questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Because it was a naughty one."
},
"options": [
"Because it was a naughty one.",
"Because it was a useful one.",
"Because it was not an allowed one.",
"Because it was a big one done only by the old."
],
"question... | Benjamin Franklin is remembered as an inventor, author, statesman, and signer of the Declaration of Independence. But all great people were kids once and got into naughty. In writing about his life, Franklin recalled a youthful event that he later regretted.
Franklin was born in Boston in 1706. His father, whom Ben admired and respected, was a soapmaker and candlemaker with a large family. At the age of ten, Ben was taken out of school and put to work in the shop.
Ben described his duties as "cutting wick for the candles, filling the dipping mold .But of course he preferred playing outdoors with his friends.
One such plot is told here in his own words.
"There was a saltwetland that bounded part of the millpond, on the edge of which, at high water, we used to stand to fish for minnows . By much abuse, we had made it a only quagmire . My proposal was to build a wharf there fit for us to stand upon, and I showed my comrades a large pile of stones, which were intended for a new house near the wetland, and which would very well suit our purpose. Accordingly, in the evening, when the workmen were gone, I gathered a number of my playfellows, and working with them diligently like so many ants, sometimes two or three to a stone, we brought them all away and built our little wharf. The next morning the workmen were surprised at missing the stones, which were found in our wharf. Inquiry was made after the removers;we were discovered and complained of;several of us were corrected by our fathers;and, though I pleaded the usefulness of the work, mine convinced me that nothing was useful which was not honest." | high18742.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Natural gas facilities are far from satisfactory."
},
"options": [
"Gas played a major part in the 20th century.",
"Natural gas facilities are far from satisfactory.",
"Gas reserves are widely spread around the world.",
... | As demand for power and fuel grows steadily in the coming decades, we must consider every possible energy source on hand if we're to meet the world's needs. And because clean natural gas is found in great plenty, there is little doubt that it will play a major role on the world energy stage in this century, much like oil did in the last. But, like oil, gas reserves are concentrated in just a few places in the world, usually far from where they're needed most. And that's only part of the challenge. The world has had well over 100 years to search for oil and to build the necessary facilities to bring it to market; the natural gas facilities, particularly when it comes to liquefied natural gas(LNG), are not nearly as developed.
So what needs to be done? On the supply side, producing nations need policies that allow for better development of their natural gas in an open, stable business environment, not _ in which the rules of the game change without warning. The governments of consuming nations, on the other hand, must make policies for sustainable development to ensure they'll have enough supplies in the future. That means building the related facilities, including LNG stations. This, in turn, will require coastal areas to allow these necessary, but not necessarily pretty, facilities to be built in their backyards. And energy companies have a responsibility to be good neighbors in those areas by operating these facilities responsibly and safely. They must also continue to put in the billions of dollars needed to build the complex transport and storage facilities required to bring more gas to market.
Expanding and diversifying energy sources by using more natural gas could lead to lower fuel prices and to greater energy security. We've taken some of the steps to get started, but we need your help to get the rest of the way. | high5136.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "children's special needs can always be paid special attention to"
},
"options": [
"parents take good care of them both at home and in society",
"the whole society care for children as well as their parents",
"Schools and teac... | A senior United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) official on May 29 praised China for its remarkable achievements in children s welfare.
A. H. M. Farook, UNICEF's operations area officer for China and Mongolia said that China "can be very satisfied to tell the whole world what can be done with limited resources to help its children to grow healthily and happily."
China's child population makes up one-filth of the world's total. "The reason behind the tremendous achievement is China's long tradition of caring for children home at home and in society." he said.
"What's more is that Chinese people have always given special attention to children who are in special need." The UN official made the remarks when addressing a group of 50 children and staff from the Beijing Children's Welfare Home at the Shangri-la Hotel, Beijing.
The hotel invited the orphans to share snacks, sing, dance and play games at a park inside the hotel for a "Share the Sunshine" party, as a prelude to celebrations to mark the Children's Day.
The Beijing children s Welfare Home, set up soon after New China, was founded in 1949, has at present more than 400 children.
A leading official of the welfare institution said that the children live a happy life and that the agency spends about 400 yuan a month for an average orphan. An average Chinese worker earned 440 yuan a month during the first quarter this year.
Gu Xiaojin, deputy secretary-general of the China Youth Development foundation (CYDF), said people from all walks of life had contributed to the welfare of the Chinese children.
She said that CYDF set up the Project Hope in 1989, which calls on people across the country to donate money to help poor children to continue their schooling.
By the end of last year, she said, CYDF had collected nearly 700 million yuan in donations, which has helped the establishment of 2, 074 Hope primary schools and enabled more than 1.25 million dropouts to return to school classrooms.
Three "Hope Stars" also attended the party. They were model teenagers chosen among students who are economically supported by the Project Hope to further their nine-year compulsory studies in the poverty-stricken regions. They will be torchbearers for the Chinese Team for the upcoming Atlanta Olympic Games this year. | high17471.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "the history of the Eiffel Tower"
},
"options": [
"the history of the Eiffel Tower",
"some information about its design",
"what the Eiffel Tower was used for",
"how it became one of the symbols of Paris"
],
"ques... | The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889, in memory of the 100th birthday of the French Revolution. The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII of England, opened the tower. Of the 700 suggestions that were handed in, Gustave Eiffel's was chosen.
However, at first, it was not well accepted by all and a group of people -- including many well-known writers and painters at that time -- were fiercely against its design.
Being about 300 meters in height, and 7,000 tons in weight, it was the world's tallest building until 1930. It was a great project for France. 300 workers took two years to build it. It isn't an ordinary building, since it is almost made of steel. For example, its body moves around at most 12 cm in heavy wind. Moreover, its height changes up to 15 cm according to the temperature.
It was almost destroyed in 1909, but was saved because of its antenna , which is used for communication at that time. Beginning in 1910 it became part of the International Time Service. French radio and French television have also made good use of its height.
The Eiffel Tower has also seen a few strange things. In 1923, a journalist rode a bicycle down from the first level of it. And in 1954, a mountain climber climbed on top of it and tried to measure its exact height.
Anyway, although its birth was difficult, it is now well accepted all over the world. It has been considered as one of the symbols of Paris. | high2659.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "meeting single people online"
},
"options": [
"getting help from MSN with his computer",
"winning the heart of a love from the web.",
"meeting single people online",
"looking for love in all the wrong places"
],
... | Dear MSN,
I live in San Diego. I'm single and would like to meet people near me. Can I do this on the Internet?
Searching in San Diego
Dear Searching,
On the Internet, you could easily go looking for love in all the wrong places, but here are lots of great ways to meet singles near you.
The Web is a good place to start. MSN also has international sites for Europe, Australia and South America.
There are several California-based MSN web communities where you can meet like-minded people near you as well as city-specific chat rooms for real-time interaction . Hope for some clever friends. What about a little more excitement in your online interactions? Try the "Gaming Zone!"
I also tried MSN Search, looked under the "Personal" heading and found "Relationships". Clicked on that, then found "Ads & Personals", by "Region" and found San Diego specific personal from there. Try it!
Also, give "IRC" (Internet Relay Chat) and "Usenet Newsgroups" a shot. Many a net romance has started and then developed in these off-the-Web communities. If you'd rather make friends F2F (face to face), the Web has some helpful dating and redating tips. | high11000.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "proper body language and behavior"
},
"options": [
"your family background",
"fashionable tight clothes",
"your appearance and your wealth",
"proper body language and behavior"
],
"question": "It is your _ t... | It's not about how much money you make, and it's not about who your daddy is. We're talking about being attractive in general, whether it's on a job interview or just gaining the respect of your colleagues . . .
Ask lots of questions
If you come across as a know-it-all (even if you really do know it all!), it really pushes people away. Rather, asking lots and lots of questions makes people feel like you care, you can be trusted.
Great body language
Your body language says a lot about you - it says whether you have confidence, or simply if you really care. Talking physically, it is one of the most important physical characteristics you need!
Stay busy
Always have something to do. Have you ever seen someone just sitting around, doing nothing? How unattractive. Always be busy with something, even if for some reason you have to make something up.
Show your pearly whites (or just smile)
Smile more, no matter how ugly your teeth are. I'm not kidding about this one. It's not all about the teeth. If you are smiling genuinely, you can draw everyone for 100 meters around to you.
Wear what fits
Wear clothing that fits you. For women, wearing tight pants or shirts is not attractive. Things that just fit you and your shape are the best but not tight. Wear things that fit you nicely, please . . . And for goodness sake, both sexes, stay away from logos and printed shirts! Most people you may ask do not find this attractive. Stop being some company's billboard .
Be interested in other man
Be interested in the other person. Don't talk about. If you are truly interested in the person, it will come across. And if you want to talk about yourself, you'll find that putting the other person first actually opens him up to return the favor and ask you questions. See how fun this is? | high4228.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "19 meters higher"
},
"options": [
"6.8 meters higher",
"19 meters higher",
"34 meters higher",
"68 meters higher"
],
"question": "If the temperature continues to rise at the same rate for ten years, the insects ... | Four decades ago a group of college students visited the mountains of Borneo to examine moth populations. Now a team of British scientists, including a member of the original trip, has returned to the same sites to repeat the survey. They have found that, due to rising temperatures, the insects now live 68 meters higher.
Global warming is forcing tropical species uphill to escape the rising temperatures at a rate of nearly 2 meters a year, the new study from Borneo suggests.
Since this was the only chance to repeat the original survey, the scientist did everything they could to do it exactly the same way, going at the same time of year, in July and August, using photographs to find the exact original sites of the moth traps.
"While this is the first study of insects, a few other studies of tropical species are starting to appear," said Thomas. "If you look across all those studies, you'll find the same results, and it's extremely difficult to think of any other explanation for them."
While some species might survive by finding places on the mountains with temperatures similar to those of their original habitats, others may run out of habitat on the rocky peaks, warns the study.
In a paper in the journal Naturein 2004, Thomas and 13 other experts analyzed the habitats of 1,100 species on five continents, and estimated that on average one quarter were at risk of extinction.
Last year a paper published in the Public Library of Science in the US warned that the risk of extinction in the tropics was becoming more and more serious. The authors, Jana and Steven Vamosi, estimated that 20-45% of tropical species were at risk of extinction. | high2881.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "become more imaginative"
},
"options": [
"learn to draw their own pictures",
"understand their own fear",
"develop more quickly",
"become more imaginative"
],
"question": "Teachers and professors like the book W... | Maurice Sendak's children's book,Where the Wild Things Are,published in 1963,has become very successful throughout the years and was made into a movie earlier this year.
The book's main character is a boy named Max who gets into trouble with his mother and is sent to bed without any supper.Before long,Max's room magically becomes a forest,and he sails away to a land where monsters live.Max isn't scared,though,and becomes king of the wild things,but after a while,he begins feeling homesick.Max sails back home and his supper is still hot when he arrives in his bedroom.
Many teachers and professors like this story and use it to help children develop creativity and imagination. Melina Davis,an education professor,said she likes how the book contains a couple of pages that have only pictures on them. "This allows children to shape the story themselves," she said.
The book contains a few of larger words that some parents worry may confuse children,but experts say those words help improve children's reading skills and challenge them.
Davis said the book is well written which helps kids get involved in the story. "The book talks about what all children go through,like 'I was naughty but my mommy still loves me'" Davis said.
The book also encourages children to face their fears."I think it's really good to show that Max is friends with the monsters," Davis said."Kids can find out monsters aren't always the thing under the bed that's going to scare them.I think this is good because it shows that the children can go to scary places but still have a positive experience."
Since the book has been successful throughout the years,a movie was recently made and many people are excited to see it.Davis said she thinks the movie will be wonderful but it might be a little scary for younger children."You don't want bad dreams over a book that's extremely wonderful'" Davis said. | high8412.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "By its sustainability"
},
"options": [
"By its impact on the environment",
"By its contribution to economic growth",
"By its productivity",
"By its sustainability"
],
"question": "How do people often measure pro... | Sustainable development is applied to just about everything from energy to clean water and economic growth, and as a result it has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way the concept is put to use. This is especially true in agriculture, where sustainable development is often taken as the measure of progress without a proper appreciation of historical and cultural perspectives.
To start with, it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout history, and will continue to do so. Medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed, clothed and sheltered a mainly rural society with a much lower population density than it is today. It had minimal effect on biodiversity, and any pollution it caused was typically localized. In terms of energy use and the nutrients captured in the product it was relatively inefficient.
Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial revolution. Competition from overseas led farmers to specialize and increase yields. Throughout this period food became cheaper, safer and more reliable. However, these changes have also led to habitat loss and to reducing biodiversity.
All this means that agriculture in the 21st century will have to be very different from how it was in the 20th. This will require thorough thinking. For example, we need to move away from the idea that traditional practices are certainly more sustainable than new ones. We also need to abandon the notion that agriculture can be "zero impact". The key will be to abandon the rather simple and static measures of sustainability, which centre on the need to maintain production without increasing damage. Instead we need a more dynamic interpretation, one that looks at the pros and cons of all the various way land is used. There are many different ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield: energy use, environmental costs, water purity, carbon footprint and biodiversity. It is clear, for example, that the carbon of transporting tomatoes from Spain to the UK is less than that of producing them in the UK with additional heating and lighting. But we do not know whether lower carbon footprints will always be better for biodiversity.
What is important is recognizing that sustainable agriculture is not just about sustainable food production. | high15266.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Canada has nearly 10 million sq. km.So it is the second largest country on the earth."
},
"options": [
"U.S.A is the second largest country in the world.",
"Canada has nearly 10 million sq. km.So it is the second largest country on... | Canada is a very large country.It is bigger than China.China is the third largest country in the world.Canada is the second largest.It has an area of nearly 10 million sq. km. Canada has a very long coastline.To the west is the Pacific Ocean.To the east is the Atlantic Ocean.The Arctic Ocean is in the north.There are very many islands off the Pacific coast and off the Arctic coast.The biggest one in the west is Vancouver Island.In the east there is New Foundland,and in the Arctic Ocean the biggest islands are Baffin Island and Victoria Island.(Greenland is not part of Canada.It is a part of Denmark,a country in northern Europe.)
Canada has a long border with the U.S.A.in the south.In the northwest Canada borders on the American"State of Alaska".Canada is a northern country.The Arctic Circle is (Latitude 16degN) passes through the northern part.In the south,half of the border with the U.S.A. follows line of latitude 49degN. | high7721.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "parents and children"
},
"options": [
"teachers and parents",
"children and teachers",
"parents and children",
"parents and babysitters"
],
"question": "\"Baby and me\" classes are held mainly for _ .",
"... | To do for you
Baby and me
St. Benedicts Family Medical Center's "Baby and me" classes, 11 a.m. to noon Tuesdays, at Jerome Public Library, 101 First Ave. E.
This week's topic: story telling. The class is educational support for parents and babies. A baby scale is available each week.
Free; 324-6133
Infant care
Infant care class of St. Benedicts' prepared childbirth series , 7-9 p.m. Wednesday, at Jerome Public Library, 101 First Ave. E.
Topics: baby care and early parenting. The class is offered separately, or as part of the childbirth series. Mothers may register even if their babies will be born at a different hospital.
Cost is $5. Register: 732-3148.
Self defense
College of Southern Idaho's Community Education Center is offering a course "Self defense," 7-8:30 p.m. Thursdays, beginning this week to Dec. 16, in room 304 in the College of Southern Idaho gym. Bryan Matsuoka and Gary Phelps will instruct.
Learn defensive skills and the coordination of mind and body.
Cost is $105. Register: 732-6442 or communityed.csi.edu.
Fitness for seniors
South Central Public Health District is observing Fall Prevention AWARENESS Week Sept.19-25 to raise awareness of falls and reduce fall risk in south central Idaho.
The health district will provide a Fit and Fall proof class leader training from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday at 1020 Washington St. N. in Twin Fall. Training is for individuals interested in volunteering. Volunteers aren't required to have a physical education degree but should have exercise experience. Register for the training by Wednesday: 737-5988.
"To do for you" is a listing of health-related activities, events and education in the following Monday. | high12509.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "it has a real sense of logic"
},
"options": [
"it's a bit smaller",
"it can map abandoned mines",
"it can see in the dark tunnel",
"it has a real sense of logic"
],
"question": "The latest robot is more advanced... | Why do human beings still risk their lives under ground and doing one of the dirtiest and most dangerous jobs in the world? It's an increasingly urgent question, given the recent mining accidents in Sago. W. Va. and Huntington, Utah. A small group of engineers and robotics experts look forward to a day in the not-too-distant future when robots and other technology do most of the dangerous mining work.
Robotic technology, in particular, holds much promise, McAteer says, especially when it comes to mapping mines and rescuing trapped miners--the special operations of the mining industry.
One of the first mining robots was developed five years ago at Canegie-Mellon University's Robotics Institute. It was called Groundhog. It used lasers to "see" in dark tunnels and map abandoned mines - some of the most dangerous work in the business
The latest design is called Cave Crawler. It's a bit smaller than Grondhog, and even more advanced. It can take photos and video and has more sensors that can discover the presence of dangerous gases. The robot has a real sense of logic, which is hard to believe. If it comes across a thing in the way it gets confused. It has to think through the process and where to go next, and sometimes it _ just like a real person.
The greatest problem, though, is cost. The money of the earliest research project was provided by the government, but that money has dried up, and it's not clear where future money will come from. Partly for that reason, and partly because of advances in safely, mining is not nearly as dangerous as it was in the past. Since 1990,fatalities have declined by 67 percent and injuries by 51 percent, according to the National Mining Association.
Some experts predict that robots in the mines will serve much of the same function that they do in the automotive industry. The robot do the most boring and dangerous jobs, but don't eliminate the need for human workers. | high13617.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "starting relationships"
},
"options": [
"starting relationships",
"rebuilding relationships",
"welcoming close friends",
"celebrating some events"
],
"question": "Pass the Clap is most helpful for _ .",
"... | Team building games can be fun for teenagers. They can also be tools for strengthening the group. There are many levels of team building exercises. Let's look at some activities that can help you build a stronger team.
Pass the Clap
Pass the Clap works well as a beginning activity to help your group get to know each other. Have the participants stand in a circle. One person starts the clap and then turns to face the person next to him. As they are about to make eye contact, they clap together. That next person now has the clap and he has to pass it on. Continue to pass the clap around the circle.
Blindfolded Birthday
Blindfolded Birthday works well after people have become a little more familiar with each other. Everyone puts on a blindfold. Then, without talking, they have to line up in order of birthdays.
Two Truths and a Lie
Two truths and a Lie can be played anytime in the group's operations. Have the participants sit in a circle. Each person is supposed to tell two truths and a lie about themselves. The group has to guess which is the lie.
Human Knot
Human Knot is an activity best played after your group has gotten quite familiar with each other, because there can be a lot of touching going on. Everyone gathers in a circle. They put their right hands in the middle of the circle. They grab someone else's hand. Then the left hands go in the middle and they grab someone else's hand. The group is now knotted up. The object of Human Knot is to untie the group without letting go of any hands. | high14178.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "he isn't used to spending a lot of money."
