questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Whether secretaries have a good future nowadays."
},
"options": [
"Whether secretaries have a good future nowadays.",
"How secretaries have failed to benefit from technology advances.",
"Whether secretaries should make coffee... | The 1950s and 60s brought many new things to American offices, including the Xerox machine , word processing and -- perhaps less famously -- the first National Secretaries Day, in 1952. Secretaries of that era expected a bright future, and many saw their job as a ticket to a better life.
But nearly 60 years later, on the date now promoted as Administrative Professionals Day, we 're living through the end of a recession in which around two million secretaries lost their jobs after bosses discovered they could handle their calendars and travel arrangements online, and found their assistants unnecessary. Clearly, technological advances haven't made things turn out quite the way those mid-century futurists imagined.
'New technologies did make the lives of 20th-century secretaries easier. But even from the start, the relationship between secretaries and technology was fraught. As early as 1966, with the introduction of the first computerized word-processing system, secretaries were worrying that machines could, replace them.
Coffee has long been a flash point for emotions about the differences between service and servility in offices . In the 1970s, when the second wave of feminism began to change the traditional relationship of male boss and female secretary , more than one secretary was fired for refusing to make , fetch or serve coffee .In Los Angeles, in 1973, one secretary , Leona Pendleton, was fired for being "unqualified , and failing to obey instructions " after refusing to make coffee . This sort of thing still happens today .
It's interesting to note that strengthening their positions as being important indicators of social status has often been one way secretaries have tried to keep themselves from being dismissed..
After all these years , a human being still needs to plug in Mr. Coffee and deliver his output . But that won't save an assistant's job from the stomach of computerization . Secretaries can only hope that bosses won't take the human in question for granted , a sign that not everyone will be celebrating this Administrative Professionals Day. | high21501.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "who play music together"
},
"options": [
"who play games on the sports ground",
"who play music together",
"living in the same neighborhood",
"doing things together under a leader and with a common purpose"
],
"... | More and more often we heard of people talking about Karaoke(OK). But what on earth it is about, still remains a question for many people. Karaoke is a sort of acoustic equipment which was invented in Japan around the middle of the 1970's. It means "a band without people" in Japanese. In fact, it is just a music tape without words. This equipment first appeared in some public houses and snack bars, and mainly for the customers to enjoy themselves. Most of the music in Karaoke was popular music. Therefore, at times, when anyone felt like it, he might sing songs to the accompaniment of the music that came from the equipment. Shortly after its invention, Karaoke was spread to the whole world. It was introduced to China and was welcomed by many people. Although you are not a good singer, or even sometimes you may sing out of tune, you can always enjoy yourself by singing Karaoke. | high10904.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "they have a much higher education"
},
"options": [
"they don't want to be gentle any more",
"most of them are not in good shape",
"they have a much higher education",
"matchmaking agencies pushed them too hard"
],
... | As women in the rich Asian country have become better educated, with five times as many now getting advanced degrees as in 1995, they have also become choosier and are less likely to settle for the role of gentle wife traditionally expected of Korean women.
"I heard if you are a female with master's degree, it is much harder to arrange a meeting than if you have a bachelor's degree because of an unfavorable concept 'too smart women' here," said King, a college senior in Seoul.
The age at which Korean women are getting _ has risen by an average 4.1 years over the past 20 years to 28.9 years, according to Statistics Korea, and that has created worried mothers getting things rolling for their daughters.
"My daughter is in her early 30's, an age considered late for marriage here", said a woman who took her daughter to a match--making agency in Seoul.
"If she does not find her match this year, it will be much more difficult to marry in the coming years.So I went to the firm with her and made her join."
At DUO, a matchmaking firm, its 26, 000 members can choose between five different membership programs with fees from 1.08 million won( )($971) to 8.8 million won.
To attract more customers, the site displays the average annual income of its male and female customers, as well as their professional standing.
"In a privately set-up blind date, you cannot be entirely sure of how much of personal information given to you is accurate," said DUO spokesman Yon Jun.
Critics say the industry focuses more on income and status.Some of them have coined the phrase "employage" to sum up employment and marriage.
"If your father works in the financial industry or is a high-ranking administrator, maybe you will find your match with similar backgrounds through a matchmaking firm, starting a perfect marriage on the back of parental support," said comedian Quan. | high22008.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "they use electricity as power"
},
"options": [
"they feel smooth and soft",
"they use electricity as power",
"they can be washed in water",
"they are made from flexible materials"
],
"question": ". The electroni... | Clothes can make phone calls, play music, dial your pal's number, keep you warm during cold weather and operate your computer?
This is not a fantasy. A British company, called Electrotextiles, has created a wide range of clothes -- clothes that have minds of their own! Scientists, working for the company, have invented a kind of fabric that can be blended with flexible electronic materials to create intelligent clothing. The result are electronic garments.
If you think the wearer has to be wired to different devices, think again. These designer clothes are wire-free, soft to touch and washable!! Like any electronic device, these high-tech clothes have to be powered. Currently, a tiny nine-volt battery serves the purpose. But the researchers hope that in the near future the clothes will generate electricity by using body heat. These clothes are 100 percent shock proof, they say.
The Electrotextiles team has also created the world's first cloth keyboard. This keyboard can be sewn into your trousers or skirt. To use this device, you will have to sit down and tap on your lap! These 'lap- tap' gadgets are all set to take over laptop computers!
Another useful garment is the shirt-cum-mobile phone. This handy invention enables drivers to chat comfortably with others at the wheel! Other popular electronic wear include the denim jacket with flexible earphones sewn into the hood and the electronic ski jacket with a built-in heater. The ski jacket is also programmed to send signals to a satellite. This technology is known as global positioning system and can be used to track lost skiers and wandering kids.
Having completed the cloth keyboard, scientists have already started to work on a new project--a necktie that can be used as a computer mouse. What is the next? Do you have any idea? | high1792.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Three"
},
"options": [
"Two",
"Three",
"Four",
"Five"
],
"question": "How many viewpoints are discussed here about the future?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_in... | Some people are pessimistic when they think about the future. They say that, a hundred years from now, we will have used up most of the earths resources. We will have made our seas so dirty that we will not be able to eat fish from them. There will be so many people in the world that we will have to use all the countryside for housing; there will be no farmland left.
Other people have a different idea about the future. In their view, the city of the future will be a huge pyramid-shaped building, which will be floating on the surface of the sea. About 5,000 families will live there, and there will also be schools, shops in it.
In a hundred years' time, people will not need to use oil. They will heat their homes with power from the sun.
Think of space. Perhaps a station will be set up on the moon; people will be able to visit the moon as tourists. They may even spend their holidays in space, travelling from planet to planet.
What an interesting picture!
Many people don't think about the future. "I don't care. I'll be dead. "they say. But it is our duty to care because the world of a hundred years' time will be the world of our children's and their children after them. | high206.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "are worth researching"
},
"options": [
"can spin silk underwater or on dry land",
"are worth researching",
"are quite different from butterflies and spiders",
"have been widely used in the medical field"
],
"que... | SALT LAKE CITY, March 1, 2010 --- Like silkworm moths , butterflies and spiders, caddisfly larvae spin silk, but they do so underwater instead of on dry land. Now, University of Utah researchers have discovered why the fly's silk is sticky when wet and how that may make it valuable as an adhesive tape during an operation.
"Silk from caddisfly larvae may be useful some day as a medical adhesive for sticking wet tissues," says Russell Stewart, an associate professor of bioengineering and principal author of a new study of the fly silk's chemical and structural properties.
"I picture it as sort of a wet Band-Aid, maybe used inside in operations --- like using a piece of tape to close a cut," he adds. "Gluing things together underwater is not easy. Have you ever tried to put a Band-Aid on in the shower? This insect has been doing this for 150 million to 200 million years."
There are thousands of caddisfly species worldwide. Some species spend their larval stages developing underwater, and build an inch-long, tube-shaped case or shelter around themselves using sticky silk and grains of rock or sand. Other species use silk, small sticks and pieces of leaves. Each larva has a head and four legs that stick out from the tube.The larval case gets wider as the larva grows.A caddisfly larva eventually pupates as it develops into an adult fly and then hatches.
Caddisflies now live around the world in waters ranging from fast streams to quiet low lying wet land. The caddisflies'adaptation to diverse habitats is largely due to the inventive use by their larva of underwater silk to build complex structures for protection and food gathering.
Caddisflies fall into two groups. Some build their case and then drag it along with them underwater as they search for food. Some build a shelter glued to a rock,with a silk net to catch passing food. | high23316.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "to drink more milk"
},
"options": [
"to drink more coffee",
"to drink more milk",
"to drink more soda",
"to drink more fruit juice"
],
"question": "According to the passage, Professor Storey thinks it helpful fo... | Young children from poor families are more likely to consume junk food and fizzy drinks than their richer companions. A study of 1,800 four- and five-year-olds found more than half of those from poor backgrounds drank at least one a week, compared to just four in ten _ kids. They also drank less milk and consumed more fruit juice which is also linked to child obesity caused by high sugar intake .
The phenomenon also relates to children who spend more than two hours a day in front of a TV or playing computer games--whatever their social circumstances. A companion study also found children from poor families were more likely to eat chips, sweets and chocolate. Professor Kate Storey said, "when you are looking at that age group, and such a large percentage of very young kids in the study are consuming a large amount of soda ,it is quite concerning. "
The researchers carried out the study by surveying the parents of their participants to find out their dietary habits. Professor Storey said, "If you are drinking a lot of soda and fruit juice, they can displace consumption of water and milk, which are important not just for ending thirst, but for developing healthy bones and teeth, and health and wellness in general."
Co-researcher Dr John Spence said, "Dietary behavior and intake patterns are influenced heavily by what happens in the first few years with children, and they maintain those patterns throughout childhood and into adolescence ." In addition to basic health education, this study identifies a need in how we are dealing with poverty and recognizing there is more to poverty than simply the number of dollars people have.
Professor Storey said that shows how education can make a difference and lead to healthier eating habits, regardless of what is happening at home. "Many families live in places that might not be very healthy for them and, as a result, they make unhealthy food choices. You can start making a difference in different places. It calls for action in multiple settings, schools and communities, for example. That light-bulb moment can happen in a variety of places," Professor Storey added. | high12875.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "become sick"
},
"options": [
"become sick",
"drink water",
"store food",
"feel fresh"
],
"question": "If hamsters don't have a balanced diet, they will _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | Hamsters are lovely small animals which are similar to mice, and some people like to keep them as pets. They need to eat a balanced diet, or they can become very sick. That's why hamsters should be fed healthy foods.
Most pet stores sell hamster mix. This is a combination of foods that are just right for hamsters. Some hamsters are picky eaters. They don't eat anything they don't like, so you have to find a hamster mix that your hamster will like. Most hamsters only eat a few tablespoons a day. You should feed them at the same time every day, or you can just keep your hamster's bowl full. Remember to clean the bowl at least once a week. Hamsters also drink a lot of water, so be sure to keep the water supply full and fresh.
Just like people, hamsters like treats. Besides the hamster mix, you can sometimes feed your hamster seeds, nuts, and some other people food. You should never feed your hamster anything unless you are sure that it is safe for hamsters.
Feed your hamster carefully, and always take good care of your pet! | high23470.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "make buying much more convenient"
},
"options": [
"make buying much more convenient",
"give customers second thoughts",
"not be driven by advertisers' need",
"put something back on the shelf"
],
"question": "Bot... | Supermarkets are trying out new computers that make shopping carts more intelligent. They will help shoppers find cups or toilet soap, and keep a record of the bill. The touch-screen devices are on show at the Food Marketing Institute's exhibition here this week. "These devices are able to create value and get you around the store quicker," said Michael Alexander, manager of Springboard Retail Networks Inc. which makes a smart cart computer called the Concierge. Canadian stores will test the Concierge in July.
A similar device, IBM's "shopping buddy," has recently been test-marketed at Stop & Shop stores in Massachusetts. Neither device tells you how many fat grams or calories are in your cart, but they will flash you with items on sale. The idea is to make it easier for people to buy, not to have second thoughts that maybe you should put something back on the shelf. "The whole model is driven by advertisers' need to get in front of shoppers," said Alexander." They're not watching 30-second TV ads any more."
People can use a home computer to make their shopping lists. Once at the store, a shopper can use a preferred customer card to start a system that will organize the trip around the store. If you're looking for toothpicks, you type in the word or pick it from a list, and a map will appear on the screen showing where you are and where you can find them. The devices also keep a record of what you buy. When you're finished, the device figures out your bill. Then you go to the checker or place your card into a self-checkout stand and pay.
The new computerized shopping assistants don't come cheap. The Buddy devices will cost the average store about$160,000, and the Concierge will cost stores about $500 for each device. | high6943.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "It's not accessible to reach the accident spot."
},
"options": [
"It's not accessible to reach the accident spot.",
"No enough helicopters and ambulances could be found at that time.",
"It was too far from hospital to Cumbria... | An elderly woman died and several other passengers were critically injured when a crowded Virgin express train crashed in Cumbria last night.
A huge rescue operation involving RAF helicopters and dozens of ambulances arrive. After passengers were trapped in the train for more than four hours because fallen power line poles made access for emergency workers difficult.
Authorities reported up to 80 injuries. Thirteen people were taken to hospital in a" _ or serious condition."
Between 180 and 200 passengers were on the 5:15pm Virgin service from London Euston to Glasgow Central when all nine carriages left the rails between Oxenholme and Tebay. Witnesses said that the train shook violently before toppling over into an embankment with at least four carriages overturning. Early this morning, authorities confirmed an elderly woman had died and some other passengers had suffered injuries including back strains, head wounds and broken bones.
Ruth Colton, a passenger on the train, said she was reading a book when the journey became uncomfortable. It seemed that the train was being beaten by heavy winds,"as if we were on a plane".
The accident brought concerns that Britain's busiest rail route would be crippled for some time. The line between Preston and Carlisle was postponed as Virgin Trains promised a rapid investigation into the "serious incident"--the company's first big crash.
It is understood that the investigation will examine whether there was an obstacle on the track and the possibility of speeding or mechanical breakdown. The driver, who was injured, will be interviewed and a black-box recorder installed in the train will be examined. | high7485.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "suffer from loneliness and anxiety"
},
"options": [
"suffer from loneliness and anxiety",
"play endless online games",
"cause adoption of self-destruction",
"worry about life's pressures"
],
"question": "Accordi... | Being lonely in the crowd might seem ridiculous. But according to a recent survey, the situation is all too common. Loneliness and other anxiety problems - worrying about life's pressures - can even lead to self-murder.
An article in China Daily gave no reason for this other than the usual blaming of the post-80s generation. According to a high level official, young people suffering from discouragement are mostly "spoiled and have not been taught to be independent, responsible and express 'thank-you'." Well, how do you like that? First, I don't think China's youth are exactly spoiled. They certainly have more things than their parents did, but a lot of the money spent on them is for their education including various extra classes.
Discouragement and anxiety are now the fastest growing challenges in modern societies. We sense a lack of close friends who can talk to honestly and openly. In 1985, a US study found that one in ten people did not have such a friend. In 2006, it was one in four. It's easy to see the connection between loneliness and discouragement. But what actually causes this increasing loneliness?
Surely, with Internet social networking sites such as Kaixin, we have more friends than ever. A new study has shown that the more time teenagers spend in front of computers, the less close they are to friends and family.Kaixinor QQ may be fun but it lacks meaning, compared to personal connections in the real world.
And then there are those endless online games popular with young Chinese but increasingly there are more interesting choices. For example, new sports such as skateboarding are starting to catch on in bigger cities, as is playing music in a band. These creative hobbies are done in a group and thus friendship can be stronger. Hopefully young people will also be drawn out of the Internet cafes and interactive computer games that in fact fail to recreate a real and interactive experience. | high21267.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "tend to hold negative worldviews"
},
"options": [
"often shape their own ideas",
"are less likely to be successful",
"usually manage to live with stress",
"tend to hold negative worldviews"
],
"question": "It's ... | Who do you feel closer to -- your mom or your dad?
In almost every culture in the world, mothers are thought to be more important than fathers during children's development and more likely to build strong bonds with their children.
This belief had existed for a long time until scientists started asking a new question: What do fathers contribute to their children besides their genes? They must mean something, or they would have disappeared from children's lives at an earlier time in evolution . So, a new science of fatherhood was born.
American journalist Paul Raeburn collected the discoveries over the years and put them into his new book, Do Fathers Matter? What Science Is Telling Us About the Parent We've Overlooked, hoping to make people better see the many ways that fathers influence their children.
For example, Ronald Preston Rohner, a scientist at the University of Connecticut, US, spent several years studying how being accepted or rejected by parents influences children's personality. He found that children who are accepted by both their parents are usually independent and hold a positive worldview while those who feel turned down by either parent may turn out hostile and negative.
Melanie Horn-Mallers, a psychologist at California State University, found that sons who have happy memories of their fathers are better able to handle day-to-day stress after growing up.
Another study, by Richard Koestner at McGill University, Canada, focused on how children develop empathy . After looking at various possible factors, Koestner found one to be more important than others -- how much time their fathers spend with them.
"We were amazed to find that how affectionate parents were with their children didn't matter much to the development of empathy," said Koestner. "And we were astounded at how strong the father's influence was."
Indeed, evidence shows that fathers make unique contributions to their children's happiness. However, that doesn't mean that children in families without fathers are definitely going to become failures. Just look at US President Barack Obama. He is a great example of what can be achieved by people who grow up in single-mother households. | high19920.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle."
},
"options": [
"David Beckham and his wife.",
"Elton John and his partner David Furnish.",
"People from the charities they work with.",
"President Barack Obama and his wif... | Soccer star David Beckham will be there with his pop star wife Victoria. Elton John is attending with partner David Furnish.
The guest list for the April 29 union of Prince William and Kate Middleton is still being kept secret, but details have begun to leak out, with some coming forward to say they are attending and the Mail on Sunday newspaper claiming to have the official invitation roster .
The palace dismissed the newspaper's list as speculation Sunday.
It won't be clear until the day how the royal couple has balanced the protocol demands that they invite statesmen, diplomats, religious leaders, politicians and the like with invitations to the people they really want to see, particularly the crowd they made friends with when they met and fell in love at St. Andrews University in Scotland.
Kate Reardon, editor of high-society magazine Tatler, said many _ Britons acted as if they didn't really care about receiving an invitation while secretly checking the mail every day to see if the invitation had arrived.
"Everyone's been hoping," she said.
William and Middleton have showed their modern side by inviting a number of close friends, including some former sweethearts, the newspaper said.
The wedding is not technically a state event, which somewhat limits the protocol requirements applied to the guest list. But royal obligations still order that a large number of the 1,900 or so seats go to guests from the world of politics, not actual friends of the couple.
The couple have also invited many guests from the charities they work with, and Middleton has used her influence to invite the butcher, shopkeeper and pub owner from her home village of Bucklebury.
President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle were not invited and many other international leaders are also expected to be watching on TV, not from a seat at Westminster Abbey.
It is not clear if treasured Brits from the world of stage and screen and pop music will be on the list. | high20179.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "improve their education at home to get better jobs"
},
"options": [
"attend full-time universities",
"work part time to further their education",
"improve their education at home to get better jobs",
"earn their degrees... | Have you ever wondered what a Degree might be worth to you in your job or career ? It means a lot of Americans with an Associate Degree average nearly $10,000 more in yearly earnings than those with just a High School Diploma .
