questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Yes, sometimes we can."
},
"options": [
"No, it's impossible.",
"No, we can't.",
"Yes, sometimes we can.",
"Yes, we always do so."
],
"question": "Can we communicate with each other without words?",
"questio... | You speak,write a letter,and make a telephone call. Your words carry a message. People communicate with words. Do you think you can communicate without words? A smile on your face shows you are happy or friendly. Tears in your eyes tell others that you are sad. When you raise your hand in class,the teacher knows you want to say something or ask questions. You shake your head,and people know you are saying "No". You nod and people know you are saying "Yes".
Other things can also carry messages. For example,a sign at the bus stop helps you to know which bus to take. A sign on the wall of your school helps you to find the library. Signs on doors tell you where to go in or out. Have you ever noticed that there are a lot of signs around you and that you receive messages from them all the time?
People can communicate in many other ways. An artist can use his drawings to tell about beautiful mountains,about the blue sea and many other things. Books are written to tell you about all the wonderful things in the world and also about people and their ideas. Books,magazines,TVs, radios and films all help us to communicate with each other. They all help us to know what is going on in the world and what other people are thinking about.
(Notes: communicate ;sign ,) | middle7591.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "help those people who have lost the ability to walk"
},
"options": [
"show the development of medical science",
"help those people who have lost the ability to walk",
"help the doctor do more experiments",
"make a popul... | The term "bionic man" came from The Six Million Dollar Man which was a popular TV show in the U.S.A. in the 1970s. It was a story about a former astronaut whose body was rebuilt by using artificial parts after he nearly died. Now, a team of engineers has made a robot by using artificial organs , limbs and other body parts that comes close to a true "bionic man".
The parts come from 17 manufacturers around the world. "This is the first time they've been assembled together," says Richard Walker, the director of a robot company. "It's an attempt to show the development of medical science," he says.
Walker says the robot has about 60 to 70 percent of the function of a human. It stands six-and-a half feet tall and can step, sit and stand with the help of a walking machine. This kind of machine is used by people who have lost the ability to walk. It also has a functioning heart that beats and circulates artificial blood . Its blood carries oxygen just like human blood.
Although the parts are used in the robot work, there is a long way to go. There are some key parts missing. There's no liver, skin or brain for the robot. | middle6857.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "white"
},
"options": [
"white",
"black",
"yellow",
"red"
],
"question": "Mary has a _ dog.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "sma... | Mary likes dogs very much. She has a pug-dog. It is white. It has big eyes and ears. It is small but it is cute and beautiful.
Every morning, the dog eats some bread and meat. They are the dog's favorite food. When Mary goes to school, the dog always waits for her at the gate. When she comes back home, the dog follows her here and there. When Mary does her homework, it lies near her feet. When Mary watches TV, the dog sits on the sofa near her. When Mary goes to bed, the dog lies its bed next to Mary's. in the evening, they often run and play in the yard . They are really good friends.
,. (1x5=5) | middle474.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "old-fashioned"
},
"options": [
"in style",
"fashioned",
"old-fashioned",
"cool"
],
"question": "Ten years ago, tea was _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index... | What do people drink in Western countries? They drink coffee, of course. Tea is the drink of us Chinese. Think again. In the West, tea is seeing to be cool again.
In Western countries like the UK, coffee used to be the fashionable drink. Jenny Northam, a 28-year-old English woman, remembers that ten years ago tea was unfashionable. "At that time young people didn't like tea. We thought drinking tea was uncool and old-fashioned. Tea was _ something we only drank when visiting grandparents."
Several years ago US _ Madonna, who lived in Britain, published a children's book _ called The English Roses. She launched the book with a tea party. Since Madonna is the "Queen of Cool", she took a big part in making tea fashionable. The British tradition of afternoon tea was fashionable again.
In Britain, hotels accept bookings for afternoon tea weeks in advance. The trend had also taken off in the US. In New York and Los Angeles, more and more cafes are serving tea.
The tea craze is not only down to Madonna, of course. People drink tea because they connect it with the idea of living life at a slower pace.
People drink coffee and tea at different times. Coffee is seen as the drink of people in a hurry; tea of those who like to spend their time.
,. | middle3907.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "an advertisement"
},
"options": [
"an advertisement",
"a food report",
"a shopping list",
"a menu"
],
"question": "The above reading is most probably _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | Food, Drink &
Refreshment
Relax and unwind in our new state of the Loch Ness Eatery. Whether you are looking for a snack or a full meal we can provide almost anything to suit everyone. We will be ready for helping you at all times.
Fresh Tea. Coffee, Hot Chocolate etc.
Good choice of Home Baking and Cake
Home Made Soup and Sandwiches.
Sweets and Soft Drinks
Packed to aches for those who prefer a picnic.
Seating for over 150 visitors.
Tel: +44(0)1456 450321
Web: www.lochness.com | middle1876.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Four"
},
"options": [
"Four",
"One",
"Two",
"Five"
],
"question": "How many bulls were there in the story? _",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"a... | Once there lived a lion in the big mountain.He was very big and strong.He often ate the other animals.Every day he went out to look for food.The small animals in the mountain were all afraid of him.Near the mountain there were four bulls .They are friends, and they often worked and played together.The tiger tried many times to catch them, but he could not do so.Every time he came near, the four bulls stood together to fight him.So he could do nothing to them.
One day, the four bulls had a quarrel .After that each of them went his own way.When the lion saw this, he was happy.He caught one bull and ate him up .Then he caught another.One by one he caught all the four bulls and ate them up. | middle448.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "About how to store fish."
},
"options": [
"About all kinds of fishes.",
"About how to store fish.",
"About how to cook.",
"About food."
],
"question": "What is this article mainly about?",
"question_type": n... | There are different ways to store fish. One way to keep fish for future use is canning it. We'll have this article describing, step by step, how to prepare dried fish.
Begin with fish that are out of the water. If the fish are small, leave their heads on. Cut off the heads if the fish are longer than twenty centimeters or weigh more than one hundred fifteen grams.
Now clean the freshly caught fish. Cut off the scales and cut open the stomach. Remove everything inside. Then wash the fish in clean water and fill salt into them.
Next, put the fish in a container with a solution of three hundred grams of salt and one liter of water. This will remove the blood from the meat. Keep the fish in the saltwater for about thirty minutes. After that , wash them again in clean water.
Next, put the fish in a solution that has more salt in the water. The water should be salty enough so that the fish can float to the top. If the fish sink to the bottom of the container, add more salt to the water.
Cover the container with a clean piece of wood. Place a heavy stone on the wood to hold it down. Leave the fish there for about six hours.
After that, remove them from the saltwater and place them on a clean surface. Cover the fish with a clean piece of white cloth and let them dry.
,. | middle3913.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "She makes a card."
},
"options": [
"She writes a letter.",
"She makes a card.",
"She does her homework.",
"She draws a house."
],
"question": "What does Ellen do for her mother?",
"question_type": "factiod_q... | "Tomorrow is my mother's birthday," Ellen thinks. She wants to buy a gift for
her mother, but she doesn't have any money. "What should I do?" She thinks and
thinks. Suddenly she has a good idea. She can make a gift by herself. So she
uses a piece of paper to make a card. She draws a beautiful picture with
birds and flowers. Then she writes, "To my dear mom. Happy birthday!"
The next day, Ellen gives her mother the card. When her mother sees the card,
tears run down her face . "Why are you crying ?" Ellen asks. "You
don't like it, right? Her mother says, "I love it very much. I'm very happy." | middle5351.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Three."
},
"options": [
"Two.",
"Three.",
"Four.",
"Five."
],
"question": "How many opponents did the boy face in the story?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_inde... | Once a 10-year-old boy decided to learn judo though he had lost his left arm in a car accident.
The boy began lessons with an old Japanese sensei, a judo teacher. Three months later, he was still practising with the same move. So he asked, "Sensei, shouldn't I be learning more moves?"
"This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you'll ever need to know," the sensei replied.
The boy kept training. Months later, the sensei took him to his first match.
Surprisingly, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match was more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient. The boy used his one move to win the match and now was in the final.
This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy seemed to lose the game. Being worried that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a break. Just before the referee wanted to end the match, the sensei came to him.
"No," the sensei said, "let him go on." Soon after the match began, his opponent made a big mistake: he dropped his guard . Suddenly, the boy won the match.
On the way home, the boy and the sensei talked about every move in each match. Then the boy gathered the courage to ask, "Sensei, how did I win the match with only one move?"
"You won for two reasons," the sensei answered. "First, you've learned one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. Second, the only known guard for that move is for your opponent to catch your left arm." | middle6658.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Airport Health Inspector"
},
"options": [
"JKF Airport in New York",
"Airport Health Inspector",
"Mary Buendia",
"Animal Health Center"
],
"question": "The best title of the passage will probably be _ .",
... | Mary Buendia once spent a day in an airplane, looking for a cat. She didn't find it that day. The plane flew around all over the world for three weeks with the cat on board. She finally found it in the cargo hold and sent it home first-class. Another time ,she found two suitcases full of birds from Turkey. But her strangest experience was when she pulled a snake out of a man's pants.
Mary Buendia is an animal health inspector at JFK Airport in New York. She takes care of all the animals that pass through the airport and checks that they are healthy. In the Animal Health Center, there are areas for dogs, cats, reptiles, birds, and fish. There is also an area for very big animals. The biggest they ever had was a black rhino. "It was no problem." she says.
At the center, they receive all types of animals monkeys, wild cats, poisonous spiders. It's impossible for one person to know about all of these, but there are 20 people working with Mary. Among them, they understand how to take care of the animals. She recently had to feed a group of toucans, which are rare birds. "luckily," she says, "there is a supermarket nearby which is open 24 hours. I had to go at 2 a.m to buy bananas.
Mary often works at night. "It's quiet between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m." she says, "because we don't have night flights. We try to give the animals a quiet night." Mary clearly loves her job. "You never know what the day will bring,"she says, and goes off to feed the birds. | middle7546.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "2008"
},
"options": [
"2008",
"2009",
"2010",
"2011"
],
"question": "When did the movie Kung Fu Panda first published?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,... | Kung Fu Panda is a 2008 American computer-animated action comedy movie made by DreamWorks. It was directed by John Stevenson and Mark Osborne. It tells the story about a big fat panda named Po who is a kung fu fan. The movie came out in 2008 and stars Jack Black as Po. It received critical acclaim and became a box office success. A successful sequel , Kung Fu Panda 2 was released in 2011.
A big, fat panda named Po the panda dreams of becoming a kung fu master, but he doesn't know kung fu. One day, kung fu teacher Master Shifu holds a competition to see who will become the Dragon Warrior , the most powerful kung fu master in the land. Everyone thinks one of Shifu's students, the Furious Five will become the Dragon Warrior, but Po is chosen instead and begins learning kung fu. Shifu and the Furious Five don't like Po the panda and try to make him quit, but he becomes friends with them. When Master Shifu learns that the evil Tai Lung the snow leopard is coming to the land, he quickly teaches Po kung fu so he can be given the Dragon Scroll that will help him beat Tai Lung. Nothing is written on the scroll, but Po finds out that he doesn't need the scroll to be the Dragon Warrior and beats Tai Lung without it. Po becomes a kung fu master and Dragon Warrior loved by everyone and peace returns to the land. | middle6880.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "they finally enjoyed the sweet juice"
},
"options": [
"they got the special gift",
"they preserved it very long",
"they finally enjoyed the sweet juice",
"they entered the dining hall"
],
"question": "These chil... | In the very early 1800's, a young boy about 14 years old named John lived in a orphanage in Old England along with several other children. Orphan meant unwanted and unloved.
Christmas was the one day of the year when the children didn't work and received a gift, an orange. Usually they tried to taste and keep it for so long that it often went bad before they ever peeled it to enjoy the sweet juice. Many thoughts were expressed as Christmas time drew near. The children would say, "I will keep mine the longest." John usually slept with his next to his pillow. This year John was overjoyed by the Christmas season. He was becoming a man and stronger and soon he would be old enough to leave. He would save his orange until his birthday in July.
Christmas day finally came. The children were so excited as they entered the big dinning hall. Immediately the master shouted, "John, leave the hall and there will be no orange for you this year." John's heart broke violently wide open. He turned and went quickly back to the cold room. Then he heard the door open and each of the children entered. Little Elizabeth with her hair falling over her shoulders, a smile on her face, and tears in her eyes held out a piece of rag to John. "Here John," she said, "this is for you." As he lifted back the edges of the rag he saw a big juicy orange all peeled and quartered and then he realized what they had done.
John never forgot the sharing, love and personal sacrifice his friends had shown him that Christmas day. In memory of that day every year he would send oranges all over the world to children everywhere. | middle8113.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "She doesn't want to do what her parents ask."
},
"options": [
"Her parents treat her badly.",
"She always worries about her parents.",
"Her parents don't care about her feelings.",
"She doesn't want to do what her paren... | Post your problems on the blog and get other bloggers' advice!
