questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "To visit their friend."
},
"options": [
"To have a trip.",
"To have a meeting.",
"To see kangaroos.",
"To visit their friend."
],
"question": "Why did the writer and Chris go to Brisbane?",
"question_type": ... | Some years ago, I went to Australia for a meeting with my friend, Chris. We decided to drive across country to Brisbane to visit another friend after the meeting ended.
The first day we were excited and laughed at each other's jokes. By the third day of driving in the endless desert, we began to get bored. We had been quiet for a few hours when suddenly Chris saw some kangaroos. We were both excited and decided to get a closer look. Chris _ to catch up with the kangaroos. We got closer and closer, and Chris was doing 110 kilometers per hour. We were very close to the kangaroos--too close--when we heard a loud BANG!
Chris stopped the car and we got out. Behind the car was a large kangaroo lying still on the ground. Chris went over to the kangaroo and put his baseball cap on its head. He took off his sunglasses and put them on the kangaroo and did the same with his jacket. Then he put his arm around the kangaroo and told me to take a photo of them together. I was still in shock, but I took out my camera. While I was taking the photo, I saw the kangaroo move. It suddenly woke up, looked at Chris, and jumped away into the distance before we could do anything.
I started laughing but Chris looked very serious. He said his purse and passport were in the jacket. I started laughing even harder. I stopped laughing, however, when he said our car keys were also in the jacket. | middle4148.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Gareth."
},
"options": [
"Sarah.",
"Gareth.",
"Lindsay.",
"Warren."
],
"question": "Who thinks it is important to learn by doing?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
}
] | A proverb is a simple saying that explains a general rule or feeling. Four people share their favorites:
Sarah /England
My favorite proverb would have to be "Don't judge a book by its' cover." I think it can be used in many daily situations. Obviously, when you meet new people, you always need to give someone a chance. So, I think that a chance is always good for someone, probably better than judging on first impressions .
Gareth / England
My favorite proverb is "Hear and I forget; see and I understand; I do and I know." I like it because it means until you actually do something, it's hard to really, truly know it. I believe that a lot of the times when you're learning by hearing, it's very difficult to get that knowledge. When you see something, it gets a little bit better, but when you do something, that's when you really truly know something.
Lindsay / United States
I really like the proverb, "The grass is always greener on the other side." I think that's really true, and I find that it's always like that. I always want what I can't have, and then when I get that, then I find out that it's not as great as I had hoped it would be. So, because of this, I try to always keep that in mind and be happy for what I have.
Warren / Canada
I think "What goes around, comes around " is what comes to mind for me. I think it is really true. Basically, if you do something good, good things will happen to you. And if you do bad things, bad things are going to happen to you, maybe not right away but after a long time. | middle3627.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "interesting"
},
"options": [
"safe",
"interesting",
"busy",
"difficult"
],
"question": "Luke thinks that life on his grandparents' farm was _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": ... | Luke Dollar is a scientist. He has spent many years in Madagascar studying lemurs . Here is an interview with him.
Reporter: What were you like as a kid?
Luke: As a kid, I was an explorer . I lived with my grandparents on a farm in Alabama. I spent a lot of time outdoors. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed that. From the time I was 6 to 16 years old I was an actor. My mom asked me to audition for a show in Birmingham. I asked my mom to buy me some video games and she agreed, so I went for it and finally got the part. Later, I became a professional actor. For many years I went all over the US performing on different stages.
Reporter: How did you start to study lemurs?
Luke: When I was on the farm, I was really a wild child and came to love wild things. I did a lot of photography in high school. I became a photographer and did photography for the local paper. Then I became a student of Duke University. At Duke University there is a center -- Lemur Center. I got a job there as a work-study student and met lemurs there for the first time. In 1994, I had a chance to go to Madagascar and decided to study lemurs there. | middle2539.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "passion is the most important"
},
"options": [
"you'd better ask the writer for advice",
"passion is the most important",
"you will be best rewarded",
"you have to be young enough"
],
"question": "According to t... | Teaching is one of the most rewarding jobs. It is also one of the most stressful. If you want to be a teacher, you should have a passion for young people. If you are thinking about going into teaching for any other reason than this, you need to find another job.