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Earn your degree in as little as two years! Get a career diploma in just six months! The career of your dreams is closer than you think! Even if you have no experience before, you can get valuable job skills in today's hottest fields! Step-by-step lessons make learning easy. Prepare for promotions , pay raises, even start a business of your own! Send today for FREE information about Harcourt at home training!
Simply fill in your name and address on the coupon above. Then write in the name and number of the one program you're most interested in, and mail it today. We'll rush your free information about how you can take advantage of the opportunities in the field you've chosen. Act today!
Mail coupon today! Or call the number below 1-800-372-1589. Call any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. www. Harcourt-learning. com E-mail:Harcourt@learning. com. | high5292.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "CSM Media Research"
},
"options": [
"China Central TV",
"Reed MIDEM",
"MIPTV",
"CSM Media Research"
],
"question": "_ provided the exact viewer figures for the Guinness World Record to confirm.",
"question... | Guinness World Records, the global authority on record-breaking achievements, presented China Central TV (CCTV) the world record for Most Watched National Network TV Broadcast for its annual Spring Festival Gala show. The program, which is produced especially to celebratethe Chinese New Year, had a unique reach of 498,659,000 viewers on CCTV-1, 3 and 4 in 2012 , making it the most watched national variety entertainment show in the world.
The official record certificate was presented by Guinness World Records, Global Managing Director, Mr. Alistair Richards to CCTV Vice President Mr. Luo Ming during a special "China in Cannes" reception co-hosted with Reed MIDEM as part of the celebrations to honor the Chinese delegation at this year's MIPTV market.
CSM Media Research, which supplied the viewing figures for Guinness World Records verification , considered viewers aged 4 years or above who watched at least one minute of the 2012 show on either CCTV-1, 3 or 4, the three channels which aired the show at the same time. The figure refers to viewers on any one of the three channels, therefore excluding duplications . This represents almost 40% of the China TV population aged 4 years or above.
Commenting on CCTV's incredible record achievement which is based on reach of audience, Alistair Richards said, "It is fitting that we celebratethis amazing achievement at MIPTV. National networks have the power to move nations and CCTV's Spring Festival Gala is the ultimate example. It reaches nearly half a billion people on the biggest holiday of their year."
CCTV Vice President Luo Ming, who accepted the Guinness World Records certificate on behalf of CCTV, said, "Chinese New Year is a special time for families in China and our Spring Festival Gala has been the traditional TV entertainment highlight for three decades. Although this is a world record achieved by our viewers, it is also a record won by the staff of CCTV, who makes it possible for our television shows to reach homes right across China."
The new record will be included in the next edition of the world famous Guinness World Records book. | high21273.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Google has developed a driverless car."
},
"options": [
"An auto revolution is on its way.",
"Google has developed a driverless car.",
"The Carbot has passed its early testing stages.",
"Science fiction has turned into ... | Google, the Internet search and mapping company, has developed a car that can steer without a driver.
Sometimes the reality is stranger than science fiction: Google is road-testing cars that steer, stop and start without a human driver. The goal is to "help prevent traffic accidents, free up people's time and reduce carbon emissions." says Sebastian Thrun, who is the project leader for the driverless car, or Carbot.
By developing the car and the software that drives it, Google wants to change how people get from place to p1ace. Eric Schmidt, one of the company's top officials, said, "Your car should drive itself. It just makes sense."
So far, the driverless autos have gone about 140,000 miles on California roads without people taking over the driving. Many of the roads are very busy or full of curves that challenge human drivers. The autos' software makes it possible to know speed limits, traffic patterns and road maps. The vehicles use radar, lasers and video cameras to find other cars and avoid people crossing streets.
There has only been one accident during the testing. And in that case, the Carbot was hit from behind by a human driver when Goog1e's car was stopped at a red light. Engineers say the driverless cars are safer than autos with people behind the wheel because the computers react much more quickly than humans.
The Carbot is still in very early testing stages. Experts agree that it will be years before you will be able to buy one. But it is likely that one day you will be sitting in the driver's seat of a driverless car. When the auto was first invented it was called a "horseless carriage". Now it seems that it is time for the "driverless carriage" to be part of our 1ives. | high4198.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Collecting information."
},
"options": [
"Observing people.",
"Interviewing people.",
"Doing lab experiments.",
"Collecting information."
],
"question": "What method did Andrew Howell and his colleagues use in t... | After a fight and before forgiveness often comes an apology. But saying "I'm sorry" comes more easily for some people than doing that for others. A new study suggests that specific personality traits offer clues about whether a person is likely to offer a sincere apology.
Psychologist Andrew Howell and his colleagues at Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton designed a questionnaire to measure a person's willingness to beg someone's pardon. They asked participants to indicate their level of agreement with a series of statements, such as "My continued anger often gets in the way of me apologizing" or "If I think no one will know what I have done, I am not likely to apologize." The researchers then used the answers to determine every participant's "proclivity to apologize," and they cross-referenced these scores with results from a variety of personality assessments.
From the beginning, Howell was confident that people with high marks on compassion and agreeability would be willing apologizers -- and the study results confirmed his hypothesis . But the experiment also turned up some surprising traits of the unrepentant .
People with low self-esteem, for example, were less inclined to apologize, even though they probably feel bad after a conflict. Unlike people who experience guilt about a specific action and feel sorry for the person they have wronged, individuals who experience generalized shame may actually be feeling sorry for themselves.
In contrast, "people who are sure of themselves have the capacity to confess to wrongdoing and admit it," Howell suggests. But just the right amount of self-esteem is the key. The study also found that narcissists -- people who, in Howell's words, "are very egocentric, with an overly grand view of themselves" -- were reluctant to offer an apology.
The researchers were most surprised to find that a strong sense of justice was negatively correlated with a willingness to apologize, perhaps suggesting that contrition and an "eye for an eye" philosophy are incompatible . Reconciliation may end a conflict, but it cannot always settle a score. | high19934.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "explain why many writers use science in their works"
},
"options": [
"explain where science can be applied",
"show the value of Brooks' new book",
"remind the reader of the importance of science",
"explain why many writ... | Science has a lot of uses. It can uncover laws of nature, cure diseases, make bombs, and help bridges to stand up. Indeed science is so good at what it does that there's always a temptation to drag it into problems where it may not be helpful. David Brooks, author of The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement, appears to be the latest in a long line of writers who have failed to go against the temptation.
Brooks gained fame for several books. His latest book The Social Animal, however, is more ambitious and serious than his earlier books. It is an attempt to deal with a set of weighty topics. The book focuses on big questions: What has science uncovered about human nature? What are the sources of character? And why are some people happy and successful while others aren't?
To answer these questions, Brooks studies a wide range of disciplines . Considering this, you might expect the book to be a simple description of facts. But Brooks has formed his book in an unusual, and perhaps unfortunate way. Instead of introducing scientific theories, he tells a story, within which he tries to make his points, perhaps in order to keep the reader's attention. So as Harold and Erica, the hero and heroine in his story, live through childhood, we hear about the science of child development and as they begin to date we hear about the theory of sexual attraction. Brooks carries this through to the death of one of his characters.
On the whole, Brooks' story is acceptable if uninspired. As one would expect, his writing is mostly clear and, to be fair, some chapters stand out above the rest. I enjoyed, for instance, the chapter in which Harold discovers how to think on his own. While Harold and Erica are certainly not strong or memorable characters, the more serious problems with The Social Animal lie elsewhere. These problems partly involve Brooks' attempt to translate his tale into science. | high12861.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Three suns shine in Leshan, Sichuan."
},
"options": [
"What is \"sun dog?\"",
"Wang Sichao discovered three suns.",
"Three suns shine in Leshan, Sichuan.",
"Lu Shan found three sun dogs in Leshan."
],
"question"... | "Look! Here come UFOs!" At around 8 p.m. July 26,2010, a citizen called Lu Shan spotted this special phenomenon in Leshan, Sichuan: three unidentified and bright objects appeared in the sky above "Jade International" building, and then disappeared all together after 10 more minutes.
The phenomenon caught a lot of attention of some experts and Leshan citizens. On August 3, Professor Wang Sichao from the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences said, the objects still need to be identified. Luckily, Lu Shan took some photos of it. He described, the objects first lit up the sky in the west, but lasted for about 10 minutes. Then they moved slowly at a speed of I meter per minute to the north, and became smaller and smaller until they disappeared. "It was like a sunset before they faded, and their light also became so gentle as the sunset."
Some citizens doubted they were UFOs, but Lu Shan thought it was possibly caused by the refraction of the sunlight. However, Lu found no scientific proof to support this special phenomenon after comparing with his photos.
According to Professor Wang Sichao, it could be the "sun dog " which is an atmospheric phenomenon that creates bright spots of light in the sky, often in a bright ring or _ on either side of the sun. But he also added the sky above Leshan city that night did not satisfy the conditions to have "sun dog". "Sun dog" usually happens in cold areas, such as the north and south poles of the earth. "So this phenomenon was strange," said Wang Sichao. Wang also stated he's only able to confirm the identity of the objects after collecting and analyzing more information and photos snapped from different locations and then decide on a more scientific explanation. | high23464.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The writer's 10-year-old daughter"
},
"options": [
"The mother",
"One of the passers-by",
"The writer's 10-year-old daughter",
"One of the writer's neighbors' kids."
],
"question": "Who raised the idea of washin... | Last weekend, my kids along with a few other kids from the neighborhood volunteered to help me wash my car. My 10-year-old daughter came up with the idea of washing other people's cars as well. It was pretty hot outside. She further wanted to give juice for a low cost but not free. I felt happy and decided to help her.
She asked me, "What if we make this 'a smile car wash', mommy? "I couldn't hold back my tears and encouraged her and other kids to go inside the house and come up with ideas. While I kept myself busy in drying the car, the kids walked up to me with a board of beautiful signs of smiles. They had "Free Car Wash" written on it and the theme of their exercise was "Smile". It was pretty natural to see a team of kids 5 to 11 years with the task to do something for others.
All that seemed natural and came right from their heart. Nothing seemed to matter to them: their playtime, and then heat outside--they just wanted to help and do something nice in the community!
I helped them make some fresh juice and brought out some waste materials to help clean cars. Passers-by were amazed and one even shouted at them saying "Good kids". One of them even tried giving them 5 dollars, which they refused. A pretty heart-warming scene!
The following weekend, I saw the idea of the week, the theme of which was "Global Kindness". I was moved by such wonderful and loving souls. They made me smile!
One of the slogans on their flag was: "Do not fear! Smile retrievers are here." | high574.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "A great discovery of fossils."
},
"options": [
"The secret of ancient animals' deaths.",
"The preparation for a future fossil exhibition.",
"A great discovery of fossils.",
"The history of San Timoteo Canyon."
],
... | Construction workers in Southern California have made a wild discovery. They were digging at a building site in San Timoteo Canyon when they unearthed hundreds of ancient animal fossils. Researchers say the bones hold important clues about the history of the region.
Nearly 1, 500 fossils were recovered from the dusty canyon. The remains are about 1.4 million years old. They include the bones of a new species of deer, several small rodents and more. A giant cat fossil was also found. Scientists believe the animal was an ancestor of the saber- toothed tiger. Signs of plant life were uncovered as well.
"This is a huge find," says Rick Greenwood, a scientist studying the site. "I don't think most people had any idea that those types of animals were wandering around here more than a million years ago."
San Timoteo Canyon is located about 85 miles from Los Angeles. The area of the canyon where the fossils were found was once part of a green river valley. Today, the region is dry and plant life is rare.
Most of the fossils are well preserved. Experts say a muddy lake bed may have trapped thirty animals that wandered over for a drink. The mud helped to protect the animal fossils.
The remains are a million years older than those discovered at the famous La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. Scientists studying the bones will be able to learn more about how the animals adapted to changes in the environment.
"We have a confused view of what this time period was like, " says another scientist. "A discovery like this could really be an important contribution."
About 35 different animal species are represented in the fossil collection. Scientists began removing bones from the site last fall. The project was completed this summer. Starting next year, the fossils will be on display at the Western Science Center in the nearby city of Hemet, California. | high15868.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Because students have to satisfy their parents."
},
"options": [
"Because students want to improve other abilities.",
"Because students feel great pressure from universities.",
"Because students have to satisfy their parents.... | As the semester ended, students had a chance to _ .
They got to grade me anonymously , assessing the ability of my thinking, my organizational skills and the depth of my knowledge. Such evaluations keep me alert to what works and what doesn't. Students reflect my performance back to me, and I'm glad to learn what they think of my teaching so that I might try to improve.
This system reflects many aspects of my work. There is, of course, nothing wrong with it. But this system assumes that what students need is the same as what they want. Reading my evaluations every semester has taught me otherwise. Actually many students' expectations for their courses have already changed, reflecting, in part, the business model many universities are following: classes are considered services, and parents are eager to get their money's worth from their children's education. Students feel pressure from their parents to get practical use from their courses.
This could make sense for an engineering course, but in my field, creative writing, which rarely trains up excellent 21-year-old writers, it is more difficult to provide the results that the career-minded students desire. Then I tried some teaching techniques to change the criticism of those unhappy students to the opposite and improve my student evaluations. My record would accurately reflect a smart, attentive, encouraging teacher. However, I would admit that they loved me simply because I agreed writing should be easy.
I know other teachers have done the same thing: teach your heart out to the teachable but be sure to please the unteachable; keep your ratings high, like a politician trying to improve his poll results. I believe in the struggle. But I still can't help wincing when I read, "The instructor is mean." "Marcus is not committed to my work." "This class sucks." The business model has taught me that customers are always right. And maybe a few more dissatisfied customers would mean a better learning experience. | high212.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "JSSICA LOST is about a mother and her daughter."
},
"options": [
"MAINE talks about a loving happy family.",
"WHAT I LEARNED WHEN I ALMOST DIED is a novel.",
"JSSICA LOST is about a mother and her daughter.",
"LONG DRIV... | by J. Courtney Sullivan, fiction, $26
The Kellehers are a big, disorderly family who sometimes seem to have only one thing in common: love for their beach house in Maine. Lie there with this novel and listen to a summer's worth of secrets, quarrels, and misunderstandings.
WHAT I LEARNED WHEN I ALMOST DIED
by Chris Licht, nonfiction, $23
The energetic co-creator of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" was unprepared for the pain, fear, and helplessness he felt after suffering a brain bleed. But as he detailed in this outspoken, thoughtful book, the lessons he took from the event surprised him the most.
FIRE AND RAIN
by David Browne, nonfiction, $26
This book transports you back to a year -- the 1970 of Apollo 13, the first Earth Day -- and the turning point of albums by the Beatles, James Taylor, and Crosby, Stills and Nash that provided the sound for a new decade. Rolling Stone contributing editor Browne artfully describes the creation of these classic songs.
LONG DRIVE HOME
by Will Allison, fiction, $22
A moment of anger has life-and-death consequences in this beautifully written novel. Being angry with a speeding teenage driver, Dad Glen Bauer makes a turn of his car in response, causing an accident in which the other driver dies. It's a story about guilt, responsibility, and how mistrust can tear a loving family apart.
JESSICA LOST
by Bunny Crumpacker and J.S. Picariello, memoir ,$25
Two authors -- a woman who gave up a baby for adoption and the child herself -- write alternating chapters in this memoir, which takes readers on a 50-year journey through their separate lives, their meeting, and their following relationship. Its account is both original and heartbreaking. | high1786.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the health of its habitat is worsening"
},
"options": [
"it is a totally warm and lovable species",
"the health of its habitat is worsening",
"its population has dropped sharply",
"few clownfish can be found in zoos"
... | Almost a decade after the hit Finding Nemo made clownfish seem totally warm and lovable, environmentalists are now looking for a real-life sequel: Saving Nemo.
In the United States, a request has been made to extend the protections of the Endangered Species Act to marine species including the clownfish.
But before you start shedding tears for Nemo and his buddies, keep in mind that this request is not based on any evidence of a decline in the clownfish population. Instead, what has sparked concern is the worsening health of coral reefs, which more than one million aquatic species including the clownfish depend on to thrive, even survive.
In ways it makes more sense to move to protect a species when its habitat declines rather than its actual population. The most important mission of the Endangered Species Act is the protection of species' habitats; without their habitats, there's almost no hope of saving endangered animals, except perhaps in a zoo.
Earlier this year, alarming news came about the world's largest coral reef system, Australia's Great Barrier Reef (GBR,). A study has shown the Reef is in sharp decline, with half of its coral cover gone in the past 27 years.
Katharina Fabricius, an Australian coral reef ecologist co-authoring the study, has been diving and working on the GBR since 1988--and has watched the decline. "There are still a lot of fish ... but not the same color1 and diversity as in the past," she said.
The study team used information from more than 2,000 surveys to determine the rate of decline between 1985 and 2012. That overall 50-percent decline, they estimate, is a yearly loss of about 3.4 percent of the Reef. If the trend continued, the coral cover could halve again by 2022.
Several main factors are responsible for the decline, the study found. Intense tropical cyclones , believed to be fueled by global warming, have caused massive damage to reefs in the central and southern parts of the Reef. Meanwhile, population explosions of the coral-consuming crown-of-thorns starfish have affected coral populations along the length of the Reef. Two severe coral bleaching events, caused by ocean warming, have also had major damaging impacts in northern and central parts of the GBR. | high23302.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the child isn't. a person alive"
},
"options": [
"the child is lovely",
"the child is so young that we can't know he is a boy or a girl",
"the child isn't. a person alive",
"the friend doesn't know who is the child"
... | Once a father was seated at the dinner table with his wife and children. A good friend who had come to visit was eating with them. While they were sitting there the clock struck twelve,and the stranger saw the door open and a very pale little child dressed in snow-white clothes come in. It neither looked around,nor did it speak,but went straight into the next room. Soon afterwards it came back,and just as silently went out of the door again.
On the second and an the third day it came back in exactly the same manner. Then the stranger finally asked the father, whose beautiful child it was that went into the next room every day at noon.
"I did not see it,"he said,adding that he did not know whose child it might be.
The next day when it again came,the stranger pointed it out to the father, but the latter did not see it,nor did the mother and the children see anything. Then the stranger got up,went to the door of the room,opened it a little,and looked in. There he saw the child sitting on the floor, and busily digging and rooting about in the cracks in the floor. When it saw the stranger, it disappeared.
He now told what he had seen and described the child exactly.Then the mother recog-
nized it, and said,"Oh,it is my dear child who died four weeks ago."
They ripped up the floor and found two farthings which the child had once received from its mother to give to a poor man. It,however, had thought,"with that money you can buy yourself a piece of zwieback,"and had kept the farthings,hiding them in the cracks in the floor.www.ks5u.com
Therefore it had had no rest in its grave,and had come every day at noon to look for these farthings. Then the parents gave the money to a poor man,and after that the child was never seen again. | high18394.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the hot dishes were mainly cooked by Yang."
},
"options": [
"It lasted about half an hour.",
"There were eight dishes in all.",
"the hot dishes were mainly cooked by Yang.",
"Many dishes were cooked in American style."
