questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Things related to unhealthy ways of life."
},
"options": [
"The size of fat population.",
"The number of fast food restaurants.",
"The economic growth rate of the state.",
"Things related to unhealthy ways of life."
... | HOUSTON (Reuters) -- Houston tops a U.S. magazine's annual fattest cities list for the fourth time in five years, with four other Texas cities in the top 25.
Fast food restaurants -- Houston has twice the national average number -- are partly to blame for the dishonor,Men's Fitnesseditor-in-chief Neal Boulton said.
"Americans work long hours, don't take vacations, and when they're faced with the worst food choices, they indulge in those," he said.
High humidity, poor air quality and some of the nation's longest commute times also helped Texas' most populous city unseat Detroit, the 2003 heavy weight champion, the magazine said.
Houston Mayor Bill White, who has worked with a major food company to develop healthy food products and the city's public schools to improve lunch menus, called the report "mostly ungrounded and nonsense."
"On the other hand, it calls attention to real issues the mayor is trying to deal with," his spokesman, Frank Michel, said.
The magazine said it looked at factors such as the number and types of restaurants, park space, air quality, weather and the number of health clubs.
Philadelphia, Detroit, Memphis, Tennessee, and Chicago followed Houston on the seventh edition of the fat list. Texas cities Dallas, San Antonio, Fort Worth and El Paso were in the top 14, which Boulton said was no surprise.
"It's pure big indulgence, just _ , and that's part of the culture," said Boulton.
Seattle ranked as the fittest city. Austin and Arlington, a Dallas-Fort Worth suburb, were the only Texas cities on the fit list. Austin was 19th and Arlington 22nd out of 25. | high10859.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "had traveled all over the world"
},
"options": [
"had crossed Antarctica and the Atlantic by balloon.",
"had traveled all over the world",
"had walked across Death Valley",
"had ever been a millionaire"
],
"ques... | Richard Gray was a famous explorer. He was also a millionaire. He had visited every country in the world. He had crossed Antarctica, flown across the Atlantic by balloon, and climbed Mount Everest. Last year he decided to walk across Death Valley, the hottest place on Earth. He walked for days over the hot desert sand. One night he found the camp where he had been the night before. Gray had walked in a circle. He was lost.
Two days later he had drunk all his water. He couldn't walk. He crawled to the top of a sand dune , and there he saw a man. The man was wearing smart, clean trousers, a white shirt and a tie. Gray crawled over to him.
"Water...water..."he said.
"I'm terribly sorry, old boy,"replied the man,"but I haven't got any water with me."
"Help me!"shouted Gray,"I'm a rich man...a millionaire...I'll give you anything."
"That's very nice of you, old boy,"said the man."Look, I can't give you any water, but would you like to buy my tie?"
"A tie? Of course not!" screamed Gray, and crawled away. He _ led slowly up the next sand dune. His mouth was full of sand. His lips were cracked and dry. He couldn't breathe. He reached the top of the dune and there he saw a huge good hotel. Girls were swimming in the large swimming pool. Beautiful fountains were all around the hotel.
"Is it a mirage ?"he thought."Am I dying?"He stood up and staggered down the dune.
A waiter in a shining white uniform came out of the door.
"Water...water...a bath! Food!" screamed Gray.
"I'm sorry, but you can't come into his hotel,"said the waiter.
"Why not? I've got plenty of money...I'm a millionaire."
"Ah,"replied the waiter,"but you aren't wearing a tie!" | high20756.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "produces mattresses by hand"
},
"options": [
"is the world's oldest mattress factory",
"make mattresses for sports",
"produces mattresses by hand",
"hires athletes as mattress testers"
],
"question": "We learn f... | The next time you get caught jumping on your bed you can tell your parents with a straight face that you are not playing, simply getting ready got a promising career in "Mattress Jumping". Believe it or not, there are some people who actually get paid to do that! According to Reuben Reynoso, a professional mattress tester at San Francisco's McRoskey Mattress Factory that still makes every mattress by hand, it is real work and needs some training. For a start, it's not all about jumping to new heights or doing tricks like professional athletes, but rather about feeling each area of the mattress carefully to detect the filling. In order to do it right, every bit of the mattress has to be tested slowly and deliberately.
Over the years, Reynoso has figured out the perfect routine. He begins by placing a protective mat over the mattress so that it doesn't get dirty or absorb the smell from his feet. Then begins the fun---he steps to the middle of an edge and then takes five steps back and five steps forward. In this way, he slowly but surely, covers the entire surface. The key according to him is to find the perfect number of jumps---Too many and he will end up destroying the mattress completely. Too few? And it will not fit into the giant machine for that final sewing! Who knew a job that sounds so simple could have so many skills!
While Reuben will not reveal how he got into this profession, he will admit that it is more fun than being a carpenter, roofer, construction worker and railroad engineer---all jobs he has tried previous to finding his true profession! | high10695.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "happy"
},
"options": [
"hard",
"happy",
"common",
"boring"
],
"question": "The author's life in the new school was very _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_inde... | I had a lot of teachers that I loved. However, the teacher that I remember most was Mrs. Green from Marianna, Florida. She was my 5thgrade teacher. Since I was a new student, not only in her class, but at the school, she made my time there much more pleasant. I immediately began to like her. She was really funny and I knew that she liked me. She made learning fun. I remember one day for Christmas holidays, she taught us how to make ornaments from eggs. My parents still have some of the ornaments I made.
She made me leader for many group projects and that made me feel special. I think that would make any child feel special, especially when a child is in a new place with no friends. She made me want to be like that. Not to pick a "favorite" student, but to make every student feel that they are special. That year, I received the Presidential Academic Award . I was really proud and so were my parents.
Looking back at it, I think the reason why I did so well was that I felt important. Students do better when they feel like they are important or loved. Mrs. Green always gets to know her students and forms personal relationships with them, which I will try to do some day. I just hope that there will be a student who finds me to be their favorite teacher as I found her to be mine. | high8199.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "women wearing skirt suits seem to be more successful in society"
},
"options": [
"women wearing skirt suits seem to be more successful in society",
"trouser suits are not suitable for career businesswomen",
"mannish style sui... | Women wearing skirt suits are viewed as more successful than those wearing trouser suits, scientists have found. They are seen as the uniform of the high-flying career businesswoman, but it seems trouser suits are not the best way to make a good first impression .
Research has shown women who wear skirts and jackets are considered as more confident, higher-earning and easier to adjust to society than those wearing a trouser suit.
Scientists also found that opinions of others, based just on the clothes they are wearing, are formed within seconds of first meeting. So while trouser suits are linked with strong will and success, a skirt suit gives a better first impression.Professor Karen Pine, who co-led the research at the department of psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, said, "We make very rapid judgments about people within the first few seconds of meeting based on their clothing. "
"It was surprising that studies have suggested that women who dress in a more mannish style were seen as having greater professional status .The skirt suit seems to balance professionalism with attractiveness," added Pine.
Researchers showed 306 volunteers a series of pictures of a man or a woman wearing suits before asking them to rate them on a number of personality traits . The facial features of the man and woman in the pictures had been covered so the volunteers were only making judgments about what they were wearing.
The woman was rated more confident and: having a higher salary and easy to adjust to society when she was wearing skirt suits. | high22141.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To arouse the awareness of enough sleeping."
},
"options": [
"To talk about people's sleeping problems.",
"To provide an investigation result of sleeping.",
"To arouse the awareness of enough sleeping.",
"To stress the ... | March 21 has been declared World Sleep Day, a time to recognize and celebrate the value of sleep. Many sleep experts hope it will be _
According to a poll by the National Sleep Foundation, nearly 4 in 5 Americans don't get as much sleep as they should during the workweek. On average, adults are thought to need at least eight hours of sleep a night, although some can manage with less and some won't do well without more. But the survey found that, on workdays, only 21% of Americans actually get a full eight hours of sleep, and another 21% get less than six.
To many of us, the thought of spending more time sleeping is, well, a big yawn. On the other hand, the thought of being smarter, thinner, healthier and more cheerful has a certain appeal. And those are just a few of the advantages that can be ours if we consistently get enough sleep, researchers say. Also on the plus side: We're likely to have better skin, better memories, better judgment, and, oh, yes, longer lives.
"When you lose even one hour of sleep for any reason, it influences your performance the next day," says Dr. Alon Avidan, director of the UCLA Sleep Disorders Center.
A study published last year found the same to be true even of children. When kids aged 8 to 12 slept for just one hour less for four nights, they didn't function as well during the day.
But sleeping has an image problem. "We see napping or sleeping as lazy," says Jennifer Vriend, a clinical psychologist in Ottawa, Canada, and the leading author of the study with children. "We put so much emphasis on diet, nutrition and exercise. Sleep is in the back seat." In fact, she adds, no matter how much we work out, no matter how well we eat, we can't be in top physical shape unless we also get plenty of sleep. | high12082.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "To enter a Starcode from specially marked Starbucks\n(r)products."
},
"options": [
"To enter a Starcode from specially marked Starbucks\n(r)products.",
"To buy a Starbucks Card over the phone.",
"To update the Starbucks\n(r)A... | More than great drinks, great rewards
Enjoy all the benefits and more with your membership to our Loyalty Program!
Whenever you pay with your membership account, you'll earn a Star.
Collect more Stars, earn more rewards.
_
Buy a Starbucks Card handy to create an account
Track your Stars online or through the mobile app, and we'll send an email when you've earned a reward.
You can also join from your phone.
Download the Starbucks(r)App.
One of the most exciting benefits of being a member is using our mobile app to:
pay for purchases; view your Stars and rewards; access iTunes(r)Pick of the Week; see current offers.
Or you can join with specially marked coffee purchased at the grocery store.
Enter your Starcode (limit 2 per day).
Look for the Starcode symbol on specially marked Starbucks(r)products where you buy groceries.
_
To reach each level in our Loyalty Program, you need to collect more Stars. (Remember, to earn a Star you must pay with a registered Starbucks Card.)
Welcome level
To earn your first rewards, just register a Starbucks Card.
Birthday drink or treat on us; birthday coupon for 15% off a purchase at StarbucksStore.com.
Green level
Collect 5 Stars within 12 months and you'll be in the Green level.
* What is included in the Welcome level plus
Free in-store refills on hot or iced brewed coffee or tea
Gold level
Collect 30 Stars within 12 months and you're at the Gold level.
* What is included in the Green level plus
A free food or drink item after another 12 Stars earned
Personalized Gold Card | high9287.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "She feared N-Dia's grade would be affected"
},
"options": [
"There're too many students in the nearby schools.",
"N-Dia doesn't want to leave her present classmates",
"She feared N-Dia's grade would be affected",
"There... | Every night, N-Dia Layne would set the alarm clock on her mother's cellphone for 4:45a.m. If the two of them were not on the subway platform at 103rdStreet and Broadway by 6:20 a. m., there was no way N-Dia would be on time for school.
Even so, N-Dia was often late. By the end of October, she was just one lateness away from the six allowed a student for the entire term.
Ms. Layne and N-Dia, 9, live at the Regent Family Residence for the Homeless. They moved here last summer from their original family shelter in Brownsville, Brooklyin.
On a recent schoolday, N-Dia waited on the subway station at East 103rdStreet. N-Dia and her mother boarded the No. 1 train, and then changed to the No. 3 at 96thStreet.
After 96thStreet, N-Dia napped on her mother's shoulder when Ms. Layne was listening to music. N-Dia often does her homework on the ride home. A few stops before Sutter Avenue, where N-Dia's school is, Ms. Layne woke her up. Then she hurried her daughter to school before the first bell.
"It's unfair, and it makes me feel upset," N-Dia said.
"I don't want her to grow up and have to go through what I went through," said Ms. Layne, who transferred to different schools many times. "It affected my grade greatly."
In N-Dia's case, the efforts to keep her at her charter school, which received a C on its last city progress report, failed. It was agreed that N-Dia should attend school closer to the shelter. " I cried during the meeting," Ms. Layne said. "I really wanted to keep her in that school where she had some type of stability." | high23539.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "He is Greece's finance minister."
},
"options": [
"He is Greece's finance minister.",
"He is an expert in the eurozone.",
"An official of the International Monetary Fund.",
"He is Eurogroup chairman."
],
"questi... | Greece's finance minister says his country's financial situation is "terribly urgent" and the crisis could come to a head in a couple of weeks. Yanis Varoufakis gave the warning after eurozone finance ministers met in Brussels to discuss the final EUR7.2bn tranche of Greece's EUR240bn EU/IMF bailout .
Ministers said Greece had made "progress" but more work was needed.
The Greek government is struggling to meet its payment obligations . Earlier, Greece began the transfer of EUR750m (PS544m, $834m) in debt interest to the International Monetary Fund -- a day ahead of a payment deadline.
"The liquidity issue is a terribly urgent issue. It's common knowledge, let's not beat around the bush," Mr Varoufakis told reporters in Brussels. "From the perspective of timing, we are talking about the next couple of weeks."
Greece has until the end of June to reach a reform deal with its international creditors. Its finances are running so low that it has had to ask public bodies for help. The crisis has raised the prospect that Greece might default on its debts and leave the euro.
In a statement, the eurozone finance ministers said they "welcomed the progress that has been achieved so far" in the negotiations," but added: "We acknowledged that more time and effort are needed to bridge the gaps on the remaining open issues." Eurogroup chairman Jeroen Dijsselbloem said there had to be a full deal on the bailout before Greece received any further payments. "There are time constraints(;) and liquidity constraints and hopefully we will reach an agreement before time runs out and before money runs out." he said.
There had been fears that Greece would default on its IMF debt repayment due on Tuesday. However, a Greek finance ministry official was quoted as saying that the order for repayment had been executed on Monday. Almost EUR1bn has been handed over to the IMF in interest payments since the start of May.
It is unclear how the government came up with the funds, but the mayor of Greece's second city Thessaloniki revealed last week that he had handed over cash reserves in response to an appeal for money. | high14395.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Lily is a full-time teacher at college."
},
"options": [
"They have been friends for two years.",
"They often had lunch in the boarding house.",
"The author is good at writing.",
"Lily is a full-time teacher at college.... | I consider Lily to be my best friend because she is always very good to me. She's always with me in times of difficulties and she is always there waiting for me. When I have problems and feel empty and upset, she's always by my side to comfort me.
We've been together for two years. I met her during our college days. She was my classmate, but I can tell that we were not so close at that time, maybe because we had our own friends and maybe our attention was always on them, so I didn't even notice her. Yet there were times that she was with me during my lunch break. That is why we slowly became close. We had our lunch together in the boarding house but sometimes not, probably because we had our own friends.
And when we took our break, we bought our favorite food together, but not that often since we didn't have enough money. Furthermore, we were together in the student union, which was nice for me to know her better. I can say that she is really a nice friend. She is the kind of person that is very approachable in times of emptiness.
She is a friend whom I can call every time I need help. Definitely, I am so glad that I have her. Currently, we are working together as freelance writers online. We both work as contractors in oDesk. We are very happy with working together, and we are looking forward to earning some money so that we can go on vacation together.
Friendships may not last. Friendships can lose importance and die gradually. However, I believe she will be a lifelong friend of mine. | high24256.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "go to hospital and get checked out by a doctor"
},
"options": [
"talk to your friends",
"go to the store directly",
"go to bed and rest",
"go to hospital and get checked out by a doctor"
],
"question": "When you... | The best way to cure sadness is not shopping, according to a recent study. The so-called shopping method has become common practice these days, but that can put your wallet under a lot of pressure. So if you are sad and feel like shopping, don't!
According to the recent study, sadness leads to self-focus thinking. In other words, sad people are willing to spend more money on the same thing than calm people.
"It is the result of sadness and self-focus, and it turns out that sadness leads to an increase in self-focus," said Cynthia Cruder. "What we think is that sad and self-focused people are feeling pretty bad about themselves, and one way to deal with this is buying material goods."
In a perfect situation, when you know you are sad, you should avoid making decisions and spending money. Sounds simple? Sadly, it is not. Most people don't even know they're sad, the study shows, and they are not aware that their feelings influence their decisions.
What to do? The study showed that those who watched a tragedy were more likely to spend three times more money for a simple bottle of water than those who watched a comedy. The solution: well, for starters, don't go shopping! If you can't help it, it is probably better to see a doctor. | high8827.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "use of less chemicals"
},
"options": [
"practicing \"green\" farming",
"use of less chemicals",
"fair distribution of their crops",
"using more crops for fuel"
],
"question": "GM companies promise farmers that t... | Ever since they were first put on the market in the early 1990s, genetically modified (GM, ) foods have been increasingly developed and marketed in many countries in the world, mainly on the basis of their promise to end the worldwide food crisis. But can GM technology solve world hunger problems? Even if it would, is it the best solution?
Despite what it promises, GM technology actually has not increased the production potential of any crop. In fact, studies show that the most widely grown GM crop, GM soybeans, has suffered reduced productivity. For instance, a report that analysed nearly two decades of research on major GM food crops shows that GM engineering has failed to significantly increase US crop production.
Something else, however, has been on the rise, While GM seeds are expensive, GM companies tell farmers that they will make good profits by saving money on pesticides . On the contrary, US government data show that GM crops in the US have produced an overall increase in pesticide use compared to traditional crops. "The promise was that you could use less chemicals and _ production. But neither is true," said Bill Christison, President of the US National Farm Coalition.
At the same time, the authors of the book World Hunger: Twelve Myths argue that there actually is more than enough food in the world and that the hunger crisis is not caused by production, but by problems in food distribution and politics. These indeed deserve our efforts and money. Meanwhile, the rise in food prices results from the increased use of crops for fuel rather than food, according to a 2008 World Bank report.
As a matter of fact, scientists see better ways to feed the world. Another World Bank report concluded that GM crops have little to offer to the challenges of worldwide poverty and hunger, because better ways out are available, among which "green" farming is supposed to be the first choice. | high429.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "it leads people to new life experiences"
},
"options": [
"it is simple and practical",
"it needs a lot of practice",
"it leads people to new life experiences",
"it takes much time to master the skills"
],
"quest... | Can you remember the first time you learned to ride a bike or drive a car? Learning these skills changed your life forever and opened up new horizons.Learning about computers can be like learning how to ride a bike or drive a car.Once you have invested the time to master the skills, you will never go back to the old days.The new technology is simply too convenient and too powerful.
Technological developments through the years have enabled us to do more with less effort We have continuously looked for better ways of doing things.Each invention and new development has allowed us to extend our capabilities.Today we see one of the most dramatic technologies ever developed--the computer.It extends the capabilities of our minds.
Computers have saved organizations millions of dollars.Furthermore, these same computer systems have opened up new opportunities that would have gone undiscovered or neglected.
The computer may multiply what we can do, and the return on investment is high.The growth of computer usage is surprising.On the other hand, the computer can do serious damage.Invasion of privacy, fraud , and computer-related mistakes are just a few shocking examples.
The computer is like a double-edged sword.It has the ability to cut us free from some activities, but it can also cut deep into profits, personal privacy, and our society in general.How it is used is not a function of technology.It is strictly a function of how people decide to use or misuse this new technology.The choice is yours, and only through a knowledge of computer systems will you be able to avoid the dangers while enjoying the many benefits of the computer age. | high22627.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "had heavy mental burden"
},
"options": [
"was ill",
"was mentally ill",
"had heavy mental burden",
"had attracted world-wide attention"
],
"question": "The girl sneezed continuously because she _ .",
"que... | When a 13-year-old Virginal girl started sneezing, her parents thought it was merely a cold. But when the sneezes continued for hours, they called in a doctor. Nearly two months later the girl was still sneezing, thousands of times a day, and her case had attracted worldwide attention.
Hundreds of suggestions, ranging from poured in. But nothing did any good. Finally, she was taken to Dr. Leo Kanner, one of the world's top authorities on sneezing, who solved the problem with great speed.
