questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "is the right person for the new position."
},
"options": [
"is the right person for the new position.",
"is still not too old to be an ambassador",
"is not qualified as secretary of commerce",
"can help improve US relat... | Gary Locke, 61, who comes from a Chinese background and even looks Chinese, become the new US ambassador to China.
"I can think of nobody who is more qualified than Gary Locke." President Obama said. Locke's new position is clearly a sign that US President is trying to improve relations with China.
When he made his first speech to the Chinese press in Beijing, Locke said, " I think, being a Chinese-American, I have a greater understanding of the US government."
Before becoming ambassador to China, Locke was US secretary of commerce . This means he has plenty of trade experience, which will be useful in building economic links between the two countries.
Locke's grandfather went to the United States over a century ago to work as a houseboy for a family in Washington State in exchange for English lessons. His father moved to US as a teenager.
"I'm going back to the birthplace of my grandfather, my father and my mom, and I'll be doing so as a devoted diplomat for America, the country where I was born and raised," Locke said.
,A.B.C.D . (4;1.5,6) | high23330.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the origin of a special day for mothers"
},
"options": [
"Mothering Sunday for Christmas",
"the origin of a special day for mothers",
"President Wilson and Anna Jarvis",
"how people celebrate Mothers Day"
],
"qu... | There are a number of special days of the year that are celebrated in different countries. The origins of most of the days are unknown. They were certainly not created by individual people. Other days, however, especially those celebrated in western countries, often owe their origins to a particular person. One of the most popular of these, even though it is fairly recent, is Mother's Day. Mothers have always been highly regarded in all cultures. The ancient Romans had a festival known as Hilaria, during which children took presents to the temple of the "Mother of the Gods". The Christian Church adopted this idea and called it Mothering Sunday. However, over the years this custom was gradually forgotten and almost disappeared by the end of the 19th century.
Born in 1864 in Virginia, USA, Anna Jarvis was a school teacher and believed children should show gratitude to their mothers for all their love and care. Encouraged by a friend, she wrote to thousands of important people--politicians, churchmen, doctors, city officials--and asked them to support her idea: a special day of the year for thanking mothers.
In 1910 the Governor of West Virginia introduced Mother's Day into the state. The date chosen was May 10--the second Sunday in May, which is still observed in America today. This date was chosen because May 10 was the date on which in 1908 Anna Jarvis's mother had died. In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson made May 10 the official date for Mother's Day throughout the United States.
Soon there was a Mother's Day International Association and the custom began to be adopted in many countries of the world.
Anna Jarvis, a sad and disillusioned woman, died in 1948. The custom she had worked so hard to establish and which had become almost universal had lost its original purpose. It had been taken over by business. Like Christmas, the giving of presents and the sending of cards had become a multi-million-dollar industry. | high15682.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "are quick to notice the slightest changes in the environment"
},
"options": [
"can run for their lives when natural disasters happen",
"don't have any modern technology to help them",
"are being observed and tracked for scien... | During the tsunami disaster of 2004,over 300,000 people died.No one has counted the number of animals killed,but we know that it wasn't many.All over the region,before the disaster struck,animals were behaving strangely.
Shortly before the tsunami,in Khaolak,Thailand,twelve elephants that were giving tourists rides became _ .They suddenly left their usual habitat,carrying four surprised Japanese tourists to safety.On the eastern coast of India,flamingos ,which should be breeding at this time of year,suddenly flew to higher ground.Of the two thousand wild pigs that live in an Indian nature reserve,only one was found dead after the tsunami.
The idea that the animals are able to predict disasters is nothing new. In fact,it has been well-recorded over the years. Twelve hours before Hurricane Charlie hit Florida in 2004,fourteen sharks left their natural habitat and stayed in deep waters for two weeks. The sharks,which were being observed by US scientists,had never done this before.They escaped the hurricane.In the winter of 1975 in Haicheng,China,snakes which would normally have been hibernating were seen on the ground.Days later there was a big earthquake striking.
Unlike human beings,wild animals' senses are sharper and they can feel even the smallest changes in the environment.In other words,they see natural warnings that are invisible to the human eye.Ancient people probably had the similar"senses", which they needed to survive,but these have been lost to us as modern technology leads us further away from the danger that nature creates.
The real question is,can we use the reactions of animals to save ourselves from natural disasters? Animal behaviour expert,Rupesh Kaneira,believes we have no choice."The technology which we rely on isn't always perfect,and in poorer countries it isn't even available .Animals know the environment better than any of us.When they run for their lives,we must follow." | high6965.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a newspaper"
},
"options": [
"a travel guide",
"a textbook",
"a newspaper",
"a novel"
],
"question": "This passage is most likely to be found in _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answ... | Norm Pethrick, a 36-year-old man in Australia's northern city Darwin, was praised on Thursday for jumping onto a crocodile's back to save his wife Wendy at Litchfield National Park, a popular tourist spot southwest of Darwin, a local newspaper reported.
Ms Pethrick was standing on a river bank Wednesday afternoon when the saltwater crocodile lunged , locking its jaws on both her legs as it tried to drag her underwater.
Norm Pethrick, who with his wife had been collecting water, immediately went to help her. He jumped onto the back, poked the eyes of the crocodile and finally got his wife free.
Ms Pethrick was later taken to Royal Darwin Hospital for a medical treatment. The doctors said she was suffering eight puncture wounds in her right leg, a puncture wound in her left leg and a serious cut to one of her fingers.
"This could have been a fatal and tragic situation," said the general manager of Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH), Dr Len Notaras, according to a local report.
He said Ms Pethrick was saved by her husband's "quick and diligent actions". Dr Notaras also said she would remain in hospital for three to four days and have an operation to clean the wounds, which are easy to get infected because of bacteria on the teeth of the crocodile. | high8790.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "an English scientist"
},
"options": [
"an American scientist",
"a Canadian scientist",
"a French scientist",
"an English scientist"
],
"question": "Sir Francis Bacon was _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_ques... | Warm water freezes more quickly than cold water. Sir Francis Bacon said that almost four hundred years ago. But few people believed him until 1970. In that year Canadian scientist Geoge Kell proved the English physicist was right. Dr Kell filled one open bowl with cold water. He filled another with warm water. He put both bowls to the same low temperature. The warm water froze first.
The lack of covers on the bowls was the secret . Some of the warm water changed into vapor. It evaporated into the air. This meant that less of the warm water was left to freeze. And so the warm water froze faster than the cold water. | high22748.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Working for too long in front of a screen."
},
"options": [
"Frowning every now and then.",
"Concentrating on computers frequently.",
"Working for too long in front of a screen.",
"Sitting in the same place for a long t... | Dr.Michael Prager, a leading Botox expert, said that a growing number of women are developing something called "computer face".He also mentioned that professionals who worked long hours in front of a screen were ending up with saggy jowls , "turkey neck" and deep-set wrinkles on their forehead and around their eyes.
The Botox expert said that, of all his clients, office workers were most likely to show premature signs of ageing."If you are one of the unfortunate people who frown while you are concentrating on the screen then, over time, you will inevitably end up with frown lines," Dr.Prager said."What is perhaps more surprising is the number of women with saggy jowls because they are sitting in one position for so long.If you spend most of the time looking down then the neck muscles shorten and go saggy, eventually giving you a second neck."
Dr.Prager, who has a practice near Harley Street in London, said he encourages his clients to put a mirror next to their computer so they can see if they are frowning at the screen."When people are stressed or thinking hard about something, then they will often put on a 'grumpy face' without even knowing what they are doing.When my clients put a mirror next to their desk, they are often shocked by the angry, frowning face which stares back at them."
He said, "The women I am seeing at the moment have only been using computers at work for the last decade or so.But women in their 20s have grown up with them and use them for every single task.I think the problem is going to become much, much worse.In another ten years, they could be looking quite awful."
Dr.Prager said there were several simple steps which could avoid "computer face" such as regular screen breaks and stretching the neck muscles.And, of course, there was always Botox.He said that, after a couple of sessions of Botox, the habit of "grumpy face" could be broken. | high12853.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "John Williams himself."
},
"options": [
"He and his family.",
"John Williams himself.",
"Nobody--he sleeps outside.",
"A group of friends."
],
"question": "Who lives in John Williams' house?",
"question_type... | More than 40 years ago, John Williams gave away all of his belongings and went off to the mountains to live the way people lived 100 years ago. For food he traps wild animals, fishes in the rivers, and plants whatever he can. John lives in a cabin he made by hand, out of trees he chopped down with an ax. Though he has no s he knows of, he does have a deer he raised from a fawn. The deer lives in the house in the winter and goes with John when he goes into the forest for food. Nobody lives within fifty miles of his cabin in the mountains and John has not been out of the mountains during the entire forty years. One day last year I hiked in to see how John lives. It was like going back in time. There were no roads, no stores, no noise, no pollution, not even a post office.
Most notable of all, there were no people and that's just the way John Williams wants to keep his part of the world--without people. But there is a paradox in his story. John is an educated man. He has books and nobody knows how he got them. Mostly he reads about his world, the forest, the animals, the plants, and the mountains. He has seen airplanes flying overhead but does not want to know about them. For him, electricity is lightning, not light bulbs, refrigerators, televisions, or washing machines. John Williams is 85 years old and had not had a sick day in his life. He attributes his long life to the fact that it has nothing to do with people and in order that he might enjoy many more years of health, happiness, and solitude, I will not tell you where his kingdom lies. There is no room there for you or me. | high23456.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "aren't active in travelling abroad."
},
"options": [
"do a lot of travelling.",
"send her lots of postcards.",
"share the same hobby as her.",
"aren't active in travelling abroad."
],
"question": "Emma Delaney's... | At any given time, hundreds of postcards are in transit across the world as strangers communicate through a movement called Post-crossing.
Emma Delaney says it's a sad day when there isn't a postcard in her mailbox. She doesn't have a bunch of friends travelling overseas at the moment ---- she's just really active in the underground hobby of Postcrossing.
"I've sent over 3,000 postcards, but I've been doing it for close to seven years," she says. "My husband, generally appreciative of my hobby, is sometimes frustrated by the amount of cardboard hanging around the house or in my car."
Postcrossing is a hobby where strangers send each other postcards across the world. You register on the website, list your interests and preferences for postcards, then receive an address of a stranger on the other side of the world to send a postcard to.
"I tend to send a lot of postcards of the local area because people are interested in where you're from and what you do," Emma says.
From Uzbekistan to Belarus and Kazakhstan to Moldova, Emma has a growing collection of photos from around the world. The postcards have helped shape her international travelling too. "I didn't travel overseas until I was 32 and a lot of the locations we chose for our honeymoon were selected because of the postcards I'd received."
"Some people see sending mail as being a bit boring and unfashionable, but Postcrossing is popular and lots of people are fascinated that I do it.,"
The Postcrossing project has just celebrated its eighth birthday and has over 400,000 active members in 215 countries. The group says they've delivered over 18 million postcards.
And while postal workers aren't supposed to read people's postcards, Emma says she's happy for them to do so at her post office in Shellharbour. She even encourages her correspondents to say hello to the Australia Post staff.
"It's a hobby that I continue to do because I find it enjoyable and relaxing." | high13595.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "pointless"
},
"options": [
"personal",
"satisfying",
"pointless",
"unpleasant"
],
"question": "According to the writer, losing one's temper is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer"... | I have nothing to say about whether or not "A Day Without Immigrants" had a positive or negative effect on the question of how the federal government should deal with the huge population of undocumented illegal immigrants in this country. I'll leave that question to others.
Regardless of how you feel about the event, one conclusion is obvious. Using the theme of" A Day Without" as a way to focus national attention on a particular subject is a great idea, and could serve as a method for increasing public awareness about other issues that affect daily life in America. Here are my top three examples:
"A Day Without Speeding." How hard could this be? If all drivers would strictly obey every posted speed limit on highways, downtown, on neighborhood streets, and in parking lots for one 24-hour cycle, the benefits would be huge.
"A Day Without Losing Your Temper." A higher degree of difficulty here, and I know that from personal experience. When something goes wrong at home or on the job, there may be brief satisfaction in yelling or kicking the furniture, but erupting with anger usually doesn't do anything to solve the problem, and in many cases it makes the situation more unpleasant.
"A Day Without Having All The Answers." I would like to get a break from hearing anyone speak the phrase, "Here's what you're doing wrong." Right now the US is jampacked with citizens who believe they can point out the cause of every single problem in existence and then solve it on the spot. I believe they need to be quiet sometimes and use their ears instead of their voices.
I wonder how would average Americans react to such a collective pause? Would it be a day of angry protests, or joyful celebrations? | high546.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "has been written for ten years"
},
"options": [
"has been written for ten years",
"is J.K.Rowling's new book",
"is going to be published",
"is for children under twelve"
],
"question": "According to the passage ... | Welcome to Harry Potter and the case of the teenage depression.
The popular series is being used in a book designed to help teenagers deal with feelings such as anger and depression.
Australian psychologist Dr Julie-Anne Sykley has written the book Harry Potter Power , which uses ideas and characters from British author J.K. Rowling's series to help teenagers develop a happy feeling.
Ms Sykley said she had been working on the book for 10 years to help young people feel happier , healthier and more powerful.
"I found there was a lot of special hidden material in the (Harry Potter) books and lots of powerful psychological messages that could help young people," she said .
" I sense _ really need some help and guidance to improve their resilience and help them make better choices in their life ."
Harry Potter fans would be familiar with characters in Ms Sykley's book.
" The magical hippogriff creature , for example , was used as a symbol of hope in Harry Potter Power," she said .
Dementors were depressing spirits used in her book to help teenagers learn how to prevent mental illness , Ms Sykley said .
"It's a great way to introduce the idea of depression ," she said .
" Puzzles, games and secret messages were designed to keep learning about depression and anger interesting and informative," she said .
Although Harry Potter Power was marketed to young people aged 12 and older , Ms Sykley said it was suitable for adults and professionals such as teachers and psychologists.
Many Harry Potter fans have welcomed the book , which is published by Interactive Publications , and is now on sale . | high21241.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "The kneeling man."
},
"options": [
"The kneeling man.",
"The sound of a bagpipe.",
"The number of names carved in the stone.",
"The jungles of Vietnam."
],
"question": "Which of the following makes the author fe... | At the end of eight grade, our class went to Washington, D.C. For a group of 14-year-olds, this was a big deal!
The first day was so tiring; we could hardly remember where we were and what we were seeing. The next morning, we were off to seemonuments ,starting with Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson. We walked along the paths through trees. Then the Wall came into view--the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
As I moved slowly closer to the Wall, I heard abagpipe in the distance, which seemed to show respect to the lives lost in the jungles of Vietnam .
We continued walking and felt surprised at the number of names carved in the black stone. I was determined to find a soldier with my last name, but my hunt was stopped when a man caught my eyes. He waskneeling at the Wall, a single rose at his feet. His head was bowed and he was rubbing his fingers over one name. I thought how sad he was, and then moved on .
After a few minutes I found one with my last name, but my eyes returned to the kneeling man. He was still rubbing his fingers over the same name. He never knew I was watching him, lost in deep sorrow. It was time for me to leave the kneeling man and the Wall. On the way home, I couldn't help thinking of the kneeling man and his sad face. I wasn't sure of the effects of war before, but at that moment I realized how much that man suffered from losing his loved one. Maybe he was the only one of so many families who experienced the same .
I never knew the full effects of war until I saw that man. I only know about war from history classes. The kneeling man taught me more about war and the effects it has on people than any history book . | high11382.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The magazine is mainly intended for entertainment."
},
"options": [
"Science fiction is welcomed to the magazine.",
"The magazine is mainly intended for entertainment.",
"It's impolite to comment on someone's story.",
"... | Send us your joke,anecdote or story,and if we publish it in the magazine,we'll pay as follows:
My Story $500
Personal stories beyond the call of daily life.They must be unpublished,original and less than 1,000
words.Click here to read more stories.
Kindness of Strangers Up to $500
True accounts of good luck,inspiring acts of unexpected kindness and generosity,or just something someone did that made your day--or changed your life.100~500 words.Click here to read more stories.
Anecdotes and Jokes $50~$250
Funny things can happen at work and at home--especially when kids are around to pass comment.We may run your writing in Life's Like That,All in a Day's Work or As Kids See It,or as a short filler.Got a new joke? Send it in for Laughter,the Best Medicine.Click here to read more stories.
Smart Animals Up to $150
Has your cat worked out how to use a can-opener? Is your rabbit planting carrot crops? Tell us about clever pets or wildlife in up to 300 words.Click here to read more stories.
Send Us Your Punchline
So you think of yourself as a bit of a jokester? See if you can come up with a punchline to this month's joke...
You Said It
If you'd like to comment on something you saw in Reader's Digestmagazine or on this website,this is the place to do it!
Is It Just Me
Can you be humorous about the trials and mysteries of modem life? Get it off your chest in 500 words.Click here to read more stories. | high21255.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "If you are invited by a single French hostess whom you love, send red roses."
},
"options": [
"If someone in France is dead, send chrysanthemums or calla.",
"If someone in Paris is ill in hospital, send carnations.",
"If you ... | If you are ever lucky to be invited to a formal dinner party in Paris,remember that the French have their own way of doing things, and that even your finest manners may not be "correct" by French custom.For example,if you think showing up promptly at the time given on the invitation,armed with gifts of wine and roses,complimenting your hostess on her cooking,laughing heartily at the host's jokes and then leaping up to help the hostess will make you the perfect guest,think again.
Here Madame Nora Chabal,the marketing director of the Ritz Hotel in Paris,explained how it works.
The first duty of the guest is to respond to the invitation within 48 hours.And,the guest may not ask to bring a guest because the hostess has chosen her own.
Flowers sent ahead of schedule are the preferred gift.They may also be sent afterwards with a thank-you note.It is considered a very bad form to arrive with a gift of flowers vase when she is too busy to do with that.
See,that's the logic!The type of flowers sent has a code of its own,too.One must never send chrysanthemums because they are considered too humble for occasion.Carnations are considered bad luck,and calla are too reminiscent of funerals .A bouquet of red roses is a declaration of romantic intent.Don't send those unless you mean it,and never to a married hostess.And though the French love wine,you must never bring a bottle to a dinner party.Why?It's as if you feared your hosts would not have enough wine on hand,and that's an insult .You may,however,offer a box of chocolates which the hostess will pass after dinner with coffee.
If an invitation is for eight o'clock,the considerate guest arrives at a quarter past eight.Guests who arrive exactly on time or early are mere thoughtless ones who are not giving the hostess those last few minutes she needs to deal with details and crises. | high11396.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Her improper diets."
},
"options": [
"Her improper diets.",
"Lack of her parents' love.",
"Lack of communication with others.",
"Her bad habit of throwing up."