... | Janice is an American engineer working in Nanjing. She and her husband George, who is teaching English at a university, have been eager to get to know Chinese people better, so they were pleased when Liu, Janice's young co-worker, invited them to her home for dinner.
When they arrived, Liu introduced them to her husband Yang and asked them to sit down at a table containing eight plates of various cold dishes. Half an hour later she came back and sat down and the three began to eat. Yang came in from time to time, putting hot dishes on the table. Most of the food was wonderful, though neither George nor Janice could eat the fatty pork, and there was much more than they could eat. They kept wishing Yang would sit down so they could talk to him. Finally he did sit down to eat a bit, but soon it was time to go home.
Janice and George felt slightly depressed by this experience, but returned the invitation two weeks later. They decided to make a nice American meal and felt lucky to find olives, crackers , tomato juice, and even some cheese in the shop. They put these out as appetizers . For the main course they prepared spaghetti and a salad.
When Liu and Yang arrived and began to have dinner, they took small tastes of the appetizers and seemed surprised when both George and Janice sat down with them. They ate only a little spaghetti and didn't finish the salad on their plates. After a while, George cleared the table and served coffee and pastries . Yang and Liu each put four spoons of sugar into their coffee but didn't drink much of it and ate only a bite or two of pastry.
After they left, George and Janice were upset. " We left their place so full but they're going to have to eat again when they get home. What went wrong? | high4826.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Insurance is a good protection against accidents and illness."
},
"options": [
"Everyone will have some sort of illness or accident.",
"Accident and health insurance is available to everyone.",
"Cancelable insurance policies ... | Accidents and illness are unhappy things to talk about, but no one can expect to live a lifetime without having some kind of accident or becoming ill. Some accidents and illnesses are serious and may result in long periods of invalidism.
The newspapers contain spectacular accounts of accidents in the street and highways and public places, but nearly as many accidents occur around the home. Somebody trips on a rug. Somebody falls off a stepladder. Somebody is careless in cooking dinner, and is burned. Accidents incurred in the playing of sports and swimming also accounts for a large number of injuries, big and little. Despite constant campaigns to reduce the number of accidents, there are still approximately 100,000 accidental deaths and nearly 9,000,000 nonfatal injuries in the United States each year.
It has been estimated that around 3,000,000 people are constantly ill in the United States throughout the year and that over half the illness is caused by respiratory diseases, chiefly colds and influenza.
The pain and suffering caused by accidents and illness tell only half the story. Loss of time from school and work and medical and hospital expenses often make the pain seem worse. Money spent in this country for doctors, services, hospitalization, nursing care, drugs, medicines, Xrays, and special treatments, amounts to a huge annual sum. Added to this expense is another much larger amount that is lost to wage earners throughout the nation by reason of their loss of wages or income while sick or otherwise disabled.
Accident and health insurance is a form of insurance devised to protect against these economic losses. It protects the earning of wage earners and finishes financial aid to the family of the breadwinner by the payment of his doctor and hospital bills. Today, business and professional men, farmers, industrial workers, clerks and those engaged in various occupations, whose earning power is shut off for a week, a month, or sometimes years, because of accidents or illness can insure themselves against this financial loss by accident and health insurance.
Protection is available to all types of workers and the cost(called the premium)ranges from a few cents a day for small or limited policies to a month for policies paying larger amounts(called indemnities). Policy is another name for an insurance contract . Most accident and health policies are cancelable policies--that is, they are sold for a definite term such as a week, a month, or a year, similar to contracts of fire insurance and automobile liability insurance. There are, however, policies which cannot be canceled or terminated by the insurance company until the policyholder reaches an age at which he usually has no further earning power--most often at sixty or sixtyfive years. These noncancelable policies cost more than the cancelable policies. | high3191.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "PS12"
},
"options": [
"PS7",
"PS12",
"PS13",
"PS23"
],
"question": "How much would a couple with one child pay to go to The East London Museum?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {... | Once home to the world's largest trading port,East London is a lovely and cultural place to
visit.Here are some of the places of interest there.
Aquarium Beachfront,Esplanade,East London
Tel:705 2637
Open daily:9 a.n5 p.m.
Fish Feeding:daily at 10:30 a.m.and 3:00 p.m
Seal Show:daily at 11:30 a.m.and 3:30 p.m.(Performances are only 10 minutes long.)
Fees:adults-PS9,children(3--16 years)PS5,school /groupsPS3 per person-
This is the o1dest aquarium in the country.It is also a large office for Tourism in East London,supplying booklets and information to the public*
Border Birders Club is one of the programs here.This is a super birding club where the whole family can have a nice Saturday walk around,looking at different types of birds and talking with the friendly members along the way.For more information,look for the notice on the nonce boards outside the Beacon Bay Library and at the Aquarium or call 735 2195*
Calgary Transport Museum
13km from East London on N6 to Stutterheim
Tel:730 7244
Open daily:9 a.m.4 p.m.
Closed:Friday&Christmas Day
Fees:adults-PS5,childrenPS3.
Fine collection of restored horse drawn vehicles,carts,wagons,buggies ,a gypsy caravan and governess cart.
Museum--The East London Museum
Upper Oxford Street(Entrance and parking in Dawson Road)
Tel:743 0686
Fax:743 3127
Open:Monday--Friday 9:30 a.m.5 p.m.;Saturday 2p.m.5p.m.:Sunday
&Public Holidays 11 a.m.4 p.m.
Fee:adultsPS5,childrenPS2,school groups&scholars in uniform are free.
Go on a wonderful adventure into the past.Best known as the home of the Coelacanth &world's only Dodo Egg,the museum also has an excellent display about the rich and color1ful Culture of Xhosa,living in South Africa.There is also a Museum Cafeteria with refreshments. | high21515.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "experiencing better service"
},
"options": [
"not being recognized",
"mainly aged 25-34",
"experiencing better service",
"not a profitable market"
],
"question": "Solo travellers are now _",
"question_type... | More than 15 million Britons, many of them women, will holiday unaccompanied this year. And they will no longer be treated as second-class citizens. After 50 years of being slighted, ripped off, herded together and allocated the worst rooms in the hotel, the single traveller's time has finally come. Rather than being viewed as an awkward peculiarity in the standard couples-and-families "system", single travelers have become travel's fastest growing sector and a phenomenon that tour operators are falling over themselves to catch up with.
In one sense, the boom is the result of people postponing marriage and children. Approximately 39% of the adult British population--19 million people--is now single and the proportion of one-person households has increased from 18% in 1971 to 29% last year. The most significant growth of singles over the next few years is expected to be within the well-off, travel-hungry 25-34 age group.
The expansion in single travel is being increased by women. Women are just as happy as men to leave partner at home and head off on holiday. On adventure group trips single women constitute more than half of all travelers, and Internet agents report that 70% of their single clients are women.
Women today see being single as an opportunity to travel, rather than as an obstacle. The result is that travel companies are now attempting to work out new ways of attracting singles----a market worth PS10.4 billion. The number of specialist singles tour operators has risen from a couple to at least 10, but they face a growing challenge from mainstream operators, who now propose to target solo travelers with moves like abolishing single room supplements. At the moment, single travelers usually have to join a group, or pay more. As soon as we get beyond that, the singles market is going to take off to a completely new level. | high22034.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To protect the environment."
},
"options": [
"To appeal to more visitors.",
"To protect the environment.",
"To control butterfly population.",
"To expand the area for wildlife."
],
"question": "According to Para... | In Wiltshire, England, volunteers are being sought to visit a nature protection area to count the butterflies living there and on surrounding fields. The project is promoted by an environmental protection organisation,which has contributed to improving the living environment for wild animals. Recently, the organisation has issued an appeal to help it observe environmental changes based on the record of butterflies and protect the environment.
In the area, the local people have planted many special flowers with the help of the organisation, aiming to see whether these flowers will interest the rare and beautiful butterflies. The Project officer Sarah Marshall says, "It will be a suitable habitat for butterflies. They are great 'indicator species' as they are easily affected by climate changes so they make a brillian early - warning system for the environment." She also points out that volunteers are needed to recourd the number or species of butterflies,and based on the change happening to the butterflies, the hidden environmental problems in the area can be found out in time.
The organisation is seeking volunteers to help monitor butterflies from April through to September. They will walk a fixed route and record the different butterflies they encounter along the way.Each visit should take no more than two hours, and each volunteer is expected to visit once a month to count the wildlife. "Staff will provide back up, so if the weather is poor on the day you are to visit(butterflies don't like to fly in the rain, wind or if it's too cloudy) we can have someone else do your job," Sarah points out.
No previous experience is necessary as training and support will be provided,but a keen interest is essential. If you are interested, P1ease contact Sarah on (0l380) 725670,ext 278, email | high15698.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "most people's thoughts are controlled by others"
},
"options": [
"we have thoughts similar to those of others",
"other people's thoughts are more important",
"most people's thoughts are controlled by others",
"most peop... | Who's in control of your life? Who is pulling your string? For the majority of us, it's other people - society, colleagues, friends, family or our religious community. We learned this way of operating when we were very young, of course.We were brainwashed.We discovered that feeling important and feeling accepted was a nice experience and so we learned to do everything we could to make other people like us.As Oscar Wilde puts it,"Most people are other people.Their thoughts are someone else's opinions,their lives a mimicry ,their passions a quotation."
So when people tell us how wonderful we are,it makes us feel good.We long for this good feeling like a drug--we are addicted to it and seek it out wherever we can.Therefore,we are so eager for the approval of others that we live unhappy and limited lives,failing to do the things we really want to.Just as drug addicts and alcoholics live worsened lives to keep getting their fix ,we worsen our own existence to get our own constant fix of approval.
But just as with any drug,there is a price to pay.The price of the approval drug is freedom--the freedom to be ourselves. The truth is that we cannot control what other people think.People have their own schedule,and they come with their own baggage and,in the end,they're more interested in themselves than in you.Furthermore,if we try to live by the opinions of others,we will build our life on sinking sand.Everyone has a different way of thinking,and people change their opinions all the time.The person who tries to please everyone will only end up getting exhausted and probably pleasing no one in the process.
So how can we take back control? I think there's only one way--make a conscious decision to stop caring what other people think.We should guide ourselves by means of a set of values--not values imposed from the outside by others,but inborn values which come from within.If we are driven by these values and not by the changing opinions and value systems of others,we will live a more authentic,effective,purposeful and happy life. | high15840.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Praying for your enemies."
},
"options": [
"Praying for your enemies.",
"The experience of the writer.",
"How to get along with the kids.",
"How to solve the problem about the \"atrisk\" students."
],
"question"... | Last year I was put into a lowerlevel math class at school. The reason I was in this class had nothing to do with my intellect or maths skills. I am blind.
The only problem with being in this class was that I was surrounded by "atrisk" students. These were kids who did not do well in school and they were constantly in trouble with the school and the law.
One Tuesday morning, I went to a Christian Student Union meeting before school. There was a guest speaker there that day talking to us about praying for our enemies. I began to think about this. As I considered the idea, I prayed and asked God how I could pray for the kids in my class. I had forgotten that they weren't bad kids; they were just lost.
At first, the prayers were mechanical. When I would hear their voices in class, I would pray, "Dear God, please bless soandso..." But as I continued, I began to think of the kids more often, and in my quiet time at home I would ask God to bless the rest of my classmates.
As time went on, my classmates became more than just annoying kids to me. There was something growing inside my heart for them, something that wasn't there before. They began to feel like family, and I was learning to love them in a way I never thought possible.
I now see that praying is such a powerful act. Prayer is the most powerful tool a Christian has. When I pray for those around me, it also blesses my life, and it changes my opinion of others. I realized I needed God's blessings to see the world through loving eyes. The prayers I said for others turned out to help me the most. | high14586.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "take the function of bonuses for granted"
},
"options": [
"take the function of bonuses for granted",
"see that bonus offering is done everywhere",
"think financial encouragement is disgusting",
"are shocked by the prac... | Bonus culture has become the subject of many studies nowadays. Many people have been angered by the way some bankers and high officials seem to have been rewarded for failure. Others find the idea of offering many-million-dollar bonuses morally disgusting.
But few have asked whether performance-related bonuses really do improve performance. The answer seems so obvious that even to ask the question can appear ridiculous. Indeed, in spite of all the complaints about them, financial encouragements continue to be introduced in more and more areas, from healthcare and public services to teaching and universities.
So it may come as a shock to many to learn that paying for results can actually make people perform badly in many circumstances, and that the more you pay, the worse they perform.
No one is arguing that bonuses can help companies and institutions attract and keep the best staff. Nor does anyone argue against the idea that you can encourage people to do specific tasks by linking payments to those tasks. Rather, the point is about how to get the best out of people. Do employees really perform better if you promise to pay them more for getting results?
There are some obvious reasons why such payments can fail. It has been argued, for instance, that cash bonuses contributed to the financial crash, because traders had little enthusiasm to make sure that their companies enjoyed long-term survival.
Most bonus projects are poorly designed, says Professor Malcolm Higgs. He thinks the reason is that organizations try to keep bonus arrangements simple. Nevertheless, he thinks bonus projects can work as long as they link the interests of individual employees with the long-term goals of a business.
Bonuses can also encourage cheating. "Once you start making people's rewards dependent on outcomes rather than behaviors, the evidence is people will do whatever they can to get those outcomes," says Professor Edward Deci. "In many cases the high officials simply lied and cheated to make the stock price go up so they got huge bonuses."
But the work of Deci and others suggests the problem with bonuses runs far deeper than poor design or cheating. In 1971, he asked students to solve puzzles, with some receiving cash prizes for doing well and others getting nothing. Deci found those offered cash were less likely to keep working on puzzles after they had done enough to get paid.
These studies suggest that offering rewards can stop people doing things for the pure joy of it. This was the basis for a series of books by Kohn in which he argues that rewarding children, students and workers with grades, scholarships and other "bribes" leads to low-quality work in the long run.
Those who believe in the power of bonuses fail to distinguish between inner drive and outside pressure -- wanting to do something because you like it for itself in contrast to doing something because you want the reward, Kohn says. "It's not just that these two are different, it's often that the more you reward people for doing something, the more their inner drive tends to decline."
A "do this and get that" approach might improve performance in the short term, but over longer periods it will always fail, Kohn says. People who receive bonus will naturally play safe, become less creative, cooperate less and feel less valued, he adds. What's more, the studies also suggest that offering rewards can also stop people taking responsibility. | high20623.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The heroine is not brave enough."
},
"options": [
"The plot is too simple.",
"The description is not vivid.",
"The heroine is not brave enough.",
"The story is unfit for the children today."
],
"question": "Why ... | This is a story told or read to children of young ages.The heroine , Cinderella, treated cruelly by her stepmother and her two ugly stepsisters, is helpless until the right magic comes along.She meets her prince and they live together happily.
Just a sweet, pretty tale? Not in the view of Ellen Macintosh, who has written much about fairy tales.Ellen' s main concern is with what the story implies.
"Instead of standing up to her cruel stepmother and stepsisters, Cinderella just waits for a fairy godmother to appear and solve her problem.But wouldn't you want a daughter of yours to show more spirit?"
The story is long lasting, whatever its shortcomings, and it does' t take much to see its influence on a number of recent Hollywood productions.In these versions for the silver screen, the Cinderella character no longer has to clean the house and has no sisters to make her life terrible, though she keeps the way of not showing much courage.The character of the rich and handsome stranger, however, is kept, and in some cases really is a prince.The role of the fairy godmother is often played by luck; we live in a civilized age when even very young children might reject the idea of fairies.In the majority of film versions, the heroine has a profession and is even permitted to continue working after marrying her prince this is the twenty first century, after all.
Doesn't the success of these films indicate that the story has relevance to children even today?" Yes,, admits Ellen, who sees its message as being rooted in a fundamental childhood desire for love and attention." Most children experience a sense of inner loneliness as they are growing up and empathize with (...)the character who faces some sort of challenge.This can be seen in the original story of Cinderella, where the fairy godmother tells the heroine that she must learn to be gracious and confident if she is to go to the ball.She has to grow spiritually, and by maturing, she becomes attractive to the prince, thus ensuring that the ending of the story will be happy." "In the later versions, thus element is missing," says Ellen, " and the theme of the story is simply that a girl' s role in life is to be more beautiful than other girls so that she can carry off the prize: the handsome prince.Is this really what we want girls to grow up believing?" | high10938.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "got patience in prison"
},
"options": [
"got patience in prison",
"always wants to know what patience is",
"began to teach others how to be patient",
"is a successful man now through failure"
],
"question": "We ... | Over the last six years I have learned what patience is. Growing up I did not have this virtue and it is a very important virtue to have. Now I can see that if you are patient you will almost always get what you want if you are supposed to have it. I gained patience when I lost my freedom. I knew that I would eventually get it back in time.
I was locked up in prison for a period of six years because at 19 years old I was playing with a handgun and I accidentally shot and killed my friend. The first couple of years was the hardest.I was always stressed out about everything.Time was dragging by because I was always paying attention to it.While I was locked up,Tom who I talked to helped put this virtue in me.He told me that it was possible that he would never make it home but that being patient and believing that one day he would was what had made him feel better.After a while I realized why he said a lot of things to me.Once I stopped paying attention to the days and just kept in mind that I would get freedom,it seemed that my time passed quickly.
Now I am home and can see that patience paid off for me. I now use this virtue in my daily activities. I know that sometimes life gets hard and that it will pay in the end to stay patient and not to get discouraged. So if you are having a hard time in life,be patient and it will eventually work out one way or another. | high16391.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "it is not always full"
},
"options": [
"it arrives on time",
"it is not always full",
"it travels faster",
"it has fewer seats on it"
],
"question": "The writer has to take Bus No.49 because _ .",
"questio... | Dear Sir,
I have to travel every day from Souk Road to the airport. Two buses travel along their route : the number 49 and number 16. But by the time the number 16 bus reaches Souk Road it is always full, so I can't get on it. I have to wait for the number 49, because sometimes there are empty seats on it.
The timetable says that there are buses from Souk Road to the airport every ten minutes. If this is so, why do I have to wait half an hour for a bus nearly every day?
The regulations say that if there are empty seats on a bus, the bus must stop at every stop where people are waiting. Why do the half-empty buses go straight past me when I am standing at the bus stop?
The regulations say that no bus may carry more than 40 seated passengers and 20 standing passengers. Yesterday I was the first to get off the bus when it reached the airport. I counted the other passengers as they got off. There were 129 of them.
It is clear that our bus companies break the regulations and think little of their passengers. Can nothing be done to make your service better?
Yours
Tired passenger | high11398.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "not dangerous"
},
"options": [
"dangerous killers",
"not dangerous",
"afraid of people",
"found inJapan"
],
"question": "Most types of sharks are _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"ans... | Read the following interview with Dr John Bass, an international shark specialist who has spent many years studying sharks:
First of all, doctor, are all sharks dangerous?
No, they aren't. There are about 250 different kinds of sharks, but fewer than 30 of them are dangerous to humans. Certain sharks are very aggressive and we should fear them, but the danger of shark attacks is much lower than most people think.
So which sharks are dangerous?
The Great White shark is the most dangerous. Then there is the Tiger shark, which other sharks are afraid of, and the Blue shark. Both of them are very fast and dangerous.
Which are the biggest and smallest sharks?
The Whale shark is the biggest shark in the world. It grows up to 15 m in length and weighs as much as six large cars. The smallest shark, which is found near prefix = st1 /Japan, could fit into the palm of your hand because it is only 15-20 cm long.