My problem is my parents. They never stop going on about how I should keep my room tidy, keep my hair tidy and wear smart clothes. They even make me do the washing-up after dinner every night! None of my friends have got such tenable parents. What should I do?
Helen, USA
Hi, Helen. I think you should do what your parents ask. They're much older than you and you should respect them. It's their house you live in and their money you spend.
Emily, Australia
Helen, why should your parents do all the housework? You should help around the house. -it's only fair. I don't think you should change your appearance though. Teenagers should look like teenagers.
Simon, England | middle1651.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "you can't speak"
},
"options": [
"you can speak",
"you can study",
"you can't speak",
"you can't study"
],
"question": "You know a lot about English, but maybe _ it.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
... | We are learning English, but how can we learn English well? A student can know a lot about English, but maybe he can't speak English.
If you want to know how to swim, you must get into the river. And if you want to be a football player, you must play football. So, you see, you can learn by using it. You must listen to your teacher carefully in class. You must speak English to your classmates every day and also you must write something in English. Then one day you may find your English is very good. | middle2358.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "by the south bank of the River Thames"
},
"options": [
"near Windsor Town",
"32 kilometers east of London City",
"in central London",
"by the south bank of the River Thames"
],
"question": "The famous Windsor Ca... | Windsor Castle is one of the most famous castles in the world.It lies in Windsor
Town,32 kilometers west of London City ,by the south bank of the River Thames.People built the
castle just outside of London to protect the capital of Britain.
Windsor Castle has a long and rich history.It began to be built in 1 066.People rebuilt it again and again during every period in history to today'S dimensions .For almost 1,000 years,the castle has been used as the family home of British kings and queens.It was also used as a prison during the English Civil War.Today ,Windsor Castle is the private home of Queen Elizabeth II.She spends most of her private weekends there.
Although it is still a living place of the royal family ,the public can visit much of the castle.It is one of the most popular sights in Britain.There,art lovers can enjoy some of the finest paintings by Rembrandt and Canaletto.Visitors can also take a look at George IV's private apartments.They are some of the most beautiful rooms in the castle. | middle5437.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "he knows little knowledge"
},
"options": [
"he knows little knowledge",
"he is young and strong",
"he tries to be a farmer",
"he finds a job on a farm"
],
"question": "Henry doesn't like to use his head,so _ ... | Henry finds a job on a farm.He is the strongest and youngest.He eats more,sleeps more,but works less.He doesn't like to use his head,so he knows little.He has to do some unskilled work.He always says he's tired and hopes to have a good rest.So he gets less money than others.
Winter is coming.The workers are getting ready for the next year.Only Henry does nothing.The farmer tells him to cut down some trees in the forest.The young man has to go there with a chair.He feels lonely in the forest and is afraid of the animals.So he looks around and sings loudly.Nobody knows what he's singing.After three days,Henry doesn't cut down any trees.The farmer feels strange.He wants to find out how the young man is working there.To his anger ,Henry is sitting on the chair,cutting the tree."Why are you sitting here to cut the trees?"asks the farmer."Because I can't work if lying ,sir." | middle8107.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "personality"
},
"options": [
"appearance",
"personality",
"hobby",
"education"
],
"question": "The characteristics of a zodiac animal may influence the _ of every person born in that year.",
"question_ty... | What is your zodiac animal? According to the Chinese lunar calendar , 12 animals mark 12 different years. It is the basis of the Chinese zodiac. Nowadays, Chinese zodiac animals have worldwide fame and are increasingly popular among western people.
The zodiac is an important part of Chinese culture. People believe that the characteristics of a zodiac animal influence the personality of every person born in that year. For example, people born in the Year of the Tiger are considered powerful and brave.
Zodiac animals also have some social functions. When people think it is not proper to ask: "How old are you", they may change their question to "What is your zodiac animal?" With this question, you can figure out roughly which year someone was born and the person's age.
Zodiac animals are not special to China. Many countries share a similar zodiac culture with China. For example, in the Japanese Zodiac, a wild boar takes the place of a pig and the Vietnamese zodiac has a cat instead of a rabbit.
But have you ever wondered how these 12 animals were chosen to represent each year? According to legend, the Jade Emperor invited all the animals to join him for Chinese New Year. Only 12 animals went to see him. As a reward he named a year after each one in the order they arrived. The ox would have been the first to arrive, but the rat sat on his back and jumped off just before they arrived to come in first place. | middle1645.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "4."
},
"options": [
"2",
"4.",
"14.",
"40"
],
"question": "How old is MiMi?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "it is his birthday."... | Hi,I'm Mimi. I'm four years old. I enjoy listening to music very much. I can sing and dance. This is a photo of me at my birthday party. I look very cool because it is my birthday today.It is favorite day of this year.I get up early and I'm ready for my birthday party.I have a lot of animal friends .iIcall them to my home on the phone. Then I take a bus to go shopping. I buy some food ,friut and drinks in the super market.At 7:0p.m,the party begins.All my friend asks me to sing some songs for them .I'm shy in front of them but I feel happy.Look! I'm playing guitar.They are listening tomy songs They clap their hands from time to time.at last ,all my friends walk to me and sing." Happy birthday" to me.How happy my birthday is !And my friends have a good time . | middle1123.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "after her father stopped her driving the rabbits away"
},
"options": [
"when she began to plant seeds in the second grade",
"when she asked her mother to rent a piece of land",
"after the couple next door gave her some tomato... | When I was in the second grade,my teacher gave all her students some seeds . She told us to watch the magic of the seeds once we planted them. Excitedly,I put a few seeds in my pot. I watered them for a few days and purple flowers came out.
In class,I reported back to my teacher that the magic was the purple flowers. My classmates reported back with the red,white or yellow ones. I was wondering why we didn't have green flowers. When the bell rang,we drew a conclusion" a flower garden is beautiful",and this was my first gardening experience.
Years later,one day,when we drone by Naperville downtown in a summer. Mom pointed out a big land." Look,this is the community garden land." she told me." What is a community garden land?" I asked." When people live in apartments or town homes,they don't have much land. People pay a little money to rent a piece of land from the city. They can grow anything." Why don't we rent one?" I curiously asked." We don't need to. We have a house,so we have a small piece of land."
A few years ago,an older couple moved in next door. They gave us some tomatoes from their garden. They grew the best tomatoes I had ever tasted. I asked my mom to buy some tomatoes just like our neighbors'. Mon said it was impossible to buy those tomatoes from the supermarket.
So,last year,I decided to try. I had my dad dig out a small land in the back yard of our house,put it some peat moss and mushroom compost . For the start,I only planted some tomatoes and cucumbers. Day by day,I looked after my garden and took out weeds .I was surprised to see that cucumbers actually grow on the vine,and my tomatoes had a special kind of earthly smell.
At the same time,I found myself suddenly having an interest in weather. I always wished rain to water my little garden. My brother Alex _ me." You are an old farmer now."
One day,I found some tomatoes gone in one plant. I was a little sad. Who dared to steal my ttomatoes? It was a few rabbits. When I was about to drive them away,my dad stopped me and said," Alice,the rabbits are thirsty. Let them eat as much as they want. Sharing your food is a good thing."
Later on,I found people picking a few tomatoes in my little garden and eating them with a satisfying smile. I never said a word. Instead,I felt joy in my heart. When harvest time came,I picked so many fresh cucumbers and delicious tomatoes.
In America,people grow gardens everywhere. The air is always fresh and clean because of many trees,different plants and beautiful flowers. People there learn to love our earth,and love hearing the expression" go hug a tree". Gardening needs lots of hard work and patience,but mother earth rewards us a lot. | middle7552.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Six"
},
"options": [
"Four",
"Five",
"Six",
"Seven"
],
"question": "How many kinds of animals are mentioned in the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"a... | Come and see the Indian elephants and new tigers from America. The bears are waiting to meet you, and the monkeys from china are waiting to throw things at you. The lovely dogs from Australia are waiting to laugh at you. The giraffes from Zambia are waiting to look down on you.
Tickets
Adults :$2.00
Children : Over 12: $1.00
Under12: Free
Opening time
9:00 am- 4:00pm(from Saturday to Thursday)
10:00am-3:00pm (Friday)
Keep the zoo clean! Don`t touch , give food or go near the animals. | middle6894.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "an English"
},
"options": [
"an American",
"an English",
"a Chinese",
"a Japanese"
],
"question": "Kate is _ girl.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
... | This is No. 2 Middle School. My friend, Wei Hua is in the school. She is fifteen. She is in Class Three, Grade Two. Wei Hua has two good friends. They are Kate and Lily. Kate is from England. She is fifteen, too. But She is in No. 3 Middle School. She is in Class One, Grade Two. Lily is an American girl. She is fifteen, too. She is in No. 2 Middle School, too. She is in Class Two, Grade Two. Lily's Chinese teacher is Miss Yang. Lily likes Chinese very much. She can speak Chinese very well. | middle3734.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Environmental problems."
},
"options": [
"Polluted water.",
"Poor education.",
"Environmental problems.",
"Indoor and outdoor air pollution."
],
"question": "What is the main cause of child deaths?",
"questi... | A UN report said that around 60 million people across the world are drinking polluted water. Some 4,500 children die every day because of polluted water.
A report showed that environmental problems kill 3 million children under five years old each year, making them one of the key contributors in more than 10 million child deaths each year.
Dangerous factors include indoor and outdoor air pollution, water pollution.
Another study showed that parents and scientists from seven countries including the United States and India think pollution is the biggest threat to children's living environment.
Mrs Green tries to teach her daughter Susan by setting a personal example. She picks out recyclable waste and uses the water from the washing machine to wash the toilet.
Chinese children mostly learn about environmental protection in school. Some non-governmental organizations and child centres also teach kids to protect the environment. "More parents have known about it. Family is now playing a more important role," says a Chinese official.
Vera Lehmann, a German scientist says many Chinese now think more of pollution. "I was surprised to find many schools in China are willing to educate the children on environment," Lehmann said. "There has been a big change between now and ten years ago when I first travelled here." | middle5345.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "so that we can keep ourselves safe from a fire"
},
"options": [
"so that the fire can be put out in time",
"because we might lose our way in a fire",
"because we may have little time to call 119",
"so that we can keep o... | A survey shows that the number of fires in government buildings each year is small compared to home fires. This is probably because such buildings are taken good care of and managed. However, at home after work fire safety is your own duty.
For most of us who live in high-rise buildings, the safety of you and your family depends on how much you know to do with an emergency . When a fire happens, there is usually little time to decide what to do or how to act. The best thing is to make your emergency plan as soon as possible.
Sit down with the family and prepare a careful escape project. Do remember that every fire is _ . Fire and smoke can move very quickly and the situations in any part of the building may change very quickly. Smoke is usually more dangerous than fire. It can spread throughout the building and enter your house when the fire is many floors away.
Some information says it is best to leave your house immediately when there is a fire. Others say it is safer to stay there. Which is correct?
Usually the best thing to do is to leave the building as soon as possible. However, do not try to leave your house a long time after the fire alarm has sounded. There is a higher chance that heavy smoke has already spread into stairways and hallways.
Never travel through smoke. You must stay inside your house and place wet towels at the bottom of the door to stop smoke from entering. Call the Fire Services Department by dialing "119", tell them where you are and then move to the most smoke-free room. Open the window there to let in fresh air if possible. Hang a sheet from the window to show fire fighters where you are. | middle6664.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "If someone has time and works hard , he can make a lot of money."
},
"options": [
"If someone has time and works hard , he can make a lot of money.",
"It takes quite a lot of time to make money.",
"Working hard can bring peop... | Americans think much about time. From children they learn to value time. As children they are taught to be on time to go to school, to work and to do everything. When they are having a good time, they say that time goes easily. When a person is dying, they say he is living on a borrowed time.
Time is money. Time is knowledge. Time is everything in America. A working American has to work hard for eight hours a day or forty hours a week. This is the working time. In his free time, he also works hard for more money. Even on Saturday and Sunday he also works hard as usual. In the street you can hardly see a man walking slowly. They walk very fast. In fact, they are running.
They love time because time can bring them money and lots of things. But sometimes they also hate time , because they feel they have become servants of the clock. | middle4073.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Singapore's first indoor snow center"
},
"options": [
"just a small city in Singapore",
"a place where people can go surfing",
"Singapore's first indoor snow center",
"a place where the weather is cold"
],
"ques... | For the first time in Singapore, it's snowing. Visitors to Singapore will be amazed by the technology that brings winter to you on this tropical island.
All visitors can have cool winter fun in Snow City, Singapore's first indoor snow center. Visitors can see and touch snow falling. Of course, it's more than just touching and feeling snow. You can enjoy exciting snow rides or skiing on snowboard. You can also build your own real snowman and have snowball fights filled with fun and learn about life in cold climates.
Snow City is about family-based fun and is suitable for all ages. Join us and step into Snow City today.