],
"question": "What might cause the writer's bulim... | Recovery from bulimia is difficult,but a beautiful journey!You'll come across many challenges--but once you've beaten them,the world will look much more beautiful. You can recover from this illness--I promise!Remember:If I recovered--you can too!
I began throwing up when I was just a kid. Back then I didn't know why I did that. But now I can see that it was the result of my seeking so called fashionable diets.
I was only 8 years old when my aunty phoned my mom saying that I'd thrown up my dinner.I told them it was just a party trick,and they ignored it. Their reaction made me realize that this "trick" of mine should be a secret. I would continue doing it,but would never let anyone know.
As I got older,this secret habit got more and more serious,and this carried on for years. During my first year of university,at the age of 20,I wasted over $20,000 on food from the school dining hall.
Finally,after having had bulimia for nearly 12 years,I decided enough was enough. I was close to death--I could feel it in every part of my body. I needed help,and I made an appointment with a counselor of my university. One year later,I graduated from university. I was proud of myself for getting my degree. But there was a deeper pride and strength inside my mind. I had beaten bulimia. It had been a long and difficult road--but I'd done it. | high8784.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "To have more chances of getting a job."
},
"options": [
"To have more chances of getting a job.",
"To gain a real westerner appearance.",
"To Take good care of their family.",
"To look like the Eiffel Tower."
],
... | In order to increase their job chances after college, Chinese students are turning to a special practice--Eiffel Tower nose jobs . The latest trend in plastic surgery promises to create a nose that is similar to the curve of the Eiffel Tower.
Surgeon Wang Xuming said: "We are influenced by the beauty of the Eiffel Tower. We are not content to just add something to the nose; we reconstruct it." The surgery costs about US$ 10,000 and involves the enlarging of the nose using tissue from the forehead.
Hundreds of posters advertising the procedure are put up all over Chongqing city, where surgeon Xuming runs his private practice. They show a western-looking woman with an almost-too-perfect nose, against an outline of the Eiffel Tower.
Interestingly, many young women in China are eager to achieve a western appearance, as they believe it will give them an advantage in the highly competitive job market. "Some students face a lot of employment pressure after graduation. If their facial features are good, they'll have more chances of finding a job," said surgeon Xuming. "We've had students getting the Eiffel Tower nose; it's helped them a lot."
Apparently, Chinese employers are quite particular about appearances and prefer attractive candidates. Some of them even go as far as putting height and weight requirements in their employment ads. Plastic surgeons across the country are reporting an increase in the number of students choosing beauty "improvement".
According to a Mr. Li, hospital manager at surgeon Xuming's clinic, most of their customers are female and the bill is taken care of by the family. "They usually come in with their mothers, and tend to be from well-off backgrounds." he said.
Personally, I don't think it so important to "improve" our appearance as long as we are skilled at our jobs. We can't decide how we look, but we can decide how well we live and work. | high12847.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "he works as an online store owner in Shanghai"
},
"options": [
"he works as an online store owner in Shanghai",
"he has to work around the clock to deliver so many products",
"he starts working when most of people are still a... | Online purchases have soared during the Chinese New Year holiday.
It's the dead of winter in Shanghai. Delivery man Liu Jia and his colleagues start the day when most of people are still asleep. Working at a distribution point of a shopping website in Shanghai, they promise to deliver products within three hours of an order being placed. "I buy most of my grocery online, especially the heavy items. It's convenient and cheap compared to the supermarket in my neighborhood," Customer Chen Hong said. Orders such as these have increased for the New Year, forcing Liu Jia to work around the clock. "The orders are usually rice, laundry detergent , tissue paper and snacks, mostly food and articles for everyday use," Liu Jia said.
According to an industry report, China's B2C (Business to Customer) online sales are growing at an annual rate of 25 percent. Competition between online giants like Taobao and Jingdong is now fiercer than ever. "The _ of online shopping is that customers can buy products easily. So the competition is about: firstly, the range of products; secondly, the depth under each category of products; third, the price and user experience," Pan Biao, vice president of YHD. com, said. E-commerce is one of China's fastest growing sectors. It's changed people's buying habits, and even their living habits. And it's had a huge impact on the retail industry. To make online shopping more convenient, major sites are investing heavily to build payment systems
and logistics networks.
On average, a retailer now can deliver goods to the majority of cities within 3 days, and to towns and more remote areas in the country within a week. "Competition will produce a number of good companies, making better products and services that customers need. In the field of E-commerce, we are leading the world in terms of products, services and industry development," Liu Yinbin, associate professor with Dept of Information Management, Shanghai University, said. Experts also say customers are increasingly making their online purchases from mobile devices, opening up vast new opportunities and competition for retailers. | high13581.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the\"cheap candy\"bars in Tokyo"
},
"options": [
"some methods of releasing stress",
"the\"cheap candy\"bars in Tokyo",
"the economy of Japan",
"some delicious sweets"
],
"question": "The text is mainly about _... | It's every child's dream:you find yourself in a sweet shop without owners and can finally eat as many candies as you like.
Tokyo's all-you-can-eat"cheap candy"bars make that childhood dreams come true,giving Japanese under stress a chance to relive the good old days when their biggest problem was deciding between fizzy sticks and sour plums .
The "cheap candy" bar in Tokyo's fashion Ebisu neighborhood is decorated like an old corner shop with dark wooden walls lined with glass jars full of Japanese childhood favorite food.Faded posters and a black-and-white TV bring back that special 1960s nostalgic feeling.
"This is good old Japan,something I haven't even seen myself because we've passed that period,"said 24-year-old Natsuko Kohashi,a consultant, as she sat with a glass of beer and a basket of sugary candies."People dream about this peaceful time,20 years after the war, when things were kind of slow but people had hope,"she said."The economy started to recover and everyone got richer."
Tokyo has many places which satisfy the needs of depressed office workers who have a desire for the years before the financial bubble of the 1980s,when stock markets and property prices went up quickly and then collapsed,leaving Japan in a depression for most of the next decade.
There are cafes where waitresses dressed as maids play childish games with customers,and theme parks that recreate school cafeterias and 1960s living rooms.
At another table at Ebisu's bar, a lively group of men and women in their 20s,some wearing suits,picked at a selection of sweets."I used to eat sweets as a child,"one of the men said."Now we are under great stress.When we were children,there was no stress,so we're comforting each other." | high22984.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Studentscanexercisebywalkingorriding toschool."
},
"options": [
"Morefuelwillbesaved.",
"Studentscangotoschool inasaferway.",
"Studentscanexercisebywalkingorriding toschool.",
"Trafficjams willbereducedduringrushhour."
... | TheUnitedStateshasaround475,000schoolbuses.Eachdaytheycarrymorethan25million children,halfofalltheschoolchildreninthecountry.
Thesebuses,onaverage,use4litersofdiesel fueltotravellessthan16kilometers. When theschoolyearbeganlastfall,dieselaveraged55centsaliternationally.Thepricenearlydoubledby theendofschool inJune.
BobRileyisthespokesmanfortheAmericanSchoolBusCouncil.Hesaysfuelpricesnegotiated for schools arenot lower thanothers have to pay. Asaresult,schoolsarelookingfor waystoreducetransportationcosts.Busroutesarebeing redrawnor,insomecases,canceled.Someareas arebuyingbusesthatuse naturalgas orother alternativefuels.
Otherstepsincludefewerfieldtrips andlesstravel bysports teams.Someschool districtsmayend any busservicenotrequiredby law.
Studiesshowthatschoolbusesarethesafestform oftransportationtoandfrom school.
The AmericanSchoolBus Councilsayscutsinbus serviceare badfor childrenandpossiblythe environment.Itsaysremovingbusesfromtheroadwillmeananincreaseinothervehiclestransporting students. Spokesman Bob Riley saysanotherconcern is thatreducing busservicemightreduce attendance.
It couldalso getmorechildren to walkor bicycle to school.That wouldsurely makepeople happy attheNationalCenterforSafeRoutestoSchool.Morekidswalkingorbikingsafelytoschoolisthe aimofa3-year-oldfederal program,partofaninternationalmovement.Thegoalis toincreasephysical activity and reduce air pollution. | high552.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "A woman who found it in a shopping center."
},
"options": [
"A man who found it in a park.",
"A woman who found it in a park.",
"A man who found it in a shopping center.",
"A woman who found it in a shopping center."
... | Worldwide, the most people willing to return your mobile phone if you've lost it are to be found in Slovenia, and the fewest in Malaysia. This finding is the result of an interesting study in 32 of the world's largest cities. Altogether, researchers "lost" 960 new mobile phones. They got back 654 of them, or 68 percent. Prague came in at number eight. There, 23 out of 30 people who were willing to return the mobile phone.
It wasn't a traditional study. Two researchers carefully chose different places, such as areas with high crime and busy downtown shopping areas, to "lose" the phones. When one of the researchers dropped a phone, the other would keep watching from a distance. The honest finders tried their best to find the owner with the help of the address book in the phone. They were told why the study was done and asked why they acted the way they did.
It was found that the busier the place where the researchers dropped the phone, the greater the chance of it being returned. Another interesting finding was that women were generally more likely than men to return the phone. Researchers also found that most people still have a sense of honesty. "Crime is simply not good behaviour ," said an expert. "People want to trust others, and want to be trusted." | high14588.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To introduce Angry Birds characters in TV programs and advertisements."
},
"options": [
"To explain how the video game Angry Birds was devised.",
"To investigated why Angry Birds has quickly become well-liked.",
"To introduce... | Angry Birds is a video game developed by Finnish computer game developer Rovio Mohile. Inspired primarily by a sketch of stylized wingless birds, the game was first released for Apple's mobile operating system in December 2009.Since then, over 12 million copies of the game have been purchased from Apple's App Store.
With its fast-growing popularity worldwide, the game and its characters---angry birds and their enemy pigs---have appeared in television programs throughout the world. The Israeli comedy A Wonderful Country ,one of the nation's most popular TV programs, satirized recent failed Israeli-Palestinian peace attempts by featuring the Angry Birds in peace negotiations with the pigs. Clips of the segment went _ getting viewers from all around the world. American television hosts Conan O'Brien ,Jon Steward ,and Daniel Tosh have referenced the game in comedy sketches for their programs, Conan, The Daily Show, and Dash. O. Some of the game's more famous fans include Prime Minister David Cameron of UK, who plays the iPad version of the game, and author Salman Rushdie, who is believed to be "something of a master at Angry Birds."
Angry Birds and its characters have also been featured in advertisements in different forms. In March 2011,the characters began appearing in a series of advertisements for Microsoft's Bing search engine. In the same year, Nokin produced an advertisement in Austin, Texas that included the game's characters on a downtown building for its new mobile phone. Later, a T-Mobile advertisement filmed in Spain included a real-life mock-up of the game in a city center .Nokin also used the game in Malaysia to promote an attempt to set a world record for the largest number of people playing a single mobile game.
Angry Birds has even inspired works of philosophical analogy .A five-part essay with the title" Angry Birds Yoga ---How to Eliminate the Green Pigs in Your Life" was written by Giridhari Dasar in Brazil ,utilizing the characters and game play mechanics to interpret various concepts of yoga philosophy. The piece attracted much media attention for its unique method of philosophical presentation. | high1978.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "people can have birthday parties"
},
"options": [
"people can have birthday parties",
"lifeguards are on duty 24 hours a day",
"children are not allowed to swim alone",
"special lessons in diving are offered to adults"
... | Sunshine Sports Centre
One of the most modem sports centers in town, the Sunshine Sports Centre is not just a sports club but much more!
Facilities
With a swimming pool for adults and teens, and a smaller one for children, our centre has something for all the members of the family.Parents can relax while children play in the water.For anybody who is interested in competitive sports, our volleyball, tennis and basketball courts are the ideal place to work off stress.
Whether you just want to keep in shape, lose some weight or build your strength, there's the gym with its super modem equipment and three personal trainers to look after you and answer all your questions.They can also give you general advice about healthy eating and dieting.
Lessons
It doesn't matter if you' re five or eighty five, there's something for you at the Sunshine Sports Centre! We offer personal training in all sports if you want it, but there are also group lessons for all sports if you prefer teamwork.
Kids and teenagers
Take advantage of our special offer for younger members.For members between five and sixteen years old, there are special lessons in water polo, competitive swimming and diving.There are many classes for all levels of swimmers, with a lifeguard on duty from 9:00 am when the pool opens until it closes at 7:00 pm.
Social events
Sunshine Sports Centre is not only for sport! You can enjoy a delicious meal at our restaurant or have a milkshake with your friends on the balcony overlooking the swimming pool and the courts.In addition, there are lovely gardens where families or friends can have a picnic! To celebrate a birthday, there is no better place than the Sunshine Sports Centre.
So, come on Sign up for Sunshine Sports Centre today! | high10936.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "India."
},
"options": [
"India.",
"TheUS.",
"Brazil.",
"Germany."
],
"question": "What country has more highest-rating companies in the world than any other country has?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions... | If prefix = st1 /U.S.software companies don't pay more attention to quality, they could kiss their business good-bye. BothIndiaandBrazilare developing a world-class software industry. Their weapon is quality and one of their jobs is to attract the topU.S.quality specialists whose voices are not listened to in their country.
Already, of the world's 12 software houses that have earned the highest rating in the world, seven are in India. That's largely because they have used new methods rejected by American software specialists. For example, for decades, quality specialists, W. Edwards Deming and J. M. Juran had urgedU.S.software companies to change their attitudes to quality. But their quality call mainly fell on deaf ears in the U.S -- but not in Japan. By the 1970s and 1980s,Japanwas grabbing market share with better, cheaper products. They used Deming's and Juran's ideas to bring down the cost of good quality to as little as 5% of total production costs. InU.S.factories, the cost of quality then was 10 times as high: 50%. In software, it still is.
Watts S. Humphrey spent 27 years at IBM heading up software production and then quality assurance. But his advice was seldom paid attention to. He retired from IBM in 1986. In 1987, he worked out a system for assessing(evaluating) and improving software quality. It has proved its value time and again. For example, in 1990 the cost of quality at Raytheon Electronics Systems was almost 60% of total software production costs. It fell to 15% in 1996 and has since further dropped to below 10%.
Like Deming and Juran, Humphrey seems to be winning more praises overseas than at home. The Indian government and several companies have just founded the Watts Humphrey Software Quality Institute at the Software Technology Park in Chennai,India. Let's hope thatU.S.lead in software will not be eaten up by its quality problems. | high17081.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "1647"
},
"options": [
"1647",
"1634",
"1662",
"1640"
],
"question": "Robert Hooke probably went to school in _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
... | Inventor,physicist,surveyor,astronomer,biologist,artist... Robert Hooke was all these and more. Some say he was the greatest experimental scientist of the seventeenth century. Once he worked with renowned men of science like Christian Huygens,Antony van Leeuwenhoek,Robert Boyle,Isaac Newton and the great architect,Christopher Wren.
Hooke's early education began at home,under the guidance of his father. He entered Westminster School at the age of thirteen,and from there he went to Oxford,where he came in contact with some of the best scientists in England. Hooke impressed them with his skill at designing experiments and devising instruments. In 1662,at the age of twenty-eight,he was named Curator of Experiments of the newly formed Royal Society of London. Hooke accepted the job,even though he knew that it had no money to pay him!
Watching living things through the microscope was one of his favorite occupations. He devised a compound microscope for this purpose. One day while observing a cork under a microscope,he saw honeycomb-like structures. They were cells--the smallest units of life.In fact,it was Hooke who coined the term "cell" as the boxlike cells of the cork reminded him of the cells of a monastery .
Perhaps because of his varied interests,Hooke often left experiments unfinished. Others took up where he left off and then claimed sole credit. This sometimes led to quarrels with colleagues. One work that he finished was his book MICROGRAPHIA,a volume that reveals the immense potential of the microscope. The book also includes,among other things,ideas on gravity and light which may have helped scientists like Newton while they were developing their own theories on these phenomena.
Hooke made valuable contributions to astronomy too. A crater on the moon is named after him in appreciation of his services to this branch of science. | high4800.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "She introduced her to adult plays."
},
"options": [
"She lent her some serious classics.",
"She cultivated her taste for music.",
"She discovered her talent for dancing.",
"She introduced her to adult plays."
],
... | The teacher who did the most to encourage me was, as it happens, my aunt. She was Myrtle C. Manigault, the wife of my mother's brother Bill. She taught me in second grade at all-black Summer School in Camden, New Jersey.
During my childhood and youth, Aunt Myrtle encouraged me to develop every aspect of my potential, without regard for what was considered practical or possible for black females. I liked to sing; she listened to my voice and pronounced it good. I couldn't dance; she taught me the basic dancing steps. She took me to the theatre--not just children's theatre, but adult comedies and dramas--and her faith that I could appreciate adult plays was not disappointed.
My aunt also took down books from her extensive library and shared them with me. I had books at home, but they were all serious classics. Even as a child I had a strong liking for humour, and I'll never forget the joy of discovering Don Marquis's Archy & Mehitabel through her.
Most important, perhaps, Aunt Myrtle provided my first opportunity to write for publication. A writer herself for one of the black newspapers, she suggested my name to the editor as a "youth columnist". My column, begun when I was fourteen, was supposed to cover teenage social activities--and it did--but it also gave me the freedom to write on many other subjects as well as the habit of gathering material, the discipline of meeting deadlines, and, after graduation from college six years later, a solid collection of published material that carried my name and was my passport to a series of writing jobs.
Today Aunt Myrtle is still an enthusiastic supporter of her "favourite niece". Like a diamond, she has reflected a bright, multifaceted image of possibilities to every pupil who has crossed her path. | high15866.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Cottages with thatched roofs."
},
"options": [
"Narrow streets lined with pink or white houses.",
"Rolling hills with pretty farm buildings.",
"Cottages with thatched roofs.",
"Churches with cottages around them."
]... | The view over a valley of a tiny village with thatched roof cottages around a church, a drive through a narrow village street lined with thatched cottages painted pink or white, the sight over the rolling hills of a pretty collection of thatched farm buildings--these are still common sights in parts of England. Most people will agree that the thatched roof is an essential part of the attraction of the English countryside.
Thatching is in fact the oldest of all the building crafts practised in the British Isles. Although thatch has always been used for cottage and farm buildings, it was once used for castles and churches, too.
Thatching is a solitary craft, which often runs in families. The craft of thatching as it is practised toady has changed very little since the Middle Ages. Over 800 full-time thatchers are employed in England and Wales today, keeping and renewing the old roofs as well as thatching newer houses. Many property owners choose thatch not only for its beauty but because they know it will keep them cool in summer and warm in winter.
In fact, if we look at developing countries, over half the world lives under thatch, but they all do it in different ways. People in developing countries are often unwilling to go back to traditional materials and would prefer modern buildings. However, they may lack the money to allow them to get the necessary materials. Their temporary mud huts with thatched roofs of wild grasses often only last six months. Thatch which has been done the British way lasts from twenty to sixty years, and is an effective defiance against the heat. | high1950.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To advise people to think twice before buying hybrid cars."