Do all sharks have teeth ?
Yes, they do. Most sharks have hundreds, sometimes even thousands, of sharp teeth. These are arranged in rows of four or more. They fit quite loosely in the jaw. When the front ones break off or fall out, spare teeth move forwards from the rows behind: Sharks get a new set of teeth every two weeks. In 10 years, a Tiger may lose as many as 24,000 teeth!
That's lots of teeth! What kind of food do sharks eat?
Most sharks feed on small fish, and they keep the oceans healthy by eating sick and injured fish. However, hungry sharks will eat almost anything, including smaller sharks and even rubbish. Inside one Tiger shark which was found, there was a tin can, a bicycle tyre , a leather wallet and an alarm clock!
And how do sharks find their food, doctor?
A shark's sense of smell is excellent. It will follow the smell of blood across thousands of metres of ocean. They also see well, and they have good hearing. Sharks can feel movement in water very easily too, and it is possible for them to feel a fish moving as far as 30 m away. | high17931.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "More official"
},
"options": [
"Playful",
"Direct",
"Less respectful",
"More official"
],
"question": "Which of the following is NOT true for slang compared with the official language?",
"question_type": nul... | Slang is a popular, less official and often very current form of language. It is an important part of a living language and is constantly changing as language changes. Slang is often playful, direct and sometimes less respectful than the more official and traditional version of language. So now I'm going to lay it on you! To "lay it on" is American slang for "to tell" or "to explain."
Slang can take many forms. For example, slang can be local to one city or area. In Washington, D.C. there is a whole set of slang to describe politics and business in the city. For example, the term POTUS stands for President of the United States. POTUS can often be found with his wife, FLOTUS, the first lady of the United States. "Inside the Beltway" is a popular expression that describes the area of Washington, D.C. The beltway is the large highway that circles the city.
The Internet has helped create a whole new kind of computer-related slang. An "angry fruit salad" is an expression that describes a website with too many bright colors. "Netiquette" is slang for correct behavior when using the Internet.
Young people often develop the latest slang. For example, to say Special English "rocks" or is "phat" means Special English is really great. A "kegger" is a party where beer is served. If something is "wack", it is wild and crazy.
Different professions often have their own slang as well. For example, medical workers might refer to a complaining patient as a "gomer". A "tough stick" is someone whose veins are difficult to find when he or she needs to have blood taken.
No matter how well you speak English, there are always new and interesting slang words to discover. There are entire dictionaries for describing slang. Many experts do not even agree on what is and what is not slang. Often slang words later become a part of officially accepted language. Official or not, slang is an energetic and exciting part of the American language that continues to change. | high10086.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "draw our attention to water shortage"
},
"options": [
"tell us what life is like in Yemen",
"draw our attention to water shortage",
"remind us how important water is",
"show us ways of solving problems"
],
"ques... | Imagine one day, the water taps in your house stop running. You have to buy water from shops. And still there isn't enough for everyone. Your mother has to save the family's shower water to do other things. Would you be able to stand that kind of life?
Probably not. But _ 's what kids in Yemen are experiencing. Experts said Yemen is going to be the first country in the world to run out of water. According to a report, the capital, Sanaa, will run out of drinking water as early as 2025.
Because of the shortage, the government often cuts the water supply. Hannan, an 18-year-old from Lahej, told the Times: "In a good week we'll have a water supply all week. But then the following week there will be water only for a day or two."
Hannan said only rich people have enough water to use. They can buy water from the shops or from the water truck. Private companies own the trucks. They travel around the city every day to sell water - at very high prices.
"A lot of people can't afford it," she said.
The average person in Yemen uses 100 to 200 cubic meters of water per year. That is far below the international water poverty line of 1,000 cubic meters.
The government is thinking of making use of seawater. But it will cost a lot and it may not happen soon enough to help the people of Yemen. | high3807.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "what happiness is"
},
"options": [
"happiness means the same to everyone",
"what happiness is",
"money makes one happy,so does helping others",
"both A and C"
],
"question": "The main idea of the above article i... | There is one thing that everyone wants more than anything else. Some people try to get it by .making money. They think that when they have enough money to buy such things as houses, farms, and cars, they will have the one thing that everyone wants.
Other people believe that if they know enough they will find this thing. They study all their lives in search of it. Still others think that if they have power, they will find this thing. They keep telling themselves: when I am a boss,I will no longer have to search for this thing.
What is it that everyone wants more than anything else? What is it that all of us keep working and striving for each day? It is happiness.
Happiness is a strange thing. It does not mean the same to all men. What will make one man happy may not make another man happy. Some men say that happiness comes from helping others; other men say that happiness comes from making life more pleasant for everyone. What do you mean when you say "That makes me happy" ?
Read what different people have said ab0ut.happiness. Perhaps you will learn something that will bring you peace of mind, comfort, money or it may bring you what you search for happiness. | high20145.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "are difficult to find for girls"
},
"options": [
"are all made by boys",
"are seldom loved by girls",
"are only designed for boys",
"are difficult to find for girls"
],
"question": "According to the text, footba... | Football T-shirts are more commonly connected with boys than girls. This can often cause a problem when you want to find a cool shirt for a girl. That is not to say that there are no cool shirts out there for girls to wear. The problem is that they are often harder to find than the ones for boys.
You can get custom shirt printed for girls from a number of custom print stores. Of course you have to make sure that they are legally allowed to use the logos and colours of the team you want to support.
You can also go through official channels to get the shirt you want. The official channels will generally be the large sportswear stores or the official stores of the teams. These stores will be able to use the colours of the teams and even put the name of the person who the shirt is for on it.
If you do not feel like you have to try the T-shirts on, then an online store may be your best choice. The reason for this is that you can visit various stores and find the best ones.
If you want to see what the T-shirt looks like in real life, then going to a store is the best choice. Large sportswear stores often have football shirts. These are the best places to go if you do not live close to an official store. And these stores usually have lower prices than the official stores. | high12691.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "western stand-up comedy"
},
"options": [
"China's new comedian star",
"the origin of Errenzhuan",
"western stand-up comedy",
"ancient comedies in the world"
],
"question": "The passage is mainly about _ .",
... | While Errenzhuan has gained in popularity over the past few years, not least as a result of comedians such as Xiao Shenyang, so has the Western equivalent of the ancient art form - stand-up comedy.
Stand-up comedy differs from Errenzhuan. It normally features a single person on stage, as opposed to a duet. Although music is sometimes included, other features such as dance are a lot rarer.
Instead, stand-up comedy is usually just one person, a microphone and the audience. Whether the comedian _ or has people in fits of laughter is all down to his or her skill.
I never used to like the idea of stand-up comedy. It seemed too forced for me. "I'll laugh when I feel like it," I thought. I don't want to have someone stand in front of me, pressuring me to chuckle.
Stand-ups also have a reputation for picking on their audience. If you sit close to the front of the stage, you'd better be careful. One cough or wrong move, and the comedian will pounce. Before long, you are the focus of all the jokes.
But a couple of years ago, I went to see a comedian who changed my opinion - British stand-up Stewart Lee. He is not hugely famous, but instead of jokes, he told very funny, often long stories about his life. His delivery was dry, and he had a very quick wit. I soon began to appreciate just how hard it is to make people laugh on demand.
The great thing about stand-ups is that you hardly ever see two that are the same. There are so many different approaches, and people from all sorts of backgrounds can make people laugh in different ways.
For example, one of the most popular stand-up comedians in the world is Chris Rock. Rock is African-American, and uses his race, and the problems he faces because of it, as material for his routines. He turns a topic that is normally serious into something funny.
"A black C student can't be a manager at Burger King, meanwhile a white C student just happens to be the President of the United States," he once joked about racism in the United States during George Bush's presidency.
That is the beauty of stand-up comedy. Just about anything can be turned into a joke. | high22752.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "education of American high school"
},
"options": [
"education of Chinese middle school",
"education of American high school",
"American free education",
"how to get into universities in America"
],
"question": "... | As a student, you must be excited to know something about American school students. In fact, just like in China, in the United States, high school is usually divided into two periods, the first two or three years are called "junior high school" and the other is "senior high school".
In China, children enjoy free education of nine years, but in the United States, the students enjoy free education(which will be started when they are about 6 years old) until they are 18 years old. As a result of the free education system, American children have little difficulty in going to senior high school.
American high school students can take part in a lot of activities outside of the classroom. The activities are organized by the school, such as joining a music group or a sports team. Certainly, just like us students in China, American students have to work hard in order to get good marks if they want to go to a good university. They take classes in all kinds of subjects all through the high school period. And students with low marks at the end of a school year are still allowed to go on to the next grade.
In American high schools, there is fighting or hurting or other kinds of bad behaviors. So children who want to go to university are often sent to suburban high schools, where most students want to go to university and the atmosphere is quite different. | high9480.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a model interview"
},
"options": [
"a model interview",
"her brothers' examples",
"the taxi-ride to her hotel room",
"the beautiful scenery of New York"
],
"question": "Lawrence made up her mind to be an actress... | To win an Oscar is an achievement at any age. To do so at 22, as Jennifer
Lawrence has, is just amazing. Recently, the American star won Best Actress at this year's Academy Awards for her role in the film The Silver Linings Playbook. According to Time magazine's Richard Corliss, Lawrence is that rare young actress who "lends a mature intelligence to any role".
Though Lawrence has found great success through her big screen work, Lawrence wasn't sure what she really liked doing before the age of 14. She thought she'd go to college and maybe find a career as a doctor or a travel agent.
Lawrence's two brothers were star athletes and one of them was a straight-A student. Unlike them, she suffered through school, never quite finding where she belonged. However, during a trip to New York, Lawrence suddenly realized that she wanted to be an actress. When she was enjoying the beautiful city, a model seeker asked if he could take her picture, and the next day he called her in for an audition .
"I read the script and it was the first time I had that feeling like I understand this," Lawrence said.
"Within 20 minutes, in the cab ride from the hotel room, I decided I didn't
want to be a model. In fact, I wanted to be an actress." Having appreciated
this young lady's performance, the agency was so impressed with her reading
that they signed her on the spot. But she insisted on finishing high school so
she could give her full attention to her acting career.
Lawrence burst onto the Hollywood scene last year with The Hunger Games,
which established her as the highest-grossing female action hero of all time. Rolling Stone called her"the most talented young actress in America". | high8946.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To realize his childhood dream to be an actor"
},
"options": [
"To study kung fu to build up his strength",
"Because he has seen through the human society",
"To realize his childhood dream to be an actor",
"To make mone... | Some years ago, Wang Baoqiang was a nobody to most Chinese people. However, he is now a household film star in China.
Wang is the youngest child of a poor family in Hebei Province. Dreaming of becoming an actor, he left home at the age of 8 to study kung fu at Shaolin Temple, since kung-fu actors seemed to appear most often on the big screen.
At 14, he moved to Beijing for his acting career for the first time, with little money in his pocket. He worked at a construction site for 20 to 25 yuan per day, and spent his free time standing in front of the Beijing Film Studio, eager to be chosen as temporary actors. This was the hardest time for the boy. His opportunity finally came one day after he went for a role in the movie "Blind Shaft" . He was chosen to play a young coal miner. The movie won him three prizes in Thailand, France and Taiwan. But his success didn`t make any difference to his life.
That year, he went home for the Spring Festival. He gave his family his earnings from the movie, around $ 250 and then returned to Beijing with 500 yuan, the same amount he had when he first came to the city. His life was as simple as before.
Thanks to his natural performance in "Blind Shaft", he was invited by the famous director Feng Xiaogang to act in the film "A World Without Thieves" in 2004, which made him famous immediately. People called him "Shagen", the name of his character in the movie.
Wang's work, "Soldiers Sortie" has made him the most popular actor on the Chinese mainland. For the actor, it's a dream coming true.
"Dreams come true. I think my life is exactly a course of pursuing dreams. No matter how tough one thing is,I can make it as long as I put great effort into it. "he said. | high12685.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "can imagine they have great power"
},
"options": [
"are usually rich",
"like to daydream",
"can imagine they have great power",
"frighten those without masks"
],
"question": "In the Venice Carnival people wearin... | The Venice Carnival is the largest and the most important Venetian festival. It is a festival that celebrates the passage from winter to spring, a time when seemingly anything is possible, including the illusion that the people at the bottom become the most powerful by wearing masks on their faces.
The Venice Carnival could date back to 1296. It was confirmed on the day before Lent, a public holiday, but it had no direct religious connection at that time. However, the participants were not allowed to wear masks around the city at night; men could not enter convents if they pretended to be women, and celebrations within the convents were strictly forbidden. People who broke the rules could be put into prison.
The laws were not relaxed until the late 17thcentury, when the carnival-goers were allowed to wear masks throughout the carnival. Participants would wear a white mask in old days, while costumes have become even wilder today.
St. Mark's Square is the center for the carnival, while Campo San Polo and Sestiere are two other popular places where events take place. Most of the events are free, along with several unusual masked balls for which visitors will have to buy tickets in advance.
The 2012 Venetian Carnival was celebrated from February 11 to 21. There were the liveliest celebrations of parties, performances, show, music, dances, dinner sets along streets, and hotels. It attracted a great number of visitors around the world. Many travelers booked Venice hotels and prepared costumes and masks well ahead of time so that they couldn't be made fun of by local people. | high22746.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "To give the readers an idea of cognitive interview."
},
"options": [
"To give an description of a murder case in an office.",
"To explain why Fisher was invited to a police interview.",
"To describe how cognitive method helps... | Six years ago, a Miami woman walking through the hall of an office building casually noticed two men standing together. Several minutes after her leaving, the men murdered a person working in the building. Police investigators determined that the woman was the only witness who had seen the two suspects, and could possibly describe them. In an interview with police, her memory of the men proved disappointingly unclear.
Several days later, psychologist Ronald P. Fisher was brought in to get a more complete description from the woman. Fisher's interview produced a breakthrough--the woman reported a clear picture of one of the suspects. She then recalled several details about his appearances. This information gave police important leads that enabled them to arrest the suspects and close the case.
Police investigators found the help from Fisher because of his rich knowledge in conducting the so-called cognitive interview, a kind of memory-rebuilding process. In its original form, the cognitive interview focuses on guiding witnesses through four general recalling techniques: thinking about physical surroundings and personal feelings that existed at the time of past events, reporting everything that comes to mind about those events no matter how broken or unconnected, retelling events in kinds of time orders, beginning to end, end to beginning, forward or backward, and accepting different views while recalling events.
Usually, an interviewer begins the cognitive approach by encouraging the witness to take an active role in recalling information rather than giving answers only to someone else's questions. The witness first describes what happened in his or her own words, with no interviewer interruptions. The interviewer then goes further with specific techniques, such as having the witness tell the details of what happened from different aspects.
Experiments with police detectives trained in this demanding interview method find that they get nearly 50% more information from witnesses than before training, while error rates remain about the same. | high17925.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "picking up rubbish on the shoreline"
},
"options": [
"creating a safe nest for turtles",
"picking up rubbish on the shoreline",
"collecting the turtle eggs on the beach",
"finding a comfortable environment for turtles"
... | What a Scientist Is Like
If you were asked to imagine a scientist, what image would come to your mind? The common idea that most kids from kindergarten through college have of a scientist is a man wearing a white lab coat with messy hair, big glasses, and several glass cups of mysterious color1ful liquids giving off clouds of smoke. As for adults, the majority view scientists as strange people who spend 100 hours a week slaving away in a lonely laboratory. However, the reality is quite different.
Recently I've had a chance to take part in a scientific experience far from my laboratory and into Costa Rica. It supports a huge amount of wildlife due to its geographical placement between North and South America. It is home to more than 500,000 species ,which represents nearly 4% of the total species worldwide!
First we worked alongside conservationists to preserve wildlife at a leatherback turtle ( )rescue center. We helped the volunteers preserve turtle populations by removing rubbish from the shoreline to create a safe environment for turtle eggs to come out. After that we stayed at Mount Arenal where we studied seismic activity relating to earthquakes. During our stay at Arenal, we rode over the mountainous areas and took a long walk through the rainforest. After reaching the top, we went down and through waterfalls to the beautiful valley below! On the last day we got a hands-on introduction to rocket science where we learned about new rocket technology that will be used on the international space station.
During my Costa Rica experience, I know that being a scientist doesn't mean working in a lab all day and night. A scientist is one who loves learning and getting a better understanding of the world from helping preserve wild-life, learning about earthquakes or inventing rockets. I think that schools should really stress that science is so much more than wearing a lab coat and mixing chemicals. Kids need to be aware of the excitement and adventures science can bring! | high19908.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Drunken Pedestrian Accidents."
},
"options": [
"Traffic Safety.",
"Drunken Drivers.",
"Drunken Pedestrian Accidents.",
"A Severe Highway Safety problem."
],
"question": "Which of the following would be the best ... | While drunken driving may be on the decline, traffic safety experts remain puzzled over how to deal with another alcohol related danger: drunken pedestrains.
Pedestrians struck and killed by cars often are extremely drunk. In fact, they are intoxicated more frequently and with higher blood alcohol levels than drunken drivers who are killed in accidents, various studies have shown. Forty percent of adult pedestrians involved in fatal crashes have a blood alcohol level of at least 0.10 which by law in most states signifies intoxication compared to only 25 percent of drivers in deadly accidents, according to recent federal data.
Some types of pedestrain accidents have been declining nationally, especially those involving children, but the number of adult pedestrians who are drunk when killed in traffic has remained ly steady at 2500 a year. The total number of pedestrians killed annually in U.S. traffic accidents is at least 7000, or one of every seven highway accidents resulting in death.
"We're dealing here, we think, with a very severe drinking problem that leads to a severe highway safety problem," said Richard Blomberg, president of Dunlap and Associates Inc, in Norwalk, Coon. w.w.^w.k.&s.5*u.c.#om....
Blomberg, whose consulting company found a very high rate of alcohol involvement in a controlled study of pedestrian accidents in New Orleans, was among several researchers who spoke on the topic at the annual meeting of the Research council's Transportation Research Board(TRB) in Washington in January.
Pedestrian accidents have not received enough attention in the past, according to Kay Colpitts, who chairs the board's committee on pedestrians. Few methods exist to monitor walking habits, she said, and researchers have been mystified about how to prevent disasters. | high20151.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "find gold"
},
"options": [
"find ideas for his books",
"find gold",
"write his books and stories",
"find jobs"
],
"question": "Jack London went to Alaska to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
... | Jack London is a famous American writer. His most widely known book is the Call of the Wild, the story of the adventure of a large dog in the frozen north.
Jack London was born on January 12, 1876, in San Francisco, California. His family was very poor, and Jack had to leave school to make money. He worked hard at many different jobs.
Later, Jack returned to school, but he didn't stay. He wrote, "Life and pocket book were both too short." In 1897, he went to Alaska to find gold. Instead, he found ideas there for his book stories. He returned home and started to write. His writings were successful, and he became rich and famous in his twenties.