How to get there:
21Jurong Town Hall Road, Snow City Building, Singapore 609433
Tel: 63371511
Bus services: No. 66, No. 178, No.198
Price: Adults: $18; Children: $12
Opening Hours: Tuesday--Sunday: 10:30 am--6:30 pm
Notice:
No phone booking.
For updated information, please visit our website www.snowcity.com.sg. | middle2402.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Haiyan"
},
"options": [
"Haiyan",
"Bebinca",
"Danas",
"Cimaron"
],
"question": "What is the most terrible typhoon in 2013? It is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"an... | This past month saw one of the most devastating storms in history brings death and destruction on the Philippines. The number of lives lost is still being calculated, but it is already sitting above five thousand. In the flurryof news about the storm and its after-math, the cries of "I told you so" from environmentalists rang out loud and clear.
These scientists were especially vocal during the United Nations Climate Change Conference, which just wrapped up in Warsaw, Poland. The timing of the conference and Typhoon Haiyan was an eerie coincidence, but perhaps the concurrence offered a wakeup call for all.
Christiana Figures, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) said, "We are witnessing ever more frequent extreme weather events, and the poor and vulnerable are already paying the price."
Scientists claim that storms like Typhoon Haiyan are an inevitable result of the effect greenhouse gases are having on our environment. Environmental analysts claim that rising temperatures around the globe and changing weather patterns are all part of the same problem.
This isn't breaking news. We've heard the warnings for years. The UN has been hosting the Climate Change Conference since1995.But the changes that need to be made are huge. Added to this, the developed nations and developing countries have competing interests that are difficult to settle. The issue of who takes responsibility becomes difficult to resolve.
We may feel far away from Poland and resolving conflicts between countries, but we mustn't feel far away from the issue. When we watch neighboring countries suffer in severe weather, when we hear reports of increasing global temperatures, when we walk outside and find it difficult to breathe the Shanghai air, we know we have a very real problem. So what are we going to do about it? Are we making every-day choices that can have a positive impact? Are we reducing our carbon footprint? Are we choosing to walk, ride a bicycle or take public transportation instead of a car? Are we recycling? Are we turning off the lights and electronics whenever possible?
The problem is complex, but saving our earth starts with each of us taking simple steps. | middle2364.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "camels"
},
"options": [
"camels",
"parades",
"people in green",
"green buildings"
],
"question": "On Saint Patrick's Day, you can see the following EXCEPT _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{... | There are many different kinds of festivals around the worlD. Here are four of them.
Saint Patrick's Day in Ireland
Ireland is an island country.It's in the west of Europe.There are wide green fields.
Saint Patrick's Day is on 17th March.It's an important holiday in IrelanD. This holiday is to remember Saint Patrick.He did good things for the people of IrelanD.
During the holiday, there are parades and lots of green.You can see people in green clothes, and you can even see green buildings.
Red Wednesday in Iran
Red Wednesday is a fire jumping festival in Iran.It is on the eve of the last Wednesday of the year.People jump over the fire.They hope that it will take all the bad things away.
The Winter Carnival in Canada
When winter comes, it's party time in Quebec City, CanadA. The Quebec Winter Carnival is all about outdoor fun.It starts from the first Sunday in February and lasts for 10 days.
One of the most popular activities is the dog sled race .It has more than 30 teams and the race goes on for 6 kilometres.You can see happiness on every face.
The Desert Festival in Tunisia
Tunisia is a very important country in North AfricA. Every year on the last Sunday in December, the Desert Festival is held in TunisiA. As "ships of the desert", camels are very important in the festival.There are camel racing and camel wrestling . | middle6102.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Two Men Who Weren't Afraid to Dream"
},
"options": [
"Two Men Who Were Afraid to Dream",
"Two Filmmakers Who Were Afraid to Dream",
"Two Writers Who Weren't Afraid to Dream",
"Two Men Who Weren't Afraid to Dream"
],... | What could a poem writer and a movie director share? More than you think! Langston Hughes began writing poems in high school and soon became one of America's greatest writers. Most of his writing is about his experiences as an African American. He wrote poems about people who worked hard through life but still found things to be happy about. He wrote plays and books about justice for all people, and he wrote kids' books, too. The Sweet and Sour Animal Book is a book of his animal poems. Pictures and photos were used in the book. "Hold fast to dreams" is a line in a famous Hughes poem. That's exactly what he did throughout his life.
When Steven Spielberg was in middle school, he wanted to make a film. He had an idea for a movie, but no money. He started a tree-planting business and made his film with the money he earned. Spielberg never stopped making films, even after many film schools refused him. Today he is one of the most popular and important filmmakers in the world. His movies are about people who are adventurous , brave, kind. His characters often fight for what is good. Some of his films are about his Jewish background, such as Schindler's List. Spielberg once said, "I don't dream that much at night because I dream for a living." In different ways, both Hughes and Spielberg have encouraged people of all ages to reach for their dreams. | middle7208.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The manners and traditions in England."
},
"options": [
"Differences between England and China.",
"The guide help.",
"The manners and traditions in England.",
"How to visit England for the first time."
],
"quest... | If you are visiting England, you will notice that English have many customs and traditions that are different from those in China.
This guide provides help for anyone visiting England for the first time.
Standing in the queue
English people like to form queue.They think it is the fair way to behave.People wait in a queue in shops and at bus stops.People will think you are very rude if you don't join the queue.
Please, Thank You, Excuse Me and Sorry
It is good manners to say "please" and "thank you".If someone is in your way and you would like them to move, say "excuse me" and they will move.If you bump into someone or you are in their way say "sorry".They will probably say "sorry", too, even if it was your mistake.Saying "sorry" does not always mean you think you were wrong.Someone it is just a polite thing to say.
Meeting a new person
When people meet for the first time, the usual custom is to shake hands.The next time you meet that person, you can just say hello.English people don't usually hug or kiss unless they know each other really well.
Talking to people
English people find it difficult to start conversations with strangers.They like to be private so if they are on buses or trains, they usually sit as far away from other people as possible.If you want to start a conversation, the topic that English people are always happy to talk about is the weather.So you need to be able to say "Isn't it warm (sunny/windy/wet/foggy) today?" or "Do you think it's going to rain/clear up?" This is much better than asking about politics, religion or how much people earn! | middle6116.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Over five kilometers."
},
"options": [
"Five minutes by bike.",
"Over five kilometers.",
"Fifty minutes by bus.",
"Four kilometers."
],
"question": "How far is Li Lu's home from her school?",
"question_type"... | Li Lu is a fifth-grade student who lived in a small village in Shanxi Province. She lived with her grandparents, because her parents are migrant workers in big cities. During the days when there were no school buses, Li Lu had to ride a bike five kilometers and climb a small mountain to school every day. Her 70-year-old grandfather says he and Li Lu's grandmother always worried about her safety.
"There are so many cars on the roads, and we were really _ about her all the time. When it was time for her to come home, we would stare at the alley's entrance until she showed up."
But with the start of the new school year, the school's new bus now picks up the students. Eleven-year-old Li Lu pointed at her seat on the bus and said ,"Now I don't ride my bike any more. My grandparents no longer need to worry about me. The bus is spacious and comfortable. Look! This is my seat, with my name tag on the seatback." | middle1679.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Fifteen."
},
"options": [
"Five.",
"Ten.",
"Twelve.",
"Fifteen."
],
"question": "How old is Chloe Lang?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_... | Chloe Lang is a fifteen-year-old American girl. She loves cooking a lot. When she was a little girl, she helped her grandma make meals at home.
A year ago, Chloe wrote a letter to Rachel Ray, a famous host of a TV cookery show. She asked for a ticket to be one of the audience, but she got nothing. One day in June, Chloe got a phone call from Rachel Ray luckily. One of his programmes is called Cafe One Night and it needed five teen cooks to help in a restaurant for a night.
In mid-July Chloe went to meet Rachel Ray and the other teen cooks. "During our stay with Rachel Ray, we were happy and excited. We were working so hard when they made the records." Chloe says. "We made some wonderful food that night."
Guess who came to eat! When Chloe and her friends saw their guests, they all held their breath, and then they screamed and clapped! In addition to some famous singer stars, the former US President Bill Clinton was also there!
,. | middle4701.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "can stay alive for months out of water"
},
"options": [
"lives on land in Africa",
"can stay alive for months out of water",
"prefers living in dry places",
"is the longest living fish on earth"
],
"question": "... | A fish that lives in America can live out. of water for months at a time, similar to how animals got used to land millions of years ago, a new study shows.
The Mangrove Rivulus, a kind of little fish, lives in small pools of water. When their living place dries up, they live. on the land, said Scott Taylor, a researcher in Florida.
The fish can grow as large as three inches. They group together and breathe air through their skin before they can find water again.
The new scientific discovery came during a trip.
"We were travelling for fun. and one day I kicked over a log and the fish came out," Taylor told reporters by telephone. He said he would make his study on the fish known to the public in an American magazine early next year.
In lab tests, Taylor said he found the fish can live up to 66 days out of water without eating.
Some other fish can live out of water for a short period of time. The walking catfish found in Southeast Asia can stay on land for hours at a time, while lungfish found in Australia, Africa and South America can live out of water, but only in a not active way. But no other known fish can be out of water as long as the Mangrove Rivulus and keep active, according to Patricia Wright, a biologist at a Canadian University.
More studies of the fish may tell how animals changed over time.
"These animals live in conditions similar to those millions of years ago, when animals began to move from water onto land," Wright said. | middle3708.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Four."
},
"options": [
"Two",
"Three.",
"Four.",
"Five."
],
"question": "How many people are there in the Black family?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0... | The Black family often do housework together at the weekend. Pam often cleans bedrooms. Her father buys _ for the next week. Her mother washes the clothes. John, Pam's brother, helps to cut the grass in the garden.
The Blacks often ride bikes to the park nearby. In the park, they can play basketball and football. They always have a good time there. They say they like working and playing together. | middle4067.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "TV show"
},
"options": [
"film",
"TV show",
"book",
"newspaper"
],
"question": "A Bite of China is a _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answe... | Do you often watch TV programs? There are many TV programs on Chinese cuisines (, ),but few are like A Bite of China. It tries to bring something new by introducing more cultural features related to dishes, such as eating habits and wonderful stories about food.
It's said that more than 100 million Chinese people are watching the program. Most Chinese people regard this program as more than just the regular food shows. They see it as an amazing documentary providing a special view of Chinese as well as the relations between people and food , between people and society.
On the other hand, the documentary also stimulates Chinese people's consumption . Taobao, one of China's biggest online shopping sites, reports that the search on food items that were introduced by the documentary has increased to 4 million times in one week, and sales have increased to 5.82 million.
To get enough good stories, the production team spent three months doing research and interviews in about 60 cities before they started making the documentary last July. Filming lasted about nine months. Liu Wen, the director, says "As CCTV-9 serves as a window, allowing the world to better understand China, the documentary aims to help the world not only enjoy the beauty of Chinese cuisines, but also learn Chinese customs." | middle5379.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Woodland School"
},
"options": [
"Class 8, Grade 5",
"Mrs Green's class",
"Woodland School",
"America"
],
"question": "Alan is studying in _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {... | Report Card London Woodland School
Name: Alan Class: 5 Grade: 8
Grade teacher: Mr Jim Green
English: Good work this term. He has a good memory and is good at speaking. A
Maths: Good. But sometimes he is careless. B
History: He knows a lot about British history, but little about other countries. B
Geography: He is a clever student but sometimes doesn't do his best. C
Home Economics: Good. He likes it best. He can do things for himself. A | middle2416.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Chinese"
},
"options": [
"English",
"Japanese",
"small",
"Chinese"
],
"question": "Jack is in a _ school.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answe... | Hi! I'm Jack. I'm in a new school this term. Now let me tell you about my school now. My new school is big and nice. There are one thousand and four hundred students and one hundred and forty teachers in my school. I like the teachers. They are very kind to me. My classmates are very friendly , too. They teach me Chinese and I teach them English.
There are trees, flowers and green grass in my school. They are very beautiful. Behind my school there is a small river. The water in it is quite clean. We can swim in it.
We have no classes on Saturdays or Sundays. Sometimes I go to play football or basketball with my classmates. Sometimes I stay at home and watch TV. Sometimes I go to shops with my father and mother. We all like China. | middle6670.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "England"
},
"options": [
"America",
"France",
"German",
"England"
],
"question": "The story happened in _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"an... | There was a famous church in London. It was 110 meters high. The center of the church was like a bell. The ceiling of the church was painted by a famous artist. A platform was built so that the artist could put up the ladder on it and paint the ceiling. The platform was about 70 meters over the ground.
One day the artist was working hard and had nearly finished one popular corner of the ceiling. _ Suddenly, his assistant shouted, picked up a small bowl of paint and started to paint the artist's work on the top. The artist was very angry and rushed forwards to stop him.
