He wouldn't do as the doctor said. Of course. He found something was wrong with his heart a few months later. Now he thought the doctor was right.And he had to be in hospital."You must lose weight ,sir," said the doctor."unless you want to die soon!""Could you tell me a way to lose weight,please?""You must do an exercise first.""Which exercise?""To move your head from side to side when you're invited to dinner!" | middle7962.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "at the bus stops"
},
"options": [
"on the buses",
"at the bus stops",
"under the desks",
"near the parks"
],
"question": "The change bags were put _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"an... | In April this year, lots of bags full of small change were seen at bus stops in Tianjin. They were made for passengers to turn their notes into small change. And such an idea came from four students from Zhongbei Middle School, Tianjin.
"People will surely feel worried when they take a bus without coins. We just want to do something to help them," said Wang Yongcun, 15, one of the four students.
The four boys spent their whole weekend making the change bags. After that they went to see the number of the passengers at each bus stop near their school, and then chose the top six stops to put the bags.
Many people think that the four boys have really done a good job. But, things didn't go as the boys thought. Two days later, they found that the money was gone, and that even the bags were taken. It really made them sad but they would not give up. Their classmates and teachers came to help them in time. They put their pocket money in bags again. And the teachers also taught them to make better change bags. They tried their best to do it.
The four boys feel very happy because they have done something good for the passengers. Their warm hearts are moving. More and more people are beginning to join in the activity. | middle5185.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "kitchen"
},
"options": [
"bathroom",
"kitchen",
"balcony",
"bedroom"
],
"question": "There is no _ in Frank' s flat.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
... | Hello, I'm Frank. I'm twenty-four years old. I live in Shanghai now. There are many tall buildings, big houses and busy streets in this city. My flat is on the eighth floor of a ten-floor building. There is a nice park. In the morning, there are many people doing exercise in it. My flat is small. It has no kitchen. There is only one bedroom. It looks nice and tidy. My favorite place is the balcony . I often sit on the balcony to have a rest .
I work in a restaurant on a busy street. It is a good place to meet friends and taste nice food. I'm always busy cooking food and making coffee for the customers . When I'm free, I'll help the waiters clean the chairs and tables. Sometimes I feel a little tired, but I'm happy here. | middle2832.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "only a little"
},
"options": [
"no",
"long",
"beautiful",
"only a little"
],
"question": "Dick has _ hair.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"an... | Dick is not old, but he does not have much hair. His wife Emma has thick, beautiful and black hair. They have a son. His name is Peter, and he is five years old. Today Dick is reading a book in his study. Peter looks at his father for a long time and then asks his mother, "Why does Papa have so little hair, Mama?" Emma laughs and says, "He has little hair becauseThe food looks good but _ bad. he thinks a lot. He's a very clever man." Peter looks at his mother's thick hair for a few seconds and then laughs, "Then I know why you have so much hair." | middle7792.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "She gave the box to her father."
},
"options": [
"She gave the box to her father.",
"She put some money in the box.",
"She gave some paper to her father.",
"She bought a gift to her father."
],
"question": "What... | This is an old story. One day, a man was not happy when his six-year-old daughter made a box with some paper. The family didn't have much money. So the father thought his daughter wasted the paper. The next day, the little girl gave the box to her father and said, "Dad, today is your birthday. This box is for you."
The man was happy. But he was not happy again when he found there was nothing in the box. "Why didn't you put anything for me in the box?" He asked his daughter. The little girl looked at him and cried, "Dad, I put my love in the box. _ 's all for you!"
The man felt sad and said sorry to his daughter. Sometimes, we can't see love with our eyes. | middle3292.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "completely out of habit"
},
"options": [
"when they are in good mood",
"completely out of habit",
"when they feel truly grateful",
"purely out of politeness"
],
"question": "Most of the people who took part in t... | Millions of British people have _ the traditional "thank you" and took the place of it with the less formal "cheers", according to a survey.
Although the common person will say "thank you" nearly 5,000 times a year, one in three are more likely to add a "cheers" or "ta" where it's needed to show they are fashionable.
One in twenty now say "nice one" instead, while the younger are more likely to offer a "cool" than a "thank you". "Merci", "fab" and even "gracias" were also listed as common phrases to use, as "much appreciated ".
One in twenty who took part in the survey of 2,000 people by the Food Network UK for Thank You Day, which is marked on November 24, 2011, said a formal "thank you" was now not often needed in everyday conversation. More than one in ten adults said they regularly won't say thank you if they are in a bad mood. Most people stated that saying thank you was something that their parents trained them. A huge 70 percent of those questioned will say thank you to a person's face without even meaning it, while one fifth avoid saying it when they know they should.
It seems our friends and family get the stress of our bad manners. Half of them admit they're not good at thanking those closest to them. Many of them explain that they don't say thank you because their family "already know I'm grateful".
When spoken words won't do, it falls to a nice text to do the job for most people.
One third will still send a handwritten thank-you note---but 45 percent admit it's been more than six months since they tried to send one.
A quarter of British people say "thank you" with food, with 23 percent cooking a meal to show their appreciation to someone. Another 15 percent bake a cake.
It follows that 85 percent of people will be angry because of not getting the gratitude they feel they should receive. | middle3286.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "restless ."
},
"options": [
"active",
"awake",
"energetic",
"restless ."
],
"question": "How do people who have spring fever feel ?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answ... | Dictionaries say that "spring fever" is a lazy or restless feeling . People usually have the feeling on the first warm day of spring. Everyone has probably felt it at one time or another . people have talked about it for years.
Recently, scientists have taken a good look at spring fever. What they found is quite surprising.
In many places we live in , the winter months often seem dark and dreary. When spring comes late March , the world becomes colorful . The number of daylight hours grows with each passing day. According to many scientists, all the sunlight sets off chemicals in the brain . The chemicals make our feeling change and bring on spring fever. | middle2198.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "After getting instructions from A merit an doctors."
},
"options": [
"After searching the Internet.",
"After getting instructions from A merit an doctors.",
"After hearing from her paw law",
"After becoming a member in ... | Jerry Green went to spend a year at the South Pole Station as the only doctor in 1998 when she 47. While working at the station that March. she discovered that there was a hard lump in her stomach. She knew it was cancer, but she wasn't able to go to a doctor for help. She couldn't leave the station for the next seven until the snow thawed. Dr. Green didn't wait for the death. But decided to fight against the cancer. She tried to about the lump to a hospital in the United States. The doctors said it was cancer. Without the proper wouldn't live for long. Soon a USA airplane came to provide her with some help. She started her own treatments after getting instructions from American doctors. She finally spent the long winter there before she returned home that October .Since then, she had become a incubus in support of cancer charities. She also wrote a best-selling book called Ice Bound.
Sadly, Dr. Green's cancer finally returned. She died on June 23.2009. | middle105.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "earned more money than Spider-man 2"
},
"options": [
"was not very popular",
"was enjoyed by the people in Canada",
"earned more money than Spider-man 2",
"got $29.15 million in America"
],
"question": "Spider-M... | Spider-Man 3 (<<3>> )got $29.15 million on the very first day in 16 overseas markets and beat the first two Spider-Man movies.
"The movie had the best opening day ever in some countries on Tuesday, including France, Italy and South Korea." a man from Sony Pictures said.
"Spider-Man 3 will open during the next few days in many other countries, including the United States on Friday. We certainly hope the same thing will happen in North America," said Jeff Blake, Sony vice chairman, on Wednesday.
2002's Spider-Man opened with $114.8 million in its first weekend, a debut record that stood until Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest broke it last year with $135.6 million a weekend.
Spider-Man 2 opened on a Wednesday before the fourth weekend of July in 2004, and set a record of $180.1 million in its first six days.
In France, Spider-Man 3 took in $6.8 million on the opening day, more than the first days for Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 combined.
It earned $4.6 million in Germany, $4 million in Italy, $3.7 million in Japan, $3.4 million in South Korea, $1.1 million in the Philippines and $1 million each in Hong Kong and Thailand. | middle1491.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Cycling is a good way to get to know people."
},
"options": [
"Businessmen used to prefer cycling to golf.",
"Cycling is a good way to get to know people.",
"Group cycling is always a long-distance riding.",
"It\"s not ... | Traditionally, business people would get to know each other over a round of golf. But road cycling is fast catching up as the preferred way of networking recently.
"When you play golf with somebody you have to decide if you"re going to beat them, or let thembeat you," says Peter Murray, a chairman of the NLA centre. "If they"re your customers and youdon"t want to beat them, sometimes you might have to make some kind of cheating in order to lose. That seems to me not a good way of doing things."
Group cycling, and especially long-distance riding, is a shared experience, Mr Murray says. Riders often work together and help each other out, taking turns to be at the front so that the riders in their group can save almost a third of the effort needed to travel at the same speed.
How someone rides a bike can give you a real insight into what a person is like, says Jean-Jacques Lorraine, founding director of Morrow Lorraine, a team member of Cycle to Cannes. "Some riders are very single-minded, others more collaborative; some are skillful, others an open book.""If I walk into a meeting and somebody says ,,I"ve done Cycle to Cannes" , it"s a done deal really," says Mr Lorraine.
Mr Mottram, CEO of Rapha, believes it is easier to get to know people by cycling than in other situations. "T here is an easy environment about conversations on a bike." Mr Lorraine makes the point more directly: "I feel open and honest to others. I often find I"m saying things on a bike which I wouldn"t normally say, and equally I"ve been confided in when I wasn"t expecting it."
Why do cycle rides lend riders so well to networking? "Getting a quick lunch or drink after work doesn"t give you long enough to get to know someone," Mr. Murray says. He believes long ridesget people together. "A younger rider can be cycling along with a boss and help him in some wayand you get a reversal of the relationship. This changes the relationship when they are off theride too."