},
"options": [
"he doesn't affect his son.",
"they spent less and less time together.",
"he is no longer a teacher.",
"he isn't used to spending a lot of money."
],
"q... | Tony Hawken, 57, is divorcing his wife Xiu Li, 51, Britain's wealthiest woman entrepreneur , because he says he doesn't like being rich and is 'not in the habit' of spending lots of money.
The pair traded up their semi-detached home in South Norwood, London, and bought a PS1.5million house in Surrey.
Li, who is now worth $1.2billion (PS700million) according to Forbes, quickly settled into a life which included sipping a PS900 bottle of wine on a luxurious yacht.
However, Mr Hawken says he felt more comfortable getting lunch in his local Wetherspoon's.
Despite his sudden wealth he continued to buy books from charity shops, and _ dear clothes.
In an interview with The Times, he said: 'I think it made me uncomfortable because I'm not in the habit, I don't like spending lots of money -- I've been brought up that way.
'Until recently I was never a wealthy person. I've been moderately comfortable because I have been careful with my money.'
Now the couple have decided to part, Mr Hawken will walk away with just PS1million, but says it will be enough for him.
He added: 'I have got a settlement which is not great, but it's enough for me because I don't have an extravagant lifestyle. I won't have to work if I'm careful.'
On a recent trip to China, Mr Hawken said his wife took him on a yacht and treated him to a PS900 bottle of wine, but he prefers his local Wetherspoon pub.
'I'm getting a little pay when you consider her potential wealth, but I don't really want to fight it.'
Mr Hawken met Li on a blind date while he was still a teacher and she was studying English.
The couple married, but as Li's business took off the couple spent more and more time apart. Mr Hawken says the couple have spent most of the relationship apart.
Far from driving them apart, Mr Hawken believes the distance kept them together, and says they would have divorced a long time ago if they were under the same roof.
Mr Hawken says his only regret is not getting a divorce sooner, but he didn't push for it over fears it would affect the couple's teenage son William, now 17.
Mr Hawken no longer teaches full-time, but instead gives free tuition to under-privileged children. | high6359.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "can be a more effective cure for coughs"
},
"options": [
"cannot be as effective as codeine",
"can be harmful to people's health",
"cannot be separated from chocolate",
"can be a more effective cure for coughs"
],
... | Something in chocolate could be used to stop coughs and lead to more effective medicines, say UK researchers.
Their study found that theobromine , found in cocoa, was nearly a third more effective in stopping coughs than codeine, which was considered the best cough medicine at present.
The Imperial College London researchers who published their results online said the discovery could lead to more effective cough treatment. "While coughing is not necessarily harmful it can have a major effect on the quality of life, and this discovery could be a huge step forward in treating this problem," said Professor Peter Barnes.
Ten healthy volunteers were given theobromine, codeine or placebo, a pill that contains no medicine, during the experiment. Neither the volunteers nor the researchers knew who received which pill. The researchers then measured levels of capsaicin, which is used in research to cause coughing and as a sign of how well the medicines are stopping coughs.
The team found that, when the volunteers were given theobromine, the capsaicin needed to produce a cough was around a third higher than in the placebo group. When they were given codeine they needed only slightly higher levers of capsaicin to cause a cough compared with the placebo.
The researchers said that theobromine worked by keeping down a nerve activity , which cause coughing. They also found that unlike some standard cough treatments, theobromine caused no side effects such as sleepiness. | high1436.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "lifestyle choices"
},
"options": [
"lifestyle choices",
"current affairs",
"experts' opinions on life",
"how to improve one's self-respect"
],
"question": "The section \"Tempo\" in The Chicago Tribune mainly dis... | Are you single or married? Are you a cat or a dog owner? Do you exercise, or are you a "couch potato" (a person who sits on the sofa all day watching TV, eating and basically doing nothing)? These questions and many others are about your lifestyle.
People in the United States feel that they can choose their lifestyles and even shape their own identities. The great variety of lifestyles leads to constant national discussion of choices that people make. This freedom of choice is fun and exciting, but it also creates stress and uncertainty. In newspapers, lifestyle issues are discussed in the features or style section. In The Chicago Tribune this section is called "Tempo". People turn to this section for lively discussion on lifestyle choices they face with regard to their personal identities, their families, and their social lives.
Many American people believe that they can make their lives happy and satisfying despite their problems. If they lack confidence or tend to feel anxious, shy, angry, or depressed, they believe that they can change themselves. Self-help books, magazines, and feature articles are filled with advice from experts about steps to take to become a happier or more satisfied person and to improve one's self-respect. Part of this research for self-improvement is a belief that even one's own appearance can be controlled. This is why there are so many articles in the newspaper about looking young, wearing the latest fashions, and becoming physically fit.
Lifestyle choices also involve moral and social issues. How should children be raised? How should people behave on a date? How should elderly people be treated? How can people stay happily married? All these kinds of issues are constantly discussed and are constantly changing. Not only are experts such as psychologists consulted, but stars from the political and entertainment worlds are held up as lifestyle leaders as well. In the newspaper, feature articles called profiles discuss in detail the personal lives or public work of movie stars, authors, artists, and exceptional individuals who are not stars. The lifestyle choices these people make contribute to the public discussion of all the issues that people think about.
A well-known advertising slogan is "Just do it." In the culture of the United States, people believe that they can take action and become the kind of people they want to be and live the way they want to live. | high8374.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "American High School Life"
},
"options": [
"How American Students Study.",
"American High School Life",
"The Life of American Students.",
"Introduction to American School."
],
"question": "Which is the best titl... | In America, after middle school comes high school, which includes grades 9 through 12. Students are required to take compulsory subjects like English, social studies, math, science, and physical education. In addition, they choose among elective subjects to complete their high school education. Electives include subjects in technology, music, art, and foreign languages.
Each student in the school has their own locker for books and personal items. This convenience saves students from carrying textbooks, and allows students a small space they can decorate with(......)posters and favorite objects.
Cheating in any form is strictly prohibited in American schools. And in fact, high school students usually don't cheat. If they are caught cheating, they will have to face severe punishment.
Each school holds certain yearly activities for all school students, such as homecoming , prom night , holiday celebrations, etc.
Most high schools have at least one sports team that competes in local games, and all students are encouraged to take part in athletics. Schools often offer football, baseball and softball, basketball, volleyball, tennis, and soccer. Some may even have sports like golf, swimming, gymnastics and cross-country skiing.
Many high school students have part-time jobs by the age of 15 or 16, some even earlier. Their first jobs are often babysitting or cutting lawns , but later they will likely get a job at a fast-food restaurant, video store, or clothing shop.
Sixteen years old is legal driving age in most states, and students usually want to own a car as soon as they can. Some parents allow their children to drive a family car, and may even buy a car as a graduation present. Others prefer that their sons and daughters earn enough to buy a used car. Many teenagers feel it's necessary to own a car, and will do whatever it takes to be able to drive. | high15500.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "on the morning of August 29,1988"
},
"options": [
"on the night of August 28, 1988.",
"on the morning of August 28,1988.",
"on the night of August 29, 1988.",
"on the morning of August 29,1988"
],
"question": "T... | Mr. Samson was a newspaper editor in Boston, America. On the night of August 28, 1988, when he was on night duty, he dreamed that a volcano near the Island of Java erupted , and that the local people were buried under lava .
When he woke up from the bad dream with a start, he thought it was very interesting material, so he wrote it down on a piece of paper, left it on the desk and went home. Early in the morning, the editor-in-chief came to work and saw the paper. He took it for the latest news that something important had happened last night and published it immediately. Only later did he find out it was just about what Mr. Samson had seen in his dream. But it was all too late because the newspaper had already been delivered .And it caused a great panic.
In no time the editors met to discuss the serious problem. They finally decided to make an apology in the newspaper. Just at that time word came that a volcano on a small Island between Java and Sumatra did erupt. The eruption made the small island lose two thirds of its area, and the seismic sea waves caused tragedy in human. | high7047.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Rain."
},
"options": [
"Poor service.",
"Poor public transport.",
"Rain.",
"Overpriced hotels."
],
"question": "What do tourists complain most?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_... | BRITAIN is a popular tourist place. But tours of the country have pros and cons.
Good news
Free museums: No charge for outstanding collections of art and antiquities .
Pop music: Britain is the only country to rival (......)the US on this score.
Black cabs: London taxi drivers know where they are going even if there are never enough of them at weekends or night.
Choice of food: Visitors can find everything from Ethiopian to Swedish restaurants.
Fashion: Not only do fashion junkies love deeply and respect highly brand names such as Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen; street styles are justly loved, too.
Bad news
Poor service: "It's part of the image of the place. People can dine out on the rudeness they have experienced," says Professor Tony Seaton of Luton University's International Tourism Research Center.
Poor public transport: Trains and buses are promised to defeat the keenest tourists, although the over-crowded London tube is inexplicably popular.
Lack of language: Speaking slowly and clearly may not get many foreign visitors very far, even in the tourist traps.
Rain: Still in the number one complaint.
No air-conditioning: So that even splendidly hot summer become as unbearable as the downpours.
Overpriced hotels: The only European country with a higher rate of tax on hotel rooms is Denmark.
Licensing hours: Alcohol is in short supply after 11 p.m. even in 24-hour cities. | high11766.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "to meet stricter building standards"
},
"options": [
"to be easily reinforced",
"to look smarter in design",
"to meet stricter building standards",
"to be designed in the shape of cubes"
],
"question": "After Hu... | When Hurricane Phailin hit India in late 2013, it became the largest storm to strike the subcontinent in over a decade. The storm affected more than 12 million people in India and neighboring countries, and damaged or destroyed many houses. However, good news is that cleverly-designed beach house created by architect Ray Huff can survive such strong winds and storm waves.
Located on the shore of an Indian island, Huff's award-winning cube-shaped beach house was built to replace one smashed to pieces by Hurricane Phailin.
Huff pointed out that many houses built along shoreline were poorly constructed, and enforcement of building codes wasn't strict. After Phailin's attack, all new shoreline houses are required to meet stricter, better-enforced codes. The new beach house should be able to stand a Category 3 hurricane with peak winds of 179 to 209 kilometers per hour.
At first sight, Huff's house looks anything but hurricane-proof. Its redwood shell makes it resemble "a large party lantern" at night, according to one observer. But looks can be misleading. The house's wooden frame is reinforced with long steel rods to give it extra strength.
To further protect the house from hurricane damage _ Huff raised it 2.7 meters off the ground on pilings---long columns of wood anchored deep in the sand. Pilings might appear insecure, but they are strong enough to support the weight of the house. They also balance the house above storm waves. The pilings allow the waves to run under the house instead of running into it. "These swells of water come ashore at great speeds and cause most of the damage done to beach-front buildings," said Huff.
Huff designed the wooden pilings to be partially hidden by the house's ground-to-roof shell. "The shell masks the pilings so that the house doesn't look like it's standing with its pant legs pulled up," said Huff. In case of a storm wave, the shell should break apart and let the waves rush under the house, the architect explained. | high5888.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "By their sense of smell."
},
"options": [
"By their special sight.",
"By their light weight.",
"By their sense of smell.",
"By their excellent hearing."
],
"question": "How do rats help to find land mines?",
... | Scientists in Colombia have trained a team of rats to help remove land mines from the countryside. Land mines are small bombs hidden in the ground and designed to explode when someone steps on them.
When trained, the rats can smell special metals in the mines and then signal to their human team. Then why use rats for such an important job?
In the past, dogs have been used to find bombs. Rats have a good sense of smell and can respond to orders, just like dogs do. But rats are much lighter than dogs. They stand less of a chance of setting off the mines, which explode under a certain amount of weight. What's more, the best rats are cheaper to keep than dogs. It costs about the same amount of money to take care of one dog as it does 70 rats.
The rats have already been used in Tanzania, an African country with many land mines. Luisa Fernanda Mendez and her team in Colombia are training the even lighter Wistar rats. These are the white rats with red eyes that scientists often use in laboratory experiments. " _ even train their babies to perform their jobs, which saves us a lot of time, " Mendez said.
Colombia has the second-highest rate of deaths from land mine accidents in the world. Last year, land mines killed 695 people -- 56 of whom were children. A criminal group called the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, as well as other organizations, have placed the mines. FARC are strongly against Colombia's government. The group has placed mines all around its own bases and in many places in the countryside.
In the past, the Colombian government hired peasants and poor farmers to find mines. Many of them died trying to find the well-hidden bombs.
Colombian police official Erick Guzman hopes the team of rats can come to the rescue . "These rats will be a great help," he said. | high3221.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "competitors"
},
"options": [
"roommates",
"good friends",
"competitors",
"booksellers"
],
"question": "George and Richard were _ at school.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Even at school there had been an unhealthy competition between George and Richard.
"I'll be the first millionaire in Coleford!" Richard used to boast.
"And you'll be sorry that you knew me," George would reply "because I'll surely be the best lawyer in our town!"
After graduation, George never became a lawyer and Richard was anybody but a millionaire .... Instead, it happened that both men opened bookshops on opposite sides of Coleford High Street, while it was hard to make much money from books then, which made the competition between them worse. Eventually, Richard closed down his, dreaming of making a fortune elsewhere.
Now, with only one bookshop in the town, business was better for George. But sometimes he sat in his narrow old kitchen and gazed out of the dirty window, thinking about his former rival . Perhaps he missed him?
George was very interested in old dictionaries, and he had recently found a collector in Australia who was selling a rare first edition. When the parcel arrived, the book was in perfect condition and George was quite delighted. But while he was having lunch, George glanced at the photo in the newspaper that the book had been wrapped in. He was astonished -- the smiling face was older than he remembered but unmistakable! Trembling, George started reading: "Bookends Company has bought ten bookstores from its competitors. The company, owned by multi-millionaire Richard Pike, is now the largest bookseller in this country." | high10478.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "can find less study material than normal students"
},
"options": [
"can't take the national entrance exam to college",
"can find less study material than normal students",
"can never learn a foreign language well",
"can... | One determined student stepped off the traditional job for blind people in China, and now challenges a new life at university in Britain. Being a message therapist is a perfect job for many people with a visual disability, but for Zheng Jianwei, it was far from enough.
The 30-year-old former massage therapist gave up his hospital job in 2009to prepare for admission to graduate school. He took IELTS , the language-fluency test necessary for university admission in the UK, in 2012 and scored 6.5 points. He was the first blind examinee to take the IELTS in the Southeast Chinese region. After about four year's struggles, Zheng successfully gain an offer from the University of Essex in the United Kingdom and became a graduate student.
However,Zheng's path to graduate school was not easy. "I can't take China's national entrance exam for graduate school, which doesn't provide study material for blind students," he says.
He then turned to search for graduate school overseas. However, English became his nightmare. Zheng studied in special schools for visually challenged students since primary school, but foreign language was never a main subject.
Before giving up his job and learning English again in 2009, Zheng only knew the alphabet, a few words and some basic expressions. "Learning English again in my late 20s is not easy," he says.
It took him three years of intensive study to gain entrance to a graduate school overseas. Because of the lack of study material, Zheng needs to spend hours and days looking for textbooks for the visually disabled and copying them, while it may take only five minutes for a sighted person to order a plain English textbook from Amazon.
In his parents' eyes, Zheng has been a sensible, independent and decisive man from a young age. Zheng made all the major decisions by himself, including studying abroad and choosing majors. "We just follow his decisions, " the mother says. | high5650.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "far more exciting and dangerous"
},
"options": [
"much easier and even more interesting",
"far more exciting and dangerous",
"man's final aim",
"man's first step"
],
"question": "According to the passage, travel... | The journey to the moon had been the first step toward future exploration in space. The distance between the Moon and Earth is very short indeed when compared with the distances between Earth and the other planets. Mars, the nearest planet to Earth is millions of miles away. Traveling to the planets will be man's next aim. Such travels will be more challenging than the trip to the moon and certainly more adventurous.
Recently, two American spaceships, Vikings 1 and 2, landed on Mars trying to discover whether that planet has any life on it. So far the signs of life on Mars has neither confirmed nor ruled out. Russians have discovered that the surface of Venus is so hot that it is almost certain that there is no life there. Also the atmosphere of Venus is extremely dense and the pressure is nearly a hundred times greater than that of the Earth's atmosphere.
Scientists believe man may find planets which have the same conditions as those we have on Earth , but man should realize Earth will be his only home for a long time and begin to love and care for it. (www.ks5u.com) | high20424.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "people built more farmland"
},
"options": [
"many mansions were built there",
"many neighbors sold their houses",
"the houses became more expensive",
"people built more farmland"
],
"question": "The community's ... | I learned my first lesson from my grandparents when I was young. They both grew up in very large families and lived through the Great Depression. Saving for a rainy day was their life philosophy. Rather than seeking fulfillment through material items, they chose to spend really simple life together with their family.
Over the years my grandparents notice dramatic changes in their community. Every year more farmland was destroyed to build larger and larger homes. As real estate prices rose, many of their neighbors sold their little homes and land. Soon theirs was the only small house surrounded by a sea of mansions. My grandparents built and lived in a small 600-square-foot cottage for most of their adult lives. Lots of family members encouraged my grandparents to expand their little old house. But they didn't want a bigger one. They loved their little house and were content with what they had.
My grandparents avoided a consumptive ( ) lifestyle by painting and repairing the house themselves. They lived in a small home, but had a huge garden. They loved gardening and planting because it reduced their grocery bill, improved their health, and gave them an excuse to be outside. They also reused and recycled many things. For in- stance. they had driven the same car for over 15 years and didn't buy a new one until the old Chevrolet was worn out.
From my grandparents, I learned an important lesson: it is possible to live a simple life. My grandparents taught me that living a simple life isn't about self-deprivation . Instead ,it's about giving yourself the time, freedom, and money to pursue your dreams. Becoming debt free, downsizing to a smaller home, and going out on foot instead of by car are good ways to take control of your life and start pursuing your dreams. | high17288.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Guilty"
},
"options": [
"Disappointed",
"Nervous",
"Guilty",
"Frightened"
],
"question": "How did Jenny probably feel on the night she was sent home by the police?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},... | Dear Dad,
Today I was at the shopping mall and I spent a lot of time reading the Father's Day cards.They all had a special message that in some way or another reflected how I feel about you.Yet as I selected and read,it occurred to me that not a single card said what I really want to say to you.
You'll soon be 84 years old,Dad,and you and I will have had 55 Father's Days together.I haven't always been with you on Father's Day but I've always been with you in my heart.
You know,Dad,there was a time when we were separated by the generation gap.You stood on one side of the Great Divide and I on the other.
The Father Daughter Duel shifted into high gear ( ) when you taught me to drive the old Dodge and I decided I would drive the '54 Chevy whether you liked it or not.The police officer who sent me home,after you reported the Chevy stolen,didn't have much tolerance for a stub!born 16 year old,while you were so tolerant about it,Dad,and I think that was probably what made it the worst night of my life.
Our relationship greatly improved when I married a man you liked,and things really turned around when we began making babies right and left.Somewhere along the line,the generation gap disappeared.I suppose I saw us and our relationship as aging together,rather like a fine wine.
But the strangest thing happened last week.I was at a stop sign and I watched as you turned the corner in your car.It didn't immediately occur to me that it was you because the man driving looked so elderly and fragile behind the wheel of that huge car.It was rather like a slap in the face delivered from out of nowhere.Perhaps I saw your age for the first time that day.