"What do you think you are doing?" he shouted angrily. "Are you mad?" His assistant replied, "I saw you walking backwards to have a better look at your painting. But you didn't notice that you had reached the very edge of the platform. You were in great danger. I wanted to make you move forwards. If I had not made you run forwards, you would have fallen backwards off the edge of the platform. | middle1490.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "J.K. Rowling loved listening to stories when she was very young"
},
"options": [
"J.K. Rowling met a boy named Harry on a long train trip",
"J.K. Rowling loved listening to stories when she was very young",
"J.K. Rowling is t... | J.K. Rowling is the writer of Harry Potter, which is now one of the bestsellers in the world.
J.K. Rowling was born in Bristol on July 31st, 1965. She has one sister who is two years younger than her. Both girls loved listening to their father reading bedtime stories to them. They especially loved stories about magical worlds. Rowling wrote her first story, called Rabbit, at the age of six.
After she graduated from the university, Rowling worked as a translator in London. During this time, on a long train trip in the summer of 1990, the idea came to her of a boy who has magic but doesn't know it. In 1992 Rowling began to teach English. She lived with her baby daughter, Jessica, and spent much time finishing the first Harry Potter book for young readers. It appeared in June 1997. To her surprise, the book was greatly successful. The film came out in November 2001. Now Harry Potter series is popular with people of all ages and about 60 million books were sold in 200 countries.
Why has the series been so successful? There are a few things. Many other magical stories take place in faraway lands or in past or future times. But Harry lives in modern England. He's also a very normal boy: polite, friendly, brave and clever. So when other children read about Harry, they can imagine being like him.
J.K. Rowling is very happy with the success, and she is now busy finishing the whole series of seven books. She's writing full time and she's really enjoying life. She says she will go on living a normal life with her daughter and writing children's books. | middle104.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Their farmland wasn't good to live on."
},
"options": [
"They never stayed long in one place.",
"Their farmland wasn't good to live on.",
"They found a nicer flat.",
"They got too much money."
],
"question": "Wh... | Some years went by. Then Father Boone called the family together. "Pack your things," he told them. "We are leaving here. Our farmland isn't good to live on. We can buy rich, cheap land in he southwest."
Sixteen-year-old Daniel was happy. "I'm glad we are going," he said. "I feel crowded here. There are too many houses and too many people." Father Boone made ready for the journey. He pushed out the big wagon and tied two horses to it. Mother Boone packed clothes, dishes, pots and pans. She would make food for the family along the way. The family said goodbye to the neighbors and to their old home, and started.
Mother, the girls, and the little children rode in the wagon. Father and the boys took turns riding the horses. Sometimes all of the Boones walked so that the horses could rest.
Father and the boys had guns to kill birds and small animals for food along the way. The
Boones traveled across Pennsylvania. At last the family came to the green Yadkin Valley in North
Carolina. There were a few houses there already, but the farmland was much broader than that in
Pennsylvania.
Father Boone said, "This is good farmland. We will stop here." | middle2827.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "science fiction movies"
},
"options": [
"large high school",
"science fiction movies",
"digital camera shop",
"hospital"
],
"question": "People could see 3-D printing in _ ten years ago.",
"question_type":... | If your pen broke at school today,what would you do?You would go to a shop and buy a new one.What if you could simply print out a real,working pen with your 3-D printer without leaving your room?
The 3-D printer has been used to make many different things.People have made cups cars and even an airplane with it.
Doctors have been using 3-D printers for several years.People's nervous systems have been printed out in 3-D form medical research.Some body parts have been printed and used in hospital.Several months ago,doctors used a 3-D printer to rebuild
Ten years ago people could only see 3-D printing in science fiction movies.But now 3-D printing is here and it's bringing big changes.
Unlike normal printing that can only copy a 2-D picture with ink.3-D printing can build almost anything made from material.The printer layers the material in different shapes to create the object you want to be copied.the face of a person who had a bad accident.In the future,it is expected that the printer will make human organs to save more lives.
However there are _ to the printer.At the moment,printing can be quite slow and it's still rather expensive.The average price of a household printer is around $1,700,not including the cost of the materials.
But as the technology develops,it shouldn't be long before disadvantages are improved.Only time will tell where this new technology will take us.
,A, B, C, D,. | middle6499.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "grandmother to a grandson"
},
"options": [
"a grandfather to a grandson.",
"grandmother to a grandson",
"a father to a daughter.",
"a mother to a son."
],
"question": "This letter is written by _ .",
"ques... | Dear Tommy,
I'm writing to you on your third birthday. I want to tell you something about your grandma's time. I was born sixty-eight years ago in a small village.
Transportation used to be a big problem. When we travelled from village to village, we used to walk or ride horses.
Shopping was not an easy job, either. There were no supermarkets in the neighborhood. We used to grow most of our own food: rice and vegetables. We kept things cool in a special underground room.
The biggest difference is that you have electricity. We didn't have electricity until very late in our small village. We didn't have any televisions of course. We used to perform our local music and enjoy it very much.
Life used to be very hard, but I was not upset. I would like you to know about the old days and be happy about what you have. Remember , feeling good about life is the key to happiness.
Love
Your grandma | middle7787.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Thirty yuan a kilo."
},
"options": [
"Ten yuan a kilo.",
"Fifteen yuan a kilo.",
"Thirty yuan a kilo.",
"Forty yuan a kilo."
],
"question": "How much is meat now?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
... | Uncle Lee is coming to have dinner with us. Mom and I go shopping. We don't have any meat. We need to buy some. It's ten yuan a kilo before. But now two kilos are sixty yuan. I say, "Mom, let's buy some fish." Mom answers, "OK." Fish is Uncle Lee's favorite food. We buy one kilo and a half. We also buy some vegetables and some chicken, but we don't buy any hamburgers. Uncle Lee doesn't like them at all. Mom also wants to buy some apples for me. You know, I like bananas, oranges and peaches, but I like apples best. But we can't find any. We go home at a quarter to five in the afternoon. | middle7793.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "a quarter"
},
"options": [
"75%",
"a quarter",
"a half",
"25%"
],
"question": "In Michelle's country over _ of the students are too fat .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Michelle , a famous lady , has found that over 25% students are too fat in her country . It's a very serious problem . So she stats a health program to deal with it . The health program is to reduce the amount of fat students today and in the future .
The program will get families , schools , news papers , magazines and TVs to join together and deal with the students _ so that students will be at a healthier weight . The program includes : Food stores should sell healthier foods . Schools should serve healthier meals with less fat and should also offer gym classes .
The lady is trying to fight the students' obesity all over the country because it can cause illnesses and higher cost . She wants the students to eat right, exercise more and control their weight . She also wants the students to understand it is important to have less sweet food , and drink water , milk and fresh juices , but not to choose cokes .
The health program is really helpful to the students today and in the future . As she says , we can't always build the future for our youth , but we can built youth for the future . | middle2833.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the clear blue sky"
},
"options": [
"the factories",
"the clear blue sky",
"the people",
"the cars on the road"
],
"question": "APEC Blue refers to _ in Beijing during the APEC meeting.",
"question_type"... | News Review
APEC Blue People in Beijing got the saying after the APEC meeting in Beijing. It refers to the clear blue sky during the meeting. To get such a blue sky, many factories in Beijing and nearby cities stopped work, and the number of cars on the road was cut.
A Warning Ticket A 24-year-old woman in Nanjing was given a warning ticket for eating food on the subway. Eating is not allowed on Nanjing subway. Up to now, 2,698 people have been punished because of their eating, smoking or selling goods on the subway.
A Teacher-free Exam Recently, students at Ningbo Huamao Foreign Language School in Zhejiang took their mid-term exam -a teacher-free exam. After handing out the exam papers, the teachers left the classroom, leaving the students to take the exam without being watched. They only came back to collect the papers at the end.
A Tomato Fight Do you want a tomato shower? Come to the "tomato fight" in Spain! Once every year, people in the town of Bunol throw tomatoes at each other. Don't worry. It's not a real fight. People do this only for fun. | middle5184.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The third Sunday in June."
},
"options": [
"The second Sunday in May.",
"The third Saturday in June.",
"The third Sunday in June.",
"The second Sunday in March."
],
"question": "When is Father's Day?",
"ques... | Father's Day is the third Sunday in June. It is a day to thank fathers. On that day, fathers usually receive greeting gifts and cards. On the cards, children will write, "Thanks, father." "Best wishes for Father's Day" and so on. Father's Day is also a day families get together at home as well as in the restaurants.
Where does the idea for the holiday come from? We should thank an American. In 1909 she wrote letters to some important persons. In her letter she advised to make Father's Day on the third Sunday in June. In June in 1910, people celebrated the first Father's Day in Washington. People whose parents are dead often decorated their parents' graves with flowers on these days. These are days of family fun and creating good feelings and memories. | middle3293.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "She had no friends in her new school."
},
"options": [
"She was afraid of entering a new school.",
"She had no friends in her new school.",
"She didn't like making friends with strangers.",
"Her classmates didn't like h... | Anna was excited about starting her first day in the new school. However, when she first walked past the students in the school, her excitement turned to fear, and then to loneliness over the next few days. "Why didn't anyone say 'hi' to me or invite me to his or her lunch table? Is it because of my clothes or my hair?" she wondered. Almost every day during the first week, Anna stayed alone, thinking that there must have been something wrong with her or that nobody saw her at all!
What caused Anna's problem? The reason was that nobody knew her. Most people don't like talking with strangers . So it's your job to volunteer to make contact with people who you want to know. The easiest way to catch their attention is to notice them first. Make eye contact with them and smile at them. When you smile at them, you are doing your best to show your kindness to them, and they are sure to understand that you are saying, "Hey, how's everything going?" In this way, you are taking the first step towards the road to friendship.
When Anna realized this, she started talking to her classmates. Guess what happened? It really worked. She had made two friends by the end of the month.
In fact, saying "hi" or making friends with strangers is not hard. And the joy it brings you is really great. So try to open your heart to strangers! | middle110.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Do part-time jobs"
},
"options": [
"Study at home",
"Do part-time jobs",
"Take part in sports groups",
"Do chores"
],
"question": "What would a Chinese middle school student probably NOT do at the weekends accor... | Audrey is a Chinese-American student. She has found many value differences between Chinese and Americans.
About money
Americans would like to spend more than they have, so many of them are always in debt . Chinese usually spend less than they have, so many of them have money left in the bank.
American kids love to make money by themselves. Chinese kids always ask their parents for money.
American parents think it is not useful to send their children to an expensive university. Chinese parents would do anything to send their children to a good university and that might make them very poor sometimes.
About school
Many American girls take part in sports, dancing and singing groups while Chinese girls take part in _ groups.
Some American students think that "B" is a gift while Chinese students think that "B" is terrible.
American parents and Chinese parents
American parents allow their daughters or sons to go out to have some part-time jobs in their free time or at the weekends. Chinese parents usually don't allow their children to do so in middle or high schools. | middle1484.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "12"
},
"options": [
"11",
"12",
"13",
"14"
],
"question": "How old is Li Lei?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Jack"
},
"... | Hello!This Chinese boy is Li Lei. He's 12. He's in No.3 Middle School. He's in Class 2,Grade 1. His good friend is Jack. He's an English boy. He's in Li Lei's school. He's in Class1.Grade2. Mrs Read is an English teacher in their school.She's an English woman. Jack an Li Lei has a secret ----Jack is their English teacher's son. | middle5812.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "5"
},
"options": [
"2.",
"3.",
"4.",
"5"
],
"question": "How many people are there in Laura's family?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_te... | Laura Brent is a manager in an important company. She has three children--the eldest is 10, and youngest is three. "My job was only possible because my husband David was prepared to take my place and become a house husband," she says.
More and more couples are finding this arrangement suits them better in today's world, where women are rising to the top of their careers faster and more easily than they did in the past. Many men, on the other hand, like the idea of staying at home and looking after the children. "My children see a lot more of me than I saw of my father when I was young, and I think it's better for them, especially for the boys," says David. "It works just as well for Laura."
"Now I can come home from a hard day at work, and immediately relax with the children, instead of having to do the housework and the cooking," she says.
Is there anything David misses about going out to work?
"Not really. I suppose the worst thing about looking after children and doing the housework is not having a lunch break! It's a lot harder than most men think." | middle138.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "China"
},
"options": [
"Japan",
"England",
"America",
"China"
],
"question": "Alice is from _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "... | Hello, I'm a middle school student from Hainan. My Chinese name is Li Ying. My English name is Alice. I am Chinese. I'm in No. 26 Middle School. I am a good student. Now I am thirteen years old.
Our school is very nice. Ms Smart is my English teacher. I like her and she loves us very much.
There are three people in my family. This is my father. He is a teacher. This is my mother. Her name is Han Jing. I love them very much. | middle7963.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "scared"
},
"options": [
"scared",
"excited",
"interested",
"relaxed"
],
"question": "When the old lady first saw the man, she was_.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer... | He was driving home one evening when he saw an old lady standing by the road. He could tell she needed help. So he stopped his car in front of her car and got out.