Teaching is difficult. Students can be difficult. Parents can be difficult. If you do not have a passion for the young people that you teach, you will burn out quickly. Passion is what keeps an excellent teacher going. When students have trouble understanding what is taught, it is what drives him to spend long hours trying to think out how to help them. If you do not have enough passion for your students, you might last a year or two, but not long. Passion is a must-have quality for every good teacher.
Teaching can be rewarding, but you shouldn't expect that reward to come easily. Teachers who search out better and new methods are the ones who will make it. A good teacher needs to be able to work with everyone. All teachers face stress. It is important to be able to deal with everything that is thrown at you when you walk through your classroom doors. There are so many chances for stress within a classroom that an excellent teacher has to be able to bring it in control. If you cannot manage stress quite well, then teaching may not be the right job for you. | middle5256.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "He didn't think his father loved him."
},
"options": [
"He thought his father loved him very much.",
"He didn't think his father loved him.",
"He thought his father felt sad.",
"He thought his father felt lonely."
]... | I used to think Dad didn't love me at all, because he never tried to hug or kiss me. But whenever I felt sad or lonely, Dad was always there.
When I was in high school, Dad retired and set up a food _ on the street near my school. Every day when I finished school, my classmates and I would pass his food stand. But I really hated talking to Dad, because I did not want my classmates to know my dad was selling noodles on the street!
One night, I couldn't stand it any more and shouted, "Dad, could you stop selling your stupid noodles? I don't need a father who sells noodles on the street!" At that moment, Dad was shocked. He tried to say something but didn't. His eyes were filled with tears and sadness. It was the first time for me to see Dad crying. My mum later told me Dad was selling noodles to save money for my college education. Even today I still feel guilty for that night.
Time really flies. I finished college and then left my home city. For the past ten years, whenever I visited home, Dad was always there meeting me and seeing me off quietly at the railway station. When I was away, Dad never wrote or called me, but he always pushed my mum to call me. That's the way Dad shows his love to me.
. | middle3633.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Don't bad mouth me"
},
"options": [
"Down in the mouth",
"Don't bad mouth me",
"From hand to mouth",
"Put foot in mouth"
],
"question": "You can say \" _ !\" if you don't want some people say bad things about ... | People use their mouths for many things. They eat, talk, shout and sing. They smile and they kiss. In the English language, the word "mouth" has many meanings. But some of them are not so nice.
For example, if you say bad things about a person, the person might protest and say "Do not bad mouth me."
Sometimes, people say something to a friend or family member that they later regret because it hurts that person's feelings. Or they tell the person something they were not supposed to tell. The speaker might say, "I really put my foot in my mouth this time." In other words, he might feel sad for saying the wrong thing.
Sometimes when one person is speaking, he says the same thing that his friend was going to say. When this happens, the friend might say, "You took the words right out of my mouth!"
Some people have lots of money because they were born in a very rich family. There is an expression for this, too. You might say such a person "was born with a silver spoon in his mouth."
This rich person is the opposite of a person who lives "from hand to mouth." This person is very poor and only has enough money for the most important things in life, like food.
,. | middle5242.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "popular music"
},
"options": [
"popular music",
"American songs",
"folk music",
"classical music"
],
"question": "Almost every American student likes _ . .",
"question_type": "cloze_quest... | Music is an international language. Popular music in America is what every student likes.
Students carry small radios with earphones and listen to music before class, after class, and
at lunch. Students with cars buy large speakers and play the music loudly when they drive
streets. Adult drivers listen to music on the car radio when they drive to work. They also listen to the News about sports, the weather, politics , and activities of the American people. Most of the radio broadcast is music.
Pop or popular music singers make much money. They make a CD or tape which radio stations use in every state . Once the popular singer is heard all over the country, young people buy his or her tape. Some of the money from these tapes comes to the singer. Whenever the singer goes, all the young people want to meet him or her. Now the singer has become a national star.
There are other kinds of music that are important to Americans. One is called folk music. It has stories about the common life of Americans. Another is called western or country music. This was started by cowboys who would sing at night to the cows they were watching. Today, any music about country boy and his girl is called western or country music. Serious music for the concert halls is called classical music. Music for instruments is called orchestra music, such as the symphonies of Beethoven. | middle1024.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "men's bodies are too heavy"
},
"options": [
"men don't have aircraft",
"men's bodies are too heavy",
"men don't like birds",
"men's bodies are too light"
],
"question": "According to the passage,men can't fly li... | Men have always wanted to fly like birds. Birds can fly easily because they are light,but men's bodies are heavier.