I guess what I'm trying to say,Dad,is what every son and daughter wants to say to their Dad today.Honoring a father on Father's Day is about respect and sharing and acceptance and tolerance and giving and taking.It's about loving someone more than words can say,and it's wishing that never had to end.
I love you,Dad.
Love,
Jenny | high11821.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "A discussion about what makes a good student."
},
"options": [
"A discussion about what makes a good student.",
"Two lovely middle school students.",
"How to get high rank in study.",
"Study and personality."
],
... | If you are a TV addict, you can't have missed the popular sitcom Home With Kids. The lead characters, 17-year-old Xiao Xue and 14-year-old Liu Xing can remind us of our own behavior or our classmates. We love the two teenagers, but are they good students? And what makes a good student?
"Being a student is a kind of occupation, so a good student should have good grades. Based on their school reports, clever and diligent, Xiao Xue is a much better student than her brother, Liu Xing," says Wu Hao, 16, Chifeng in Inner Mongolia. "The boy should work harder at studying since our duty as students is to study well."
It is generally accepted that getting good scores is crucial for a student. So to some, being a good student means ranking high in your class or even your school. However, Wu also admits that a student's personality is more important in being a role model student.
"Honesty and kindness make you admirable. But Xiao Xue can be selfish, dishonest and arrogant, which make others feel uncomfortable to be around her. So she has a lot yet to improve on," Wu said.
Many teenagers do not think it is fair to judge students by their grades. Take Liu Xing for example. He is bright, good at computers and does everything else well like any other 14-year-old student except studying.
"He is smart, humorous and always has fancy ideas which makes him popular. I guess he could be an excellent student if he attended school in the United States, where high grades are not so important and creativity is hailed," says Jia Xiaoxu, 17, Hefei, Anhui.
From the US hit movie High School Musical, Jia discovers her role model.
"Gabriella in the movie is an ideal student. She is ranked top but is not seen as a bookworm. She is sweet and sociable. Most importantly, Gabriella is always 'hungry' to try new things and actively participates in different kinds of activities," she said. | high22233.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "people sometimes have no courage to share their stories"
},
"options": [
"story-sharing highlights the importance of hard work",
"people are used to exposing their weaknesses",
"people sometimes have no courage to share their... | The stories we share with one another are important. They show wisdom and provide inspiration. They are important to our development. But sometimes people choose not to tell.
Consider the negative effects of not sharing a story in the news: People are wondering if public health officials are holding back too much information about the recent outbreak of Ebola.
There is a danger in holding back stories that ought to be told. Bobette Buster said it was like this, "The fact is, history has shown us that stories not told can become like a dangerous genie left in a bottle. When they are finally _ , their power to destroy is set free."
There are a number of reasons why we hide parts of our story: they often show our weaknesses or expose our disadvantages; they require courage and strength to share; and of course, there are some stories that should be kept secret--especially those that embarrass someone else.
Most of us have two selves: the one we display on the outside and the one we actually are on the inside. And the better we get at hiding the stories that show our true selves, the more damage we may be causing to ourselves and to others.
Honesty and openness is important. It proves we are trustworthy. It displays we are human. We are not perfect or better. It highlights the importance of hard work and personal development. Hard work may not allow us to overcome our disadvantages completely. But with hard work, we do not have to be restricted to our mistakes.
Does this mean we admit every weakness, every disadvantage, and every secret regret to everybody we meet? No, of course not. There is a time and a place and a certain level of relationship necessary for some stories to be told in an appropriate manner. | high14959.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "to trace and locate enemy ships"
},
"options": [
"to trace and locate enemy ships",
"to observe deep sea volcanic eruptions",
"to study the movement of ocean currents",
"to replace the global radio communications networ... | It's hard to track the blue whale, which has almost been killed off by commercial whaling. Attaching radio devices to it is difficult and visual sightings are too unreliable to give real insight into its behavior.
So biologists were delighted early this year when, with the help of the US Navy, they are able to track a particular blue whale for 43 days recording its sounds. This was possible because of the Navy's former top secret system of underwater listening devices across the oceans.
Tracking whales is but one example of an exciting new world just opening to civilian scientists after the cold war as the Navy starts to share and partly uncover its global network of underwater listening system built over the decades to track the ships of potential enemies.
Earth scientists announced at a news conference recently that they had used the system for closely observing a deep-sea volcanic eruption for the first time and that they planned similar studies. Other scientists have proposed to use the network for tracking ocean currents and measuring changes in the ocean and global temperatures. Different layers of ocean water can act as channels for sounds focusing them in the same way a stethoscope does when it carries faint noises from a patient's chest to a doctor's ear. This focusing is the main reason that even relatively weak sounds in the ocean, especially low-frequency ones, can often travel thousands of miles. | high12496.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the soldier made a mistake in maths about the amount of the explosive"
},
"options": [
"the officer told the soldier to put in a bit more to make sure of the result",
"the soldier made a mistake in maths about the amount of the exp... | A group of soldiers were stationed in the country near the home of a big landowner, called Lord Hunt. As they wanted to stay on good terms with the landowner, they offered to blow up a large tree _ that had remained after part of a tree had been blown down in the storm. But Lord Hunt asked them not to damage the plantation of young trees that was next to the stump. The officer in charge of the engineers promised him that they would be careful. Lord Hunt was so pleased that he asked the whole group to lunch on the day of the explosion.
The day came and just before lunch, the officer checked with one of his men to see if they had put enough explosive in the stump. "I checked the maths," said the soldier "and it comes to 32 kilos." "Are you sure?" asked the officer. "Perhaps you'd better put in a bit more just to make sure." The lunch continued and everyone ate a lot and drank a lot.
A little later, the group of soldiers went outside with Lord Hunt to see the explosion. "You just see, Lord Hunt, that tree will fall in exactly the right place without hurting any of your young trees," said the officer. The soldier lit the fuse, then walked quickly away to take cover. After a minute the tree, instead of falling over on its side, rose with the explosion 20 metres into the air, taking with it a huge quantity of earth together with all the young plantation. "Sorry sir, I made a mistake!" said the soldier. "It should have been 3.2 kilos, not 32 kilos."
Lord Hunt was so upset that he turned around and walked back to his house. He looked at the house in horror and saw that every single window had been broken by the explosion. He was so upset that he went to the toilet on the ground floor to get over his feelings of shock. When he had finished, he pulled the plug of the toilet and the whole ceiling, which had been weakened by the explosion, fell on his head. | high23893.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "to introduce a recent discovery of ancient relics"
},
"options": [
"to introduce a recent discovery of ancient relics",
"to call on people to protect the ancient relics",
"to warn the researchers not to do further analysis",
... | Archaeologists studying Stonehenge and its surrounding area say they've dug up the relics of an untouched, ancient campsite that dates back to 6,000 years--a find that could rewrite British prehistory.
"This is the most important discovery at Stonehenge in over 60 years," Professor Tim Darvill, a Bournemouth University archaeologist and a Stonehenge expert who did not take part in the new discovery, told theTelegraph. And as he told The Huffington Post in an email, the discovery changes earlier theories that Stonehenge was built in a landscape that was not heavily used before about 3000 B.C.
The discovery was made during a dig at Blick Mead, a site about 1.5 miles from Stonehenge. Researchers found charcoal dating back to 4,000 B.C. and evidence of possible buildings, according to a statement released by the university. They also dug up burnt stone and tools, as well as the remains of animals--ancient cattle that served as food for ancient hunter-gatherers.
The researchers plan further analysis on theartificial objects but say they're worried the tunnel construction could damage the site and get in the way of their work.
"Blick Mead could explain what archaeologists have been searching for centuries--an answer to the story of Stonehenge's past," David Jacques, the University of Buckingham archaeologist who discovered the campsite, toldThe Guardian. "But our only chance to find out about the earliest part of Britain's history could be ruined if the tunnel goes ahead."
Stonehenge, a prehistoric monument made up of a ring of standing stones, lies eight miles north of Salisbury, England in Wiltshire. It has been listed as a World Heritage Site since 1986. | high13950.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "back injuries"
},
"options": [
"polio",
"back injuries",
"the operations she had",
"her bent spine"
],
"question": "The terrible pain Kahlo suffered was caused by _",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},... | When Frida Kahlo's paintings were on show in London, a poet described her paintings as " a ribbon around a bomb". Such comments seem to suggest Kahlo had a big influence on the art world of her time. Sadly, she is actually _ today than she was during her time.
Born in 1907 in a village near Mexico City , Kahlo suffered from polio at the age of seven. Her spine become bent as she grew older. Then, in 1925, her back was broken in several places in a school-bus accident. Throughout the rest of her life, the artist had many operations, but nothing was able to cure the terrible pain in her back. However, the accident had an unexpected side effect. While lying in her bed recovering, Kahlo taught herself to paint.
In 1929, she got married to Diego Rivera, another famous Mexican artist. Rivera's strong influences on Kahlo's style can be seen in her early works, but her later works from the 1940s, known today as her best works, show less influence from her husband.
Unfortunately, her works did not attract much attention in the 1930s and1940s, even in her home country. Her first one-woman show in Mexico was not held until 1953.For more than a decade after her death in 1954, Kahlo's works remained largely unnoticed by the world, but in the 1970s her works began to gain international fame at last. | high983.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "strange flying objects"
},
"options": [
"flying high up in the sky",
"strange flying objects",
"difficult to believe",
"very interested"
],
"question": "UFOs are _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
... | It is sometimes said that strange flying objects have been seen high up in the sky. People call these strange objects Unidentified Flying Objects(UFOs). These UFOs caused a lot of interest. Some of the reports about them are difficult to believe. Some have been explained in scientific ways. Others have never been explained. Here is an account of UFOs from a report.
Dennis Burdens, who wrote an article, tells us that he once saw a UFO himself. He was having dinner one night with a friend near Tripoli, Libya, and after dinner the two men walked across a yard to his room to look at some papers. Burdens noticed that the moon looked strange that night.
"It wasn't the moon," was the reply.
They watched the light and saw that it was moving. It seemed to be an object rather like a big plate. In some ways it looked like smoke with a light on it, but it wasn't smoke because it didn't change its shape. It was moving in a regular way. That is to say, it didn't go suddenly faster or more slowly, and it didn't go higher or lower. So the two men decided that there must be men in it.
After that, Burdens said that he felt eyes looking at him. He was being watched in the darkness.
When it was nearer, they noticed that the bottom parts were brighter than the top. The bottom was yellow and the top red. Then the object suddenly turned away and left Libya, moving very fast.
On a later day Burdens talked to other people about it, and he found some who had seen it. They all described it in the same way. Could they all be mistaken? | high22555.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "men's involvement in housework has increased"
},
"options": [
"men's ability to support a family has been improved",
"men's involvement in housework has increased",
"women's leisure time was taken up by heavy housework",
... | Why do people feel so rushed? Part of this is a perception problem. Generally, people in rich countries have more free time than they used to. This is particularly true in Europe, but even in America free time has been inching up. Women's paid work has risen a lot over this period,but their time in unpaid work,like cooking and cleaning, has fallen even more significantly, thanks in part to dishwashers, washing machines and microwaves, and also to the fact that men shift themselves a little more around the house than they used to.
The problem, then, is less how much time people have than how they see it. Ever since a clock was first used at a workplace to record labor hours in the 18th century, time has been understood in relation to money. Once hours are financially quantified , people worry more about wasting, but tend to save or use them more profitably. When economies grow and incomes rise, everyone's time becomes more valuable. And the more valuable something becomes, the rarer it seems.
Once seeing their time in terms of money, people often _ the former to maximize the latter. Workers who are paid by the hour volunteer less of their time and tend to feel more upset when they are not working.
The relationship between time, money and anxiety is something Gary Becker noticed in America's post-war boom years. "If anything, time is used more carefully today than a century ago," he noted in 1965. He found that when people are paid more to work, they tend to work longer hours, because working becomes a more profitable use of time. So the rising value of work time puts pressure on all time. Leisure time starts to seem more stressful, as people are forced to use it wisely or not at all. | high9693.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "They thought of ideas for helping other people."
},
"options": [
"They enjoyed different foods from the world.",
"They expressed thanks to their teachers.",
"They learnt about various Thanksgiving foods.",
"They thought... | For the kids in Matt Marciano's sixth-grade social studies class, Thanks-giving is a time for great ideas. "We look at different foods that people eat around the world," says Marciano. "The lesson," he explains, "teaches students to admit that some people are unlucky. And it also gets them thinking about Thanksgiving, about their lives, and about their biggest homework of the year--to find a way they can change the world."
Last year, 12-year-old Christian D. taught basic soccer skills to 63 kids with cancer. Christian's classmate Brianna used the money she had raised to buy 56 teddy bears. She donated them to a woman's shelter. Both students say the experience taught them something they'll never forget: When we give something to others, we're really giving thanks. And giving thanks feels good.
"Helping the woman smile, if just for a day, made me feel like I could make a difference," Brianna says. "And it taught me that I should always be thankful for what I have."
Brianna's happiness is something Jeffrey Froh knows about. Froh studies how gratitude affects a person's mind and attitudes. Those who are thankful are more likely to help others. Grateful people and kids in particular are healthier and happier than those who are not.
"Grateful kids tend to be happier and more satisfied with their lives," Froh says. "Kids who give thanks are happier with school, their families and their friends. Grateful children also feel less envy toward others, are less likely to be depressed and even do better in school."
"To experience gratitude," says Froh, "a couple of things have to happen. First you have to notice that there is goodness in your life. Then you have to admit that the reason for that goodness lies partially outside of yourself." | high24124.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To meet strict quality standards."
},
"options": [
"To develop knowledge and skills.",
"To help achieve your best.",
"To meet strict quality standards.",
"To benefit from excellent teaching."
],
"question": "Wha... | UK education is all about giving you inspiration to develop your knowledge and skills, freedom to be creative, and support to help you achieve your best.
On a UK course you will benefit from excellent teaching and facilities. In order to accept students, UK education centres must meet strict quality standards set by the UK government and education bodies.
With such a good reputation for research and education, universities and colleges in the UK attract some of the world's leading academics and professionals. You will be encouraged to express your own ideas and think for yourself.
The attention to quality is reflected in the UK's excellent results:
Four of the top six universities in the world are in the UK.
The UK is a world-leading research nation. 54% of the research conducted by UK universities and colleges is classed as either "world-leading" or "internationally excellent".
At the most recent inspection, 97% of further education colleges were judged satisfactory or better, for their overall effectiveness.
In the recent BIS Tracking International Graduate Outcomes survey, more than 88% of international higher education graduates said they were satisfied with their UK learning experience.
Likewise, in the Higher Education Academy Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey of UK postgraduate students, 93% rated the quality of teaching positively.
For English language students, you'll find the UK has long been at the forefront of language teaching, and pioneered many of the techniques now used around the world. The emphasis is on learning the language through fun and participation: Instead of just listening to your teacher, your classes will involve games, problem-solving and discussions. You might also listen to songs, watch television or read magazines to practise your comprehension skills.
The UK's boarding schools also offer excellent teaching, facilities and support. At UK independent schools (most boarding schools are independent), a teacher has just 9.4 pupils on average, so teachers have more time to give you individual support. This is reflected in the results: 91% of students from UK independent schools go on to higher education. | high7866.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "attend a meeting"
},
"options": [
"attend a meeting",
"meet a friend",
"visit a family member",
"see a doctor"
],
"question": "The author went to Orlando to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
... | In 2012, I had just recovered from a serious illness when I received an invitation to a writer's conference in Orlando, Florida. My family and friends persuaded me that a holiday might be just what the doctor ordered, so off I went.
Arriving in the Sunshine State was not easy, but I managed to catch a taxi to the hotel. The next morning, I caught another taxi to do some shopping. Later I went to a cafe to buy some lunch, but having my sandwich and drink in my hands, I saw that all the tables were occupied . Then I heard a friendly voice saying, "You can share my table."
I thankfully sat down with the smiling elderly lady and we shared a happy lunch together. As the meal drew to a close she asked how long I would be in Orlando. I had already told her that I hadn't hired a car, and hadn't realized how costly taking taxis would be. After a while she said, "My dear, don't use any more taxis. It would be my pleasure to drive you wherever you wish."
I told her that I couldn't put her to that trouble, but she insisted. She took details of where I was staying and the next morning she drove me to Disney World. She took me through the park's gates and spent some time with me before leaving me to explore alone. At the end of the day, she returned to take me back to my hotel. The next few days, she drove me around Orlando's tourist areas. I offered her money but she refused to take any.
When we had lunch on my last day, I thanked her for her kindness. I'll never forget that wonderful lady who filled my holiday in Florida with wonderful memories. | high13788.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "3D technology takes time to be accepted"
},
"options": [
"Hollywood tends to absorb what is new",
"3D technology takes time to be accepted",
"Hollywood struggles with every new technology",
"high technology helps to mak... | 3D cinema has been around since the early 20th century, but Hollywood brought the technology back in 2007. Many thought it was just a trick to make more money. But then came Avatar, the first must-see movie in 3D.
But since Avatar, 3D cinema has struggled. In 2010, several 3D movies bombed at the box office. And by late 2010, Some people said the technology was dead. Of course, this isn't the first time Hollywood has struggled with new technology. In the late 1920s, sound was added to movies, but it took audiences a long time to get used to the new technology. And in the end, sound and color1 became the standard. James Cameron, director of Avatar, thinks we're going through the same process with 3D.
Some say cinemas are charging too much for 3D movies. In the US, seeing a 3D movie can cost up to $7.5 more than seeing it in 2D. Also, a recent study at California State University found audiences don't actually enjoy movies in 3D any more than in 2D. Walter Murch, a famous movie editor, wrote in 2011 that human beings have no ability to process 3D images. Watching a 3D movie confuses our brain and this is why some people get headaches.
But James Cameron disagrees. In fact, he recently predicted that in five years all movies will be in 3D. And there are signs that 3D is fighting back. More 3D movies were put on the market in 2012 than ever before. The Lion King 3D recently made over US $150 million at the box office, and Cameron's Titanic 3D made even more.
Who knows what the future holds for 3D? Steven Spielberg recently said, "I'm hoping 3D gets to a point where people don't notice it, because then it is just another tool and helps tell a story." | high16828.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "take a boat to get there"
},
"options": [
"take a boat to get there",
"eat steaks at La Huella restaurant",
"find there is a large beautiful airport",
"find it's as developed as Thailand"
],
"question": "When vi... | Our world is full of tourist traps and crowds of people. What if you could get out ahead of the crowded people and visit a place before it started swarming with crowds of people?
Jose lgnacio, Uruguay
Only about 300 people actually live here, but in winter, Latin famous stars like Shakira gather here. A new luxury hotel named Bahia Vik is in the process of opening, and JoseIgnacio is preparing to host an international art festival. You can enjoy art atmosphere here and eat steaks at La Huella restaurant.
Koh Rong, Cambodia
Visiting this Cambodian island is like stepping into a screen saver. With only a few houses and some fishing villages, many people say it's like Thailand 20 years ago when tourists landed the untouched beaches. Ferries started regularly shuttling tourists to Koh Rong only a few years ago, but things are still pretty quiet until someone plans to build an airport.