He smiled at her, but she was worried. Was he going to hurt her? He looked poor and hungry.
He said: "I'm here to help you ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car? By the way ,my name is Joe."
She had a flat tire . Joe crawled under the car and soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt. She said that she couldn't thank him enough for his help. Joe just smiled as he closed her trunk .
She asked him how much she owed him. But Joe wasn't thinking about the money. This was helping someone in need. He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she should lend a hand.
He waited until she had driven off and felt good as he headed for home.
A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to get a bite to eat. The waitress brought a clean towel for her to wipe her wet hair. The waitress was nearly eight months pregnant .It was tiring for her to move about. But she did it all with a sweet smile on her face. The lady was moved by the wonderful service the waitress was giving. After the lady had finished her meal, and the waitress had gone to get her change from a Y=100 bill, the lady slipped out the door. At her table, the waitress found something written on a napkin.
There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady had written. It said: "You don't owe me a thing. I know life is hard for you right now. Someone once helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, don't let the chain of love end with you." | middle7977.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "terrible"
},
"options": [
"interesting",
"terrible",
"happy",
"unhappy"
],
"question": "Mr. Coates thinks working on the weekend is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"... | Many people have to work on the weekend. Some people do not mind. Others think it is terrible.
One man thinks that working on the weekend can be dangerous. He is Graham Coates. Mr Coates works in an office in Brighton, England.
On Saturday, May 24, 1986, he went to the office to do some work. When he got on the lift , it stopped between floors. Mr Coates could not get out of the lift. He started to shout, but no one heard him. Then Mr. Coats remembered that it was a holiday in England. No one was going to come to work until Tuesday.
There was nothing for him to do. He had to wait until one of his workmates came to work and found him. With nothing to eat or drink, Mr Coats ended up sleeping for most of the day.
Now Mr. Coates says, "I only use lifts if they have telephones in them." | middle892.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Jobs"
},
"options": [
"Homework.",
"Friends.",
"Jobs",
"Clothes"
],
"question": "Which is NOT mentioned about the arguments between parents and teenagers?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
... | Maybe you often have arguments with your parens about clothes , homework,friends and many other things. But what's going on when your parents fight with each other? Most teenagers feel sad or afraid when their parents fight. They might think their parents don't love each other any more and that their arguments will lead to a divorce .
In fact, it is normal for parents to disagree and argue sometimes. They might disagree about important things like jobs and family decisions. They might even disagree about little things that don't seem important at all---like what's for dinner. Maybe sometimes parents feel so strongly about their differences that it may lead to arguments. However, these arguments are often over quickly. Parents may say sorry and _ ,and the family returns to normal.
As a family member, you should find out what it really means when your parents fight. When your parents get angry with each other, they might say things they don't really mean.Most people may lose their cool, so if your parents are fighting, don't worry too much about it. Try to find a good way to solve it .
If your parents' fighting really bothers you, you might find it hard to sleep or go to school. If this happens, try talking to your parents about their behavior. They may not even realize it until you tell them how their arguments has affected you. You can also tell other relatives, a teacher or a close friend.
Just remember that no family is perfect and arguments are common in every family. | middle5806.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "he enjoys the warmth of the family"
},
"options": [
"he should have no time to warm his slippers",
"he enjoys the warmth of the family",
"he thinks it the most important to have slippers",
"he wants someone to warm his ... | An Englishman, a Frenchman and a Russian were discussing happiness. "Happiness," said the Englishman, "Happiness is when you return home tired after work, yet find your slippers warming by the fire."
"You English have no romance," said the Frenchman. "Happiness is when you go on a business trip, find a pretty girl who entertains you -then afterwards you part without regrets ."
"You are both wrong," said the Russian. "True happiness is when you are at home in bed and at 4 a.m., you hear a ring at the door and outside stand the secret police, who say to you, 'Ivanovitch, you are under arrest', and you say, 'Sorry, Ivanovitch lives next door.'" | middle3244.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "bananas"
},
"options": [
"bananas",
"chicken",
"meat",
"fish"
],
"question": "Before games it is good for you to eat _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index":... | Today, people want to be healthy by doing sports and exercise. But some of them have some wrong ideas about it.
"A plate of chicken is a good meal before games because it has much energy ."
In fact , the best meal before games should have carbohydrates . Food like potatoes, bread, bananas are rich in it, but chicken and meat are not.
"The best time to exercise is early in the morning."
Morning is a good time to exercise, but it may not be good for you. If afternoon or evening is OK for you, and you enjoy the feeling of getting healthier, you can choose any time to exercise. So there is no _ time for you to exercise.
"If you drink water when you exercise, you'll feel tired."
You must have some water during breaks when you exercise. And after exercising, you must have enough water. If you don't drink enough water, then you may feel tired.
" Exercising every day is quite important."
Wrong. Too much exercise is bad for our health. You have to give your body a day of rest. | middle5635.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Run away from the beach as quickly as possible if an earthquake happens."
},
"options": [
"Ground movement during an earthquake is the main reason of death.",
"You should keep your windows, fireplaces and heavy furniture clear.",
... | Stay as safe as possible during an earthquake. Be aware that some earthquakes are actually foreshocks and a larger earthquake might occur. Reduce your movements to a few steps to a nearby safe place.
If you are indoors, do "duck, cover and hold". Duck or drop down to the floor, under something strong, such as a table or a desk, cover your head and face with your arms and hands and hold on to that table or desk so that it does not move away from you as the ground shakes. Do this until the shaking stops and it is safe to move. Stay inside to avoid being injured by falling glass or building parts. If there isn't a table or desk near you, cover your face and head with your arms and crouch in an inside corner of the building.
Stay clear of windows, fireplaces, and heavy furniture that may fall over. Stay inside until the shaking stops and it is safe to go outside. Research has shown that most injuries occur when people inside buildings attempt to move to a different location inside the building or try to leave.
If you are outside, get into the open and stay there. Move away from trees, buildings, signs and power lines. Once in the open, stay there until the shaking stops. The greatest danger exists directly outside buildings, at exits and alongside exterior walls. Ground movement during an earthquake is seldom the direct cause of death or injury. Most earthquake-related casualties result from collapsing walls, flying glass, and falling objects.
If you are driving, you may not realize what is going on at first because the car may feel like it is going to blow up. Stop the car in as clear and open an area as possible and stay in it until the shaking stops. If it is a really bad quake, turn on the radio to find an emergency channel to get information. Follow the directions of people directing traffic.
If you are in a mountainous area, watch out for falling rock and other debris that could be loosened by the earthquake.
If you are at the beach, move quickly to higher ground or several hundred yards inland. | middle1453.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "In 1795"
},
"options": [
"In 1565.",
"In 1655",
"In 1795",
"In 1943."
],
"question": "When did the pencil become popular according to the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answ... | Nobody knows who invented the pencil or when it was invented. A Swiss described a pencil in a book in 1565. He said it was a piece of wood with lead inside it . Pencils weren't popular, and people continued to write with pens. In 1795,someone started making pencils from graphite and they became very popular. Today, people make pencils in the same way. They make the graphite into the shape of a stick, and then they put it inside a piece of wood. One pencil can make a line as long as 55 kilometers. When people first wrote with pens , they had to put the penpoint into ink after every few letters. Later someone invented a fountain pen and this kind of pen could hold ink inside. A fountain pen can write several pages before you have to fill it again.
Two brothers, Ladislao and Georg Biro, invented the ballpoint pen that we use today. They left their country Hungary and started producing ballpoint pens in England in 1943 during World War II. Later, a French company called Bic bought the Biro's company. Someone calls ballpoint pens bics. Australians call them biros. Whatever we call them, we use them every day. | middle7022.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "grows an orange tree"
},
"options": [
"grows an orange tree",
"can make money",
"makes cups",
"sells fruit"
],
"question": "The poor man _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | A poor man has an orange tree in his garden. There are many fine oranges on it. He finds one of the oranges much bigger than the others. It is as big as a ball. the poor man takes the orange to the king. The king is very happy. He gives him a lot of money. A rich man hears of this. He takes his gold cup to the king. He hopes to get much more money from the kind. The king likes the cup very much. He says, "This cup is very nice. I'm going to show you something nicer. Please take this orange." The rich man is very angry and throws the orange away. | middle879.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "They are bad for his teeth."
},
"options": [
"John doesn't like them.",
"They are bad for his teeth.",
"His mother has no money.",
"His mother doesn't love him."
],
"question": "John's mother doesn't give him ch... | John likes chocolates very much, but his mother doesn't give him. They're bad for his teeth, she thinks. John has a very nice grandfather. The old man loves John very much and sometimes he buys John some chocolates. Then his mother let him eat them. Because she wants to make the old man happy.
One Sunday evening before his seventh birthday, he shouts, "Please, God , let them give me a big box of chocolates for my birthday." His mother says, "God can't hear you. Don't shout ! "
"I know," says the clever boy with a smile. "But my grandfather is in the next room. And he can." | middle7744.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "difficult"
},
"options": [
"easy",
"difficult",
"many",
"few"
],
"question": "Doing _ math problem can make students lose heart.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answe... | Students learn many subjects at school, like Chinese, English, math and physics. Some students think it's hard to do well in math. They say it's boring. Why do they say this? First, some math problems are so hard for them. They spend a lot of time on them, but they can't work them out, so they lost heart . Second, they are afraid( ) to ask their teachers for help. They think the teachers will laugh at them. Third, they think math class is very tiring because they need to use their brain to find out the answers all the time.
How can you do well in math? Here is some advice from a math teacher:
1. Listen to the teacher carefully in class and do some extra exercises after class.
2. Ask the teacher for help if you don't understand anything. Don't be afraid.
3. Don't forget to go over your old lessons.
If you do these things, you will find it much easier to do better in math. | middle39.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Becky's father"
},
"options": [
"Becky's father",
"Becky's mother",
"Becky's brother",
"Becky's sister"
],
"question": "_ can speak Chinese.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | There is a photo on Becky's desk. It is a picture of her family. There are four people in it.
The man is her father. He is thirty-eight. He can speak Chinese. There is a woman behind Becky. She is Becky's mother. She is thirty-seven. She can't speak Chinese, but she speaks English. They're teachers. They work in a school. There is a boy in the picture, too. He is Becky's brother. His name is Jack. He is twelve. He can skate and ride a bike. He has an American friend. Her name is Betty. Becky and her brother are in the same school, but they aren't in the same grade. They look like their mother. They are English. It's a big family.
,. | middle1335.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "1986"
},
"options": [
"1986",
"1988",
"1992",
"1997"
],
"question": "The charity song Let the World Be Filled with Love was written in _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | A concert under the theme of the 28-year-old charity song Let the World Be Filled with Love is set to bring 100 celebrated singers to perform in Quanzhou in southeast China's Fujian Province next month. The concert is set to cover 10 cities including Beijing. Quanzhou is the first stop of the touring schedule.
The song Let the World Be Filled with Love was written by famous Chinese singer and songwriter Guo Feng. It was performed by a chorus of 100 singers during a concert for world peace that year. The song also made Guo Feng famous.
The concert is organized by China TV Artists Association. It aims to improve local charity programmes. The concert has so far received positive feedback from some of the biggest names from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan, including Hollywood actor Jackie Chan.
It is well known that Jackie Chan has made great contributions to the music scene for years with songs like A Hero Never Dies and Don't Go Home. He sang the theme song to the film Fairy Tale with Kim Hee Sun. Between shooting films and joining in public activities all over the world, it took Chan about a year to finish an album.
By joining in charity activities, Jackie Chan has provided scholarships for needy students and helped injured performers and their families. So far, he has been involved in over 100 public welfare projects in 52 cities in over 30 countries. | middle5153.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He doesn't know how to get on well with his English teacher."
},
"options": [
"He doesn't like learning English.",
"He meets trouble with his English teacher.",
"He doesn't know how to get on well with his English teacher.",
... | Dear editor,
My English teacher is very strict with us. Several days ago, when we were in class, Tom asked me a question. But my English teacher thought we were speaking in class. She asked us to stand at the back of the classroom for a few minutes. This made me unfair. After that, I feel nervous in her class, so I don't like her class. However, I really want to learn English well. What should I do?
Yours,
Mike
Dear Mike,
I am sorry you are having difficulty with your English class. Every teacher wants his or her students to study hard. So I think you should have a talk with your English teacher and tell her what you were doing with Tom that day. If she knows your worries, maybe she will help you with your English. And she will be pleased to hear you want to learn English well. Of course, you should know that what your teacher did was good for you. When you are not trying as hard as you can, she has to stop it and try to help you. Wish you have a better life!