},
"options": [
"To tell the readers about the advantages of hybrid cars.",
"To warn the readers of the disadvantages of hybrid cars.",
"To advise people to think tw... | In the face of rising gas costs, many consumers are beginning to consider the choice of a hybrid vehicle--one which operates on both gas and electricity. All of the models of hybrid car will save money, but are they really effective when all of the costs of maintenance and other considerations are included in?
First of all, consider the cost of buying a hybrid vehicle. Depending on the model, hybrid vehicles can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 more than the traditional models. However, some say that as the hybrid cars become increasingly more available as a reflection of demand, the prices can be expected to drop, making them more cost effective when it comes to the initial investment.
Also important to keep in mind is the fact that the hybrid cars have a much more specialized system than the standard vehicle, and will therefore require more specialized workers to repair them when they break down.
It seems as though, at least for the time being, the purchase of a hybrid vehicle for the average consumer may not be the best choice when it comes to saving money. It is important to keep several things in mind, however, when considering purchasing a hybrid model. Many consumers are choosing to purchase these cars because they represent a significant development in terms of environmental concerns over standard models. They also mean that as a whole, Western nations will become less dependent on oil as the only means of power.
Finally, it is necessary to remember that the hybrid car is a very new technology. Developed only within the last few years, the technology is still in the starting stage, where costs will continue to be high. As time passes, the development of the hybrid technology will begin to push prices down to the point where hybrids are more competitive with the traditionally fueled models of the past. | high22012.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Because it helps them meet the needs of their roles."
},
"options": [
"Because some of them always feel unhappy.",
"Because they are scolded by the director.",
"Because it helps them meet the needs of their roles.",
"Be... | I have some work in Glasgow today. I was on a really tight schedule, which meant I would have no time for myself all day. I was having one of those days, the train was completely packed out and the conversation going on around me seemed to be particularly meaningless. On top of all that, I had a bit a headache.
Walking quickly across the hall, I fished some change from my pocket. There was usually someone at the exit selling The Big Issue(a magazine that helps homeless folk earn a living). As the crowd parted ways at the bottom of the hall, I saw someone selling the Big Issue. You had to be homeless to sell the Big Issue. She really looked like she'd been sleeping rough. Her clothes were ragged and she was also rocking from side to side. At first I thought maybe she was trying to keep warm against the biting wind, But she wasn't ,she was moving in time to a tune. I couldn't hear her, but I could see her lips moving. As I got closer, I saw a white cane hanging from her elbow and noticed that she had sunken( ) eyes. She was blind, dirty and living on the streets. I came closer and through the noise of the traffic I heard her sing the immortal line, "--and I think to myself, what a wonderful world!" I bought her last magazine for twice what I'd originally intended. She thanked me, then she picked up her stuff and went tapping off along the pavement--still singing!
So, I have my happy memory for the day. And I think it will stay with me a long ,long time. Feel free to borrow it if you like. | high19084.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "they didn't understand each other actually."
},
"options": [
"they had no child.",
"their children didn't like them.",
"they didn't understand each other actually.",
"the old man didn't love the old woman."
],
"... | One fine day, an old couple around the age of 70, walks into a lawyer's office. Apparently, they are there to file a divorce. Lawyer was very puzzled, after having a chat with them, he got their story.
This couple had been quarreling all their 40 years of marriage nothing ever seems to go right. They hang on because of their children, afraid that it might affect their up-bringing. Now, all their children have already grown up, have their own family, there's nothing else the old couple have to worry about, all they wanted is to lead their own life free from all these years of unhappiness from their marriage, so both agree on a divorce.
While they were signing the papers, the wife told the husband. "I really love you, but I really can't carry on anymore, I'm sorry." "It's OK, I understand." said the husband. Little did she know that, over the years, the husband has been trying all ways to please her, little did she know that drumsticks were the husband's favorite. Little did he know that she never thought he understands her at all, little did he know that she hates drumsticks even though all he wants is the best for her.
That night, both of them couldn't sleep, toss and turn, toss and turn. After hours, the old man couldn't take it anymore, he knows that he still loves her, and he can't carry on life without her, he wants her back, he wants to tell her, he is sorry, he wants to tell her, "I love you." He picked up the phone, started dialing her number. Ringing never stops. He never stops dialing.
On the other side, she was sad, she couldn't understand how come after all these years, he still doesn't understand her at all, she loves him a lot, but she just can't take it any more. Phone's ringing, she refuses to answer knowing that it's him. "I want to keep it this way, if not I will lose face. "She thought. Phone is still ringing. She has decided to pull out the cord. Little did she remember, he had heart problems.
The next day, she received news that he had passed away. She rushed down to his apartment, saw his body, lying on the couch still holding on to the phone. He had a heart attack when he was still trying to get through her phone line. | high20605.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "universities"
},
"options": [
"states",
"cities",
"universities",
"colonies"
],
"question": "Yale, Princeton, Columbia and Dartmouth were the names of the _ in America.",
"question_type": "cloze_question... | Started in 1636, Harvard University is the oldest of many colleges and universities in the United States. Yale, Princeton, Columbia and Dartmouth were all started before the American Revolution made the thirteen colonies into states.
In the early years, these schools were much alike. Only young men attended colleges. All the students studied the same subjects, and everyone learned Latin, Greek and Hebrew. Little was known about science then, and one kind of school could teach everything that was known about the world. When the students graduated, most of them became ministers or teachers.
In 1782, Harvard started a medical school for young men who wanted to become doctors. Later, lawyers could receive their training in Harvard's law school. In 1852, Harvard began teaching modern languages, such as French and German, as well as Latin and Greek. Soon it began teaching American history.
As knowledge increased, Harvard and other colleges began to teach many new subjects that interested them.
Special colleges for women were started. New state universities began to teach such subjects as farming, engineering and business. Today, there are many different kinds of colleges and universities. Most of them are divided into smaller schools that deal with special fields of learning. There is so much to learn that one kind of school cannot offer it all. | high4828.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "important"
},
"options": [
"uselss",
"difficult",
"quite easy",
"important"
],
"question": "In the passsage, the writer thinks that body language is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"... | Different people use different languages. We Chinese speak Chinese, and, most of us are learning a foreign language. But there is another kind of language we need to know --- the language of the body.
All over the world, people "talk with their hand, with their heads and with their eyes." When Japanese people meet, they bow. When Indians meet, they put their hands together. What do American and British do? Americans are more imformal than the British. They like to be friendly. They use first names, they ask questions and they talk easily about themselves. When they sit down, they like to relax in their chairs and make themselves comfortable. British people are more reserved . They take more time to make friends. They like to know you before they ask your name.
When British or American people meet someone for the first time, they shake hands. They do not usually shake hands with people they know well. Women sometimes kiss their women friends, and men kiss women friends (on one cheek only). When a man meets a man, he just smiles, and says, "Hello." Men do not kiss each other, or hold hands. Even fathers and sons do not often kiss each other. | high2281.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To have land for agriculture."
},
"options": [
"To build houses for more population.",
"To have land for agriculture.",
"To export trees to other countries.",
"To build industrial plants."
],
"question": "Which ... | It is often said that man has become the enemy of our planet. This is no exaggeration , for reports show that man's greed has done much to destroy the earth. Man, in his greedy desire for financial growth, has polluted the air, land and water, and has robbed our valuable natural resources. Man's industrial plants pour out poisonous waste that pollutes the sea and puts life in the sea under the threat of dying out; at the same time, they release alarming amounts of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other pollutants. Small wonder that the air now is much warmer and more impure than ever before.
Of course, this is not just because of man's greed--it is man's pressing need as well. For instance, in developing countries, huge financial foreign debts have forced governments to approve the cutting of forests for agriculture or ranching. As a result, forests are cut down just to meet man's immediate needs.
Perhaps unknowingly,man has changed the make-up of the earth's atmosphere. Scientific studies have shown that CFCs used in refrigerators and industrial cleaners are fast destroying the ozone layer--a protective layer in the atmosphere that protects us against the harmful effects of the sun's ultraviolet rays. In fact, documented reports have shown a terrible fact that there are "holes" in the ozone layer over the Antarctic. And they appear to be expanding.
Faced with these environmental problems, world leaders have shown deep concern. The UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) has arranged international agreements like the Vienna convention of 1985 and the Montreal Protocol of 1989 to preserve the ozone layer by controlling the production, use and trade of destructive chemicals.
There may be some doubt as to how effectual these agreements may be, given that some countries still maintain an "I-don't-care" attitude. Their attitude is probably due to their failure to grasp the importance of the problem. Then, there is no doubt that environmental education on an international scale is greatly needed, so that all countries, great and small--the "haves" and the "have nots"--may realize their responsibilities for our planet.
In the meantime, the UNEP seems to have taken steps in the right direction, and it is hoped that in the not so distant future, all nations of the world will join hands in saving mother earth. | high5288.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "How @ came into being."
},
"options": [
"How \"at\" developed into @.",
"How @ came into being.",
"How monks invented @.",
"How people wrote the cost of something."
],
"question": "Which of the following is the ... | That little "a" with a circle curling around it that is found in E - mail addresses is most commonly referred to as the "at" symbol.
Surprisingly though, there is no official, universal name for this sign. There are dozens of strange terms to describe the "@" symbol.
Before it became the standard symbol for electronic mail, the "@" symbol was used to represent the cost of something or how heavy something is. For instance, if you purchased 6 apples, you might write it as 6 apples "@" $1.10 each.
With the introduction of e-mail came the popularity of the "@" symbol. The "@" symbol or the "at sign" separates a person's online user name from his mail server address. For instance, joe@uselessknowledge.com. Its widespread use on the Internet made it necessary to put this symbol on keyboards in other countries that have never seen or used the symbol before. As a result, there is really no official name for this symbol.
The actual origin of the symbol remains a mystery. History tells us that the @ symbol came from the tired hands of the Middle Ages. During the Middle Ages before the invention of printing machines, every letter of a word had to be copied with great efforts by hand for each copy of a published book. The monks that performed these long, boring coping duties looked for ways to reduce the number of individual strokes per word for common words. Although the word "at" is quite short to begin with, it was a common enough word in text and documents so that those monks thought it would be quicker and easier to shorten the word "at" even more. As a result, the monks changed the shape of "t" into a circle to surround "a", thus leaving out two strokes in the spelling "t". | high20163.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Self- control is important for a man"
},
"options": [
"Self- control is important for a man",
"We should learn to be strong.",
"A man who keeps cool won't lose any game.",
"The great heroes in history knew how to contro... | "The first and best of victories for a man is to conquer himself; to be conquered by himself is, of all things, the most shameful," says Plato. Self-control is at the root of all the advantages. Let a man give in to his impulses and feelings, and from that moment he gives up his moral freedom.
A single angry word has lost many friends. When Socrates found in himself any temper or anger, he would check it by speaking low in order to control himself. If you are conscious of being angry, keep your mouth shut so that you can hold back rising anger. Many a person has dropped dead in great anger. Fits of anger bring fits of disease. _ "Keep cool," says Webster, "anger is not argument." "Be calm in arguing," says George Herbert, "for fierceness makes error a fault."
To be angry with a weak man is to prove that you are not strong yourself. "Anger," says Pythagoras, "begins with foolishness and ends with regret." You must measure the strength of a man by the power of the feelings he conquers, not by the power of those which conquer him.
Self-control is man's last and greatest victory.
If a man lacks self-control he seems to lack everything. Without it he can have no patience, no power to govern himself; he can have no self-confidence, for he will always be controlled by his strongest feeling. If he lacks self-control, the very backbone and nerve of character are lacking too. | high3821.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "The author wasn't a regular customer to the store."
},
"options": [
"The author wasn't a regular customer to the store.",
"The store was owned by the man and the boy.",
"The store didn't deal in drinks.",
"The author re... | I stopped at a grocery store the other day because I was about to go on a long drive and I wanted to buy my favorite beverage for the trip. It wasn't the store I normally go to, just one I passed along the way.
As I walked up to the entrance, I noticed a man and a boy who was about 10 or 12 years old standing at the front of the store. Customers walked past, as the man handed them half-sheets of white paper. I walked up to them with curiosity, wondering what cause they were representing. As I got closer, I saw that they had two carts starting to fill with groceries.
I said hello and the man greeted me and handed me one of the pieces of paper, explaining that they were collecting donations for the local food pantry. On the paper was a simple list of food items: peanut butter, noodles, pasta sauce, canned fruits and vegetables. It also included a short story about the boy and his efforts to collect food donations since the age of 8. I was really touched that someone so young would be so interested in helping others. I told him it was an awesome idea and that he should be proud of himself. He smiled.
Then, I went inside to get my drink. Unfortunately, the store didn't have it in stock. But, I wasn't upset, because by then I felt I had another mission. I went through the store, picking things from the list, then brought them back out to the boy and put them in the cart. I also gave the man the white sheet of paper back to reuse for another customer. They thanked me and offered me a treat (candy, I think) but I said to pass it on to someone else.
As I walked back to my car, the boy's well-intentioned spirit stuck with me. How inspiring to encounter a young boy with a resolve to do good deeds, and the courage to act on it. It made my day! | high4196.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Friday."
},
"options": [
"Monday.",
"Tuesday.",
"Thursday.",
"Friday."
],
"question": "What day was Mr Liu was saved from the ruins?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"ans... | It was a painful 100 hours from the moment the earthquake struck until rescuers pulled Liu Deyun from the ruins of a factory yesterday. When he went to work on Monday morning, he had never thought that he would spend the next week in the ruins of his workplace. "It was a miracle , but that happened through our hard work," said Zhao Hongxing, an army doctor who joined in rescue. "His first words were 'The army is great. '"
Chinese troops may have been the ones to physically free Mr Liu, 50, but it was his daughter who didn't give up looking for her father that saved his life at last. On Thursday night, running around the fallen factory, the family search party headed by his daughter, heard a low cry. "Father! Father!" Mr Liu answered in a low voice "Yes". Then, after more than three days buried under the fallen building, came two simple words: "I'm thirsty". The reply was probably not what he was wanting: "Father don't talk! You need your air! I will go and find somebody to rescue you!"
The entire first floor of the building fell down, with the second floor completely damaged and pushing the building to one side. The 12-hour rescue operation to save Mr Liu was filled with danger. Mr Liu was freed yesterday at 6:28 p. m. His family had agreed to cut off one of his feet so that he could be pulled out. "I just want him to live," his daughter Yuan, 23, said in tears.
Mr Liu, wrapped in a blanket, was welcomed by a large number of people who was concerned about him. And with the latest survivor taken to a waiting ambulance , the rescue workers went back to the ruins where two more factory workers were waiting for their turn to be dug out. | high17917.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "delighted"
},
"options": [
"thankful",
"delighted",
"indifferent",
"disappointed"
],
"question": "What did the author's husband feel when she told him what she had done?",
"question_type": null
},
{
... | We live in central Phoenix, near the canal . Every day I used to see a homeless old man and his scruffy little dog hanging out down there.
I would tell my husband we should give him food for the little dog. It wouldn't have been a problem; we have our own "mini farm" of animals! But he would say "OK!" and then blow the idea off because of our business.
Being in Phoenix, Arizona, you can just imagine how hot it gets here, but his winter was really chilly! I had just come from KFC with take-out food for dinner. As I was turning by the canal, the man and his dog were sitting right there all bundled up. Even the doggy had a coat on! Not even thinking about it, I pulled into the parking lot along the canal and piled up a plate of chicken with all the fixings for the man and his little buddy . I gave it to him with a soda and a bottle of water for the little dog. He said, "Thank you, sweetie. You are an angel." And there were tears welling up in his eyes! I told him he was so welcome, and then went home.
When my husband dug into the KFC bag he asked, "Were you hungry, or what?" I told him what I did and he said, "Only you!" Then he told me I had done a good thing.
A few weeks later, we were walking along the canal and found the man walking to me, with his little dog. He asked whether I would mind adopting the dog. With tears in eyes, he said it had gotten too hard for him to care for the dog. He added that he was planning on heading to Washington State but his dog wouldn't have been up to it, so he hoped to give it to me. "Only you! In this city, you are the only person I can believe in!"
Now, every time I watch and pat the dog lying near the fireplace, I will remember the old man's words and wish him good luck. | high6959.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "they hardly realize hidden disasters will happen suddenly"
},
"options": [
"they are not advised to take actions",
"they hardly realize hidden disasters will happen suddenly",
"they think others can solve the problem",
... | If December 26's tsunamis have taught us anything, it is that nature does not recognize national boundaries . The same can be said of a lot of many other problems facing human beings. Global warming, for example, will affect the whole world. Similarly, diseases like AIDS or SARS can spread rapidly from country to country.
At no other time in human history has it been so urgent for humans to recognize that they need to learn to stick together. If they don't, the chances are that they will soon find themselves alone. What will it take to get humans to take this truth seriously? Disaster seems to be a good way of _ . The tsunamis, for example, have opened the hearts of countless numbers of people all over the world who offered their immediate help.
But why can't they come together to avoid a disaster that they know will occur if they do not act in time? One of the reasons is a lack of imagination. Most people can readily understand, for example, how rising global temperatures can melt the polar ice-cap, raise sea-levels, and greatly change global weather. But these changes will not occur overnight. And people find it difficult to imagine changes that will occur in stages, slowly, and over years. So they pay little attention to the problem. They hide their heads in the sand. They think that something, somehow, will come to make the problem disappear.
The Indian Ocean tsunami killed tens of thousands of people and left millions homeless. Diseases may kill many more if clean water supplies are not provided in time in the disaster areas. But already the disaster has revealed some good things: One, there is more goodwill and kindness in the world than we are likely to believe. And two, the world is indeed capable of coming together as one in the face of the disaster. We pray that some of this spirit runs over into 2005. There are many disasters -- man-made, not natural ones -- that might be avoided if the world can learn to stick together. | high22774.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Caffeine can improve long--term memory."
},
"options": [
"Caffeine can make people addicted.",
"Caffeine can make people energetic.",
"Caffeine can improve long--term memory.",
"Caffeine can make people feel comfortable... | Many people cannot start their day without first having a cup of coffee or tea.These drinks help them think clearly and feel more awake.This is because of caffeine,which helps to give a jump start to the nervous system.Now,a report says it may also boost long-term memory.
Mike Yassa is a neurobiology professor.He and other researchers wanted to know if caffeine could improve a person's memory.He explains,"After you learn anything,it takes some time for that memory to strengthen.And over the first 24 hours is actually where most of the forgetting happens.So that is where we wanted to intervene with caffeine and see if we can help reduce this forgetting."