Men first went up into the air in balloons. These were big bags,and they were filled with gas. Hydrogen is a useful gas for balloons. It is lighter than air. _ is also lighter than air,but it costs a lot of money. So balloons are usually filled with hydrogen.
Balloons have to fly with the wind as they have no engines to drive them. Later,men made airships. They are balloons with engines. They are also filled with hydrogen.
Aircrafts with wings now take people across the world. Powerful engines drive these machines across the sky. Some of the engines are like the engines of cars,but they are more powerful.
There is another kind of engine,we call it the jet engine. An English engineer invented the jet engine. At the same time,Germans were also building a jet engine. In May 1941,the English engineer's new engine was fixed in an aircraft,and the aircraft flew quite well.
Jet engines are very powerful. Usually two to four are enough for an airplane,but some big aircraft need six. Anyone in a moving jet plane can feel the power of the engines. Jet planes can travel faster than sound. As a flying jet plane leaves its noise behind,we do not hear it until it has gone. | middle7455.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "he found the four blacks were very angry"
},
"options": [
"he found the four blacks were very angry",
"he knew there was no food left",
"he was kind",
"it was wrong for him not to serve blacks"
],
"question": "T... | One afternoon, four black youths walked into a restaurant that served "whites" only. They sat down and ordered bread and milk. The white waiter just said "We don't serve blacks". The young men did not move. They were tired to death of segregation and of being kicked around. The manager was called. When he saw the angry look in their eyes, he said that he was sorry, but it was not possible to serve them.
The next day, more young black people came, and even more came the day after to the restaurant. Then a gang of white youths came in and attacked them. Most of the blacks were beaten up and were black and blue all over. After that the police rushed in, the several people were put in prison---all of them were black, although they had not done anything wrong---just because they were black.
The news spread quickly through the black living areas in the city. A large crowd held a meeting round the restaurant the following day, forcing the restaurant to shut. Young men, black and white, made speeches protesting against segregation and pointing out that black people only wanted to live a life in the same way that whites did. They gave out leaflets and soon the movement spread to other cities. Business became so bad at that particular restaurant that the owners were forced to give and served blacks.
Nowadays, all the blacks are served in all restaurants open to the public in America. | middle7333.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "help to fight against the fire"
},
"options": [
"just do their own job",
"run away at once",
"help to fight against the fire",
"go back into their nest"
],
"question": "If there was a fire near their home, the g... | Can you imagine living in the desert for a whole year, watching the activities of a group of busy ants? Deborah Gordon did exactly that. She finally found out that there were four main groups of workers in the ant team: cleaners, haulers , gatherers and security ants. Each group did their own job to finish the task of the whole team.
Cleaner ants carried waste food from inside the nest to outside. Hauler ants walked on the top of the nest and cleared rubbish. Gatherer ants went out to find food for the whole team and security ants fought against anyone who wanted to hurt the members of the team.
While she was watching the ants in the desert, Deborah found that the most interesting part was watching the ants dealing with difficulties, such as fighting against other insects that wanted to destroy their nest, or a big fire. At those moments, they would all stop what they were doing and go to help security ants to protect their home.
What do we do when people around us meet difficulties? What have we done to turn our world into a better place? It's time to think. | middle3155.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a school report of Edward Scott"
},
"options": [
"a studying plan of Edward Scott",
"A teaching plan of Ivy",
"a school report of Edward Scott",
"a working plan of M. L. Martin"
],
"question": "After reading thi... | Passage 1 | middle8028.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "planting a tree"
},
"options": [
"looking for a good job",
"looking after an old person",
"planting a tree",
"taking care of a baby"
],
"question": "The American writer thinks finding friendship is just like _... | Friendship is the most important thing in the world. But now do you find a real friendship and keep it?
An American writer tells young students some smart ways to find friends. He says finding friendship is just like planting a tree. You plant the seed and take care of it to make it grow.
First, to make friends, you must be kind and friendly to others. You should learn to smile at others and try to make a stranger feel at home. _ .
Second, friends should negotiate instead of quarrel . When you don't agree with someone, please discuss with him or her. But even the best friends can quarrel. After the quarrel, you have to talk to him or her. If he or she doesn't want to talk, you could write a letter. Tell him or her how you are feeling, and explain why you did this or that.