Yours,
Editor | middle2628.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Travel"
},
"options": [
"Food",
"Travel",
"Society",
"Business"
],
"question": "The passage is probably taken from the _ part of a magazine.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | I am off on a trip on my own. Yes ! Alone! I can't wait to get going to Europe to see some cities I really want to visit. It is great because I can choose what I want to do in each city. I am going to travel by train on the Eurorail.
The train trip was fast and the views of the countryside were amazing. Now 1 am in Salzburg, Austria. The quiet hills of Austria are a great place to relax. The movie The Sound of Music was filmed around this area. Mozart, the famous musician, was from here. I listened to some of his classical music.
The train ride to Amsterdam was a long one. It gave me time to write some postcards to send back home. Amsterdam is a fun city, full of friendly locals and many tourists. I spent the whole day visiting the art museums here. The museum about the famous Dutch artist Van Gogh is filled with history and beautiful art. I took a boat ride and saw local people in traditional dress. I even got to taste some delicious Dutch cheese.
Copenhagen, Denmark, is one of the safest places in the world. I spent a busy and nice day at the Tivoli Amusement Park. It is a huge park which even has concerts and dance shows. Hans Christian Anderson, a famous writer of children's books, was born in this city. I found a lovely bookshop and bought two of his fairy tale books, The Little Mermaid and The Ugly Duckling.
My travels alone are done! What an adventure this trip has been! I love it. | middle5147.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "there was not enough land"
},
"options": [
"it's near the sea",
"there was not enough land",
"planes arrive safely",
"it's good"
],
"question": "The airport was built out into the sea because _ .",
"quest... | If you go to Hong Kong by air, you will arrive at Kai Tak Airport. Because there was no enough land, it was built out into the sea. It is in the part of Hong Kong called Kowloon. Kowloon is one of the two big cities in Hong Kong.
The other city is Hong Kong itself. It is on an island. You can get there by ship or through a tunnel under the sea. Much of Hong Kong is farmland and mountains.
The population of Hong Kong is over 6 million. Most of them are Chinese. Chinese and English are spoken by many people there.
Clothes, computers, radios and TVs are made in Hong Kong. You can watch dog-racing or motor-racing. Some places are quiet and beautiful. When you are hot and tired, there are small and cool gardens to rest in. There are also a lot of tall buildings to live in. Hong Kong is also a good place for Chinese cooking. You can enjoy many kinds of Chinese cooking, for example, fish, meat and vegetables. Beijing Roast Duck is famous as well. There is certainly a lot to see and to do in Hong Kong.
In 1997, Hong Kong was returned to China. It's a part of China. | middle4259.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "She starts a new job."
},
"options": [
"She has more grandchildren.",
"She has her own art gallery.",
"She lives an easy life.",
"She starts a new job."
],
"question": "How is Grandma Moses different from most o... | Most people will rest and relax when they are old. They do not work. And most people are certainly not famous. But Grandma Moses is different She starts a new job at the age of 76.
This is her story. She was born in a poor farmer's family in 1860. Her parents named her Anna Mary Robertson. She married Thomas Moses in 1887. He was a farm worker.
Now it is 1930. Anna Mary Moses is 70, and is a grandmother. She begins to paint pictures. She does paintings of country life. One day, her daughter takes her paintings to a store in town. Her paintings are put in the window. A man from New York sees the paintings in the window and buys them. And he wants more!
The man likes Grandma Moses' paintings. He wants to help her. So he takes her paintings to galleries in New York City. Otto Kallir has a famous gallery there. He likes the paintings by Grandma Moses. Now it is 1940 and Grandma Moses' paintings are in Kallir's gallery. She is 80 years old.
Grandma Moses suddenly becomes famous. Everyone wants her paintings. So she paints more and more. She wins many prizes for her paintings. She becomes famous in the United States and Europe .
When she is 100 years old, the State of New York makes her birthday "Grandma Moses' Day". After her 100thbirthday, she paints 6 more paintings. She dies at age 101 and a lot of people think she is amazing. | middle3536.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "leg"
},
"options": [
"leg",
"head",
"foot",
"trunk"
],
"question": "The first man touched the elephant's _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"a... | One day, five blind men were walking along, when suddenly they bumped into something very big in front of them. Each one put out his hand and _ it. The first man thought it was a tree ---it was tall and round. The second man felt something tall and wide and rough and said, "Aha! This must be a wall !" The third man touched a very long smooth thing. He guessed this was a spear .Then the fourth man said, "I feel cool. There must be a fan up there. Oh, yes! Here it is!" He touched something big and round that was moving. What did the fifth man find? Well, he started shouting that he was being chased by a snake.
Each man was sure he knew what he had touched, but they were wrong. They finally understood the mystery when the big thing attempted to move, and they felt silly because everything they had touched belonged to an elephant. | middle7750.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Because he worked too hard."
},
"options": [
"Because he didn't finish his lessons.",
"Because he worked too hard.",
"Because he was worried about his homework.",
"Because there was a lot of noise."
],
"question... | A young man worked very hard on his lessons. He was too busy to have a rest. One day he found that he couldn't fall asleep at night. As he became ill, he couldn't go to sleep. When he went to bed, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep. But he always failed.
After a few days he decided to see a doctor.
"I just can't go to sleep at night. What should I do?" he asked.
"I have a suggestion," said the doctor. "You can try to count numbers. When you count to one thousand, you will be asleep. I am sure of it. "
The next day the man returned to the doctor's office.
"Well," said the doctor. "How are you today? Did you try my suggestion?"
The man still looked tired. "Yes," he said. "I tried to count one, two, three.. , up to one thousand. But when I counted to five hundred and sixty--nine, I began to feel sleepy. I had to get up and drink some tea so that I could go on counting up to one thousand. But then I still couldn't fall asleep. " | middle1321.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "listening, speaking, reading and writing"
},
"options": [
"spelling, listening, grammar and reading",
"listening, speaking, reading and writing",
"taking exams, pronunciation, reading and writing",
"pronunciation, readi... | If you have a problem with speaking, you can do several things. Listen to English as much as possible. You can learn a poem or a song by heart. You can also learn more dialogues . And practice speaking with your friends as much as you can.
Many people find it difficult to listen to English. The answer is to listen as much as you can. However, don't do too much at one time. It is better to practice listening for five minutes every day. Don't sit down and listen for an hour at a time. That's too much! Do choose listening passages that are interesting and not too difficult. Choose tapes on which the people speak clearly and not too fast. Take it easy, at first. Success with simple tapes at the beginning is the answer. Later on you can practice with tapes that are more difficult.
Finally, how can you learn to write well? How do you use little words like in, on, of and for? There are two answers to this. First, do some study with new words. Keep a list of verbs like look for, look after and so on. Second, read as much English as possible. There are many things that can't be learnt. You must see them in books many times. Then you'll be able to use them correctly yourself. So, in order to write well, you must first learn to read much. | middle7988.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "One tiger and one monkey."
},
"options": [
"Two tigers and two monkeys.",
"Two tigers and one monkey.",
"One tiger and two monkeys.",
"One tiger and one monkey."
],
"question": "How many tigers and monkeys are t... | There is an old tiger in the forest . He doesn't want to look for food now. He often lets other animals get him some food to eat.
One day, he sees a monkey and says,"I am hungry, monkey. Go and get me something to eat.""I can't do that now, tiger." the monkey says,"There is another tiger over there . He doesn't let me get anything for you to eat. I am afraid of him." "What?" says the old tiger. "Take me to the tiger. I want to talk to him." The monkey and the tiger go to the bridge over the river . "Now look down at the water." says the monkey. "Do you see the tiger?" "Yes, I do." says the old tiger. "Let me eat him." Then the tiger jumps into the river. | middle1447.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "he would feel sad and sorry for them"
},
"options": [
"he would lose his children`s love",
"the children wouldn`t forgive their father",
"he would feel sad and sorry for them",
"nothing would happen"
],
"questio... | Once when I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus . Finally, there was only one family between the ticket counter and us. This family made a big impression on me. There were eight children, all probably under the age of 12. You could tell they didn't have a lot of money. Their clothes were not expensive, but they were clean. They were excitedly talking about the clowns, elephants, and other acts they would see that night.
The father and mother were at the head of the pack, standing proud as they could be. When the ticket lady asked the father how many tickets he wanted, he proudly answered, "Please let me buy eight children's tickets and two adults tickets, so I can take my family to the circus."
The ticket lady told him the price. The man's wife lowered her head. The father`s lip began to quiver and he leaned a little closer and asked, "How much did you say?" The ticket lady again quoted the price. The man didn`t have enough money.
How was he supposed to turn and tell his eight kids that he didn`t have enough money to take them to the circus? Seeing what was going on, my dad put his hand in his pocket, pulled out a $20 bill and dropped it on the ground. My father reached down, picked up the bill, tapped the man on the shoulder and said ,"Excuse me, sir. This fell out of your pocket."
The man knew what was going on. He wasn`t begging for a handout but certainly appreciated the help in a heartbreaking and embarrassing situation. He looked straight into my dad`s eyes, took my dad`s hand in both of his, holding the $20 bill, and with a tear running down his cheek, he replied, "Thank you, sir. This really means a lot to me and my family ."
My father and I went back to our car and drove home. _ | middle6328.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "A pair of tennis bats"
},
"options": [
"A pair of tennis bats",
"A book",
"New sports shoes",
"Michael's bike"
],
"question": "What did he want for his birthday gift?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
... | It was really an unforgettable day all his life for Andy, for it changed him a lot.
After school, Andy walked by the sports shop on the street corner. He stopped to look at the tennis bats in the shop window, and then turned over and walked away.
Tomorrow was his birthday. He really wanted to have such tennis bats for his birthday gift. But when he thought of his parents he felt sorry for himself. They would like to give him what he likes. But they were both out of work for a long time. Hanging out in the street, Andy didn't want to go home. Sorry and tired, he sat in the street corner.
"What are you doing here, Andy?" cried his brother Michael.
"Dad was badly hurt and he is in hospital now," his brother said sadly and loudly. When they arrived, dad was lying in bed with white cloth on the head. Beside him were his sad mother and a pair of tennis bats. Andy felt too sorry to move. What he wanted to do was to cry and slap himself on the head hard. | middle7036.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "can't be lost in a new city"
},
"options": [
"can't be lost in a new city",
"can't find their way in different countries",
"can start the car",
"can learn about the culture of an unknown place"
],
"question": "W... | Imagine the situation. You are driving along a desert or on a mountain. You have no idea where you are. You passed the last house two hours ago. Then your car breaks down. It is night and it is cold. You have no mobile phone. What do you do? Well, next time take a GPS with you. This invention may be able to help you. It is a device which uses satellites to find the user's position. It can find your position in 20 meters. A GPS can't start your car, but at least you will know where you are.
GPS, which means Global Positioning System, is a small radio receiver. It looks like a mobile phone. You can hold it in your hand, or put it in your pocket. It is sometimes put into a watch or a telephone. We also find GPS devices in cars, planes, or boats. Some of these devices have electronic maps, so you know where you are. For example, in a city they can tell you the name of the street.
There are three parts to the Global Positioning System. The first part is the receiver. You can hold it in your hand, or have it fixed into your car, plane, etc. The second part is a group of satellites orbiting the earth. The receiver contacts at least four of the satellites and calculates its position. The third part of the system is a network of ground stations. They are all over the world. They control the satellites and make sure they are working well.
Some people think that in the future the GPS will be as common as the mobile. They are becoming cheaper and more and more accurate . There are also many new uses for the GPS. Perhaps they will become like watches. Everyone will have one and you will never be lost again. | middle3250.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "China"
},
"options": [
"England",
"America",
"China",
"Australia"
],
"question": "Jane is from _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text... | My name is Jane. I am from Shanghai, China. I want to have a pen pal in London. London is a big city. I am thirteen years old and my birthday is February 22nd. I like to listen to music and read books after school. My favourite subject in school is art. It's fun and interesting. I don't like math. It's too _ . | middle5621.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "wash them"
},
"options": [
"wash your hands",
"wash them",
"cut them",
"put them in a bowl"
],
"question": "After you choose your fruits, you should _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"... | Fruit salad is a delicious dessert and you can make it in less than ten minutes. What's more, you can enjoy it without becoming fatter. Fruit salad can also be a great dish at a party, or the wonderful snacks during any time of a day. If you want to know how to make fruit salad, just follow the steps.
Things you need
1 cup of strawberries
1 cup of cherries
1/2 red apple
1/2 peach
1 pear
2 spoons of juice
Steps
1. choose your fruits
2. wash all of your fruits
3. cut the strawberries, cherries, red apple, peach, and pear into small pieces
4. put 2 spoons of juice in a bowl
5. put all the fruits in the bowl
6. serve and eat | middle6300.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "She was too small to get the key to the door."
},
"options": [
"She couldn't find the key to the door.",
"She was too small to get the key to the door.",
"She didn't know how to get through the door.",
"She was not allo... | Poor Alice was very unhappy. "What a wonderful garden!" she said to herself. "I'd like to be out there - not in this dark room. Why can't I get smaller?" It was already a very strange day. and Alice was beginning to think that anything was possible.