He used neither drugs nor surgery for, curiously enough, the clue for the treatment was
found in an ancient superstition about the amazing bodily reaction we call the sneeze.It was all in her mind, he said, a view which Aristotle, some 3,000 years earlier, would have agreed with heartily.
Dr. Kanner simply gave a modern psychological interpretation to the ancient belief that too much Sneezing was an indication that the spirit was troubled; and he began to treat the girl accordingly.
"Less than two days in a hospital room, a plan for better scholastic and vocational adjustment,
and reassurance about her unreasonable fear of tuberculosis quickly changed her from a sneezer to an ex-sneezer," he reported.
Sneezing has always been a subject of wonder, awe and puzzlement. Dr Kanner has collected thousands of superstitions concerning it. The most universal one is the custom of begging for the blessing of God when a person sneezes-- a practice Dr. Kanner traces back to the ancient belief that a sneeze was an indication that the sneezer was possessed of an evil spirit. Strangely, people over the world still continue the custom with the traditional, "God bless you" or something else.
When scientists look at the sneeze, they see a remarkable mechanism which, without any conscious help from you, takes on a job that has to be done. When you need to sneeze you sneeze, this being nature's clever way of getting rid of an annoying object from the nose. The object may be just some dust in the nose which nature is trying to remove. | high16582.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "How cold is too cold for an ice runner"
},
"options": [
"How cold is too cold for an ice runner",
"Sports in cold areas of the world",
"Where iS it too cold for humans",
"The Antarctic Ice Marathon"
],
"question... | For most people,below--freezing temperatures generally put a stop to outdoor exercise,but Siberian native Boris Fyodorov is not most people.
Minutes after the calendar ticked over to this past 2014 New Year's Eve,Fyodorov set off on a solo,out--and--back marathon run from his home in the Siberian village of Oymyakon,completing the 26.2-mile course-his first marathon-in just over five hours.During the run he experienced temperatures as low as -38oC.
And that was just the way he wanted it.
"I heard about other marathons around the globe,naming themselves 'the coldest',like the most recent North Pole marathon with runners going at -28oC.'' Fyodorov told the Siberian Times."I thought surely this cannot be right.Our Oymyakon is the coldest inhabited place in northern hemisphere.Why don't we arrange a marathon here?''
Oymyakon is widely considered to be one of the coldest places on the planet,and its record-low temperature of-68oC, recorded in 1933,is tied for the coldest recorded temperature for any inhabited place on Earth.The average January temperature in the area is -50oC.
Not only did Fyodorov finish the marathon in high spirits,but he also wants it to be colder the next time he tries it."I really want to organize next Oymyakon marathon in January when the air goes down to -50oC or -60oC,"he said.
Fyodorov is not the first person to take on a cold--weather athletic challenge like this.In addition to the North Pole Marathon that he mentioned,the Antarctica Marathon is held every year in late February,taking runners on an out--and--back tour from Russia's Bellingshausen Station.A second Antarctica event--the Ice Marathon--has been held80F degrees south since 2006. | high17844.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Deliver some goods."
},
"options": [
"Go on holiday.",
"Deliver some goods.",
"Visit his mum.",
"Report to his boss."
],
"question": "What did Daryl plan to do in Los Angeles?",
"question_type": "factiod_que... | The sun was rising when Daryl's delivery truck reached the highway. This was the best time of day to drive, when the roads were wide open and empty. He felt sure he was going to make it to Los Angeles before midnight. It looked like it was going to be a good day.
Then he saw it, a large lump in the middle of the road. Daryl often passed dead animals on the roadside but he knew than this was something different. He slammed on his brakes and the truck screeched to a halt.
The lump was a girl. He tried shaking her awake but she wouldn't move, so he picked her up and carried her to the side of the road. At least she wouldn't be run over there.
Now she was someone else's problem. He had to make it to Los Angeles by midnight and didn't have time to be a here. He climbed back into his truck but as he looked in his mirror and saw the girl lying still by the side of the road, he knew he couldn't leave her. Daryl put her into his truck and drove to the next town.
An hour later he pulled up at the police station. After explaining what had happened, he prepared to leave, only for the policeman to say that he needed to make a report. Daryl knew this would take several hours, but he had no choice. There was no way he'd get to Los Angeles on time now.
Three hours later the report was done and the girl had recovered somewhat. She explained that she had fallen on the highway, weak from hunger, but could remember nothing else. She also thanked Daryl for saving her life. Daryl told her that he had been happy to help, but as he got back into his truck he knew his boss wouldn't be.
Just as he was about to pull back onto the road, his mother called. "Have you seen?" she said, "A bridge collapsed two hours ago, the one that you drive over on the way to Los Angeles."
Daryl's blood run cold. If he had been on time, he would have been on that fallen bridge about two hours ago. Daryl realized how lucky he was. | high19869.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "he/she has never thought about it"
},
"options": [
"this is something an American lives by",
"everyone will have his/her own system",
"he/she has never thought about it",
"values are something often in their thought"
... | Most Americans would have a difficult time telling you, specifically, what the values are which Americans live by. They have never given the matter any thought.
Over the years I have introduced thousands of international visitors to life in the United States. This has caused me to try to look at Americans through the eyes of foreign visitors, I am confident that the values listed in this booklet describe most (but not all )Americans, and that understanding these values can help you, the international visitor, understand Americans.
It is my belief that if foreign visitors really understand how deeply these 13 values are _ in Americans, they will then be able to understand 95% of American actions --actions which might otherwise appear "strange,"" confusing," or "unbelievable" when evaluated from the perspective (aspect) of the foreigner's own society and its values.
The different behaviors of a people or a culture make sense only when seen through the basic beliefs, assumptions and values of that particular group. When you encounter (meet) an action, or hear a statement in the United States which surprises you, try to see it as an expression of one or more of the values listed in this booklet. | high3972.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "he hoped to arouse people's love of peace and objection to war"
},
"options": [
"he was deeply interested in such a topic",
"he wanted to give the audience the painful experience of war",
"he hoped to arouse people's love of ... | Though war is something people hate, Director Feng Xiaoning often exposes his audience to it.
"If we don't impress the audience, who are without the painful experience of war, with the cruel injury to life and human nature war causes, how can we bring them a love of peace and objection to war?" asked the director with a glance in his eyes.
After Red River Valley and Lover's Grief over the Yellow River, both of which star Chinese model and actress Ning Jing, Feng drew a satisfactory full stop to his war trilogy last month with Purple Sunset.
The film tells a story which took place in 1945, at the very moment when World War II was drawing to an end. A Chinese peasant and a Soviet woman soldier flee into a forest, where they seize a Japanese girl. They follow the girl in the hope that she will take them out of the forest, but instead they arrive in a Japanese base. Humanity prevents them from killing the young, innocent victim of Japanese militarism. This humanity, the longing for peace and eagerness to survive, make the three unite.
"If people are touched by justice, tolerance and unselfishness, I think I have achieved my goal," Feng said. Feng admits that there are violent and bloody scenes in the film, such as tanks fighting and Japanese burning Chinese people alive, to show the cruelty of the war. But that's never his personal preference, he says.
"Everyone who has watched my films can tell how much I hate war," he said. "I wrote all the things for my war films by myself. Whenever I finished one, I felt as though I had suffered great pain."
Feng regards every one of his productions as an opportunity to learn about human nature and humanity. In spite of violent scenes which frighten and sicken the audience, a balance is sought with beautiful scenery. Just like the snowy mountains in Red River Valley and the grand plateau in Lover's Grief over the Yellow River, a beautiful vast grassland appears in this film. "I used to study art, and I appreciate beautiful things," Feng said. "I believe that films should offer the audience a chance to enjoy beauty." | high20030.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The advice on how to fight against the bully."
},
"options": [
"The bully's behaviors.",
"The questions the students meet.",
"The solutions to the students'questions.",
"The advice on how to fight against the bully."
... | "What If" questions can help you think about what to do in case something should happen. There are no fight answers because every case is different.Use the questions with your parents or with friends and decide what you think might work? Think of your own solutions and make up new"What If"questions to answer.
1 ) You are walking to school and a gang of alder bullies(person who uses his strength or power to frighten or hurt weaker people) demands your money
Do you:
a.Shout and run away?
b.Give them the money?
Give them the money(or other possessions)your safety is more impoaant than money.
2) You are in the school toilet and an older student comes in,beats you and then tells you not to do anything or'you'II get worse'.You know who the person is and you have never done anything to him/her.Do you:
a.Wait until the person leaves and then tell a teacher?
b.Get it a fight with him/her?
c.Accept what happened and don't tell?
Tell the teacher--you didn't deserve to be beaten and the bully was wrong to do it.If you don't tell,the bully will just keep on beating up other kids.
3) A gang of bullies gets you alone and starts beating you.Do you:
a.Do nothing--just take it?
b.Fight back?
e.Shout to attract attention?
d.Watch for your chance and run away?
You must decide.but c.&. d.together could work very well.It would be quite difficult to
a whole gang of bullies and you might be hurt badly if you did.
4) Someone in your class always makes rude comments about you and says them loud enough for you(and others)to hear.It really upsets you.Do you:
a.Ignore the comments?
b.Face the bully and tell him/her off?
c.Tell the teacher?
d.Hit the bully on the nose?
You may feel like beating the bully,but you'll probably be the one to get into trouble if you do. Try a .first--ignoring comments is difficult,but can work if the bully gets tired of trying to get you to be angry or cry or show some reaction.Your teacher should be told about the comments
because no one should make hurtful comments to others.If you are feeling brave,tell the bully of
Try practicing in the mirror to get the right effect ! | high23511.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "It will be held in different cities."
},
"options": [
"It will be held by the famous NLT.",
"It will be held in different cities.",
"It has never been organized before.",
"Children of all ages will join in it."
],
... | The Children's Book-Show Competition is a chance for young readers to be writers.
Reading, it seems, is coming back in fashion, if a survey by the famous National Literacy Trust (the NLT) is true. It shows that the percentage of children who admit enjoying reading has grown for the first time in the past 8 years.
So it's a good time to launch a competition that includes a shed-load of new books for schools as prizes. The Children's Book-show Competition, _ by The Independent, is taking to the roads again from the start of next term, with a nation-wide tour of 15 big cities, featuring a line-up of a dozen children's writers and illustrators aiming to persuade pupils to follow their footsteps.
The competition, launched by the children's writer and illustrator Jessica Souhami, has two categories: the under-nine's and nine to 13-year-olds.
Children are asked to choose their favorite fairy or folk tale and set it in an extraordinary place.
Then they are to retell it with the aid of drawings and writings-whether it is set at sea, on a distant planet, in the future or in the past. The closing date for the competition is 30th November.
"Tell your tale in pictures and in words, "say the organizers of the competition. "It can be in a picture book or comic-book format."
The winner of each competition will receive a signed copy of a book by each of the 12 authors involved in this year's tour, plus PS150 worth of books for their school. The runners-up will receive a signed copy of Souhami's new book. | high12914.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "His mother had high hopes for him."
},
"options": [
"He wanted to be famous in the future.",
"The job was quite easy for him.",
"His mother had high hopes for him.",
"The competition for the job was fierce."
],
... | I began working in journalism when I was eight. It was my mother's idea. She wanted me to "make something" of myself, and decided I had better start young if I was to have any chance of keeping up with the competition.
With my load of magazines I headed toward Belleville Avenue. The crowds were there. There were two gas stations on the corner of Belleville and Union. For several hours I made myself highly visible, making sure everyone could see me and the heavy black letters on the bag that said THE SATURDAY EVENING POST. When it was suppertime, I walked back home.
" How many did you sell, my boy?" my mother asked.
" None."
" Where did you go?"
" The corner of Belleville and Union Avenues."
" What did you do?"
" Stood on the corner waiting for somebody to buy a Saturday Evening Post."
" You just stood there?"
" Didn't sell a single one."
" My God, Russell!"
Uncle Allen put in, " Well, I've decided to take the Post." I handed him a copy and he paid me a nickel. It was the first nickel I earned.
Afterwards my mother taught me how to be a salesman. I would have to ring doorbells, address adults with self-confidence, and persuade them by saying that no one, no matter how poor, could afford to be without the Saturday Evening Post in the home.
One day, I told my mother I'd changed my mind. I didn't want to make a success in the magazine business.
" If you think you can change your mind like this," she replied, " you'll become a good-for-nothing." She insisted that, as soon as school was over, I should start ringing doorbells, selling magazines. Whenever I said no, she would scold me.
My mother and I had fought this battle almost as long as I could remember. My mother, dissatisfied with my father's plain workman's life, determined that I would not grow up like him and his people. But never did she expect that, forty years later, such a successful journalist as me would go back to her husband's people for true life and love. | high1195.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Those that feel anxious about learning."
},
"options": [
"Those that have more experience.",
"Those that can avoid potential risks.",
"Those that like to work independently.",
"Those that feel anxious about learning."
... | Working with a group of baboons in the Namibian desert, Dr. Alecia Carter of the Department of Zoology,Cambridge University set baboons learning tasks involving a novel food and a familiar food hidden in a box. Some baboons were given the chance to watch another baboon who already knew how to solve the task, while others had to learn for themselves. To work out how brave or anxious the baboons were, Dr. Carter presented them either with a novel food or a threat in the form of a model of a poisonous snake.
She found that personality had a major impact on learning. The braver baboons learnt, but the shy ones did not learn the task although they watched the baboon perform the task of finding the novel food just as long as the brave ones did. In effect, despite being made aware of what to do, they were still too shy to do what the experienced baboon did.
The same held true for anxious baboons compared with calm ones. The anxious individuals learnt the task by observing others while those who were relaxed did not, even though they spent more time watching.
This _ between collecting social information and using it shows that personality plays a key role in social learning in animals, something that has previously been ignored in studies on how animals learn to do things. The findings are significant because they suggest that animals may perform poorly in cognitive ( )tasks not because they aren't clever enough to solve them,but because they are too shy or nervous to use the social information.
The findings may impact how we understand the formation of culture in societies through social learning. If some individuals are unable to get information from others because they don't associate with the knowledgeable individuals,or they are too shy to use the information once they have it,information may not travel between all group members, preventing the formation of a culture based on social learning. | high6822.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "To ask for some advice."
},
"options": [
"To ask for some advice.",
"To tell his great difficulty.",
"To ask for a job.",
"To ask the coach to pay back his money."
],
"question": "Why did the unemployed write to... | Dear Coach,
I have been out of work for almost six months now and things are starting to get very tough for me. I am practically living out of my savings. I have been looking for a job,but things are really bad and 1 cannot find a single person who wants to hire me. I know that the main problem is that I do not have a degree. I want to go back to school and get my degree,but I also need a job now. I owe money to some people who have been helping me. Because I am out of work,I cannot pay them back. What do you think 1 should do? I need to find a job as quickly as possible, and want to know what else to do to get people to give me a chance to work for them.
The Unemployed.
Dear Unemployed,
Before you get yourself in a really bad situation, you need to stop borrowing money from people. If you continue doing that,you will be deep in debts and the situation will get even worse for you. The next thing you need to do is look for a job depending on your abilities, skills, and experience. By doing that, you will be increasing your chances of finding a job that suits you best. And the last thing I will suggest is that you should stop feeling sorry for yourself and continue working hard to get a job that you need. Borrowing money, complaining, and feeling bad for your situation will do no good to you. Stay strong and get out there and start showing the world what you can offer. I promise if you work hard and never give up,you will soon find the job that you are looking for. And while you are doing it,thing about getting your degree as well because it will help you to become more challenging. Try those tips.
The Coach | high19699.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "His foresight and ambitions."
},
"options": [
"His English learning experience.",
"His foresight and ambitions.",
"His simple and modest lifestyle.",
"His friends and 60,000funds."
],
"question": "What made him ... | Start Small and Grow Big
Jack Ma,Founder and Chairman of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.,is one of those self-made billionaires in the technology field.His rags-to-riches journey is just as spectacular as his Internet Empire.
Jack Ma,whose Chinese name is Ma Yun,was born in a normal family in 1964.Like most Chinese parents back then,Ma's father beat him growing up.He was poor at math but loved English.Starting at age 12,he awoke at 5a.m.to walk or bicycle to Hangzhou's main hotels so he could practice his English with foreign tourists.He did this for nine years and acted as a free tour guide to many,befriended several and later visited one family in Australia.Those experiences opened his eyes.
After twice failing the national college entrance exams,Ma entered what he called"Hangzhou's worst college."Graduating in 1988,Ma married his college sweetheart and taught English at a local college for five years,earning 15a month.During that time,he also applied for jobs at a local KFC,a hotel and the city police,and failed to land.
Determined to enter business,Ma set up a translation company,but he still had to peddle goods on the street to get by.During a short trip to the US as an interpreter in 1995,Ma first experienced the Internet.He believed in the Internet's business potential when few other people did.In 1999,with the help of more than a dozen friends who pooled their resources-just 60,000-he started Alibaba in his Hangzhou apartment.At that time,e-commerce was unheard of in China."I called myself a blind man riding on the back of blind tigers,"he once said,according to The Guardian.His unusual ideas earned him the nickname"Crazy Jack Ma".
Since its foundation,Alibaba has grown from 15employees to more than 30,000.The company floated on the New York Stock Market in September 2014for 25billion-the largest public offering in history.The company now makes more profit than rivals Amazon.com and e-Bay combined.Alibaba has directly and indirectly created 40million jobs for China.Ma hopes to keep expanding Alibaba outside of China (the company is already big in Russia and Brazil) and is aiming for 2billion consumers and 10million small businesses to use the company abroad.
Ma's lifestyle is very simple and modest.Ma enjoys meditation in the mountains,playing poker with friends and writing his own kung fu novels.Forest Gump is Jack Ma's hero.
"Forest Gump never gives up and believes in what he is doing,"said Ma.He also quoted the phrase"Life is like a box of chocolates because you never know what you're going to get." | high19841.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "3"
},
"options": [
"3",
"4",
"5",
"6"
],
"question": "According to the passage, how many parts is a book report supposed to cover?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
... | Book reports and book reviews are similar. Book reports tend to be a little more descriptive (What is this book about?) and book reviews are usually more persuasive (Why a reader should or shouldn't read this book?). They are both a way to think more deeply about a book you've read and to present your understanding.
Most teachers have their own requirements they expect you to meet, so be sure to check, but the following general elements of a book report should be helpful.
Introduction
Here you want to provide basic information about the book, and a sense of what your report will be about. You should include:
Title /Author
Publication Information: publisher, year, number of pages
Writing style
A brief introduction to the book and the report.
Body
There are two main sections for this part. The first is an explanation of what the book is about. The second is your opinions about the book and how successful it is. There are some differences between reports on fiction or other imaginative writing and reports on non-fiction books. But for both, a good place to start is to explain the author's purpose and/or the main themes of the book. Then you can summarize.
For fiction or other creative writing:
Provide brief descriptions of the setting, the point of view, the leading character, and other major characters. If there is an obvious mood or tone, discuss that as well. Give a brief plot summary. Along with the order of major events, you may want to discuss the book's climax .
For non-fiction:
Provide a general overview of the author's topic, main points, and argument. What is the argument? What are the important conclusions?
Don't try to summarize each chapter. Choose the ones that are most important and interesting to you.
Analysis and comment
In this second section you analyze the book. You can write about your own opinions; just be sure that you explain and support them with examples. Some questions you might want to consider: Did the author achieve his or her purpose? Is the writing effective, powerful or beautiful? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the book? For non-fiction, do you agree with the author's arguments and conclusions? What is your general response to the book? Did you find it interesting, moving or dull? Would you recommend it to others? Why or why not?