Finally, never believe in those who leave you when you are in trouble. And never leave your friend when he or she is in trouble. Remember, a friend in need is a friend indeed. | middle6005.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a classroom"
},
"options": [
"boys and girls",
"desks and chairs",
"a classroom",
"a bedroom"
],
"question": "It's a picture of _",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_... | This is a picture of a classroom. The classroom is big and clean. You can see a teacher's desk, six desks and seven chairs. You can see a girl and a boy ,too.
Four books are on the teacher's desk. A pencil case is on the desk. Two pens and two rulers are in the pencil case .A school bag is under a chair. A ball is on the floor.
The girl is Mary, She is 11.The boy is Jack. He is 12.They are is Class Two. They are friends. The teacher is Miss Smith. She is not here. | middle2263.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "No.5 middle school."
},
"options": [
"No.4 middle school.",
"No.5 middle school.",
"No.14 middle school.",
"No.1 middle school."
],
"question": "What school is Alan in?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"... | Hello, I'm Allan Peterson. I'm an English boy. But I am in China. I have a good friend. Let me tell you something about him. His name is Li Ming. He is a student. He is in class Two, Grade One, No.5 middle school. We are classmates. Li Ming is 14 years old. He likes basketball and English. We often play basketball after school. | middle4612.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "needed a bottle of drinking water"
},
"options": [
"went to eat chocolate",
"went on a trip by boat",
"worked for the keeper",
"needed a bottle of drinking water"
],
"question": "Tom and his cousin _ .",
... | Tom and his cousin took a boat trip. When they got on the boat, every passenger should answer the keeper a question. If the passenger answered "yes", he or she got one gift; if the passenger answered "no", he or she got two gifts. Tom and his cousin saw all about this. Now it was their turn. The keeper came up to them and asked, "Are you _ ?" Tom wanted to get two gifts, so he answered "no" loudly, at the same time he said, "I have never been a sailor, how could I be a good sailor." The keeper gave him two gifts. His cousin gave the same answer, so, he got two gifts too.
The boat started off. The passengers began to open their gifts. Tom and his cousin did the same. They found that one of the two gifts was a small bottle of drinking water, the other was a seasick tablet . Tom had a look at a "yes"-passenger's gift. His was a nice chocolate. Tom shouted at the keeper, "We are never seasick. Why do you give us seasick tablets?" | middle4174.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "sister; Americans"
},
"options": [
"sister; Chinese",
"sister; Americans",
"friend; Americans",
"cousin; Americans"
],
"question": "Anna is Tony's _ and they are _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_question... | Tony and Anna are brother and sister. They are Americans. Tony likes sports very much. He can play soccer, basketball and volleyball. Anna likes music very much. She can't play ball games. But they both like playing on computers. They like eggs, bread and milk for breakfast. For lunch, Anna likes eating vegetables and fruit, but Tony likes chicken and fish. They both like hamburgers. But they don't like ice cream or dessert. | middle2505.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Every day"
},
"options": [
"Every week",
"Every month",
"Every year",
"Every day"
],
"question": "How often did people shop in the past?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | In the past , people shopped for fruits, vegetables, bread and meat at small food stores and at open markets. Before there were _ , it was difficult to keep food fresh for a long time, so people shopped almost every day.
Life today is very different from the past. Refrigerators keep food fresh, so people don't have to shop every day. People also have very busy lives. They have time to shop for food only once or twice a week.
People shop for food in different kinds of places--in small stores, at large supermarkets and sometimes at wholesale stores that sell food and other things at very low prices. Some people even shop on the Internet. They order food online, and the company sends it to their home. And in many places around the world, people still shop at open markets. So people in different places like to shop for food in different ways. | middle6763.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "an e-newspaper"
},
"options": [
"a textbook",
"a storybook",
"a short message",
"an e-newspaper"
],
"question": "The passage is probably from _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer... | Li Na, who is a famous and wonderful tennis player, was born on February 26th , 1982 in Wuhan. She began to practice tennis at the age of 6, but read the following news:
BEIJING--- China's first and only Grand Slam winner Li Na formally announced her retirement on Friday, leaving the Chinese tennis yearning for the next superstar.