Jack London was not a happy man, however. In poor health, he took his own life in 1916. He was then only 40 years old. | high20637.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "he cannot hear other people and he has nothing to imitate"
},
"options": [
"there's something wrong with his mouth and tongue",
"he cannot hear other people and he has nothing to imitate",
"he doesn't like to speak",
"h... | A person who is deaf when he is born is usually dumb as well. There may be nothing wrong with his mouth and tongue, but he cannot speak. This is because he cannot hear people, so he has nothing to imitate . He may try to make sounds himself, but cannot hear his own voice. However, even though he finds it difficult to speak and cannot hear, he can learn to read. Nowadays such persons can also be taught to speak because we have modern methods and equipment, but we did not have these when Helen Keller was born.
Even with modern methods and equipment, however, it is not easy for deaf children to learn to speak, though most of them succeed. When a child is deaf and blind as well, it becomes much more difficult, though it is possible. Helen Keller was born in 1880. She became very ill at the age of nineteen months. Medical knowledge was not as great then as it is now. She did not die but lost her sight and hearing. As a result, she became dumb as well. Her parents did their best to teach her, but she couldn't speak by the age of six.
Then, in 1887, a teacher, Miss Sullivan, came to live with her. Miss Sullivan herself had been blind. She had been partly cured. Though she could not see very well, she was not blind. Helen was a difficult pupil at first, but in a month Helen had learned how to understand signs and how to make them herself. At last in spite of her great difficulties, Helen learned to read, write and speak, even though she was deaf and blind. She even went to college and had full education. She wrote many books, and though other people have written books about her, her own books are the ones that best explain how it feels to be deaf, dumb and blind. Her best book is The Story of My Life. Perhaps you have read it. Though it was written in 1902, it is still a very interesting book. Even if you have not read it, you may have heard of Helen Keller. | high21529.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Four"
},
"options": [
"Three",
"Four",
"Five",
"Six"
],
"question": "How many examples does the author offer to describe the future life?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index"... | When a magazine for high school students asked its readers what life would be like in twenty years, they said: Machines would be run by solar power. Buildings would rotate so they could follow the sun to take maximum advantage of its light and heat. Walls would "give light" and "change color with the push of a button." Food would be replaced by pills. School would be taught by electrical impulse while we sleep. Cars would have radar . Does this sound like the year 2000? Actually, this article was written in 1958 and the question was, "what will life be like in 1978?
The future is much too important to simply guess about, the way the high school students did, so experts are regularly asked to predict accuately. By carefully studying the present, skilled businessmen, scientists, and politicians are supposedly able to figure out in advance what will happen. But can they? One expert on Cities wrote: Cities of the future would not be crowded, but would have space for farms and fields. People would travel to work in "airbuses", large all-weather helicopters carrying up to 200 passengers. When a person left the airbus station he could drive a coin-operated car equipped with radar. The radar equipment of cars would make traffic accidents "almost unheard of". Does that sound familiar? If the expert had been accurate it would, because he was writing in 1957. His subject was "The city of 1982".
If the professionals sometimes sound like high school students, it's probably because future study is still a new field. But economic forecasting, or predicting what the economy will do, has been around for a long time. It should be accuate, and generally it is. But there have been some big mistakes in the field, too. In early 1929, most forecasters saw an excellent future for the stock market. In October of that year, the stock market had its worst losses ever, ruining thousands of investors who had put their faith in financial foreseers.
One forecaster knew that predictions about the future would always be subject to significant error. In 1957, H.J. Rand of the Rad corporation was asked about the year 2000, "Only one thing is certain," he answered. "Children born today will have reached the age of 43." | high16385.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Some students donate books to children in mountainous areas."
},
"options": [
"Some people open up soup kitchens to feed homeless people.",
"Some students bring meals to old people who can't go out easily.",
"Some people coll... | It's not uncommon in America for a person to belong to some kind of volunteer group. Donating one's time and services is very much a part of the American way of life. Most charitable activities are organized by churches and groups around the nation and even encouraged by the government. The helping hand is extended to the poor, the homeless and the disabled. Some people work to teach youngsters how to read. Others open up soup kitchens to feed the homeless. Volunteers also take care of the disabled by making reading tapes for the blind and working in orphanages to help children without parents.
High school students are often encouraged to become volunteers and many school club activities center around volunteer services. Students may work with disabled children during a summer program, or participate in a club activity which helps to bring meal to senior citizens who are shut-ins. With their sense of idealism students are often eager to donate their spare time. They see such activities as a way of becoming involved in the community and the adult-world. Social action for them becomes as important as their academic studies.
In a like manner, throughout the year,fund raising drives are also conducted by schools and community groups to raise money for a worthy cause. They may respond to a recent earthquake in a foreign country, a flood somewhere within their own, or another natural disaster which has left people destitute and homeless. They may organize drives to collect food, clothing and medicines to serve an immediate need. Today even the Halloween custom of 'trick or treat'has become an occasion to collect money for a charitable cause.
The motive to help those less fortunate comes from the poor origins of the American nation. Those immigrants who were poor and downtrodden became dependent on the kindness of their neighbors to make a new life for themselves.
American volunteers work throughout the world in less developed countries. They volunteer by serving as a champion of goodwill both at home and abroad, which no doubt enriches both his life and those whom he serves. | high1962.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Kensington Palace"
},
"options": [
"Kensington Palace",
"the Tower of London",
"Hampton Court Palace",
"Historic Royal Palaces"
],
"question": "If you want to take a look at the dresses worn by some royal member... | BUY A JOINT TICKET AND VISIT THE HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES
THE TOWER OF LONDON
Royal Palace and fortress for over 900 years, scene of mystery, murder and home to the Crown Jewels.
KENSINGTON PALACE
Birthplace of Queen Victoria, this royal retreat is home to magnificent State Apartments and the stunning Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection, which includes dresses worn by HM Queen Elizabeth II and Diana, Princess of Wales.
HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES
Hampton Court Palace is part of Historic Royal Palaces, a registered charity ( No: 1068852 ) that receives no public funding. We rely on the income from admission tickets to the palaces to pay for vital protection work, necessary for the preservation of these national monuments and collections for future generations. Please ask at the ticket office for more information or visit www.hrp.org.uk.
VISITOR INFORMATION
CARRIAGE RIDES
Take a trip around Home Park in a horse-drawn carriage. Rides begin and end in Home Park at the entrance by the East Front Gardens. Available all day. 20 minutes duration. PS10.00 per carriage. Subject to weather and ground conditions.
ENQUIRIES
For details of admission charges, group rates, the Friends of Hampton Court Palace and facilities for disabled visitors, call 0870-752-7777 or visit www. Hampton-court-palace.org.uk.
RESTAURANTS & SHOPS
Choose from the Tiltyard Tearooms or the Privy Kitchen Coffee Shop. There are also a number of ice-cream kiosks open in the summer. The palace shops offer a wide range of gifts and souvenirs.
AUDIO GUIDES
Audio guides are included in the palace ticket and are available in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Japanese. | high15854.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "4 hours"
},
"options": [
"2 hours",
"4 hours",
"6 hours",
"8 hours"
],
"question": "You can put shade-loving roses in the sun as long as _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Growing roses is quite a difficult task without knowing the right way. If you are attracted by the beauty of roses and need some tips for growing them, read on for some tips about taking care of rose plants.
* You have to buy a good plant, preferably around two years old.
* While most rose plants can tolerate around six hours of sunlight every day, some varieties need eight hours of sunlight exposure. The shade-loving roses need only four hours of sunlight.
* You will have to soak the roots overnight, before planting. If you plant it in a container, then the watering should be done daily, whereas garden roses need water once or twice a week.
* The next point is the application of fertilizers , which is mainly needed by rose plants in containers. Most of the varieties do not need fertilizers, as they can feed on the nutrients that exist in the soil. There is no need of fertilization during November and December, and the frequency of fertilization can be reduced during the summers, especially after April. It can be restarted in September and has to be increased during the growing periods.
* Cutting the stems promotes the growth of the plant and also aids flowering. It should be done regularly to remove dead or diseased leaves and stems.
Rose plants can be successfully grown by beginners too! With some care and consideration, all your efforts would definitely be worth it once you smell the fragrance of beautiful roses. | high14592.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Hector Berlionz"
},
"options": [
"Hector Berlionz",
"Christoph von Dohnanyi",
"Claudio Abbado",
"Christian Tetzlaff"
],
"question": "Who will perform in the concert on Sunday?",
"question_type": "factiod_que... | LONDON: The Edinburgh Festival, the biggest arts festival of its kind in the world, got under way in the Scotland capital on Sunday with a concert that included Hector Berlionz'sTo Deum, under the direction of Christoph von Dohnanyi.
The festival, which runs until August 31 this year, includes as its high points Peter Stein's staging of Wagner'sParsifal, with Claudio Abbado directing the Gustav Mahler youth orchestra. The concert programme includes American pianist Richard Goode, bass baritone Thomas Quasthoff and violinist Christian Tetzlaff. New to the programmes this year will be 25 late evening classical music concerts.
Earlier this month, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the largest show-case in the world for performance art, officially got under way with theatre, dance, poetry and music presentations.
Many of the fringe artists, who can enter the fringe festival upon payment of a small fee, were inspired this year by the event of September 11.
Thousands of people flock to Edinburgh from around the world during the festival, which is over 50 years old. It aims to promote and encourage arts and to reflect international culture. It consists of various dance, music, opera, and theatre presentation taking place across the city during the three-week run. | high1751.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Get their smartphones."
},
"options": [
"Read news.",
"Shop online.",
"Get their smartphones.",
"Check e-mails."
],
"question": "What will most young Americans do first the moment they wake up?",
"question_t... | India now leads the world in smartphone growth. It saw a 55% increase in the number of smartphones in 2014. The number of Web users increased by 37%. Smartphones were the source of 65 % of its Internet traffic and 41 % of its e-commerce, according to a report by the analyst Mary Meeker, titled "Internet Trends 2015".
India's Internet boom has started. Within three or four years, almost every adult in India will own a smartphone. They will be used to order goods, read news, monitor crop growth and so on.
Indian adults will be very interested in these devices just as young Americans are. 87% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 who own smartphones say they never separate from these: "My smartphone never leaves my side." Four out of five say that the first thing they do on waking is to reach for their smartphones. And three fifths believe that in the next five years everything will be done on mobile devices.
In the business world, the rise of mobile platforms is dramatically transforming many industries all over the world. What Indian software developers have to do is to start thinking about solutions to old problems by using all the features of these new devices. They need to take advantage of the unique properties of smartphones and tablets. As Indian software developers and enterprises master the smartphone, they will be able to export their solutions to the rest of the world.
This will make possible a new tech revolution that is greater than what created India's IT industry in the 1980s and 1990s. We can expect the rapid transformation of India when a billion people become connected and have equal access to information and services. | high14579.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "More people will fly to Canada from China directly."
},
"options": [
"There was no non-stop service between Canada and China mainland.",
"People in our country can fly to Canada from Beijing directly now.",
"More people will ... | Beijing, January 25 ( Xinhuanet)--Air Canada announced that effective June 2, 2005 it will introduce non--stop service between Toronto and Beijing, further building its main Toronto hub with more non-stop flights to Asia and creating the first--ever direct link between eastern Canada and the Chinese mainland.
Air Canada will operate four non-stop flights per week from Toronto to the Chinese capital of Beijing, complementing its daily non-stop flights to Beijing and Shanghai from Vancouver, and twice daily Hong Kong flights including a new non--stop service from Toronto.
In addition, in response to increased demand on its Vancouver--Shanghai route, Air Canada will replace its 189-seat Boeing 767-300ER service with larger 282-seat A340-300 aircraft during the demand season beginning June 1,2005. With these new services, Air Canada is boosting seating capacity between Canada and China by 16 percent and providing freight forwarders with 45 percent more cargo tonnage( ) from one year ago.
"China is the fastest growing aviation( )market in the world, and Air Canada's global network is well positioned to meet the needs of international travelers and freight senders," said Duncan Dee, senior vice president of Air Canada. "With the introduction of the first non-stop service to Beijing from our main Toronto hub, Air Canada is bringing the Americas that much closer to the Chinese mainland." | high7320.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "how a mother and son experienced a storm"
},
"options": [
"how a storm happened and caused damage",
"how a mother and son experienced a storm",
"how a mother and son survived a storm",
"how a son helped his mother in a ... | Donald had his own difficulties in sleeping that night. Not just because of the bright lights of the shelter or people's constant voices, it was the happening repeatedly nightmare that caused him to stay awake, to fear sleep. Donald was back in his small house. He did his best to ignore the howling winds outside his window. Yet he could not turn out the fearful whimpers of his little dog, or the uncomfortable sounds of his mother anxious in her room next door, unable to sleep through the storm despite her insistence they would be all right.
Donald did not want his mother to be upset, but on some level, he was glad to hear she was awake, It meant he was not alone in the dark. Though he was 12, until recently it was impossible for Donald to fall asleep unless his mother lay down by his side.
Suddenly there was a crash. Their living room window is shattered by 125 miles an hour winds. Troy rushed to Donald and sat anxiously on the edge of his bed. He did his best to calm his mother, and she had to comfort him. Soon water was seeping into the single floor house. Quickly it rose from ankle level to leg level. At Donald's insistence, they pushed their way through the water --- now chest high --- toward the front door. When they fought their way into the living room, water rose to their chins.
It was a struggle for the boy and mother to stay afloat. In a total panic, desperate to hold on to something, Troy caught a curtain rod. She was breathing hard, shouting that she couldn't swim.
Donald cried out, "Mom! Hold on!" Just then Donald also caught a floatable wood board. | high15667.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Research on the causes and consequences of sleep-deficit."
},
"options": [
"The history of people's sleeping patterns.",
"The epidemic of sleepiness in the modern times.",
"Research on the causes and consequences of sleep-def... | Judging from recent surveys, most experts in sleep behavior agree that there is virtually an epidemic of sleepiness in the nation."I can't think of a single study that hasn't found Americans getting less sleep than they ought to," says Dr.David.Even people who think they are sleeping enough would probably be better off with more rest.
The beginning of our sleep-deficit(lack)crises can be traced back to the invention of the light bulb a century ago.From diary entries and our personal accounts from the 18th and 19th centuries, sleep scientists have reached the conclusion that the average person used to sleep about 9.5 hours a night."The best sleep habits once were forced on us, when we had nothing to do in the evening down on the farm, and it was dark." By the 1950s and 1960s, the sleep schedule had been reduced dramatically, to between 7.5 and 8 hours, and most people had to wake to an alarm clock."People cheat in their sleep, and they don't even realize they're doing it," says Dr.David."They think they're okay because they can get by on 6.5 hours, when they really need 7.5, 8 or even more to feel ideally energetic. "
Perhaps the most merciless robber of sleep, researches say, is the complexity of the day.Whenever pressures from work, family, friends and community increase, many people consider sleep the least expensive item on their programs."In our society, you're considered dynamic if you say you need only 5.5 hours' sleep.If you've got to get 8.5 hours, people think you lack drive and ambition."
To determine the consequences of sleep-deficit, researchers have put subjects through a set of psychological and performance tests requiring them, for instance, to add columns of numbers or recall a passage read to them only minutes earlier."We've found that if you're in sleep deficit, performance suffers," says Dr.David."Short-term memory is weakened, as are abilities to make decisions and to concentrate." | high1989.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "were replaced by water, milk, and fruit juice"
},
"options": [
"were charged a penny-per-ounce tax",
"were not as popular as they are today",
"were replaced by water, milk, and fruit juice",
"were not more than 20 ounce... | Over the years, many cities and states have tried to put a tax on sugary drinks. Last week, Berkeley, California succeeded. The city in northern California will charge a penny-per-ounce tax on most sugary drinks. The tax is expected to raise more than $1 million every year to fight against obesity .
Makers of sugary drinks are against the tax. They say picking out one product will not solve the obesity problem in America. They also argue that a tax is an attack on personal freedom. "Families should be able to make the choice for their kids without the government stepping in," said Chris Gindlesperger, a spokesperson for the American Beverage Association .
Gindlesperger says that the fight against obesity is more successful when the government partners with industry. He shows how the beverage industry worked with President Bill Clinton's administration is the 1990s. They introduced water, milk, and fruit juice into a large number of schools, which took the place of sugary drinks. More recently, the beverage industry listened to First Lady Michelle Obama's suggestion that labels on sugary drinks be clearer. Containers of up to 20 ounces will show the total calories on the front.
Some people say a tax is a _ way to help reduce obesity in the U.S. "There is clear evidence that taxes result in less consumption of sugary drinks," says Dr. Rachel Johnson, a spokesperson for the American Heart Association. She points to Mexico as an example. The country put up a tax on sugary drinks in January, and sales have already dropped by 10%. What's more, sales of healthier drinks have increased. Bottled water sales are up by 13%. Milk sales are up by 7%.
Another purpose of the tax is to raise money to fight childhood obesity. Money will be used to build playgrounds, create educational materials, and increase the sales of the healthier foods. "We've already helped reduce obesity to some degree," says Dr. Johnson. "I'm confident that we're going to see even bigger progress soon." | high12108.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To make more new friends."
},
"options": [
"To get the conversation going smoothly.",
"To continue the conversation with other matters.",
"To make more new friends.",
"To know how far the conversation can go."
],
... | Some people make you feel comfortable when they are around. You spend an hour with them and feel as if you have known them half your life. These people have something in common. And once we know what it is, we can try to do it ourselves.
How is it done? Here are several skills that good talkers have. If you follow the skills, they'll help you put people at their ease, and make friends with them quickly.
First of all, good talkers ask questions. Almost anyone, no matter how shy he is, will answer a question. One well-known businesswoman says, "At business lunches, I always ask people what they did that morning. It's a common question, but it will get things going." From there you can move on to other matters--sometimes to really personal questions. And how he answers will let you know how far you can go.
In addition, once good talkers have asked questions, they listen to the answers. This point seems clear, but it isn't. Your questions should have a point and help to tell what sort of person you are talking to. And to find out, you really have to listen carefully and attentively.
Real listening at least means some things. First it means not to change the subject of conversation. If someone sticks to one topic, you can take it as a fact that he's really interested in it. Real listening also means not just listening to words, but to tones of voice. If the voice sounds dull, then, it's time for you to change the subject.
Last but not least, good talkers know well how to deal with the occasion of parting. If you're saying good-bye, you may give him a firm handshake and say, "I've really enjoyed meeting you." If you want to see that person again, don't keep it a secret. Let people know what you feel, and they may walk away feeling as if they've known you half their life. | high3146.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "give a TV program summary"
},
"options": [
"introduce some scientists",
"report on a study on DNA",
"tell the importance of DNA",
"give a TV program summary"
],
"question": "The purpose in writing this text is t... | DNA tells the story of the race to discover the structure of DNA, and the scientists who changed our understanding of the world and everything in it. The five-part series, to be broadcast from Thursday July 14 at 8:30 p.m. on ABC TV, also looks at the scientists' work for the future of mankind.
The scientists were a small group of pioneers who explored a world too small to see. What they found there answered some eternal questions--What is life? How is it made ? Why are children like their parents?
DNA is without doubt the most powerful substance on earth. The order of its chemicals determines whether a child has her mother's eyes or her father's smile. But as DNA shows, until 50 years ago, almost no one knew of its existence. All that changed when two unknown scientists - Jim Watson and Francis Crick -ran into a pub in Cambridge shouting that they'd found the secret of life.
This declaration heralded a momentous discovery, not just for the human race but for the people involved. As this program shows, it was one of the most heated scientific races the world has ever seen.