Conclusion
Briefly conclude by pulling your thoughts together. You may want to say what impression the book left you with, or emphasize what you want your reader to know about it. | high18587.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "myths about eyesight"
},
"options": [
"different types of eye problems",
"myths about eyesight",
"beliefs of eye doctors",
"eye transplants"
],
"question": "This passage is mostly about _ .",
"question_ty... | Eye Facts
There are many commonly held beliefs about eyesight that are not proven facts. For example, some people believe that wearing glasses too soon weakens the eyes. But there is no evidence to show that the structure of eyes is changed by wearing glasses at young age. Wearing the wrong glasses, however, can prove harmful. Studies show that for adults there is no danger, but children can develop loss of sight if they have glasses unsuitable for their eyes.
We have all heard some of the common myths about how eyesight gets bad. Most people believe that reading in weak light causes poor eyesight, but that is untrue. Too little light makes the eyes work harder, so they do get tired and strained. Eyestrain also results from reading a lot, reading in bed, and watching too much television. However, although eyestrain may cause some pain or headaches, it does not damage eyesight in the long term.
Another myth about eyes is that they can be replaced, or transplanted from one person to another. There are close to one million nerve fibers that connect the eyeball to the brain; as of yet, it is impossible to connect them all in a new person. Only certain parts of the eye can be replaced. But if we keep clearing up the myths and learning more about the eyes, someday a full transplant may be possible! | high20018.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "In the early morning."
},
"options": [
"At midnight.",
"In the early morning.",
"In the late morning.",
"In the evening."
],
"question": "When did the meteorite incident happen?",
"question_type": "factiod_q... | A meteorite flew fast across the sky and exploded over central Russia on Friday, raining fireballs over a vast area and causing a shock wave that smashed windows, damaged buildings and injured l,200 people.
People heading to work in Chelyabinsk heard what sounded like an explosion, saw a bright light and then felt the shock wave.
According to Russian space agency Roscosmos, the fireball, travelling at a speed of 30km per second, had burnt very brightly across the horizon, leaving a long white trail that could be seen as far as 200km away. Car alarms went off, thousands of windows shattered and mobile phone networks were disrupted.
"I was driving to work, it was quite dark, but it suddenly became as bright as if it were day," said Viktor Prokofiev, 36, a resident of Yekaterinburg in the Urals Mountains. "I felt like I was blinded by headlights."
The meteorite, which weighed about 20 tons and may have been made of iron, entered Earth's atmosphere and broke apart 30-50km above ground, according to Russia's Academy of Sciences.
The energy released when it entered the Earth's atmosphere was about several thousand tons, the academy said, the power of a small atomic weapon exploding.
No deaths were reported, but the Emergencies Ministry said 20,000 rescue and clean-up workers were sent to the region after President Vladimir Putin told Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov to ease the disruption and help the victims.
The Interior Ministry said about l,200 people had been injured, at least 200 of them children, and most from broken pieces of glass."While events this big are rare, an impact that could cause damage and death could happen every century or so. Unfortunately there is absolutely nothing we can do to stop impacts." | high5495.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Soybean sprouts"
},
"options": [
"Soybean sprouts",
"Sunflower sprouts",
"Alfalfa sprouts",
"Wheat sprouts"
],
"question": "Which of the following sprouts taste good whether they are long or short?",
"questi... | Bean and other seed shoots are also known as sprouts . The dry bean seeds contain a store of nutrients just waiting to be released when they sprout. Under the right conditions they will germinate . As they grow, the food value of the seeds is multiplied into vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. This happens almost overnight!
It is easy to grow your own sprouts, but you need to buy your seeds from supermarkets or health food stores. Seeds for planting in the garden are often powdered with chemicals, so when becoming sprouts they are not safe to eat.
Try growing sprouts from a variety of beans and seeds. You will find different sprouts at different stages. Bean sprouts are best when they are about three centimeters long. Wheat and sunflower sprouts taste best when the sprouts and the seeds are of the same length. If the sunflower sprout is too long it leaves a funny stinging feeling in the throat after eating. Alfalfa sprouts are best when their small leaves are well developed. Pea and soybean sprouts are good long or short.
If you leave your sprouts in filtered sunlight for a few hours, the leaves will turn green as chlorophyll is added. Eating sprouts with green leaves benefits your blood, cells, and the digestive system. | high10865.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "To provide books for poor children."
},
"options": [
"To encourage students to read more books.",
"To inspire youths to help the poor.",
"To help children develop good reading habits.",
"To provide books for poor childr... | The joys of reading are the ones I've known since childhood, and they continue to this day. And the benefits of reading, for me, are immeasurable. Loving the written words was what led me to journalism.
But not every child has the chance to enjoy these pleasures and benefits. In Buffalo---one of the poorest cities in the nation---this is particularly true. Over a third of Buffalo's children are living in poverty. Families who struggle for food and clothing certainly don't have the money for books.
That's where a Buffalo news-sponsored program called "Books for Kids" steps in. Through an unusual book drive and collection of cash donations, the effort places books into the hands of needy local children, usually through community organizations that serve children.
Since it began in 1995 ---the _ of Rose Ciotta, then a Buffalo news reporter, along with two wonderful local Buffalo State college professors, Geraldine Bard and Elizabeth Cappella ---the effort has distributed more than 1.5 million books to children.
Returning to the personal side, both of my children know the value of putting books in the hands of children. Successful students themselves became interested from an early age. My sons, Alex, now a college senior, founded the Books for Kids High School Coalition as a Canisius High School student. He handed it down to his sister, Grace, a Nardin Academy senior this year, who has carried on the tradition of organizing book drives in local high schools. It's been one of the great satisfactions of my life that both of my children have been deeply involved in the program. | high21460.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "CityRail services"
},
"options": [
"the Explorer Buses",
"the harbour cruises",
"regular Sydney Buses",
"CityRail services"
],
"question": "A SydneyPass doesn't offer unlimited rides on _ .",
"question_ty... | The value-packed, all-inclusive sight-seeing package that combines the best of Sydney's harbour, city, bay and beach highlights.
A SydneyPass gives you unlimited and flexible travel on the Explorer Buses: the 'red' Sydney Explorer shows you around our exciting city sights while the 'blue' Bondi Explorer visits Sydney Harbour bays and famous beaches. Take to the water on one of three magnificent daily harbour cruises . You can also travel free on regular Sydney Buses, Sydney Ferries or CityRail services (limited area), so you can go to every corner of this beautiful city.
Imagine browsing at Darling Harbour, sampling the famous seafood at Watsons Bay or enjoying the city lights on an evening ferry cruise. The possibilities and plans are endless with a SydneyPass. Wherever you decide to go, remember that bookings are not required on any of our services so tickets are treated on a first in, first seated basis.
SydneyPasses are available for 3, 5 0r 7 days for use over a 7 calendar day period. With a 3 or 5 day pass you choose on which days out of the 7 you want to use it. All SydneyPasses include a free Airport Express inward trip before starting your 3, 5 0r 7 days, and the return trip is valid for 2 months from the first day your ticket was used.
SydneyPass Fares
Adult Child* Family**
3 day ticket $90 $45 $225
5 day ticket $120 $60 $300
7 day ticket $140 $70 $350
*A child is defined as anyone from the ages of 4 years to under 16 years. Children under 4 years
travel free.
**A family is defined as 2 adults and any number of children from 4 to under 16 years of age
from the same family. | high22169.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "parents"
},
"options": [
"children",
"parents",
"doctors",
"teachers"
],
"question": "The intended readers of the passage are _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer... | Earlier this year,my oldest daughter got braces on her teeth,and let's just say she did not go quietly into that dentist's chair. Fear and hate pretty much describe the days leading up to her first appointment.
So when she finally walked out with shiny teeth,a sore mouth and a broken spirit, I told her I was proud of her and took her to Ben & Jerry's for an ice cream reward. Two weeks later, we returned to the scene of the crime.The dentist spent about 45 seconds checking her teeth before sending her on her merry way. Before I could start the car, she was placing her ice cream order. She was shocked when I told her that she wasn't going to get a reward every time we got her teeth checked.
Apparently,she's not alone. According to some parenting experts, kids are easily addicted to a benefitproducing system of parental rewards and bribes --not all ice creams, candies and cool toys.Some parents are offering their children novel prizes just to let them sit down and behave in a restaurant--or sleep in their own beds--or score a goal in the next soccer game.
While the experts agree that occasional awards are okay,the danger lies in the system's overuse.Kids quickly gain a sense of entitlement ,where they come to expect a big reward for every good thing that they do, no matter how small.To keep things in check,experts say parents should reduce the number of rewards they offer, make sure rewards match the behavior and explain the real benefits of behaving. | high7282.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the kids have learned much knowledge"
},
"options": [
"the kids like playing in trees",
"the kids are very familiar with trees",
"the kids have learned much knowledge",
"the kids find trees useful learning tools"
],... | On a hill 600 feet above the surrounding land, we watch the lines of rain move across the scene, the moon rise over the hills, and the stars appear in the sky. The views invite a long look from a comfortable chair in front of the wooden house.
Every window in our wooden house has a view, and the forest and lakes seldom look the same as the hour before. Each look reminds us where we are.
There is space for our three boys to play outside, to shoot arrows, collect tree seeds, build earth houses and climb trees.
Our kids have learned the names of the trees, and with the names have come familiarity and appreciation. As they tell all who show even a passing interest, maple makes the best fighting sticks and white pines are the best climbing trees.
The air is clean and fresh. The water from the well has a pleasant taste, and it is perhaps the healthiest water our kids will ever drink. Though they have one glass a day of juice and the rest is water, they never say anything against that.
_ We watch the maples turn every shade of yellow and red in the fall and note the poplars' putting out the first green leaves of spring. The rainbow smelt fills the local steam as the ice gradually disappears, and the wood frogs start to sing in pools after being frozen for the winter. A family of birds rules our skies and flies over the lake. | high367.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "to experience the most serous environmental problems on the earth"
},
"options": [
"to experience the most serous environmental problems on the earth",
"to bring the kindness of America to the other parts of the world",
"to g... | Have you ever thought, "I wish I could take a year off and just travel around the world"? Well, three lucky American teenagers were able to do just that. The teens--two males and one female--got an all-expenses paid, yearlong hike to five continents.
This trip didn't include any five-star hotels or shopping funs. Eighteen-year-old Jamie Fiel from Keller, Texas, 17-year-old Arsen Ewing from Canyon, California, and 16-year-old Tyler Robinson from Lincoln, Massachusetts, didn't expect fancy treatment. They signed up for the experience of a lifetime, which included hard work, often uncomfortable accommodations, and encounters with some of nature's most dangerous animals and environments.
Jamie, Arsen, and Tyler were among hundreds of high school kids nominated by their science teachers to take this trip. Earthwatch Institute sponsored this adventure. Each year, Earthwatch employs thousands of volunteers worldwide to help with scientific research projects.
The group went all around the world to get a close look at the most pressing environmental issues of our time. Their assignments were as varied as their locations, and included measuring and attending pink flamingos in Kenya's Great Rift Valley, and tracking giant sea turtles in Costa Rica.
As they worked with the Earthwatch scientists, Jamie, Arsen, and Tyler began to understand that we are at a critical moment in the life of our planet. Time for change is running out. As the teens went from country to country and witnessed different environmental dangers and challenges, they understood that solutions to important environmental issues start with the power of one person's actions. They realized that each of them can make a difference. | high7296.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Machu Picchu is the largest stone city of the world."
},
"options": [
"Machu Picchu is called the \"city in the clouds\".",
"Machu Picchu remains \"the most famous ruins of South America\".",
"Machu Picchu is \"the lost city\... | Machu Picchu is considered to be a truly extraordinary archaeological discovery and is one of South America's largest tourist sites. As many as one thousand visitors visit the ancient Incan ruins daily. What draws vacationers and adventurers to this remote location high in the Andes Mountains of Peru ? A large part of the attraction is the mysteries that surround Machu Picchu. For example, Machu Picchu is considered "the lost city" of the Incas because it was never found by Spanish invaders and was known to only a few local peasants for almost four hundred years.
The "city in the clouds", Machu Picchu's lasting beauty comes from the careful blending of its striking architecture with its mountaintop environment. Its greatest skill shows are in the stone structures, which equals that of the ancient Egyptians. The stone blocks were so appropriately cut that they fit together without the need for mud. The largest stones at Machu Picchu weigh as much as fifteen tons! It has been difficult to explain how the huge blocks were transported. The buildings, including many that have survived lots of earthquakes, contain stones which _ so perfectly that a knife cannot be forced between them. When compared to other ancient civilizations, it is difficult to understand how Machu Picchu could have been missed by the Spanish and lost from history for four hundred years.
For many of the mysteries of Machu Picchu being unsolved, it is clear why Machu Picchu remains "the most famous ruins in all of South America". | high373.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "there were no movie music composers at the very beginning."
},
"options": [
"there were no movie music composers at the very beginning.",
"the Edison Company had its own orchestras.",
"movie music is a kind of music with a hi... | Accustomed though we are to speaking of the films made before 1927 as "silent",the film has never been,in the full sense of the word,silent.From the very beginning,music was regarded as a necessary accompaniment ;when the Lumiere films were shown at the first public film exhibition in the United States in February 1896,they were accompanied by piano on popular tunes. At first,the music played bore no special relationship to the films;an accompaniment of any kind was sufficient.Within a very short time, however the _ of playing lively music to a serious film became apparent,and film pianists began to take some care in matching their pieces to the mood of the film.
As movie theaters grew in number and importance.a violinist would be added to the pianist in certain cases,and in the larger movie theaters small orchestras were formed.For a number of years the selection of music for each film program rested entirely in the hands of the conductor or leader of the orchestra,and very often the qualification for holding such a position was not skill or taste so much as the ownership of a large personal library of musical pieces.Since the conductor seldom saw the films until the night before they were to be shown (if indeed,the conductor was lucky enough to see them then),the musical arrangement was normally improvised in the greatest hurry.
To help meet this difficulty,film distributing companies started the practice of publishing suggestions for musical accompaniments.In 1909,for example,the Edison Company began issuing with their films such suggestions of mood as "pleasant","sad","lively".The suggestions became clearer,and so appeared the musical sheet containing indications of mood,the titles of suitable pieces of music,and precise directions to show where one piece led into the next.
Certain films had music especially composed for them.The most famous of these early special scores was that composed and arranged for D.W Griffith's film Birth of a Nation.which was shown in 1915. | high23263.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Disappointing, but still a successful device."
},
"options": [
"Nothing but an electrical device.",
"A disappointing engineering mistake.",
"An expensive and disappointing invention.",
"Disappointing, but still a succes... | The Segway Human Transporter was invented by Dean Kamen.It is a two-wheeled vehicle designed for a single rider standing upright over its single axle and navigate using a set of handlebars resembling those on a bicycle.Electrically powered, it could travel over 15 miles on a single charge and reach speeds up to twelve miles per hour.Its speed and direction can be controlled by riders' changing their weights.
A college dropout and self-taught engineer, Kamen already held over 100 patents for his inventions when he developed the one he hoped would revolutionize short-distance travel.While still in college, Kamen started developing the medical devices that made his name.Later, he changed focus to the challenges faced by wheelchair users.His robotic wheelchair known as IBOT could climb stairs.This robot ended up paving the way for the Segway.
Before showing his most recent invention, Kamen had kept it a top secret for months.When it turned out to be little more than a motor scooter, many publicly expressed their disappointment.On closer examination, however, even his critics had to admit that the vehicle was an engineering achievement.It answered the prayers of anyone who is worn out when walking downtown.Not everyone welcomed the Segway's arrival, though.Some complained it was too expensive, while others said it would further weaken the average American ' s fitness.A Japanese inventor even accused Kamen of stealing the idea for the Segway from him.
Despite the controversy, the U.S.postal service began using Kamen's invention a month after its appearance, and a factory was built with plans to produce about 40,000 Segways every month.The argument is still on whether the Segway will be remembered as the greatest invention since the light bulb, or just another forgettable electronic device.Anyway, trips to the local supermarket will never be the same again. | high5481.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "By asking questions."
},
"options": [
"By asking questions.",
"By giving examples.",
"By offering suggestions.",
"By doing experiments."
],
"question": "How does the author introduce the topic of this passage?",... | Have you ever been bitten? Of course you have. You are surrounded by living things which might, or do, bite. Even when you rest your head on your pillow, bedbugs are probably nibbling away at you. They live happily inside most pillows.
Take a walk outside and you are a target for "man's best friend. " Hundreds of dog-bite victims visit US emergency rooms daily. Many bites are terrible. To avoid the dogs in your neighborhood, you might want to hike into the desert or the woods. There, you run the risk of bites from rattlesnakes, scorpions, and blood-sucking ticks. Not to mention bears, wolves, coyotes, and mountain lions.
Speaking of housing, watch out when you touch the corner of your house or garage. Shy but deadly, the black widow spider and the brown recluse spider make themselves comfortable in quiet areas of your closets or garage. One bite from either of them can make you very sick; occasionally, people die from such bites. Unfortunately, many people fear all spiders, not just the few dangerous ones. They squash them or run from them at first sight, not realizing that most spiders are actually beneficial to man.
If you're concerned about bites, don't forget about rabid animal bites. Any warm-blooded animal can get infected with rabies. Although humans in the US rarely get attacked by rabid animals, the disease is painful and dangerous. You will most likely die if you are not treated properly within 48 hours of being bitten. | high4947.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a director"
},
"options": [
"a writer",
"an actor",
"a director",
"a soldier"
],
"question": "According to the passage, Altman was _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"... | Robert Altman's films were different from the usual methods of Hollywood movie storytelling. In the 1940s, he started his film career directing industrial movies in his hometown of Kansas City, Missouri. Later, he moved to Hollywood, California, to make television shows.
His first major film, MASH, was released in 1970. It tells about a group of American medical workers in an army hospital in Korea during the Korean War in the 1950s. The movie was a great success. It questioned the rules of the military in a way that was sharply funny and clever.
Robert Altman continued to make movies with strong political and social points. His next major movie, Nashville, came out in 1975. This movie provides a complex (not simple) look at changes in the country music industry.
Robert Altman's movies have a very special style. Often, his actors speak so naturally that it is hard to believe they are performing. Altman liked his actors to be free to make up their own lines. Altman wanted to copy the way people talked and acted in real life. And he was willing to fight with movie studio businessmen to make sure that he had total creative control over his work.
Even as an old man, Robert Altman continued to make movies. Many of his 33 films were nominated for Academy Awards, including The Player and Gosford Park. Robert Altman died in November in Los Angeles, California. He was 81 years old. | high10871.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "one's body weight"
},
"options": [
"one's body weight",
"one's blood pressure",
"one's way of living",
"one's heart-beating rate"
],
"question": "Hormones were tested in the research because they could affect _... | Looking for a new weight loss plan? Try living on the top of a mountain.Mountain air contains less oxygen than air at lower altitudes,so breathing it causes the heart to beat faster and the body to burn more energy. Studies have found that athletes training at high altitudes tend to lose weight.Doctor Florian Lippl in Germany wondered how the mountain air would affect _ individuals if they weren't doing any more physical activity than usual.
Lippl and his colleagues invited 20 obese men to an environmental research station about 300 meters below the summit of Zugspitze, mountain around 2, meters near the Austrian border.2,970 This was no hiking expedition. They were allowed to eat as much as they liked. men also gave The blood so that researchers could test for hormones linked to appetite and obesity.At the end of the week, men, the whose weight starting out was 105 kilograms, had lost about 1.5 kg on average.The men's blood pressure also dropped,which the researchers owed to weight lost.
Exactly what caused the weight loss is uncertain.Loss of appetite is common at higher altitudes, and indeed the men ate significantly less than usua!--about 700 calories fewer per day.
Appetite loss at high altitudes could certainly be key,notes Damian Bailey,a physiologist, who himself recently lost 11 kg during a 3-month expedition to the Andes in Chile.