Following is part of her farewell and retirement letters:
2014 has become one of the most significant years in my career and my life. This year was full of amazing events, which included winning my second Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open and sharing the extraordinary experience with my country, my team, my husband and my fans. It was also a year filled with difficult moments, such as having to deal with the inevitable ----making the decision to end my professional tennis career.
The breaking news lift her fans surprised, especially as it comes on the day when the Asian Games open in Incheon, South Korea, and the Wuhan Open debuts in Li's hometown.
"I know Li Na went to Shanghai and Germany in summer to have her knees treated. But I know nothing about whether she is retiring," said Ma Keqin, chief of Hubei Tennis Sport Management Center, a government-backed body in Li's hometown that pays her salary.
"I felt sorry for her when she withdraw from the US Open. She must have withdrawn from the tournament because her injuries were serious. I know her well. She's been tough since childhood. She will not quit unless there is no alternative," said Xia Xiyao, Li's coach in the 1990s."
Li became an icon for Chinese sports after she won the 2011 French Open, the first Asian to win a Grand Slam singles title. | middle6777.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "A ,B, and C"
},
"options": [
"Zhou Jielun",
"Liu Qian",
"Li Yuchun",
"A ,B, and C"
],
"question": ". Who is Chinese?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
... | Nice to meet you. I'm David Beckham. I'm from England and I'm English. I'm twenty-nine years old. I like playing football and I can play football very well.
My name is Zhou Jielun. I'm from Taiwan, China. I'm thirty years old. I like singing.
My name is Liu Qian. I'm from Taiwan,China. I'm thirty-three years old. I like playing magic cards
Hello! I'm Li Yuchun. I live in Chengdu now. I'm twenty-five years old. I like singing. | middle1018.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "were not allowed to use their cell phones for nearly two weeks"
},
"options": [
"couldn't use their computers at school",
"were not allowed to use their cell phones for nearly two weeks",
"could use the Internet at school for... | What would life be like if you give up using your cell phone? Will it become boring?
Twenty-eight eighth-graders at St. Matthew School in San Francisco will tell you it can still be rich and colorful.
These students took part in their school's "tech-free" challenge. They couldn't use cell phones for two weeks from Nov 11 to Nov 22.
The idea was to help students understand how technology has affected their lives, said Denise Uhl, principal of the school.
Uhl did a survey on technology usage among the eighth-graders before thinking of the challenge. She found that 84 percent of the students said they didn't like it "when everyone was on their cell phones", but they didn't know what to do about it. The answer was actually easy --- to stop constantly using cell phones.
To help students understand the point, Uhl created the activity. It was warmly welcomed among students.
"I wanted to sign up for the tech-free challenge because it was just really a good idea to do it," eighth-grader Joe told local newspaper Catholic San Francisco. "I wanted to get closer to my family. And it really worked. I started to hang out with my family more. We watched more family movies and we played a lot of board games."
The activity also helped students develop their interests.
During the two weeks, Lucas said he spent much more time outside, picking lemons in his garden. Maddie finished a painting and Cassie created a scarf on a loom . | middle7469.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "road safety and life skills"
},
"options": [
"driving skills",
"running skills",
"road safety and life skills",
"knowledge about science"
],
"question": "By walking to and from school, children can learn _ ."... | What is "walk to School?"
Now we are working on a programme of "Walk to School". We would like as many parents and children as possible to take part, even if in a small way. Children who walk to and from school along with their parents can learn essential road safety and life skills.
You can take part by...
#Walking to and from school with your child every day.
#Walking for one or two days during the week.
#Encouraging others to walk, if you already do.
Walking is great!
#Walking is great exercise! A walk is good for your body and can keep you fit.
#You won't have to waste time looking for a parking site .
#It's pollution free.
#It's a good chance to talk to your children and to meet other parents, too.
Enjoying walking to school!
Here is some advice to help you and your child enjoy walking to school.
#Plan a safe route together.
#Teach children what a kerb is and what it means.
#Encourage your child to help you choose the safest places to cross the road.
#Look at and discuss the things you see on your way - especially road signs and what they mean.
Walk to school! Thousands of parents and children take part, could you?
Please go to www.walktoschool. org. uk for more information. | middle4160.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Every day except on Sundays."
},
"options": [
"Every day.",
"Five days a week.",
"Only at the weekend.",
"Every day except on Sundays."