Dr Watson takes us back 50 years, guiding us through the tumultuous events that led to the creation of a double helix model being built by Dr Francis Crick and himself. He tells how he and Crick try hard to find the double helix first and win the Noble Prize.
The program shows others involved with the DNA story, including Maurice Wilkins, who helped create the atom bomb. He became disillusioned with the science of death and chose the science of life instead, by looking for the structure of DNA. | high20804.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Rapid development of the Internet calls for new advertising strategies and mediums."
},
"options": [
"The pace of the Internet's evolution is increasing and will only increase in the future.",
"Internet advertising fails to reach I... | Television is a relatively stable advertising medium. In many ways, the television ads today are almost the same to those two decades ago. Most television ads still feature actors, still run 30 or 60 seconds, and still show a product. However, the different medium of the Internet causes unique challenges to advertisers, forcing them to adapt their practices and techniques.
In the early days of Internet marketing, online advertisers used banner and pop-up ads to attract customers. These techniques reached large audiences, led to many sales leads, and came at a low cost. However, a small number of Internet users began to consider these advertising techniques annoying. Yet because marketing strategies relying heavily on banners and pop-ups produced results, companies invested growing amounts of money into purchasing these ad types. As consumers became more complicated, frustration with these online advertising techniques grew. Independent programmers began to develop tools that blocked banner and pop-up ads.
A major development in online marketing came with the introduction of pay-per-click ads. Unlike banner or pop-up ads, which originally required companies to pay every time a website visitor saw an ad, pay-per-click ads allowed companies to pay only when an interested potential customer clicked on an ad. More importantly, however, these ads are not affected by the pop-up and banner blockers. As a result of these advantages and the incredible growth in the use of search engines, which provide excellent places for pay-per-click advertising, a great number of companies began turning to pay-per-click marketing. However, as with the banner and pop-up ads, pay-per-click ads came with their shortcomings. When companies began pouring billions of dollars into this emerging medium, online advertising specialists started to notice the presence of what would later be called click fraud : representatives of a company with no interest in the product advertised by a competitor click on the competitor's ads simply to increase the marketing cost of the competitor. Click fraud grew so rapidly that marketers sought to diversify their online positions away from pay-per-click marketing through new mediums.
Although pay-per-click advertising remains a common and effective advertising tool, marketers adapted yet again to the changing elements of the Internet by adopting new techniques such as pay-per-performance advertising. As the pace of the Internet's evolution increases, it seems all the more likely that advertising successfully on the Internet will require a strategy that avoids constancy and welcomes change. | high4629.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Why is Lady Gaga so popular ?"
},
"options": [
"What is Lady Gaga's life like ?",
"What has Lady Gaga achieved ?",
"Why is Lady Gaga so popular ?",
"Why is lady Gaga using Facebook ?"
],
"question": "What can be... | Just three years since Lady Gaga had her first US number one single, the pop star has claimed the top spot in Forbes magazine's annual Celebrity 100 list.
The popular star moved up four positions from last year and has knocked TV chat show host Oprah Winfrey of the top spot.
But how has the singer become such a global phenomenon in such a short space of time ? Two experts in music, fashion and social networking give their opinions.
George Ergatoudis ----Head of Music Radio1
" The key thing is Lady Gaga realized by using all the current social networking sites, and connecting that with her fashion, she has become an all-round star. Every time she goes out the door she looks different. She's getting photographed, she's aware of that and she's using it by updating her look literally on a daily basis.
Another key thing wat that quite early on, her record label was showing how gifted she is as a musician. The music she makes, the songs she writes and the production she has are all brilliant contemporary pop music. She literally is turning into a global superstar."
Calum Brannan ---Co-Founder of social Networking support company crowd Control HQ
"Social media is a reflection of what we love, so people are becoming very good at sharing exactly what they love and the brands and musicians they love.
The fact she has 10 million Twitter followers and 30million Facebook fans is a massive reflection on Lady Gaga and the influence she has. Once out there, Twitter and Facebook help keep that person's profile alive. Her fans are always talking about her and sharing everything she does even when she's not on stage or in concert.
I think even if she wasn't on Facebook and Twitter, her fans and followers would put her there anyway. But the most important thing is,she is on there and she's using them." | high17070.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "She played a trick on Brittany."
},
"options": [
"She laughed at Brittany's performance",
"She played a trick on Brittany.",
"She pointed fingers at Brittany angrily",
"She forbade Brittany to use the make-up room ."
... | The children's Theater was actually an old mill building with cement walls, twisting passages and big staircases. One afternoon, my eight-year-old sister Brittany and I were with the drama group rehearsing A Little Princess, a children's play. "Good luck!" I whispered as Brittany adjusted her boarding school costume.
"Take your places for act one, please. Everyone, places for act one!" called the director. The lights went out and the rehearsal began. Halfway through the first act, Brittany finished her part and went backstage. She grabbed her script from the table and read along with the rehearsal that was still going on in front of the curtain. A small group of fellow actors joined her, and started practicing lines. Suddenly, something wet exploded on the back of Brittany's head! Turning around, she saw a tall girl with a beverage bottle in her hand. Sticky blue liquid slid down Brittany's face. The older girl laughed . Brittany glanced at her, expecting someone else to speak up and defend her. However, they all screamed with laughter and pointed mocking fingers at Brittany, who ran out of the make-up room in dismay.
Ten minutes later, Brittany met me backstage. "A big girl just sprayed me with this stuff and laughed at me," she said, trying to wipe the liquid out of her curly hair. "All the other girls laughed, too." I didn't even know the girl's name, and she was bullying my sister !
When we got home, we looked at the cast list and found that the girl's name was Jessica. Our mom e-mailed the director, who said she would talk to Jessica and arrange time for an apology right before the next rehearsal. Nobody really expected a heartfelt apology from Jessica but Brittany was prepared to forgive her.
Before the next rehearsal, the director met Brittany at the door and announced that we had a problem on our hands. "Jessica swears that she was never even near you yesterday," she said.
But Brittany knew the truth. As she glanced across the room full of young actors, she glimpsed Jessica sitting in a metal folding chair. For a split second, their eyes met. Jessica quickly turned away to stare in the opposite direction. For weeks afterwards, no matter how hard Brittany tried to talk to her, Jessica refused to look her way.
It was very difficult for Brittany to work with Jessica during every rehearsal , for three hours each week. But finally, we were ready to perform. There would be three performances over the course of the next weekend. Brittany and I were glad that the ordeal was almost over.
After the first show, Brittany and I each got a beautiful bouquet from our church's pastor and his wife. Jessica didn't get a single flower. The second night, we received flowers from our grandparents. Again, Jessica received nothing.
On the way home, Brittany spoke up. "Mommy", she said quietly from the back seat of the car, "I've been thinking, and I decided to buy some flowers for Jessica," Mom smiled in surprise and replied, "That would be very nice."
Before the last performance, Brittany met Jessica on the way to the theater. She handed the older girl a big bunch of yellow roses, bought with her own savings. "Great job with the show last night, Jessica. These are for you." Jessica was astonished. "For me?" she said. "These flowers are for me? Are you sure?" "Yes I want you to have them!" Brittany skipped towards the dressing room, leaving Jessica staring at her with a confused look on her face and a bouquet of beautiful flowers in her arms.
That night, Jessica finally received some flowers from her dad. She pulled out a spring of carnations and smiled shyly as she gave them to Brittany.
Maybe Jessica will never apologize to Brittany. Maybe she won't ever even admit her mistake. But she is just beginning to realize what wonderful things a person's love does in people like Brittany. | high18343.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "1200 BC - 1050 BC"
},
"options": [
"1600 BC - 1500 BC",
"1500 BC - 1200 BC",
"1200 BC - 1050 BC",
"1050 BC - 850 BC"
],
"question": "During which period may Yin have been the capital of Shang Dynasty?",
"que... | Yinxu (Ruins of Yin) is the ruins of the last capital of China's Shang Dynasty (1600 BC - 1046 BC). The capital served 255 years for 12 kings. It shows the golden age of early Chinese culture, crafts and science, a time of great prosperity during the Chinese Bronze Age .
Discovered in 1899, Yinxu is one of the oldest and largest archeological sites in China and is one of the historical capitals of China and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It lies in central Henan Province, near the modern city of Anyang, and is open to the public as the Garden Museum of Yinxu. It is famous as the source of oracle bone script , the earliest recorded form of Chinese writing. The oracle bone script has recorded almost everything from dream-explaining to events such as harvests, birth of a child, the weather and the success of military campaigns.
Over 3,000 tombs, 2,200 pits, and 200 houses have been dug out at Yinxu. The large number of burial accessories found there shows the high level of the Shang crafts industry.
The site includes a main palace and an ancient tomb. Besides, there are a number of large buildings, at least 53 of which have been dug out.
Yinxu has seen many years of research, first researched by the Academia Sinica in the late 1920s to the early 1930s and most recently by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. | high5537.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "It is challenging."
},
"options": [
"It is an easy sport.",
"It is challenging.",
"It is quite dangerous.",
"It is extremely difficult."
],
"question": "What does the author think of rock climbing?",
"questi... | If you have ever been rock climbing, you will know that it is not a very easy sport. In fact, you probably felt quite defeated when you first tried to do any serious climbing. Indoor and outdoor rock climbing are both extremely demanding and require practice to get good at. It is one of the most physically and mentally demanding sports.
There are three basic types of rock climbing. Top roping is the most common type and the climber need to climb with a partner. The second type, which is very similar to top roping, is called lead climbing. In both of the types, the climber can sit off the wall and rest on the rope. The third type is called bouldering. Bouldering is a type of free climbing without any ropes. This is the most demanding of all climbing types. The climber must be able to complete the climbing without taking a rest on the rope.
Believe it or not, climbing is said to be about 75% legs and only 25% arms. To climb efficiently and successfully, a person needs to have a wonderful technique. One of the major rules of rock climbing is to always have three points touching the wall, whether it is both feet and one hand, or one foot and both hands, as it is much easier to have your weight cases will not do the climbing; they only hold you into the wall so that your legs are actually pushing you upward. Also, the closer you are to the wall, the easier it is to climb.
Rock climbing may sound a bit too extreme for the everyday person, but it is really an amazing workout. Once you get into the sport, and learn how to position your body and rest your weight, then you can begin to deal with some difficult problems. The great thing about rock climbing is that it is mentally challenging as well. You are constantly analyzing the way your body moves and how to do certain moves on the wall. For anyone who wants to get into shape, rock climbing is a fun and effective way to exercise muscles. | high2258.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "grey"
},
"options": [
"white",
"blue",
"grey",
"green"
],
"question": "Steve thinks the main color of London around Christmas is",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
... | Christmas has never looked as beautiful as it is now, when this one-foot-tall mini tree grew from a pothole in the streets of London.
London pothole gardener Steve Wheen , 34 , has created over 150 little gardens so far the smallest one of which is just one-inch-square.
"I really enjoy the reactions of people who come across my work and love them ."said Steve. "London can be so grey, especially at this time of year. When l was thinking about how to brighten it up, gardening came to my mind."
Steve has been pothole gardening for four years, mainly around the streets of London His pothole gardens are made with some plants he chooses from his local garden centre. Each of them usually costs between five and ten pounds. Although they are often temporary to the streets, Steve is sure that they can be in people's mind for a long time, if they are lucky enough to come across these small gardens while they go about their daily lives.
"I'm always surprised when I ask people what they think the message is behind my Work ."he said. "Often they think I'm against or in honor of something. One person even considered that l was marking the places where people had died in car accidents."
"I think in a city like London, where it's easy to feel short of green space, my message can be seen as a green one and that's fine with me. "he said. "The environment is something we all need to be thinking about more and more. But most importantly, it's all about making people smile and giving them an unexpected moment of happiness." | high10079.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The advantages and disadvantages of television."
},
"options": [
"How to make use of the television.",
"The history of the television.",
"The benefit of the television.",
"The advantages and disadvantages of television.... | It is obvious that television brings us not only advantages but also disadvantages .
At first, television is both a convenient channel of amusement, and a ly cheap one. If we have a TV set in the family, we are not necessary to go to the cinema or theatre to enjoy programme with expensive tickets. All that they have to do is press a button with a finger, and they can watch all the programmes they like, such as TV talk shows , movies, opera and so on. But some people think of it as a danger. When we watch TV, we don't need to do anything . We do not even have to leave our sofa because we have a remote control in our hand. We don't need to make any judgment or statement about it. We are totally passive and don't use our head to think hard about some matters.
As we all know, television keeps us informed about world events--including all the events in society, science and politics .We can get a good idea of the most remote countries and the strangest customs in their country. Of course the radio performs this service too, but the effect of the programme is not better than on the television. Everything we enjoy on the television is much more vivid and realistic. However, in turn there is a great danger. Usually we cannot resist the television screen, because it has a great harm for us. We have been so accustomed to enjoying the screen, so dependent on its pictures. But when our TV sets are out of order, we are surprised to find that we have much more time to do things. And at this time we actually begin to have a talk to each other again. It is really worth thinking.
Of course the arguments about the advantages and disadvantages of television are on the go.We can not simply say television itself is good or bad. The truth is that how we use it determines its true value to our society. | high17716.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "cars have played a big role in the author's life"
},
"options": [
"cars have played a big role in the author's life",
"the author has a preference for new cars",
"cars have a poor effect on most American's life",
"the a... | When my dad was a very young man, he was one of the few people in the small community of North Apollo, who owned a car. When he and Mom got married, they went on their honeymoon in that old Ford, but they had to turn around and pay a visit to the garage because the car didn't have enough power to drive them going forward.
When I was too young to remember, my dad owned a truck in which we all went nutting and berry picking. It was an important day when Daddy decided to buy a family car. It must have been about 1937 or 1938 when he purchased a 1929 Chevrolet sedan. We loved that old car.
On Saturday evenings, after dinner, the whole family would pile into that old square sedan, go up to Whitlinger's grocery store and buy a bag of Hershey's Kisses. Then Daddy would head out toward the country and drive all around the old country roads while we fed ourselves on chocolates. That was the highlight of our week. I didn't know which we enjoyed most, the chocolates or riding in the car.
The first car I owned was a Packard touring car. My cousin Janet and I were living in Washington D.C., and mostly rode the streetcars to wherever we wanted to go. Janet's friend Kathy had learned to drive so the three of us decided to buy a car for ourselves. We picked out this old Packard because it was all we could afford.
Every American living today can tell stories about the cars they have driven. I love to drive. I am most excited when I'm headed to the garage with my car keys in my hand. The car I own now is a 1998 Buick Century with a mark where I backed into a tree.
I love the freedom I feel just moving down the road in that old car. I am almost certain that when I get to heaven, God will have that old car sitting there waiting for me to drive down that golden street. | high18425.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the bad effects of mulch"
},
"options": [
"what mulch is and its advantages",
"the best time to add mulch",
"the bad effects of mulch",
"what can be mulch on the soil surface"
],
"question": "The author tells us... | Do you know mulch? Mulch is a protective cover of material that is spread on top of soil. It is usually made out of organic material, like crop waste. Farmers may keep the remains of corn or other crops on top of the soil. This creates mulch on the soil surface. The plant remains help protect the soil against wind and water damage. Mulching is one of the best things people can do for their plants. It also helps keep the soil from getting dry, and reduces the need for watering plants. It also limits temperature changes in the soil. And it stops unwanted plants, or weeds, from growing.
Organic mulch improves the condition of soil. As the mulch breaks down, it provides material which keeps the soil from getting hard. This improves the growth of roots and increases the movement of water through the soil. It also improves the ability of the soil to hold water. Organic mulch contains nutrients for plants. It also provides good environment for earthworms and other helpful living things in the soil.
It is easy to find organic mulch materials. Cut-up leaves and small pieces of tree bark can be used. Grass cuttings are also a good mulch for plants. Mulch from news- papers works well in controlling weeds.
The best time to add mulch depends on your goal. Mulch provides a thick barrier between the soil and the air. This helps to reduce temperature changes in the soil. As a result, mulched soil will be cooler than other soil in the summer. In winter, the mulched soil may not freeze as deeply as other soil. The best time is after the ground has frozen, but before the coldest weather arrives. Spreading mulch before the ground has frozen may attract small animals searching for a warm place to spend the winter. Delaying the spreading should prevent this problem. The animals will probably find another place to live. | high5251.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "he didn't have enough money for food"
},
"options": [
"he didn't have enough money for food",
"he was thirsty only",
"the store only provided drinks",
"he felt cold that day"
],
"question": "The homeless man onl... | We were on our way home from Houston one Saturday morning. We decided to stop at a local gas station to get coffee and something to snack on since it was a good hour and a half before we got home.
When we were done, we got back into our car and before I started it, we noticed a man standing outside in front of the building. He was a homeless man with worn clothes and it looked like he had gone in and gotten himself some coffee or something warm to drink since it was cold this time of the year. He must have not had enough money to get something to eat.
Then a dog walked up to the front of the building. I could tell she was a "she", because you could tell that she had baby dogs. She was terribly in need of something to eat and I felt so bad for her. I knew if she didn't eat soon, she and her baby dogs would not make it.
I and my wife sat there and looked at her. We noticed that people walked by and didn't even pet her, like most people do when they walk by an animal in front of a store. We still did not do anything. But the homeless man, who I thought did not buy himself anything to eat, went back into the store. And what he did brought tears to me and my wife. He had gone into the store and with what money he may have had, bought a can of dog food and fed that dog.
This story plays a great part in our lives. You see, that was Mother's Day weekend. And a lot of people forget that some animals are parents too.
It took a homeless man, to show me what I should have done. He make me a better man that day. | high11367.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "list today's standards of some food and nutrition"
},
"options": [
"list today's standards of some food and nutrition",
"introduce what should be eaten and what not",
"explain what is helpful to your health and what is not",
... | All of us eat every day, but most of us don't understand nutrition . How much do you know about good nutrition? Are the following statements true or false?
1. People who don't eat meat can stay healthy.
True. As long as people eat enough milk, eggs and meat alternates , they can get enough protein.
2. Fresh vegetables cooked at home are always more nutritious than canned vegetables.
False. The difference depends more on how vegetables are prepared than whether they are fresh or canned. Vegetables cooked in too much water can lose a large quantity of vitamins.
3. Food eaten between meals can be just as good for health as food eaten at regular meals.
True. Nutritional value depends on what types of food you eat, not when you eat them. Eating an egg or an orange between meals can _ a good diet.
4. Taking extra vitamins beyond the recommended daily allowances won't give you more energy.
True. It's widely believed that extra vitamins provide more energy. But taking more than the baby needs doesn't make it function better, just as overfilling your gas tank doesn't make your car run better.
5. Natural vitamins are better supplements for the diet than _ vitamins.
False. There is no difference. A vitamin has the same properties and specific chemical structure whether made in a laboratory or taken from plant or animal parts.
6. Older people need the same amount of vitamins as younger people.
True. Older people need the same quantity of vitamins as younger people although they need fewer calories. Certain illnesses raise the requirements for some vitamins, but that is true for the young as well as the old.
7. Food grown in poor soil is lower in vitamins than food grown in rich sold.
False. The vitamins in our foods are made by the plants themselves. They don't come from the soil.
However, the minerals in a plant depend on the minerals in the soil.