After a while she locked the door again, got up and went back to the glass table. She put the key down and she saw a little bottle on the table. Round the neck of the bottle was a piece of paper with the words DRINK ME in large letters.
But Alice was a careful girl. "It can be dangerous to drink out of strange bottles," she said. "What will it do to me?" She drank a little bit very slowly. The taste was very nice. like chocolate and oranges and hot sweet coffee. and very soon Alice finished the bottle.
"What a strange feeling!" said Alice. "I think I' m getting smaller and smaller every second."
And she was. A few minutes later she was only 25 centimeters high. "And now," she said happily,
"I can get through the little door into that beautiful garden."
She ran at once to the door. When she got there. she remembered that the little gold key was back on the glass table. She ran back to the table for it, but of course, she was now much too small! There was the key, high above her, on top of the table. She tried very hard to climb up the table leg, but she could not do it.
At last, tired and unhappy, Alice sat down on the floor and cried. But after a while she spoke to herself angrily.
"Come now," she said, "Stop crying at once. What's the use of crying?" She was a strange child, and often talked to herself like this.
Soon she saw a little glass box near her on the floor. She opened it and found a very small cake with the words EAT ME on it.[:. . ]
Nothing could surprise Alice now. "Well, I'II eat it," she said. "If I get taller, I can take the key off the table. And if I get smaller, I can get under the door. _ I'll get into the garden. So it doesn't matter what happens!" She went on eating, but nothing happened. | middle3278.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "12"
},
"options": [
"12",
"13",
"11",
"10"
],
"question": "How old is Gina today?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "three"
},
... | Today is November 8th. It's Gina's birthday. She is twelve. Jim , Kate and Bill are her friends. They want to buy some presents for Gina. They go to the shop near the school. There are a lot of things in the shop. They buy a big cake , two boxes of color pencils , a pencil-box and some nice exercise books. They want to buy two dolls for Gina. But all the dolls are too dear . | middle4517.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "helping people is giving them what they really need"
},
"options": [
"the old want people to give them money",
"the young should show respect to the old",
"old people in the old people's home don't need help",
"helping ... | March 5 is "Lei Feng Day". Fifty years ago on this day, Chairman Mao Zedong called on people to "learn from Lei Feng". Now half a century has passed. Is the spirit of Lei Feng outdated? Some people have shown us that it's not. But people have also changed the ways in which they help others.
Li Yulin, who works in a hospital in Hang Zhou, Zhejiang, has been a volunteer for 15 years. He still remembers his experience in an old people's home several years ago. An old woman held his hand and said, "You don't need to do anything for us. Seeing young people like you here is all we need." Those words made Li think: in what ways can we help people better? "Every person does what they can, no matter how small it is, to give out positive energy. And before we lend a helping hand, we should find out what they want," Li said to the Qianjiang Evening News.
As well as Li, other people have shown their understanding of the spirit of Lei Feng. A "noodle fever" swept Zhengzhou, Henan in January. It started with an online post. Li Gang, a 42-year-old local man, said in the post that he has got cancer. He needed a lot of money for an operation. He was not asking for donations, but hoped people would come to eat at his restaurant. Li's post spread quickly. Soon his restaurant was filled with people every day. Li had an operation on Feb. 2 and now he is getting better.
"It is good to help Li and his family like this for it shows them respect and doesn't hurt their pride," Qianjiang Evening News said. | middle2166.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "A few."
},
"options": [
"A few.",
"Few.",
"About 1,500.",
"Many."
],
"question": "How many languages are very important in the world?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"an... | There are about fifteen hundred languages in the world. But only a few of them are very important.English is one of these.Many people use it,not only in England and the USA,but also in other parts of the world.About 200,000,000 people speak it as their own language.It is difficult to say how many peopie are learning it as a foreign language.Many millions of people are trying to do so.Is it easy or difficult to learn English?Different people may have different answers.Have you ever noticed ads of this kind in the newspapers or magazines?"Learn English in six weeks,or give your money back...","easy and funny...","Our records and tapes help you master English in a month".Of course,it never happened quite like this.
The only language that seems easy to learn is t11e mother tongue.We should remember that
we all learned our own language well when we were children.If we could 1ea m English in the
same way,it would not seem so difficult.Think of what a small child does.He 1istens lo what people say.He tries what he hears.
So,it is hard to say that learning English is easy.We must do a Iot ofpractice.And practice needs great effort and takes much time.Good teachers,records,tapes,books,and dictionaries will be helpful,but they cannot do the student's work for him. | middle2600.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "."
},
"options": [
".",
".",
".",
"."
],
"question": "What's the Chinese meaning of WNBA?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Yes, o... | On a sunny morning, children in Ganale stood in front of their new school and expressed their thanks to Tina Charles. Tina Charles, a woman member of the WNBA, plays for the women's basketball team of America. She understands the importance of education and of giving back to others. So the WNBA star made sure to support a school in an African village when she heard about the chance to give money to it.
Charles first knew about the chance while she was in a college. But she didn't have the money to help out at that time. After she played for the WNBA, she made much money. With the help of charitable organizations , Charles donated $32,000 to the school.
Charles did the charity work while playing basketball and getting ready for the London Olympics. She played for the team that had won the gold medal in the last four Olympic Games. And they got the fith gold medal in London.
Charles always works hard on both working for the country in the Olympic Games and giving back to others."The more I give, the more happiness I get."she said. | middle4271.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Five."
},
"options": [
"Five.",
"Six.",
"Seven.",
"Eight."
],
"question": "In the passage, how many points about being an extraordinary person does the writer refer to?",
"question_type": null
},
{
... | We all see and hear about extraordinary people around us and wonder why we can't be more like them. It's not the big things that make someone extraordinary. It's the small things. They become extraordinary by making a difference in someone's life. Here are some of the things extraordinary people do every day:
Praise someone. It can make the others feel great about themselves. A compliment can have a positive impact on their lives. Your team or family will love you for it.
It's OK to admit you were wrong. You will not only gain the respect of your team mates, but you will also gain credibility .
When you need help, don't be shy or stop yourself. Everyone needs a little help sometimes. When you ask for help, you receive help. You're willing to listen; you also need support at times.
When you don't understand how something works, let an expert show you. When you let someone teach you something, you are telling the person that you respect his talent, time and what he is talking about.
Sometimes it is very important to stay silent. Especially when you're angry, process your emotions, think back to what happened, and then come to a decision about how to deal with it. Before you say anything, consider others' feeling. Never be rude with words or actions. | middle7778.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Nice."
},
"options": [
"Boring.",
"Bad.",
"Terrible.",
"Nice."
],
"question": "How was the writer's first trip to India?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": ... | On my first visit to India with my friend, Barry, we met a really nice woman on the plane. Her name was Uma. Talking with her made us very happy.
When we arrived in India, we found that our bags weren't on our plane. It was 4 am on Saturday morning. But we were told that we couldn't get our bags until Monday. What could we do? As we stood there thinking, Uma came over. She said, "Our car will come soon. Come home with me."
We went out of the airport and got into the small car. It was already crowded with Uma's family who had come to welcome her home.
At the house, we showered and rested. They provided us with delicious Indian meals and took us on tours of their city. On Monday morning, their driver took us to the airport, where we were happy to get our bags.
The following year, we returned to India, and our first thing was to visit Uma and her family. We have become good friends. Her kindness was a real gift. Everywhere we went, we met kind Indian people. We also did our best to pass on that kindness wherever we went, just as Uma did. | middle6466.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "He lives in a big city ."
},
"options": [
"He lives in a small house.",
"He lives in a big city .",
"He lives on a farm.",
"He lives in a school."
],
"question": "Where does Ted live!",
"question_type": "fac... | Ted lives in a big city .Today he's very happy .it's the first day of school .Ted to go back to school. He wants to see his friends. He is going to meet his new teachers.
Ted gets up early in the morning .He washes and puts on his new clothes .Look !He is having breakfast with his parents .Now ,he is ready for school.
He goes to school by bike .He meets his friends outside the school gate .They are talking about something .Then the bell rings . Everyone runs to his or her classroom. | middle851.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Yes, she does."
},
"options": [
"No. she doesn't",
"Yes, she does.",
"Yes. she has.",
"No, she hasn't."
],
"question": "Does Kitty have a brother?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer"... | My name is Kitty. I have a very big and nice room and I have a great school things collection. My brother's room is near my room. He is Mike. And he has a big sports collection. I have twenty erasers, ten pencils, nine rulers and eight pens in my schoolbag. My brother has two baseballs, four soccer balls and five basketballs under his bed. | middle4265.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "we can speak to dolphins but not talk with"
},
"options": [
"we can speak to dolphins but not talk with",
"dolphins have not got their own language",
"researches on dolphins have just begun",
"only biologists know what ... | Can you speak to dolphins? Of course you can but you won't be able to understand them! We interviewed a biologist and asked her what research on dolphin communication has shown. This is what she told us.
Just like dogs, cats and other mammals, dolphins communicate by using sound, vision , touch and taste. Each dolphin has its own signature whistle to identify itself and to call others. Dolphins don't have the ability to smell, but their hearing and eyesight are excellent.
We also asked Jane if dolphins have got their own language. She told us that they have and that dolphins started talking to each other from birth. They make different sounds, including whistles, squeaks and click. Sometimes they even sound like a heavy metal band!
We then asked Jane if any interesting experiments have been done. She told us that a very interesting experiment had been done with a mother dolphin and her two-year-old baby in an aquarium. They talked to each other over the telephone! The two dolphins were in separate tanks which were connected by a special under water system. Unfortunately the biologists couldn't understand what the dolphins were talking about because they haven't been able to decode dolphin language yet. However, it was very clear that the dolphins knew what they were talking about.
Finally we asked Jane if there was hope that we would be able to understand dolphins in the near future. She told us that she and her team have been listening to dolphins for more than 17 years, using special equipment to record and analyze their language. Unfortunately they haven't been able to decode it yet, but who knows -- maybe one day we'll get a phone call from a dolphin. | middle4503.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "nobody knows when help will come if the spaceship breaks down"
},
"options": [
"the doctors need to know how strong they are",
"the astronauts need to show how smart they are",
"good astronauts mustn't be afraid of darkness o... | Astronauts, people who fly into space, need special training. First they go to Houston, Texas. That is the home of the Johnson Space Centre. There they are tested to see how strong and smart they are.
One of the first tests is for the heart. The people walk or run, then the space doctors see how fast their hearts are beating.
Another important test is performed. In this test the person must curl his body up in a ball. When he is in that position, he is put into a round cloth bag. The doctors give him no idea how long he will have to stay in the bag. If a spaceship broke down in space, the astronauts would get into bags like this. Then they would have to wait and curl up in darkness, until help could arrive. You can see that an astronaut must not be afraid of tight space or darkness.
After the tests, only the best people are chosen to start astronaut training in a training centre. The astronauts in training learn many other things. They learn how to jump out of a moving airplane. They learn to how to blow up a lifeboat and get into it while they are in the ocean. The astronauts also have to learn how to get lifted out of the ocean by helicopter . That may look fun, but it can be dangerous.
After they finish training, the astronauts continue to work. They stay in good shape by running and doing exercise. They read about their special jobs. In that way they can learn new facts about space travel.
Then the big day comes. The astronaut is told to go to work on a flight into space. The crew members get to know each other first. Then they can learn which job each will do. | middle2172.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Arica"
},
"options": [
"Africa",
"Ariaona",
"Tutunendo",
"Arica"
],
"question": "Which place has the least rain ?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
... | Weather Facts around the world
The wettest place: Tutunendo, Colombia, has an average of 11,700 mm of rain every year.
The hottest place: The average temperature in Dallol, Ethiopia, is 34degC.
The foggiest place: There is fog in some place on the new foundland coast of Canada for an average of 120 days a
Year The cloudiest place: For 182 days every year there is no sunshine at the South Pole because clouds cover the area. The Sunniest place: In Yuma, Arizona, in the United States, the sun shines 90 per cent of the time.
The windiest place: In parts of Antarctica, winds often reach 320 km an hour.
The driest place: Arica, in the north of Chile, has less than 0.1 mm of rain each year.
The coldest place: The average temperature in one area of America is -58degC. | middle6314.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "met an old lady"
},
"options": [
"played with pigeons",
"fed pigeons",
"met an old lady",
"saw a friend of his grandma's"
],
"question": "Little Mike went to the park and _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_que... | Little Mike's grandma died weeks ago. He missed her very much. One afternoon Mike went to the city park where his grandma used to go. There he saw an old lady. She looked very kind. She was sitting there, watching pigeons . Little Mike went up and sat next to her. He took out his food and drinks and gave some to her. She smiled at him. Her smile was so sweet that Mike wanted to see it again. She seemed to understand him, so once again she smiled. Mike was very glad.