Unfortunately,for the average person there's no treatment that can resemble living at high altitudes, says Lippl.He says,half-jokingly, obese people plan their holidays,they might not "If go to the sea,but maybe to the mountains." | high21474.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "comfortably"
},
"options": [
"briefly",
"quickly",
"comfortably",
"eagerly"
],
"question": "In Mrs.Toalson's Reading Workshop,every student can learn _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"... | In my last essay,I wrote briefly about a bathtub in the classroom.What really was the use of that bathtub?"Guys,i t is Reading Workshop time now.When I call your table,get your things,please!"said Mrs.Toalson.She was holding a cup that had many sticks in it;on every stick was written each student's name and table number.
What does she mean? Probably books,I thought.Mrs.Toalson picked a stick out of the cup and said,"Okay,Aniqa's table;Table Two,you may get your things."Then my four classmates ran for the cushions in the bathtub.Mrs.Toalson kept picking sticks and calling out different table numbers.On hearing their numbers,students would run to get cushions.Because there were not enough cushions for everyone,the last to be called had to go without.Those students sighed,"Oh!They are the lucky ones."
Finally,Mrs.Toalson picked the last,stick;what is she going to do now?
"Kate,you may use the bathtub."Mrs.Toalson said.Gosh!Use the bathtub?Is Kate going to take a bath,1 wondered.Kate is the girl who had pretty brown hair.She ran happily with her book to the bathtub and lay down in it.As she read,she hugged a teddy bear.I think it must be comfortable reading in a bathtub.
Except for lucky Kate,everybody had to read elsewhere.Some were sitting on the seats,some were lying down under the table,and everybody's reading pose was different.
Just then,my friend found me sitting at my table quietly,not doing anything.She said,"Mary,let me find you a book."I nodded.Then she led me to a comer of the classroom where the bookshelf was and picked a picture book for me.
Regina thought that it would be more fun to read outside on the grass.What a great idea!The next day our whole class went to the park across the street from our schoo1.As we read,animals such as squirrels ran around us.It was amazing ! | high21312.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "encourage yourself"
},
"options": [
"seek some support",
"encourage yourself",
"neglect difficulties",
"resist negative thinking"
],
"question": "To hold fast your dream, you should _ .",
"question_type":... | Do you have a dream, something you always see yourself doing? Perhaps you see yourself as a lawyer, businessman, or even a scientist. Whatever it is, don't let it die.
A dream is a wonderful thing. It can give your hope for your future and encourage you to try when all odds are against you.
However, there are dream killers that want to kill your dream. People who don't want to see your dream fulfilled can destroy your dream. They may tell you that it is impossible for you, that you are not smart enough or that it's never been done before. However, many times the biggest dream killer is you.
Don't let fear, doubt or lack of finances prevent you from fulfilling your dream. Talk back to these killers, " I can and will fulfill my dream." You may have to do this every day. The more you instill within your heart that you can do it, the more safely your dream will be held within you.
It is very important to take steps towards fulfilling your dream. For me, in order to fulfill my dream of one-day owning my own magazine, I needed to go back to school and finish my college degree. For you, it may be something different you know deep inside what the voice of your dream calls for. Don't be afraid and just do it. Try not to let too much time go by. Time is another one of those dream killers.
Think about the words of a song by Yolanda Adams, " Keep the dream alive, don't let it die, if something deep inside keeps inspiring you to try, don't stop. And never give up, don't ever give up on you. Sometimes, life can place a stumbling block in you way. But you gotta to keep the faith.
When you dream, dream big and never give up. Your dream is just yours. Never let anyone tell you that your dream can't happen--- it can! Nurture your dream. Keep seeing yourself do what's never been done before. As you continue to feed your dream and protect it, not only will you keep it alive, but it will come true. | high17878.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "give advice to travelers to the country"
},
"options": [
"inform people of the punishment for breaking laws",
"declare the laws of different kinds.",
"give advice to travelers to the country",
"prepare people for intern... | Good afternoon, and welcome to England. We hope that your visit here will be a pleasant one. Today, I would like to draw your attention to a few of our laws.
The first one is about drinking. Now, you may not buy alcohol in this country if you are under 18 years of age, nor may your friends buy it for you .
Secondly, noise. Enjoy yourselves by all means, but please don't make unnecessary noise, particularly at night. We ask you to respect other people who may wish to be quiet.
Thirdly, crossing the road. Be careful. The traffic moves on the left side of the road in this country. Use pedestrian crossings and do not take any changes when crossing the road.
My next point is about litter. It is an offence to drop litter in the street. When you have something to throw away, please put in your pocket and take it home, or put in a litter bin.
Finally, as regards smoking, it is against the law to buy cigarettes or tobacco if you are under 16 years of age.
I'd like to finish by saying that if you require any sort of help or assistance, you should contact your local police station, who will be pleased to help you .
Now, are there any questions? | high2488.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "$292.00"
},
"options": [
"$73.00",
"$146.00",
"$136.00",
"$292.00"
],
"question": "For a couple spending two nights in one of the accommodations, they have to pay at least _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_qu... | The Islands of Hawaii
Hawaii
The "Big Island" of Hawaii is a paradise playground where visitors can enjoy a popular lifestyle and at the same time, witness the attraction of nature: thousands of square miles form a wonderland, featuring breathtaking beaches, forests, snow-covered mountains and amazing active volcanoes. A visit to Volcanoes National Park, which has been described as a true wonder of the world, is a must. It is the state's biggest attraction.
Accommodations
Seasons Resort Hualalai from $ 205.00Fairmont Orchid: from $108.00
Sightseeing and Experiences
Circle Island Tour: from $48.00
Kauai
The beautiful landscape of Kauai has led to it being called the "Garden Isle", but it is also referred to as the "Island of discovery", and with good reason - a land of striking natural contrasts just waiting to be explored. Green mountains, a breathtaking coastline and white sand beaches combine to make it one of the world's most relaxing locations.
Accommodations
Grand Hyatt Kauai: from $ 101.00Sheraton Kauai Resort: from $ 79.00
Maui
Voted the "World's Best Island", Maui is widely regarded as one of the most romantic destinations on earth.
It is known as the "Valley Isle" and was the ancient playground for Hawaiian royalty. The island is largely rural with a small and wonderful population and a host of attractions and nature wonders.
Accommodations
Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa: from $ 87.00 Sheraton Maui: from $ 99.00
Oahu
Oahu has a unique rhythm, filling the air with sweet fragrances , music and language: from lovely beaches and amazing nightlife to beautiful rainforests and quiet valleys. Adventure, history, romance, discovery--Oahu waits for you.
Accommodations
Halekulani: from $ 121.00 Hilton Hawaiia: Village: from $ 73.00
Sightseeing and Experiences
Royal Circle Island Tour: from $ 34.00 Paradise Cove Lu'au: $ 44.00
# All prices are based on per person per night. | high18593.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "A middle school math teacher."
},
"options": [
"A Big Brother / Big Sister Volunteer.",
"A middle school math teacher.",
"A special education advisor.",
"A summer camp advisor."
],
"question": "What kind of job ... | prefix = st1 /11 Windrift Circle
Methuen, MA
978 - 555 - 4539
JOB OBJECTIVE
Seek special education, primary school, or middle school math teaching position.
EDUCATION
Rivier College, Nashua,NH
Bachelor of Arts in Education - May, 2006
Major: Elementary Education
Have successfully completed PRAXIS I and PRAXIS II. Meet highly qualified testing requirements for Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
November, 2005 - January, 2006
Wilkins Elementary School, Amherst,NH
Student Teacher
* Developed and completed student - centered lessons in all subject areas for various groups of fifth grade special and regular education students.
*Adapted lessons to meet student's needs by reviewing their backgrounds and learning needs through IEPs.
*Communicated with parents on a regular basis via newsletters, daily or weekly progress reports, phone calls, and email, resulting in increased parental participation at home.
August, 2005 - November, 2005
Charlotte Avenue Elementary School, Nashua,NH
Student Teacher
*Taught reading and writing through Language Experience Approach methods.
*Introduced a Writer's Workshop appropriate for first grade students to help them to develop their writing skills.
*Developed learning stations in reading and science, enabling students to be more independent learners.
Spring, 2005
Wilkins Elementary School, Amherst,NH
Designed and taught a unit on Insects and Spiders, based on New Hampshire Standards to 23 self -contained, third and fourth grade students with disabilities.
Fall, 2004
Amherst Street Elementary School, Nashua,NH
Taught a class of 24 third grade students with a wide range of abilities.
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
*After-School Aid, Amherst School District, Amherst,NH(2004 - 2005)
*Summer Camp advisor, YMCA, Nashua,NH(Summers, 2002 and 2003)
*Big Brother / Big Sister Volunteer, Nashua,NH(2002 - 2005) | high23505.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "relationship between sound and image of nature"
},
"options": [
"diversity of Chinese traditional festivals",
"relationship between sound and image of nature",
"endangered species and environment protection",
"cultural ... | New Yorkers and visitors to the Big Apple will get to ring in the Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year in the U.S., in style with a fireworks display on the Hudson River set to music written by Academy Award-winning composer Tan Dun.
The display is part of the second annual "Happy Chinese New Year: Fantastic Art China" festival held in New York on February 5-10, 2016. The China Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), the U.S.-China Cultural Institute and the Cultural Associate of the Committee of 100 announced this year's events on November 18 at a press conference at the Lincoln Center.
The "Fantastic Art China" festival will feature a larger and more diverse series of artistic and cultural events across New York's top cultural venues and landmarks, including the Lincoln Center, Empire State Building and Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
This year's theme focuses on exploring the complicated relationship between sound and image, said Professor Yu Ding from CAFA, who is also president of Fantastic Art China and in charge of the festival's design. Lunar New Year, which celebrates the "Year of the Monkey" in 2016, is an opportunity to bring China's modern art to mainstream America, and the festival serves as an innovative approach to establishing cultural exchange between China and New York City, Yu said.
UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Tan Dun's music is a new edition that will be featured at several venues, including a major art exhibition at the Javits Center, events at the Lincoln Center and the fireworks display on the Hudson, which will take place on the evening of February 6. Five barges on the river will launch the fireworks designed by CAFA that will tell a story about celebration and conservation.
"We Chinese are fond of nature, so the best way to celebrate the Lunar New Year is to salute with the sounds of nature, such as sounds of water, stone and bamboo," said Tan Dun at the press conference, "And it will be fun to use the music of water during the firework display."
In addition to the fireworks, a special lighting show at the Empire State Building will _ New York City during the holiday.
Chinese New Year is being recognized as a public school holiday for the first time in New York. Children from the National Dance Institute, which represents 75 schools, will perform traditional Chinese dances at the Lincoln Center and the Javits Center. And, in celebration of the "Year of the Monkey" events will feature a conservation message about the endangered golden monkey in China. | high12900.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Elizabeth was a brave girl who loved Victor and gave him much help."
},
"options": [
"Elizabeth married shortly after Victor's mother died.",
"Elizabeth was a brave girl who loved Victor and gave him much help.",
"Victor's mo... | For the 17 years my life was very happy. Then the first sad thing happened. My mother became very ill, and soon she knew that she was dying. Just before she died, she asked Elizabeth and me to go to her room. She held our hands and said, "Victor and Elizabeth, my children, I'm very happy because you love each other, and because one day you'll get married. Everyone in the family loves you, Elizabeth. Will you take my place in the family, my dear? I can die happy if you look after them when I have gone."
My mother died and we were very sad, because we loved her dearly. Elizabeth was brave and helped us; her sweet smile gave us some happiness in the unhappy days after my mother's death. The time came for me to go to university. I didn't want to leave my sad family, but we all knew that I should go. It was hard to leave, too, because the parents of my good friend Henry would not let him go to university with me. So I had gone alone.
On my first day at university I met my teacher, Professor Waldman, who was one of the greatest scientists in the world. He gave a wonderful talk to all the students who were starting at the university. He ended his talk by saying, "Some of you will become the greatest scientists of tomorrow. You must study hard and discover everything that you can. This is why God made you intelligent--to help other people."
After the professor's talk, I thought very carefully. I remembered the storm when I was 15; I remembered how the lightning had destroyed the tree. From then on, I wanted to use electricity to help people, and I wanted to discover the secrets of life. I decided to work on these two things.
I started to work the next day. I worked very hard and soon Professor Waldman and I realized that I could learn to be a very good scientist.
The professor helped me very much, and other important scientists who were his friends helped me, too. I was interested in my work and I did not take one day's holiday during the next two years, I did not go home, and my letters to my family were very short.
After two years, I had discovered many things and I built a scientific machine that was the best in the university. My machine would help me answer the most important question of all. How does life begin? Is it possible to put life into dead things? To answer these questions about life I had to learn first about death. I had to watch bodies from the moment when they died and the warm life left them. In the hospital and in the university, I watched the dying and the dead. Day after day, month after month, I followed death, so it was a dark and terrible time.
I built a tall mast about 150 meters high, which is higher than the tallest building in the city, to catch lightning and send the electricity down to my machine in the lab. I believed I could use that electricity to give life to things that were dead.
Then one day, the answer came to me. Suddenly I was sure that I knew the secret of life. | high415.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "attract more people to read in libraries"
},
"options": [
"collect money for libraries to buy books",
"attract more people to read in libraries",
"provide a performing place for music lovers",
"develop youth talent for ... | A trip to the library can change your life.That is the idea of the Get It Loud in Libraries project,which challenges the habit of speaking in a low voice.The sweet tones of singer Diana Vickers rang out recently,surrounded by books as well as fans,at Lancaster Library.Plan B,Adele,Florence and the Machine,Speech Debelle,and the Thrills have also performed for the project.
This fiveyear project aims to increase access to libraries while developing youth talent and has attracted more than 8,500 visitors,5,000 of whom are firsttime library users.
"I think it's wonderful,"Vickers says."I've been playing in front of big crowds and I'm excited about close environments where you can be close to your fans."
As a child growing up in nearby Blackburn,she says that her school library was a "second home"to her.When she was young she lovedPeterRabbitandMr.Menbooks,and later her favorites includedLittleWomenandTheLovelyBones.
Attracted by the stage,the young who would once never have been to a library have been returning to borrow books and CDs.The project's founder,Stewart Parsons,has worked in libraries for 25 years.He feels that the concerts have made libraries something that the young want to be part of.A mother,Lauren Zawadzki,sent him a text message after a concert:"Your work is great!!!Both Izaak and Dom have been reading in the library for the last half hour...You should be proud.They would never have suggested that before the concerts."
Parsons hopes that the activity is changing the way people view libraries."My big worry is that libraries trail behind slightly;they shouldn't.This is about bringing libraries up to date.The beautiful thing is that people are reconnecting with the library in a way they haven't done before." | high1181.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "His parents used to be very busy."
},
"options": [
"His father was a cruel man.",
"His parents didn't love him.",
"His parents used to be very busy.",
"His mother didn't have any jobs."
],
"question": "What can ... | In 1943, when I was 4, my parents moved from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, to Fairbanks, Alaska, where adventure was never very far away.
We arrived in the summer, just in time to enjoy the midnight sun. All that sunlight was fantastic for Mom's vegetable garden. Working in the garden at midnight tended to throw her timing off, so she didn't care much about my bedtime.
Dad was a Railway Express agent and Mom was his clerk. That left me in a mess. I usually managed to find some trouble to get into. Once I had a little Are going in the dirt basement of a hotel. I had tried to light a barrel of paint but couldn't really get a good fire going. The smoke got pretty bad, though, and when 1 made my exit, a crowd and the police were there to greet me. The policemen took my matches and drove me
Mom and Dad were occupied in the garden and Dad told the police to keep me, and they did! I had a tour of the prison before Mom rescued me. 1 hadn't turned 5 yet.
As I entered kindergarten, the serious cold began to set in. Would it surprise you to know that I soon left part of my tongue on a metal handrail at school?
As for Leonhard Seppala, famous as a dog sledder , I think I knew him well because I was taken for a ride with his white dog team one Sunday. At the time I didn't realize what a superstar he was, but I do remember the ride well. I was wrapped heavily and well sheltered from the freezing and blowing weather.
In 1950, we moved back to Coeur d'Alene, but we got one more Alaskan adventure when Leonhard invited us eight years later by paying a visit to Idaho to attend a gathering of former neighbors of Alaska. | high6836.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "36"
},
"options": [
"2l",
"30",
"36",
"45"
],
"question": "How old was Jobs when he got married to Laurene Powell?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
... | On october5,2011,around 3:00p.m., Steven P.Jobs,the co-founder of Apple, died at his home in Palo Alto, California, aged 56, six weeks after resigning as CEO of Apple. The death was announced by company that Mr.Jobs and his high school friend Stephen Wozniak started in 1976 in a suburban California garage.
Jobs was born in San Francisco and adopted at birth by Paul Jobs and Clara Jobs. Paul Jobs taught his son basic electronics and how to work his hands. Asked in a 1995 interview what he wanted to pass on to his children, Jobs replied,"Just to try to be as good a father to them as my father was to me."
Following high school graduation in 1972, Jobs was admitted to Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Although he dropped out after only one semester, he continued taking classes at Reed, sleeping on the floor in friend' rooms, returning Coke bottles for food money, and getting weekly free meals at the local temple.
In the late 1970s, they designed, developed, and marketed one of the first commercially successful personal computers. The Apple II series. In 1985, after losing a power struggle, Jobs left Apple and founded NeXT, a computer platform development company specializing in the higher-education and business markets.
In 1986, he put money in and produced Toy Story (1995), making Jobs Disney's largest shareholder at seventy percent.
Apple's 1996 buyout of NeXT brought Jobs back to the company. He became a permanent CEO from 2000, developing the iPod,iPhone and iPad products.From 2003,he fought an eight-year battle with cancer.He received a liver transplant in 2009.And he took three medical leaves of absence before stepping down in August and turning over the power to Cook.
Jobs married Laurene Powell on March l8,1991,and the couple had a son and two daughters. | high21475.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Because online bookstores offer readers more kinds of books to choose from."
},
"options": [
"Because online bookstores offer readers the latest books.",
"Because online bookstores offer readers more kinds of books to choose from."... | Buying books on the internet is a great way to save time and money. Online bookstores offer new books and used books that can save you lots of money. They are far better compared to traditional bookstores as they offer much broader kinds of books. Another advantage of shopping online is that you can also read the book reviews as well as readers' reviews to get an idea whether the book is worth buying. Online bookstores offer great discounts to regular customers which is a big attraction for book lovers.
For book lovers, the most important thing is to get books on time. Therefore, you need to find a reliable online bookstore that will be able to provide fast deliveries .
Here are some tips to use when choosing an online bookstore. Some online bookstores are popular for fiction books; some are for non-fiction books or novels, etc. Understanding their specialization will help you get the right kind of books in time. Check whether you will be buying the books from a third-party seller or directly from the website. Although the website could be reputable ,third-party sellers advertised on their site may not have a good reputation. Never jump at stores that offer super cheap prices, as books sold at such low prices could be in very bad condition.
Most of the popular online bookstores offer useful tools. One tool is a wish list tool on its website. You can update the list of books you wish to buy in the future. The bookstore will know what you want and will e-mail you immediately when the book of your choice is available. | high4946.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "knows about children's education"
},
"options": [
"knows about children's education",
"wants to get a job with a stable environment",
"has got a degree of Science in Elementary Education",
"is an excellent teacher of th... | Marilyn M.Arnold
4500 Ridgewood Road Memphis,Tennessee 38116
Tel:9015990316 Email:efg@yahoo.com
Objective
To obtain a position that will enable me to improve my organizational skills,educational background,and ability to work well with people.
Experience Lead Teacher La Petite Academy,Memphis,TN.
June,2011July,2012
--Planned activities that would promote growth in language,social skills.
--Provided children with individual attention.
--Communicated with parents on a regular basis.
Education
At present,studying Science in Elementary Education at the University of Memphis.
Fahd EI Zoghat
American University of Beirut Tel:00963116820300 (Damascus) Email:abc@aub.edu.lb
Objective
To secure a promising position that offers both a challenge and a good opportunity for growth.
Experience 20102011
--Assisted a professor in the computer simulation of digital circuits.
--Assisted an instructor in the area of radar systems.