Perhaps the main reason why cycling is a good way to network is that it"s a passion and away of life. "Getting out on the bike is what we"re all dreaming of doing while we"re sitting at our computers," says Mr Mottram. And a shared passion is a fantastic way to start any relationship. | middle7786.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "many bags have the name of the company that made them"
},
"options": [
"all the advertisements around us are written in English",
"many bags have the name of the company that made them",
"having soft drinks makes a person you... | Every day,it is easy to see advertisements in English all around us.Look at your own bags and clothes,and at the bags and clothes of your classmates.How many different advertisements can you see which use English words?
Often bags and clothes show the name of the company that made them. This is a popular form.A special picture or symbol called a logo is sometimes used.Logos appear on many different products .They are popular because when you see a logo,it is hard to forget that product or company.
It is common to see advertisements on TV and hear them on the radio.Most advertisements are very short.Sometimes the advertisers use a short sentence which is easy for people to say and remember. Nike,for example,has a simple English sentence which is used all around the world:"Just do it."Advertisements often use funny situations as well.It is simple to remember it.
All advertisements are designed to make people buy a product.An advertisement for a soft drink,for example,might show a group of young people who are having fun.The young people are al1 drinking the soft drink.Advertisers are saying to you,"Why don't you buy this drink and be like these people? You can be young and modern."
You might think that advertisements are not after you,but the next time you buy a soft drink,ask yourself this question:Why am I buying this particular product? | middle663.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "in the desert"
},
"options": [
"in the desert",
"on the stone",
"in the forest",
"in a pond"
],
"question": "Where did the two friends walk?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Two friends were walking through the desert. During the journey they had an argument , and the taller boy slapped the shorter one in the face. The short boy was hurt, but without saying anything, he wrote in the sand: "Today my best friend slapped me in the face."
They kept on walking until they found a pond, and they decided to take a bath there. But the short boy got stuck in the mud and started to sink . He cried, "Help! Help!" Luckily, he was pulled to safety by his friend. After that, he carved on a stone: "Today my best friend saved my life."
The taller boy asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote it in the sand and now you carve it on a stone. Why?"
The shorter boy replied: "When someone hurts you, you should write it in the sand where winds can erase it easily. But when someone does something good for you, you must carve it in the stone where no wind can ever erase it."
You have to learn to write your hurts in the sand and to carve your benefits in the stone.
,A, B, C, D,. | middle6498.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Make phone calls."
},
"options": [
"Express ourselves.",
"Exchange ideas.",
"Make phone calls.",
"Deliver information."
],
"question": "What can't we do by Wechat ?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
}... | In our daily lives, Wechat is really hot now. Many people express themselves, exchange ideas and deliver information by Wechat.
There are a number of reasons for Wechat to be popular. To begin with, Wechat is a cheap way of communication, which cuts down a great deal of the cost made by phone calls. Next, Wechat is to the taste of the most of people. Its attractive and lots of functions are loved widely. What's more, convenience also leads to its popularity. It is _ no matter where we are.
However, it has problems, too. First of all, our IDs might be revealed when we use Wechat and we could be in danger. Secondly, we may spend more time on Wechat instead of with our family. As a result, relationship could break down. The last problem is that our attention might be drawn too much and sometimes we may find it difficult to focus on study.
There is no doubt that Wechat will improve as time goes by. So let's look forward to the better Wechat and have more fun with it. | middle5191.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "What to do."
},
"options": [
"Their hotel.",
"Their plane.",
"What to do.",
"When they get there."
],
"question": "What haven't Felipe and his friends decided?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{... | Felipe and his friends are planning a trip to London. They have decided their hotel, plane and when to get there, but haven't decided what they want to do.
Felipe would like to go boating in the Thames River. All his friends like boat trips, so all of them will go boating in the Thames River. Felipe also loves the British Royal Family! He wants to visit Buckingham Palace and see the changes. But his friend Carmen doesn't want to visit Buckingham Palace. He would like to ride on the London Eye. Carmen would also like to visit the Houses of Parliament and Trafalgar Square. Carmen's boyfriend Leo likes shopping, and he thinks politics is boring and doesn't want to visit the Houses of Parliament. Felipe's friend Juliana likes visiting museums, and she would like to see Buckingham Palace too. Carmen and Leo would like to go shopping in Covent Garden, but Juliana would rather do some shopping in Oxford Street. | middle2826.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "difficult climates"
},
"options": [
"long distances",
"difficult climates",
"fresh and tasty food",
"modern technology"
],
"question": "Some countries, like the United Arab Emirates, have to import most of their... | Nowadays, the food that you buy comes from many different countries. Have a look in your fridge, cupboard, and fruit bowl and check the origins of the food. Perhaps there are apples from California, lamb from New Zealand, or potatoes from Egypt? You will probably be surprised how far food travels to get to your plate. This journey, from "field to plate", is called "food miles". A food mile is the distance that food travels from the farmer's field to the person who buys the food. Nowadays, food often travels thousands of miles to get to the consumer . Why is this, and what are the effects of these long distances?
Traditionally, farmers sold their food in the local market, so the food didn't have to travel very far. The consumers also did not travel very far because they want to their local market to buy the food. This was a good system for farmers and consumers. However, there were some disadvantages. For example, consumers could only buy food that farmers produced locally. In addition, they could only get food that was in season. Now, because of modern technology, food comes from all over the world. We do not have to wait for spring or summer to buy strawberries or tomatoes. They are _ in winter if we want.
Some countries have to import most of their food. This is because they have difficult climates. The United Arab Emirates (UAE), for example, gets 85% of its food from other countries. Even food made in the UAE often uses imported materials.
What's wrong with "food miles"? Is this not a good way of increasing international trade? I believe these miles are worrying for a number of reasons. First of all, because food travels such long distances, we need more planes, lorries, and ships to move the food. This means we use more oil or petrol, so there is more pollution and more global warming. In addition, foo that travels a long way is not fresh and usually not very tasty. Tomatoes, for example, are picked early and stored for their long journeys. For this reason, they are usually tasteless when they get to the consumer. Local food has a better taste, and it also reduces the amount of global pollution. We need to buy more local food. | middle6117.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a farmhouse"
},
"options": [
"a townhouse",
"an apartment",
"a farmhouse",
"a building"
],
"question": "Tom lives in _",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,... | Tom with his grandparents lives in a farmhouse. He studies in a small school. It is not far from his home. So he walks to school every day. There is a small river in front of the school. There is a small bridge over the river. There is only one shop near his school. There is a big playground behind the teaching building. There are some tall trees near the classroom building and the students often read and play under the tree after school. People there are all very friendly. | middle6671.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "2"
},
"options": [
"2",
"3",
"4",
"5"
],
"question": "The passage mentions _ ways to solve the problems.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"an... | Almost everyone will meet some problems when they come into a new _ . When you enter a junior high school, everything is new: new school, new teachers, new students...Then what should you do? Now I give you some advice.
When you meet problems, you should speak them out. You can tell your problems to your parents. They can help you with your problems. Of course, you can also let your teachers know. I am sure they will be glad to help you. Most of time we work and play with our classmates. You can communicate with your classmates. You will find you are not alone because they have the same problems as you.
Another way is to take an active part in the school activities. It's good for you to make more friends. If you are good at swimming, you can join the school swimming club. If you do well in English, you can go to the English corner often.
One day, you will leave school and come into the society . You will also meet many problems. The advice above will help you. | middle2417.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "it can save your life"
},
"options": [
"you might feel well",
"it can make you healthy",
"you might easily do lots of things",
"it can save your life"
],
"question": "The most important reason for learning to sw... | Have You Planned Three Things to Do Before You Are 18?
I know most of us have a long way to reach an adult. At present, are you bored with your daily life? Here are some things you should try before you are 18,because after that it's too late.
Learn to swim
Seriously, this is so important that it can save your life. If you can't swim well,you won't be able to do water sports like waterskiing, surfing and diving. Even taking a boat trip will be dangerous for you. Make sure you do it.
Try at least one kind of team sports
Being a good team player is an important skill in life. You can't just think of yourself,but have to work well with other people. Other advantages of team sports like basketball, football and baseball are that they keep you fit and healthy, and they are also great fun. Teams usually have _ too--you'll go to lots of parties and make many friends.
Collect something
One of the best hobbies for under-18s is collecting things. You could collect kinds of stamps,or you could collect things that make you remember what you have done,like cinema tickets for films you have seen or emails from friends. The best way to collect is to have a special album to put your collection in and to write what each thing means to you. That way you won't forget. | middle5378.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Gina's brothers"
},
"options": [
"Gina's friends",
"Gina's brothers",
"Gina's teachers",
"Gina's classmates"
],
"question": "Tom and Tony are _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer":... | Dear Xiao Ling,
I'm an English girl. My name is Gina White. I am twelve. I have two brothers, Tom and Tony. We are students, and we go to school five days a week .My parents are teachers. They say China is great, and Chinese people are very friendly. I want to travel in China. I think it is great fun. I like Chinese history books a lot because I think they are very interesting. My brothers and I like playing soccer and volleyball. What about you?
Yours,
Gina | middle4066.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "She had met with an accident"
},
"options": [
"She had met with an accident",
"She had caused a scandal.",
"She was seriously ill.",
"She was hidden somewhere."
],
"question": "What do we know about Milly from t... | I had just gone to bed after a very hard day when the phone rang. It was an eccentric farmer. I had never met him before although I had often heard people talk about him. He sounded quite nervous and he had been talking for a minute or so before I understood anything. Even then I could _ that someone called Milly had had a very bad accident. I hadn't the slightest idea who she was but I obviously had to go.
It had been snowing so heavily that I didn't know the way. I had been driving for at least an hour when I finally found his place. He was standing there, waiting for me. It seemed Milly had died. "She meant more to me than anyone... even my own wife!" he said. I could see that he had been crying. I thought something terrible had taken place, a possible scandal . I was even more shocked when he told me he had put her in the barn. "I wouldn't leave her out in the cold!" he said.
Milly had clearly been a secret lover of his. I was about to tell him he could not expect me to cover anything up when he opened the barn door. He lifted his candle and I saw a dark figure on the ground. "She was such a good cow! I wouldn't let anyone but a doctor touch her !" he said, and burst into tears again. | middle3709.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Australia and Japan."