They sat there all the afternoon, eating and talking. As it got dark, Mike got up to leave. Before he left, he hugged the old lady and she gave him her sweetest smile.
When Mike got home, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. "I met a granny in the park. Her smile was like the kind of smile I had seen on Grandma's face."
The old lady also returned to her home happily. She told her son that she had food and drinks with a little boy. "He was as lovely as Brittany," she said. Her son was surprised, because he had never seen her so happy since Brittany, her grandson, died weeks ago.
. | middle7195.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "interesting"
},
"options": [
"interesting",
"dishonest",
"serious",
"unhappy"
],
"question": "If you want to start the talk easily, you should say something _ at the beginning.",
"question_type": "cloze_... | Do you often talk with your parents? Here is some advice on how to talk with them.
Try to start your talk with something fun. This will make talking easier. For example, ask them questions about their day. How is work? They love this.
Make it clear what you want to tell your parents. If they have an opinion, let them finish and don't stop their talking. Ask them to do the same for you.
Show them respect by listening to them carefully. Look at them in the eye.
Be honest. Honesty builds trust. Life is good when your parents trust you.
If your parents don't understand, that's OK. It doesn't mean that they don't love you. Sometimes you have to explain the things to them again.
When you finish the talk, thank them for listening. Say something like "Thanks, that helps." It will let them know that is important to you and make them want to do it more often. | middle5782.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "She thinks the boy need to buy a half-price ticket."
},
"options": [
"She likes him.",
"She thinks the boy need to buy a half-price ticket.",
"She knows the small boy.",
"She saw the boy somewhere."
],
"question... | A mother and her young son get into a bus in a small city and sit down. The bus conductor comes to them for their money. The mother says: "I want one ticket to the zoo " and gives him two yuan. The conductor looks at the small boy for a few seconds and then says to him, "How old are you ,young man?" The mother begins to speak, but the conductor stops her, The boy says: "I'm four years old at home, and two in the buses." At last the mother has to take one yuan out of her pocket and gives it to the conductor. | middle3495.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "a teacher"
},
"options": [
"a student",
"a teacher",
"a manager",
"a farmer"
],
"question": "According to the passage, we can know Morrie is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer":... | Would you completely trust your friends if you couldn't see anything? If you are falling, do you believe they will catch you and help you stand up? Our teacher helped us to find the answer.
Our teacher is named Morrie. One day, he said that he had a game for us to try. He divided us into two groups. One of the students from the first group, stands in front of us with his eyes closed, and then falls backwards . The second group stand behind him. Before he falls on the floor, they should catch him and not let him get hurt. Most of us were uncomfortable with this. We were afraid that they wouldn't catch us and we would hit the floor. So we didn't move. We just stood there and laughed in embarrassment .
Finally, one student, thin, quiet, dark-haired girl called Sarah, decided to move. She crossed her arms in front of her body, closed her eyes, and slowly fell backwards. She looked quiet but brave.
For a moment, I was sure she was going to fall on the floor. But before she hit the floor, the other students caught her, held her and finally helped her stand up.
"Whoa!!" we were all surprised, and also encouraged. The girl was happy, too. Seeing this, Morrie smiled and said to the girl, "When you close your eyes, you can't see anything. You won't feel safe. When you are falling, the feeling gets stronger. You are not sure whether you will hit the cold, hard floor or the warm, soft hands of your friends. But if you are brave enough to trust them, they won't let you down." | middle2953.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "wasn't feeling well"
},
"options": [
"went to see a friend",
"felt very tired",
"wasn't feeling well",
"went to help his doctor"
],
"question": "One day an Indian _ . .",
"question_type": "cloze_q... | One day an Indian went to see his doctor. The doctor looked him over and said, "Medicine won't help you. You must have a good rest. Go to a quiet country place for a month, go to bed early, drink milk, walk a lot, and smoke only one cigar a day."
A month later, the Indian came to see the doctor again. "How are you?" said the doctor. "I'm glad to see you again. You look much younger." "Oh, doctor, I feel quite well now," said the Indian, "I had a good rest. I went to bed early. I drank a lot of milk. I walked a lot. You certainly helped me. But you told me to smoke one cigar a day, and that almost killed me at first. It was not easy to begin smoking at my age." | middle1282.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Three"
},
"options": [
"one",
"Two",
"Three",
"we don't know"
],
"question": "How many elephants are there in the zoo?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_... | Our town has a big zoo. There are a lot of animals in it. There are some tiger and two lions. They eat a lot of meat everyday.
There are also two big elephants and a baby one. I want to ride one of them, the elephants are tame and kind, They eat a lot of grass every day. The elephants like children, because sometimes Children give them bread and bananas, elephants like bananas very much.
In our zoo there are also brown bears and white bears. They stand on their hind legs. Hold up, their arms and ask for food. They like cakes very much. There is a good place for children. They can ride horses and donkeys and watch the monkeys there. The monkeys are very funny. They climb up ropes again and again and play with each other like small children. They love apples, bananas and bread.
. | middle702.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "were projectionists"
},
"options": [
"started a movie theater",
"started to produce films",
"were projectionists",
"settled their business in California"
],
"question": "According to the text, at the beginning o... | Warner Brothers is an American company that produces movies and television shows. It started as a small family business operated by four brothers -- Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack Warner. In nineteen-oh-three, the brothers began their business by traveling throughout Ohio and Pennsylvania showing movies using a projector . By nineteen-oh-seven, they opened a movie theater in New Castle, Pennsylvania. Within ten years, the Warner brothers started producing movies, and moved that part of the business to California.
In nineteen eighteen, their first complete picture was called "My Four Years in Germany." The film was based on a book by the United States' ambassador to the court of Kaiser Wilhelm. In nineteen twenty-five, they began to work to include the technology for sound in their movies.
Two years later, Warner Brothers Pictures released the first major movie with sound, or "talking picture." It was called "The Jazz Singer" and it was a huge success. In the nineteen thirties, the company made several films that were highly praised, including "Little Caesar," "The Public Enemy", "The Gold Diggers" and "Forty-Second Street."
The Warner Brothers' success continued in the nineteen forties with movies like "The Maltese Falcon," and "Casablanca." Movies during this time starred popular actors like Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Gary Cooper and Bette Davis. The company continues to produce popular movies today.
By the nineteen seventies, the Warner Brothers studios had also become well set up in television. In nineteen ninety, Warner Communications combined with Time Incorporated to form Time Warner Incorporated.
In two thousand one, the company combined with America Online. The company now includes film production, cable television networks, music and publishing. This year, the company announced a deal with the CBS Corporation to form a new television broadcast network. The CW began broadcasting this month. | middle1296.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "do online shopping"
},
"options": [
"exchange messages",
"share information",
"do online shopping",
"put up photos"
],
"question": "People can do the following on Facebook except _ .",
"question_type": "c... | It has more than 845 million users worldwide. If it were a country, _ would have the third largest population in the world, behind China and India. This is Facebook, a popular website from the US. It is similar to Renren in China.
Mark Zuckerber was born on May 14, 1984. As a little kid, he loved creating little fun computer programs. He set up the network in February of 2004. He was then a second-year student at Harvard University. One day, he had the idea of building a website for Harvard students to get to know each other. He set up the Facebook website. Harvard students could share photos and their personal information there. Soon, the website became very famous. Zuckerberg decided to leave Harvard to run Facebook full time. It was the biggest adventure in his life and later brought him great success. Now, the service is popular around the world.
Greetings such as "Have you checked your Facebook page today?" became a part of young people's everyday language in the US. People can exchange message and get the latest information about their friends on Facebook. Zuckerberg's dream is to connect people through the Internet. "Facebook is to make the world more open and connected," he said.
What's the young man's secret to success? Zuckerberg believes it's important to have an open mind and be ready to try new things. "The riskiest thing is to take no risks," he once said in an open letter. Sometimes the simplest ideas go furthest. We hope Mar Zuckerberg can go much further, maybe even further than Bill Gates. | middle2947.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The family with the tallest tower of broken plates, glasses or cups."
},
"options": [
"The family which throw dishes at the neighbor's door.",
"The family which pours water onto the neighbor's door.",
"The family which has no... | How do you celebrate New Year's Eve? Have you ever imagined how New Year's Eve would look in another country? Examples listed below are four of the top ten "Special New Year Traditions Around the World".
1. Breaking Dishes on Neighbor's Door----Denmark
A strange Danish New Year tradition is throwing dishes at neighbor's door. Strangely, this makes them happy instead of annoying them. The family with the tallest tower of broken plates, glasses, cups is considered to be the luckiest one because it means their large number of true friends.
2. Talking to Spirits----Mexico
Talking to spirits is a part of Mexican belief. Mexicans strongly believe that they can communicate with the souls of their dead loved ones. New Year's Eve is considered the best time to communicate with dead spirits.
3. Wearing Polka Dots ----Philippines
Imagine streets full of people wearing polka dots and dining room tables full of round shaped food and fruits on one single day of the year. This all actually happens in the Philippines on New Year's Eve every year. Philippines believe that this will bring them wealth by relating the round dots to coins and wealth.
4. Mistletoe Leaves Are Placed Under Pillow to Find Husband----Ireland
The unmarried women of Ireland wait until 12 for New Year's Eve because it is the night that can bring them the love of their lives. They place mistletoe leaves under their pillow hoping to catch their future husband. It is also believed in the Irish culture that this act will help them stay away from bad luck.
No matter how people celebrate the New Year, we all want to start a new, fresh year with renewed enthusiasm. We all want to be happier, find love, renew friendships, increase our wealth and also hope for a little extra luck in the coming new year. | middle4488.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Because they put more time in it."
},
"options": [
"Because they put more time in it.",
"Because they live in school all day.",
"Because they have little homework.",
"Because they like school better than homework."
... | Oxford University, said that time spent on homework showed the influence of the school--if children were expected to do homework and if they enjoy their subjects. "That's one of the reasons Indian and Chinese children do better. They put more time in it." he added.
It's also reported that students who enjoyed school got better results. It is suggested that children aged 5 to 7 should be given one-hour homework a week, half an hour a night for 7 to 11-year-olds, two hours a night for 14 to 16-year-olds.
"Headteachers should make their own homework policy ," the government says. | middle5796.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Because there are too many rocks there."
},
"options": [
"Because there are too many rocks there.",
"Because it is the longest of all the beaches.",
"Because few people like to go there.",
"Because the beach is dirty th... | Have you ever been to Qingdao, a beautiful seaside city in the southeast of Shandong Province? There is the blue sea and clear air there. And it is also one of the most beautiful cities in China.
Qingdao has the largest bathing beach in Asia. It holds Qingdao International Beer Festival every year. There are many interesting places to visit in Qingdao. But Qingdao beaches are the most fantastic places.
There are nine beaches in Qingdao. No 1 Beach is the largest one, but it is not the best beach because there are too many rocks there and the sand is not the most beautiful. The best beach in Qingdao is No. 6 Beach. And it is also the longest of all the beaches and has beautiful yellow sand.
There are also a few interesting things you can do near the beaches, such as visiting Lu Xun Park, eating sea food in a restaurant or visiting Qingdao Polar Ocean World.
Many People prefer to visit Qingdao Polar Ocean World. There you can see lots of animals from the sea, such as whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions and polar bears. It's so great and interesting that every year lots of people, especially children must come here when they visit Qingdao. | middle7181.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "he looks after his mother and sister."
},
"options": [
"he gets up late.",
"he goes to the zoo.",
"he meets Bob.",
"he looks after his mother and sister."
],
"question": "Jack is late for school because _ .",... | Jack's mother is ill. His father goes to New York and the boy has to look after her. He gets up early this morning, cooks breakfast for his sister and gives his mother some medicine and water and then goes to school.
On the way to school, Jack meets Bob, one of his friends. Bob asks, "Are you late this morning, too?"
"Yes, I am."
"I'm sure Mr. Brown will be angry at us," says Bob, "We can't go to school."
"Where are we going, then?"
"To the zoo. There are many monkeys in it. We'll have a good time there."
"We can't do that," says Jack, "or we'll fall behind our classmates. Mr. Brown is good. He wants us to be good, too."
Bob thinks Jack is right and they go to school. | middle5966.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Basketball."
},
"options": [
"Baseball.",
"Soccer.",
"Volleyball.",
"Basketball."
],
"question": "Which is Oliver's favorite sport?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answ... | Hello! I am Oliver Smith. I am from UK. I can speak English well but my Chinese is not good. I like doing sports after school. My favorite sports are running, basketball and swimming. I like to be a sports star when I grow up. I have good eating habits. I don't eat ice-cream, hamburgers or cola because I know they are not healthy. I also don't like to be fat, so I like eating vegetables and fruit.
I have a good friend. His name is Chen Lin. He is not good at sports, but he's good at art. He sings well and draws well. He drew a nice picture for me on my birthday. I was excited. We sometimes play games together after school. We always have much fun. If you like us, join us! We can be friends and have a great time together! | middle7817.txt |
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