If you have answered these questions correctly, you can say you know much about food and nutrition by today's standards. But remember that nutrition is a growing science and that may be aged as new information is obtained. | high6980.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Nearly all of the elms died of a disease."
},
"options": [
"The elms were tied by iron chains.",
"Some of the elms were cut up into firewood.",
"All the elms were infected by a disease and died.",
"Nearly all of the elm... | In the 1950s,a family who owned a farm near Beulah,Michigan kept a bull chained to an elm .The bull paced around the tree,dragging the heavy iron chain,which led to a groove in the bark.The groove deepened over the years,though for whatever reason,it did not kill the tree.
After some years,the family took their bull away.They cut the chain,leaving the loop around the tree and one link hanging down.
Then one year,agricultural disaster struck Michigan in the form of Dutch Elm Disease.All of the elms lining the road leading to the farm became infected and died.Everyone thought that the old elm would be next.
The farm's owners considered doing the safe thing:pulling it out and cutting it up into firewood before it died.But they simply could not bring themselves to do it.It was as if the old tree had become a family friend.So they decided to _ .
Amazingly,the tree did not die.Nobody could understand why it was the only elm that was still standing in the country!
Plant pathologists from Michigan State University came out to observe the tree.They observed the scar left by the iron chain,now almost completely covered by bark.The plant experts decided that it was the chain that saved the elm's life.They reasoned that the tree must have absorbed so much iron from the chain that it became immune to the fungus .
It's said that what doesn't kill you will make you stronger.Or,as Ernest Hemimgway put it,"Life breaks us all,but afterwards,many of us are strongest at the broken places." | high7446.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "children can deal with money"
},
"options": [
"children can deal with money",
"children learn to care for others",
"children make a date with friends of the other sex",
"children like to make up"
],
"question": ... | It is time for students to sell such things as chocolate bars and greeting cards to raise money for their school, class or club. It is _ that they will knock on your door and you will easily hand over your cash for overpriced items that you really do not want. That is okay, though, because there are many reasons why children should be allowed to raise money for their schools and clubs.
Fundraising is a great way to help children learn social skills. It is not easy to go up to a complete stranger and ask him for his money. They have to nicely ask for help, show the interested buyer what they have to offer and explain how it will help them in school. If someone refuses to buy an item, that child has to take the failure in stride , and that is a learning lesson as well.
Students can learn how to deal with money by fundraising. Of course, it might seem safer for us to take charge of our children's earnings from their fundraising before it is turned into the school. However, by making them keep track of it, count it, and make sure everyone pays the right amount, they are learning an important lesson. Dealing with money is important to know about when they are older.
Fundraising helps improve their schools. It is the children's school. They have to learn there and grow there. Why not let them help in making it a better place?
Fundraising allows for more life experiences for the child. The raised money is used towards things like parties, trips, or for the music club to go to see a Broadway play. The children receive the rewards for their hard work at raising the money. Without fundraising, these field trips and special school memories would be missed.
In a word, fundraising helps children a lot in many ways. | high15101.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "has some rare and foreign plants"
},
"options": [
"owns plants from five countries",
"has some rare and foreign plants",
"is the largest garden in the world",
"allows visitors to take plants home for free"
],
"q... | Plant World Garden Centre is located between Torquay and Newton Abbot. The Garden is laid out to represent the five continents of the world. Our inspirational gardens contain countless rare and foreign plants seldom seen outside their native lands.
Our Famous "Gardens of the World"
It was designed , built and planted in 1986 as the first ever " Map of the World Gardens" . It takes visitors half an hour or more to drive along the winding pathways around the "world map" and see which plants grow in which countries. The neighboring rare plant nurseries ( ) enable visitors to take home plants and trees growing there. We give a warm welcome to garden clubs and gardening societies, many of whom make annual visits.
Latest News
Our new Garden website is released! We hope you like our new website which we have tried to fill with interesting information and history about our lovely gardens.
Seeds
We produce and sell over 3 ,000 varieties of flower and vegetable seeds. Many are rare ,and unusual. All of them can be purchased on our sister website : www. plant-world-seeds.com.
Scenic Cafe
Our hilltop cafe offers one of the most incredible panoramas ( ) of Britain. The menu includes toasted sandwiches and jacket potatoes. In addition ,many home-made cakes are offered, including the famous Devon Cream Teas. We always use local produce whenever possible-our ice creams are from Language , our home-made soups come from Rod & Bens ,and our bottled drinks are supplied by Heron Valley.
Opening Times
We are open 9:30 am - 5 :00 pm, seven days a week, from late March to mid October ( please call first to confirm at the start/end of season) . .
Garden Admission Prices
Day ticket : ~ 3
Season ticket : PS 10
Kids under 12 go free | high6758.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "in two shakes of a lamb's tail"
},
"options": [
"in seventh heaven",
"on cloud nine",
"at sixes and sevens",
"in two shakes of a lamb's tail"
],
"question": "If you solve a problem without any difficulty, you ca... | Some problems are difficult to solve. But there are a lot of number expressions that can help. For example, if we put two and two together, we might come up with the right answer. We know that two heads are better than one. It is always better to work with another person to solve a problem. Some problems have only one solution. You cannot be of two minds over this. But with any luck,we can solve the problem in two shakes of a lamb's tail. In other words,we could have our answers quickly and easily.
Sometimes we can kill two birds with one stone. That is, we can complete two goals with only one effort or action. But we must remember that two wrongs don't make a right. If someone does something bad to you, you should not do the same to him.
If you are going out with your girlfriend,or boyfriend,but you don't want another friend to go along on your date,you can just say to your friend: two's company, three's a crowd.
When I was a young child in school, I had to learn the three R' s. These important skills are reading, writing and arithmetic. These three words do not all start with the letter "R". But they have the sound of "R". My teacher used to give three cheers when I did well in maths. They gave praise and approval for a job well done.
Some of my friends were confused and did not understand their school work. They were at sixes and sevens. In fact, they did not care if they finished high school. But they were happy when they completed their studies and graduated from high school. They were in seventh heaven. They were on cloud nine. Nine times out of ten students who do well in school find good jobs. Some work in an office doing the same things every day at nine-to-five jobs. You do not have to dress to the nines, or wear your best clothes, for this kind of work. | high13570.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "pay attention to it"
},
"options": [
"think of money",
"look at each other",
"pay attention to it",
"stop crossing the street"
],
"question": "The sound of a coin dropping makes people_.",
"question_type": "... | A few minutes ago , walking back from lunch , I started to cross the street when I heard the sound of a coin dropping . It wasn't much but , as I turned , my eyes caught the heads of several other people turning too . A woman had dropped what appeared to be a dime .
The tinkling sound of a coin dropping on sidewalk is an attention-getter . It can be nothing more than a penny . Whatever the coin is , no one ignores the sound of it . It got me thinking about sounds again .
We are surrounded by so many sounds that attract the most attention . People in prefix = st1 /New York Cityseldom turn to look when a fire engine, a police car or an ambulance comes screaming along the street .
When I'm in New York, I'm a New Yorker . I don't turn either . Like the natives . I hardly hear a siren there .
At home in my little town in Connecticut, it's different . The distant loud noise of a police car , an emergency vehicle or a fire siren brings me to my feet if I'm seated and brings me to the window if I'm in bed .
It's the quietest sounds that have most effect on us , not the loudest . In the middle of the night , I can hear a dripping tap a hundred yards away through three closed doors . I've been hearing little creaking noises and sounds which my imagination turns into footsteps in the middle of the night for twenty-five years in our house . How come I never hear those sounds in the daytime ?
I'm quite clear in my mind what the good sounds are and what the bad sounds are .
I've turned against whistling , for instance . I used to think of it as the mark of a happy worker but lately I've been connecting the whistler with a nervous person making noises .
The tapping , tapping ,tapping of my typewriter as the keys hit the paper is a lovely sound to me . I often like the sound of what I write better than the looks of it . | high22975.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the Internet"
},
"options": [
"giving away their CDs",
"the Internet",
"singing to a record company",
"marketing and advertisement"
],
"question": "Arctic Monkeys gained popularity through _ .",
"question... | One of the biggest new bands in the UK is Arctic Monkeys.Their first two singles went straight to Number One in the charts and their first album "Whatever People Say I Am,That's what I'm No" has become a recordbreaking album.It's the fastest selling debut album in UK chart history.
Arctic Monkeys are famous because of their great success.They achieved their success thanks to the Internet.Usually a new band signs to a record company and then it is through marketing that people buy their singles.The single sales then get the band into the charts and they become popular that way.
However,Arctic Monkeys became wellknown in a slightly different way.Back in 2003 when the band first started,they handed out CDs at their performing concert.Certain fans liked the music so much that they put the music up on the Web.The general public had access to this music because it was on the Internet and,because people liked the music,the band's popularity increased.The band's popularity was starting to get noticed by major radio stations in the UK.
Arctic Monkeys released their first single in October 2005.Before that,their music had only been available to download on the Internet.When they did finally release a single and an album,they both rose to the top of the charts.
Music fans welcome the use of the Internet this way--Arctic Monkeys became popular simply because people liked their music when they heard it.There were no ads.As music downloads continue to increase in popularity,we can expect to see more and more bands make it big in this way. | high6994.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Four"
},
"options": [
"Two",
"Three",
"Four",
"Five"
],
"question": "How many research results are presented in the text?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index":... | BEIJING, Jan. 11(Xinhuanet)-- Sleeping a little bit longer a day might help fight against obesity , a recent study shows. The research-- published in the Archives of Internal Medicine along with an editorial by Turek and Northwestern colleague Joseph Bass commenting on it and related research-- after comparing people of normal weight- a body mass index of less than 25- with those who were overweight or _ , found that sleeping for an extra 20 minutes each night could offer a pain-free way to lose weight.
Insufficient sleep is linked with changes in hormone levels that may stimulate appetite. A series of studies in recent months have shown that the less people sleep, the heavier they tend to be.
American researcher Robert Vorona from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk and colleagues have now examined the relationship between people's self-reported sleep time per 24 hours and their body mass index(BMI). They found that total sleep time and BMI were inversely correlated was total sleep time decreased, BMI increased, except in the severely obese group." Americans experience insufficient sleep and corpulent bodies. Clinicians are aware of the burden of obesity on patients," the study said. "Our findings suggest that major extensions of sleep time may not be necessary, as an extra 20 minutes of sleep per night seems to be associated with a lower body mass index," it added. "We warn that this study does not establish a cause-and-effect relationship between restricted sleep and obesity (but) investigations demonstrating success in weight loss via extensions of sleep would help greatly to establish such a relationship."
In November 2004, researchers from Columbia University in New York City, New York demonstrated a clear link between the risk of being obese and hours of nightly sleep, finding that people aged 32 to 59 who slept four hours or less per night were 73% more likely to be obese than people who slept between seven and nine hours per night. | high7452.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "hoped to take the money"
},
"options": [
"lost their lottery ticket",
"hoped to take the money",
"knew who the robber was",
"wanted to make fun of him"
],
"question": "Hundreds of people phoned the professor bec... | Strange it may sound, this is a true story about a lesson of honesty happening between a lucky thief and a worthy professor.
Once a thief won a lottery ticket but left it at his crime scene when he stole a suitcase from a professor. To his great surprise, his victim, who picked up the ticket and took the prize money of PS25 000, managed to get in touch with him in order to return him the case. The robbery took place when John Smith, a math professor was changing a tyre on the motorway. The thief happened to pass by. He appeared to be a warm-hearted guy and stopped "to help". When the professor found his suitcase in the car missing, the thief had driven off as fast as he could. The professor picked up the dropped ticket on the floor and put it in his pocket before driving home.
John Smith didn't realize it was a winner until he knew the lottery results on TV. He got the prize money and _ . At last,he decided not to keep the money although he just had been robbed of his suitcase by the owner of the ticket. He set out to advertise in newspapers and on radio for finding the owner, " Don't be surprised that I'm trying to find the man who robbed me in order to returned him the PS25 000--a lottery win. Please meet me without telling me your real name if you don't want to. ".
Later John received tens of hundreds of calls from people around the country trying to trick him into handing them the cash. But he didn't arrange to meet the right person in the park until he recognized the voice. The robber, was moved into tears when he returned the suitcase. "Why didn't you keep the money?"he asked, not believing what was happening. The honest professor replied simply, "Because it's not mine." With these words, he walked off, _ the thief's offer of a reward. | high8761.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "We should love ourselves in order to get love."
},
"options": [
"We must show great respect for others.",
"We should love ourselves in order to get love.",
"We should overcome any difficulty.",
"We must have mercy on ev... | We spend so much time waiting to be loved, hoping love will find us, and searching for that special love. Unfortunately, that's not usually how life works. Loving yourself is mainly having self-respect, which is the only dependable way to create love in your own life, so you can share it with others. To be able to be loved, you must love and respect yourself as much as you do others. By doing so, you are enabling positive energy and allowing for great situation to occur in your life.
Bringing joy to other people's lives will help you find joy in your own. In addition, those who you treat well will likely repay you with the same kindness. Gradually, you will start to feel your worth through the smiles of gratitude. However, don't just be very kind to people so you can receive royal treatment.
Don't punish yourself for something you have done in the past. Instead, look at the mistake as a learning experience. Say to yourself now, "I forgive myself for..." Go to look in a mirror, and say it out loud to yourself. Look at yourself right in the eyes, and speak forgiveness like you mean it. If you do, laugh out loud, realizing that was then and this is now. Every day is a new beginning.
We all want a nice house, nice things, and someone to share our life with. Find your true wants objectively. Are you eager for power, a religion, or simply a motive? Sometimes, it's easier to hide the truth from yourself, but figuring out what you really want will help you know yourself better. This will hopefully aid you in answering important questions you often ask yourself.
Write about your experiences, good and bad. When you write down good experiences, allow yourself to feel those feelings. When you remember bad experiences, allow yourself to feel self-compassion . Compassion is not self-pity, but rather a willingness to accept one's own pain and regret. Compassion allows us to be present with our pain, so we can acknowledge it and let it go. | high13564.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "India."
},
"options": [
"Britain.",
"America.",
"Australia.",
"India."
],
"question": "In which country was the first Laughter Club started?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Do you want to live a happier, less stressful life?
Try laughing for no reason at all. That's how thousands of people start their day at Laughter Clubs around the world - and many doctors now think that having a good laugh might be one of the best ways to stay healthy.
The first Laughter Club was started in Mumbai, India, in 1995 by Dr Madan Kataria. "Young children laugh about 300 times a day. Adults laugh between 7 and 15 times a day," says Dr Kataria. "Everyone's naturally good at laughing - it's the universal language. We want people to feel happy with their lives." There are now more than 500 Laughter Clubs in India and over 1,300 worldwide.
Many doctors are also interested in the effects of laughter on our health. According to a 5 - year study in the body. Laughter improves our health against illness by about 40%.
So, what happens at a Laughter Club? I went along to my nearest club in South London to find out. I was quite nervous at the beginning of the class, to be honest - I wasn't interested in laughing with a group of strangers, and I was worried about looking stupid. Our laughter teacher told us to clap our hands and say "ho ho ho, ha ha ha," while looking at each other. However, our bodies can't tell the difference between fake laughter and real laughter, so they still produce the same healthy effects.
Surprisingly, it works! After ten minutes everybody in the room was laughing for real - and some people just couldn't stop! At the end of the class I was surprised by how relaxed and comfortable I felt. So if you're under stress, then start laughing. You might be very pleased with the results! | high1023.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the training contents and training in using"
},
"options": [
"a job description and a job specification",
"what is taught, and how it is taught",
"the costs and the quality of the programme",
"the training contents and ... | As we know, it is very important that a firm should pay attention to the training of its staff as there exist many weak points in its various departments. Staff training must have a purpose, which I defined when a firm considers its training needs, which are in turn based on job descriptions and job specifications.
A job description should give details of the performance that is required for a particular job, and a job specification should give information about the behaviour, knowledge and skills that are expected of an employee who works in it. When all of this has been collected, it is possible to make a training specification. This specifies that the training department must teach for the successful performance of the job, and also the best methods to use in the training period.
There are many different training methods, and there are advantages and disadvantages of all of them. Successful training performances depend on an understanding of the difference between learning about skills and training in using them. It is frequently said that learning about skills takes place "off the job" in classroom, but training in using these skills takes place "on the job," by means of such activities as practice in the workshop.
It's always difficult to evaluate the costs of a training programme. The success of such a programme depends not only on the methods used but also on the quality of the staff who do the training. The evaluation of management training is much more complex than that. | high22961.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "become famous"
},
"options": [
"choose jobs based on interests",
"become famous",
"be teacher, banker and doctor",
"earn more money"
],
"question": "Nowadays, young people in Britain want to_.",
"question_ty... | Just 25 years ago, the top three career hopes for young people in Britain were teacher, banker and doctor.Now, they want to be sports star, pop star and actor, according to survey by the Guardian newspaper.
Rachel, a character in the popular TV show Glee, may be said to speak for British teenagers."Nowadays being nobody is worse than being poor." He said.
Emma Brockes, a reporter with the Guardian, believes it is "the bad influence of celebrity culture" that is to blame."When children wanted to be doctor, it wasn't because they were really more interested in the functions of human organs than they are now; you go where the respect is." She wrote.
It could explain why there has been such an increase in levels of anxiety and depression.Dr Carlo Stranger, of Tel Aviv University, studied the sense of self for his new book The Fear of Insignificance: Searching for Meaning in the 21st Century.He told the Daily Mail that young people now are "affected by the close connection to the global entertainment network, which has turned ranking and rating people according to wealth and celebrity into an obsession ."
"As humans, we naturally measure ourselves to those around us, but now we live in a global village.We are comparing ourselves with the most 'important' people in the world and finding ourselves wanting," he said.Today, even high achievers constantly fear that they are insignificant when they compare themselves to success stories in the media.
The way out? Simply stop measuring your achievement through a fantasy of wealth and celebrity.Dr Strenger said that it is a process called "active self-acceptance through a constant search for self-knowledge through life."
"The fear of insignificance can only be overcome through strong individual and cultural identity over and above measurable achievement," he said. | high17702.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the problems of friendship"
},
"options": [
"the importance of friendship",
"the advantages of friendship",
"the problems of friendship",
"the disadvantages of friendship"
],
"question": "This passage mainly t... | Friendships can be difficult -- because often people aren't as honest and open as they should be. Sometimes, people finally get hurt.
Most problems with friendships come up because people are just too selfish to care about the things that their friends need. They care about their own needs much more, which makes it hard for friendships to work. However, being selfish is part of human nature. A person is put together in order to take care of themselves and their own needs, not necessarily those needs of other people. Even though being selfish is something that all humans are born with, it is something that everyone should be against.
The best thing to remember when you are a friend to anyone is that you need to treat your friends the same way that you'd like to be treated . This is wonderful advice for a friendship, because it is really the only way to make sure that you are giving your friends everything you would want to be given in a friendship. Whenever you have a question about how you should treat a friend, it is easy to find an answer simply by asking yourself what you would like your friend to do for you, if he or she was in your shoes.