Riga, Latvia
Latvia is Europe's best kept secret, but all has changed now since Riga was named the European Capital of Culture in 2014. The city also ranked as Europe's cheapest destination for backpackers this year, with an average cost of just $33 per day for food, lodging, transportation and entertainment. Hurry up and peruse Old Riga and St. Peter's tower, and get fancy at the Latvian National Opera.
Puglia, Italy
With food travel on the rise, Puglia is becoming a household name. Under the Italian cultural influences, the Mediterranean diet takes one of its purest and most delicious forms: food is locally purchased and restaurants are quaint and are of high quality, which have good reputations. | high10281.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "To relieve the traffic problem in London."
},
"options": [
"To promote the bicycle industry in London.",
"To make London seem more friendly.",
"To reduce the air pollution in London",
"To relieve the traffic problem in ... | London has become a cycle-friendly zone after the launch of a new bike hire scheme. It has been designed to encourage more people to cycle in and around central London.
So how does it work?First you have to sign up to the scheme to be sent a key. The key will unlock one of the bikes, which are kept at docking stations in and around central London. You have to pay an access fee for the key and then you pay as you go, for the length of time you use the bike.
Transport for London, which runs the scheme, are hoping to have 6,000 bikes and 400 docking stations in place by the end of the year. The new hire system is hoping to ease traffic jams in London and is expected to create up to 40,000 extra cycle trips a day into the city centre. London Mayor Boris Johnston launched the scheme and said London has been "filled with thousands of gleaming machines that will transform the look and feel of our street and become as commonplace on our roads as black cabs and red buses".
However, there have been a few problems since the scheme was launched last Friday. On the first day some people found they couldn't dock their bike properly and their usage of the bike had not registered.
Transport for London did admit they had been expecting a few "teething problems" and have said they would not charge for the first day as a "gesture of goodwill". Some other people have criticized the lack of docking stations and locks for the bikes as well as the price it costs to hire the bicycles.
Despite the comments, the green-thinking London Mayor still says with certainty, "My crusade for the capital to become the greatest big cycling city in the world has taken a great pedal-powered push forwards." | high18805.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "He paid a lot to make his way to offeres from all Ivies."
},
"options": [
"He was born into a Nigerian family in the US.",
"He planted a tree once he moved to the US,",
"He was always welcome and popular in his schools.",
... | ELMONT, N. Y. (AP)---Elmont High School senior Harold Ekeh had a plan--he would apply to 13 colleges , including all eight Ivy League schools, figuring it would help his chances of getting into at least one great school.
It worked, And then some, The teenager from Long Island was accepted at all 13 schools, and now faces his next big test: deciding where to go.
"I was stunned, I was really shocked, "Ekeh told The Associated Press during an interview Tuesday at his home near the Belmont Park racetrack, his four younger brothers running around.
He found out last week he had been accepted to Princeton University. That made him eight for eight in the Ivy League--he had already been accepted to Yale University , Brown University, Columbia University , Cornell University , Dartmouth College, Harvard University and University of Pennsylvania. His other acceptances came from Johns Hopkins University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York University, Stony Brook University and Vanderbilt University.
"We are so proud of him, " said his mother , Roseline Ekeh."Hard work, dedication, prayer brought him to where he is today. "
Born in Nigeria, Harold was eight years old when his parents brought the family to the United States.
"It was kind of difficult adjusting to the new environment and the new culture, " he said. But he saw his parents working hard, "and I took their example and decides to _
He referenced that effort in his college essay, writing, "Like a tree, uprooted and replanted, I could have withered in a new country surrounded by people and languages I did not understand. Yet, I witnessed my parents persevere despite the potential to give in. I faced my challenges with newfound zeal; I risked insults, spending my break talking to unfamiliar faces, ignoring their sarcastic remarks. "
Harold "is tremendously focused in everything he does." said John Capozzi, the school's principal, "He's a great role model. All the students and faculty are so proud of him. "
Harold is the second Long Island student in as many years to get into all eight Ivies. Last year, William Floyd High School's Kwasi Enim chose to go to Yale.
Harold, who has a 100. 51 grade-point average and wants to be a neurosurgeon, said he was leaning toward Yale, and had heard from Enin, offering congratulations. Like Enin, he's likely to announce his college choice at a press conference later this month. The deadline to decide is May 1. | high10295.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "became famous"
},
"options": [
"became famous",
"liked newspapers",
"became tenacious",
"was relaxed"
],
"question": "After Wang Baoqiang starred \"Soldiers Sortie\", he _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_ques... | As we look back at 2007, there are some faces we cannot forget. Here we present three such people as we wave goodbye to 2007.
Wang Baoqiang
The lead actor of the 28-episode TV drama "Soldiers Sortie," Wang Baoqiang is the TV star with the highest attention in newspapers and magazines. Acting Xu Sanduo, a simple-minded country boy who wins the respect and confidence of his comrades, Wang moved the audience with his tenacity , a rare quality in our times.
Yu Dan
Studying ancient texts suddenly became popular in modern-day China following the publication of "Yu Dan's Reflections on The Analects," by Yu Dan, a professor at Beijing Normal University, in December 2006. Since then, it has sold 6 million legal copies.
Yu is followed by reporters and surrounded at appearances around the nation -- 60,000 people showed up for one Beijing book signing in March. In July, she was selected as one of China's three most beautiful women.
Tang Wei
Chinese actress Tang Wei finally became famous at the age of 27, after playing in Ang Lee's latest film "Lust, Caution." For many Chinese actresses, being cast by Lee is a ticket to Hollywood. Zhang Ziyi is a good example, having starred in Ang's "Crouching tiger, Hidden Dragon." Tang Wei had waited a long time for her chance and, when it came, she caught it. 2007 was meaningful for her. | high21048.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Amazed; Nervous; Relieved"
},
"options": [
"Relieved; Guilty; Nervous",
"Amazed; Nervous; Relieved",
"Frightened; Moved; Guilty",
"Frightened; Regretful; Relieved"
],
"question": "Which of the following words ca... | We have all heard the expression: "Remember to stop and smell the roses." But, how often do we really take time out of our hectic fast-paced lives to notice the world around us?
I am as guilty as anyone of tuning out the world in this manner, especially when I am driving on California's overcrowded streets. A short time ago, however, I witnessed an event that showed me how being wrapped up in my own little world has kept me from being fully aware of the bigger world picture around me.
I was driving to a business appointment and, as usual, I was planning in my mind what I was going to say. I came to a very busy crossroads where the stoplight had just turned red. "All right," I thought to myself, "I can beat the next light if I race ahead of the pack ."My mind and car were in auto pilot, ready to go when suddenly my trance was broken by an unforgettable sight. A young couple, both blind, were walking arm-in-arm across this busy crossroads with cars whizzing by in every direction. The man was holding the hand of a little boy , while the woman was clutching a baby sling to her chest, obviously carrying a child. Each of them had a white cane extended, searching for clues to navigate them across the crossroads.
Initially I was moved. They were overcoming what I felt was one of the most feared handicaps-blindness. "Wouldn't it be terrible to be blind?" I thought. Without realizing the danger they were in, they were walking right the path of oncoming cars. I was frightened for them because I didn't know if the other drivers understood what was happening.
As I watched from the front line of traffic (I had the best seat in the house), I saw a miracle unfold before my eyes. Every car in every direction came to a simultaneous stop. I never heard the screech of brakes or even the peep of a car horn. Nobody even yelled, "Get out of the way!" Everything froze. In that moment, time seemed to stand still for this family. Amazed , I looked at the cars around me to verify that we were all seeing the same thing, I noticed that everyone's attention was also fixed on the couple. Never skipping a beat, the couple adjusted their course as they followed the coaching. Trusting their white canes and the calls from some concerned citizens, they made it to the other side of the road. As they arrived at the curb, one thing struck me-they were still arm-in-arm .I was taken aback by the emotionless expressions on their faces and judged that they had no idea what was really going on around them. Yet I immediately sensed the sighs of relief exhaled by everyone stopped at that intersection.
As I glanced into the cars around me, the driver on my right was mouthing the words "oh, did you see that?!" The driver to the left of me was saying, "I can't believe it!" I think all of us were deeply moved by what we had just witnessed. Here were human beings stepping outside themselves for a moment to help four people in need.
I have reflected back on this situation many times since it happened and have leamed several powerful lessons from it. Take time to look around and really see what is going on in front of you right now. Do this and you will realize that this moment is all there is, more importantly, this moment is all that you have to make a difference in life.
As I drove away from that busy intersection, I did so with more awareness of life and compassion for others than I had arrived there with. Since then I have made the decision to really see life as I go about my daily activities and use my God-given talents to help others less fortunate.
Do yourself a favor as you walk through life: Slow down and take the time to really see. Take a moment to see what is going on around you right now, right where you are. You may be missing something wonderful. | high18811.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "It will protect plats to grow on the moon."
},
"options": [
"It is made of wood by scientists.",
"It is open for people who are on the Mars.",
"It can carry different kinds of plants to the moon.",
"It will protect plat... | The food on the moon has come a long way from the freeze - dried bread to half - dried food. They have changed a lot in the past few years. And now US scientists want to grow vegetables in mini - greenhouses on the moon.
Scientists say they are looking forward to a time when people on the moon or even Mars will be able to eat green and fresh vegetables. Paragon Space Development Corporation has shown people what it called the first step toward growing flowers - and finally food - on the moon.
Paragon, which is a partner of NASA in experiments at the International Space Station, calls it a "Lunar Oasis "
This is a closed greenhouse placed in a metal box. It is designed to safely land a laboratory plant on the moon surface, and protect it while it grows.
The small greenhouse is to be sent up into space by Odyssey Moon Ltd, which takes part in the Google Lunar X Prize. This competition offers $ 20 million to any company which can send up, land and operate a lunar rover on the moon surface.
Leaders of Paragon say future testing of the "Lunar Oasis" will be driven by Odyssey's flight schedule, which will not happen until 2012 at the earliest.
When it is sent up, the greenhouse will have the seeds of cabbage inside it. Because they go from seed to flower in just 14 days, they can complete their life cycle in a lunar night.
"Growing plants on the Moon or Mars seems so far away, but it is important that we do this research now," Paragon president Jane Poynter said. "It takes a long time to do a lot of research." | high12482.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "He thought his son was doing the right thing."
},
"options": [
"He thought his son was doing the right thing.",
"He advised him to stay at school to complete his education.",
"He did not like the idea, but he helped Ron to fi... | At sixteen Ron Mackie might have stayed at school, but the future called to him excitedly. Get out the classroom into a job." it said, and Ron obeyed .His father ,supporting the decision, found a place for him in a supermarket. "You are lucky, Ron", he said. "For every boy with a job these days, there's a dozen without." So Ron joined the working world at twenty pounds a week.
For a year he spent his days filling shelves with tins of food. By the end of that time he was looking back on his schooldays as a time of treat variety and satisfaction. He searched for an interest in his work, with little success.
One fine day instead of going to work Ron got a lift on a lorry going south. With nine pounds in his pocket, a full heart and a great longing for the sea, he set out to make a better way for himself. That evening, in Bournemouth, he had sandwich and a drink in a cafe run by an eldly man and his wife. Before he had finished the sandwich, the woman had taken him on for the rest of the summer, at twenty pounds a week, a room upstairs and three meals a day. The ease and speed of it rather took Ron's breath away. At quiet times Ron had to check the old man's arithmetic in the records of the business.
At the end of the season, he stayed on the coast. He was again surprised how straightforward it was for a baby of seventeen to make a living. He worked in shops mostly, but once he took a job in hotel for three weeks. Late in October he was taken on by the sick manager of a shoe shop. Ron soon found himself in charge there; he was the only one who could keep the books. | high23887.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "They went to their families or friends"
},
"options": [
"They listened to the radio",
"They went to their families or friends",
"They watched TV programmes",
"They made telephone calls"
],
"question": "How did p... | In the past, when people had problems, they usually went to their families or friends to get advice. Today it is possible to get advice from radio shows, TV programmes and telephone hot lines. A hot line is a telephone line. It offers a direct way of getting in touch with advisers. Most hot lines are completely _ . That is to say, callers do not have to say their names or telephone numbers. Most hot lines are free. Callers do not have to pay for the advice or the phone calls. At some hot lines, the advisers are volunteers. Other hot lines pay their advisers for their work. Usually the advisers are full-time-job people with years of education and experience, but sometimes the advisers have only taken a short class before starting to work on the hot line. All the advisers listen to people and help them solve their problems. | high8599.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "give advice on how to choose a bike"
},
"options": [
"give advice on how to choose a bike",
"advertise some famous bike brands",
"encourage people to go to work by bike",
"introduce the advantages of different bikes"
... | Jumping on your bike, even in the city, is becoming increasingly popular--- in London, for example, cycle use has more than doubled in the past ten years. So, which is the best bike for you?
If you're traveling to work, a folding bike such as one of the models here is suitable unless you're cycling more than a couple of miles, in which case it might be uncomfortable . You can take a fold-up on the train and as it goes indoors with you, it's secure .
For longer journeys, a road bike with drop handlebars and narrow tyres is a good choice. Try Specialized, from PS400. Note that the riding position encourages you to look downwards, which can be dangerous.
Mountain bikes are best suited to off-road travel; their fat and strong tyres are good for climbing steep, muddy slopes . Good brands include Trek and Giant, with prices starting at less than PS300.
A hybrid bike (halfway between a mountain bike and a road bike) is a good compromise with more upright riding position and thin, fast tyres. Ridgeback makes great hybrids, from around PS350.
For a classic sit-up-and-beg bike, it's still hard to beat Pashley, which makes its bikes by hand. Expect to pay around PS500.
Once you've picked your bike, sizing is crucial or you may suffer back or neck pain. A famous bike shop will help you choose the right size frame. The height of the seat should be adjusted carefully---again, a good shop will advise. If you only plan to cycle once or twice a month, you can choose a lower-priced bike, but for regular use, paying more means better quality: cheaper bikes need more frequent adjustment of brakes and gears ---and tend to be heavier, too. Finally, items such as mudguards aren't always included. | high22541.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "very strict with her children"
},
"options": [
"not generous at all",
"very cruel to her children",
"very mean with money matters",
"very strict with her children"
],
"question": "From the passage we can learn t... | I had the meanest mother in the world.While other kids ate candy for breakfast.I had to have cereal, eggs and toast.Others had cakes and candy for lunch, while we had to eat a sandwich.As you can guess, my supper was different from the other kids'.But at least I was not alone in my suffering.My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.
My mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times.She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing.We had to wear clean clothes every day.Other kids always wore their clothes for days. We reached the height of disgrace because she made our clothes herself, just to save money.
The worst is yet to come.We had to be in bed by 9:00 each night and up at 7:45 the next morning.So while my friends slept, my mother actually had the courage to break Child Labor Law.She made us work. I believed she lay awake all night thinking up mean things to do to us.Through the years, our friends' report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing.My mother, however, would only be satisfied with black marks.None of us was allowed the pleasure of being a dropout .
She forced us to grow up into educated and honest adults.Using this as a background, I'm now trying to bring up my three children.I'm filled with pride when my children think I am mean because now I thank God every day for giving me the meanest mother in the world. | high997.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Cook food by themselves."
},
"options": [
"Post their recipes online.",
"Cook food by themselves.",
"Eat at their favorite restaurant.",
"Take photos of every dish they eat."
],
"question": "What does Hampton ad... | You may have noticed something different when you ate at your favorite restaurant. Or perhaps you picked up on it while looking through your social media apps . You guessed it ---we're becoming a foodie culture.
For some, that means photographing every dish, but others are taking it one step further. Sophia Hampton, a senior at Staples High School in US, chooses to make her own food. She has been published in Future Chefs, a cookbook of recipes by teens.
Hampton's best advice for those who want to be foodies is to get in the kitchen.
"Start cooking," she said. "There are so many resources online, like recipes and articles about food. Go to your local farmers' market and start cooking with them.
Besides blogs and online resources, there are also hands-on cooking classes for students. The Chopping Block, a Chicago cooking school, offers many different classes for teens, including courses on chocolate and French food.
By attending cooking classes, surfing online and going to restaurants, you can find endless recipes. But sometimes becoming a real foodie means being behind a camera. As our food-loving culture becomes more popular and teen-friendly, social media apps like Facebook, have become major players in food culture.
"Getting involved in foodie culture is as easy as having a camera and a social media app," one foodie said. "I always go to streets and farmers' markets to take beautiful pictures of food. Wherever food prices are expensive, the photos are free." | high9687.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "remind people of the importance of tomatoes"
},
"options": [
"recommend that we should have 16 milligrams of lycopene",
"tell people how important it is to keep our skin healthy",
"remind people of the importance of tomatoes"... | Tomatoes are necessary in every kitchen, but hardly will you hear their cosmetic function. Not only do tomatoes taste great, but they also keep the skin healthy. It is good to consume tomatoes as they have lycopene , which is an antioxidant and hence works as a sunscreen from within. These antioxidants make the tomato an anti-aging product as they help fight the damage and reddening of the skin. It is recommended to have at least 16 milligrams of lycopene per day. For people who are used to sitting in air-conditioned places, tomato helps moisturize their skin. In a word, whether you want to cure large pores and sun-burns or reduce acne , tomatoes are beneficial.
Cure big pores
Big pores provide easy access to dirt, thus increasing the chances of infecting the pore. Take a tablespoon of fresh tomato juice, and mix it with two to four drops of fresh lime juice. Use a cotton ball to put this mixture on your face for about 15 minutes and then wash it off with cool water. Regular application will reduce pores greatly.
Reduce acne
Tomatoes can help reduce and clear up your acne. Vitamin A and vitamin C are commonly found in a lot of acne medicines. Tomatoes are rich in vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K. If you have mild acne, cut a tomato in half and leave it on your face for an hour, which will moisturize your face. Do this as many times as you can, and your acne will dry off soon.
Cool the skin
A lot of people's skin gets sun-burnt in summer because of staying in the sun for a long time. Crush half a tomato and mix it with two table-spoons of plain yogurt. Apply this mixture on face, neck, hands and feet for 20 minutes, and then wash it. Tomato cools the skin, while yogurt can make it soft and supple. | high24130.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "until they reach the age of 13"
},
"options": [
"until they reach the age of 13",
"if they don't really need one",
"unless they do some housework",
"before they become independent"
],
"question": "Bill Gates wil... | Microsoft founder Bill Gates has opened up about being a parent, stating that 13 is an appropriate age for a child's first cell phone.
The 57-year-old, father-of-three, revealed on the Today Show that his children Jennifer and Rory were not allowed phones until their thirteenth birthday and his youngest daughter Phoebe is still waiting for one.
"We've chosen in our family that it's 13 where you get a phone," the self-made billionaire explained.
He said as a result his children often return home from school complaining: "All the other kids have it.I'm the only one without it, and it's so embarrassing."
Asked if he keeps passwords to his son and daughters' email and Facebook accounts, Mr Gates said that he doesn't for Jennifer, 16, who he describes as "independent".
He admitted that monitoring online activity is "a very tricky is sue for parents now."