},
"options": [
"England and Japan.",
"Australia and Japan.",
"Canada and China",
"The USA and France."
],
"question": "Which countries should students not be allowed to wear earrings in... | There are a lot of school rules around the world. For example, in Australia, Canada, Japan and the United States, students have to wear uniforms, and they are not allowed to wear earrings.
Some schools in Japan and other countries have rules about hair. For example, students are not allowed to change the color of their hair. In the United States, boys can not have their hair grow long.
For safety at some US schools, students must have a pair of indoor shoes at school every day. This makes sure students won't fall over on the wet floors and keeps the schools clean.
Gum chewing is not allowed in many US school buildings, as it is difficult to clean up. And if students chew gum in class, they may not pay much attention to their studies.
In most foreign countries, school students are allowed to work part-time. But differently, Japanese school students are not allowed to work part-time or change the color of their hair.
,. (5,2,10) | middle2403.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "sometimes new words are shorter forms of older words"
},
"options": [
"the English language is always changing very fast.",
"English is not as perfect as some other languages",
"sometimes new words are shorter forms of older ... | The English language is different from any other language. Yet English words do not stay the same. The language is always changing. We need new words for new inventions and new ideas. Different words come into use, or older words are used in a new way.
English can change by borrowing words from other languages. Tomato was borrowed from Mexico and pajamas from Indian. The word coffee came from Turkey, and tea came from China. Now new space and science words are being borrowed from other countries, too.
New words are also made by adding two words together. Strawberry, popcorn, and grandfather are words made up of two parts.
Sometimes new words are shorter forms of older words. The word photo was made from photograph by cutting off the end of the longer word. Plane was made by cutting off the front part of airplane. Smog was made by using only the first two and last two letters from the words smoke and fog.
The names of people and products can become new words. Our sandwich was named after a man named Sandwich. Scotch Tape, Band-aid and Jello were names made up by the companies that first made the products.
,. | middle4072.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "listing statistics"
},
"options": [
"giving examples",
"making surveys",
"having interviews",
"listing statistics"
],
"question": "The writer presents UK students' increasing interests in overseas study by _ ... | A recent study shows that a third of UK students aged between 16 and 30 are interested in overseas study. Among them, half wish to study at the undergraduate level.
UK students have increasing interest in studying or working in a European country through the EU's Erasmus Program, an EU student exchange program started in 1987. Recent Erasmus statistics show that nearly 15,600 UK students spent up to a year in another European country through the program during 2013-2014 school year, up 115 percent since 2007.
The figures reflect that more young people in the UK are realizing the value of receiving international experience. "The UK needs graduates who have the skills and confidence to compete worldwide, and can compete against foreign talent that may speak more languages and have wider international experience," said Rebecca Hughes, director of education at the British Council.
Most UK students would like to go to the United States, followed by Australia, France, Canada and Germany, the findings show, but 42 percent of those who took the questionnaire were interested in traveling outside of the English-speaking world.
Why do UK students want to go abroad? Among those who are interested in overseas study, nearly 50 percent want to have fun traveling and exploring different cultures, while 30 percent want to work for an international company and live overseas. About 15 percent said they wanted to go to the best university and get the best education offered worldwide. What's more, the high cost of UK university studies plays a role in over half of students' interest in overseas study.
Also, the study found the biggest schooling check to studying abroad was a lack of foreign language skills--chosen by over half of those who were not interested or had not made a decision about studying overseas. But the top non-schooling check for students was the great cost. | middle6665.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "not all the dinosaurs fed on meat"
},
"options": [
"dinosaurs appeared after human beings",
"not all the dinosaurs fed on meat",
"dinosaurs lived on the earth for 65 million years",
"dinosaurs lived warm season"
],
... | When you're curious about something, and want to know more about it, you can use the way of asking questions.Asking questions is the first step to make discoveries and find interesting answers.The steps below can guide you during the research.
Step1 On a note card or piece of paper, write down the subject that you are interested in.Just get the main idea down.For example, you might write: Discover more about dinosaurs.
Step2 Next, stop and think for a moment about what you already know about your subject.List what you already know like the sentences below:
(1)Dinosaurs lived long before human beings appeareD.
(2)Dinosaurs lived on the earth for more than 150 million years.
(3)Some dinosaurs fed on plants, some on meat.
Step3 What can you do with what you want to learn? By asking questions.On your paper, start writing down questions about the dinosaurs as you think of them:
(1)What's the best weather for dinosaurs to live in?
(2)How many kinds of dinosaurs are there?
(3)Have dinosaurs really disappeared?
Step4 Armed with your list of questions, you can now go to the nearest library or computer to begin your research.As you learn more about your subject, you'll probably discover some new questions.For example, you might discover that dinosaurs disappeared about 65 million years ago.Why? What happened? Asking new questions can help you research your subject more widely.
If you always find something interesting to research, take time to organize your thinking by asking good questions.And remember learning more always brings more questions. | middle6103.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Because he was expecting the Chinese student to say \"Thank you\"."
},
"options": [
"Because he was expecting the Chinese student to say \"Thank you\".",
"Because he wouldn't like others to say \"No\".",
"Because he could har... | One day, I heard an American boy say to a Chinese student of English, "You speak very good English." But the student answered, "NO, no. My English is very poor." The foreigner was quite surprised at the answer. Thinking he had not made himself understood or the Chinese student had not heard him clearly, he said, "Yes, indeed, you speak very well." But the Chinese student sill kept saying "No." In the end the American boy could not understand and didn't know what to say.
What's wrong with the student's answer? He didn't accept a compliment in the same way as the American people do. He should answer "thank you" instead of "no". He really understood what the American boy had said, but he thought he should be modest .In the west, people will feel proud and confident when they are praised. So if someone says the dishes you have cooked are very delicious, you should say "Thank you". If someone says to a woman "You look so beautiful with the new clothes on." She must be very happy and answer "Thank you".
In our country we think being modest is a virtue and being proud is a bad thing, but in my opinion, being confident does not mean being proud, so sometimes you should be confident instead of being modest.
If you are modest and say, "No, I'm afraid I can't do it well" while working in a western country, the others may think that you really cannot do it. If you often say "No", you will certainly be looked down upon by others. If asking for a job, one says something like "Yes, I can certainly do it" instead of "Let me have a try", he or she will expect to get it. So in the west, you should be brave to show your self-confidence! | middle4714.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "there was heavy fog and haze"
},
"options": [
"he was ill",
"there was heavy rain",
"there was heavy fog and haze",
"because it was Sunday"
],
"question": "Li Hua didn't go to school because _ .",
"questio... | Dear Bill,
I'm glad to receive your letter,thank you for your caring for the weather and my health.But I am sorry to tell you that I have to stay at home because of the heavy fog and haze .
Since the winter last year,the fog and haze has appeared a lot of times.it has done great harm to our daily life.Many traffic accidents happened just because of the heavy fog and haze weather,more and more people have to go to see the doctor because the serious disease caused by the fog and haze ,quite a lot of flights have to be put off,a great number of people have to stay at home for fear of the poisonous air caused by the fog and haze.
According to the Chinese Academy of Science,driving car and burning coal are two main reasons.People have been told : Don't do outdoor sports;If you have to go out,wear a _ ; wash your face and clean your nose as soon as you get home.
People have realized the great harm caused by the fog and haze and the importance of protecting the environment.People all over the country are taking measures to reduce the fog and haze weather.The government suggests people go to work or school with the public traffic, such as the bus and the underground.Also we should plant more trees.
According to me, I will go to school by bike or on foot, and I won't throw the waste anywhere.In addition, I will tell the people I meet to protect the environment as possible as they can.Would you like to tell me some good ideas?I'm looking forward to your reply.
Yours,
Li Hua | middle2365.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "saw many wonderful things"
},
"options": [
"discovered CaiLun invented paper",
"learned to make paper",
"saw many wonderful things",
"told people about it"
],
"question": "When he was in China , Marco polo _ ... | In the 13th century, the Italian traveler, Marco polo , traveled a long way to China , During his stay in China , he saw many wonderful things . One of the things he discovered was that the Chinese used paper money . In western countries , people did not use paper money until the 15th century . However , people in China began to use paper money in the 7th century .
A Chinese man called CaiLun invented paper almost 2000 years ago. He made it from wood . He took the wood from trees and made it into paper . He then put these pieces of paper together and made them into a book .
Now paper still comes from trees . We use a lot of paper every day ! If we keep on wasting so much paper , there will not be any trees on the earth . If there are no trees , there will be no paper . Every day , people throw away about 2800 tons of paper in our city . It takes 17 trees to make one ton of paper . This means that we are cutting nearly 48000 trees every day . Since it takes more than 10 years for a tree to grow , we must start using less paper now . If we don't , we will not have enough time to grow more trees to take the place of those we use for paper .
So how can we save paper ? We can use both sides of every piece of paper , especially when we are making notes .We can choose drinks in bottles instead of those in paper packets . We can also use cotton handkerchiefs and not paper ones . When we go shopping , we can use fewer paper bags . If the shop assistant does give us a paper bag, we can save it and reuse it later .
Everyone can help to save paper . If we all think carefully , we can help protect trees . But we should do it now , before it is too late . | middle1644.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "have stayed in the same house for 30 years"
},
"options": [
"have never kissed each other",
"have moved from one place to another",
"have stayed in the same house for 30 years",
"have had no c"
],
"question": "A... | Mr and Mrs Green married thirty years ago and they have lived in the same house since then. Mr Green goes to work at eight every morning from Monday to Friday and Mrs Green does the housework everyday. Both of them enjoy their work very much.
There are quite a lot of houses in their street, and most of their neighbors are kind and friendly. One day, the old lady in the house opposite them died and, after a few weeks, a young man and a young woman came to live in it.