They took 160 caffeine-free people and showed them pictures of everyday objects. These people were asked if the objects could be found inside the house, or outdoors.Then some of the subjects were given a caffeine pill.The others were given a placebo--a pill containing nothing. 24 hours later,the subjects were shown the exact same images from the day before.They were also shown images with slight differences,and some completely new images. Both groups correctly identified the exact same and completely new pictures.But those who took the caffeine pill were better at spottingthe pictures that were slightly different.
Professor Yassa says their answers helped to show the effects of caffeine on memory. And we find that if they are on caffeine they are much more likely to make the right decision."
The amount of caffeine the researchers used in the study was similar to one cup of strong coffee.The researchers did not see any improvement to memory from smaller doses of caffeine or when it was given an hour before viewing the images. | high6781.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Both parents and their children like watching educational television."
},
"options": [
"Parents are worried about the influence from television on their children",
"Television has much influence on children",
"Both parents an... | Children in the United States are exposed to many influences other than that of their families.Television is the most significant of these influences,because the habit of watching television usually begins before children start attending school.
Parents are concerned about the lack of quality in television programs for children.The degree of violence in many of these shows also worries them.Studies indicate that,when children are exposed to violence,they many become aggressive or insecure.
Parents are also concerned at,out the commercials that their children see on television. Many parents would like to see fewer commercials during programs for children.And some parents feel that these shows should not have any commercials at all because young minds are not mature enough to deal with the claims made by advertisers.
Educational television has no commercials and has programs for children that many parents approve of The most famous of these is Sesame Street,which tries to give preschool children a head start in learning the alphabet and numbers.It also flies to teach children useful things about the world in which they live.
Even though most parents and educators give Sesame Street and shows like it high marks for quality,some critics argue that all television,whether educational or not,is harmful to children.These critics feel that the habit of watching hours of television every day turns children into bored and passive consumers of their world rather than encouraging them to become active explorers of it. | high8974.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "awaken the whole society to the problems today's college students face"
},
"options": [
"awaken the whole society to the problems today's college students face",
"warn Americans that academic standards are falling",
"advise c... | It's high time someone spoke up for today's college students. They're probably the most hardworking, ambitious people in America and their problems are not properly appreciated.
People like the Secretary of Education simply don't know what they're talking about when they knock students. Nor do those who complain about falling academic standards.
The vast majority of the nation's 12 million students are struggling to pay for their educations. They are part of the invisible workforce. Many hold down full-time jobs. They're frying hamburgers, photographing weddings, working in construction, and waiting on tables. The fact that they even show up for classes is a wonderful event.
The financial situation of most students explains a lot about what is happening in schools. Why are the traditional courses so unpopular? Why are students flocking to accounting and computer science and any professional programs that seem to lead to careers?
Answer: Today's working student has been forced into a kind of premature matter-of-fact way of viewing things. Romance is gone. The notion of transforming one's self through study alone has disappeared. Today's students seek freedom from manual labor, and the status conferred by a good job.
There are other consequences. Today's students don't have much time or energy to be devoted, and carry out independent research or even do serious homework. That's the secret behind falling academic standards. Students have become consumers. They want grades and certifications. Their professors can't be expected to give a grade of failure to students who are clearly tired from the effort to pay their bills.
There's a lot wrong with this situation. It's twisting the definition of education out of shape. Worse, it's creating a generation that is totally unpleasant. The brightest students turn out to be yuppies . The vast majority are, at least, good-natured semi-literates.
The time has run out for philosophical debates about fixed courses of study. What this country needs is someone to stand up and say that being a full-time student during one's formative years is an honorable calling worthy of support. If families can't or won't give it to their children, then the government should. | high8960.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "enjoy some entertaining programs"
},
"options": [
"make some good friends",
"meet many beautiful queens",
"receive the first-class service",
"enjoy some entertaining programs"
],
"question": "In addition to your... | Visit New York City with your kids where there are numerous things to do which will entertain their spirits and feed their minds.
*The Whispering Gallery
Make your way to the Whispering Gallery. Kids can get a lot of fun there. Once inside the gallery, place one person facing the corner at one end of the room and then place another person facing the corner at the opposite end. Ask one of them to whisper a phrase or a quick sentence and the person at the opposite end will be able to hear every word that was said.
E.42nd St. New York, NY 10017
212-771-5322
grandcentralterminal.com
*American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History was founded in 1869. In addition to its impressive exhibits, permanent attractions bring the cool feeling to kids. They can enter the Fossil Halls and take in the impressive dinosaur skeletons. And the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life educates kids on the fragility of the ocean.
Central Park West at 79th St. New York, NY 10024
212-769-5606
amnh.org
*The Scholastic Store
Most parents want their children to read, and moreover, to enjoy reading. The Scholastic Store helps to make that wish a reality by publishing well-written stories that appeal to children, such as Clifford the Big Red Dog, the Magic School Bus and Harry Potter, the Scholastic Store will delight your children.
557 Broadway. New York, NY 10012
212-343-6100
scholastic.com
*Ellen's Stardust Diner
The restaurant is a place where each person in your family can find something to eat. A diverse menu will satisfy every one's appetite. Arugula salads, grilled cheese burgers and meatloaf are all on this varied menu. The hall of beauty queens, a drive-in theatre can add to the unique dining experience.
1650 Broadway, corner of 51st St. New York, NY 10019
212-956-5151
ellensstardustdiner.com | high3835.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Three"
},
"options": [
"Two",
"Three",
"Four",
"Five"
],
"question": "How many kinds of environmental pollution are mentioned in the text?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | During the last twenty years there has been increasing concern with the quality of the environment. Along with air and water pollutions, noises pollution has been recognized as a serious pollutant. As noise levels have risen, the effects of noise have become more apparent.
Noise is defined as "unwanted sound". Causes of noise pollution include traffic, aircraft, rock bands, barking dogs, televisions, garbage trucks, and noise from neighbors, voices, alarms, and watercrafts. Studies show that over forty percent of Americans are disturbed at home or lose sleep because of noise pollution.
Noise has bad effects on people and the environment. Noise causes hearing loss, interferes with human activities at home and work, and is in various ways dangerous to people's health and well being.
When we think, talk, listen to music, or sleep, we need quiet. Even low levels of noise can be annoying or frustrating. Sudden increases in volume can make sounds annoying. The quieter the background is, the more _ a noise can be.
Noise can also make instructions or warning unclear, resulting in accidents. Louder noise bursts can be more disruptive .Continued stress can lead to high blood pressure, which is the major cause of some diseases.
Long exposure to noise levels above eight-five decibels can damage inner cells and lead to hearing loss. Noise can result in the involuntary fear response and can cause adrenaline to be pumped into the bloodstream, the heart rate to quicken, muscles to tense, breathing to increase, and the digestive system to slow down.
Local government has the responsibility to fight noise pollution. For example, it can regulate the speed of trains through their community. On the other hand, a responsible citizen will never make noise pollution wherever he is. | high20177.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Exercising and enjoying music."
},
"options": [
"Doing nothing about it.",
"Exercising and enjoying music.",
"Writing down negative thoughts.",
"Talking about it with neighbors."
],
"question": "Which of the fol... | Having one of those days - or weeks - when everything seems to annoy you? Even if you do nothing about it, your bad mood will probably go away after some time. But with a little effort, you can forget it much faster - often within a day or two.
*Walk it off
Exercise is the most popular bad-mood buster. A person who's in a bad mood has low energy and high tension. Taking a fast ten-minute walk, or doing some quick exercises can do wonders towards changing that bad mood.
*Tune it out
Listening to your favorite music for a while can also make tension go away quickly, because music starts associations with past positive experiences we've had.
*Give yourself a pep talk
Stop and listen to what's on your mind. Bad moods are often started by too many negative thoughts. Write them all down on paper, the pessimistic messages you've been giving yourself and then give optimistic answers. ( "I still don't have a job." Vs "I have two interviews next week.")
*Reduce your stress
Relaxation techniques are wonderful mood-lifters. These include deep breathing, stretching and visualizing, all of which sound complicated but aren't. One easy way to visualize: close your eyes and picture a favorite place, such as the beach. Another simple way to be against distress is to make a to-do list. One reason for being in a bad mood is feeling you have no options. By taking control over certain areas, you realize you're not helpless. You can make changes in your mood and life.
*Avoid things that won't improve your mood.
TV may not help much: You need to increase your energy level and stimulate your mind - something that the TV show "Neighbors" won't do. And before you reach for that piece of cake and coffee, think about how mood and food are linked. Sugar and caffeine contribute to depressed moods. A better choice? Research shows that carbohydrates, such as potatoes and pasta ,produce a calming effect in people who have a desire for them. | high4182.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "competing in a 24-hour race"
},
"options": [
"waiting for Peter Basinger",
"following a mother bear",
"competing in a 24-hour race",
"riding in Chugach State Park"
],
"question": "When the girl was attacked, she... | A 14-year-old girl was attacked by a grey bear while competing in a bike race. She managed to whisper the word "bear" to her rescuer. The girl suffered serious head, neck and leg wounds. Now she is in a dangerous condition in hospital.
The girl was taking part in a 24-hour race through Bicentennial Park in Alaska when she was attacked by the bear. Bicentennial Park is next to Chugach State Park where some wild animals live.
The animal attacked the girl in a heavily wooded area at about 1:30 am. The girl called emergency services but she was unable to say any word. Another rider Peter Basinger found her lying unconscious on the ground. He told the Anchorage Daily News that she managed to say the word "bear" when he stopped to help. Her helmet had been ripped off in the attack and rolled into the woods. Mr. Basinger waited with the girl for about 20 minutes until doctors arrived. Armed police trekked
3 km with doctors to pick up the girl.
Animal expert Rick Sinnott said something must be done as soon as possible to prevent the bear from attacking people again. "It was extremely terrifying," he said.
Mr. Sinnott told the Anchorage Daily News that the bear might be a mother. It hurt two runners on a nearby path two weeks ago. He also said that the girl was lucky to have been wearing a bike helmet because the bear had bitten her head several times. | high21269.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "they are pressured by animal right groups."
},
"options": [
"they are international big companies.",
"they are pressured by animal right groups.",
"they love animals.",
"they earn a large amount of money and want to do ... | Animals are more like us than we ever imagined.They feel pain, they experience stress, they show affection, excitement and love.All these findings have been made by scientists in recent years--and such results are beginning to change how we view animals.
Strangely enough, some of this research was sponsored by fast food companies like McDonald's and KFC.Pressured by animal rights groups , these companies felt they had to fund scientists researching the emotional and mental states of animals.
McDonald's, for instance, funded studies on pig behavior at Purdue University, Indiana.This research found that pigs seek affection and easily become depressed if left alone or prevented from playing with each other.If they become depressed, they soon become physically ill.Because of this, and other similar studies, the European Union has banned the use of isolating pig stalls from 2010.In Germany, the government is encouraging pig farmers to give each pig 20 seconds of human contact a day, and to provide them with toys to prevent them from fighting.
Other scientists have shown that animals think and behave like humans. Koko, the 300-pound gorilla at the Gorilla Foundation in Northern California, for instance, has been taught sign language. Koko can now understand several thousand English words, more than many humans who speak English as a second language.On human IQ tests, she scores between 70 and 95.
Before such experiments, humans thought language skills were absent from the animal kingdom.Other myths are also being overturned, like the belief that animals lack self-awareness.Studies have also shown that animals mourn their dead, and that they play for pleasure.
These striking similarities between animal and human behavior have led some to ask a question: "If you believe in evolution, how can't you believe that animals have feelings that human beings have?"
Until recently, scientists believed that animals behaved by instinct and that what appeared to be learned behavior was merely genetically-programmed activity.But as Koko the Gorilla shows, this is not the case.In fact, learning is passed from parent to offspring far more often than not in the animal kingdom.
So what implications does this knowledge have for humans? Because of this, should we ban hunting and animal testing? Should we close zoos? Such questions are being raised by many academics and politicians.Harvard and 25 other American law schools have introduced courses on animal rights.Germany meanwhile, recently guaranteed animal rights in its constitution--the first country to do so. | high17903.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "He was expecting some resistance to his job option."
},
"options": [
"He had no idea of what he wanted to do in life.",
"He was expecting some resistance to his job option.",
"He had always wanted to follow his father's path.... | "So?"he said."Er...so what?""So what do you really want to do?"he asked.
My father was a lawyer,and I had always assumed he wanted me to go to law school,and follow his path through life."I want to travel,and I want to be a writer."I replied.
This was not the answer he would expect."Interesting idea,"he said."I kind of wish I'd done that when I was your age."I wailed.
"You have plenty of time.You need to find out what you really enjoy now.Look,it's late. Let's take the boat out tomorrow morning,just you and me. Maybe we can catch some crabs for dinner,and we can talk more."
Early next morning we set off along the coast. We didn't talk much,but enjoyed the sound of the seagulls and the sight of the coastline and the sea beyond.
There was no surf on the coastal waters at that time."Let's see if we get lucky,"he said,picked up a mesh basket with a rope attached and threw it into the sea. We waited a while,then my father stood up and said,"Give me a hand with this,"and we pulled up the crab cage onto the deck.
The cage was filled with dozens of soft shell crabs."Why don't they try to escape?"
"just watch them for a moment. Look at that one,there!He's trying to climb out,but every time the other crabs pull him back in,"said my father.
After several times,not only did the crab give up its struggle to escape,but it actually began to help stop other crabs trying to escape.He'd finally chosen an easy way of life.
Suddenly I understood why my father had suggested catching crabs that morning. He looked at me.
"Don't get pulled back by the others,"he said."Spend some time figuring out who you are and what you want in life.Think about what's really important to you,what really interests you,what skills you have.If you can't answer these questions now,then take some time to find out. Because if you don't,you'll never be happy."
My father started the motor and we set off back home. | high19090.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Student film makers."
},
"options": [
"Famous film makers.",
"Student film makers.",
"General film lovers.",
"Owners of cinemas."
],
"question": "Who would be most interested in the above ads?",
"question_ty... | Seattle International Film Festival: Future Wave Shorts Program
Seattle Washington
May/June annually
Deadline: March
A presentation of original short films created by youth aged 18 and under. Entries must be no longer than 10 minutes (including end titles). The juried Future Wave award winner receives a $500 cash prize!
http://www.siff.net
Contact: Dustin Kaspar [ _ ]
Entry Fee: $20
University of Toronto Film and Video Festival
Toronto
February
Deadline: January
Annual Festival accepting all lengths and genres , with an emphasis on student work. Submission form on festival website.
http://www.uoftfilmandvideofestival ca
Contact: Steven Hoffner [ _ ]
Entry Fee: $ 15 ( early ), $20 ( final )
Young cuts Film Festival
Toronto Ontario
August 23th - 27 th
Deadline: April 30th
The Young Cuts Film Festival is one of the world's most important film festivals for film makers under the age of 25 and is for student film makers and non-student film makers alike. It's important because we not only evaluate young film makers' short films and feature films for our own Festival competition, but we can also evaluate your film with an eye to establishing its market potential. For more information please go to our website at www. youngcuts. com or email us at info@ youngcuts. com.
Contact: Peter Bailey [ _ ]
Entry Fee: $60.00--$90.00
Scene First Student Film Festival
Wilmington North Carolina
June 14th-16th
Deadline: May
The 3-day national film competition provides student film makers with an opportunity to show their short films, network with industry professionals, and learn from academic and industry leaders -- all in a relaxed social environment.
http:// www. Scenefirstfestival. com
Contact: Sam Connelly [ _ ]
Entry Fee: $12 | high20611.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "choose to be cheerful every day"
},
"options": [
"try to succeed in doing everything",
"try to please your boss every day",
"earn a lot of money by working",
"choose to be cheerful every day"
],
"question": "If ... | At the beginning of my 8:00 a.m. class one Monday at UNLV , I cheerfully asked my students how their weekend had been. One young man said that his weekend had not been very good. The young man then proceeded to ask me why I always seemed to be so cheerful.
His question reminded me of something I'd read somewhere before: "Every morning when you get up, you have a choice about how you want to approach life that day," I said to the young man. "I choose to be cheerful."
"Let me give you an example," I continued. "In addition to teaching here at UNLV, I also teach out at the community college in Henderson. One day a few weeks ago I drove to Henderson. I exited the freeway and turned onto College Drive. But just then my car died. I tried to start it again, but the engine wouldn't _ . So I put my flashers on, grabbed my books, and marched down the road to the college."
"As soon as I got there, the secretary in the Provost's office asked me what had happened. 'This is my lucky day', I replied, smiling."
"Your car breaks down and today is your lucky day?" She was puzzled, "What do you mean?"
"I live seventeen miles from here. I replied. My car could have broken down anywhere along the freeway. It didn't. Instead, it broke down in the perfect place: off the freeway, within walking distance of here. I'm still able to teach my class, and I've been able to arrange for the tow truck to meet me after class. If my car was meant to break down today, it couldn't have been arranged in a more convenient fashion." | high208.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Money keeps losing its value."
},
"options": [
"People's money becomes more valuable",
"The problem of employment will be solved.",
"It's easier for people to find better paying jobs.",
"Money keeps losing its value."
... | It is a matter of common observation that although incomes keep going up over the years,people never seem to become much better off! Prices are rising continuously.The condition is termed one kind 0f inflation, the money supply is becoming inflated so that each unit of it becomes less valuable.People have got used in recent years to higher and higher rates of inflation.
What could be bought ten years ago for one dollar now costs well over two dollars. It seems that this rate of inflation is tending to rise rather than to fall.If in the real world our money incomes go up at the same rate as prices,one might think that inflation does not matter.But it does when money is losing value,it lacks one of the qualities of a good money---stability of value.It is no longer acceptable as a store of value;and it becomes an unsuitable standard of deferred payments.Nobody wants to hold a wasting possession,so people try to get rid of money as quickly as possible. Inflation therefore stimulates people spending,and prevents people from saving. | high15872.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "sending and receiving sounds"
},
"options": [
"watching the shape and size of their objects",
"diving deep into the sea",
"sending and receiving sounds",
"making lots of noises"
],
"question": "Toothed whales lo... | Ears are for hearing -- everyone knows that. But for a creature called the Cuvier's beaked whale, hearing starts in the throat, a new study found.
The observation might help explain how all whales hear. The work might also help scientists understand how animals are affected by underwater sonar . This sonar, used by some ships, sends out sound waves to locate underwater objects.
The Cuvier's beaked whale is a so-called toothed whale. Toothed whales dive deep into the ocean in search of food. As the whales hunt, they produce sounds that reach objects and then return to the whales. This allows the animals to "see" the shape, size, and location of objects, even when they're 1,000 meters under the sea, where it is totally dark.
To better understand how the whale hears, researchers from San Diego State University in California took X-rays of two Cuvier's beaked whales. The whales had died and washed up on the beach.
Ted Cranford and his colleagues used the images to make a computer model of a Cuvier's beaked whale's head. Then, they modeled the process of sound traveling through the head.