Despite their vast wealth Mr and Mrs Gates, who live in Lake Medina, just outside Seattle, Washington, have said they want to give their children as normal an upbringing as possible.
It was previously reported that their youngsters have to complete household chores and are given a modest smount of pocket money.
And in 2010 Mr Cates said that he intends to give most of his $ 61 billion fortune away rather than hand it down." _ wouldn't be good either for my kids or society," he said.
Also during the Today Interview with host Matt Lauer, Mr Gates, who stepped down from Microsoft in 2008 to concentrate on philanthropy , said that helping others gives him same excitement as creating software.
" What you really feel is what you've achieved.If a piece of software gets out there and lots of people love it-it lets them get their work done in better ways-that's exciting," he explained. | high23139.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "had the most exciting experiences"
},
"options": [
"had the most exciting experiences",
"told the tallest stories",
"made history",
"caused accidents"
],
"question": "According to the story, Henry had _ .",
... | Henry had been a journalist for many years. He had worked on many international newspapers and magazines and traveled all over the world.
Henry had _ wars and natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes and erupting volcanos . He had reported on serious accidents such as major fires and airline crashes. He had seen every kind of terrible crime and strange event there was. He had met and written about some of the most unusual people in the world. In fact, there wasn't much that Henry had not seen or done.
Now he was retired from journalism. He owned a very expensive restaurant and spent his days talking to his wealthy and important customers. He liked to say that nothing surprised him.
One day he was sitting at the bar in his restaurant when a big gorilla walked in and asked for a table. Henry showed no surprise. He took the gorilla to a table and handed him a menu. He treated him politely and pretended there was nothing at all strange about having a gorilla in his restaurant.
The gorilla looked through the menu and ordered a salad. Henry served the gorilla his salad personally, knowing that his waiters and waitresses would be too frightened. At last the gorilla finished his salad and asked for the bill. Henry wrote out the bill and handed it to the big animal. The gorilla studied it, shook his head sadly, then gave Henry fifty dollars.
"Thank you", Henry said, and then to make conversation he added, "We don't get many gorillas in this restaurant."
"At fifty dollars for a salad," the gorilla said, "I'm not surprised." | high14795.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Little Brother."
},
"options": [
"The Flying Troutmans.",
"What They Wanted.",
"Little Brother.",
"Reading By Lightning."
],
"question": "If Jim only has 20 dollars, which book could he buy?",
"question_type... | Little Brother
By Cory Doctorow, 382 pages, $19.95
In the very near future, Marcus Yallow is walking with his friends in San Francisco when a 9/11-sized terrorist attack occurs blocks away. Everyone around is secretly taken away by the Department of Homeland Security to see whether they're terrorists. However, during the investigation, one of his friends dies mysteriously. The friends try to find out the truth. If you read only one science-fiction novel this year, make it this one.
The Flying Troutmans
By Miriam Toews, 274 pages, $32
The heart of the book is a road journey in Canada made by Hattie,Thebes and Logan to find Cherkis, the kids' dad. It's rich in dialogue, sometimes funny, sometimes surprisingly sad, always character-true. Toews is an extraordinarily gifted writer, with tough-minded compassion for her characters.
Reading By Lightning
By Joan Thomas, 388 pages, $22.95
We're in 1930s Canada, where Lily's father arrived three decades earlier to be promised fertile agricultural land. But they had been cheated and thrown in the middle of Manitoba. Now William Piper and his wife farm their land and place little hope in this life.
What They Wanted
By Donna Morrissey, 325 pages, $32
A father has a heart attack; a brother and a sister leave Newfoundland and go to Alberta, Canada to work; a tragedy brings reconciliation , but also terrible loss. Primarily a novel of character, it's also a novel of Canada, of two very specific and vividly drawn places. Donna Morrissey's characters are troubled, sensitive, quick to be moved to anger or pain, and just as quick to laughter and affection. | high5903.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "In the box he made."
},
"options": [
"In a church in Egypt.",
"In the box he made.",
"On his way home.",
"At the orphanage."
],
"question": "Where were Grandpa's glasses lost?",
"question_type": "factiod_que... | Grandpa was a carpenter . One day he was making some boxes for the clothes his church was sending to an orphanage in Egypt. On his way home, he reached into his shirt pocket to find his glasses, but they were gone. He drove back to the church, but his search turned out to be fruitless.
Suddenly, he realized what happened. The glasses had slipped out of his pocket and fallen into one of the boxes, which he had nailed shut. His new glasses were heading for Africa!
Grandpa had six children and he had paid twenty dollars for the glasses that morning. "It's not fair," he told God as he drove home. "I've been very faithful in giving my time and money to YOUR work."
Several months later, the director of the orphanage was on holiday in the United States. He wanted to visit all the churches that helped him in Egypt, so he came to speak on Sunday night at my grandfather's small church in Chicago.
"But most of all," he said, "I must thank you for the glasses you sent last year. You see, I had just broken my glasses. Then your boxes arrived. To my surprise, I found a pair of glasses in it and it fit me very well!"
The people listened, happy for the amazing glasses, but thought that the man must have confused their church with another. There were no glasses on their list of items to be sent overseas. Sitting quietly in the back, with tears in his eyes, Grandpa realized that God had played a big trick on him. | high11835.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "to different cities in Greece"
},
"options": [
"to different cities in Greece",
"from Greece to other countries",
"to tourist attractions in Greece",
"from Greece to its bordering countries"
],
"question": "The... | Greece is one of the most beautiful countries of the world. Millions of tourists visit this place every year. In Greece the bus is the most convenient and preferred means of travelling. There are intercity buses operated by KTEL that interconnect various cities of Greece, and there are international buses operated by OSE that connect Greece to other European cities.
Every tourist must visit Greece at least once in life. This country is really a vacation heaven. It is the perfect blend of history and art with adventure and romance. You can dive into deep blue waters, climb up the mountains or enjoy ancient architecture and history.
Buses in Greece are cheap and very comfortable. All bus stations display schedules of buses on every route. Conductors and drivers are very polite and helpful. Travelers never face any trouble locating and boarding buses to their destinations. Tourists can always ask the conductor to inform them about their stop, so that they can get down at the right stop. Everyone here is more than happy to help tourists.
Athens, the capital of Greece, has three bus terminals. Buses to different part of Greece leave from different terminals.
Air-conditioned express buses also operated between major cities. They are faster and more comfortable than other buses. Tourists can choose guided Greece bus tour. These tours are the perfect way of exploring this great country.
Buses in Greece are also a great way of saving _ on the journey. The long-distance bus system is very cheap. Buses save a lot of money to cover long distances, cheaper than taxis or cars. They are also the best means of interacting with local people. You can sit next to a native Greece and get some information about the place. | high23111.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "keep an arm's length away from him/her"
},
"options": [
"kiss him/her on the cheek",
"keep an arm's length away from him/her",
"put an arm around him/her",
"slap his/her back"
],
"question": "According to the pa... | It could happen just about any time you step out in public. You get onto an almost-empty bus, but the next passenger in decides to ignore dozens of empty seats to sit right next to you. While you're waiting in line at a supermarket, the next customer insists on standing only two inches behind you and shouting into his cell-phone. You go into a public restroom, and the next person to enter decides to use the next stall. Transgressions like these don't just make us feel uncomfortable; we often feel anxious, alarmed; and violated . It is the attack of the personal-space invaders.
In any society, shared definitions of personal space govern how we interact with other people. People living in densely populated cities like Mumbai, Beijing, or Mexico City tend to require less personal space than people living in sparsely populated places within the country. In America, New Yorkers often have smaller requirements than residents of western states, like Montana, Shenandoah and Wyoming. Because everyone has different standards, gestures that are innocent in one place can be interpreted as opposite in another, especially in Britain.
As the British etiquette website Debrett puts it, as a British person, somebody standing too close may make you "focus less on what somebody is saying than on how close they are to you". Simple acts like putting an arm around someone you don't know may seem friendly in China, but they can make us very uncomfortable. People from many European countries such as France and Spain kiss each other on the cheek when they meet, yet to British person, this seems too friendly and "touch-freely". The website explains! "The British are not backslappers and generally do not show affection in public".
Are British people unfriendly? Far from it. The website adds that they are not as " _ ' as they may seem, but very friendly and helpful to foreigners. However, remember not to be too close. If you are going to come closer than an arm's length, please let them know. | high14965.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "use one part of the brain"
},
"options": [
"only use the \"reason\" side of the brain",
"only use the \"creative\" side of the brain",
"use different parts of the brain",
"use one part of the brain"
],
"question... | A man enters a store to buy milk. He walks out of the store with milk. That is all--milk. At the same time, a woman enters the same grocery store also to buy milk. She buys it. But, she also buys chicken and lemons to make dinner that night. She also gets a bottle of wine for drinks with friends and a birthday card for her husband's niece. And that is the difference between the female and male brains simply explained in a grocery store. Generally speaking, men do one thing at a time. Women do many. Doing many things at one time is often called "multi-tasking," a very popular word these days.
Now scientific research supports this theory about male and female brains. A recent study has confirmed what we have known all along--men and women think differently.
Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania studied brain images of 949 people aged from 8 to 22 years old. They found that male brains have more connections on one side of the brain, or hemisphere. In the female brain, they found more activity and connections between the right and left sides of the brain. The left side of the brain is known as the side of "reason". The right hemisphere is known as the "creative" side.
Regina Verma is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. She co-wrote the report. She says when women are asked to do something complicated they might use different parts of the brain. But men generally use just one.
As a result, men generally deal directly with a problem. There is a strong connection between the "understanding" and the "action" parts of their brains. Women, however, might include other parts of the brain, like the part connected with "reason" and the part connected with sensitivity when solving a problem. Women take a less direct path to find a solution.
Thanks for your listening. I'm your announcer Anna Matteo. | high19299.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "swimming with the wild animals side by side"
},
"options": [
"swimming with the wild animals side by side",
"telling a story to the wild animals",
"beating the animals with a whip or stick",
"shouting at the animals"
... | Kewen Lichadson is thirty two years old now. He works in the Lasailian Park in the South Africa, where many wild animals such as lions, tigers, leopards and wolves are living. When you get there you may have a chance to see him playing with these wild animals without anything to protect himself except a small bag of pepper . Sometimes he would go swimming with them side by side.
It is reported that nearly all the wild animals are brought up by him even from the time they were six months old. For so many years he has cared for them day and night that they have made great friendship between them. "Sometimes if I could not get home at night I would stay with these animals throughout the night. It's quite warm and safe." He often says to the reporter.
"Compared with animals, the human beings are less trusted." he may go on. "You needn't have to worry about whether these wild animals could make a secret attack from the back, but for the human beings I can't give you a good answer because, I believe, they are more cunning ."
When asked why, he would tell you, "I'm not a talented animal tamer, you know. But I believe, like any of us they have their own feelings. Instead of sticks, whips or iron chains , I treat them with as much patience and respect as possible. Perhaps this might be dangerous but for me this is not a kind of job but love." | high21706.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "China's icebreaker Xuelong headed to open water"
},
"options": [
"There are enough entertainment facilities on Xuelong",
"China's icebreaker Xuelong headed to open water",
"The ice of three to four meters thick surrounded the... | ABOARD XUELONG--The stranded Chinese icebreaker, Xuelong, or Snow Dragon, broke through the Antarctic's heavy ice Hoes at about 6 pm, on Tuesday, January 7th, 2014 and headed for open water, according to Xinhua Agency. After being stranded in heavy ice for five days, the ship had broken free by Tuesday evening and was making its way through lighter ice, China Central Television reported on Tuesday.
The vessel, which had been conducting China's 30th Antarctic expedition before going to the aid of the Russian ship Akademik Shokalskiy, will now continue with its scheduled activities. The trapped Russian ship was also trying to free itself on Tuesday, with the favorable west wind loosening the surrounding ice, according to CCTV. A helicopter onboard Xuelong _ 52 passengers onboard Akademik Shokalskiy to an Australian vessel on Thursday. The Russian ship had been stuck in the ice for 10 days. However, Xuelong became trapped during the rescue effort, with the ice surrounding the vessel three to four meters thick, far beyond the ship's ice-breaking capability.
Qu Tanzhou, director of the Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration under the State Oceanic Administration, told China Daily via telephone on Tuesday that Xuelong's attempts at the breakout started on Tuesday morning. "A west wind is blowing on Tuesday, as we expected, which makes the floes and ice surrounding Xuelong more loose , creating favorable conditions for sailing on Wednesday," Qu said.
On Tuesday morning, Xuelong broke ice for about 100 meters at a speed of 6 km per hour, but later became trapped in the broken floes, according to Xinhua. The efforts bore fruit on Tuesday afternoon with the ship sailing through the area of heavy ice. All the 101 crew members onboard are faring well, with entertainment facilities such as ping-pong tables, a gym and a library accessible. There is enough food onboard to last until April, sufficient water for a month and oil for four months, Qu said in a previous interview. | high18187.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "lack self-confidence"
},
"options": [
"easily lose their temper",
"lack self-confidence",
"follow their own paths",
"tend to shout at people"
],
"question": "If parents are worried about the studies of their chi... | From James Dean to Growing Pains, Hollywood has long had a love affair with the relationship between teens and their parents. As the fascination with this relationship attests, parents play a crucial role in the development of their children's personalities.
Teenagers learn by closely observing what people around them do. Parents are literally their first teachers and serve as role models. From hygiene to habits, from time management to personal manner, parents form the foundation of their children's characteristics. These tiny individual factors on our everyday behavior collectively constitute who we are.
A second influence occurs at the spiritual level. Parental treatment of children is reflected in children's relationship with others. For example, my dad was quite angry with my study habits a few years back and lost his temper.I clearly remember that I too would easily lose my cool and shout at people, often saying things I later regretted, in those difficult days.
Parents of my fellow classmates often tend to be anxious about the studies of their children, which can lead to a lack of confidence in their children. If we are boats weathering a storm as we navigate toward maturity, then parents should be our captains. It is as easy to lead us to shipwreck as is to take us ashore safely.
To be fair, the guidance and influence of our parents are not the sole factors in molding us. There are numerous examples of teens forging their own paths and becoming something of which their parents never dreamed. Even so, parents must be a fundamental force that positively influences their children. At their best, they can help to solve teenage problems with a respect for their children's thoughts. | high20418.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Craig's life."
},
"options": [
"Craig's working place.",
"Craig's friends.",
"Craig's life.",
"Craig's duty."
],
"question": "What is the topic of the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": ... | Most people don't know the true story of the little boy who came to be known as Douglas Craig. He was found wandering around the streets of Washington D.C. He could not hear or speak. Sometimes people pitied him and gave him food and clothing. If not, he ate what he could find in garbage cans.
It is said that a man named Craig found the little boy and took him to Dr. E. M. Gallaudet at Gallaudet College. Dr Gallaudet gave him the first name of Douglas, and the last name of Craig, after the man who found him.
Dr Gallaudet placed Douglas in the Kendall School, and he stayed there until he was old enough to work. He spent his life working in and around the halls of Gallaudet.
Once he courted a black woman from Baltimore. Since his courtship required letter-writing, and he was illiterate, he had a student in the college act as his "private secretary". Though that relationship did not work out, he did finally marry. Later, he married a black deaf woman from Washington D.C. The wedding and reception took place in a church near the college.
The happy couple went to Baltimore for a honeymoon, but the honeymoon only lasted for one day. Their plans were cut short when Douglas's pocketbook containing about $300 was either lost or stolen.
Douglas never got very far from Washington D.C. and Gallaudet College was his world. He went to Norfolk, Virginia, once on a vacation, but he did not know what a vacation was. He spent the entire time working around the docks of Norfolk. He came home with a pocket of money, and told everyone that he had a fine vacation.
Douglas's last public duty was to raise the flag to the top of the new flagpole in front of College Hall. He died on February 11, 1936, but left a story at Gallaudet that would live forever. | high16814.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "find out the reasons and relax yourself"
},
"options": [
"stay home and keep silent",
"go to a doctor and buy some medicine",
"not consider it very serious",
"find out the reasons and relax yourself"
],
"questio... | Feel tired lately? Has a doctor said he can't find anything wrong with you? Perhaps he sent you to a hospital, but all the advanced equipment there shows that there is nothing wrong with you.
Then , consider this: you might be in a state of sub - health .
Sub - health, also called the third state or gray state, is explained as a borderline state between health and disease.
According to the survey by the National Health Organization, Over 45 percent of sub - healthy people are middle-aged or elderly. The percentage is even higher among people who work in management positions as well as students around exam week.
Symptoms include a shortage of energy, depression, slow reactions, insomnia and poor memory , Other symptoms include shortness of breath, sweating and aching in the waist and legs.
The key to preventing and recovering from sub - health, according to some medical experts, is to form good living habits, ale mate work and rest, exercise regularly, and take part in open air activities.
As for meals, people are advised to eat less salt and sugar . They should also eat more fresh vegetables, fruits, fish because they are rich in nutritional elements - vitamins and trace elements - that are important to the body.
Nutrition experts point out that it is not good to eat too much at one meal because it may cause unhealthy changes in the digestive tract . They also say that a balanced diet is very helpful in avoiding sub - health. | high5095.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Learning to produce a sharp and correctly developed picture is only the first step in photography and is easily learned."
},
"options": [
"The skills of photography are not as satisfactory nowadays as befo... | In many ways, the earliest periods of photography are the most satisfying. Learning to use the controls is easy and comes quickly, and you can measure the results in terms of sharp and correctly developed pictures. Once you have mastered that, you can start on the second step of your photographic work. Using these basic skills in a wide variety of situations to give the pictures you want, noticing what you see through the viewfinder and turning that into the most effective picture becomes totally interesting.
All good photographs have one thing in common; there is no doubt what the subject of the picture is meant to be. Every photographer must use those same standards to his or her work, not only to the finished results but to the subject before he or she takes it. Always work out quite clearly what the subject of the picture is to be and why you are taking the picture. For example,"I am going to take a picture of this street to show the different styles and ages of the buildings and that people have been living, working and shopping in them since time began."By doing this you have a better idea of what to include in the picture and what to leave out. How often have you been shown photographs taken by people away on a trip somewhere? The judgment is always similar, something about"the car park is out of the picture to the left", or"you can't quite see from this picture but if you go up the street". The photographs are usually collections of buildings, people, parked cars, possibly a distant look of an ancient church, and best of all, a figure which you are told is Aunt Henrietta, disappearing in the middle distance.
When photographers show you their pictures, they have a clear idea of what they want to bring to your attention, but it often does not appear in the picture. If they had given just a little of their time to think about their future judgment before taking the picture, then the picture would relate its own story. Good pictures can show their subjects quickly and easily. | high21060.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He has had a lifelong passion for insects."
},
"options": [
"He is unwilling to leave his childhood behind.",
"He is an excellent naturalist with a good reputation.",
"He has had a lifelong passion for insects.",
"He ha... | Many children have a "bug period"--a time of life when bugs are a source of endless fascination and learning. Naturalist Edward O. Wilson jokes that unlike other kids, he never grew out of his bug period.