Mrs Green watched them for a few days from her window. One day when her husband came back from work, she said to him, "Bill, the man in that house opposite us always kisses his wife when he leaves in the morning and kisses her again when he comes home in the evening. Why don't you do that, too?"
Mr Green thought for a while and answered, " Well, I don't know her very well yet." From then on, Mrs Green never mentioned it again. | middle8106.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "pay attention to the local weather"
},
"options": [
"make a lease agreement for a flat",
"leave their warm clothes at home",
"pay attention to the local weather",
"prepare a phone as early as possible"
],
"quest... | During my first two weeks at the University of California , Berkeley , I experienced some unexpected , funny , and sometimes embarrassing situations . Allow me to share some with you .
But first , let me give advice to other foreign students who plan to study in the United States . Check the weather before coming ! I was very sure that California was sunny all year around so I left all my jackets and sweaters in Paris . It was a huge mistake ! It rained almost every day during the first week in Berkeley .
I have to say that I quickly forgot these unlucky events . Life in Berkeley is very pleasant and everything is so easy compared to Paris . For example , in only 24 hours I bought a mobile phone and made the lease agreement for a flat . What's more , almost all the shops are open on Sunday , which is very practical for me .
The first thing that surprised me is that students may come late to class . They freely enter and leave the classroom many times during class , In France , students respect the teacher's lesson , so they are never late and they leave the classroom only at the end of the class .
The local people in California are in general very nice , open and active , However , I am not totally used to their habits yet . Indeed , I was used to shaking my friends' hands every day in France . During my second day at Berkeley , I shook the hand of one of my classmates whom I had met the day before and he told me "I think we already met !"
Another funny story happened during the first party I attended : A girl that I meet before came to hug me . I thought she wanted to kiss me like we usually do in France to say hello . So I kissed her and she seemed a little bit embarrassed .
I live a great experience at present , and I would just encourage any student to become a member in a program at UC , Berkeley . | middle7235.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the doctor wrote badly"
},
"options": [
"the woman never went to school",
"the doctor wrote badly",
"the doctor didn't like to go",
"the woman didn't know much about medicine"
],
"question": "The woman couldn't ... | When you are ill, you should go to see a doctor. After the doctor looks you over, he will give you a note to take to the _ for some medicine. Chemists are usually good at reading doctors' notes. But sometimes doctors write too badly and even the chemist can not read them.
One day a woman wrote to a doctor to invite him to have dinner with her family . The doctor wrote an answer, but he wrote too badly and the woman could not read it. She asked her husband, "I don't know whether he is going come or not. I don't want to call and say that I don't understand him. "
Her husband thought for a few minutes and then he had a good idea. "Take it to the chemist," he said , "He will be able to read it for us."
"That's a good idea." said the woman. She went to the chemist's shop and gave the doctor's note to him. The chemist looked at it for a long time. "Could you wait a moment, Miss?" he said . Then he went to the back of the shop. After a few minutes he came back, carrying a large bottle. He gave the bottle to the woman.
"Take a teaspoon every day." said the chemist to the woman. | middle3053.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "sense"
},
"options": [
"sense",
"experience",
"practice",
"brightness"
],
"question": "Information is collected through the _ of sight,hearing,smell,taste and touch.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
... | The brain receives information from the outside world through the sensory system.This information is collected through the eyes,the nose,the ears,the mouth and the surface of the body.It is then kept in the memory.In fact,scientists do not completely understand how the memory works but they are not sure how much information that the human brain can store.Also, it appears that the information is never lost.Very old people often remember things that happened in their childhood which have not come to their minds for sixty to seventy years.If we have kept something in our memory, it is here.But can we get it out again and use it? That is the difficulty.
Some of the information we receive only goes into the Short Term Memory.We only keep this information for a minute or two,then we lose it.This temporary memory is very important in our thinking and understanding.It is used,for example,when you try to remember a name that someone told you a moment ago or a telephone number that you are going to dial .School children in class often seem to use the Short Term Memory if they are not interested in the subject.When school teachers describe this,they say that things go"in one ear and out in the other".But if a child is interested,he puts the information in his Long Term Memory, and he never loses it.Long Term Memory depends heavily on our understanding of the meaning of the information we receive. | middle5422.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "class"
},
"options": [
"group",
"family",
"team",
"class"
],
"question": "The two girls and John were in the same _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
... | Betty and I are best friends.Our birthdays are on the same day,so every year we have a birthday party together.But this year,we had a costume party instead.
While we were writing the invitation,my mum came in and asked."Why not invite John?"John had been in our class for only a few months,but he was always getting better grades in math than anyone else in class.I wrinkled my nose and said,"Mum,he wears the same pants to school every day.How can he even afford a costume?"Mum said nothing.The next day,mum gave me an envelope with a shopping certificate in it."I thought it would be nice of you
to give this to John,"Mum said.But how?We didn't want to make John embarrassed.We discussed it for a long time.Finally,Betty and I had a good idea.
On the day of our party,kids arrived,dressed differently.John arrived,in an old sheet ,but still in the same brown pants as usual.We danced,ate snacks and played games in groups.Before eating the birthday cake,Betty said in a loud voice,"Now it's time for the great prize game.It's the following riddle..."It was a math game.None of us was surprised when John came up with the right answer first and walked off with the envelope.
Everything went on well as we planned.John wore a new pair of pants and a new shirt the next week.He felt happy.So did we.
When we helped others,we need to find a proper way,or we may hurt them in another way. | middle5344.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "He is a doctor."
},
"options": [
"He is very strong.",
"He is a student.",
"He is a son.",
"He is a doctor."
],
"question": "What is Simon?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Simon is a student in a middle school. He is very strong. He goes to No.6 Middle School on a bus. He's good at English. But he's often late for his English classes. His father is a doctor. He's big and tall. He works in a big hospital. His mother is a nurse. She's slim and pretty. They are in the same hospital. They all work hard. He loves his father and mother very much. His father and mother both go to work by bike. We can see bikes here and there. And China is a "country of bikes". | middle3735.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "All above."
},
"options": [
"Football.",
"Basketball.",
"Baseball.",
"All above."
],
"question": "What sports do boys like?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index... | Kids love playing sports. But boys and girls like different sports. For boys, football ,baseball and basketball are their favorites. They think football and basketball are very exciting and interesting, so boys often play football or basketball after school. Peter says, "Football is very interesting. The football players are often handsome." But girls have different opinions. They think tennis and ping-pong are more interesting. Lily says, "I like tennis, because many tennis players are beautiful girls. They have good figures. I hope to have a good figure, too." | middle6895.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "some fungi are useful to humans and the environment"
},
"options": [
"fungi can move everywhere by themselves",
"fungi are unable to survive in cold conditions",
"some fungi can make food from the energy in sunlight.",
... | Every living thing on Earth is either a plant or an animal, right? Wrong! Many organisms in our world are neither. Some of them float through the air, and some lie hidden in the ground. They do not need sunlight to survive, and if the weather becomes too cold, they can become inactive until conditions improve.
What are these? They are called fungi , and you see them almost every day. Many kinds of fungi seem _ , such as the green black things that appear on the food which are left too long in the refrigerator. But other kinds are not so bad. For example, the yeast that is used to make bread and mushrooms are both fungi.
What makes fungi different from plants and animals? An animal can move around by itself. Fungi get around too, but they don't have feet, wings, or tails. They have to wait for wind or some other outside force to move them. Plants are different from fungi because they have chlorophyll . It helps them make food from the energy in sunlight. Fungi do not have chlorophyll.
Some fungi are bad, while others are not. Some fungi cause diseases, such as athlete's foot, which makes feet uncomfortable. Other kinds of fungi can be used to make medicines, which have saved many lives.
Fungi clean up more than wounds, though. They are the world's first recyclers. Without fungi, our world would be a mess. Since fungi cannot make their own food as plants do, they must get their food elsewhere. Many fungi get their food from dead plants. They break them down and turn them into soil. The fungi get a meal, and the world gets a housecleaning. | middle7553.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "6:15 a.m"
},
"options": [
"6:15 a.m",
"6:15 p. m",
"6:30 a. m",
"7 a.m"
],
"question": "What time does Sandy get up every day ?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_i... | Hello! I'm Sandy .I'm a Grade 8 students.I study at a secondy school .Now let me tell you about my school life. I get up at 6:15 a.m.Then I have my breakfast at six thirty. I go to school by bus .My home is about five kilometers away.from school.This often takes me 20 minutes.The first school begins at eight every morning.I usually have four classes in the morning and two in the afternoon.Each class lasts 45 minutes .I have lunch at school .I often eat rice ,meat and many vegetables.Then I can sleep about half an hour.After class, I play volleyball or football with my classmates.School is over and I go home.I spend an hour on my homework .I watch TV for half an hour . | middle1122.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "What makes people feel cool near a lake or an ocean in summer."
},
"options": [
"What makes people feel cool near a lake or an ocean in summer.",
"Everything about the ocean.",
"What happens to the salt in the ocean.",
... | When the weather is hot, you go to a lake or an ocean. When you are near a lake or an ocean, you feel cool. Why? The sun makes the earth hot, but it can not make the water hot. Though the air over the earth becomes hot, the air over the water stays cool. The hot air over the earth goes up, then the cool air over the water moves in and takes the place of the hot air. When you are near a lake or an ocean, you feel the cool air when _ moves in. You feel the wind and the wind makes you cool.
Of course, scientists cannot answer all of our questions. If we ask "Why is the ocean full of salt?" scientists will say that the salt comes from rocks. When a rock gets very hot or very cool, it cracks , and rain falls into the cracks. The rain then carries the salt into the earth and the rivers. The rivers carry the salt into the ocean. But then we ask "What happens to the salt in the ocean? The ocean does not get saltier every year. " scientists are not sure about the answer to the question.
We know a lot about our world. But there are still many answers that we do not have, and we are curious . | middle6881.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The name of a book."
},
"options": [
"The name of a place.",
"The name of a book.",
"The name of a person.",
"The name of a picture."