--Worked as a research assistant with a professor in the area of digital image processing.
Education
Stanford University,Palo Alto,CA
Madeline Little
555 Maple Dr.Hartford,CT 06105 Tel:(860)5550820 Email:m.e.little@gmail.com
Objective
To obtain a position as a Salesman Associate to improve the ability to work well with people in Summer.
Experience
September 2009Present
--Aid students in person and via phone with questions regarding course registration.
--Assist with all other office administrative duties.
--Nominated for Employee of the Year in 2011 due to excellent performance.
20052008
--Teammate on Hartford High School women's soccer team.
Education
ABC Community College Hartford,CT Bachelor of Arts
James Todd Wells
7444 Vesta Drive Little Rock,Arkansas.72210
Tel:(501)555555 Email:jtwell@mail.net
Objective
To secure a position with a wellestablished organization with a stable environment that will lead to a lasting relationship.
Experience
20012011
--Worked in Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Unit Admissions of Outpatient Services at Hickingbotham Center admitting patients.Worked as liaison representative between family members and doctor.
--Worked also in Emergency Room admissions checking in patients.Entered personal data and followed up on insurance verification .
Education
University of Arkansas at Little Rock,Little Rock,Arkansas | high6189.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "findout how muchthey fear math"
},
"options": [
"seewhethermath hurts",
"findout how muchthey fear math",
"observe how their brainresponse",
"test their endurance of pain"
],
"question": "Inthefirst stage,scient... | Does solving a math problem give you a headache? Doyou feel nervous when you sit a math exam? For most students, math can be tough but scientists have proved that math problems can actually trigger physical pain.
Scientists came to his conclusion with an in-depth experiment, which was published in the Public Library of Science One journal. They began by finding out how much participants fearmath. Those involved were asked a series of questions such as how they feel when they receive amathtextbook orwhenthey walkinto amathlesson.
Based on their answers, participants were divided into groups. One group was made up of peoplewhowere particularly afraid ofmath and participantsinthe other group weremore comfortablewiththesubject.
Both groups were then given either math tasks or word tasks. When a math task was going to come next, a yellow circle would appear but when a word task was soon to come, a blue squarewould beshown.
Using a brain-scan machine, scientists noticed that whenever people from Group One saw ayellow circle, their brain would respond in a way similar to when their bodyis feeling pain. It waslike the pain they would fee, for example, if they burnt their hand on a hot stove. But theyreactedlessstrongly whenthey knew that they would befaced with awordtask.
However, scientistssaw no strong brainresponsefrom peopleinthesecond group.
Math can be difficult, and for those with high levels of mathematics-anxiety (HMA), math is associated with tension, apprehension and fear. "When you are really thinking about the math problems, your mind is racing and you are worrying about all the things that could go wrong," explained Ian Lyons from University of Chicago, US, leader of the study. "The higher a person's anxiety of a maths task, the more he activated brain regions associated with threat detection, andthe experience of pain."
More interestingly, the brain activity disappeared when participants actually started dealingwiththemathtasks. "This means that it'snot that mathitself hurts; rather, the anticipation ofmathis painful,"Lyonssaid.
Based on the study, scientists suggested that things could be done to help students worry less andmove past theirfear ofmath,which might meanthey perform betterintests. | high23262.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "To inform us about what the first day of college is like in the UK."
},
"options": [
"To introduce how UK students prepare for college.",
"To show different challenges that college freshmen face in the UK and China.",
"To des... | Every September in China, people love to talk about the overprotective parents following their children around everywhere during university enrollment.
Now, with more than 420,000 youngsters in the UK starting their new college school year, what is their first day like? BBC's Sean Coughlan described it in a recent report.
According to Coughlan, at the very beginning it is not hard to spot something familiar to Chinese-a stream of parents arriving with their sons and daughters at the student village. Mothers, fathers and a teenager-now most likely taller than they are - stand together like the three might have done on the first day of primary school.
"The approach road to the student village is a long traffic jam of family cars, stuffed full with boxes, pillows and nervous families," he writes. "The door closes on a student's room and parents and children go their separate ways. For many families, if childhood has a final moment, this is it."
But saying goodbye to parents is not the only similarity between college freshmen in the UK and China. In both cases, new arrivals most want to know about their Internet connections. "It's their most urgent concern," notes Coughlan.
Even on their first day, university in the UK won't be an entirely lonely experience for some new students. "Before they arrive they have been using social networking to get to know their future roommates," writes Coughlan.
Still, the first night is something no UK university student ever forgets. There are people they meet and then spend three years avoiding and people who become their friends for the rest of their lives. First week stories are all about over-partying, bad cooking and misguided clothing, Coughlan says.
As he concludes: "These new students are entering their own soap opera of romance, friendship and ambition. It's a huge adventure that they've worked for years to achieve." | high15908.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The father taught his son a lesson in a good way."
},
"options": [
"At first the son was hard-working and responsible.",
"The father taught his son a lesson in a good way.",
"The father didn't like his son at all.",
"Th... | There once lived a rich businessman who had a lazy son. The businessman wanted his son to realize the value of labour and said: "Today, I want you to go out and earn something, failing which you won't have your meals tonight."
He went crying straight to his mother. Her heart melted at her son's eyes. She gave him a gold coin. When the father asked his son what he had earned, the son presented him the gold coin. The father asked him to throw it into a well.
The next day, he asked his son to earn something. This time he went crying to his sister who gave him a coin. When he showed it to his father he again asked him to throw it in a well. Then the father asked him to earn more money.
This time since there was no one to help him, the son was forced to go to the market. One shopkeeper told him he would pay him two coins if he carried his trunk to his house. He did so and sweated plenty. As he returned home he was asked to do the same. The son almost cried out. He could not imagine throwing his hard-earned money like this. He cried, "My entire body is aching. You are asking me to throw the money into the well."
At this moment, the businessman told him one feels the pain only when the fruits of hard labour are wasted. On the earlier two occasions he was helped and therefore had no pain in throwing the coins into the well. The son had now realized the value of hard work. He promised never to be lazy and to safely keep the father's wealth. The father handed over the keys of his shop to the son and promised to guide him through the rest of the life. | high372.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Step2"
},
"options": [
"Step4",
"Step3",
"Step2",
"Step1"
],
"question": "All the following steps can make one's fingers stronger EXCEPT _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
}
] | Typing Success in 20 Minutes a Day
-- Teaching Your K-12 Students to Type in 20 Minutes a Day
Typing is fast becoming an important skill in our world. Making this skill available to your students is very important. Just 20 minutes of the following activities per day will give your students the finger strength and keyboard knowledge they need to be ready to include typing in their learning programs.
Step 1 Knitting : You can try various styles until you find the one that best suits your students' abilities. Finger knitting is a great way to start! It helps students focus on finger strength. Knitting with needles is a little more challenging but will suit some older students. The more practice the fingers get the stronger they will become.
Step 2 Key board games: It helps your students become familiar with the keyboard. Students as young as four years old can practice finger placement, letter sounds and names using the keyboard of computers.
Step 3 Clay modeling: Many children develop the ability to be quick and skilful with their hands through creating clay models. The creative nature of this activity keeps children engaged for long periods of time. It helps keep fingers strong and supple.
Step 4 Lego building: Little fingers become strong when children pull apart little Lego time and time again. Because of the fun nature of this activity it helps build and does a lot to reinforce the ability to arrange things into an order -- another important aspect in typing.
Choose an age-appropriate, interactive and engaging typing program. All students are different and with firm finger skills typing can be easily learned in 20 minutes a day with the use of a mixture of these different approaches. | high7297.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Books for Dummies"
},
"options": [
"Books for Dummies",
"The Easiest,the Best",
"Self-Help Books",
"New Ideas behind the Books"
],
"question": "Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?",
... | Do you know about a series of books that say they are "for dummies"? These American selfhelp books have been translated into more than thirty nine languages including Chinese,Arabic,Russian,French,German,Greek and Spanish.
"Dummy" is a word for a stupid person.The dummies books are not really for stupid people.They are designed to show people how to do something they may never have tried before,like painting a house or learning a language.The books all say in a funny way that they are for dummies,such as World History for Dummies,Rabbits for Dummies,Chinese Cooking for Dummies,and Wedding Planning for Dummies.The first such book,DOS for Dummies,was published in 1991.It helped people learn how to use the DOS operating system for computers.Since then,more than one hundred fifty million dummies books have been sold.
The dummies.com website explains the idea behind the books.It says that they show people can be taught to do anything.First they can make fun of ideas that are difficult to understand.Then they show how the information can be interesting and easy.The publishers say that the books do not provide more information than necessary.They give readers just enough information to do what they want.They say that the dummies books give the best and easiest way to do something.And the books use simple and easy language.
There are more than one thousand different dummies books.A report in New York Times says that the top-selling dummies books are those that explain technology and personal finance.
The publishers say that the best-selling dummies books are those providing information many people need-like information about diseases,education and cooking.People interested in opera,car repair and wine can also find dummies books to help them.And there are even more dummies books to come.The publishers say that they publish about two hundred new dummies books every year. | high1180.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "He asked some of his sailors to get onto the boat to sail it."
},
"options": [
"He had all the wood transferred onto his own ship.",
"He had new powerful sails fixed on the small boat.",
"He sent a message that they were in d... | At 2 p.m. on December 5, 1945, five Navy aircraft took off in perfect flying weather from a naval air installation in southeastern Florida, on a routine training mission over the Atlantic Ocean. Less than two hours later, the flight commander radioed that he was "completely lost". Then there was silence. A rescue plane was sent to search for the missing aircraft, and it, too, disappeared. Despite one of history's most extensive search efforts, involving more than 300 planes and dozens of ships, the Navy found nothing, not even an oil stain floating on the water.
This is just one of the many frightening stories told of "the Bermuda Triangle", a mysterious area of the Atlantic Ocean roughly stretching southwest from Bermuda to the Florida coast and down to Puerto Rico. During the past 30 years, the triangle has claimed the lives of some 1,000 sailors and pilots.
Stranger yet are the numerous "ghost" ships that have been found floating crewless within the triangle. On one strange occasion in 1881, the cargo shipEllen Austindiscovered a small sailing ship, sails waving uselessly in the wind. The boat was full of wood with no one on deck. The captain of theEllen Austininstalled a new crew to sail it, but two days later, during a rough storm, the two ships temporarily lost sight of each other. When the captain again boarded the boat, he found his crew had disappeared. After a second crew was assigned, the ship was again lost in a fog bank. This time, no trace of the boat -- or the crew -- was ever found.
Charles Berlitz, a man with an interest in Atlantis, the legendary lost island, puts forward his theory that a giant solar crystal, which once was the power generator for Atlantis, lies on the ocean floor. From time to time, according to his theory, passing ships and planes set off the crystal, which confuses their instruments and _ them into the ocean.
Officially, the U.S. Navy does not recognize the triangle as a danger zone and is convinced that "the majority of disappearances in the triangle can be due to the unique features of the area's environment." These include the swift Gulf Stream current and the unexplored valleys under water of the Atlantic. Also, the triangle is one of only two places on earth where a compass needle points to true north rather than magnetic north, causing problems in navigation.
However, other scientists argue that beings from outer space have established a highly advanced civilization in the unexplored depths of the Atlantic inside the triangle. There, they believe, most of the missing vessels - and their crews - may still be on display for study by these higher intelligences. | high414.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Big toys will be popular this year."
},
"options": [
"Toys are becoming more educational than fun.",
"Robots are great favorites of buyers.",
"Big toys will be popular this year.",
"Simple card games will disappear on t... | Time for Kids (TFK) gets the great news on the coolest toys for 2014 at the 111th American International Toy Fair.
What's four days long, bigger than seven football fields, and filled with thousands of toys? It's Toy Fair 2014!
Each year, hundreds of toy companies from across the country come together in New York City. All kinds of products are shown as a way to know what's to come in the new year. This year's trends include oversize toys. "In 2014, everything is really big and really out there," says Adrienne Appell, a toy-trends expert.
Toy Fair is the largest toy trade show in the Western Hemisphere . Toy-store buyers go to the event to decide which toys they may want to sell during the holiday season. Members of the media, like TFK, go to the fair to report back on all the cool trends. Unfortunately, Toy Fair is not open to the public.
This year's Toy Fair was the biggest in its 111-year history. More than 1,000 toy companies showed products from simple card games to high-tech robots. "Larger Than Life" was a Toy Fair favorite. This trend is all about big toys with a big play value.
Though it is all fun and games at Toy Fair, we saw lots of products making a push towards education, with STEAM. That stands for science, technology, engineering, art, and math. This trend includes word games. And of course, we saw some super cool, high-tech games. "Technology is always going to influence toys," says Appell. "This year we saw lots of 3D games, and robots."[:ZXXK]
To know more information about the event, click here to watch the video. | high12901.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "the unfair treatment the working women suffering in business"
},
"options": [
"the unfair treatment the working women suffering in business",
"the differences between working men and women",
"the qualities of the working men ... | Census figures published last Friday indicate that the number of women in management jobs rose by 95% between 1980 and 1990. Most evidenced shows that women are still in the lowest class of management and in the lowest-paying industries.
I first noticed that girls were different from boys when I was about 4 years old. No experiences either in my personal life or in my business life have caused me to change my opinion. Throughout my adult life, however, I have had to evaluate again and again these differences between men and women and how they affect the way men and women relate to one another and to the environment in which they work. Working with women has given me deep understanding I would never have gained in any other way.
Women are working at a decided disadvantage in the business world created by men to make things comfortable for men. To me, this means men often understand the rules without having to be taught or even having to think about them. It is not so easy for women. If I may fall back on typically male _ women have had to learn both the game and the game plan at the same time.
At least in my own observation, women in business tend to be more honest than men. A direct question to a woman often results in a direct response. This quality makes it more difficult for women to "yes" an employer. It also makes women more trustworthy than the men who often can't, or won't, give a straight answer to a question. Women are also more open than men about their feelings their ambitions, and everyday situations in the office. This makes them easier to be hurt than men. Traditionally, women in business have been more severely judged than men. They have had to be better in a job than a man to get ahead. | high23504.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "in June"
},
"options": [
"in June",
"for 2 days",
"for 4 hour",
"in the afternoon"
],
"question": "The writer went camping in Green Natural Park _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answe... | Saturday, June 16th
In the morning, we went camping along a path in Green Natural Park. We were happy because it was a sunny day. We were expecting an enjoyable two-day holiday. On the way, we kept singing and making jokes.
However, in the afternoon, when we finished our picnic at one o'clock, it was dark and windy. Soon, there was a shower. Unluckily, none of us brought an umbrella. We ran about but we could find no place to hide.
Twenty minutes passed and it was still raining, There were hours to go before we reached the campsite . It was even worse that our small compass showed that we went to the wrong way. We had lost our way!
We had to make a quick decision as it was raining heavily. Chris said we could set up a tent to hide in, so Mary and Tom helped to set up the tent. Chris and I tried to make a fire to keep us warm. But we were unable to light the fire, as everything was wet. We dried ourselves, chatted and waited inside the tent. At about five o'clock, it stopped raining. We decided to give up the camping trip because all of us had been very tired.
This camping trip may not be very successful but we know each other better. And the most important thing I've learned from this trip is the importance of team spirit. | high2489.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because the meeting atmosphere wasn't open and trusting."
},
"options": [
"Because it had to be held every Monday morning.",
"Because he was tired of hosting such a meeting.",
"Because he couldn't control the meeting that was... | Martin was returning to work in his London office after spending two weeks with his brother in New York.He was coming back with a heavy heart.It was not just that it was the end of a wonderful holiday; it was not just that he invariably suffered badly from jet lag ; it was that Monday mornings always began with a team meeting and,over the months,he had grown to hate them.
Martin was aware that colleagues approached these meetings with hidden agenda ; they indulged in game playing; and he knew that people were not being honest and open.The meetings themselves were bad enough-there was all the moaning afterwards at the meeting like"I could have improved on that idea,but I wasn't going to say".
As this morning's meeting began,Martin prepared himself for the usual dullness and boredom.But,as the meeting progressed,he became aware of a strange background noise.At first,he thought that he was still hearing the engine noise from the aircraft that had brought him back to London.But,as he concentrated on the noise,it became a little clearer.
He realized,to his amazement,that he could actually hear what they were thinking at the same time as they were speaking.What surprised him,even more than the acquisition of this strange power,was that he discovered that what people were saying was not really what they were thinking.They were not making clear their reservations.They were not supporting views which they thought might be popular.They were not contributing their new insights.They were not volunteering their new ideas.
Martin found it impossible not to respond to his new knowledge.So he started to make gentle interventions,based more on what he could hear his colleagues thinking than on what he could hear them saying."So,John,are you really saying...""Susan,do you really think that?""Tom,have you got an idea on how we could take this forward?"They looked at him,puzzled.In truth,he felt rather proud of his newly-acquired talent.
As the meeting progressed,it was clear to him that each member of the meeting was learning how to hear the thoughts of the others.The game playing started to fall away; people started to speak more directly; views became better understood; the atmosphere became more open and trusting.
The meeting ended.As people left the room,Martin found that he could still hear what they were thinking."That was the best meeting we've ever had.""All meetings should be like that.""In future,I'm going to say what I think". | high19854.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "She was in a bad mental state"
},
"options": [
"She was in a bad mental state",
"She was addicted to using drugs",
"She was not responsible for them",
"She was too poor to support them"
],
"question": "Why was R... | When Callie Rogers won almost 1.9 million pounds on the lottery at 16, she hoped it would help her put her troubles behind her. The teenager came from a broken home, had dropped out of school and was living in local authority care.
Rogers, from Cumbria, England, won the National Lottery in 2003. Then she began spending her money wildly, buying four homes for her family, flash cars and designer clothes, partying and having some cosmetic surgery. Two weeks after her win, she married and had two children. But then she spent 250 000 pounds on cocaine and suffered depression. Earlier this year she lost the right to take care of her children because of her mental state.
She became addicted to drugs and attempted suicide three times as her life unraveled. She says the money brought her only misery. Now she is down to her last 100,000 pounds, she has never been happier.
Now 22, she said: "Just a few months ago I was taking too many drugs and hated myself. I simply did not want to live any more. But now I have a new man and am finally becoming the woman I want to be. And it's only after I've spent most of my fortune that this has finally happened."
"I need to get my act together and make my kids proud, and for the first time I really do think that's possible." She credits her new boyfriend with giving her the stable home life she has always longed for and she now hopes to go to college and eventually become a counselor. "After all I've experienced, I think I have a lot of advice to offer," she said. | high17879.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Separation and divorce."
},
"options": [
"Separation and divorce.",
"A lot of emotions.",
"Working and caring for the kids.",
"Working parents."
],
"question": "What are the main reasons for kids' living with on... | More than 20 million kids in the United States live with one parent. Separation and divorce are the most common reasons for this. In other cases, the mom and dad may never have lived together, or one of them may have died.
Living with one parent instead of two can bring about a lot of emotions. These feelings can be pretty strong, and they can be confusing, too. You might feel terribly sad and angry because your parents divorced.
Single parents are often working parents because someone needs to earn money to buy food, clothing, and a place to live in. Having a job means your mom or dad is able to provide these things and more for you. People work for other reasons, too. A job can let a person use his or her special talents and skills. A job can be important because it helps people in the community.
But even though you might understand why your mom or dad has to work, sometimes it can be hard to accept. This can be especially true during the summer or school vacations. _
It can be tough when you don't have enough time with your dad or mom. When you live with one parent, that person really has to do the work of two people. Besides a job, your mom or dad is responsible for caring for the kids, the house, the yard, the car and the pets. So what can you do ?
One of the best ways is to hold a family meeting. Talk about everyone's schedule for work, school, and activities. You can also talk about what jobs around the house need to be done every day. You might want to help your parent cook dinner sometimes. That can be both fun and helpful to your parent. Maybe you can also schedule a weekly game or a movie at night. | high3797.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Difficult."