Even if you're always thinking about how you'd like to be treated, and your friends are too, there are problems that come up from time to time in each friendship, and it is important to understand how to deal with these problems so that you can build stronger and healthier friendships. Problems like friends getting boyfriends or girlfriends and not spending enough time with their friends, or even friends finding new friends and leaving old friends behind are problems that will probably come up with one or more of your friendships. It is important to know how to deal with these friend problems so that you can keep your friends and make new ones. No one wants to have a broken friendship. | high5245.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "will not take all their holiday leave this year"
},
"options": [
"will not ask for leave in their working days",
"will take five days leave on average",
"will work 500 million days freely for their employers",
"will not... | According to a report , more than a million workers will fail to take their full annul leave this year in UK. That's to say, totally, those workers will give up 6.2 million days of vacation, with an average of five days for each worker. For their employers, they feel happy because that is equal to a potential $500 million of 'free' work, which, according to an economist will boost the output of the economy by about two percent.
The report also showed that the main reasons employees give up their remaining annul leave are due to pressures at work and their failing to appreciate that taking a break could make them more productive and, in turn, boost the economy in the long term.
The research, done by price comparison website Travel Supermarket, found that more than one in four of those who will give up their remaining holidays (28 percent) will do so due to pressures at work. Bob Atkinson, travel expert for Travel Supermarket said: "As the economy is not so satisfying, it's no surprise that people are cautious to take all their leave, especially if they feel stressed and uncertainty at work." Nine percent of the 2,020 people surveyed also said they would feel guilty about taking the leave because their work would have to be taken care of by their colleagues. A further three percent said they would be concerned about how taking time off would look to their employer, while the same percentage said they did not want to miss anything interesting or beneficial at work in the time they would be away.
Vicky Redwood, chief UK economist at Capital Economics, said: "Suppose that there are about 250 working days in a year, getting an extra five 'free' days of work from their employees could in theory boost the output of the economy by about two percent. On the other hand, if workers are less productive as a result of not getting enough breaks from work, taking all the annual leave, in fact, will perhaps increase the economy." | high18431.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "it decided to offer better foods to customers"
},
"options": [
"it was losing money",
"most customers didn't like the old logo",
"it wanted to get involved in other businesses",
"it decided to offer better foods to cust... | In 1991, Kentucky Fried Chicken announced that it was officially changing its name to "KFC" as well as updating its packaging and logo with a more modern look. The public relations reason was that health-conscious consumers associated the word "fried" with "unhealthy", causing some of them to completely avoid the wide variety of "healthy" menu items. The new title and image were designed to attract customers to a restaurant now offering foods branded as "better for you".
It sounded good, but the real reason behind the shift to KFC had nothing to do with critical consumers. In 1990, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, trapped in debt, took the unusual step of trade marking its name. Therefore, anyone using the word "Kentucky" for business reasons would have to obtain permission and pay licensing fees to the Commonwealth of Kentucky. It was an unusual and brilliant scheme to lighten government debt, but it was also one that alienated one of the most famous companies ever associated with Kentucky. The Kentucky Fried Chicken chain refused as a matter of principle to pay royalties on a name they had been using for four decades. After a year of fruitless talks, Kentucky Fried Chicken changed their name instead, introducing new packaging and products to hide the real reasons behind the change of the name.
Kentucky fried Chicken was not the only one who bravely refused to give in. The name of the most famous horse race in North America, held every year at Churchill Downs, was changed to "The Run for the Roses" for similar reasons.
In November 2006, KFC and the State of Kentucky finally reached a settlement over the use of the trademarked word "Kentucky", and the restaurant chain announced it would be reusing its former name of "Kentucky Fried Chicken". | high3634.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "China intends to conduct a spacewalk for the first time"
},
"options": [
"China intends to conduct a spacewalk for the first time",
"China plans to launch her third manned space flight",
"China tries to live broadcast her fir... | BEIJINCG, Feb.28, 2008 (Xinhua) -- China plans to carry out its first spacewalk in second half of the year, an official of the nation's manned space program said here on Thursday.
The Shenzhou VII spacecraft will be launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwestern province of Gansu late in the year and the astronauts will leave their spaceship for the first time, the official told Xinhua.
Compared with the previous two manned space flights, the upcoming Shenzhou VII space mission is more complex.Besides the spacewalk, the crew is also expected to perform extra-vehicular work such as fixing and tightening equipment.The spaceship will also release a small inspection satellite, which keeps an eye on its own performance.
China may live broadcast the first ever spacewalk."The Shenzhou VII spaceship is able to live-broadcast the walk, but it has not been decided whether the spacewalk will be broadcast in a live or recorded version," the official told Xinhua.
Breakthroughs have been made in significant techniques related to the spacewalk.Research into the development of spaceship and rockets has been going smoothly, and astronauts have undertaken extensive training, according to the official.
The Shenzhou VII mission will start the second phase of China's three-stage space program.said the official.
In the second stage, China plans further breakthroughs in manned space flight, such as space walks.In this phase, China will put into orbit a space laboratory staffed by humans for short periods and create a fully-equipped space engineering system.
In the third stage, China will build a permanent space station and a space engineering system.Astronauts and scientists will travel between the Earth and the space station to conduct large-scale experiments. | high20810.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Students needn't have as much work or participation as in traditional schools."
},
"options": [
"Students needn't have as much work or participation as in traditional schools.",
"Students don't have to go to school in crowded buses... | For most students, school is over and summer fun is here. Even kids who are going to summer school don't need to be cooped up indoors during these bright sunny days. Why? Thanks to technology, many kids now have the _ of attending "virtual" summer schools online.
These "virtual" classes are not new. Many colleges and universities offer online courses where the students never meet; they correspond with their teachers and classmates on the web. Even some traditional schools add to daily classes with internet-based assignments and feedback.
There are a lot of benefits to online schooling, and that's why public schools have started participating in this non-traditional type of education. Instead of students riding the bus, going to class, eating lunch at school, and going home in the early afternoon, they can now log on at any time of day or night and learn. This flexible online option requires just as much work and participation as normal summer school. However, the timing is different.
Online summer school is not for all students, just like it isn't for all adults. The student needs to be an excellent reader in order to obtain as much information as possible from the lectures. In addition, students must understand computers and be self motivated in order to complete the class successfully.
If the students meet these requirements, then online summer school has many advantages. Written lectures can be read and reread until the student understands them. The students can email each other and the teacher if they need help. Students who participate in online summer school often earn higher grades because the teachers can answer more questions without slowing down the entire class progress. And because of this new technology, summer school students can still go to the beach, travel around the world, and take family vacations! | high11415.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The winner will join in the production of the musical."
},
"options": [
"It is intended for students aged 6-18.",
"One has to submit one's entry before March 14.",
"The winner will join in the production of the musical.",
... | Contests from the Community
Annual Playwright Challenge
Attention, students! Unleash your creativity and writing skill by submitting an original story for an opportunity to have your entry produced as a full-length musical by the Scripps Performing Arts academy this fall. The winner will also get the opportunity to perform in the show or serve as the assistant director of the production. Also, the winner will attend two playwright workshops with the director to work on the musical together. Entries can be submitted in paragraph, story or script form (1-3 pages) to info@ scrippsperformingarts.com with the subject line: Playwright Challenge Entry. For ages 18 & under. Students are allowed to work individually or as a team of two for each submission. Deadline: April 1.
Kids' Poster Contest
The City of San Diego's Public Utilities Department invites students, grades 1-6, to make a poster with the theme: "Sam Diegans Waste No Water. All Days. All Ways. " Three winners will be selected for each grade level and will receive gift cards and a Certificate of Excellence. Also, winning posters will be on display in the lobby of the City Society's Gallery and the San Diego County Fair's Kids Best Art Exhibit. Open to students in the cities of San Diego, Coronado and Imperial Beach. To enter, go to www.wastenowater.org. Deadline: March 28.
Kohl's Cares Scholarship Program
Outstanding young volunteers, ages 6-18, can be rewarded through this annual program. Regional winners will each receive a $1,000 scholarship for higher education, while national winners will each be rewarded a total of $10, 000 in scholarships plus a $ l, 000 donation from Kohl's to a nonprofit of the student's choice. Nominations are now accepted at www.kohlskids.com. Deadline: March 14.
Dream House Raffle
Enter to win a $ 4 million home in Rancho Santa Fe or $ 2.1 million in cash in this annual raffle that includes more than 1,300 prizes to be given away! In addition to the grand prize drawing on May 17, you can also be part of early bird drawing that offer more chances of winning. Next earlybird drawing is on March 19 (entry deadline: March 7). Proceeds benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego. For tickets and the list of prizes, visit www.sdraffle.com or call 888-8254-9939. | high19049.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "People haven't been to Mars so far."
},
"options": [
"Mars is a little bigger than Earth.",
"There are flowing rivers on Mars.",
"People haven't been to Mars so far.",
"Scientists have discovered signs of life on Mars."... | Life on Mars could become a reality and it could happen in your lifetime.
A welcoming planet
Scientists say Earth's neighbor Mars, a bright red planet about half Earth's size, is the most likely to support human life. Mars even has frozen water on its surface.
Since the late 1990s, NASA has been exploring Mars using remote-controlled vehicles . Most recently Curiosity, a car-size vehicle, traveled through space on an unpiloted spacecraft and landed on Mars in August 2012. Directed by NASA scientists , the vehicles move on the surface, taking pictures , collecting and analyzing soil, and looking for signs of life.
But what about human explorers? Plans are already in the works to send astronauts to Mars as soon as the mid-2030s.
_
But before you start packing your bags, let's consider the challenges. For starters, Mars is far away. Just getting there could take up to 10 months.
Scientists already know that time away from Earth's gravity harms the human body. Bones and muscles get weaker. The body produces less blood. What damage would months and months of living in space do?
And then there is the matter of water, oxygen, food and fuel. Scientists will have to find solutions to these problems, or the first humans on Mars won't survive very long in their new home.
Tiny Dangers
There's another tinier risk. It's so tiny that you can't even see it: germs.
Some scientists believe that our germs could pollute the whole planet of Mars. Potentially killing Martian life before we have the chance to discover it. Worse, there is a small but terrifying chance that any microscopic life already there might be harmful to us .
Worse still, if any of those Martian germs were brought back to Earth, the result could be disastrous. Animals, plants, and people could be wiped out.
Worth the $$$?
A more practical concern is the cost. The price could approach $ 1 trillion . How can we justify spending that much when so many problems--poverty, disease--could use the cash here on Earth? | high5523.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "liked to do much reading on science"
},
"options": [
"liked to do much reading on science",
"liked reading fairy tales",
"was a great inventor",
"was a famous scientist"
],
"question": "Jules wrote a lot of exci... | Jules Verne was a Frenchman who was born in 1828 and died in 1905. He read a great many scientific books and wrote a number of exciting books about the things which he thought that scientists and inventors would one day be able to do. Years later, many of the things really happened. At that time, however, his stories seemed like fairy tales.
Jules Verne's most famous book is 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.(A league is an old word meaning a distance of about three miles). In those days submarines had not been invented but he described an underwater ship very like a modern one.
Many of the things Jules wrote about in his books more than a hundred years ago to look into the future, however, were surprisingly exact. In his book From the Earth to the Moon he wrote at the age of about forty, three men and a dog made a journey around the moon in a hollow ship fired from a gun. After going around the moon, they returned to the earth and splashed down into the sea not far from where the first real moon traveler landed in July, 1969. | high18357.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "a day people remember those who died in wars"
},
"options": [
"the day the United States was founded",
"the day people remember their ancestors",
"a day people celebrate the victories of World War II",
"a day people rem... | When the Japanese attacked America's ships at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, they did it secretly. The makers of the movie Pearl Harbor have behaved differently.
The noise about Pearl Harbor, made by Disney,has reached its highest point with its premiere before the movie opens in cinemas across the US at the start of the Memorial Day holiday weekend, a time to recall national heroes who sacrificed their lives on the battlefield.
As Ben Affleck is the main star, the movie seems sure to become a success in the United States at least.
At almost three hours in length, it promises to be a good old Hollywood movie. There is a love story. Affleck and his co-star, Josh Hartnett, both fall in love with the navy nurse, Kate Beckinsale and, of course, there is much human courage and love of country.
It's certain that Disney will be accused of "changing" history. The showing of actual events in a movie always causes arguments.
Bits of the story are deliberately not mentioned in the movie. It does not address the theory held by some historians that President Franklin Roosevelt knew about Japan's intention to attack the ships in Pearl Harbor.It is said he did nothing, as he was aware that such a blow would allow him to take America into the Second World War.
Japan remains sensitive about being accused of wartime atrocities . And Disney is sensitive about its business in Japan, where it has a theme park.
Not all the reviews of the movie have been full of praise. A reviewer for Newsweek, who was given an early preview, acknowledged that the 40-minute sequence showing the attack itself was powerful. The attack comes quite late in the movie, however, and the reviewer was less impressed with the characters and the love story.
"Almost every line of the dialogue sounds like it comes from an old movie, " the reviewer wrote. | high1745.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Japanese Children's Day"
},
"options": [
"Japanese 753 Festival",
"Japanese Boy's Day",
"Japanese Girl's Day",
"Japanese Children's Day"
],
"question": "What is the BEST title for the passage?",
"question_ty... | On Boy's Day,children don't have to go to school.Every family with a boy hangs up huge carpshaped flags.The flags are usually three colors:black(representing the father),red (representing the mother)and blue(representing the son). Japanese parents believe that the flags will bring their boys good luck and give them courage and power.
May 5th is Japanese Children's Day. But since the festival is mainly celebrated by boys,it is usually called Boy's Day. The celebration of Boy's Day has a long history.It is said that the festival is derived from the Dragon Boat Festival in China.
On this day,Japanese boys eat a special kind of rice cake. It is covered with a leaf and filled with bean paste .Children love to eat it. And eggs on leaves are another traditional food.
Japanese children are so happy that they have three festivals each year. In addition to Boy's Day,they also have Girl's Day and the 753 Festival.
Girl's Day is the girl's festival on March 3. It is also called the Doll's Festival because on that day,families get a set of dolls at home for their daughters. It is celebrated because the parents want their daughters to be strong and healthy.
The 753 Festival is for children aged three, five and seven years old. Japanese people think that these three ages are the luckiest ones in one's life. On that day, these children get special candies wrapped in beautiful bags.The candy is a symbol of a long and healthy life for these children. The 753 Festival falls in November. | high7334.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "She spoke publicly about girls' rights to education."
},
"options": [
"She is a Pakistani student.",
"She was targeted without being planned.",
"She didn't want to be a member of the Taliban.",
"She spoke publicly about... | On March 19, 2013, Malala Yousafzai, a 15-year-old Pakistani student and women's-education activist , returned to the classroom for the first time since being attacked by a member of the Taliban on October 9, 2012. Malala was shot on her way home from school in Mingora, Pakistan. The Taliban said that they did the attack. The group said the attack should be a warning to others. Malala was targeted because she expresses her opinion publicly about girls' rights to education.
After a long period of recovery, Malala is starting as a ninth-year student at Edgbaston High School. It is the oldest independent girl's school in Birmingham, England. Though she has no specific plans to return to Pakistan, Malala still speaks out as a voice for change in her country, and everywhere. "I'm excited that today I have realized my dream of going back to school. I want all girls in the world to have this kind of chance," Malala said in a statement .
Malala has been an Internet blogger since she was 11 years old. In 2011 she was awarded Pakistan's National Peace Award for her bravery in writing about the difficulties of life and education in the shadow of the Taliban. She has spoken publicly about children's rights and been nominated for an international children's peace prize. | high8007.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the Castle is a good place to go in Scotland"
},
"options": [
"the queen is rich in tour experience",
"the Castle is a good place to go in Scotland",
"tasting whisky is better than going fishing",
"1873 is a special yea... | There is no better way to enjoy Scottish traditions than going fishing and tasting a little whisky at a quiet place like the Inverlochy Castle. When Queen Victoria visited the in 1873 she wrote in her diary, "I never saw a lovelier spot ," And she didn't even go fishing.
Scotland is not easily defined. In certain moments, this quiet land of lakes and grass mountains changes before your very eyes. When evening gently sweeps the hillside into orange ,the rivers, teeming with fish, can turn into streams of gold . As you settle down with just a people and a basket on the bank of River Orchy, near the Inverlochy castle , any frustration will float away as gently as the circling water. It's just you and purple , pink ,white flowers, a perfect harmony . If you are a new comer to fishing, Learning the basics form a fishing leave you with a lifetime's fun. Four many, fishing is more than a sport; it is an art
Scotland offers interesting place where you can rest after a long day's fishing. Set wild mountain and hidden behind woodland , the beautiful Inverlochy Castle Hotel below the a perfect place to see the beauty of Scotland's mountains . Ben Nevis is the highest of mountains , and reaching its 1342-metre top is a challenge . But it's not just what goes matters; what comes down is unique . More than 900 metres high, on the mountain's north an all-important source of pure water. Its name comes form the Gaelic language "usqueb "water of life"; And it is the single most important ingredient in scotland's best know whisky. | high20838.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "see sea life around them in the room"
},
"options": [
"enjoy the excellent service in the hotel",
"open windows to see sea life swimming",
"see sea life around them in the room",
"only watch videos about sea life"
]... | If you plan on visiting to Fiji, you are probably looking for some fun things to do. Below are four unusual places.
The Poseidon Resort
The Poseidon resort is an underwater resort that gives visitors a beautiful view of sea life. This resort covers 255 acres. It's covered and surrounded by a lagoon that covers 5,000 acres and is about 90 feet under water, giving you a beautiful view of sea life right before your eyes. This resort even has a hotel for those who would prefer to have the unusual experience of sleeping and waking up to the beautiful scenery all around them.
The Sabeto Mud Pool
If you're looking for something unusual to do, you can't pass up the mud pool at Sabeto. It is located in a mountain range with a huge group of Geothermal pools full of nice, warm mud. Getting down and into the mud in the pool is believed to have benefits for healthy skin. This is unusual, but adults and especially kids will love it.
Fire Walking
Fire walking in Fiji is believed to have originated on the island of Beau. Fire walking is when you walk on white-hot stones barefoot. To do this, you have to be mentally prepared for it. Trust me; there is a lot of preparation and strict rules that travelers follow in order to do this safely.
The Fiji Museum
The Fiji museum is unusual due to all the amazing _ you'll see dating back 3,000-4,000 years. This museum has a certain attraction that makes it funny--a shoe. It's been said that a man named Thomas Baker was eaten by the locals several centuries ago and the only thing left was his shoe. This museum is a great idea if you bring the whole family to Fiji. | high4615.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "went red in the face and looked down at his shoes"
},
"options": [
"changed another one",
"looked back at my grandfather's red face",
"went red in the face and looked down at his shoes",
"went red in the face because hi... | My grandfather was a teacher. He was the headmaster of a school for boys between the ages of thirteen and eighteen. I know that he was a kind and gentle man at heart, because when I was young (and he was old), he gave me presents and seated me on his knees, and told me stories. But I believe the boys at his school were afraid of him.
At school, when he walked into a classroom full of noisy boys, those boys went red in the faces, and looked down at their shoes. If a boy brought him poor, careless work, which was not the best that boys could do, my grandfather picked up the boy's work and threw it across the classroom, shouting, "Do it all again, and bring it back early in the morning!" If the boy was late, or if he forgot to bring the work, he had to do it again. My grandfather never forgot.
He was a very different man at school, from the man I saw day by day in his own home. | high19061.txt |
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