],
"question": "What is Wonder?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
... | Wonder is the story of a ten-year-old boy who lives with his parents and sister in New York. August, or Auggie, is an ordinary boy in many ways. He rides a bike and likes playing with his Xbox. But Auggie has deformities of the face and looks very different from other children.
At the start of the book, he tells us "My name is August. I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse." In the street, people look at Auggie and his appearance shocks them.
Auggie has never been to school because he has spent a lot of time in hospital. His mother teaches him at home. But now he's ten, she thinks he should go to school. At first, Auggie doesn't want to go. He worries that other students will look at him and say bad things. But then he visits a school with his mum. He likes the head teacher and decides to go. Auggie's first year at school has good times and bad times. Auggie makes some good friends but other children are unfriendly to him. At the end of the year, Auggie goes on a school trip and a frightening event there changes things completely. | middle7547.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "see some places for the last time"
},
"options": [
"show she was familiar with the city",
"see some places for the last time",
"let the driver earn more money",
"reach the destination on time"
],
"question": "Th... | Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. Once at midnight, an old lady in her 80s took my taxi. She gave me an address, and then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?"
"It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly.
"Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice . I don't have any family left. The doctor says I don't have very long time."
I quietly shut off the meter. "What route would you like me to take?" I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked, the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived, the place where she danced as a girl. As the sun was rising, she asked me to go to the address she had given me.
"How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse.
"Nothing," I said.
"You have to make a living," she answered.
"There are other passengers."
"You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said. "Thank you."
I drove into the fine morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life. I drove aimlessly ,lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run? | middle6659.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Big and strong"
},
"options": [
"Big and strong",
"Big and light",
"Black and white",
"Bright and Slim."
],
"question": "What are lions like?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Lions are big and strong.They have bright eyes, sharp teeth and black points on their brown bodies.So they look beautiful.
Lions can run fast.They are good at catching other animals.Lions like living as a family until baby lions are 2 years old.A lion lives alone during most of its life.
Now, many hunters hurt lions for their fur and meat.They sell their meat to people for meals.They use their fur to make clothes and bags.We must stop this.It is wrong for people to kill lions.We can write to newspapers about the danger the lions are facing.We should tell the government and people about the problems.If we do nothing, soon there will be no lions in the world any more! | middle1136.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "She wants to go to the post office."
},
"options": [
"She wants to go to the post office.",
"She wants to go to the supermarket.",
"She wants to send a card to Linda.",
"She wants to visit her friend."
],
"quest... | Mrs. Black lives on Second Street. New Year is coming. She wants to send
a card to her friend in Toronto, but she doesn't know where the post office is. She
asks her neighbor Linda, " Is there a post office near here? I want to send a
card."
"The post office is far from here," says Linda, "but you don't need to go to the
post office to post the card. There is a _ in front of the supermarket. You can
put your card into the mailbox." | middle5350.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Hou Yi and Chang'e both flew to the moon"
},
"options": [
"Hou Yi and Chang'e were husband and wife",
"there were 10 suns in the sky at that time",
"Hou Yi shot down nine suns",
"Hou Yi and Chang'e both flew to the moon... | HAVE you noticed that the moon is becoming rounder and brighter day after day? That's because Sept 8 is the Mid-Autumn Festival.
For Chinese people, a full moon means that family members can get together on that day. On the Mid-Autumn Festival, people get together and enjoy the round moon . They also send wishes for family members not with them.
There are many stories about the moon to make the tradition more interesting. In China, Chang'e flying to the moon is a well-known legend . Hou Yi and Chang'e were husband and wife in old times. At the time, there were 10 suns in the sky. Hou yi, a brave man, shot down nine suns. People see Hou Yi as a great hero.
Besides China, many other countries have beautiful stories about the moon. In Greek legend , Artemis is the goddess of the moon. She takes care of the hunt and wild animals. Artemis also looks after young children and women in childbirth .
In India, the god of the moon is Soma. He has four hands and rides through the sky in a chariot . If a baby is born on a full moon day, Indian people believe he or she is lucky. | middle3721.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "eleven"
},
"options": [
"nine",
"eleven",
"thirteen",
"fifteen"
],
"question": "John began to study in a middle school at the age of _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | John is thirteen now. He began to study in a middle school two years ago. His home is in a small village and it's nearly five kilometers from the school. He has to get up early in the morning. After a quick breakfast, he has to run to school and get there on time. His father hopes to borrow some money to buy a bike for him, but he knows his mother is always ill and his father spends much money on medicine. He doesn't agree with him and keeps running there every day. Now he's very strong and never late for class and his teachers often praise him.
Last week there was a sports meeting in his school. John ran faster than any other boy and won the boys' 800 meters, 1,500 meters and 3,000 meters. The whole school knew him. He was very happy. He told his grandma about the good news as soon as he got home.
"I broke two school records today, Granny." called out the boy.
To his surprise, the old woman wasn't happy. She thought for a while and said, "I'm sorry to hear that. We have no money to pay for them, you know!" | middle3047.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "A teacher."
},
"options": [
"A reporter.",
"A doctor.",
"A teacher.",
"A bank clerk"
],
"question": "Who is the speaker?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": ... | Good morning, everyone! Welcome to our school. Now you are students of a middle school. All the things here are new. The life here is a little different. I think you must know what you can do and what you can't do. It can help you study well and live happily. Here are some rules of our school.
You have to come to school from Monday to Friday. You will learn some important subjects, such as Chinese, math, English and science. Classes begin at 8:00. You have four classes in the morning. You have lunch in the school dining hall. You can't eat in the classroom. Classes are over at 3:30 in the afternoon and then you can join your favorite clubs to have fun. You can't play balls or run in the classroom and hallways. You mustn't _ these rules. I really hope you will have a happy life here. Thank you. | middle4728.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "sad"
},
"options": [
"sad",
"dark",
"cold",
"disappointed"
],
"question": "That phone call on a summer day made the author very _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"ans... | It was a hot summer day. My dad and I were getting ready to go out for a ride on the boat. Just then the phone call came, the call changed that sunny and beautiful day into a cold and dark one.
When I saw my father answering the phone, he was crying. I'd never seen my dad cry before. My heart sank. What possibly could happen?
"Max, I'm so sorry," I heard him say. That's when it hit me. I knew that Suzie had died.
Max has been my dad's best friend for years. Suzie, his daughter, had a serious illness. She knew she was different from other kids. Although she couldn't live a normal life, she was still happy.
When Suzie and I were little girls, we spent quite a bit of time together. When Suzie was ten, she had to live in a hospital. About eight months before she died, we talked at least twice a week on the phone until the end. Suzie was always so excited to talk to me and wanted to know everything I did and every thing I ate.
When Suzie and I first started calling each other, I thought _ would be more of a burden on me, but I was completely wrong. I learned so much from her. She gave me more than I could ever give her. I will never forget her or the talks we had. I now know that I must never take anything for granted, especially my health and the gift of life. | middle1888.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "After July of this year"
},
"options": [
"Before July of this year",
"After July of this year",
"In July of next year",
"In July of last year"
],
"question": "When will the quantum communications network be form... | News One: The first quantum communications satellite developed by China is expected to launch in July of this year. It means that a quantum communications network will be formed, and quantum communication between the satellite and the ground will be achieved for the first time anywhere in the world.
News Two: Shanghai Disney Resort opened in a trial run last week to prepare for its official opening on June 16. A one-day visit to the resort for a family of three will cost at least 2,600 yuan, which covers entrance ticket and three meals as well as shopping, while a two-day trip will cost no less than 6,000 yuan in total, which is too expensive for most visitors.
News Three: More and more people get interested in running. The number of runners is increasing, and the economics of running is growing with it. Runners are always going to need shoes and they are always going to be looking for races. Both of these markets have just developed during the past 30 years or more.
News Four: Overweight students at Nanjing Agricultural University are having a special sports course. The more weight they lose, the higher marks they will get. The course is not for everyone, but just for the students who needs to lose weight to keep healthy. There are 3 or 4 specially designed sports classes every week and each class lasts 90 minutes. | middle7221.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "She was 13 years old then."
},
"options": [
"She was 13 years old then.",
"After she and mother travelled around the world.",
"Before she sold cookies.",
"When she was making cookies in the street."
],
"question... | The greatest sales woman in the world today doesn't mind if you call her a girl. That's because Markita Andrews made more than $80,000 by selling cookies when she was 13 years old.
Andrews and her mother shared a dream of traveling around the world. Once while reading a magazine ad, Andrews found that the person who sold the most cookies could win a free trip for two around the world. She decided to give it a try.
To make her dream come true, Andrews went door to door every day after school and repeated, "Hi, I have a dream. I'm earning a trip around the world for my mom and me by selling cookies. " Then she asked," Would you like to buy one or two dozen boxes of cookies?"
Andrews kept asking for a whole year, no matter how heavily it was raining or snowing outside. Her hard work _ She sold 42,000 boxes of cookies that year and she won her trip around the world.
Andrews is no smarter than thousands of other people. The key to her success is that she has found the secret of selling: Ask, Ask, Ask! Many people fail before they even begin because they fail to ask for what they want.
It takes courage to ask for what you want. And , as Andrews has discovered, the more you ask, the easier ( and more fun) it gets.
,. | middle3912.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "On May 12th"
},
"options": [
"On May 12th",
"In May 12th",
"On May 13th",
"In May 13th"
],
"question": "When did the terrible earthquake hit Sichuan Province?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
... | After the killer earthquake hit Sichuan Province on May 12, 2008, love and charity began spreading through China from all over the world. Rebuilding after the quake begins now, and it will last long into the future. First of all, the most important thing is to help the people in the disaster area take care of their mental health.
Here are Professor Le's suggestions:
Dos: Do have enough sleep every day.
Do stay with your family and friends.
Do treat yourself to healthy food.
Don'ts: Don't hide your feelings.
Don't feel shy to talk to others how you feel. Try to get them to understand you and they can help you.
Don't run away when your relatives talk about their experience during the earthquake.