},
"options": [
"Difficult.",
"Amusing.",
"Challenging.",
"Satisfactory."
],
"question": "What was the author's life in Africa?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_inde... | I met my step-mom for the first time when I moved to America to be reunited with my father. From the beginning she made sure to let me know that I was safe and welcome.
I remember when I first saw her at the airport. It was different but not uncomfortable. After I was picked up from the airport we went home and she unpacked my luggage. Then she took me shopping for new clothes since the ones I had brought with me from Africa were a bit worn.
That night before I went to bed she came to my room, which was the first room I had ever had for my own, with the first bed I didn't have to share. She told me she was glad to have me and that she would take good care of me.
Before she walked out of my new room, she asked me for a hug. I had no idea what she was talking about. I did not know what the word hug meant, not because I didn't speak English, but I had just never heard the word before, let alone knew what it meant. So, I just looked at her with a questioning expression on my face.
But she didn't give up. She called my father into the room and asked him to explain to me what she meant. When my father was explaining I looked at her and wondered why she wanted to hug me. She then told me it was because she loved me and opened her arms wide. Shyly I opened mine and we hugged.
That was my very first hug and I was 11 at that time. I'm 23 now and, thankfully, I have received many hugs since then.
I consider her my birth mother because life began when I came to stay with her. For the first time there were no kids for me to take care of and I became a child for the first time. There was no work waiting for me every day other than the occasional chores that she gave me to teach me responsibility.
Today I say thank-you to my mother; thank you for giving me my childhood back after it had been taken away from me. I am who I am today because of your love! | high21313.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a hot drink"
},
"options": [
"an ice cream",
"a cold shower",
"a hot drink",
"a hot iron"
],
"question": "From the passage, we can imagine that people watching a film about the North Pole would probably want _... | We still don't understand the influence of the mind's power over the body, nor do we understand why there should be such power. All we can say for certain is that the mind does have power over the body in very many different ways.
If a man is told that he is at the North Pole and he believes what he is told, he'll show physical signs which suggest that his body is reacting as though he were at the North Pole. He'll go pale and shiver. When the film Lawrence of Arabia was shown, cinema managers around the world reported that the sales of ice cream rocketed. The endless desert scenes had made the moviegoers feel uncomfortably hot.
Hypnotists use the power of the mind over the body in order to use their influence. The hypnotist must only convince the patient that something is true, and the patient will act accordingly. If he convinces the patient that his arms are as heavy as lead, then the patient will be unable to lift his arms. If he convinces the patient that a piece of ice is a hot iron and he then touches the patient's skin with the ice, a blister will develop. The body will react to the suggestion and not to the reality, and signs of a real burn will appear. | high20019.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Abraham Lincoln"
},
"options": [
"four lawyers",
"wildlife in danger",
"some little birds",
"Abraham Lincoln"
],
"question": "The reading passage is a story mainly about _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_quest... | One day in spring four men were riding on horseback along a country road. These men were lawyers, and they were going to the next town to attend court.
There had been a rain, and the ground was very soft. Water was dripping from the trees, and the grass was wet. The four lawyers rode along, one behind another, for the pathway was narrow, and the mud on each side of it was deep. They rode slowly, and talked and laughed and were very cheerful. As they were passing through a group of small trees, they heard a great fluttering over their heads and a weak sound made by small birds in the grass by the roadside.
"Stith! Stith! Stith!" came from the leafy branches above them.
"Cheep! cheep! cheep!" came from the wet grass.
"What is the matter here?" asked the first lawyer, whose name was Speed. "Oh, it's only some old robins !"said the second lawyer, whose name was Hardin. "The storm has blown two of the little ones out of the nest. They are too young to fly, and the mother bird is worried about them."
"What a pity! They'll die down there in the grass," said the third lawyer.
"Oh, well! They're nothing but birds," said Mr. Hardin. "Why should we bother?"
"Yes, why should we?" said Mr. Speed.
The three men, as they passed, looked down and saw the little birds fluttering in the cold, wet grass. They saw the mother robin flying about, and crying to her mate. Then they rode on, talking and laughing as before. In a few minutes they had forgotten about the birds. But the fourth lawyer, whose name was Abraham Lincoln, stopped. He got down from his horse and very gently took the little ones up in his big warm hands. They did not seem frightened, but cried softly, as if they knew they were safe.
"Never mind, my little fellows," said Mr. Lincoln "I will put you in your own cozy little bed."
Then he looked up to find the nest from which they had fallen. It was high, much higher than he could reach.
But Mr. Lincoln could climb. He had climbed many a tree when he was a boy. He put the birds softly, one by one, into their warm little home. Two other baby birds were there that had not fallen out. All cuddled down together and were very happy.
Soon the three lawyers who had ridden ahead stopped at a spring to give their horses water.
"Where is Lincoln?" asked one.
All were surprised to find that he was not with them.
"Do you remember those birds?" said Mr. Speed. "Very likely he has stopped to take care of them."
In a few minutes Mr. Lincoln joined them. His shoes were covered with mud; he had torn his coat on the thorny tree.
"Hello, Abraham!" said Mr. Hardin. "Where have you been?"
"I stopped a minute to give those birds to their mother," he answered.
"Well, we always thought you were a hero," said Mr. Speed. "Now we know it."
Then all three of them laughed heartily. They thought it so foolish that a strong man should take so much trouble just for some worthless young birds.
"Gentlemen," said Mr. Lincoln, "I could not have slept tonight, if I had left those helpless little robins to die in the wet grass."
Abraham Lincoln afterwards became very famous as a lawyer and statesman. He was elected president. Next to Washington he was the greatest. | high18586.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a website"
},
"options": [
"a website",
"a newspaper",
"a brochure",
"a magazine"
],
"question": "The text is most probably taken from _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Australia is one of the best places in the world to live while you learn.The standard of living is amongst the highest in the world, yet costs remain competitive.On your breaks from study, you will have a wide choice of activities to enrich your expenence-from cultural festivals, concerts and museums, to major sporting events.
Australian education has a strong international reputation for excellence. Whether you study at a university, school, vocational or English language institute, you will receive a quality education that will form a strong foundation for your future success.
The benefits of living and learning in Australia are both personal and academic. Your years in Australia will give you the best platform to succeed in your career, and prepare you for the challenges of the work place. It won't just be your mind that develops--your time in the classroom will change you as a person.
You can find out here about courses, institutions, studying and living costs, the application process, visa requirements and much more. If you've already decided on an institution, use the search function to learn more about that university, training course or language school.
If you haven't decided yet, let our Study Wizard guide you through all the steps of selecting a course and enrolling to study in Australia. You can also click the Student Response Facility if you can't find the information you are looking for.
If you want an Australian education but can't travel here to receive it, you'll be pleased to hear that many Australian institutions now provide education and training to students Jiving outside of Australia. Some of these institutions have established their own campuses in other countries, while others offer courses in partnership with overseas institutions. | high21307.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "proud"
},
"options": [
"proud",
"relaxed",
"brave",
"doubtful"
],
"question": "Ethiopians' attitude towards coffee may best be described as _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": ... | An international group of coffee experts has considered Ethiopia's coffee as the best in the world. Coffee is a top export ( ) of the country. But at home, it is seen as national pride. Ethiopians feel good about their coffee, and enjoying a drink with friends is a long tradition.
Some people say the climate produces quality beans. Morton Wennersgarrd is a coffee importer. He said,"Ethiopia has different ancient types of coffee. They are planted in places with perfect soil, perfect altitude ( ), and climates that are really suitable for coffee processing."
Finding the best quality beans is often an issue of taste. The process is known as cupping -- tasting and comparing coffee from different roasted beans, grading and then pricing them. But before international experts come to taste, coffee beans are studied in small coffee laboratories. Helen Assefa, a lab technician, describes the process, "When the coffee comes to the lab, we assess ( ) its quality first by recording the details. Then we weigh the moisture level and we examine the beans for analysis. After that we grind ( ) the coffee beans and taste the samples. At the end we check for defective beans." Mubarik Abaoli is a lab worker. He says that testing is a very difficult and long process. "We select out the defects by hand. And we select out the defect according to the defect types."
Ethiopia has got a lot of money by exporting coffee to more than 120 countries. The country has an export revenue ( ) of more than $840 million a year. But not all the best coffee leaves Ethiopia. Forty percent of the coffee grown in the country stays there. It remains an important part of everyday life at work, at home and at ceremonies. | high19698.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "he had difficulty in finding it"
},
"options": [
"he found it unworthwhile",
"he failed to sort himself out",
"he became sensitive to smell",
"he had difficulty in finding it"
],
"question": "When the author fir... | You've flown halfway around the world; you've sniffed out this place that nobody in Falongland or Thailand seems to have ever heard of; so what on earth is there to do here? You consider this question as you sink into an old wooden beach chair that holds you above the sand.
It was a long journey from Bangkok to Huaplee. By the time you found the bus station and got yourself sorted out, it took almost as long as the flight from Falongland.
Huaplee is located just south of Hua Hin, about two hundred kilometres from Bangkok, down the west side of the Gulf of Thailand. Not many tourists find this place,and the ones that do wonder if finding it has been their purpose all along.
There's an apparent laziness that surrounds you here. It's what this place offers, and it,s free of charge. The small waves that tap the shoreline seem to slow everything down. You settle into your beach chair in preparation for a long rest. You sit there and watch the sea.
It's early afternoon, so the cook comes out and asks what you'd like to eat this evening. Before long he's rushed off to the market to buy the ingredients for whatever it was that you ordered---every meal fresh and to order. No menu here.
There is no poolside noise here but just that wonderfully warm, clear blue sea. There9s no street noise. The only sounds are the murmurs of nature.For now you just count your blessings ,listing them in the sand with your toe * You don't have to worry about being late for work. You don't have to do anything.
The beach to your right stretches off to the horizon ,slowly narrowing to nothingness only to re-emerge again on your left, now steadily widening until it covers the chair beneath you. Sand to your left and sand to your right; it's unbroken, endless. No start, no end, just sand, sun,and peace. Step off it, and you re-enter the world of traffic, stress, work,and hurry.
Normally you,re the type who can,t sit still for more than ten minutes, but you're on Huaplee Lazy Beach now and, in the right frame of mind, it stretches all the way around theworld.
"How could it take me so long to find it?" you wonder. | high6823.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "help mothers donate milk to other babies"
},
"options": [
"store extra fresh milk for school children",
"provide milk to children who go hungry",
"help mothers donate milk to other babies",
"offer free breast milk to pr... | Money, jewels and important documents are not the only valuable placed in banks these days. Some mothers store their breast milk in banks.
There're ten breast banks set up across the United States, where mothers can donate their extra milk for other women's babies. Experts say breast milk is the best food for babies. The World Health Organization says it is the only food babies should get during the first six months of life, in most cases. Breast milk is especially important for babies born too early. Sometimes these premature babies must stay in the hospital for many weeks.
James Cameron is a doctor who treats newborns at Lutheran Children's Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He says breast milk is almost like medicine. Doctor James Cameron said, "The fact is that there are so many different proteins and specialized sugars in the breast milk that the mom's able to make that help provide immunity. It's very important for the health of the newborn."
There are several reasons some mothers may not be able to breastfeed. Some are not able to produce enough milk. Others might be taking medicines or have medical problems that prevent the process.
Lucy Baur lives near Fort Wayne. She fed her milk to both her children and always had more milk than they needed. She wanted to donate to the Indiana Mothers Milk Bank in Indianapolis. But freezing and shipping milk can be costly. Then, a donor station opened near her home.
Milk donations in the United States work like this: Donors must be willing to provide almost three liters of breast milk. They freeze the milk and take it to the station. There, employees warm the milk and mix it with other mothers' milk. Then, the milk is heated to kill bacteria. After that, the technicians test samples of all the milk to make sure it is safe and healthful. The milk is re-frozen and sent to the main milk bank. The milk bank transports the milk to hospitals to feed premature or sick babies. Donors are tested for diseases before any milk is accepted. _ are not permitted to smoke tobacco, use illegal drugs or drink too much alcohol. | high1194.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Eli didn't want to be dresses as a girl"
},
"options": [
"Eli rejected care and love from parents",
"Eli didn't want to be dresses as a girl",
"Eli didn't want to wear anything at all",
"Eli's parents were torturing the... | It was a secret Eli kept until he was 8 years old.
"He would scream, like we were hurting him when we tried to put a dress on him." recalled Grace, his mother. That was when Eli was an 18-month-old baby girl already rejecting anything female.
Now, Eli's mother and Eli are sharing their story with CBS New York. Eli still remembers being a baby, and rejecting putting on a dress. "Oh, I remember that," he said. "It was like torture." Now Eli is 11 years old. He is, by all accounts, a happy, active boy who never doubted he was born the wrong sex. Eli said to CBS New York. It was hard to keep that secret for 8 years though, "It was kind of hard because I hadn't really told anyone ever," he said.
"He said, 'I have a secret, and the secret is I don't want to be a girl. I think I'm a boy,'"Grace recalled. "...I thought, 'I don't know what we're going to do, but we're going to figure it out."'
CBS New York reports that it was a less clear path for Ryan, now a 21-year-old man. He, too, was born female, but never felt like one.
He didn't understand his feelings at the time. Then he learned about what it meant to be transgender on the Internet, and it began to make sense. "It was a relief to know what exactly I was or am," he said.
Ryan's mother said at first it was hard to accept. "It's a scary thing to think about," she said. But she came around. "I was glad my son is able to become the person he needed to be," she said.
Experts say the kind of family support both Ryan and Eli are getting is of great significance. Without it, many transgender kids suffer from anxiety, depression and high rates of suicide.
"We see a lot of kids with a lot of mental health concerns, and we also see that those mental health concerns really reduced when the family is on board," said Jean Malpas of Ackerman Institute for the Family, a non-profit research organization to CBS New York.
Grace said for her it went from a situation that felt really confusing and difficult to one that she now celebrates. "We feel so lucky to have him." she said. | high12915.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "banks haven't enough money left at the present time"
},
"options": [
"the students are poor and sometimes they can't pay off the debt",
"banks prefer lending the money to the young professionals",
"banks haven't enough money ... | Because of the financial crisis in the [IS andprefix = st1 /UK, college students are beginning to struggle to find ways to pay their tuition fees and accommodations.
Recently, two majorUSstudent loan lenders--Citibenk and JP Morgan Chase--announced they were leaving the student-loan industry altogether. Because banks Currently have a lack of credit , they are reluctant to offer students low-interest loans that need a several-year wait for any return of interest.
In theUS, many undergraduates _ their financial needs with a private loan, although the majority can get government-funded loans. In flue 2005 -2006 academic year, $17 billion in private student leans was used to finance higher education, The short-fall in private-funding has yet to be covered and will hit many US students hard.
Across the Atlantic,UKstudents have been less troubled by the crisis. Most undergraduates in the DK cover their university expenses with government-funded loans and grants . Their biggest concern is a sudden steep increase in student rent.
Most young professionals now rent houses, since 80 percent of UK mortgage schemes have disappeared--a direct result of the credit crisis. This has boosted the house rent market.
In large cities,UKstudents are paying almost 6.5 percent more in rent than the previous year. Figures from the DK organization Accommodation for Student show students in big cities such as London paying an average weekly rent of$ 103.
Yet, despite students' suffering, the number of this year's university applications is expected to grow. During economic slumps, people regard further education as a way to survive tough job markets. | high23276.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because they had similar life experiences."
},
"options": [
"Because they spent much time reading it.",
"Because they had read the novel before.",
"Because they came from a public school.",
"Because they had similar lif... | Franz Kafka wrote that " _ "I once shared this sentence with a class of seventh graders, and it didn't seem to require any explanation.
We'd just finished John Steinbeck's novelOf Mice and Men. When we read the end together out loud in class, my toughest boy, a star basketball player, wept a little, and so did I. "Are you crying?" one girl asked, as she got out of her chair to take a closer look. "I am," I told her, "and the funny thing is I've read it many times."
But they understood. When George shoots Lennie, the tragedy is that we realize it was always going to happen. In my 14 years of teaching in a New York City public middle school, I've taught kids with imprisoned parents, abusive parents, irresponsible parents; kids who are parents themselves; kids who are homeless; kids who grew up in violent neighborhoods. They understand, more than I ever will, the novel's terrible logic--the giving way of dreams to fate .
For the last seven years, I have worked as a reading enrichment teacher, reading classic works of literature with small groups of students from grades six to eight. I originally proposed this idea to my headmaster after learning that a former excellent student of mine had transferred out of a selective high school--one that often attracts the literary-minded children of Manhattan's upper classes--into a less competitive setting. The daughter of immigrants, with a father in prison, she perhaps felt uncomfortable with her new classmates. I thought additional "cultural capital" could help students like her develop better in high school, where they would unavoidably meet, perhaps for the first time, students who came from homes lined with bookshelves, whose parents had earned Ph. D.'s.
Along withOf Mice and Men, my groups read: Sounder, The Red Pony, Lord of the Flies, Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth. The students didn't always read from the expected point of view. About The Red Pony, one student said, "it's about being a man, it's about manliness. "I had never before seen the parallels between Scarface and Macbeth, nor had I heard Lady Macbeth's soliloquies read as raps , but both made sense; the interpretations were playful, but serious. Once introduced to Steinbeck's writing, one boy went on to readThe Grapes of Wrathand told me repeatedly how amazing it was that "all these people hate each other, and they're all white." His historical view was broadening, his sense of his own country deepening. Year after year, former students visited and told me how prepared they had felt in their first year in college as a result of the classes.
Year after year, however, we are increasing the number of practice tests. We are trying to teach students to read increasingly complex texts, not for emotional punch but for text complexity. Yet, we cannot enrich the minds of our students by testing them on texts that ignore their hearts. We are teaching them that words do not amaze but confuse. We may succeed in raising test scores, but we will fail to teach them that reading can be transformative and that it belongs to them. | high366.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To get useful information to help in their studies."
},
"options": [
"To make online friends.",
"To play online games.",
"To get useful information to help in their studies.",
"To visit Web sites they should not look at... | The Internet has become part of teenagers' life. There's a report on 3 375 students aged from 10 to 18 in seven Chinese cities. It says that 38 percent of them believe they use the Internet often. While most of them get useful information and use the Internet to help in their studies, some are not using _ in a good way. Many are playing online games too much. A few even visit Web sites they should not look at. Bad things can happen if young people spend too much time on the Internet.
In order to help young people use the Internet in a good way, a textbook on good Internet behavior has started to be used in some Shanghai middle schools this term. It uses real examples to teach students all about good ways of using the Internet. It gives useful advice such as it's good to read news or find helpful information to study. Some students also make online friends. But if you are meeting a friend offline, let your parents know.
Teachers and parents all think the book is a very good idea. It will teach students how to be a good person in the online world. It will be a guide for teens to use the Internet and keep students away from bad sites. | high22168.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Lincoln's favorite story"
},
"options": [
"a stranger and his strange knife",
"Lincoln's favorite story",
"meeting stranger in a train",
"Lincoln's favorite penknife"
],
"question": "This passage is about _",
... | It has been said that Lincoln was always ready to join in a laugh at himself. There is one particular story that he always told with great delight.
In his early days as a lawyer, Lincoln went from town to town to hear and judge legal cases. During one of these trips, he was sitting in a train when a strange man came up to him. The stranger looked at the tall clumsy lawyer and said that he had something he believed belonging to Lincoln. Lincoln was a bit puzzled. He had never seen the man before. He didn't see how a total stranger could have something of his. Lincoln asked how this could be. The stranger pulled out a penknife and began to explain. Many years before, he had been given the pocketknife. He had been told to keep it until he was able to find a man uglier than himself.
Lincoln's eyes always _ when he reached this part of the story. The story always brought smiles to the faces of those who heard it. The tale itself was funny. But even more delightful was the fact that a man as great as Lincoln could still laugh at himself. | high10864.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "its important function in communication"
},
"options": [
"its stable meaning in language development",
"its important function in communication",
"its simple and easy sound and spelling",
"its popularity in every langua... | It is one of the most annoying words in the English language and it seems there is no escaping it. The word "huh?" is in worldwide use, a study found.