The researchers knew that some sounds get to the ears of a toothed whale through a structure called "the window for sound". Found on the lower jaw, this structure is very thin on the outside and has a large pad of fat on the inside.
When the researchers used their computer model to work out how sound waves travel in the whale's head, they were surprised to find that sounds coming from right in front of the whale actually travel under the animal's jaw. From there, sound waves move through the throat, into a hole in the back of the jaw, and finally to the pad of fat near the animal's ears.
Cranford guesses that other types of whales may hear through their throats. Further testing is needed to be sure. Eventually, the insight into how whales hear might explain whether sonar testing by military ships is causing the animals to wind up on beaches. | high23318.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "reserved and appreciative"
},
"options": [
"talkative and realistic",
"reserved and appreciative",
"open-minded and responsible",
"sensitive and independent"
],
"question": "We can infer from the passage that th... | Prayer for My Mother
Dear God,
Now that I am no longer young, I have friends whose mothers have passed away.I have heard these sons and daughters say they never fully appreciated their mothers until it was too late to tell them.
I am blessed with the dear mother who is still alive.I appreciate her more each day. My mother does not change, but I do.As I grow older and wiser, I realize what an extraordinary person she is.How sad that I am unable to speak these words in her presence, but they flow easily from my pen.
How does a daughter begin to thank her mother for life itself? For the love, patience and just plain hard work that go into raising a child? For running after a toddler , for understanding a moody teenager, for tolerating a college student who knows everything? For waiting for the day when a daughter realizes what her mother really is?
How does a grown woman thank for a mother for continuing to be a mother? For being ready with advice when asked or remaining silent when it is most appreciated? For not saying:"! told you so", when she could have voiced these words dozens of times? For being essentially herself-loving, thoughtful, patient, and forgiving?
I don't know how, dear God, except to bless her as richly as she deserves and to help me live up to the example she has set.I pray that I will look as good in the eyes of my children as my mother looks in mine
A daughter | high22006.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "call 1-866-557-1401"
},
"options": [
"catch it",
"raise it at home",
"call 1-866-557-1401",
"shoot at it"
],
"question": "If you see an oiled bird in the Gulf of Mexico . you are supposed to _ .",
"questio... | Efforts to reduce the damage from the huge oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico are under way . How can you help ?A number of organizations are recruiting volunteers.
The Deep Water Horizon response team is looking for help in identifying shoreline and animals affected . Oiled wildlife should not be captured but instead reported at 1-866-557-1401. To report areas with oil ashore or to leave contact information to volunteers in the affected areas , call 1-866-448-5816.
The National Wildlife Federation is looking for volunteers and support to help spot distressed or oiled wildlife , and to assist in the cleanup and restoration efforts along the coast of Louisiana. You can text the word "NWF" to 20222. That'ss donate $10 to the National Wildlife Federation through your phone bill.
United Way has launched the Gulf Recovery Fund . which is providing emergency assistance and long-term recovery support for the communities affected by this oil spill . Those who need help or want to volunteer can dial 2-1-1.You can donate to this fund by going to liveunited . org/gulfrecovery.or text the word "United" to 50555 to donate $10 from your mobile phone.
The First Response Team of America is working with the National Guard in Southern Louisiana to build dams to hold back the oil from the fragile coastal habitats . Their founder , Tad Agoglia --who was named a CNN Hero in 2008--has made their work on the oil . spill their top Priority until the disaster is contained.They are looking for volunteers . Call 941-388-3010.
AmenCares is providing medical care and supplies to oilspill victims along the Gulf , and is funding and assisting mental health assessments and counseling needs for the immediate and long-term health and mental health issues affecting children as a result of this disaster . Mental health experts are in great demand . The Children's Health Fund can be reached at 1-800-535-7418. | high15325.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "that television is doing harm to our life"
},
"options": [
"how television is damaging our health",
"how to keep away from watching television",
"that television is doing harm to our life",
"all of us find it difficult ... | "Yes, but what did we use to do before there was television?" How often we hear statements like this! Television hasn't been with us all that long, but we are already beginning to forget what the world was like without it. Before we admitted the "one-eyed monster" into our homes, we never found it difficult to occupy our spare time. We used to enjoy civilised pleasures. For instance, we used to have hobbies, entertain our friends and be entertained by them, go outside for our amusements. We even used to read books and listen to music occasionally. Now all our free time is regulated by the "goggle box". We rush home for our meals to be in time for this or that programme. A sandwich and a glass of beer will do--anything, providing it doesn't interfere with the programme. The monster demands and obtains silence and attention. If any member of the family dares to open his mouth during a programme, he is quickly silenced.
Whole generations are growing up addicted to the television. Food is left uneaten, homework undone and sleep is lost. The television is a universal thing that makes people calm. It is now standard practice for mother to keep the children quiet by putting them in the living-room and turning on the set. It doesn't matter what the children will watch--so long as they are quiet.
Television encourages passive enjoyment. We become content with second-hand experiences. It is so easy to sit in our armchairs watching others working. Little by little, television cuts us off from the real world. We get so lazy, we choose to spend a fine day in semi-darkness. Television may be a splendid medium of communication, but it prevents us from communicating with each other. We only become aware how totally irrelevant television is to real living when we spend a holiday by the sea or in the mountains. In quiet, natural surroundings.we quickly discover how little we miss the King television. | high22589.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "That there was a basketball court inside the building."
},
"options": [
"That it was very near to his home.",
"That there was a basketball court inside the building.",
"That there was a special smell in it.",
"That ther... | When I was six years old, my mom told me that I could find anyone's number in the phone book. I used to look through the phone book for hours trying to find Michael Jordan's phone number. When I couldn't find it, I just dialed seven numbers. When someone answered, I'd ask, "Is that Michael Jordan?" Obviously, I always had the wrong number.
A year later I started playing basketball at my local recreation center. It was very big. I never thought in my wildest dreams that a basketball court could be inside a building. The recreation center had a special smell in it, sort of like hot rubber. I guessed it was from the shoes hitting the floor so fast and hard. The atmosphere on the court was carefree. Our biggest excitement of the day was when we actually made a shot. We celebrated wins over ice cream at a fast food restaurant.
I got good at it, and my confidence grew. I played it all the time until the sixth grade. As soon as junior high school came, I stopped playing basketball and focused on school. When senior high school started, I tried out for the school team and made it. We worked hard. Every week we did 300 push-ups and 300 sit-ups on our own. Our coach encouraged the sit-ups to keep stomach power, because it gave us so much control when we were playing basketball. If we didn't want to do the sit-ups and push-ups, we could practice dribbling and shooting more. It's just us, the ball, the court and the net. But don't take my word for it. See for yourself. After all, I'm just one kid playing the game. | high787.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "In hot weather or after exercises."
},
"options": [
"In cold weather or after exercises.",
"In hot weather or after exercises.",
"Before breakfast, lunch and supper.",
"When we feel tired or become ill."
],
"que... | Of all the things we eat and drink, water is the most important. Not all people realize this, but it is quite true. The human body can live without food for a long time, but two or three days without water usually result in death.
Many people do not understand how much water the human body needs, but many people do not drink enough, especially in the hot weather. Most people drink when they are thirsty but often need more water after exercises.
65 to 70 percent of the human body is water. Water is important in several different ways. Most people need five to seven liters of water every day, but we needn't drink this amount because a lot comes from the food we have. If we don't have enough water, however, we will feel tired and many become ill. Do you know what the best drink is? Yes, you are right. Cool water! | high1213.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "some people are afraid to speak up for their rights"
},
"options": [
"some people are forced to buy things they don't like",
"some people are afraid to speak up for their rights",
"many superiors are everywhere",
"some ... | Have you ever been afraid to talk back when you were treated unfairly? Have you ever bought something just because the salesman talked you into it?
Many people are afraid to assert (,) themselves.Dr.Robert Albert, author of STAND UP, SPEAK OUT and TALK BACK, thinks it is because their self-respect is low."There's always a superior around--a parent, a teacher, a boss who knows better.'' But Albert and other scientists are doing something to help people assert themselves.
They offer assertiveness training courses, A.T.for short.In the A.T.course people learn that they have a right to be themselves.They learn to speak out and feel good about doing so.They learn to be confident without hurting other people.
In one way, learning to speak out is to get rid of fear.A group taking an A.T.course will help the _ person to lose his fear.But A.T.uses an even stronger motive to share the need.The timid person speaks out in the group because he wants to tell how he feels.
Whether or not you speak up for yourself depends on your self-respect.If your face is more important than you, you may feel less of a person.You start to doubt your answers to problems.However, once you get to feel good about yourself, you can learn to speak out. | high13754.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To find out the bears' physical condition and living habits."
},
"options": [
"To send polar bear research teams to where the bears live.",
"To track the bears' route and give them physical examination.",
"To find out the bea... | Alaska polar bears are losing their fur and U.S. Geological Survey scientists don't know why.
In the past two weeks, nine of 33 bears checked by scientists in the southern Beaufort Sea region near Barrow were found to have alopecia -- loss of fur, said Tony DeGange, chief of the biology office at the USGS Science Center in Anchorage.
Three of four bears inspected Thursday near Kaktovik showed the symptoms as well. Scientists have been collecting blood and tissue samples from the suffering bears, but they do not know the cause or the significance of the outbreak, the Anchorage Daily News reported.
"Our data set suggests that this is unusual but not unprecedented," DeGange said. Ten of 48 bears checked by the team in 1998-1999 had a similar condition, he said.
In a long-standing project, the USGS has sent polar bear research teams to the area since 1984. The teams track and examine the bears to help determine their general health and habits.
This year they saw their first bear with hair loss on March 21. The team will end up this year's operations in May when the sea ice becomes too dangerous for safe travel.
"We took biopsies in 1999 and couldn't establish a causative agent for the hair loss then," DeGange said. "But now we have this unexplained death event going on with seals . And they haven't been successful in figuring out what caused the seal deaths. Is it just a matter of coincidence or is it related? We don't know."
In December 2012, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared an "unusual death event" based on a number of ringed seals found on beaches on the Arctic coast of Alaska during the summer. Dead and dying seals were found to have hair loss and skin sores.
Affected seals were later observed in Canada and Russia. | high23697.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "complicated"
},
"options": [
"complicated",
"uncivilized",
"primitive",
"wellknown"
],
"question": "As the author says, people of underdeveloped cultures can have _ languages.",
"question_type": "cloze_que... | It is said that a great many things about languages are mysterious, and many will always be so. But some things we do know.
Firstly, we know that all human beings have a language of some kind. There is no race of men anywhere on earth so backward that it has no language, no set of speech sounds by which the people communicate with one another. In historical times, there has never been a race of men without a language.
Secondly, there is no such thing as a primitive language. There are many people whose cultures are underdeveloped, who are, as we say, uncivilized, but the languages they speak are not primitive. In all known languages we can see complexities that must have been tens of thousands of years in developing.
This has not always been well understood; indeed, the direct contrary has often been stated. Popular ideas of the language of the American Indians will illustrate. Many people have guessed that the Indians communicated in a very primitive system of noises. Study has proved this to be nonsense. There are, or were, hundreds of American Indian languages, and all of them turn out to be very complicated and very old. They are certainly different from the languages that most of us are familiar with, but they are no more primitive than English and Greek.
A third thing we know about language is that all languages are perfectly adequate. This means each one is a perfect means of expressing the culture of the people who speak the language.
Finally, we know that language changes. It's natural and normal for language to change; the only languages which do not change are the dead ones. This is easy to understand if we look backward in time. Change goes on in all aspects of language. Grammatical features change as do speech sounds and changes in vocabulary are sometimes very extensive and may occur very rapidly. Vocabulary is the least stable part of any language. | high18601.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the old Italian violins"
},
"options": [
"making violins",
"musical instruments",
"scientific ideas",
"the old Italian violins"
],
"question": "This passage is about _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_question... | Most musicians agree that the best violins were first made in prefix = st1 /Italy. They were made inCremona,Italy, about 200 years ago. These violins sound better than any others. They even sound better than violins made today. Violin makers and scientists try to make instruments like the old Italian violins. But they aren't the same. Musicians still prefer the old ones. No one really knows why these old Italian violins are so special, but many people think they have an answer.
Some people think it is the age of the violins. They say that today's violins will also sound wonderful someday. But there is a problem here. Not all old violins sound wonderful. Only those from Cremonaare special. So age cannot be the answer. There must be something different aboutCremonaor those Italian violin makers.
Other people think the secret to those violins is the wood. The wood of the violin is very important. It must be from certain kinds of trees. It must not be too young or too old. Perhaps the violin makers of Cremons knew something special about wood for violins.
But the kind of wood may not be so important. It may be more important to cut the wood in a special way. Wood for a violin must be cut very carefully. It has to be the right size and shape. The smallest difference will change the sound of the violin. Musicians sometimes think that this was the secret of the Italians. Maybe they understood more than we do about how to cut the wood.
Size and shape may not be the answer either. Scientists measured these old violins very carefully. They can make new ones that are exactly the same size and shape. But the new violins still do not sound as good as the old one. Some scientists think the secret may be the varnish, which covers the wood of the violin and makes it look shiny. It also helps the sound of the instrument. No one knows what the Italian violin makers used in their varnish. So no one can make the same varnish today.
There may never be other violins like the violins of Cremona. Their secret may be lost forever. Young musicians today hope this is not true. They need fine violins. But there aren't very many of the old violins left. Also, the old violins are very expensive. Recently, a famous old Italian violin was sold for about US $ 300,000! | high17532.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "$25"
},
"options": [
"$10",
"$15",
"$ 20",
"$25"
],
"question": "A couple with his son aged 6 who will attend Daytime Tours on January 8 will pay _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"ans... | THIS WEEK'S TOURS of CATTY SHACK
Thursday, January 8, 2015--Daytime Tours
Hours: 1:00~4:00 PM, last admittance at 3:15 PM
Admission: Adults: $10
Children (3~11): $5
2 & Under: Free
Purchase Tickets:
Tickets may be pre-purchased up to 24 hours prior to the event by using the button below. Tickets may also be purchased at the ranch--cash, credit Visa, Mastercard & Discover are accepted forms of payment at the ranch. Tickets cannot be exchanged or money refunded. No reservations required.
Enjoy a leisurely, guided tour of our sanctuary and see all the residents (Siberian tigers, lions, cougars, black leopards, a bobcat, a coatimundi and foxes)! Tours last approximately 45 minutes.
Saturday, January 10, 2015--Night Feeding Tours
Hours: Gates open at 6:00 PM. Tours from 6:00 PM -7:00 PM. Last admittance at 7:15 PM. Feeding begins at 7:30 PM.
Admission: Adults: $15
Children (3~11): $10
2 & Under: Free
Purchase Tickets:
Tickets may be pre-purchased up to 24 hours prior to the event by using the button below. Tickets may also be purchased at the ranch -- cash, credit Visa, Mastercard & Discover are accepted forms of payment at the ranch. Tickets cannot be exchanged or money refunded.No reservations required.
Enjoy a guided tour of all the residents (Siberian tigers, lions, cougars, black leopards, a bobcat, a coatimundi and foxes) at our sanctuary! Tours begin at 6:00 PM and leave approximately every 15 minutes. Tours last about 45 minutes and include a viewing of all our residents, as time allows, along with facts about the animals. To see the feeding, we suggest everyone arrive at the ranch by 7:15 PM to allow for adequate time for check-in and walking to the feeding point. At 7:30 PM, you will get to watch over 450 pounds of meat distributed throughout the sanctuary! Get ready to see their "wild" side -- there's sure to be plenty of roaring!
To learn about more upcoming tours, you can click on the calendar event listing for full details. | high11143.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "advertising products"
},
"options": [
"advertising products",
"selling newspapers",
"publishing stories",
"reporting news"
],
"question": "American newspapers earn most money from _ .",
"question_type": "c... | Newspapers in the United States earn most of their money from selling space for advertising. The rates they charge are tied to the number of readers. But the number of people who buy newspapers has been falling for years. And this traditional business model had not worked very well on the Internet, especially in a bad economy.
Many newspaper companies have large debts from buying other papers. Some papers have recently closed or declared bankruptcy or reduced their operations.
Newspapers are looking for new ways to reinvent themselves and new ways to earn money. That includes giving new consideration to an old idea-charging for at least some of the material that most papers now publish online for free.
Internet access to newspapers means that more people may read the news, which is good for society. But good reporting costs money. The question is how much people are willing to pay for news that they have got used to receiving for free.
The look of American newspapers changed after USA Today arrived in 1982. Most of the stories were short. There was heavy use of color1 and images. People who compared it to television did not necessarily mean that as praise. But the new design succeeded and influenced many other papers.
Now newspapers are looking to redesign themselves for an increasingly online world. Millions of people would rather read papers like USA Today and The New York Times for free on the Web than pay for a printed version. Publishers who chose that business plan might regret it now, but they might not have had much choice. Survival means changing as conditions change. Like any other business, newspapers have to balance their needs with the need of their customers. | high21080.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "opportunity"
},
"options": [
"challenge",
"knowledge",
"learning",
"opportunity"
],
"question": "Which of the following words can best replace the \"door\" in the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
... | The other day my aunt paid me a visit. She was overjoyed. "I got the highest mark in the mid-term examination!" She said. Don't be surprised! My aunt is indeed a student, exactly, a college student at the age of 45.
"Compared with the late 70s," she says, "now college students have many doors." I was shocked when she first told me how she had had no choice in her major. Look at us today! So many doors are open to us! I believe there have never been such abundant opportunities for self-development as we have today. And my aunt told me that we should reach our goals by grasping all these opportunities.
The first door is the opportunity to study different subjects that interest us. My aunt was happy to study management, but she could also attend lectures on ancient Chinese poetry and on Shakespearean drama. As for myself, I am an English major, but I may also go to lectures on history.
The second door is the door to the outside world. Learning goes beyond classrooms and national boundaries. I have many fellow international classmates, and I am applying to an exchange program with a university abroad. As for my aunt, she is planning to get an MBA degree in the U.K.
The third door is the door to life-long learning. Many of my aunt's contemporaries say she's amazingly up-to-date for a middle-aged woman. She simply responds, "Age doesn't matter. What matters is your attitude. I don't think I'm too old to learn." Yes, she is right. Since the government removed the age limit for college admissions, there are already some untraditional students, sitting with us in the same classrooms. Like them, my aunt is old but young in spirit with incredible energy and determination.
The doors open to us also pose challenges. For instance, we are faced with the challenge of a balanced learning, the challenge of preserving our fine tradition while learning from the West, and the challenge of learning continuously while carrying heavy responsibilities to our work and family. So, each door is a test of our courage, ability and judgment, but with the support of my teachers, parents, friends and my aunt, I believe I can meet the challenge head on. | high3362.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "He had never been caught by the police."