Don't force yourself and your family to forget the disaster.
But how long will it take to recover psychologically from the earthquake? "It depends on the person's character. They have to help themselves, which is more efficient than passively receiving comfort and sympathy from others," said Professor Le, a member of the Chinese Psychological Society. | middle449.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "has made some progress"
},
"options": [
"is just an idea",
"is always a science fiction",
"has already finished successfully",
"has made some progress"
],
"question": "According to the article, the research _ ... | Have you ever dreamed of visiting a planet in the Milky Way? While the trip sounds exciting, it would take years and years to reach the place that we are going to. So in the future, bedtime for astronauts may be more than a few hours of regular shut-eye. They would have to sleep for years.
European researchers are now doing hibernation experiments. The study may help them understand whether humans could ever sleep through the years it would take for a space flight to distant planets. "If there was an effective technology, it could make deep-space travel come true," said Mark Ayer of the European Space Agency last month.
What seems like science fiction is not completely impossible. Researchers have been able to use chemicals to put living cells into a sleep-like state where they don't age. They have now moved on to small, non-hibernating mammals like rats. The results will be out soon.
A major challenge is the fact that cells can be very simple systems, but body organs are far more complex .
"It's like moving from a simple Apple computer to a supercomputer," said Marco Biggiogera, a hibernation researcher at Italy's University of Pavia.
Just like bears and frogs, the hibernation of human beings would cause a person's metabolism to lower so they would need less energy.
Medical research, however, is just half of a space flight hibernation system.
There is the challenge of designing a suitable protective place to live. Such a place would provide the proper environment for hibernation, such as the proper temperature. It would also have to monitor life functions and serve the physiological needs of the hibernator.
According to Ayer, the six-person Human Outer Planets Exploration Mission to Jupiter's moon Callisto, could be an opportunity to use human hibernation. The mission aims to send six humans on a five-year flight to Callisto, where they will spend 30 days, in 2045.
, . | middle3906.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "was out of work and had a large family to support"
},
"options": [
"worked in a city office and was poorly paid",
"was poorly paid and had a large family to support",
"was poorly paid and always spent money carelessly",
... | Tom had once worked in a city office in London, but now he was out of work.He had a large family to support, so he often found himself in difficulty.He often visited Mr.White on Sundays, told him about his troubles, and asked for two or three pounds.
Mr.White, a man with a kind heart, found it difficult to refuse to give the money, though he himself was poor.Tom had already received more than thirty pounds from Mr.White, but he always seemed to be in need of some more.
One day, after telling Mr.White a long story of his troubles, Tom asked for five pounds.Mr.White had heard this sort of thing before, but he listened patiently to the end.Then he said,"I understand your difficulties, Tom.I'd like to help you.But I'm not going to give you five pounds this time.I'll lend you the money, and you can pay me back next time you see me."
Tom took the money, but he never appeared again. | middle1877.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "running"
},
"options": [
"runner",
"playing football",
"playing basketball",
"running"
],
"question": "Li Ming is good at _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_in... | Li Ming is a runner, he runs for the spring sports on the playground every day.Our school is holding the sports meeting today.Li Ming is in the 1500 Meters'Race.At first he runs very fast,but then he falls on the ground.His left leg is hurt.It is a long way from the end of the race.What will he do? People are looking at him.Li Ming gets up a nd walks the rest of the way.Li Ming doesn't win the race,but he wins a prize for walking. | middle4927.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "self-controlled."
},
"options": [
"self-controlled.",
"Stressed.",
"Shy.",
"Careless."
],
"question": "Which personality type may be better for our health, according to the research?",
"question_type": "fact... | ARE you creative, shy, outgoing? Our personalities reveal a lot about who we are. But what's surprising is that our personality can also say something about our health. That's according to researchers at Duke University, US.
During an experiment on 1,000 people, scientists assessed their personalities in two ways: by asking someone they knew, such as a family member or friend; then by asking someone they had just met, such as a nurse. The study found that those who were careful at age 26 were in better health after 12 years.
Being careful means that people tend to have a lot of self-control, and are less likely to smoke, the scientists said. Careful people are also more likely to have an active lifestyle and healthy diet.
From those who were least careful, 45 percent developed health problems by the age of 38. Such health issues included gum disease and high blood pressure . To compare, only 18 percent of careful people went on to develop health problems.
Another positive personality was called "openness to experience", meaning curious and imaginative. People who have more of this personality have higher IQ scores. So they'd be more likely to know how to find medical help to prevent disease.
According to the report, if doctors assessed our personalities, it could help doctors to find which young adults need advice on how to live a healthy lifestyle. What's surprising is that stress didn't play a big part on a person's health. Even though stress and anxiety are usually linked to bad health.
But can a doctor who knows our personality really improve our health? Or should doctors be kept away from knowing something so personal? | middle3090.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "ran English teacher"
},
"options": [
"a Chinese teacher",
"an English teacher",
"a Japanese teacher",
"ran English teacher"
],
"question": "Mr Green is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | Mr Green is an Englishman. He teaches English well His English classes are very interesting. He likes us and we like him, too.
Mr Green has two children----Mike and Nancy. Mike is eight and his sister Nancy is five. Mike goes to school but Nancy doesn't. Mr Green likes to wear a T-shirt and a pair of jeans. Football is his favorite sport. After school we often have a basketball match. Sometimes Mr Green watches and joins us. He plays basketball just for us. | middle475.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "since she was 6 years old"
},
"options": [
"since she was only 6 months old",
"since she was 6 years old",
"ever since she was 12 years old",
"since she was 18 months old"
],
"question": "Connie has been famous ... | Connie Talbot was born on November 20th, 2000. She is an English child singer from Streetly, West Midlands. She is best known for being on "Britain's Got Talent"(<<>> )when she was just six. She has been singing since she was 19 months old. The song she is most known for is Somewhere over the Rainbow. And now she is touring the country with the UK's biggest children's choir--Young Voices.
Do you know what the Young Voices Tour is? Well, it's a great event for children. It is great for them to sing on a big stage with thousands of other children. Everyone waits for the parents to arrive in the evening to watch the children put on a great show. There is so much fun. When the lights turn on, everyone sings together at the same time as one. It's so loud and powerful . Connie loves looking around at the choir and seeing everyone so happy when she was performing.
"We've heard you got a new Guinness world record!" I asked her. "Yes! I am very proud. It was amazing to get the Guinness world record for the biggest choir at the back of a singer. I am glad to share that world record with more than 6000 other children present that day," she answered. | middle6856.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Singapore"
},
"options": [
"West Africa",
"Taiwan",
"China",
"Singapore"
],
"question": "Stefanie Sun is a singer, who is from _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answ... | Singaporean singer Stefanie Sun goes to Tahoua, West Africa to visit the children who have _ and war. Stefanie Sun is touched by those poor kids there: "Some children are already 3 or 4 years old, but they are so thin that you can hold them with your single arm. You can see scare and hopelessness in their eyes. The children only wish to have food to eat, and can survive and go to school. However, these basic needs are like dreams to them."
Stefanie Sun is deeply touched by a 4-month baby who weighs only 2.5kg! Stefanie says that the children have nothing but leaves to eat during famine. The reconstruction in that area needs enough food, education, and clean water. | middle7590.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "help the boy find his father"
},
"options": [
"forget the experience",
"take photos of the travelers",
"set up a website for the hospital",
"help the boy find his father"
],
"question": "Tony thought of the way ... | The following diaries were written by an Australian boy named Tony. He was on holiday with his family in South Asia. | middle4099.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "more popular"
},
"options": [
"more beautiful",
"more famous",
"more popular",
"cleaner"
],
"question": "New Zealand is _ for Chinese fans after the show Where Are We Going, Dad?",
"question_type": "cloz... | No matter where the dads and their children go, that location immediately becomes a tourist destination. This has become a pattern for Hunan TV's reality show Where Are We Going, Dad? And last week the show was heading overseas for a special international episode. The entry has taken place in New Zealand, which was expected to become a popular travel destination for Chinese fans of the show. If you don't know much about New Zealand but would like to explore it, check out our travel guide to see what kinds of activities might interest you.
Nature and wildlife encounter
New Zealand was the last country on Earth to be settled by humans. As such, it's a paradise for exotic birds. You're also able to watch dolphins and whales on boat tours.
Possible itinerary
1.Auckland: fly in and visit Tiritiri Matangi conservation project (bellbirds spotting); 2.Waipoua Forest: huge kauri trees; 3.Kaikoura: whale watching by boat or air seal watching, hike the Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway, join a dolphin encounter tour; 4.Wellington (Matiu/Somes Island): red-crowned parakeet, blue penguins, weta, skinks and tuatara; 5.Stewart Island: kiwi bird spotting; 6.Te Anau: takahe and kea; 7. Queenstown: fly to Auckland and finally _ 43 _ .
Landscape lover
Landscape lovers may have heard that New Zealand is brimming with natural wonders like active volcanoes , snowy mountaintops, glaciers perched near beaches and caves infested with glowworms. Indeed, you can't see many of these wonders anywhere else in the world.
Possible itinerary
1.Auckland: fly in; 2.Whangamata: beach resorts and The Coromandel Forest Park (short walks, mountain bike trails); 3.Waitomo: underground caves and glowworm caverns; 4.Rotorua: geothermal areas; 5.Abel Tasman: golden sand beaches (taking water taxi, sea kayaking, hiking, and snorkeling); 6.Fox Glacier and Franz Josef: biggest glaciers in the country (hiking and guided glacier walks); 7.Queenstown: crystal clear Lake Wakatipu (bungee jumping, sky diving, horse trekking and cycling); 8. Milford Sound: fjord (boat cruises, sea kayaking, diving and flightseeing); 9.Christchurch: fly back. | middle5387.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "She likes them very much."
},
"options": [
"She likes them very much.",
"She likes them a little.",
"She doesn't like them.",
"She doesn't like them at all."