Luckily for this biologist, his lifelong passion for ants has led to a career rich in accomplishments and praise. He is not just the world's foremost expert on the social behavior of ants, but also the receiver of the National Medal of Science and two Pulitzer Prizes for nonfiction. Now, at the age of 80, Wilson has tried his hand at fiction. His first novel, Anthill, combines two of his greatest loves -- his childhood home, Alabama, and the ants that have been his lifelong friends.
Described as a "six-legged Iliad," Wilson's Anthill draws parallels between human and ant societies. Though there are no ant bands, secret police, or schools of philosophy, both ants and man conduct wars, divide themselves into specialized classes of workers, build cities, maintain infant nurseries and cemeteries, take slaves and practice agriculture, though ant societies are more energetic, selfless, and efficient than human ones.
The book's first and third sections deal with the adventures of an Alabama boy, Raphael Semmes Cody, who goes by the name Raff. The boy grows up knocking around the Nokobee woods; he's drawn to its natural wonders, and uses the forest to escape from his parents' unhappy marriage. In the woods he leaves almost no stone unturned as he discovers the forest's rich flora and fauna . Raff grows up and heads to Harvard to study law, but returns later in life to protect the Nokobee from crazy developers. But fans of Wilson's science will be most interested in the book's middle section, where the author inserts a mini-novel describing the trials and sufferings of the ants living in the endangered forest.
Reviews of the book have been mixed. Writing for The New York Review of Books, Margaret Atwood praised Wilson for his first novel, saying that it is highlighted by a diversity of ideas and an imaginative plot. And -- with the exception of some dull preachiness -- it is entertaining. | high18839.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "on the Internet intended for college students to read"
},
"options": [
"on the Internet intended for college students to read",
"in a newspaper intended for large companies to read",
"on the Internet intended for the general ... | What is it: Work & Travel USA
Who are qualified: Fulltime college students, above 18 years old
About the program: Application for the 2009 Work & Travel USA program has just started. It's an 8~16 weeks' summer program for college students to work and travel in the U.S.. Employers include Boeing, Hilton Hotel and 7Eleven. For next summer, about 3,500 positions are open to Chinese students. Applicants must pass a language test and sometimes an interview, and pay a registration fee to join the program.
(Source: www. Cultureexchange. org)
_
What is it: Shanghai Volkswagen jobs
Who are qualified: College students graduating in 2009
About it: Shanghai VW offers over 300 positions from engineering to marketing to college students graduating in 2009. Applicants should have an excellent academic record, CET6 or the same level language certificate in German, and good computer skills. Campus talks will take place in Shanghai, Changchun, Harbin, Wuhan, Changsha, Nanjing, Beijing and Xi'an from October.
(source: campus chinahr. com/2009/pages/csvw)
_
What is it: Oak Pacific Interactive (OPI) internships
Who are qualified: College juniors and firstyear postgraduate students
About it: OPI is now offering internship positions for test engineer, development engineer and assistant to the director of corporate culture. For engineering positions, candidates should major in computer science or a related field, have communication ability and be familiar with various development languages. For assistant to the director positions, candidates should be adept in document writing, activities organizing and office software.
(source: campus. xiaonei. com) | high9877.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "to voice her support for a total ban of landmines"
},
"options": [
"to clarify the British government's stand on landmines",
"to establish her image as a friend of landmine victims",
"to investigate the sufferings of landmine... | It came as something of a surprise when Diana, Princess of Wales, made a trip t Angola in 1997, to support the Red Cross's campaign for a total ban on all anti-personnel landmine landmines Within hours of arriving in Angola, television screens around the world were filled with images of her comforting victims injured in explosions caused by landmines. "I knew the statistics," she said. "But putting a face to those figures brought the reality home to me; like when I met Sandra, a 13-year-old girl who had lost her leg, and people like her."
The Princess concluded with a simple message: "We must stop landmines". And she used every opportunity during her visit to repeat this message.
But, back in London, her views were not shared by some members of the British government, which refused to support a ban on these weapons. Angry politicians launched an attack on the Princess in the press. They described her as "very ill-informed" and a "loose cannon" .
The Princess responded by brushing aside the criticisms: "This is a distraction , we do not need. All I'm trying to do is help."
Opposition parties, the media and the public immediately voiced their support for the Princess. To make matters worse for the government, it soon emerged that the Princess's trip had been approved by the Foreign Office, and that she was in fact very well-informed about both the situation in Angola and the British government's policy regarding landmines. The result was a severe embarrassment for the government.
To try and limit the damage, the Foreign Secretary, Malcolm Rifkidnd, claimed that the Princess's views on landmines were not very different from government policy, and that it was "working towards" a worldwide ban. The Defense Secretary, Michael Portillo, claimed the matter was "a misinterpretation or misunderstanding."
For the Princess, the trip to this war-torn country was an excellent opportunity to use her popularity to show the world how much destruction and suffering landmines can cause. She said that the experience had also given her the chance to get closer to people an their problems. | high7682.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "pleased and surprised"
},
"options": [
"sad and surprised",
"pleased and surprised",
"excited and pleased",
"pleased and touched"
],
"question": "After receiving the list, every student felt _ .",
"questio... | One day, a teacher asked her students to list the names of their classmates on two pieces of paper, leaving a space after each name. Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of them. That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the names and the words of each student on a separate piece of paper. On Monday she gave each student the list.
Before long, the students were smiling. "I never knew that I meant anything to anyone! And I didn't know others liked me so much." most students said. No one ever mentioned anything about the paper in class again, but it didn't matter. The students were happy with themselves and one another.
Several years later, one of the students, Mike would graduate from Harvard University and his teacher and some former classmates attended the commencement .
Mike came up to her. "I want to show you something," he said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. He carefully took out two pieces of notebook paper to the teacher without looking at the paper. "Thank you so much for doing that." Mike said. All of Mike's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie said, "I put mine in my album." I think we all treasured our lists." Marilyn said.
Tears rolled down the eyes of the teacher. We may encounter so many people in our lives, and it's a precious joy to see the good in all those journeys. | high23677.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The Internet seems to have contributed much to the problem of online plagiarism."
},
"options": [
"There will be no problem if online plagiarism is a systematic and commercial operation.",
"With the help of online plagiarism, stude... | It has been more than twenty years since pioneering British computer programmer, Sir Tim Berners Lee, created the World Wide Web. But could he have ever imagined how much the web would change our lives? And would he approve of how some British students are taking advantage of his invention?
Universities and exam boards around the UK are becoming increasingly concerned with the rising number of cases of _ , many of which are facilitated by the Internet access.
In the UK most school and university students complete coursework throughout the academic year which contributes toward their final mark. In many cases coursework makes up the main part of the qualification. Since coursework is completed in the students' own time it cannot be monitored by teachers in the same way as an exam.
Derec Stockley, director of examinations in the UK, explains, "Plagiarism affects coursework more than anything else, and in the cases that come to our attention, more and more are linked to the Internet."
At a university level recent reports suggest that plagiarism has evolved from separate cases of individual cheating to systematic and even commercial operation. Students can now pay for bespoke essays to be written for them by experts.
It is estimated that the market in online plagiarism is now worth 200 million pounds a year. Every month more and more websites offering to write student's essays for them appear on the Internet.
Barclay Littlewood, owner of Degree Essays UK employs 3,500 specialist writers and charges between 120 pounds and 4,000 pounds per essay. However, Mr. Littlewood refutes the accusation that he is helping students to cheat. | high767.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "appearance"
},
"options": [
"study",
"age",
"appearance",
"beauty"
],
"question": "Martha felt extremely shy because of her_.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index... | Mr. Hadley was my 6th grade teacher. At that time I was a short girl weighing 70 kilograms. Boys always laughed at me because of it. So I became an extremely shy young lady.
One day Mr. Hadley told us that we would be required to come to the front of the class and read the reports that we had completed.
When my turn came, I refused to stand in front of all those students and open up to their tricks. Mr. Hadley handed me my report and asked me to read it. I gave it back to him. He walked to the front and said,"Martha has a very good report here and I think everyone needs to hear her read it. If you make strange noises or make fun of her in any way, I will let you fail right here and now. OK?"
Mr. Hadley walked back to me and handed me the paper again, asking me to go to the front of the class. I walked there on legs that were shaking and I felt a rabbit in my chest. Everyone was all quiet, including those boys. I stood there trying to be calm.
Mr. Hadley walked over to me and put his arm around me,"You can do it. I have confidence in you!" His words helped me calm down. I read the report and instead of the kids laughing at me and making fun of me, they all stood up and clapped their hands.
From that day on the kids never made fun of me any more and some actually made friends with me. I continued to be quite shy all through school but I knew if I had to stand up in front of the class, I could do it. | high24118.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Cells, tissues and organs of one's own."
},
"options": [
"Donated cells, tissues and organs.",
"Rejected cells, tissues and organs.",
"Cells, tissues and organs of one's own.",
"Cells, tissues and organs made of steel."... | For centuries, medical pioneers have refined a variety of methods and medicines to treat sickness, injury, and disability, enabling people to live longer and healthier lives.
"A salamander (a small lizard-like animal) can grow back its leg. Why can't a human do the same?" asked Peruvian-born surgeon Dr. Anthony Atala in a recent interview. The question, a reference to work aiming to grow new limbs for wounded soldiers, captures the inventive spirit of regenerative medicine. This innovative field seeks to provide patients with replacement body parts.
These parts are not made of steel; they are the real things --- living cells, tissue, and even organs.
Regenerative medicine is still mostly experimental, with clinical applications limited to procedures such as growing sheets of skin on burns and wounds. One of its most significant advances took place in 1999,when a research group at North Carolina's Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine conducted a successful organ replacement with a laboratory-grown bladder. Since then, the team, led by Dr. Atala, has continued to generate a variety of other tissues and organs from kidneys to ears.
The field of regenerative medicine builds on work conducted in the early twentieth century with the first successful transplants of donated human soft tissue and bone. However, donor organs are not always the best option. First of all, they are in short supply, and many people die while waiting for an available organ; in the United States alone, more than 100,000 people are waiting for organ transplants. Secondly, a patient's body may ultimately reject the transplanted donor organ. An advantage of regenerative medicine is that the tissues are grown from a patient's own cells and will not be rejected by the body's immune system.
Today, several labs are working to create bioartificial body parts. Scientists at Columbia and Yale Universities have grown a jawbone and a lung. At the University of Minnesota, Doris Taylor has created a beating bioartificial rat heart. Dr. Atala's medical team has reported long-term success with bioengineered bladders implanted into young patients with spina bifida (a birth defect that involves the incomplete development of the spinal cord). And at the University of Michigan, H. David Humes has created an artificial kidney.
So far, the kidney procedure has only been used successfully with sheep, but there is hope that one day similar kidney will be implantable in a human patient. The continuing research of scientists such as these may eventually make donor organs unnecessary and, as a result, significantly increase individuals' chances of survival. | high9863.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "some poets write more than one type of poem"
},
"options": [
"poems are weak in showing feelings",
"some poets write more than one type of poem",
"narrative poems are shorter than lyric poems",
"the sonnet and the balla... | Poetry, one of the essential art forms of literature, is a brief and easy way to express our feelings. Moreover, everyone understands it in their own way. Some find relief in poems; some read them simply for peace; some read poems for simple artistic pleasure.
There are some special features of poetry, which make it quite different from other forms of literature. First of all, poems have rhythmic patterns. Generally most parts of a poem follow the same form of rhythm. Poems may have rhyme, but they don't have to. The lines are neatly arranged together so that they express a particular feeling or emotion.
There can be various types of poems but according to the pattern or the form, there are mainly three types:
Lyrics: The lyric mainly concentrates on human thoughts and emotions rather than a story. Lyrics always bear song-like appeal. These are mainly short poems. Popular lyric poem forms are the elegy, the ode and the sonnet. William Shakespeare, Edmund Waller and Keats are some of the greatest lyric writers of all times.
Narrative poems: This type of poetry tells a story. Narrative poems are usually long poems. Epics and ballads fall under this type. Some of the greatest epic poets are John Milton, Dante, Edgar Allan Poe, Alexander Pope, William Shakespe are, etc..
Dramatic poems: Any drama that is written in verse is a dramatic poem. These poems generally tell a story. Black verse, dramatic monologue and closet drama belong to this type. William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson are some of the greatest dramatic poets.
Whatever the form is, one thing, which cannot be denied, is that poetry is one of the most powerful tools to express our feelings. | high13978.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He can use either his left hand or his right hand."
},
"options": [
"He can only use his right hand.",
"He can only use his left hand.",
"He can use either his left hand or his right hand.",
"He can use both his left ha... | Right is right. Right? Of course. But is left wrong? Well, the Romans used to think so. They thought left-handed people were mistakes of nature. Latin, the language of the Romans, had many words that expressed this view. Some words we use today still have this meaning. The Latin word "dexter" means "right". The English word "dexterous" comes from this word. It means "handy" (clever with hands). So, right is handy. But the Latin word for left is "sinister". The English word "sinister" comes from this word. Sinister means "evil" (very bad). Is it fair to call right-handed people handy and left-handed people evil? Well, fair or not, many languages have words that express such beliefs. In old English, the word for left means "weak". That isn't much of an improvement over "evil".
Not very long ago, children were often forced to write with their right hands. Doctors have since found that this can be very harmful. You should use the hand you were born to use.
People who use their left hands are just starting to get better treatment. But why they get all these bad names in the first place? One reason may be that there are not as many left-handed people as there are right-handed people. There is one left-handed person for every five right-handed ones. People who are different are often thought to be wrong. But attitudes do seem to be changing. Fair-minded right-handed people are finally starting to give left-handed people a hand. | high7696.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "be true to yourself"
},
"options": [
"follow your destination",
"be true to yourself",
"plan your personal development",
"accept honest people as ends"
],
"question": "If you want to grow spiritually, it is best... | Being honest are fundamental requirements if you want to grow spiritually and follow your true destination of personal development. It's not simply about being honest with people. While that will make you a better person and a more accepted one it's more importantly about being honest with yourself.
Living your life honestly means that you've decided to live openly and to show your true self to others and that you can be relied upon to be trustworthy. On the other hand, dishonesty is all about shade and concealment and living your life in 'dark corners'. When you're dishonest, it means that you remain living in the dark and cannot grow spiritually.
Honesty produces trust-trust in ourselves and in all those around us. Trust in turn produces confidence which we all need to overcome life's problems and which also encourages us to take risks in order to achieve our goals.
You'll have no doubt you have heard expressions such as "what goes around, comes around" and "you get back, what you give out in life" and that's very true. If you don't live your lives honestly, you can be assured that the people you'll attract will turn out to be very similar to you and it's therefore unavoidable that one day you'11 be on the receiving end of someone's dishonest actions or words.
There may be situations where telling the whole truth causes you to bring a lot of pain on somebody else. For example, John may have told Paul that he can't go on a weekend fishing trip with him because he has a family commitment arranged that weekend. You know differently and that the real reason John isn't going is because he hates Paul. When Paul asks you if you know whether the reason is true, what do you say? Well, in situations like this, it's often better to be economical with the truth. You might say that you don't know why John can't go or that you think he has something on that weekend." Of course, this isn't telling the complete truth but you are sparing Paul's feelings on something that won't, after all, have strong influence on Paul's future. | high6588.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "A youth returning to parents after graduation."
},
"options": [
"A person earning low income.",
"A person who has heavy tax burden.",
"A youth who cannot get parental support.",
"A youth returning to parents after gradu... | Normally when I pop in to see my parents, my mum bursts out of the house with a big smile. Not today. "Your brother," she says, "he's showered twice this afternoon. Does he know how much it costs to run this house?" Are we limiting water now? I didn't think the recession had got that bad. My poor brother is a boomerang kid. Like 60 percent of guys immediately after university, he's back at home. Graduating PS15,000 in debt and faced with unpaid internships or low wages thanks to the flooding of the market with graduates, a lot of twenty some things simply don't have the necessary income or parental support to live independently.
Three years after getting their degree, most graduates are still not earning above the average salary. They have a near 50 percent tax burden, thanks to student loan repayments and council tax on top of income tax and national insurance. Unless you have parents who can afford to finance what is effectively a second home for them, returning to the parental nest is often the only affordable option.
The boomerang effect is becoming even more pronounced thanks to the recession. One in four of those losing their job during the downturn is under 25. Only 13 percent of final-year students have jobs. Home is the only place many are going: 111,000 16-29 year olds moved back home in 2008, five times the average of previous years.
Boomeranging is bad news. It poses serious problems for parents' finances. They've already supported their children through university, topping up loans with handouts, averaging PS12,300 in total, to keep twenty somethings afloat. Now their retirement savings are being eaten away by continuously dependent children.
It's bad for the returning kids too. Ambitious young people will be left frustrated, seeing their university peers from more wealthy backgrounds excel only because parents' money was there to support them through the initial period of poverty wages. Those living in rural areas are further disadvantaged by lack of access to cities where most new jobs are located. Half of all young people now feel they will not achieve their goals. Research by the Prince's Trust reveals that one-quarter of all 16-25 year olds are regularly down or depressed. And depression does not help self-motivation, the very trait needed to seek out job opportunities. | high773.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "can make an application on the Internet"
},
"options": [
"must have a good reason to study abroad",
"can make an application on the Internet",
"should create more learning programs",
"will be asked to send a plan to a t... | International students studying in the UK
The UK has a long history of welcoming international students to study in its universities and colleges. In the UK last year there were over 104,000 international students. Choosing which university or college to go to was like a life-changing decision. Do as much research as possible so that you choose the right course for the right reason.
How to apply for higher education
All applications for higher education courses are made using our online application system, which is available 24 hours a day. You fill in the application form online and it does not need to be completed all at once. Please see the When to Apply page to check the dates by which we should receive your completed application.
Choosing a higher education course to study
Try to do a lot of research when deciding which courses to apply for. You will probably want to find out even more before you accept an offer of a place on a course. When you accept an offer of a place, make sure that all of your questions have been answered. Ask teachers if there is anything to prepare before the course starts. They may suggest that you look at certain books on the course reading list or that you improve your computer skills.
Other help and advice
Unistats is a website that can help you to research subjects and universities before deciding where to apply. You can compare subjects, compare universities and explore useful information about getting a job after graduation. Unistats has statistical information on universities, colleges, subjects and teaching style.
Yougo is a student-only networking site where you can meet other applicants online and talk about what you hope to study and the university you hope to attend.
If you have any questions, please call us at 0044-330-333-0230. | high5081.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The wish for peace and happiness in the world."
},
"options": [
"The decoration of the world.",
"The wish for peace and happiness in the world.",
"Celebrating the end of the year.",
"Inviting the spirits of the ancestor... | Most cultures have a feast or festival of light. Each culture celebrates this festival in a different way.
The Jewish Festival of Light is called Hanukkah. It usually takes place in December. The story of why Hanukkah is celebrated is very old. It is told that a long time ago, Jewish people called the Macabees were at war with a country called Syria. On the day that the Macabees won the war, they cleaned up their holy place, which is called a temple, because the Syrian people had been living there. They wanted to light their holy lamps to say thank you for the end of the year, but found only a very small amount of oil left over to do that. The Macabees lit the lamps anyway, thinking that they would soon go out. The lamps kept burning for eight days! The Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah every year by lighting a candlestick that has eight candleholders. Every night a new candle is lit so that on the eighth night, all eight candles stand together. Presents are given at this time and money is given to the poor.