},
"options": [
"He was not afraid of dogs.",
"He knew the owner of the house lived alone.",
"The house had no security alarm .",
"He had never been caught by the police."
],... | Buster Brown was a thief and a good one too, he thought. He'd never been caught by the police because he never took chances. He was always prepared for any unforeseen event or emergency.
Confidently, he stood outside the house of his intended victim and read the sign on the front gate of the house. "Don't worry about the dog--be aware of the owner!" it said. Buster smiled and found his way in.
The house looked quite normal outside, but inside it was very _ with fascinating objects on show. As he began putting them into his bag, a dog came into the room. It stopped when it saw Buster, then wagged its tail madly and went over to him, licking his outstretched hand. "Good boy, "Buster whispered. "What a great guard dog you are--trying to lick me to death."
Satisfied he'd made friends with the dog, Bluster began to wander round the house, choosing items to put in his bag. His skilled eye picked out only the best antiques :a pair of silver candle holders, a silver tea-and-coffee service, etc. . His new friend, the dog, sat and watched, as if wondering what was happening.
"Well, boy," Buster whispered, finally. "That might do. Any more and I won't be able to carry it! "
He swung the heavy bag onto his shoulders, just as the lights came on, nearly blinding him. He shielded his eyes with his hand.
"You're a very silly person," the figure in the doorway said, his voice dry and dust. As the man came closer, Buster could see he was well dressed. His face seemed familiar, but Buster couldn't quite place where he had seen him before.
"You should have taken more notice of the sign outside," the man rasped. "I knew about this attempted robbery last week and I also know you will end up behind bars for 20 years. Fancy trying to rob the house of the world's greatest fortune -teller!" | high18167.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "are slow in the development of talking"
},
"options": [
"are more flexible mentally",
"are slow in the development of talking",
"have a poorer working memory",
"are smarter in understanding abstract concept"
],
... | You probably hear it all the time -- people telling you to "learn English". But does this mean children in English-speaking countries don't need to bother learning a new language? Not at all. In fact, an even larger number of young people will soon be taught foreign languages, thanks to the mental advantages of bilingualism.
Psychologists once thought that growing up bilingual might lead to verbal delays-a late or absent development of talking. But US magazine Scientific American has revealed that this is not true, and reported that children who speak more than one language "show greater mental flexibility, a superior grasp of abstract concepts and a better working memory." As the New York Times put it, "being bilingual, it turns out, makes you smarter."
In Europe, learning foreign languages is increasingly popular. A European report shows that from 2005-2010, the percentage of European students learning a foreign language rose from 67.5 percent to 79.2 percent. Most European kids start learning another language at age 6. In Belgium, it starts at 3. New reforms being introduced in the UK will mean all children could be taught a foreign language, such as Mandarin or Greek, from the age of 7. The most popular foreign language for European kids was English, followed by German and French.
In comparison, Americans don't _ learning foreign languages. Compared to 50 percent of European adults who are bilingual, only 9 percent of adults in the US are fluent in more than one language, according to a 2011 report. American students are often not exposed to a second language until high school.
However, recent statistics show demand is growing in the US for people to become more bilingual. According to a USA Today chart released in July, 21 percent of US children speak another language at home. A number of institutions in the country are also pushing foreign languages in schools. Three school districts in Delaware will launch Chinese and Spanish programs next year. More people are learning Chinese, French and Spanish. | high5713.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "South Americ"
},
"options": [
"South Americ",
"South Africa",
"Britain",
"Australia"
],
"question": "Hundreds of years ago, people first began to drink chocolate in_.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
}... | The first chocolate was eaten by people in South America hundreds of years ago. In those days, the people did not really eat chocolate. They used the cocoa bean to make a chocolate drink and they enjoyed it very much. Many years later, the cocoa bean was brought to other countries and people came to love the taste of chocolate.
In 1824, John Cadbury opened a small shop in Britain. One of the things he sold was chocolate drink. In 1831, he opened a factory to make chocolate drink. He wanted to encourage people to drink chocolate instead of other drinks. A few years later, a man called Joseph Fry found a way to make chocolate instead of only drinking it. But at that time chocolate was very expensive and only the rich people could buy it. Later, ad more and more chocolate bars were produced and sold, it became cheaper.
However, at first only plain chocolate (a kind of chocolate without milk and with very little sugar) was produced. Milk chocolate came later and this was made by adding milk to the chocolate. The first milk chocolate bar was made in Cadbury's factory in 1897. Their most famous chocolate, Cadbury's Milk Bar, was made in 1905, It has been the most popular chocolate in Britain and around the world for over 100 years. The Cadbury factory is still in Britain and the chocolate produced there is eaten all over the world. Every year, thousands of visitors visit the factory in order to see how chocolate is made. | high17254.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "There are a great many talented musicians in Alabama."
},
"options": [
"Alabama musicians have established exhibits for visitors.",
"There are a great many talented musicians in Alabama.",
"Music is the most important industr... | There are 67 counties in the state of Alabama.Each county is rich with history and its own unique stories.Colbert County, located in the northwest corner of the state, has its share of exciting stories and claims to statewide fame.The county was created on February 6, 1867, and Tuscumbia became the county seat (the town in which the offices of the county government are located).
One of the most famous residents of Tuscumbia was Helen Keller.Helen Keller was born on June 27, 1880.Her home was a white frame cottage built by her grandparents.Since ivy grew everywhere, the house was called Ivy Green.It was here, at the water pump in the backyard, that Keller learned the word "w-a-t-e-r" with the help of her teacher, Anne Sullivan.Visitors to Ivy Green can walk under boxwood trees that are 150 years old.The home has furniture that the Keller family used.It also has Keller's Braille books and her original Braille typewriter.
Spring Park is Tuscumbia's most popular park and favorite tourist attraction.This park has the world's largest manufactured waterfall called Coldwater Falls.The Spring Park Light and Water Show is an amazing sight to see.It takes place every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at sundown.The water appears to dance to music and colored lights.The music played during the show is recorded by singers and musicians from Alabama.
Fame Recording Studios is in the city of Muscle Shoals in Colbert County.The studio is the first successful recording studio in Alabama.It is best known for creating "Southern rock," "Southern soul," and "county soul." Well-known performers like Aretha Franklin and musical groups such as Alabama and Lynyrd have made recordings at this studio.
Visitors can continue to explore music in Alabama by visiting the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in Tuscumbia.Built in 1990, this site recognizes the musical talents of more than 500 Alabama residents in a wide variety of musical styles, including country and rhythm and blues.
Truly, Colbert County has a lot of wonderful locations to visit.Guests will not be disappointed in a visit to this delightful place. | high9129.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Students were not allowed to ask questions."
},
"options": [
"He couldn't play with his friends there",
"Students were not allowed to ask questions.",
"The schools were like prisons at that time",
"He had to learn mathe... | When Albert Einstein was young, he was a quiet child who spent much of his time alone. He was slow to talk and had difficulty in learning to read.
When Albert was five years old, his father gave him a compass. Albert was filled with wonder when he discovered that the compass needle always pointed in the same direction ---- the north. He asked his father and his uncle what caused the needle to move. Their answers were difficult for Albert to understand. Yet he spent a lot of time thinking about them. He said later that he felt something must be hidden behind things.
Albert didn't like school. The German schools of that time were not pleasant. Students couldn't ask questions. Albert said he felt as if he were in prison..
One day Albert told his uncle Jacob how much he hated school, especially mathematics. His uncle told him to solve mathematical problems by pretending to be a policeman. "You are looking for someone," he said, "but you don't know who he is. Call him X. Find him by using your mathematical tools."
Albert learned to love mathematics. He was studying the _ mathematics of calculus while all his friends were still studying simple mathematics. Instead of playing with his friends he thought about things such as "What would happen if people could travel at the speed of his light?"
Albert wanted to teach mathematics and physics. He graduated with honors, but it was a pity that he could not get a teaching job. | high1575.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "people regard themselves socially different"
},
"options": [
"it is time to end class distinction",
"most people belong to middle class",
"it is easy to recognize a person's class",
"people regard themselves socially di... | It was once common to regard Britain as a society with class distinction. Each class had unique characteristics.
In recent years, many writers have begun to speak of the 'decline of class ' and 'classless society ' in Britain. And in modern day consumer society everyone is considered to be middle class.
But pronouncing the death of class is too early. A recent wide-ranging study of pubic opinion found 90 percent of people still placing themselves in a particular class; 73 percent agreeed that class was still a vital part of British society.; and 52 percent thought there were still sharp class differences. Thus, class may not be culturally and politically obvious, yet it remains an imprtant part of British society. Britain seems to have a love of _ .
One unchanging aspect of a British person's class position is accent. The words a person speaks tell her or his class. A study of British accents during the 1970s found that a voice sounding like a BBC newsreader was viewed as the most attractive voice. Most people said this accent sounds 'educated ' and 'soft '. The accents placed at the bottom in this study, on the other hand, were regional city accents. These accents were seen as 'common ' and 'ugly '. However, a similar study of British accents in the US turned these results upside down and placed some regional accents as the most attractive and BBC English as the least. This suggests that British attitudes towards accent have deep roots and are based on class prejudice.
In recent years, however, young upper midder-class people in London, have begun to adopt some regional accents, in order to hide their class origins. This is an indication of class becoming unnoticed. However, the 1995 pop song ' Common People ' puts forward the view that though a middle-class person may ' want to live like common people ' they can never appreciate the reality of a working class life. | high13032.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "trips"
},
"options": [
"music",
"trips",
"an iPad",
"money"
],
"question": "What can encourage students to study more?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,... | A new report says promising children money to pass exams does not help exam grades. The report says parents could be wasting their money by using cash to get their kids to study more. However, the promise of a trip somewhere nice could encourage students to try harder and do better at school. Researchers from the University of Bristol (in England) and the University of Chicago (in the USA) looked at how promises of cash and tickets to events affected students' studying and learning. Over 10,000 pupils took part in the research throughout the year 2012. There was an improvement in classwork and homework, but this did not result in better test scores.
Lead researcher Dr Simon Burgess suggested the research looked at the wrong areas. He said it had not looked at the things that really got students to increase their effort. He added that: "Clearly, some pupils have a lot of goals and believe that education is a way of getting what they want out of life, but there are kids who think that working hard doesn't make a difference." He said these children think exam success is "all in your genes" because of their family background. Education expert Dr Kevan Collins said good teachers were better than promises of rewards to get children to study, especially for children from low-income families. He wrote: "What really makes the difference is how students are taught." | high8237.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "mostly already in use for smartphones"
},
"options": [
"completely new",
"mostly already in use for smartphones",
"high-tech but out-of-date",
"all old"
],
"question": "The technologies Google has made use of fo... | Google is testing its newest high-tech device, Google Glass. Most of the technologies for Google Glass are already available on smart phones. Google has taken those same technologies and added them to eyeglass frames . The company describes the glasses as wearable computers that would change the way people view others and the world.
"Google Glass is a tiny computer that sits in a lightweight frame, and rests neatly above your eye and it makes exploring and sharing the world around you a lot easier," said Chris Dale, the Senior Manager of Communications for Google Glass.
The glasses have a tiny video screen and a camera that connect wirelessly to the Internet through WIFI, a smartphone, or a tablet computer. You can make and receive calls, send and receive texts, take pictures, record video or search the web. You control Google Glass using your voice, and a touchpad on the right arm of the frame.
Professor Marcia Dawkins is among a select group of people who have been given a chance to test out Google Glass. "I thought this is something I definitely need for my classroom and hopefully for my personal life too."
The Professor's Google Glass looks like a pair bright orange glasses, without the actual glass. But there's a tiny rectangular glass at the top right-hand corner. Through that glass, she has been recording video while biking. She also has been able to talk to her sister in Thailand, and she plans to use the device to teach a public speaking class.
But not everyone is excited about Google Glass. Some are concerned about possible risks to privacy.
John Simpson is the director of the privacy project at Consumer Watchdog.
"It is going to allow people to come in and spy on you and record that, without you knowing what is going on."
Filmmaker Chris Barrett showed just how easy it is to record people without them knowing it. His glass captured a man getting arrested after a fight. He shared the video on You Tube.
Also some are concerned about the use of facial recognition technology on Google Glass. But Google says it will not approve the use of such applications. The Internet company says it is still testing its new device, and it hopes to make Google Glass available to the public by early next year. | high7104.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "culture is a key to interpreting facial emotions"
},
"options": [
"cultural differences are expressed in emotions",
"culture is a key to interpreting facial emotions",
"different emoticons are preferred in different cultures"... | A new research has uncovered that culture is a determining factor when people interpret facial emotions .The study reveals that in cultures where emotional control is the standard,such as Japan,the focus is placed on the eyes to interpret emotions. Whereas in cultures where emotion is openly expressed,such as the United States,the focus is on the mouth to interpret emotions.
"These findings go against the popular theory that the facial expressions of basic emotions can be universally recognized," said University of Alberta researcher Dr.Takahiko Masuda." A person's culture plays a very strong role in determining how he will read emotions and needs to be considered when interpreting the facial expressions."
These cultural differences are even noticeable in computer emoticons ,which are used to convey a writer's emotions by email and text message. The Japanese emotions for happiness and sadness vary in terms of how the eyes are drawn ,while the American emotions vary with the direction of the mouth. In the United States the emoticons:)and:) show a happy face,whereas the emoticons:(and:(show a sad face. However,the Japanese tend to use the symbol ('') to indicate a happy face,and (;;) to indicate a sad face.
"We think it is quite interesting and appropriate that culture tends to mask its emotions. The Japanese would focus on a person's eyes when detecting his or her emotions,as eyes tend to be quite subtle ,"said Masuda. "In the United States,where an open emotion is quite common,it makes sense to focus on the mouth,which is the most expressive feature on a person's face." | high1561.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Proper translation can be tough for humans."
},
"options": [
"Proper translation can be tough for humans.",
"Slight distinctions matter little in translation.",
"Some machines will interpret our world properly.",
"Cultu... | Wouldn't it be wonderful to travel to a foreign country without having to worry about the headache of communicating in a different language?
In a recentWall Street journalarticle, technology policy expert Alec Ross argued that, within a decade or so. We'll be able to communicate with one another via small earpieces with built-in microphones. That's because technological progress is extremely rapid. It's only a matter of time. Indeed, some parents are so convinced that this technology is imminent that they're wondering if their kids should even learn a second language.
It's true that an increase in the quantity and accuracy of the data loaded into computers will make them cleverer at translating "No es bueno dormir mucho" as "It's not good to sleep too much. " Replacing a word with its equivalent in the target language is actually the "easy part of a translator's job". But even this seems to be a discouraging task for computers.
It's so difficult for computers because translation doesn't-or shouldn't-involve simply translating words, sentences or paragraphs. Rather, it's about translating meaning. And in order to infer meaning from a specific expression, humans have to interpret a mass of information at the same time.
Think about all the related clues that go into understanding an expression: volume, gesture, situation, and even your culture. All are likely to convey as much meaning as the words you use.
Therefore, we should be very skeptical of a machine that is unable to interpret the world around us. If people from different cultures can offend each other without realizing it, how can we expect a machine to do better? Unless engineers actually find a way to breathe a soul into a computer, undoubtedly when it comes to conveying and interpreting meaning using a natural language, a machine will never fully take our place. | high14991.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Macy's"
},
"options": [
"Sears",
"Wal-Mart",
"JCPenny",
"Macy's"
],
"question": "If you want to buy a new dress that is fashionable, you should go to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | Many tourists visiting the USA on vacation enjoy shopping for bargains. You can find many bargains in the US if you know where to shop and how to take advantage of the competitive sales.
Department stores offer good quality and high fashion
Macy's department stores offer a wide selection of merchandise , including fashion clothing, luggage and jewelry. They normally offer good quality merchandise, well known brands and the latest fashions, but not low quality products at bargain prices. They frequently have seasonal sales with attractive discounts. At such times, you can get high quality or fashion merchandise at bargain prices.
General merchandise stores offer affordable quality
Sears and JCPenny are two large national chains with stores across the US. They are similar to department stores but they do not offer high fashion merchandise or luxury brands. Instead, they feature good quality merchandise at affordable prices. They are particularly known for their selection of children's clothing and domestic goods. Sears is famous for its selection of tools and garden products.[]
Discount stores sell at low prices
Discount stores sell some good quality merchandise at affordable prices and some lower quality merchandise at very low prices. If you are not looking for the latest fashions, famous brands, or the best quality, you can find some very inexpensive merchandise at a discount store. Some national discount chains with stores across the US are K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Target and Caldor.
Outlet stores are a bargain hunter's wonderland
Outlet stores or factory outlets sell high quality merchandise and well-known brands at discounted prices. They usually offer merchandise with slight flaws and remainders from the last season or the previous year. They do not have end-of-season sales like the department stores, as their merchandise is always discounted 20% to 40% below department store prices. | high12338.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "It can phone somebody."
},
"options": [
"It can pronounce the words.",
"It can send e-mail.",
"It can be used as a dictionary.",
"It can phone somebody."
],
"question": "The e-schoolbag has many functions EXCEPT... | Don't you think your schoolbag is too heavy to bear? The e-schoolbag will free you from the weight.
It is said that e-schoolbags are going to be brought into use in Chinese middle schools soon. An experiment with several hundred e-schoolbags will begin in seven cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Dalian, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Taiyuan and Shijiazhuang. And the e-schoolbags are going to cover all over China if the experiment proves to be successful. In fact, the e-schoolbag should perhaps be called an e-notebook. It is a small hand-held computer for school students.
Heavy schoolbags have long been a serious problem for school students. The average schoolbag of middle school students weighs up to 5 kilos. But the e-schoolbag will change everything. It is much lighter than a usual schoolbag, weighing under 1 kilo.
Also, it is no bigger than a usual book, but it can still hold all the things for study, such as a textbook, a notebook and exercise book. They could be made into chips that are as small as a stamp. The students can read the text page by page on the screen. They can still take notes using a special electronic pen. If they want to know the meaning or the pronunciation of a new word, or even e-mail their teachers, it's just a press of a button.
In some foreign countries, it is becoming common. But it is hard to tell when people will receive this new form of study. Some say that e-textbooks can be easily broken, some say that it is not good to students' eyesight to look at the screen for long. But only time will tell. | high15457.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "learn more about human culture"
},
"options": [
"travel back to the ancient times",
"make history come alive",
"learn more about human culture",
"have a visit to London"
],
"question": "Go to visit the British M... | Have you ever wanted to travel back through time and see what life was like at the beginning of man? Well, museums can make history come alive. And one museum in particular can take you on an exciting journey from the beginning of human culture to the present day.
It is the British Museum. Being one of the largest museums in the world, it is home to over 7 million objects from all the world's continents. While most of us may not have the chance to visit London, we can catch a glance of the treasures it holds in Beijing. From December 10 to Februry 10, more than 100 cultural relics will be on show in the Palace Museum.