],
"question": "How does the writer like Christmas ca... | Here are a lot of different cakes-fruit cakes,chocolate cakes,etc.Sometimes we buy them in a shop.Sometimes we make them ourselves.
We like cakes.We like Christmas cakes a lot.My mother often makes cakes for us at Christmas.And I often help her to make them.To make a Christmas cake,we need these things:
Half a kilo of flour ;
3 cups of milk;
4 eggs and some fruit,etc.
Now we can make a cake with those things. | middle5393.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "A predator can eat other animals, but also can be eaten."
},
"options": [
"A predator kills and eats other animals as prey.",
"A predator not only eat animals, but eat grass.",
"A predator can eat other animals, but also can ... | A predator kills and eats other animals as prey .Sometimes it also becomes food for other predators. Polar bears are the largest of all the land predators. They can run across snow and swim in icy water for hours without rest. Their favorite food is seal. Not all big animals live on small animals. Hippos have heavy bodies and huge mouths. But they don't eat animals. They just eat grass.
Some predators use speed to catch their prey. Cheetahs are the fastest animals on land. They can run up to 70km an hour. Other predators use their senses to find their food. Sharks can see, smell, hear, feel and taste. They can also sense electrical currents( )from other animals' bodies. Some fish try to hide themselves, but with this sixth sense, sharks can always find them. Sharks have smooth bodies. This helps them swim without using lots of energy. They need to save their energy because they never really sleep and never stop hunting. Flying is a useful skill for many predators in the sky. The butcher bird is the most interesting predator. It has a special way of eating its prey. First it kills its prey. Then it hangs it on a fence or in a tree, just like a butcher hangs meat in his shop. Finally, it eats its prey.
Some people hunt and kill more animals than any other predator. They not only hunt for food. They also hunt for fun. They kill sharks for their fins, and tigers for skins. Those human hunters are the worst predators on Earth. | middle461.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "in a forest,"
},
"options": [
"in a forest,",
"at a hotel",
"in the castle",
"by a river"
],
"question": "Long long ago in England, Robin Hood. lived with other men _",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
... | Long long ago in England, there lived a man named Robin Hood. Robin Hood lived with other men in a forest, Sherwood Forest. Robin Hood was a thief -- a different kind of thief. He stole from the rich and gave what he stole to the poor. Poor people didn't need to worry about going into Sherwood Forest. Robin Hood often gave them money.
Everyone in England knew about Robin Hood. The king was angry! He didn't want a thief to be a hero. He sent his men to Sherwood Forest to catch Robin Hood. But they weren't able to catch him.
The king wanted to meet Robin Hood and knew what kind of person he was. One day, he dressed himself up as a poor man, and then he went to Sherwood Forest to see Robin Hood. After the king talked to Robin Hood, he liked him very much. He said, "I like you very much, but I have to tell you the _ .".
He told Robin Hood who he really was. Robin Hood was not angry. He laughed and laughed. The king invited Robin Hood to come and live in the castle. The castle was 20 miles away. Robin had to walk south, cross a river, turn left and then turn left to get there. | middle6842.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Her father left the family."
},
"options": [
"Her father lost his job.",
"Her mother died.",
"Her family moved to another country.",
"Her father left the family."
],
"question": "What happened to Lisa when she w... | Lisa never had the chance to know her father. He and her mother divorced when she was just a young child. Even though he didn't move far, he never came to visit his children.
Lisa often wondered about her father. What did he look like and what was he doing? All she knew was his name: Jeff White.
After Lisa grew up, she became a nurse at a hospital, where she would help provide medicine and comfort for patients in their final days. A few weeks ago, she received a new patient whose name was Jeff White.
When Jeff came into his room, Lisa asked him if he had any children. Jeff told her that he had two daughters, Lisa and Elly. Lisa couldn't hold her tears back. She told him, "I am Lisa, your daughter."
Jeff embraced her, saying that he was not a good father. And the daughter held his hand and kissed him. Then Jeff began to sing This Magic Moment.
Jeff could have just weeks left to live, so Lisa wanted to make the most of the time she had with him. Lisa also brought her kid to the hospital to meet their grandfather. The kid made cards for him with the words, "I love you." | middle7584.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "do some housework"
},
"options": [
"do some housework",
"keep the rain off",
"speak on the phone",
"look for something"
],
"question": "From the text, we know that cats can help mother to _ .",
"question_... | When it rains, do your shoes get wet? Of course they do! But you can buy these pretty red and white "Umbrella for Shoes". They keep the rain off wet.
Who sweeps the floor at your home? Do you do it yourself? Perhaps your mother does it. Well, now you just need a cat. Get a cat and buy these four "Dusters for Cats ".
You talk too long on the phone, don't you? Most teenagers do! Save time - buy the "Telephone Dumb-bell "! It weighs five kilos. Then your calls will be less than five minutes.
Do your friends sometimes come up behind you and make you jump? Do cars come around the corner when you try to cross the road? Well, you can solve that problem with these modern "Forward - backward Glasses." Look forward with the right eye and back with the left. | middle307.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "take a nap"
},
"options": [
"have a cup of coffee",
"eat ice cream",
"have a cup of tea",
"take a nap"
],
"question": "You should _ when you feel like sleeping after lunch.",
"question_type": "cloze_ques... | Do you feel like sleeping after lunch? What should you do about it? Don't drink coffee or tea! Instead, take a nap .A nap may make you more energetic . You will remember things better and make fewer mistakes. Also, you can learn things more easily after taking a nap. It may even cheer you up.
But there is some advice you should follow about taking a nap.
First, take a nap in the middle of the day, about eight hours after you wake up.
Next, a 20-minute nap is good. If you sleep longer, you may fall into a deep sleep. After a deep sleep, you will feel worse.
And you should set an alarm clock. Then you can fully relax during your nap. You won't have to keep looking at the clock.2*1*c*n*j*y
The next time you feel like sleeping after lunch, don't get worried. Put your head down, close your eyes and take a nap. | middle4933.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "To tell us some good ways of remembering new words."
},
"options": [
"To tell us how he or she learnt English well.",
"To explain why it is not hard to learn new words.",
"To prove that learning new words can be really fun.",... | If you are one of those who want to know how to increase your vocabulary, there are some ways you may find useful. In fact, it is not that difficult to learn new words, but to remember them for a lifetime seems not to be so easy.
To make it easier, you can try word associations . Try to find a connection between a new word and things or people you know. For example, if your neighbour is an unselfish person who cares about the needs of other people, think about this person every time you see the word, and very soon you'll start actively using it.
Try to use the words you learn as often as possible. Perhaps you are not sure which situations they should be used in, or whether you pronounce them correctly, but practice is the best way to understand that. It is not enough to find out the meaning of a word. You should hammer it into your mind by using it in actual conversations in everyday life.
Also, it may be helpful to know the meaning of the word roots, prefixes and suffixes , especially if they have a Greek or Latin origin . Even if you meet a long unfamiliar word, it will be easy to know its meaning if you know the general meaning of its parts. For example, if you see the word "philanthropy", it won't be difficult to _ what it means if you know that "anthropo" means "human" and "philo" means "loving". Not only can ancient Greek and Latin be helpful, but a number of modern languages as well. So, if you speak French, Italian, Spanish or Portuguese, guess the meaning of an unfamiliar English word if it sounds like a word from another language you know. | middle3084.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Strength and good luck"
},
"options": [
"A combination of many animals",
"Chinese sayings and idioms",
"Traditional festivals",
"Strength and good luck"
],
"question": "What does the Chinese dragon symbolize ?",... | Dragons are not real animals, but look like a combination of many animals such as snakes, fish and deer. They have two horns and a long moustache . With fantastic powers, they fly in the sky or swim in the sea. They can make rain, too. The Chinese dragon is a symbol of strength and good luck. The emperors of ancient China loved dragons. Their clothes were covered with pictures of dragons.
We are proud to call ourselves the "descendants of the dragon". In Chinese, "excellent" people are often called "dragon". A number of Chinese sayings and idioms talk about dragons, for example, " _ ," which means he or she will be successful.
It is said that people born in the Year of the Dragon have certain characteristics. They are creative, confident, brave and quick-tempered. There are some famous "dragons" who have done excellent things, for example, Deng Xiaoping, the famous businessman, Li Jiacheng and the movie star Zhao Wei. They are all successful.
There are also some traditional festivals about dragons in China, such as Dragon Head Raising Day and the Dragon Boat Festival. We have different kinds of activities to celebrate them. These two festivals come every year, but the Year of the Dragon comes every twelve years.
The dragon is very important in Chinese culture. As the "descendants of the dragon", it is necessary for us to know the views on dragons in our culture. It can help us understand why our parents always want us to be "dragons".
The year 2024 is the Year of the Dragon. Good luck to you! | middle7585.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "67538293."
},
"options": [
"67538293.",
"63986432.",
"64639818.",
"63875629."
],
"question": "What number may you call if you and your friends want to enjoy the sunshine at the seaside?",
"question_type": "f... | Trip 1 One Week in The Mountains
Bring your strong shoes and warm clothes for this walk in a beautiful area of the Green Mountains. You may go hiking or have a try of rock climbing. This is also a protection area for wild animals. You can find many kinds of animals living in this area.
Time: May 8--May 14 Tel: 64639818
Adult : $1l0.00 Child: $55.00
Trip 2 Three Days In The Country
There are many beautiful gardens. Take your camera and enjoy the wonderful sight in Hunter Valley. It is a good place for fishing and horse riding. You can also find different kinds of flowers here. This is also a great walk for bird-lovers.
Time: May 20--May 22 Tel: 63986432
Adult $50:00 Child: $25.00
Trip 3 Flashlight Adventure
Put on your warm clothes, bring a flashlight and come for a night walk along the Dungog Valley. It is a trip full of adventure . A guide will lead the tour. Many of the plants you will see on this trip can only be seen at night.