The Christmas story is not quite as old as the Hanukkah story, but it is also very old. Christmas is the time when Christians around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It is believed that Christ was born in a stable. On the night of his birth, angels, shepherds and three wise men visited him. The wise men brought gifts with them. This is a happy and busy time of the year. Homes are decorated with Christmas trees and decorations. It is a time for being with the family. Families travel long distances to gather at Christmas. Lots of lights are put up everywhere. This is to show that Jesus is the"Light of the world"who came to bring peace to all people.
Lanterns are another form of light. In China, the Lantern Festival goes back to the Han Dynasty. One emperor heard that Buddhist monks would light lanterns to _ Buddha on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month;so he also ordered to light lanterns in the imperial palace and temples to show respect to Buddha on the day. Later, the rite developed into a grand festival among common people. During the festival, parks become a sea of lanterns. Sometimes streets are blocked off and lanterns are put down on each side to make a hallway of lanterns. People also hang lanterns in their gardens, outside their houses or on boats. It is believed that the lanterns will guide visitors and the spirits of ancestors to the celebrations. The Lantern Festival is a time for families to reunite. | high21074.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "it had a long distance from the city"
},
"options": [
"there was a big and deep hole",
"the couple was not polite enough",
"it had a long distance from the city",
"drivers were afraid of being in the hole"
],
"q... | Very far away from the city lived a poor farmer and his wife. In front of their house was a small dirt road. Very few cars drove on this road because it was so far from the city. On the dirt road, there was a big hole filled with water. The hole was very deep, but drivers on the road didn't know just how deep. Drivers always drove into the hole, but they never drove out.
One day, a man in a new car was driving down the road. He saw the hole with the water, but he didn't think it was very deep. He drove into the hole, but he couldn't drive out. The man saw the farmer on his tractor working in the field, and he signaled to the farmer. The farmer drove over to the man in the new car.
"Is there a problem?"asked the farmer.
"Yes,"said the man."My car is stuck in this hole. Can you help me?"
"Maybe,"said the farmer."But I'm very busy."
"lf you help me, I'll pay you," said the man.
"OK,"said the farmer. The farmer pulled the car out of the hole with his tractor, and the man paid him a lot of money. The man looked at the farmer and said,"You must. make a lot of money pulling cars out of this hole day and night."
"Actually, no,"said the farmer.
"Why not?"asked the man.
"The hole is very deep, and a lot of people get stuck and ask for help. But I don't make money day and night because I don't pull cars out at night."
"At night I'm busy filling the hole with water," answered the farmer. | high3396.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "it might be left at home"
},
"options": [
"it had been given to the taxi-driver",
"he had dropped it in the taxi",
"he had lost his wallet again",
"it might be left at home"
],
"question": "When the writer could... | I don't often lose things and I'm always careful with money, so I was quite surprised when I reached for my wallet and it wasn't there. At first, I thought it was possible that I could have left it at home. Then I remembered taking it out to pay the taxi, so I knew I had it with me just before I walked into the restaurant. I wondered if it was possible that it could have dropped out of my pocket while I was eating dinner. I turned and walked back to the table where I had been sitting. Unluckily, there were several people sitting at the table at that time, so I had the waiter go over to the table to see if my wallet was on the floor. While the waiter was looking for it, the head of the restaurant came up to me and asked me if anything was wrong. I told him what had happened. He asked me to report the missing wallet to the police. I told him I didn't want to do so; I was in a hurry because I had to reach my waiting room before two o'clock, where some people were waiting to see me. I also told him that my biggest worry at the moment was how I was going to pay for the meal. He told me not to worry about that. He asked me to write down my name and address, and he said he would send me a bill . | high11809.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "man's behaviours are to blame for the constant occurrence of natural disasters"
},
"options": [
"poor construction largely accounts for more deaths than expected",
"man's behaviours are to blame for the constant occurrence of natur... | 2010 was the year the Earth struck back.
Earthquakes, heat waves, floods, volcanoes, super typhoons, blizzards , landslides and droughts killed at least a quarter million people in 2010 - the deadliest year in more than a generation. More people were killed worldwide by natural disasters this year than have been killed in terrorism attacks in the past 40 years combined.
"It just seemed like it was back-to-back and it came in waves," said Craig Fugate, who heads the US Federal Emergency Management Agency. It handled a record number of disasters in 2010.
"The term "100-year event' really lost its meaning this year."
And we have ourselves to blame most of the time, scientists and disaster experts say.
Even though many disasters have the ring of random chance, the hand of man made this a particularly deadly, costly, extreme and strange year for everything from wild weather to earthquakes.
Poor construction and development practices make earthquakes more deadly than they need be. More people live in poverty in vulnerable buildings in crowded cities. That means that when the ground shakes, the river floods, or the tropical cyclone hits, more people die.
Disasters from the Earth, such as earthquakes and volcanoes "are pretty much constant," said Andreas Schraft, vice president of catastrophic perils for the Geneva-based insurance giant Swiss Re. "All the change that's made is man-made."
The January earthquake that killed well more than 220,000 people in Haiti is a perfect example. Port-au-Prince has nearly three times as many people - many of them living in poverty- and more poorly built shanties ,than it did 25 years ago. So had the same quake hit in 1985 instead of 2010; total deaths would have probably been in the 80,000 range, said Richard Olson, director of disaster risk reduction at Florida International University.
Climate scientists say Earth's climate also is changing thanks to man-made global warming, bringing extreme weather, such as heat waves and flooding.
The excessive amount of extreme weather that dominated 2010 is a classic sign of man-made global warming that climate scientists have long warned about. They calculate that the killer Russian heat wave - setting a national record of 111 degrees - would happen once every 100,000 years without global warming.
Data show that 18 countries broke their records for the hottest day ever.
"The Earth strikes back in response to bad human decision-making," said Debarati Guha Sapir." "It's almost as if the policies, the government policies and development policies, are helping the Earth strike back instead of protecting from it. We've created conditions where the slightest thing the Earth does is really going to have a surprising impact." White House science adviser John Holdren said we should get used to climate disasters or do something about global warming. "The science is clear that we can expect more and more of these kinds of damaging events unless and until society has sharply reduced the amount of heat-trapping gases and particles ." | high1581.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Anxiety."
},
"options": [
"Devotion.",
"Sympathy.",
"Anxiety.",
"Approving."
],
"question": "What is store owners'attitude towards online sales growth?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
... | Americans are buying more products and services than ever before through the Internet.And experts say the popularity of online sales is likely to spread to other countries.Online sales now represent as much as one-tenth of all retail sales in the United States.This has led traditional stores to seek new ways to keep their customers loyal.
Lynne Shaner used the Internet to buy everything she needed.Other than food,90%of her purchases were made on her home computer.She said."I find that.by being able to go online and choose the things that I need to choose,and have them delivered to me right at my doorstep,I _ all the driving,all the crowds,all the noise of that,and I usually get a better selection. "
There are a lot of people like her.57%of Americans have bought something electronically in the past few months.Store owners worry that this growing amount of online sales will hurt their business.
Cornell University marketing professor says traditional stores can keep their customers by selling goods like clothing,which buyers may want to see and try on before purchasing.He says the stores could also offer things that are difficult to ship.He also says some stores can please customers by offering to set up or repair electronic products.
Bill Martin is the founder of ShopperTrak which helps stores learn about their customers.He says that traditional stores offer a social experience that some people enjoy and the experience and emotion in the buying decision before they're ready to part with money can't be gotten on--line.It's a rather cold process.Bill Martin says traditional stores can provide goods to buyers more quickly than online stores.
While e-commerce worries some business owners,the worry for delivery services like FedEx and UPS is keeping up with the number of packages.UPS Manager Dana Kline says her company is very busy at this time of year. | high23105.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Rice,corn,soybeans and wheat."
},
"options": [
"Rice,corn,soybeans and wheat.",
"Rice,corn, wheat and peas.",
"Wheat,corn,soybean and potatoes.",
"Corn,wheat, tomatoes and soybeans."
],
"question": "Which crops ... | Some of the world's most significant problems never hit headlines. One example comes from agriculture. Food riots and hunger make news, but the trend lying behind these matters is rarely talked about. This is the decline in the growth in yields of some of the world's major crops. A new study by the University of Minnesota and McGill University in Montreal looks at where, and how far, this decline is occurring.
The authors take a vast number of data pointing for the four most important crops; rice, wheat, corn and soybeans. They find that on between 24 and 39% of all harvested areas, the improvement in yields that took place before the 1980s slowed down in the 1990s and 2000s.
There are two worrying features of the slowdown. One is that it has been particularly sharp in the world's most populous countries,India and China.
Their ability to feed themselves has been an important source of relative stability both within the countries and on world food markets. That self-sufficiency cannot be taken for granted if yields continue to slow down or reverse.
Second, yield growth has been lower in wheat and rice than in corn and soybeans. This is problematic because wheat and rice are more important as foods' accounting for around half of all calories consumed. Corn and soybeans are more important as feed grains. The authors note that we have preferentially focused our crop improvement efforts on feeding animals and cars rather than on crops that feed people and are the basis of food security in much of the world.
The report qualifies the more optimistic findings of another new paper which suggests that the world will not have to dig up a lot more land for farming in order to feed 9 billion people in 2050, as the Food and Agriculture Organization has argued. Instead, it says, thanks to slowing population growth, land currently ploughed up for crops might be able to _ to forest or wilderness. This could happen. The trouble is that the forecast assumes continued improvements in yields, which may not actually happen. | high14971.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the same"
},
"options": [
"different",
"the same",
"not like each other",
"like each other"
],
"question": "The cries of American and Chinese babies are _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | One is not born able to speak a language. One is born able to make a noise. I have heard babies cry in America and in China. I can't tell any difference. But when I hear someone from America speak English and hear someone speak Chinese, I can tell you there are a lot of differences.
I believe a common problem with Chinese students' learning English is that they were not taught to think in English. They have an idea spoken in English and want to translate the idea into Chinese, then they think in Chinese of the proper reply and translate it into English. After a long period of speaking the language, one begins to think in the foreign language naturally. You will learn faster if you begin to think in English at the very beginning of your study. Many students ask me: What can I do to improve my spoken English? My reply is : The more English you speak, the better English you will speak. There are many things you can do to improve your spoken English. Of course, the best way is to live where English is spoken as a language of the country. | high8228.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "know where your clean underwear is"
},
"options": [
"leave all the things as they are",
"hang your coat on a chair",
"know where your clean underwear is",
"ask your mom where your shoes are"
],
"question": "If y... | Being organized is an important skill for school and life.When you're well organized,you can stay focused,instead of spending time hunting things down and getting sidetracked.What does it mean to be organized?For schoolwork,it means having one notebook or place where you store all your assignments,so you know what you have to do and when.Keeping clearly labeled binders or folders for handouts and keeping all your schoolwork neat and in a specific place--these are the main parts of organization.
For home stuff,being organized means having a place to put your things and putting them back as you go.It means hanging your coat up instead of dropping it on the floor or throwing it on a chair.It means keeping your schoolbag,your shoes,and your clean underwear in the same places so you always know where to find them.
Planning is part of being organized,too.Planning means deciding what you will do and when you will do it.Calendars,lists,and schedules can help you plan.You can buy or draw a calendar and keep it near your workplace.Making a schedule or a "todo" list for yourself is a good idea.Looking at your list helps you keep track of what you need to do.Add new things as you get assignments,and check off things when you've done them.Use your list to help you decide which thing is the most important to work on first.
It takes some extra efforts to organize yourself and your stuff.But once you're organized,you feel great.The less time you spend hunting around for things or panicking about homework,the more time you have for better things,like reading a good book or playing. | high6205.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "You did a good job!"
},
"options": [
"You did a good job!",
"What an adorable boy!",
"You're a real gentleman!",
"We are so proud of you!"
],
"question": "Which of the following belongs to \"progress praise\"?",... | Encouragement and praise can come in many forms, and some ways are better for child development than others. Researchers at the University of Chicago who studied mother-child interactions found that the type of praise children receive affects their attitudes towards challenges later in life.
Specifically, praise that focused on their behavior and the choices that kids made helped them deal with difficult experiences better five years later, compared with praise that focused more on the child himself, like "You're a good boy." The study, which appears in the journal Child Development, is the first major study of praise and child development done outside of a lab setting.
"It's exciting to see _ play out in the real world," said Elizabeth Gunderson who led the study. "Praising the efforts, actions and work of kids is going to be more beneficial in their long-term persistence and desire to be challenged and work hard in the future."
Such "process praise" includes comments such as "You worked really hard", which emphasize a child's actions. "Person praise" includes comments like "You're so smart", which focus on a child's personal qualities. These distinctions aren't new in the field of psychology, but exactly how they affect children's development over the years hasn't always been clear.
As part of the study, the researchers visited the homes of more than 50 kids between the ages of 1 and 3, and filmed their daily interactions with their parents during 90-minute sessions. Five years later, the researchers followed up with the families, measuring the children's attitudes towards challenges and problem solving. The children who grew up with more process praise were more open to challenges. Though person praise didn't seem to have any negative effect on the children, the study suggests that process praise teaches children that their talents and abilities can be developed and improved, while person praise sends the message that their abilities are fixed and therefore not easily changed. | high9136.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Health service"
},
"options": [
"Fatness.",
"Smoking",
"High blood pressure.",
"Health service"
],
"question": "According to the passage which of the following may not lead to poor health?",
"question_type":... | Common sense would tell us that physically active children may be more likely to become active and healthy adults.
In the United States, elementary and middle schools are advised to give students two and a half hours of physical activity a week. That is what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Heart Association recommend. They say high schools should provide about four hours of physical activity each week.
Yet many schools across the country have reduced their physical education programs. Just this week, a study reported that life _ has fallen or is no longer increasing in some parts of the United States. The situation is worst among poor people in the southern states, and especially women. Public health researchers say it is largely the result of increases in fatness, smoking and high blood pressure. They also blame differences in health services around the country.
In 2006, a study found that only four percent of primary schools provided daily physical education all year for all grades. This was true of eight percent of middle schools and two percent of high schools. The study also found that twenty-two percent of all schools did not require students to take any P.E.
Charlene Burgeson , a health expert says one problem for P.E. teachers is that schools are under pressure to put more time into academic subjects. Also, parents may agree that children need exercise in school. Yet many parents today still have bad memories of being chosen last for teams because teachers favored the good athletes in class.
But experts say P.E. classes have changed. They say the goal has moved away from competition and toward personal performance, as a way to build a lifetime of activity. These days, teachers often lead activities like weight training and yoga.
Some parents like the idea of avoiding competitive sports in P.E. class. Yet others surely dislike that idea. In the end, schools may find themselves in a no-win situation. | high2063.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "needn't pay you money if you cannot learn a foreign language in 6 weeks"
},
"options": [
"have to pay your money if you cannot master a foreign language in 6 weeks",
"needn't pay you money if you cannot learn a foreign language in ... | Have you ever noticed advertisements which say "Learn a foreign language in 6 weeks, or your money back! From the first day your pronunciation will be excellent. Just send..." and so on? Of course, it never happens quite like that. The only language that is easy to learn is one's mother tongue. And think how much practice that gets! Before the Second World War people usually learnt a foreign language in order to read the literature of the country.
Now speaking a foreign language is what most people want. Every year millions of people start learning one. How do they do it? Some people try at home, with books and records of tapes; some use radio or television programmes; some use computers and network; others go to evening classes. If they use the language only 2 or 3 times a week, learning it will take a long time, like learning a foreign language at school. A few people try to learn a language fast by studying for 6 or more hours a day. It is clearly easier to learn the language in the country where it is spoken.
However, most people cannot afford this, and for many it is not necessary. They need the language in order to do their work better. For example, scientists and doctors chiefly need to be able to read books and reports in the foreign language. Whether the language is learnt quickly or slowly, it is hard work. Machines and good books will help, but they cannot do the student's work for him. | high10524.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because she thought a city flat more fit for them."
},
"options": [
"Because she hated the countryside.",
"Because Grandpa was on constant move.",
"Because Dad's death made her lose her mind.",
"Because she thought a ci... | My House
My mother moved a lot when she was growing up on account of Grandpa being in the army. She hated having to adjust to new schools and make new friends. That's why I thought she was joking when she put forward the idea of moving. But she was completely serious. "For just the two of us," my mother said, "an apartment in the city will suit our needs much better." Personally, I think she's lost her mind. I guess I can understand why she would want to move, but what about me and what this house means to me?
I suppose if you looked at my house, you might think it was just another country house. But to me it is anything but standard. I moved into this house with my parents ten years ago. I can still remember that first day like it was yesterday. The first thing I noticed was the big front yard. To me it seemed like an ocean of grass--I couldn't wait to dive in. The backyard was full of gnarled (, ) and scary trees that talk on windy nights. But I grew to like them and the shadows they cast in my room. My father and I even built a small tree house, where I often go to remember all the wonderful times we had before Father's death.
This house is special--maybe only to me--but special nevertheless. It's the little seemingly insignificant things that make this house so special to me: the ice-cold tile floors that make me tremble on midnight snack runs; the smell of my father's pipe that still exists; the towering bookcases of my mother; the view outside my bedroom window.
This house holds too many memories, memories which would be lost if we gave it up. | high16155.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "be done by the president's order"
},
"options": [
"last a long time",
"be hard to copy",
"be interesting to look at",
"be done by the president's order"
],
"question": "During money production, we must consider ... | Producing money requires both artistic and technological skills. Dollar bills are made so that they are interesting to look at but very hard to copy. In total, there are sixty-five separate steps required to make a dollar bill.
The money making process begins when. a yearly order is sent by the Federal Reserve Board. That order will then be divided in half. Half will be done here in Washington, D. C.and the other half will be done in Fort Worth, Texas. Next, the Bureau orders special paper which is actually cloth since it is 75% cotton and 25% linen.
This paper is made so that it can last a long time. And, it is made with details that make it hard to copy. For example, bills contain security threads. These narrow pieces of plastic are inside the paper and run along the width of the bill. This special paper is also made with very small blue and red fibers.
Once the money is printed, guillotine cutters separate the sheets into two notes, then into individual notes. The notes are organized in "bricks," each of which contains forty one-hundred-note packages. The bricks then go to one of twelve Federal Reserve Districts, which then give the money to local banks. Ninety-five percent of the bills printed each year are used to replace money that is in circulation, or that has already been removed from circulation.
You may know that America's first president, George Washington, is pictured on the one- dollar bill. But do you know whose face is on the two, five, ten, twenty, fifty and one hundred-dollar bills? They are, in order. President Thomas Jefferson, President Abraham Lincoln, Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, President Andrew Jackson, President Ulysses Grant and statesman Benjamin Franklin.
The average life span of a one-dollar bill is twenty-one months. But a ten-dollar bill lasts only about eighteen months. The one hundred-dollar bill lasts the longest, eighty-nine months. One popular question is about the two-dollar bill. This bill is not printed very often. This is because many Americans believe two-dollar bills are lucky, so they keep them. | high4412.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He could have bought it at a lower price."