Named "Britain and the World", a range of pencil sketches, watercolor paintings, sculptures and many other objects have traveled to China.
There are several Chinese objects on show. But "the British Museum got them before 1830 mainly by trade," said Ma Jige, deputy director of the Exhibition Department of the Palace Museum.
In fact, there are more than 23,000 Chinese relics in the British Museum, including national treasures like gems, artwork and ancient bronze ware objects.
The museum is famous for its exquisite Chinese paintings. Picture of Lady Officials by Gu Kaizhi, a top painter of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (AD 317-420), is there. The British Museum also holds 13,700 Buddhist records from the Dunhuang Grottoes in Gansu Province. | high8223.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "she felt kind of having faith in him"
},
"options": [
"she felt kind of having faith in him",
"the restless tourists disappointed her",
"that boy was praying to the sun with a magic stick",
"she had nothing more to see ... | My husband and I were once in Nepal to see sunrise over the Himalayas.
One morning we awoke to total darkness at 5 o'clock.As we rushed through a town with cameras in hand,I noticed the calm,gentle way the Nepalese people greeted the morning.One man boiled a huge pot of milk tea,and other villagers gathered around his fire,cupping their hands around small glasses of the steaming sweet mixture.It was fascinating,but not to be left behind,we joined the stream of tourists moving quickly up to the lookout point.
The top was crowded when we arrived,but after 10 minutes of cold waiting,the assembled group gave up."The cloud cover is too heavy,"one said.Then one by one they rushed down the hill to the next item on their sightseeing list.I was disappointed as well,but suddenly I noticed a small Nepalese boy absently playing with a stick and shooting quick glances at the clouds.He must know something we don't,I thought.I decided to wait with him.
The boy and I didn't have to wait long.Moments later,a tiny stream of golden light burned through one thick cloud,then another.Rose-colored fog warmed the backs of the clouds,and suddenly the morning sun stole a glance around the side of the mountain,mile above where I'd expected it to be.
Nothing I'd seen before prepared me for the moment the clouds withdrew with bowed heads,and the magnificent Himalayas were revealed before,around,and above me.I sat in astonishment,not breathing,not daring to look away,certain that God had placed me here at the backdoor of Earth to show me what Heaven really looks like.I certainly got the message.Never again will I rush a sunrise.I now know Nature will supply her fruits to me only when I am truly ready to receive them. | high4419.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "it reflects some of the sunlight"
},
"options": [
"your eyes are close to it",
"it reflects some of the sunlight",
"it has light of its own",
"your eyesight can get to it"
],
"question": "You can see the book be... | You can not see any object unless light from that object gets into your eyes. Some of the things you see give off light of their own. The sun, the stars, a lighted lamp are examples that can be seen by their own light. Such things are _ . Most of the things you see are not giving off light of their own. They are simply reflecting light that falls on them from the sun or some other luminous bodies. The moon, for example, does not give off any light of its own. It is non-luminous. You see it because sunlight falls on it and some of it reflects in our direction. So moon light is only second hand sunlight.
When you look at a book, it sends to your eyes some of the light which falls on it, and you see the book. If light could be kept out from where you are so that there would be no light for the book to reflect, then you could not see the book even with your eyes wide open.
Light travels so fast that the time in which it travels from the book you are reading to your eyes is so short as if there were no time at all. Light reaches us from the moon, which is about 380 000 kilometers away, in only a little more than a second. | high3376.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Bikes are used as a means of transport in 21\n stcentury New York City."
},
"options": [
"There are hundreds of miles of new bike lanes in 21\n stcentury New York City.",
"Drivers slow down their cars and bikes are taken off the si... | Today is National Bike-to-Work Day. And on New York City's jammed streets, people are cycling on hundreds of miles of new bike lanes. But New York's widespread efforts to make streets safer for bikes have also left some locals complaining about the loss of parking spots and lanes for cars.
When the weather is good, Aaron Naparstek likes to pedal his two young kids to school on a special Dutch-made bicycle. Naparstek supports the new lane.
Aaron: The bike lane on Prospect Park West is really introducing a lot of new people to the idea that it's possible to use a bike in New York City for transportation or to travel around. This is what 21stcentury New York City looks like.
Prospect Park West is still a one-way road, but where it used to have three lanes of car traffic, now it has two, plus a protected bike lane. Supporters say that makes the road safer for everyone, including pedestrians, by slowing down cars and taking bikes off the sidewalk. But some longtime residents disagree. Lois Carswell is president of a group called Seniors for Safety. She says the two-way bike lane is dangerous to older residents who are used to one-way traffic.
Lois: We wanted a lane -- the right kind of lane that would keep everybody safe, that would keep the bikers safe. But we want it to be done the right way. And it has not been done the right way.
Craig Palmer builds bars and restaurants in Manhattan. I was interviewing him for a different story when he brought up the bike lanes all on his own.
Craig: I think the biggest problem is that Bloomberg put all these bike lanes in. You took what used to be a full street and you're shrinking it.
Then there are the Hasidic Jews in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, who forced the city to remove a bike lane through their neighborhood. But polls show that the majority of New Yorkers support bike lanes by a margin of 56% to 39%. Bicycle advocate Caroline Samponaro of Transportation Alternatives calls that _
Caroline: If this was an election, we would have already had our victory. The public has spoken and they keep speaking. And I think, more importantly, the public is starting to vote with their pedals. | high2068.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The underground water in Saudi Arabia might run out in 50 years."
},
"options": [
"The water stores in Texas have been reduced by 75%.",
"Most industries in the world suffer from water shortages.",
"The underground water in S... | The need to feed a growing population is putting much pressure on the world's supply of water. With 97% of the world's water too salty to be drunk or used in agriculture, the worldwide supply of water needs careful management, especially in agriculture. Although the idea of a water shortage seems strange to someone fortunate enough to live in a high rainfall country, many of the world's agricultural industries experience constant water shortages.
Although dams can be built to store water for agricultural use in dry areas and dry seasons, the costs of water redistribution are very high. Not only is there the cost of the engineering itself, but there is also an environmental cost to be considered. Where valleys are flooded to create dams, houses are lost and wildlife homes destroyed. Besides, water may flow easily through pipes to fields, but it cannot be transported from one side of the world to the other. Each country must therefore rely on the management of its own water to supply its farming requirements.
This is particularly troubling for countries with agricultural industries in areas dependent on irrigation . In Texas, farmers' overuse of irrigation water has resulted in a 25% reduction of the water stores. In the Central Valley area of southwestern USA, a huge water engineering project provided water for farming in dry valleys, but much of the water use has been poorly managed.
Saudi Arabia's attempts to grow wheat in desert areas have seen the pumping of huge quantities of irrigation water from underground reserves. Because there is no rainfall in these areas, such reserves can only decrease, and it is believed that fifty years of pumping will see them run dry. | high5707.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "You can see art exhibits and collections from around the world. '"
},
"options": [
"It has too many relics on show",
"Some art works are being sold there.",
"Picasso's paintings will be shown until May Day.",
"You can s... | There are more to enjoy in the city this summer than beaches. Some of Toronto's biggest attractions have new and exciting features for summer 2014,both indoors and out. Here's a look at what's new this summer.
Art Gallery of Ontario If you are looking to get some culture, there's plenty to see and do at the Art Gallery of Ontario, including art exhibits and collections from around the world. Right now there's Picasso: masterpieces from the Musee National Picasso, Paris>> which runs until April 26.
Canada's Wonderland Just outside the city limits is Canada's wonderland, the biggest theme park in Canada. This year sees a lot of new additions to the park, most notably Leviathan, one of the world's longest and tallest roller coasters. There is also an interactive dinosaur park,stage shows for the kids and the Splash Works water park.
Cosa Loma The city's only historic castle is a great place to take the kids for a day of exploration through the castle grounds, gardens and stables. The venue has many events going on throughout the year, and this summer's activities include archery course and Teddy Bear picnics for kids ages two and up.
Black Creek Pioneer Village The village features people dressed up for the 19th century, living the old fashioned way. There are gardens, farms filled with domestic animals and more than 30 historical buildings to explore. During the week visitors can tour the grounds, meet with historians, practise Victorian traditions, taste samples, in the brewery and more. The site has activities on holidays,like a Revolutionary War Re-enactment and BBQ on Father 's day and a Canada Day celebration.
Toronto Zoo The Toronto Zoo has more than 5, 000 animals on display, including some new faces this year. A polar bear cub named Hudson made his debut in March, and starting in May, there is a pair of rare White Lions in the African Savannah section. Be sure to stay for informative talks and presentations from the animal handlers, presented daily. | high18173.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a professor working in the university."
},
"options": [
"a librarian working in the Library.",
"a student studying in the university.",
"a professor working in the university.",
"one of the entry staff working in the Li... | Today was a very big day for me and I had already ordered up a pile of books I needed in the University Library from home by about 10:15. Off I went at 10:30 to the University Library, to get all those references.
Only trouble was that when I arrived I discovered I hadn't got my university card that would open the library's electronic entrance, and every other place I needed to access. I had had it in another library the night before (which was where I strongly suspected it still was), but the immediate dilemma was this: should I (Plan A) try using the old university library card I had, which I had thought I had lost, and had been cancelled, but I thought there was a chance it would still work the University Library turnstile ? Or should I (Plan B) admit it and hope that I could blag my way in on the "I've been coming to this library for 40 years..." line?
I went for Plan A.
Two reasons really. I think I could probably blag (or cry) my way in, but I thought it might get the entry staff into trouble. They've known me for ages, but rules are rules. Besides, I thought there was a good chance that my old card would still work the turnstile even if it had been cancelled. And if it didn't work, I could still try Plan B.
The answer was my old card did still work. I looked up that tricky little article about the Middle East, then I went off to my own little Library, knocked on the window and got let in by a graduate student (I am sure there are also rules about not letting professors in when they haven't got their card, even if desperate and crying). And there was good news. There under the pile of books I had been using the night before was the lost card. | high17240.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "all the social problems can't be solved by education"
},
"options": [
"education can settle all of the world's problems",
"free education for all probably leads to a perfect world",
"free education won't help to solve social ... | Education is not an end , but a means to an end . In other words , we do not educate children only for the purpose of educating them . Our purpose is to fit them for life .
In some modern countries it has for some time been fashionable to think that by free education for all whether rich or poor , clever or stupid-one can solve all the problems of society and build a perfect nation . But we can already see that free education for all is not enough ; we find in such countries a far larger number of people with university degrees , they refuse to do what they think "low" work , and , in fact , work with hands is thought to be dirty and shameful in such countries . But we have only to think a moment to understand that the work of a completely uneducated farmer is far more important than that of a professor , we can live without education, but we would die if we have no food . If no one cleaned our streets and tooled the rubbish away from our houses , we should get terrible diseases in our towns ...
In fact , when we say that all of us must be educated to fit us for life , it means that we must be educated in such a way that , firstly , each of us can do whatever work suited to his brains and ability and , secondly , that we can realize that all jobs are necessary to society , and that is very bad to be ashamed of one's work . Only such a type of education can be considered valuable to society . | high17526.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "internal needs"
},
"options": [
"academic requirements",
"social expectations",
"financial rewards",
"internal needs"
],
"question": "People volunteer mainly out of _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_question... | Suppose you become a leader in an organization. It's very likely that you'll want to have volunteers to help with the organization's activities. To do so, it should help to understand why people undertake volunteer work and what keeps their interest in the work.
Let's begin with the question of why people volunteer. Researchers have identified several factors that motivate people to get involved. For example, people volunteer to express personal values related to unselfishness, to expand their range of experiences, and to strengthen social relationships. If volunteer positions do not meet these needs, people may not wish to participate. To select volunteers, you may need to understand the motivations of the people you wish to attract.
People also volunteer because they are required to do so. To increase levels of community service, some schools have launched compulsory volunteer programs. Unfortunately, these programs can shift people's wish of participation from an internal factor (e.g., "I volunteer because it's important to me") to an external factor (e.g., "I volunteer because I'm required to do so"). When that happens, people become less likely to volunteer in the future. People must be sensitive to this possibility when they make volunteer activities a must.
Once people begin to volunteer, what leads them to remain in their positions over time? To answer this question, researchers have conducted follow-up studies in which they track volunteers over time. For instance, one study followed 238 volunteers in Florida over a year. One of the most important factors that influenced their satisfaction as volunteers was the amount of suffering they experienced in their volunteer positions. Although this result may not surprise you, it leads to important practical advice. The researchers note that attention should be given to "training methods that would prepare volunteers for troublesome situations or provide them with strategies for coping with the problem they do experience".
Another study of 302 volunteers at hospitals in Chicago focused on individual differences in the degree to which people view "volunteer" as an important social role. It was assumed that those people for whom the role of volunteer was most part of their personal identity would also be most likely to continue volunteer work. Participants indicated the degree to which the social role mattered by responding to statements such as "Volunteering in Hospital is an important part of who I am." Consistent with the researchers' expectations, they found a positive correlation between the strength of role identity and the length of time people continued to volunteer. These results, once again, lead to concrete advice: "Once an individual begins volunteering, continued efforts might focus on developing a volunteer role identity.... Items like T-shirts that allow volunteers to be recognized publicly for their contributions can help strengthen role identity". | high10249.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Messi beats"
},
"options": [
"Messi beats",
"Ronaldinho beats Messi to win the European Footballer of the Year",
"Messi beats Xavi to win the European Footballer of the Year",
"Ronaldinho beats Xavi to win the European ... | Argentina's Lionel Messi has won the Golden Ball awarded to the European Footballer of the Year, becoming the sixth Barcelona player to take the award and the first since Brazilian Ronaldinho in 2005.
Messi beat last year's winner Cristiano Ronaldo into second place while Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez finished third in the poll results released by France Football magazine early Tuesday.
Praised by Argentina great Diego Maradona as his successor, Messi won an unprecedented treble in Spain last season with Barcelona as the Catalan side swept the Champions League, the Spanish title and the Copa del Rey.
The 22-year-old Messi, the first Argentine to win the world-famous award, was the top scorer in last year's Champions League with nine goals, including his superb header in the 2-0 victory over Manchester United in the final.
Messi, who scored 473 of a possible 480 points, largely controlled the voting and won with a record-margin of 240 points. Real Madrid winger Ronaldo had 233 and Xavi had 170.
"Honestly, I knew that I was among the favorites because Barcelona had a fruitful year in 2009," Messi was quoted as saying by the magazine.
" _ The Golden Ball is very important to me. All the players who won it were great players, and some great players never won it."
Barcelona had three players in the Top 5 with Andres Iniesta taking fourth ahead of former Barca player Samuel Eto'o.
In an outstanding season, Messi netted(...) 38 goals in 51 games in all competitions, often leaving defenders in his wake(...) with a combination of speed, extraordinary abilities and his effective left-footed strike.
Messi, who led Argentina to next year's World Cup in South Africa, recently signed a new contract with Barcelona through 2016.
Messi had a good start to this season - already scoring nine goals - and put on a great display to help his club defeat archrival Real Madrid 1-0 last Sunday.
"It won't be easy to confirm after a year like the one we just went through," Messi said.
"I hope the next one will reach the same standards. But to win the Golden Ball two years in a row is not an easy thing."
(Read by Guanny Liu. Guanny Liu is a multimedia journalist at the China Daily Web site.) | high11157.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "she was to attend an evening party"
},
"options": [
"she had sent her children to school",
"she was to attend an evening party",
"she wouldn't do any housework that morning",
"she had made a special costume the night be... | After her husband had gone to work, Mrs Richards send her children to school and went upstairs to her bedroom. She was too excited to do any housework that morning. In the evening she would go to a fancy dress party with her husband. She wanted to dress up as a ghost and as she had made her costume the night before, she was impatient to try it on. Though the costume consisted only of a sheet, it was really splendid. After putting it on, She went downstairs to find out whether it would be comfortable to wear.
Just as Mrs Richards was entering the dining-room, there was a knock on the front door. She knew it must be the baker. She had told him to come straight in if ever she failed to open the door and to leave the bread on the table. Not wanting to frighten the poor man, she quickly hid in the small store-room under the stair. She heard the front door opened and heavy footsteps in the hall. Suddenly the door of the store-room was opened and in came a man. Mrs Richards realized it must be the man from the Electricity Board who had come to read the meter. She tried to explain the situation, saying "It's only me. "but it was too late, the man let out a cry and jumped back several paces. When Mrs Richards walked towards him, he fled, losing the door heavily behind him. | high3410.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "The two horses were quite similar."
},
"options": [
"The two horses were quite similar.",
"The prices of the horses were different.",
"He wanted to discuss it with his son.",
"He hoped to learn more about the horses."
... | A father wanted to buy a horse for his son. After looking at many horses, the man's decision was almost made. It had come down to a choice between two horses. They were quite similar and the prices were the same. He decided to take another look so he could make a final decision.
The first farmer was eagerly trying to sell his horse and talked much about how cute his horse was, but the father didn't reach a decision. The second farmer was different. He didn't say anything about the horse, but he simply said that he was sure the man's son would love his horse. He offered to bring the man a saddle , a bridle , the horse and enough food for it for 30 days. In return , the father should give him a check, and he would hold it for 30 days. If the man's son decided to keep the horse, he could let him know at the end of the 30 days, and he would cash the check. Otherwise, he would give back the man's check, pick up the horse and even clean up where the horse had been to.
Which farmer do you think sold his horse?
Can you see that if you promise buyers reliable business dealings with you, you are more likely to be successful? The farmer gave more far beyond what the father thought or even imagined. | high16638.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Newspapers of the Future Will Likely Be on Computers"
},
"options": [
"Computer Newspapers Are Well Liked",
"Newspapers of the Future Will Likely Be on Computers",
"Paper Newspapers Are out of Fashion",
"Communications ... | Sometimes in the next century, the familiar early-newspaper on the front porch will disappear. And instead of reading your newspaper, it will read to you. You'll get up and turn on the computer newspaper just like switching on the TV. An electronic voice will distribute stories about the latest events, guided by a program that selects the type of news you want. You'll even get to choose the kind of voice you want to hear. Want more information on the brief story? A simple touch makes the entire text appear. Save it in your own personal computer if you like. These are among the predictions from communication experts working on the newspaper of the future. Pictured as part of broader home based media and entertainment systems, computer newspapers would unite print and broadcast reporting, offering news and analysis with video images of news events.
Most of the technology is available now, but convincing more people that they don't need paper to read a newspaper is the next step. But resistance to computer newspapers may be stronger from within journalism. Since it is such a cultural change, it may be that the present generation of journalists and publishers will have to die off before the next generation realize that the newspaper industry is no longer a newspaper industry. Technology is making the end of traditional newspapers unavoidable.