Time: May 16--May 18 Tel: 63875629
Adult: $30.00 Not for children
Trip 4 Five Days By The Sea
Wear your sun hat and enjoy wonderful sunshine all the time from morning to evening. Our hotel is next to the sea. We have our own boats too. You can swim in the sea or in the swimming pool. Every day our boat will take you to different places for swimming.
Time: May 23--May 27 Tel: 67538293
Adult: $80.00 Child: $40.00
,. | middle6843.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "in a farmhouse"
},
"options": [
"in the old temple",
"in a farmhouse",
"on the bridge",
"in a hotel"
],
"question": "Dick spent the rainy night _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answe... | Dick often goes traveling when the summer holiday begins. But he was out of luck this summer.
He went to an old temple on a high mountain by himself. On his way there it suddenly began to rain heavily and he hurried to go down the mountain. When he got to the foot of the mountain, he found the wooden bridge was under the water, so he had to spend the rainy night in a broken farmhouse. He was so hungry that he hardly fell asleep.
The next morning the rain stopped and he found the bridge was damaged. He saw the river was not too deep and tried to swim across it. In the middle of the river the water nearly washed him away. Luckily , two farmers saved him, but he lost his bag. They gave him some food and dry clothes. He thanked them and went to the nearest town to call up his parents.
At the end of the street, Dick found a small hotel and went in. He asked the price for a room.
"A room on the first floor is twenty dollars, on the second floor, fifteen dollars and on the third, ten dollars," answered the owner.
The young man had only eight dollars in all his pockets. He said thanks and was leaving. The owner asked, "Don't you like our hotel?"
"Yes, it's good," said Dick, "but it's not tall enough!" | middle460.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "its environment"
},
"options": [
"its food",
"its watches",
"its environment",
"its laws"
],
"question": "According to the passage, Switzerland is famous for _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
... | Switzerland is one of the most developed countries in Europe. It is famous as one of the cleanest countries in the world.
The Swiss think that recycling is very important. The government has made laws which require everyone to recycle. In 1998, the Swiss government passed a law which says that people can not throw away any electronic machines. Instead, people are told to bring old ones, such as televisions, computers and fridges, to special centers when they didn't need them. Many parts of the old machines are reused, and only the parts that can't be used are thrown away. The government also charges a rubbish bag tax . If people want their rubbish to be collected, they must buy yellow stickers and put them on their rubbish bags. In 2003, 47% of all rubbish in the cities was recycled. This included 70% of paper, 95%of glass, 71%of plastic bottles and 85--90%of cans. Until recently, people could get a small amount of money when they recycled their bottles. Recycling has become a daily habit for the Swiss.
Everyone should learn from the Swiss, and our country will be clean like Switzerland. | middle5392.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "the waitress hadn't told him about what happened"
},
"options": [
"the waitress hadn't told him about what happened",
"he believed that the cockroach was garlic",
"he didn't want to pay Mr. Yuen back",
"the manager was ... | To: manager@tastytreat.com
Date: Monday, 7th October, 3:34 p.m.
From: raymondyuen@canada.net
Subject: Complaint
Dear Mr. Price,
I have eaten in your restaurant many times and have always been happy with the food and service. This makes what happened last Saturday even more disappointing .
It was my son's birthday so we booked a non-smoking table at your restaurant for 7:30 p.m. We arrived on time but were told that our table was not yet ready. At 8:00 p.m., we were given a table in the smoking area. I asked to move but I was told that there were no other tables. A lot of people were smoking so it was uncomfortable and unhealthy.
Our first waitress, Janet, was very polite and helpful. She gave us free drinks for waiting so long. Our food also came quickly and looked fresh and tasty. When my wife had eaten most of her meal, she found a dead cockroach in her vegetables. She was shocked and wanted to leave. At first, the waitress told us it was a piece of garlic .When we told her it had legs, she apologized
(="said" sorry) and took the food away.
We asked for the pay for my wife's meal bill, expecting not to pay for my wife's meal. Nobody came. After 15 minutes, I asked to see the manager. The headwaiter told us that you were on holiday. I complained again about the horrible cockroach. He told me Janet had finished work. He didn't believe my story and gave me a bill for three meals. I argued with him but was forced to pay.
The waitress, Janet, was always friendly, but I would like an apology from your impolite headwaiter and a full refund for our meal. It cost $68. Until then, I will not be eating at your restaurant or recommending it to anyone.
You can contact me at 742-3254 or through e-mail if you want more information.
Thank you for your attention.
Yours sincerely,
Raymond Yuen | middle3085.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "at Peter's friends'house"
},
"options": [
"at Peter's house",
"in a large hall",
"at Peter's friends'house",
"in a secret place"
],
"question": "The party was held _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
... | Peter wondered why he didn't have many friends. The reason was that he was always taking, never giving.
One day Peter told Bill, "I'd like to give a party on Saturday. I'd like you to come and bring Martha, too. " "Thanks, Peter. We'd be happy to come. ""Perhaps you'd like to bring your violin. You and Martha sing well together. I'm sure everyone will want you to sing for us. "That was how Peter began to plan his party. Next he asked another friend, Betty, to bring a cake. "You make the best cake in the world, Betty, and I like to eat your cake better than have one from the bakery . "Peter invited a few other friends to come to his party. He didn't forget to ask for something from each of them. He even asked Jim Jackson and Mary Jackson to let him give the party at their house! They agreed.
The party was a big success. However, as the guests were leaving, they said "Thank you! "to Bill and Martha for the music, Betty for the cake, the Jacksons for the use of the house and to others for their hard work. To Peter they just said, "Thanks for the invitation. " | middle4932.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "They hope to be free don't want their parents to be very strict."
},
"options": [
"They hope to be free don't want their parents to be very strict.",
"The higher expectations their parents hold, the better they will do.",
"Te... | Some students, parents and teachers in Shanghai were surveyed last month. According to the result of the survey, the generation gap between students and parents as well as teachers is becoming wider. Here is what they said.
Voice of the students:
"Our parents hold too high _ which put us under lots of pressure. They care too much about our lives and studies," one student said.
"It's impolite that some students' parents read their children's diaries without permission!" one student said angrily.
"Some of our teachers are so serious that we can't make friends with them at all," another student said sadly.
Voice of the parents:
One mother said, "After school, my daughter usually locks herself into her room and spends lots of time talking with others on the phone. And I can't stand her clothes and hairstyle!"
"I thought my son was doing very well in his studies. I didn't realize I was being cheated by him until I got a call from his teacher," said a father.
Voice of the teachers:
An English teacher said, "Today, the role of the teacher is to put knowledge into students' brains. The power of teachers has kept students away from them."
"Some parents pay too much attention to their children's grades instead of creating a lively and colorful environment at home," another teacher said.
"In the past, teachers and students often played games together or talked with each other. Today, only studies and grades are talked about," said a teacher. "A school should be a place where students can learn not only knowledge, but also how to face failure and frustration bravely enough. | middle306.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "did not know the hole was very deep"
},
"options": [
"were going too fast to stop",
"did not see the hole",
"did not know the hole was very deep",
"liked driving through water"
],
"question": "Many cars went int... | There was once a farmer. He lived near a road. It was not a busy road, but from time to time, cars passed the farm.
Near the farm gate, there was a large hole in the road. This road was always full of water, and the drivers of the cars could not see how deep the hole was. They thought it was not deep.
Then when they drove into the hole, they could not drive out because it was too deep.
The farmer did not spend much time working on his farm. He spent most of it watching the hole.
When a car drove into it, he pulled the car out with his tractor and the driver gave him a lot of money for doing this.
One day, the driver of a car said to him, "You must make a lot of money by pulling cars out of this hole night and day."
"Oh, no," the farmer said. "I don't pull cars out of the hole at night. At night I fill the hole with water." | middle1686.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "to see her son"
},
"options": [
"to learn English",
"to have supper",
"to eat some hens",
"to see her son"
],
"question": "The woman goes to London _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"an... | A French woman goes to London to see her son. She knows a little English, but can not speak it very well. One day she goes to a shop. She wants to buy a hen for supper. But she can not remember the English word for "hen". Just then the shop waiter asks her, "Can I help you?" "I want the egg's mother." the woman answered. The shop waiter does not understand her and says, "Sorry, we have not any bigger eggs." Suddenly the woman remembers the word "cock". "I want the cock's wife!" she says. This time the shop waiter laughs. | middle312.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Two places for everyone to go to."
},
"options": [
"A person outside your area.",
"Things your family needs.",
"Two places for everyone to go to.",
"A bag."
],
"question": "When you have a family meeting, what s... | When disaster happens, you might find yourself without water, gas and electricity. You might even need to leave your home right away. So you are supposed to plan for the bad situations before the disaster comes. Here are some suggestions:
First, have a family meeting. Plan a way to get your family members together if they can't find each other after the disaster. Choose two places for everyone to go to if it isn't safe to return home. The first should be near your house. You can go there in an emergency like a fire. The second meeting place should be outside your neighborhood.
Next, choose a person outside your area who can help your family get in touch with each other. After a disaster, it is often easier to communicate over a long-distance call than a local one. The person can pass messages between your family members.
Then, get a family disaster _ ready. It should include things your family needs. It can help you survive at least for three days like bread, water, medicine and things like that. Put them in a bag so you can carry it if you leave in a hurry. When doing it, remember that different people have different needs. Include special things necessary for elderly or young members of your family.
Finally, practice your emergency plan, and update it as necessary.
You may not be able to stop disasters, but with a little planning you can be helped. | middle3091.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "At six."
},
"options": [
"At five thirty.",
"At six.",
"At six thirty.",
"At seven."
],
"question": "When does Li Peng get up on weekdays?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Li Peng is a good student. On weekdays he gets up at six in the morning. He has breakfast at home. Then he reads English from 6:30 to 7:00. He goes to school at seven. He has four classes in the morning. He has lunch at school, but on Sundays he has lunch at home with his family. He has three classes in the afternoon. He leaves school at 5:00. He often has dinner at home. In the evening he sometimes watches TV. Sometimes he does his homework. He goes to bed at ten o'clock every night. | middle4926.txt |
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