},
"options": [
"He got an older model than he had expected.",
"He couldn't return it when it was broken.",
"He could have bought it at a lower price.",
"He failed to find any ... | My color1 television has given me nothing but a headache.I was able to buy it a little over a year ago because I had my s give me money for my birthday instead of a lot of clothes that wouldn't fit.I let a salesclerk fool me into buying a discontinued model.I realized this a day later,when I saw newspaper advertisements for the set at seventy-five dollars lessthan I had paid. The set worked so beautifully when I first got it home that I would keep it on until stations signed off for the night. Fortunately, I didn't get any channels showing all-night movies or I would never have gotten to bed.
Then I started developing a problem with the set that involved static noise. For some reason,when certain shows switched into a commercial, a loud noise would sound for a few seconds. Gradually,this noise began to appear during a show, and to get rid of it,I had to change to another channel and then change it back.Sometimes this technique would not work,and I had to pick up the set and shake it to remove the sound. I actually began to build up my arm muscles shaking my set.
When neither of these methods removed the static noise,I would sit helplessly and wait for the noise to go away.At last I ended up hitting the set with my fist,and it stopped working altogether .My trip to the repair shop cost me $62, and the set is working well now,but I keep expecting more trouble. | high19266.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Three-quarters of the representatives were from theU.S."
},
"options": [
"Nearly 1700 scientists attended the conference.",
"A quarter of American businessmen were present at the conference.",
"Foreign policy-makers accounted... | Biomass energy , often forgotten as promising alternative to oil, received its day in the sun with the gathering of the Bio-Energy World Congress and Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia, late in April, 2007. Nearly 1700 scientists, businessmen and policy-makers, one-quarter from the foreign nations, gathered for a week to discuss various means of squeezing usable energy out of trees, crops, sea plants and urban waste. Biomass energy in the prefix = st1 /United Statescontributes 2.5 percent of the total supply, but this amount can be doubled by 2017 and then doubled again by the year 2027.
Eight percent of Sweden's energy supply, for example, is presently coming from wood and pulp remaining. Swedenintends to raise this percentage by more intensive harvesting of waste food lying around in forests, and through the planting of so-called energy forests of fast-growing trees such as willow.
Brazilis frequently pointed to as a nation with a major successful investment in energy coming from grains: it presently runs 330,000 automobiles on a water and alcohol mixture, replacing 10 percent of its previous oil supply. Brazilian representatives at the conference said they wish to double this in five years, with a final goal of total replacement. Most of the cars are built at the factory to use the mixture, while older models are changed through low-cost government programs. | high16633.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the older we are, the more likely we are to live alone and in poor health"
},
"options": [
"he doesn't believe so many people are living longer",
"the older we are, the more likely we are to live alone and in poor health",
"t... | More than a third of the babies born this year could receive a 100th birthday message from whoever happens to be on the throne in the second decade of the 22nd century, according to figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It forecasts that 35% of the 826,000 people born in 2012 will live to become _ .
But a long life is not unalloyed good news. David Sinclair, head of policy and research at the International Longevity Centre UK, warned that for many the future may mean social isolation as they live longer than friends and members of their families.
"It is of course good news that so many more people are living longer," he said, "but there is a big 'but1. We will be older, but in worse health, and at high risk of living alone. The other problem is that we are very poor at forward planning. We deal with the problems that are under our noses, but even problems two or three years away seem quite distant enough to put off.When you're talking about forecasts for a time half a century away and more, I see no evidence that we are putting in place the measures to deal with it."
This year there will be 14,500 centenarians in the UK, a number which is expected to increase to 110,000 in 2035.
Women have higher life expectancies than men at every age: the likelihood of a girl born this year reaching her century is estimated to be 39%; for boys the figure is 32%.
The estimated number of female centenarians has risen from 500 in 1961 to more than 10,000 in 2010,a figure which is projected to reach 71,000 by 2035 and 276,000 by 2060.
Men are also living far longer, although their numbers are far fewer. There were an estimated 92 male centenarians in 1961 and just below 2,000 in 2010. | high4374.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "A healthier, happier and more independent ageing population in the US."
},
"options": [
"The common health problems of elderly people in the US.",
"A healthier, happier and more independent ageing population in the US.",
"The... | Elderly people are growing healthier, happier and more independent, say American scientists. The results of a 14-year study to be announced later this month reveal that the diseases associated with old age are affecting fewer and fewer people and when they do suffer a stroke , it is much later in their life.
In the last 14 years, the National Long-term Care Survey has gathered data on the health and lifestyles of more than 20,000 men and women over 65. Researchers, now analyzing the results of data gathered in 1994, say arthritis, high blood pressure and circulation problems -- the major medical complaints in this age group -- are troubling a smaller proportion every year. And the data confirms that the rate at which these diseases are declining continues to increase. Other diseases of old age -- dementia, strokes, arteriosclerosis and emphysema -- are also troubling fewer and fewer people.
"It really raises the question of what should be considered normal ageing," says Kenneth Manton, a demographer from Duke University in North Carolina. He says the problems doctors accepted as normal in a 65-year-old in 1982 are often not appearing until people are 70 or 75.
Clearly, certain diseases are beating a retreat in the face of medical advances. But there may be other contributing factors. Improvements in childhood nutrition in the first quarter of the twentieth century, for example, gave today's elderly people a better start in life than their former generations.
On the downside, an increase in some cancers and bronchitis may reflect changing smoking habits and poorer air quality, say the researchers. "These may be subtle influences," says Manton, "but our subjects have been exposed to worse and worse pollution for over 60 years. It's not surprising we see some effect."
One interesting correlation Manton uncovered is that better-educated people are likely to live longer. For example, 65-year-old women with fewer than eight years of schooling are expected, on average, to live to 82. Those who continued their education live an extra seven years. Although some of this can be attributed to a higher income, Manton believes it is mainly because educated people seek more medical attention.
The survey also assessed how independent people over 65 were, and again found a striking trend. Almost 80% of those in the 1994 survey could complete everyday activities ranging from eating and dressing unaided to complex tasks such as cooking and managing their finances. That represents a significant drop in the number of disabled old people in the population. According to Manton, slowing the trend has saved the United States government's medicare system more than $200 billion, suggesting that the ageing of America's population may prove less of a financial burden than expected.
But independence can have drawbacks. Scientists found that elderly people who felt emotionally isolated maintained higher levels of stress hormones even when asleep. The research suggests that older people live best when they feel independent but know they can get help when they need it. | high19500.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Doris Lessing wins the Nobel Prize for Literature"
},
"options": [
"Doris Lessing writes \nThe Golden Notebook",
"Doris Lessing is a pioneer of modern feminism",
"Doris Lessing wins the Nobel Prize for Literature",
"Dor... | Doris Lessing was born in 1919 in Persia, moving as a child with her family to southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, where she stayed in school only to the age of 14.
A year after moving to London, she published her first novel in 1950.The Grass is Singingexamines unbridgeable racial conflict in colonial Africa through the eyes of a white farmer's wife and her black servant.
Her literary breakthrough came in 1962 with publication ofThe Golden Notebook, seen by many, though not necessarily Lessing, as a pioneering work of modern feminism . A separated study of the mind of the main character, Amma Wulf, the novel explores her thoughts about Africa, politics and relationships with men and sex.
Lessing's themes changed to psychology in her works from the 1960s, and by the 1970s the was extremely interested in the Islamic mystic tradition of Sufism . Her turn toward science fiction with theCanopusseries in the early 1980s was not warmly received by traditionalist critics, but she has continued to win new readers and numerous literary awards, including the David Cohen British Literary Prize and the Companion of Honour from the Royal Society of Literature, both in 2001.
Following the announcement, the Horace Engdahl told VOA why he was personally so pleased with Lessing's selection.
"She is one of the truly great writers-of novels, short stories, fiction and non-fiction," Engdahl said. "She is one of the few writers who have had the courage to uphold the principle of equality between the male and female experience, and she has given the impulse to numbers of other women writers. And she is really the mother of a school that is one of the most important in our contemporary literature."
At 87, Doris Lessing is the oldest Nobel Literature winner sine the first prizes were awarded in 1901. | high2705.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To avoid putting the ponies in danger"
},
"options": [
"To protect the tourists from being bitten",
"To keep the ponies off the petrol station",
"To avoid putting the ponies in danger",
"To prevent the ponies from fight... | "I see you've got a bit of water on your coat," said the man at the petrol station. "Is it raining out there?""No, it's pretty nice," I replied, checking my sleeve. "Oh, right. A pony bit me earlier."
As it happened, the bite was virtually painless: more the kind of small bite you might get from a naughty child. The pony responsible was queuing up for some ice cream in the car park near Haytor, and perhaps thought I'd jumped in ahead of him.
The reason why the ponies here are naughty is that Haytor is a tourist-heavy area and tourists are constantly feeding the ponies foods, despite sighs asking them not to. By feeding the ponies, tourists increase the risk of them getting hit by a car, and make them harder to gather during the area's annual pony drift .
The purpose of a pony drift is to gather them up so their health can be checked, the baby ones can be stooped from feeding on their mother's milk, and those who've gone beyond their limited area can be returned to their correct area. Some of them are also later sold, in order to limit the number of ponies according to the rules set by Natural England.
Three weeks ago, I witnessed a small near-disaster a few mils west of here. While walking, I noticed a pony roll over on his back. "Hello!" I said to him, assuming he was just rolling for fun, but he was very still and, as I got closer, I saw him kicking his legs in the air and breathing heavily. I began to properly worry about him. Fortunately, I managed to get in touch with a Dartmoor's Livestock Protection officer and send her a photo. The officer immediately sent a local farmer out to check on the pony. The pony had actually been trapped between two rocks. The farmer freed him, and he began to run happily around again.
Dartmoor has 1,000 or so ponies, who play a critical role in creating the diversity of species in this area. Many people are working hard to preserve these ponies, and trying to come up with plans to find a sustainable future for one of Dartmoor's most financially-troubled elements. | high10242.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the effect of tobacco tax increase"
},
"options": [
"the price of cigarettes",
"the rate of teen smoking",
"the effect of tobacco tax increase",
"the differences in tobacco tax rate"
],
"question": "The text is ... | Few laws are so effective that you can see results just days after they take effect. But in the nine days since the federal cigarette tax more than doubled----to $1.01 per pack---smokers have jammed telephone 'quit lines' across the country seeking to kick the habit.
This is not a surprise to public health advocates. They've studied the effect of state tax increases for years, finding that smokers, especially teens, are price sensitive. Nor is it a shock to the industry, which fiercely fights every tax increase.
The only wonder is that so many states insist on closing their ears to the message. Tobacco taxes improve public health, they raise money and most particularly, they _ people from taking up the habit as teens, which is when nearly all smokers are addicted. Yet the rate of taxation varies widely.
In Manhattan, for instance, which has the highest tax in the nation, a pack of Marlboro Light Kings cost $10.06 at one drugstore Wednesday. In Charleston, S.C., where the 7-cent-a-pack tax is the lowest in the nation, the price was $4.78.
The influence is obvious.
In New York, high school smoking hit a new low in the latest surveys----13.8%, far below the national average. By comparison, 26 % of high school students smoke in Kentucky, Other low-tax states have similarly depressing teen-smoking records.
Hal Rogers, Representative from Kentucky, like those who are against high tobacco taxes, argues that the burden of the tax falls on low-income Americans "who choose to smoke."
That's true. But there is more reason in keeping future generations of low-income workers from getting hooked in the first place. As for today's adults, if the new tax drives them to quit, they will have more to spend on their families, cut their risk of cancer and heart disease and feel better. | high20381.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "balance the pain"
},
"options": [
"balance the pain",
"treat snow-blindness",
"clear the vision",
"loosen the muscles"
],
"question": "When the eyes are sore tears are produced to _ .",
"question_type": "... | Many people believe the glare from snow causes snow-blindness. Yet, dark glasses or not , they find themselves suffering from headaches and watering eyes, and even snow-blindness, when exposed to several hours of "snow light". The United States Army has now determined that glare from snow does not cause snow-blindness in troops in a snow-covered country. Rather, a man's eyes frequently find nothing to focus on in a broad expanse of barren snow-covered terrain . So his gaze continually shifts and jumps back and forth over the entire landscape in search of something to look at. Finding nothing, hour after hour, the eyes never stop searching and the eyeballs become sore and the eye muscles ache. Nature eases this irritation by producing more fluid which covers the eyeball. The fluid covers the eyeball in increasing quantity until vision blurs , then is obscured , and the result is total, even though temporary, snow-blindness.
Experiments led the Army to a simple method of overcoming this problem. Scouts ahead of a main body of troops are trained to shake snow from evergreen bushes, creating a dotted line as they cross completely snow-covered landscape. Even the scouts themselves throw lightweight, dark colored objects ahead on which they too can focus. The men following can then see something. Their gaze is arrested. Their eyes focus on a bush and having found something to see, stop scouring the snow-blanketed landscape. By focusing their attention on one object at a time, the men can cross the snow without becoming hopelessly snow-blind or lost. In this way the problem of crossing a solid white terrain is overcome. | high6563.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Her cousin asked her to look after the dogs while she was away."
},
"options": [
"Her cousin asked her to look after the dogs while she was away.",
"Adam set traps so that he could meet Whitney frequently",
"She's going to ge... | Kiss of Death is a romantic detective story whose basic theme focuses totally on dogs.
Whitney Marshall had just gone through a divorce, appearing practically penniless while her husband, a promising plastic surgeon, was left with the property and the debts, and his new wife. Whitney seeks help from her cousin, Miranda, who had lived with them as a child. Miranda is operating a dog walking business and lives in the caretaker's cottage of one of her employers, Calvin Hunter. Whitney's approach is timely as Miranda is getting married and leaving for a two- week honeymoon. She leaves her house and the dogs in Whitney's care.
Living next door is Adam Hunter; an expert of the Iraqi war who had suffered a battle injury. During his recovery, his uncle Calvin had asked Adam to his home in prefix = st1 /Greecetelling him that he was certain someone was likely to murder him.
His uncle Calvin recently died of an apparent heart attack and Adam has come to Calvin California home to straighten out his affairs and to further investigate the death. Adam is from the area, and was previously called up in the security business with his former police partner.
Immediately after Calvin's death, his home had been broken into and the only things stolen were his computer and related things. Adam has an accountant trying to sort out his uncle financial affairs. His uncle had become fascinated to a pet dog who had "taken Westminster by storm,"and had caught the dog show fever, spending his time judging and attending shows. To the surprise of all, however, there does not seem to be any money in his accounts.
Whitney and Adam meet when he catches her in the house. Whitney is merely dealing with Calvin's dog, one of her new responsibilities. They continue to meet as outside causes throw them together and romance starts.
Whitney's former husband Ryan tries to persuade her to sign a deal over to him that he claims he had not been properly taken care of in the divorce. She is hesitating, waiting to see a lawyer. Then, Whitney's dog is missing, kidnapped by Ryan's new wife's personal trainer; the caretaker's cottage is bombed; and most importantly, they find the man that Miranda was to marry had never heard of her, and she seems missing.
The plot seems to circle among all these people, heading nowhere until the end of the book when it picks up speed, and all is exposed. Kiss of Death will be unforgettable only to readers who enjoy learning mysterious facts about dogs. | high23688.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "they all have the same amount of fat"
},
"options": [
"one has more fat than the other two",
"they all cost the same amount of money",
"one has less fat than the others",
"they all have the same amount of fat"
],
... | When you enter a supermarket, you see shelves full of food. You walk between the shelves. You carry a shopping basket and your food is in it.
You probably hear soft, slow music as you walk between the shelves. If you hear fast music, you walk quickly. The supermarket plays slow music. You walk slowly and have more time to buy things.
Maybe you go to the meat department first. There is some meat on sale, and you want to find it. The manager of the supermarket knows where customers enter the meat department. The cheaper meat is at the other end of the meat department, away from where the customers enter. You have to walk by all the expensive meat before you find the cheaper meat. Maybe you will buy some of the expensive meat instead of the meat on sale.
The department selling milk and milk products such as butter and milk powder is called the dairy department. Many customers like milk that has only a little butterfat in it. One store has three different jars of low fat milk. One says"1 percent fat"on the jar. The second says "99 percent fat free". The third says "LOW FAT" in big letters and"1%"in small letters. As you can see, all the milk has the same amount of fat. The milk is all the same. However,in this store the three jars of milk cost three different amounts of money. Maybe the customers will buy the milk that costs the most.
Most of the food in supermarkets is very pleasing. It all says "Buy me!" to the customers. The expensive meat says "Buy me!"as you walk by. The expensive milk jar says "Buy me! I have less fat." | high9650.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The style of humor lacked creativity."
},
"options": [
"He represents something with a grassroots feel.",
"The style of humor lacked creativity.",
"He speaks with a northeast accent.",
"He became famous overnight."
... | Even if he is not the most liked comedian in China today, his popularity certainly has risen the fastest within the last two months.
He's "Little Shenyang", who came into national fame overnight after his appearance on CCTV's Spring Festival Gala. With his funny cross-dressing, unique northeastern accent and superb imitative skills, Little Shenyang has obvious talent to support his rise to fame.
Hundreds of video clips of his shows have been posted on YouTube and other online video sites, and his performance fees reportedly grew 50-fold in just a few weeks. He has, at the same time, become one of the most controversial of entertainers.
Many have doubted his artistic potential, pointing out that his shows were repetitive and lacked creativity, a key to continued comedic success. Others belittle the style of humor, saying it's too crude and appeals only to less-educated people. His defenders were just as up in arms. Many media commentators and bloggers said that his quick rise to star proved the broad appeal of his art form. He became a national champion not because of his "northeastern hick " humor, they argued, but because he represented something new on TV, something with a grassroots feel that appealed to millions of ordinary people.
Now, does Little Shenyang really deserve his star status? | high12455.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "should be respected by all of us"
},
"options": [
"should be respected by all of us",
"have to gather more life experience",
"may be regarded as our heavy burden",
"must change their attitude to the community"
],
... | As life expectancy increases nowadays, the average person lives well beyond the age of retirement. As a result, the elderly make up an ever-increasing percentage of society, which makes it more important than ever for a real effort to be made in improving the lives of senior citizens.
One way to deal with the situation would be to ensure that the elderly have enough money on which to live. Obviously, when a person stops working, they still require a source of income to cover their basic needs such as food, accommodation and heating. A clear solution to the problem is for the government to make sure that the state pension is adequate for these needs.
Steps should also be taken to overcome the health problems the elderly face. The government should also provide access to the best health care available, which may necessitate paying for residential homes where the elderly can have round-the-clock nursing, or, at the very least, providing medication free of charge to all people over a certain age.
The lives of old people could be improved if attempts were made to _ the problem of social isolation. If we organised trips for the elderly to community centres, visits from social workers their problem of loneliness can be reduced a lot which marks the lives of so many old people living alone and far from their families.
One final suggestion, which would help enormously, is to change the attitude of the community towards its older members, who are all too often seen as a burden on society and dismissed as having little to do with modern life. We need to be taught from an early age to respect the views of old people, and appreciate their broader experience of life. This would help society as a whole, and encourage appreciation of the role that old people can still play today. | high9888.txt |
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