Despite technological advances, it could take decades to replace news-print with computer screens. It might take 30 to 40 years to complete the changeover because people need to buy computers and because newspapers have established financial interests in the paper industry. | high21094.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The writer made some mistakes during the exam."
},
"options": [
"The writer didn't work hard at physics.",
"The writer lost 20 marks for the last question.",
"The writer made some mistakes during the exam.",
"The questi... | In life, people come across many experiences, which they remember throughout their lives. I had a similar experience, too.
I was very excited. It was the day of my last paper of the final examination. My mind was full of thoughts of how I would spend my vacation. I was especially excited of the invitation that my uncle had given me to stay with him for a few days in Cambridge.
I was prepared for the subject, physics. My friends and I were on the ground doing the last minute revisions and also discussing the questions that were supposed to come in the paper. Suddenly the bell rang and we got into our classrooms. The teacher came and quickly handed out the answer paper and the question paper. The paper was of two hours and some of the expected questions came. I finished it almost forty-five minutes earlier. But since it was a rule not to collect the answer paper before the allotted time. the teacher was not collecting and I had to sit till the time was over. I checked my paper twice and corrected some of the mistakes in it. I started thinking about the place my friends and I had planned to go after the paper.
Though I was thinking for a long time, the time seemed to be endless. So I thought of drawing something on the question paper and turned it overleaf. I was shocked to see that the page which I had supposed to be blank had four more questions on it which carried 20 marks and would take at least half an hour to complete. I had a quick glance at my watch. There were only 10 minutes left. I was so nervous that I was hardly in a state to write anything. They were the sub-questions of the last question. Suddenly our physics teacher came in and told all of us that in the last question, out of 6 sub-questions only 2 had to be solved. I felt very much _ .
Thereafter I never made such mistakes again. But I realized that my anxiousness and excitement could have cost me to lose 20 marks and decided never to make such a mistake again. | high15331.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "choose a proper university"
},
"options": [
"choose a proper university",
"study at American universities",
"learn the information about websites",
"supply the information about studying abroad"
],
"question": "... | Some of my friends are making big decisions in their life: Which universities should they apply to? I also notice that many high school students in China are thinking of studying at universities abroad. Unluckily, from what I've seen, the information given by some websites and other media about studying abroad is very limited and sometimes even wrong.
There was once a Chinese girl who hoped that she could go to Columbia University in the US because she wanted to major in journalism. However, they have no journalism program at the undergraduate level! What's more, in both Canada and the US, it's not suggested that students throw themselves into journalism right after high school. School say that students should take in more knowledge about the world and writing before entering that field.
The University of Waterloo, a Canadian university famous for its engineering program, is another example. The emphasis of engineering in this school may go beyond your expectations. According to our teachers, this university spent millions of dollars building a library just for engineering students. The school's computer science, mathematics and accounting are also great programs for students.
But, to be honest, according to my friends who have visited this university, the campus and the food are not very nice. Maybe this is because the school stresses its academic( )strengths too much, thereby paying little attention to personal comforts.
Now you see, choosing a university is really not that easy. We need to do good research and consult as many people as possible before making a decision. | high8545.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "over three thousand"
},
"options": [
"twenty-three hundred",
"thirteen hundred",
"over three thousand",
"less than two thousand"
],
"question": "This year _ teenagers will take part in the exchange programme b... | This year some twenty-three hundred teenagers(young people aged from 13 --19)from all over the world will spend about ten months in U. S. homes. They will attend U.S. schools, meet U.S. teenagers, and form impressions of the real America. At the same time, about thirteen hundred American teenagers will go to other countries to learn new languages and gain a new understanding of the rest of the world.
Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred, nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George's family. In turn, George's son Mike spent a year in Fred's home in America.
Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months' study, the language began to come to him. The school was completely different from what he had expected -- much harder. Students roserespectfully1when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that are usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities.
Family life, too, was different. The father's word was law, and all activities were around the family rather than the individual. Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car.
"Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk, but you soon learn to like it."
At the same time, in America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea. "I suppose I shouldcriticize2American schools," he says. "It is far too easy by our level. But I have to say that I like it very much. In Germany we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe your schools are better in training for citizens. There ought to be some middle ground between the two."
Notes:
1 respectfully adv. ,
2 criticize vt. ,
Choose the best answers according to the above: | high7676.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "followed the example of the Middle East"
},
"options": [
"became well-known all over the world first",
"first began food production",
"increased trade activities with other places",
"followed the example of the Middle E... | Windmills dot the landscape,producing a renewable energy source.Our pioneer ancestors established windmills as a means of bringing water to the surface.To tell the truth,the history of wind energy is very long.Since early recorded history,people have been _ the energy of the wind.Wind energy drove boats along the Nile River as early as 5000 BC.By 200 BC,simple windmills in China were pumping water,while well-designed windmills were grinding grain in Persia and the Middle East.
New innovations and curiosity helped spread interest in windmills and wind power.Middle Eastern citizens used them for food production by the 11th century.Merchants along trade routes returned to Europe and shared the idea.Windmills caught on,especially in Holland,and the Dutch improved their use.Here,windmills drained lakes and other bodies of water.In France,the windmill pumped irrigation water.Elsewhere in Europe,windmills were used to grind grain.
By the 19th century,settlers in the United States realized the importance of the simple windmill.Pioneers pumped water for livestock and farming.As estimated six million windmills dotted America's landscape by the end of the 1880s.Charles Brush,the US inventor,invented a windmill capable of producing electricity in 1888.And now the machines are called wind turbines.As late as the 1920s,Americans used small windmills to provide electricity in rural areas without electric service.When power lines began to transport electricity to rural areas in the 1930s,local windmills were used less and less,though they can still be seen on some Western farms.
In the 1970s,oil shortages pushed the development of alternative energy sources,paving the way for the re-entry of the windmill to produce electricity.In the early 1980s,wind energy really took off in California,partly because of State policies that encouraged renewable energy sources.In the 1990s,the push came from a renewed concern for the environment in response to scientific studies indicating potential changes to the global climate if the use of fossil fuels continues to increase.Wind energy is an economical power resource in many areas of the country.
Wind energy isn't a new phenomenon,but using wind turbines to create and use electricity is a trend that continues to sweep across the globe. | high13998.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "be just part of their nature"
},
"options": [
"occur when they go wild",
"be just part of their nature",
"get worse in modern society",
"become a threat to the community"
],
"question": "Behavior problems of dog... | Dogs are social animals and without proper training, they will behave like wild animals. They will soil your house, destroy your belongings, bark excessively, fight other dogs and even bite you. Nearly all behavior problems are perfectly normal dog activities that occur at the wrong time or place or are directed at the wrong thing. The key to preventing or treating behavior problems is learning to teach the dog to redirect its normal behavior to an outlet that is acceptable in the domestic setting.
One of the best things you can do for your dog and yourself is to train its obedience. Obedience training doesn't solve all behavior problems, but it is the foundation for solving just about any problem. Training pens up a line of communication between you and your dog. Effective communication is necessary to instruct your dog about what you want it to do.
Training is also an easy way to establish the social rank order. When your dog obeys a simple request of "come here, sit," it is showing obedience and respect for you. It is not necessary to establish yourself as top dog or leader of the pack by using extreme measure. You can teach your dog its subordinate role by teaching it to show submission to you. Most dogs love performing tricks for you to pleasantly accept that you are in charge.
Training should be fun and rewarding for you and your dog. It can enrich your relationship and make living together more enjoyable. A well-trained dog is more confident and can more safely be allowed a greater amount of freedom than an untrained animal. | high9883.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "he was too poor to afford any more formal education"
},
"options": [
"he wanted to teach himself",
"he wanted to work and made a lot of money",
"he was too poor to afford any more formal education",
"he wanted some work... | Charles Dickens (1812-1870), the great nineteenth century English novelist, was born near Portsmouth. His father ran heavily into debt and when he was twelve, he had to go and work in a factory for making boot polish. The only formal education he received was a two-year schooling at a school for poor children. In fact, he had to teach himself all he knew. He worked for a time as junior clerk in a lawyer's office. After that, he worked as a reporter in the law courts, and later in parliament, for London newspapers. His career as a writer of fiction began in 1833 with short stories and essays in periodicals, and in 1837 his comic novel The Pickwick Papers made him the most popular author at his time in England.
He was a great observer of people and their places because he was attracted by life and conditions in mid-nineteenth century London. He wrote 19 novels all his life and in many of them, Dickens gave a realistic picture of all classes of England society, showing deep sympathy for the poor and unfortunate, exposing the injustice and inhumanity of the bourgeoisie .
Many of his novels like Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Nicholas Nickleby, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities and so on drew attention to the unsatisfactory social conditions that existed in England over a hundred years ago.
Dickens criticized capitalist society from the point of view of bourgeois humanism. He wished to see improvement in the living conditions of the poor, but failed to find any effective means to achieve that end. | high1207.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "is designed for preschool kids"
},
"options": [
"is mainly used to entertain kids",
"can be accepted by most families",
"is designed for preschool kids",
"can download games for free"
],
"question": "According t... | A new reading tool was put on the market this week for the two-to five-year-old set. It is sold for at least $389, an expensive purchase for a kid - and that doesn't even include a $99 annual subscription fee for games, e-books, and age-appropriate software.
That might be fine for parents willing and able to pay thousands for private nursery schools, but will the tool actually help kids learn language and reading skills more effectively than traditional books?
Probably not, said Dr. Michael Rich, director of the Center for Media and Child Health at Children's Hospital Boston. "There is a sensory components to books that isn't there with e-books," he explained. "You can smell it, turn the pages, and taste it, as young kids are likely to do."
That might help little ones become more familiar with the books, helping them learn from them, but far more important is whether a person is actually sitting with them while they're looking at the pages.
Researchers have shown time and again that kids learn better when they're having interaction with real people, rather than electronic voices reading to them from a computer or speaking to them from the TV.
A Georgetown University study found that kids who learned to put on gloves from watching a video took six times as long to learn the process as those who watched it shown by an adult standing in front of them.
"I'm a big believer in teaching kids to live in the digital society and use what the rest of the family uses, but they do need to be _ ," said Dr. Gwenn O'Keeffe, a Boston-based children's doctor and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics. "We don't recommend that young kids use any type of technology for very long since they have the attention span of a butterfly." | high793.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The development of sexual equality campaign."
},
"options": [
"The improvement of cooks' status.",
"The influence of popular female chefs.",
"The change of female's view on cooking.",
"The development of sexual equality... | Men are spending more and more time in the kitchen encouraged by celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver, according to a report from Oxford University.
The effect of the celebrity role models, who have given cooking a more manly picture, has combined with a more general drive towards sexual equality and men now spend more than twice the amount of time preparing meals than they did in 1961.
According to the research by Prof. Jonatahn Gershuny, who runs the Centre for Time Research at Oxford, men now spend more than half an hour a day cooking, up from just 12 minutes a day in 1961.
Prof. Gershuny said, "The man in the kitchen is part of a much wider social trend. There has been 40 years of sexual equality, but there is another 40 years probably to come."
Women, who a generation ago spent nearly two hours a day cooking, now spend just one hour and seven minutes--a great fall, but they still spend far more time in the kitchen than men.
Some experts have named these men in aprons as "Gastrosexuals (men using cooking skills to impress friends)", who have been inspired to pick up a kitchen knife by the success of Ramsay, Oliver as well as other male celebrity chefs such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Marco Pierre White and Keith Floyd.
"I was married in 1974. When my father came to visit me a few weeks later, I was wearing an apron when I opened the door. He laughed," said Prof. Gershuny. "That would never happen now."
Two-thirds of adults say that they come together to share at least three times a week, even if it is not necessarily around a kitchen or dining room table. Prof. Gershuny pointed out that the family meal was now rarely eaten by all of its members around a table--with many "family meals" in fact taken on the sofa in the sitting room, and shared by family members. "The family meal has changed a lot, and few of us eat--as I did when I was a child--at least two meals a day together as a family. But it has survived in a different format." | high13740.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "she was a down-to-earth person"
},
"options": [
"she never changed her style or point of view",
"she was a gospel singer for country people",
"she was a down-to-earth person",
"she had a very magnificent voice"
],
... | Most great singers have had learnt singing lessons since childhood. Occasionally, though, a great voice comes through untrained, a voice that is unbelievably, naturally beautiful. Mahalia Jackson had such a voice. Without having had a lesson, she was able to attract listeners with her magnificent voice that never seemed forced or pretended.
Mahalia Jackson was a gospel singer. She preferred to sing the soul music or folk songs rather than popular songs or rocks. Since financial rewards didn't concern her, she refused many opportunities to become wealthy. She sang for the simple country people and also for the rich, sometimes. But she never changed her style or her point of view.
At one point, after some discussions, her husband advised her to try out for a regular stage role. Then, she reluctantly paid 2. 5 dollars for a song sheet and went to the interview. All the judges agreed to offer her the part, for they were highly impressed. At this point, however ,her husband got a job ,and she turned down the offer. She wanted to go on singing at concerts.
Mahalia Jackson was a down-to-earth person, showing no self-pride. She considered her singing talent a gift from God and accepted it humbly. She would help box-office clerks and would even help sell tickets out front, if necessary. Therefore ,she was loved by people around her.
Perhaps Mahalia Jackson's greatest moment was singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at President John F. Kennedy's inauguration The national anthem may never have been sung better. | high23683.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "discovering the planet Uranus"
},
"options": [
"discovering the planet Uranus",
"determining stellar parallax",
"discovering two moons of Uranus",
"uncovering the evidence for the infrared"
],
"question": "Hersc... | William Herschel was born on November 15th, 1738 in Hanover in a family of musicians. In 1757,he fled to England and began earning a living as an organist and later composer and conductor. In 1772, he convinced his sister Caroline to join him as a singer. In their spare time the brother-sister team became occupied in astronomy. William died at his home in Slough, near Windsor on August 25th,1822,and Caroline on September 1st,1848.
Herschel's first major discoveries were to show that Mars and Jupiter exhibit axial rotation . Herschel struck fame in 1781,when on March 13th he discovered the planet Uranus while engaged in work aimed at determining stellar parallax .This being the first new planet discovered since ancient times, Herschel, until then a mere amateur astronomer relatively unknown even in England, became world-famous. Adopting a historically proven strategy, Herschel named the new planet Georgium Sidum,in honor of the then ruling English king GeorgeIII. The trick worked once again, as King GeorgeIII gave William and Caroline the titles of"The King's Astronomer"and"Assistant to the King's Astronomer", an honor which came with a life's pension for both. In 1782 they moved to Bath, and shortly thereafter to Slough, and from this point on William and Caroline could devote themselves entirely to astronomy. The Herschels went on to discover two moons of Uranus in 1787.
While Caroline became increasingly occupied with the search for comets at which she was quite successful, William became for a time interested in the Sun. Inspired by Wilson's 1774 work, he put forth the theory of sunspots ,an opinion that continued to exist well into the nineteenth century. In 1800,he became interested in the solar spectrum ,and uncovered the first evidence for solar energy output outside of the visible spectrum, in what is now known as the infrared .In 1801, he published two papers that effectively started the field of solar influences on Earth's weather. | high6568.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "was worried about the coming test."
},
"options": [
"was seriously ill.",
"was too tired.",
"was worried about the coming test.",
"couldn't find his history notebook."
],
"question": "Paul felt uneasy because he... | Paul couldn't sleep last night. He woke up early and sat up, and then he lay down again. He felt terrible. "I must be sick," he thought. "but I must study for that test."
He got up and looked for his history notebook. He finally found it under a pile of clothes on a chair. He went over his history notes, but he couldn't remember any of the facts in the notes. "What shall I do?" he thought. He felt terrible.
Just then Paul's telephone rang. He put down his notebook and picked up the telephone.
"Good morning," Jack's voice said, "You must be wrong about that test."
"What do you mean?" Paul asked weakly.
"We're not going to have the test today." Jack said. "I wrote down the date in my notebook. The test will be next Wednesday; it isn't today. How do you feel this morning?"
"Fine," said Paul. "Just fine!" Suddenly he really felt fine. | high5049.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Cheerful and positive."
},
"options": [
"Upset and disappointed.",
"Cheerful and positive.",
"Angry and proud.",
"Humorous and light-hearted."
],
"question": "What is the tone of the passage?",
"question_typ... | He says the problem with teachers is, "What will a kid learn from someone who chose to become a teacher?" He reminds the other dinner guests that it's true what they say about teachers:Those who can, do; those who can't, teach.
I decide to _ instead of biting his and stop myself from reminding the other dinner guests that it's also true what they say about lawyers-that they make money from the misfortune of others.
"I mean, you're a teacher, Taylor," he says to me." Be honest. What do you make?"
I wish he hadn't asked me to be honest, because now I have to teach him a lesson.
You want to know what I make?
I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I can make a C+feel like a great achievement and an A-feel like a failure.
How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best?
I make parents tremble in fear when I call them:
I hope I haven't called at a bad time.
I just wanted to talk to you about something Billy said today.
Billy said, "Leave the kid alone. I still cry sometimes, don't you?"
And it was the bravest act I have ever seen.
I make parents see their children for who they are and what they can be.
You want to know what I make?
I make kids wonder.
I make them question.
I make them criticise.
I make them think.
I make them apologise and mean it.
I make them write, write, write.
And then I make them read.
I teach them to solve math problems that they once thought impossible.
I make them understand that if you have brains then you follow your heart and if someone ever tries to judge you by what you make, you teach them a lesson.
Let me make this simple for you, so you know what I say is true:
I make a great difference! What about you? | high2726.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "guarantee better conditions for goldfish"
},
"options": [
"help improve fishing environment",
"guarantee better conditions for goldfish",
"stop people from catching goldfish",
"discourage keeping goldfish at home"
]... | The city of Rome has passed a new law to prevent cruelty to animals. All goldfish bowls are no longer allowed and dog owners must walk their dogs,
"The civilization of a city can be measured by this," said Monica Cirinna, the councilor( ) behind the new law.
"It's good to do whatever we can for our animals who in exchange for a little love fill our existence with their attention," she told a Rome newspaper.
The newspaper reported that round bowls don't give enough oxygen for fish and may make them go blind.
"Rome has tried to protect fish more than anywhere else in the world. It stands out for recognizing that fish are interesting animals who deserve our respect and compassion every bit as much as dogs and eats and other animals," said Karin Robertson, a director of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
Last year a law was passed in Italy that gives people who desert pets big fines and prison sentences. Since then local governments have added their own animal protection rules.
The northern city of Turin passed a law in April to give pet owners fines of up to $ 598 if they do not walk their dogs three times a day.
The new law in Rome also says that owners mustn't leave their dogs in hot cars or cut their dogs' tails to make them look lovelier. The law also gives legal recognition to the "cat ladies" who feed homeless cats. The cats live all over the city from ancient ruins to modem office car parks. | high3438.txt |
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