Researchers discovered that languages spoken in countries from Ghana and Laos to Iceland and Italy all include "huh?", or something that sounds very like it. They said that while the study may sound silly, the word is an absolutely necessary part of speech. Without it and similar words, it would be impossible to show that we haven't heard or understood what had been said and this would lead to constant misunderstandings.
But while other words used in the same context, such as "sorry" or "what", vary widely across languages, "huh?" remains unchanged.
The Dutch researchers carefully studied ten languages from around the world, including Siwu, which is spoken in Ghana, and an Australian Aboriginal language, as well as Italian, Spanish, Dutch and Mandarin Chinese.
They analysed tapes of recorded conversations for words that sounded like "huh?" and were used to request that whatever had just been said be repeated. All contained a version of "huh?". The word was also found in another 21 languages. While there were subtle differences in each country, all sounded basically the same.
This is surprising because normally unrelated languages will use very different words to describe the same thing. For instance, the Japanese for "dog" is "inu", while the French is "chien". It is thought that languages around the world have developed their own version of "huh?" because the sound is quick and simple to form, as well as being easily understood.
The researchers, said that it might seem unimportant to carry out scientific research into a word like "huh?" but in fact this little word is an essential tool in human communication. They also have an answer for those who claim that "huh?" isn't a word. They say that it qualifies because of the small differences in its pronunciation in different languages. It also can be considered a word because it's something we learn to say, rather than a grunt or cry that we are born knowing how to make. | high5494.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "To introduce the topic of the text."
},
"options": [
"To ask us not to take common things for granted.",
"To show they live a difficult life there.",
"To show their life is boring in space.",
"To introduce the topic of ... | While astronauts in space get to do many exciting things, they miss out on ordinary things that we all take for granted--being able to walk on firm ground, hanging out with family and digging into a slice of hot steaming pizza. Though not much can be done about the first two things, there may soon be a solution to the third one, thanks to this cool 3-D pizza printer!
About a year ago, NASA offered $125 ,000 to Anjan Contractor, a 3-D technology expert, to build a device that would allow astronauts to make pizza on demand. The mechanical engineer promised that his invention would produce pies in large quantities that looked, tasted and even smelled like pizza made in common ovens.
Late last year, the engineer presented a video of his first prototype that begins by creating a single slice of dough that is cooked and printed at the same time. Then comes the tomato "sauce" -- a mix of tomato powder, oil and water and finally, a protein slice that resembles cheese. While the video doesn't show the baking process, the inventor says that once the pizza is printed, it can be ready to be consumed in 7 seconds.
While the pie in the video looks delicious enough to attract any pizza lover, Anjan Contractor is far from ready for astronauts. That's because he still has to find a solution to make the food container in the printer last for 30 years. Though that may sound unrealistic, actually it is not.
Anjan Contractor believes that the only way that is possible is that the water is removed from all the ingredients and then they are reduced to the powder form. This, as you can imagine, will not be so easy. But, while the printer may not be ready for space, it certainly looks ready enough for people on earth. Hopefully, NASA and Contractor will consider selling it to those not fortunate enough to go to Mars! | high9286.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "more stepfamilies than ever before"
},
"options": [
"no stepfamilies",
"more stepfamilies than ever before",
"fewer stepfamilies than ever before",
"fewer stepfamilies than traditional ones"
],
"question": "Acco... | Stepfamilies are commonplace in the United States and their number continues to grow.While stepfamilies differ widely in their make-up, they all consist of a parenting couple and children, one or more of whom is of a previous union.Such combinations of his kids, her kids, and then, possibly, kids of the new union make for complicated and often trying difficulties, more challenging than those of traditional families.
Since stepfamilies involve more people and, consequently, more potential problems from the start than do childless new marriage, it is wise for the couple to do some careful planning prior to (=before) marriage.Not only do the prospective marital partners need agreement about their own carriers, life goals, finance and special interests, they must also prepare for new relationship with their children and attempt to accommodate their individual needs and feelings.Furthermore, there are often the rights of other relatives to consider.
As for any family, the basic ingredient of a successful stepfamily are affection, kindness and mutual respect.However, love alone is not enough.Certainly love is the cornerstone upon which the foundation of any family is built, but there are also many other important ingredients involved in building a successful stepfamily.
Surveys reveal that successful families regard the ability to communicate openly as the most important factor in their success.Communication is what keeps families on track and functioning as a unit.Although healthy communication is easier for some people than for others, this skill can be learned and improved.Healthy communication involves speaking clearly and listening carefully.
By their very nature, stepfamilies often are complicated by past events that give rise to ambivalent loyalties, lingering hurts, fears,feelings of guilt and unrealistic dreams.The difficulties that arise within the stepfamilies are human and understandable.However, there are ways to confront and resolve them.For example, support groups and professional counselors are available in most communities to provide help and guidance when communications stopped and problems seem overwhelming .
Planning and building a stepfamily is not a responsibility to take lightly.It can be a very trying and, at times, seemingly impossible effort.Many potential troubles can arise and threaten to destroy the stepfamily.Nevertheless, meeting and mastering these special challenges can bring unexpected satisfactions and rewarding depths of family closeness and affection. | high15934.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "earn more money than those in other colors"
},
"options": [
"usually graduate from famous universities or colleges",
"prefer to go to work by car with their co-workers",
"earn more money than those in other colors",
"ar... | Men who wear pink shirts to work earn more and are easier to get a higher position than those who prefer traditional shirt colors, such as white and blue, according to a recent survey. Researchers also found that men who wore pink were more likely to get praise from female co-workers and were more confident in the office.
A classical pink shirt wearer earns PS1,000 more a year than those who choose other colors, researchers surveyed among 1,500 male office workers. Men who wear pink are also twice as likely to have the Master's degree as those who prefer white shirts, with one in ten pink shirt wearers having a PHD.
Stephanie Thiers-Ratcliffe, International Marketing Manager for Cotton USA, who took charge of the study, said, "You can tell a lot about someone by the color he wears. Pink is a color that more and more men have been embracing recently, and it is encouraging that they are not afraid to experiment with that bright color. They spend most of their days at work and their own confidence needs to remain smart. It is good for company standards, but that doesn't mean that they have to wear boring clothes." Pink shirt wearers on the other hand are more likely to have a low-carbon life for half of them prefer to choose public means of transportation to go to work.
The report also found men who preferred green shirts were the most likely to be late for work, while white shirt fans were the most punctual . | high12083.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "She learned some class rules."
},
"options": [
"She was 15 minutes late for it.",
"She made some new friends.",
"She learned some class rules.",
"She sat in the front row."
],
"question": "What do we know about ... | Have you still remember what happened when you went to school on the first day? I still remember my interesting first day of school . On that day, I hurried to my science class in the morning and found a seat in the back. I waited there for 15 minutes before the bell rang. The science teacher told us about some class rules. No one talked to me nor did I talk to anyone else. I was one of those very shy girls. After the science class, I had an English class. I thought it would be boring but it turned out to be very funny. When the classes of the morning ended I went to lunch. I sat outside the dining room with no one to talk to and no food because I was too nervous to join the lunch line. I kept looking around hoping to see someone I knew but I never saw anyone.
Lunch ended and I went to have my art class. I was the first one there and not even my teacher was there yet. So I sat at my desk and started drawing some pictures. I didn't notice the rest of the class walking in or the girl that was standing behind me till I surprised by the voice, "So what are you drawing?" It was a girl who had really long hair. She ended up being my best friend and one of the kindest and liveliest girls I know.
In the next class meeting, the teacher asked us to talk about the past holiday. I was glad to make some new friends in the class. The first day of high school was hard for me but I got through it. | high8198.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "more than seven seats"
},
"options": [
"seven seats",
"less than seven seats",
"no more than seven seats",
"more than seven seats"
],
"question": "Cars with _ fails to be included for the policy of toll-free... | BEIJING - For the first time in decades, Chinese drivers will enjoy a toll-free journey home during the upcoming eight-day holiday, which begins on Sunday.An 820-km drive from Beijing to the coastal city of Dalian takes travelers through four toll stations and costs a total of 380 yuan ( $ 60) in toll fees, while a sleeper train is just 240 yuan.
Amid growing calls, the State Council, or China's cabinet , issued a tollfree road policy in August, allowing passenger cars with seven seats or less to travel forfree on toll roads during four major holidays.The first toll-free holiday will be the upcoming eight-day Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday.
The removal of toll fees will not only make travel cheaper and more convenient, but will also _ the service industry, as people will spend more money on related services, such as food and accommodation.
Hu Fangjun, an expert from the China Academy of Transportation Sciences, said companies funded by the toll fees will lose about 20 billion yuan each year throughout the four extended holidays due to the toll-free policy. However, new revenues earned from increasing spending during the longest holiday season will likely compensate for the losses. The companies that run the toll booths are largely state-owned, while the sector has been named as one of the most profitable in China.
Roads are public. Every citizen has the right to be on the road. The toll-free policy during holidays will give the roads back to the public. and is also a way of returning wealth to the people, which will eventually boost the public's trust toward the government. China's financial revenues have enjoyed rapid growth for decades. The government is capable of offering more welfare to its people. | high22140.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "it was easier and cheaper to receive information by radio"
},
"options": [
"it was easier and cheaper to receive information by radio",
"nobody supported the development of the newspaper industry",
"newspapers were not a prim... | By the middle of the 19th century, newspapers were becoming the primary means of spreading and receiving information. The period between 1890 and 1920 is known as the "golden age" of print media.
Broadcast radio came onto the media scene in the 1920's. Newspapers were forced to re-evaluate their role as society's primary information provider. Like the new media technologies of today, the development of a low-cost, convenient media source produced results that radio would greatly affect the newspaper industry.
No sooner had newspapers adapted to radio than they were forced to re-evaluate themselves because of a new and more powerful medium: television. Between 1940 and 1990, newspaper sales in America dropped from one newspaper for every two adults to one for every three adults. Some newspapers, like USA Today, responded to the technological advancements by using color1 and the "short, quick and to the point" stories that are usually featured on television.
The technological revolution of today is creating new challenges and opportunities for traditional media. Never before has so much information been so accessible to so many. By the end of the 1990s, about 700 traditional media had websites; today there are thousands.
The amount and speed of information on the Internet is _ , but it has not signalled the end of the newspaper's existence . Newspapers in print remain a popular and powerful medium for the reporting and analysis of events that shape our lives. It is reported that one billion people in the world read a newspaper every day! | high21449.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "became unpleasant toward other people"
},
"options": [
"ignored everyone who visited him",
"became unpleasant toward other people",
"was left alone to get full rest",
"no longer wanted to live"
],
"question": "A... | Four days after Dad's 67thbirthday, he had a heart attack. Luckily, he survived. But something inside him had died. His enthusiasm for life was gone. He refused to follow doctor's orders, and his sour attitude made everyone upset when they visit him. Dad was left alone.
So I asked Dad to come to live with me on my small farm, hoping the fresh air would help him adjust. Within a week after he moved in, I regretted the invitation. He criticized everything I did. I became frustrated. Something had to be done.
One day I read an article which said when given dogs, depressed patients would be better off. So I drove to the animal shelter that afternoon. As soon as I got there, a pointer's eyes caught my attention. They watched me calmly.
A staff member said: "He got here two weeks ago and we've heard nothing. His time is up tomorrow."
I turned to the man in horror. "You mean you're going to kill him?"
"Ma'am," he said gently. "We don't have room for every unclaimed dog."
The police's calm brown eyes awaited my decision. "I'll take him," I said.
I drove home with the dog on the front seat beside me. I was helping it out of the car when Dad walked onto the front porch. "Look what I got you!" I said excitedly.
Dad wrinkled his face. "I don't want it," he muttered, turning back towards the house. Then, suddenly, the dog pulled free from my grasp. He sat down in front of my Dad.
Dad's anger melted, and soon he was hugging the dog.
This was the beginning of a warm friendship. Dad named the dog Cheyenne. Together they spent long hours walking down dusty lanes and relaxing on the banks of streams.
Dad's bitterness faded, and he and Cheyenne went on to make many friends. Then, late one night two years later, I felt Cheyenne's cold nose burrowing through my bed covers. He had never before come into my bedroom at night. I ran into my father's room and found that he had passed away.
Two days later, my shock and grief deepened when I discovered Cheyenne lying dead beside Dad's bed. As I buried him near their favorite stream, I silently thanked the dog for restoring Dad's peace of mind. | high10694.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "turn their bright ideas into reality"
},
"options": [
"have bright ideas",
"turn their bright ideas into reality",
"make their life easier",
"think of inventing something"
],
"question": "The writer holds that p... | Do you have bright ideas? Ideas of inventions that change society or, at least, make life easier for somebody? Perhaps we all do sometimes, but we don't often make the idea a reality. Recently, in Britain, there was a competition called British Designers for Tomorrow. The competition encourages young people to carry out their bright ideas. There were two groups in the contest: Group One was for schoolchildren under 16; Group Two was for schoolchildren over 16. And there were eleven prize-winners, altogether.
Neil Hunt, one of the prize-winners, was called"Sunshine Superman."It's important when people study the weather to be able to record sunshine accurately. We need to know how many hours of sunshine we have and how strong it is. Most sunshine recorders only record direct sunlight. Neil's is more accurate and this is very important for research into the way of using solar power.
You can do so much with animated cartoon. Look at Simon West's idea for animated road signs. He uses pictures which appear to move as you go nearer to or farther from them. This isn't a new idea. But it is new to use these pictures on road signs."We found that people were more likely to see moving signs,"said Simon. So now, you can really see rocks falling, trains moving, horses running or a car falling over the edge of a cliff . Quite a warning!
The ideas in the competition were so inventive that we are surprised that British industry doesn't ask more schoolchildren for suggestions. Perhaps this will be the start of"pupil power!" | high20757.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "She sat next to a black man."
},
"options": [
"She had to find the attendant to complain.",
"She couldn't find another seat to sit down.",
"The passenger next to her is dirty.",
"She sat next to a black man."
],
... | On a BA flight from Johannesburg, a middle-aged South African lady found herself sitting next to a black man. She called the cabin crew attendant over to complain about her seating.
"What seems to be the problem, Madam?" Asked the attendant.
"Can't you see?" She said, "You've sat me next to a black. I can't possibly sit next to this dirty disgusting human. Find me another seat!"
"Please calm down, Madam," the attendant replied, "The flight is very full today, but I'll tell you what I'll do--I'll go and check to see if we have any seats available in club or first class."
A few minutes later, the attendant returned with the good news, which she delivered to the lady, who cannot help but look at the people around her with a smug and self-satisfied grin.
"Madam, unfortunately, as I guessed, economy is full. I've spoken to the cabin services director, and club is also full. However, we do have one seat in first class."
Before the lady had a chance to answer, the attendant continued.
"It's most extraordinary to make this kind of upgrade, however, and I have had to get special permission from the captain. But, according to this _ , the captain felt that it was unbelievable that someone should be forced to sit next to such an obnoxious person."
Having said that, the attendant turned to the black man sitting next to the lady, and said, "So if you'd like to get your things, sir, I have your seat ready for you."
At that moment, the surrounding passengers stood and gave a long-lasting ovation while the black man walked up to the front of the plane... | high20031.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "not quite a believer in Global Warming"
},
"options": [
"one of the \"Greens\"",
"an American",
"not quite a believer in Global Warming",
"an environmentalist"
],
"question": "The writer of the passage is probab... | August was one of the nastiest months I can remember: torrential rain; a hailstorm or two; cold, bitter winds; and mists. But we are accustomed to such weather in England. Lord Byron used to say that an English summer begins on July 31 and ends on Aug. 1. He called 1816 "the year without a summer." He spent it gazing across Lake Geneva, watching the storms, with 18-year-old Mary Shelley. The lightening flickering across the lake inspired her Frankenstein, the tale of the man-made monster galvanized into life by electricity.
This summer's atrocious weather tempted me to tease a Green whom I know. "Well, what about your weather theory now?" (One of the characteristics of Greens is that they know no history.) He replied: "Yes, this weather is unprecedented. England has never had such an August before. It's global warming, of course." That's the Greens' stock response to anything weather-related. Too much sun? "Global warming." Too little sun? "Global warming." Drought? "Global warming." Floods? "Global warming." Freezing cold? "Global warming."
I wish the great philosopher Sir Karl Popper were alive to _ the unscientific nature of global warming. He was a student when Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity was first published and then successfully tested. Einstein said that for his theory to be valid it would have to pass three tests. "If," Einstein wrote to British scientist Sir Arthur Eddington, "it were proved that this effect does not exist in nature, then the whole theory would have to be abandoned."
The idea that human beings have changed and are changing the basic climate system of the Earth through their industrial activities and burning of fossil fuels--the essence of the Greens' theory of global warming--has not much basis in science. Global warming, like Marxism, is a political theory of actions, demanding compliance with its rules.
Those who buy in to global warming wish to drastically curb human economic and industrial activities, regardless of the consequences for people, especially the poor. If the theory's conclusions are accepted and agreed upon, the destructive results will be felt most severely in those states that adhere to the rule of law and will observe restrictions most faithfully. The global warming activists' target is the U.S. If America is driven to accept crippling restraints on its economy it will rapidly become unable to shoulder its burdens as the world's sole superpower and ultimate defender of human freedoms. We shall all suffer, however, as progress falters and then ceases and living standards decline. | high3973.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "It is disappearing."
},
"options": [
"It is disappearing.",
"It is becoming costly.",
"It is being fattened.",
"It is changing in style."
],
"question": "What is happening to the wallet?[",
"question_type": ... | The wallet is heading for extinction. As a day-to-day essential, it will die off with the generation who read print newspapers. The kind of shopping, where you hand over notes and count out change in return, now happens only in the most minor of our retailers , like buying a bar of chocolate or a pint of milk from a corner shop. At the shops where you spend any real money, that money is increasingly abstracted. And this is more and more true, the higher up the scale you go. At the most cutting-edge retail stores, Victoria Beckham on Dover Street, for instance, you don't go and stand at any kind of cash register when you decide to pay. The staff are equipped with iPads to take your payment while you relax on a sofa.
Across society, the abstraction of the idea of cash makes me uneasy. Maybe I'm just old-fashioned. But earning money isn't quick or easy for most of us. Isn't it a bit weird that spending it should happen in half a blink of an eye? Doesn't a wallet, that time-honored Friday-night feeling of pleasing, promising fatness, represent something that matters?
But I'll leave the economics to the experts. What bothers me about the death of the wallet is the change it represents in our physical environment. Everything about the look and feel of a wallet, the way the materials wear and tear and loosen with age, the plastic and paper and gold and silver, and handwritten phone numbers and printed cinema tickets, is the very opposite of what our world is becoming. The opposite of a wallet is a smart phone or an iPad. The rounded edges, cool glass, smooth and unknowable as a pebble . Instead of digging through pieces of paper, we move our fingers left and right. No more counting out coins. Show your wallet, if you still have one. It may not be here much longer. | high19868.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "to prevent them from sending out greenhouse gases"
},
"options": [
"to prevent them from sending out greenhouse gases",
"to help Australian farmers to earn more money",
"so that they can protect Australian ecosystem",
"... | Australian scientists are trying to give kangaroo-style stomachs to cattle and sheep in order to cut the greenhouse gases they send out, which is thought to be responsible for global warming.
Thanks to special bacteria in their stomachs, kangaroo flatulence contains nomethane and scientists want to transfer that bacteria to cattle and sheep who produce large quantities of the harmful gas.
While the usual image of greenhouse gas pollution is a billowing smokestack pushing out carbon dioxide, farm animals' passing wind contributes a surprisingly high percentage of total emissions in some countries.
"Fourteen percent of emissions from all sources in Australia is from enteric methane from cattle and sheep," said Athol Klieve, a senior research scientist with the Queensland state government.
"And if you look at another country such as New Zealand, which has got a much higher agricultural base, they're actually up around 50 percent," he said.
Researchers say the bacteria also make the digestive process much more efficient and could potentially save millions of dollars in feed costs for farmers.
But it will take researchers at least three years to isolate the bacteria, before they can even start to develop a way of transferring it to cattle and sheep.
Another group of scientists, meanwhile, has suggested Australians should farm fewer cattle and sheep and just eat more kangaroos. And about 20 percent of health-conscious Australians have eaten the national symbol already.
"It's low in fat, it's got high protein levels and it's very clean in the sense that basically it's the free-range animal," said Peter Ampt of the University of New South Wales's institute
of environmental studies. | high16583.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "It turns the leaves red during autumn."
},
"options": [
"Without it photosynthesis couldn't happen.",
"It is the reason why leaves have their green color1.",
"It turns the leaves red during autumn.",
"It is a chemical t... | We all enjoy the beautiful show of color1s as leaves change each autumn. But did you ever wonder how and why this happens? To answer the question, first you have to understand what leaves are and what they do.
Leaves are nature's food factories. Plants take water from the ground through their roots. And they take a gas called carbon dioxide from the air. Plants use sunlight to turn water and carbon dioxide into glucose . Glucose is a kind of sugar. Plants use glucose as food for energy and as a building block for growing.
The way plants turn water and carbon dioxide into sugar is called photosynthesis . That means, "putting together with light".
A chemical called chlorophyll helps photosynthesis. Chlorophyll is what gives plants their green color1. As summer ends and autumn comes, the days get shorter and shorter. This is how trees "know" to begin getting ready for winter.
During winter, there is not enough light or water for photosynthesis. Trees rest during this time and live off the food they stored during the summer. They begin to shut down their food-making factories.
The green chlorophyll disappears from the leaves. As the bright green fades away, we begin to see yellow and orange leaves. Small amounts of these color1s have been in the leaves all along. We just can't see them in the summer, because they are covered up by the green chlorophyll.
The bright reds and yellows we see in leaves are made mostly in autumn. In some trees, like maples, glucose is caught in the leaves after photosynthesis stops. Sunlight and the cool nights of autumn turn this glucose into a red color1. The brown color1 of trees like oaks is made from waste left in the leaves.
It is the mixture of all these things that makes the beautiful color1s we enjoy during autumn. | high22626.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "8.7%"
},
"options": [
"12.4%",
"8.7%",
"5.9%",
"13.7%"
],
"question": "Those who try to hide their habit of addition to the Interact make up of the respondents.",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
... | More than one in eight U. S. adults finds it hard to stay away from the Internet for several days at a time and about one in eleven tries to hide his or her online habit, according to a study showed on Tuesday.
The study by researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine in California found one in eight adults admitted they needed to spend less time online, saying this showed "problematic Interact use" is present in a sizable portion of the population.
The study involved a nationwide telephone survey of 2,581 respondents in the spring and summer of 2004 with researchers then examining the data and preparing the report which appears in the October issue of CNS Spectrums.
The survey found that 68.9 percent of respondents were regular Internet users and 13.7 percent of the users found it hard to stay offline for several days at a time.
It found 12.4 percent often stayed online longer than intended, more than 12 percent said they saw a need to cut back on their Internet use, and 8.7 percent tried to conceal "non-essential "Internet use from family, friends and employers.
A smaller number, 8.2 percent, said they use the Internet to escape problems or a bad mood, while 5.9 percent felt their relationships suffered because of too much Internet use.
One report published earlier this year said that 5 percent to 10 percent of the population likely will experience Internet addiction .
It said signs include a disregard for health or appearance, lack of sleep and reducing physical activities and social communications with others, as well as dry eyes and juries of hands and fingers. | high428.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "is permitted in New York now, but still remains controversial"
},
"options": [
"has raised a storm of objections and all the Americans object to it",
"is legal and accepted by the public in USA",
"is permitted in New York now... | Homosexual couples in New York are being married for the first time after Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a law permitting same-sex marriage in the state last month. But such marriages, though now legal in New York, remain controversial .
So many couples wanted to be married on Sunday, the first day of legal homosexual marriage in New York City, that local officials announced a lottery to determine qualification.
New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, herself openly gay, witnessed the first two ceremonies of same-sex marriage. She says the same-sex marriage law supports equality. "A law that says every family is as good as every other family; that every family is based on love, and is exactly the way God wants it to be," she said.
Margie Phelps announced same-sex marriage as a crime against God. She and other Christians from the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas came halfway across the country to say marriage is defined by Holy Bible. "The pattern is one man and one woman for life to have children who you raise in the nurture and admonition of the Lord," she said.
David Schwartz, a traditional Jew, believes every human being has free choice and the power to rule over their desires. He considers homosexual desire to be wrong. "There's one God in heaven and earth, and he has ordered for all mankind that they should limit their affections to relationships between a man and a woman in the context of marriage," he said.
Douglas Robinson and his partner of 25 years, Michael Elsasser, were in the first group to be married in Manhattan. Robinson says the United States allows religious views to coexist with(...) what he believes is a civil right of same-sex marriage. "You can have different opinions. This is a tent, some people call it a mixture of various different cultures and opinions and the like, so God bless America, and we are proud to be Americans," he said.
Margie Phelps believes God will punish New York City for permitting what she believes to be moral decay.
Meanwhile, Nevin Cohen and Daniel Hernandez showed off their marriage certificate. But they said they will not be going on a honeymoon. They say they need to be at work in New York on Monday. | high24257.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "what emotional eating is and its harm"
},
"options": [
"what emotional eating is and its harm",
"the differences between physical hunger and emotional hunger",
"how to have a healthy diet",
"the relationship between eat... | Emotional eating is when people use food as a way to deal with feelings instead of to satisfy hunger. We've all been there, finishing a whole bag of chips out of boredom or eating cookie after cookie while _ for a big test. But when done a lot -- especially without realizing it -- emotional eating can affect weight, health, and overall well-being.
Not many of us make the connection between eating and our feelings. But understanding what drives emotional eating can help people take steps to change it.
One of the biggest myths about emotional eating is that it's prompted by negative feelings. Yes, people often turn to food when they're stressed out, lonely, sad, anxious, or bored. But emotional eating can be linked to positive feelings too, like the romance of sharing dessert on Valentine's Day or the celebration of a holiday feast.
Sometimes emotional eating is tied to major life events, like a death or a divorce. More often, though, it's the countless little daily stresses that cause someone to seek comfort or distraction in food.
Emotional eating patterns can be learned: A child who is given candy after a big achievement may grow up using candy as a reward for a job well done. A kid who is given cookies as a way to stop crying may learn to link cookies with comfort.
We're all emotional eaters to some extent. But for some people, emotional eating can be a real problem, causing serious weight gain or cycles of binging and purging.
The trouble with emotional eating (apart from the health issues) is that once the pleasure of eating is gone, the feelings that cause it remain. And you often may feel worse about eating the amount or type of food you did. That's why it helps to know the differences between physical hunger and emotional hunger.
Next time you reach for a snack, check in and see which type of hunger is driving it. | high23538.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "It has many different kinds of sea animals."
},
"options": [
"It has a superior geographical location.",
"It has many different kinds of sea animals.",
"Its environment is suitable for the growth of marine life.",
"It i... | New Zealand will create one of the largest marine protected areas in the world, spanning an area of 620,000 sq km.
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will be one of the world's most significant fully protected ecosystems, the prime minister of New Zealand, John Key, told the UN General Assembly in New York.
The sanctuary is in the South Pacific Ocean, about 1,000 km north-east of New Zealand, and expands a marine reserve that surrounds some small islands. The area is considered important in terms of biodiversity, featuring nearly 35 species of whales and dolphins, 150 types of fish and three of the world's seven sea turtle species. It is also geologically significant, including the world's longest chain of underwater volcanoes and the second deepest ocean trench, into 10 km underwater -- deeper than Mount Everest's height. The scale of the sanctuary will dwarf any previous New Zealand's protected area, spanning twice the size of the country's mainland. It will cover 15% of New Zealand's economic zone.
Commercial and recreational fishing will be completely banned, as will oil, gas and mineral prospecting , exploration and mining. Key's government aims to pass legislation establishing the sanctuary next year.
"The sanctuary is a world-class, unspoiled marine environment and New Zealand is proud to protect it for future generations,"Key said."New Zealanders value our coasts and oceans, which are an important part of our culture, economy and environment and we are committed to managing them sustainably. Creating protected areas will support not only our own fisheries, but those of our Pacific neighbors, adding to New Zealand's efforts to help grow Pacific economies through the responsible management of their ocean resources."
Nick Smith, New Zealand's environment minister, said the sanctuary might impose a cost upon the mining industry but that it is important to protect the ocean before exploration takes place."New Zealand needs to use its vast ocean resources for jobs and exports in industries like fishing, aquaculture, minerals and energy, but we also need to set aside special areas where nature comes first and marine life is fully protected," Smith said.
New Zealand will monitor the area via its navy and satellite technology. The Kermadec region will join three other key areas in the Pacific protected by the US, the UK and Australia.
Matt Rand, director of the Pew Charitable Trusts' Global Ocean Legacy campaign, welcomed Key's announcement."New Zealand will create the gold standard of conservation areas in the sanctuary, preserving one of the few relatively unspoiled areas of ocean on Earth," he said. "This commitment is an exciting step toward meeting global goals to safeguard at least 30% of the ocean through fully protected marine reserves." | high14394.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "becoming specialists ignorant of what the rest of the world is"
},
"options": [
"acquiring a broad perspective of life",
"allowing themselves the independence of thinking",
"becoming specialists ignorant of what the rest of t... | It would be interesting to discover how many young people go to university without any clear idea of what they are going to do afterwards. If one considers the enormous variety of courses offered, it is not hard to see how difficult it is to select the course most suited to his interests and abilities. If a student goes to acquire a broader perspective of life, to enlarge his ideas and to learn to think for himself, he will undoubtedly benefit, since school often has too restricting an atmosphere, with its timetables and disciplines, to allow him much time for independent assessment of the work he is asked to do. Most students would, I believe, profit by a year or so's exploration of different academic studies, especially those "all-rounders" with no particular bent. They should have longer time to decide in what subject they want to take their degree, so that in later life they do not look back and say, "I should like to have been an archaeologist. If I hadn't taken a degree in Modern Languages, I shouldn't have ended up as an interpreter, but it's too late now. I couldn't go back and begin all over again, even if I had the chance."
There is, of course, another side to the question of how to make the best use of one's time at university. This is the case of the student who excels in a particular branch of learning, is a first-rate mathematician, scientist, linguist and what you have. He is immediately accepted by the university of his choice, and spends his three or four years becoming a specialist, emerging with a first-class Honors Degree and very little knowledge of what the rest of the world is all about. It therefore becomes more and more important that, if students are not to waste their opportunities and, incidentally, the taxpayers' money, there will have to be much more detailed information about courses, more advice from Career Masters and Course Tutors if _ are not to bring up, on one hand, a band of specialists ignorant of anything outside their own subject, and on the other hand, an ever-increasing number of graduates qualified in subjects for which there is little or no demand in the working world. | high22632.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "hotels in Beldon often catch fire"
},
"options": [
"this was the second fire at the Seabreeze Hotel",
"hotels in Beldon often catch fire",
"hotels in Beldon don't often catch fire",
"Beldon was a good place except that ... | Beldon and Canfield are two seashore towns, not far apart. Both towns have many hotels, and in summer the hotels are full of holiday-makers and other tourists.
Last August there was a fire at the Seabreeze Hotel in Beldon. The next day this news appeared on Page Two of the town's newspaper, The Beldon Post.
FIRE AT SEABREEZE
Late last night firemen hurried to the Seabreeze Hotel and quickly put out a small fire in a bedroom. The hotel manager said that a cigarette started the fire. We say again to all our visitors, "Please don't smoke cigarettes in bed." This was Beldon's first hotel fire for five years.
The canfield times gave the news in these words on Page One:
ANOTHER BELDON HOTEL CATCHES FIRE
Last night Beldon firemen arrived just too late to save clothing, bedclothes and some furniture at the Seabreeze Hotel. An angry holiday-maker said, " An electric lamp probably started the fire. The bedroom lamps are very old at some of these hotels. When I turned the bedside light on, I heard a funny noise from the lamp." We are glad to tell our readers that this sort of adventure does not happen in Canfield.
What are the facts, then? It is never easy to find out the exact truth about an accident. There was a fire at the Seabreeze Hotel 1st August: that is one fact. Do we know anything else? Yes, we know that firemen went to the hotel. | high24243.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "various animals and plants"
},
"options": [
"ruins of ancient castles and abbeys",
"mountains and valleys",
"various animals and plants",
"ribbon lakes"
],
"question": "According to the text, all the following t... | Scotland has long been characterized as a land of romance. It contains ruins of many ancient castles and abbeys,and there is an attractive beauty in its mountains,long deep valleys,and ribbon lakes.Each year those things attract a great number of tourists.
Numerous islands line the coast.In the north are two large groups,the Orkney Islands and the Shetland Islands.Close to the west coast are the Inner and Outer Hebrides groups,and the islands of Arran and Bute.
The land may be divided into three regions: the Highlands in the north,the Central Lowlands and the Southern Uplands.
The Highlands are wild and picturesque . A long valley called Glenmore crosses the Highlands from southwest to northeast.
In the south of the Highlands are the Grampian Mountains,highest in the British Isles. Ben Nevis,the highest peak,rises to 1,243 meters.Ben Lomond rises from the shore of Loch Lomond,Scotland's largest freshwater lake.
The Central Lowlands run from southwest to northeast and the greatest length is nearly 145 kilometers.The soil here is fertile,and there are four coalfields underlying the area.In the east is Edinburgh,Scotland's historic capital city,and in the west is Glasgow. Almost 90 percent of Scotland's population live in the Lowlands.
In the Southern Uplands, the hills are generally less than 600 meters high. Their rounded or flat tops are often _ with dark peat . Along the slopes are plants like grass and heather . | high14380.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Reading widely helped her a lot in her career."
},
"options": [
"Reading widely helped her a lot in her career.",
"She found getting a book published was easy.",
"Vampires have been the only characters in her books.",
"... | It was on her 14th birthday that her first book ,In the Forest of the Night, was accepted for publication. It was a huge success gaining the attention of millions of young readers. At 16, her second novel,Demon in My View, also reached the bookstores. Several books later, the teenage author still works away in her room, surrounded by shelves full of dark tales about vampires and witches. Amelia Atwater - Rhodes is widely seen as America's finest teen writer and was named one of Teen People's "20 Teens Who Will Change the World."
Born in 1984, she began making up stories when she was about three years old. "I never stopped and said, 'I want to write'," Amelia remembers. "I loved stories and created stories before I was old enough to know how to write them down."
In her family, reading was basic and fun. "My parents encouraged me to read -- and to read anything I wanted, so long as I was reading," she said. "They never restricted what I read. Later, when I started writing, they never criticized what I did or said I was 'too young'. They never said it was impossible for me to achieve what I have."
In her short but successful career, Amelia has tried different styles. But vampires were the first characters to really come alive in her work. From _ she has developed a whole world, one which she always enjoys learning more about.
As a published teen writer, Amelia's advice to other teens who dream of being authors is: just do it! "I believe anything is possible. Don't give up your dreams just because you fear failure. Getting a book published is difficult, but if I can do it, others can too. " | high12929.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "A vermeil ear ring."
},
"options": [
"A 14K necklace.",
"A gold-plated ring.",
"A vermeil ear ring.",
"A gemstone necklace."
],
"question": "Which of the following is relatively good for only wearing a short tim... | Christmas is long gone. and Valentine's Day is a distant memory. That means it's a slow time for jewelers, and a good time for you to make a purchase. Whether you're out shopping for gold, or silver, here fife a few things you need to know:
What determines price?
The purity of the metal is one of the elements that determines the price. Gold purity is indicated with a stamp of 10K, 14K, 18K, or 24K. And different countries have their own standards. For example, for a piece to be considered gold in the US, it must be at least 10K. In Britain and Canada: 9K. In Italy and France: l 8K. Anything over l 8K is really too soft for everyday wear. That's why jewelry stores in the US sell mostly 14K.
How much can you expect to pay?
That depends on the weight of the metal and the gemstone . So keep that in mind, especially when buying online. To keep yourself from _ , ask yourself the following:
*How long has the company been around?
*What is its return policy?
* Is the jewelry featured on the website visible from all directions?
* Is the company transparent with the gram weights and the size of the gemstones?
Yellow gold? White? Rose?
Yes, it's confusing, and while this is largely a personal decision, there fife a few things to keep in mind. For starters. white or rose gold costs about l 0% more than yellow gold. If you want the "look for less", consider gold. plated jewelry. "Gold plated" and "gold overlay" mean the same thing and guarantee a thicker layer of finish than "vermeil" which is a flash finish that is thinner and less consistent, but more affordable. Buy vermeil finished pieces you want for a season or two just to follow the fashion. For pieces you want to wear for a lifetime, solid gold is best.
What about sterling silver ?
Sterling silver has been. an alternative for white gold during the difficult economy, and while it used to be more popular with just the younger these days it has much more mass appeal. So much so that retailers are now offering fine gemstones with silver--something you used to see only with gold.
Keep in mind that in the US. the sterling silver standard is 92.5% real silver. Don't buy it if there isn't a "925" stamp on it. And keep in mind that the lower price you're paying for silver means more maintenance. To keep silver jewelry from becoming less shiny, consider keeping a piece of chalk in your jewelry box. | high3967.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Foreign English teachers."
},
"options": [
"English-learning students.",
"Foreign English teachers.",
"Chinese-speaking students.",
"Chinese English teachers."
],
"question": "What kind of people is the passage ... | Nanjing and Hangzhou summer camps offered
We are looking for hard-working and open-minded English teachers to join the Nanjing (Jiangsu Province) and Hangzhou (Zhejiang Province) summer camps!
Both of the summer camps will run from the beginning of July to the end of August. You will be expected to teach spoken English to Chinese students of different ages. We encourage you to bring your own culture to the classes to make things more interesting.
The information of the Nanjing camp:
* Working hours: 40 hours per week, 5 working days per week.
* Salary: about 7,000 RMB per month.
* Accommodation : free (single room).
The information of the Hangzhou camp:
* Working hours: 5 hours per day (= 50 min. / class x 6 classes), one day rest per week.
* Salary: 20,160 RMB in total (420 RMB per day = 70 RMB / class x 6 classes).
* Accommodation: free (shared room).
The requirements of the summer camps:
* Native English speakers (US, England, Canada, Australia, New Zealand).
* A university degree.
* Teaching experience.
Please send us your resume , copies of certificates and passport if you are interested in the camps.
E-mail: teacher1324@sina.com.cn
For more information you can visit our website at http://www.Englishsummercamps.com.cn
Look forward to hearing from you soon! | high20025.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Because the friend lost his money."
},
"options": [
"Because Mark Twain was very rich.",
"Because the friend lost his money.",
"Because Mark Twain was always ready to help others.",
"Because the friend wanted to save hi... | Mark Twain was a famous American writer in his day. He liked to play jokes on his friends. One day one of his friends lost his wallet and asked Mark Twain to pay his train ticket for him.
"But I don't have enough money to pay both your ticket and mine," Mark Twain said. The friend didn't know what to do.
"We can do this," said Mark Twain." We can get on the train and when the conductor came to check the tickets , you can hide under my seat."
Later, however, when the conductor came to check the tickets, Mark Twain gave him two tickets --- one for himself and one for his friend . Then he explained in aloud voice," My friend is a strange man. When he travels on a train, he does not like to sit on the seat." Of course everyone in the train looked at the poor friend under the seat and laughed at him loudly. | high17689.txt |
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