],
"question": "How often does John need to get up early?",
"question_t... | John gets up early from Monday to Saturday, because he must go to school before 7:30 on weekdays and go to the Drawing Club at 8:00 on Saturday mornings. He usually goes to the bookshop on Saturday afternoons, and after supper he watches TV until midnight.
He doesn't get up early on Sundays. John's parents both work on Sundays. John always watches TV after he gets up. Then he usually goes to KFC to have a hamburger and some juice for lunch. After that, he goes back home and starts to play computer games until his parents come back. He does his homework after supper. He usually has lots of weekend homework, so he must spend three hours on it. He usually goes to bed at about 11:00 p.m. on Sundays. He often complains he has too much homework to do. | middle2511.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "No one can give you what you do for yourself."
},
"options": [
"Boys should have a toy boat at childhood.",
"People can simply buy whatever they need.",
"Boys should learn to make a boat out of wood.",
"No one can give ... | I will never forget the tenth summer of childhood with my grandfather in western Norway at the mountain farm where my mother was born. As a boy ,I always thought people simply bought whatever they need. Whether Grandfather knew this, I don't know. One day he said, "Come, I have something for you."
I followed him to a workroom. "You should have a toy boat. You can sail it at Storvassdal." He said. Great, I thought,looking around for the boat. But there was none.
Grandfather pointed to a block of wood. "The boat is in there," he said. Then he handed me some tools and showed me how to use them properly. "It'll be a fine boat,and you'll make it with your own hands," he said,"No one can give you what you do for yourself." The words rang in my head as I worked. Finished the boat. It wasn't much to look at ,but I was poud. Then I sailed it at Storvassdal.
We had to return to America. "You cannot bring that boat home with you," my mother said. We already had too much baggage. Feeling sad, I hid my boat under a big rock at Storvassdal.
I said good-bye to Grandfather, not knowing I would never see him again.
In 1964, I went to Storvassdal with my parents and my wife and children. To my surprise,for 34 years my treasure stayed here,waiting for my return. I felt _ were togethet again although my grandfather had died 22 years before.
I carved"1930"and"1964" on its side and put it back.
I returned to the lake in 1968,1971,1977 and 1988. Each time I had the boat and carved the year,my grandfather seemed near.
My last trip to Storvassdal was in 1991. I brought my granddaughters: Catherine,13; Claire,12. I hoped they would understand the importance of the little boat and its simple message. At Storvassdal, Claire said softly, 'Grandpa,someday I'll come back.' She added,"And I'll bring my children." | middle5518.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Teens"
},
"options": [
"Teachers",
"Parents",
"Teens",
"Travelers"
],
"question": "Who is the text written for?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": ... | A great way for teens to cool off during the summer is at water parks. If you live near a water park, you might think about getting a season pass. This way you can go as often as you like.
Check to see if there are any water parks around you. Many are indoor facilities. So even if it isn't warm enough where you live to swim outdoors, you can enjoy swimming in a temperature controlled area.
The prices are usually good. For example, one ticket to Water World, a water park, is only $5.
Some teens like to get a part time job over the summer to make some pocket money. Older teens shouldn't have much trouble finding jobs.
An idea is to get some teens together to form your own summer job business. You can walk dogs, bring in the newspapers, feed the cats, collect rubbish, water flowers, etc.
Being that it's summer, many people go on vacation and could use someone to look after their houses while they're away. You can also think about other jobs you can do for them.
Teens love freedom. Sure you would like to get to such places as the small, movie theaters, the zoo, the beach, picnic, bowling and local amusement park instead of staying home all summer. Then a summer bus pass will be helpful. Check to see if your area has one for you teens.
Such a pass costs only $10 for the whole summer. The price is reasonable and also your parents don't have to always drive. | middle3169.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Because her new heart didn't work properly."
},
"options": [
"Because her new heart didn't work properly.",
"Because she didn't have enough money for a new heart.",
"Because her health was too bad to get a heart transplant.",... | It was a great day for American girl D' Zhana Simmons when she got a new heart. However, her dream died when the new heart started not to work properly. The doctors had to take it away. She needed another heart transplant . But the doctors couldn't find a proper heart so soon. Then they came up with an idea -- they would use two machines to keep her blood _ in her body. After waiting for about four months, D' Zhana had another heart transplant. It was very successful.
When doctors use a man-made heart to keep a patient's life, they usually leave the patient's own heart in the body. "She, we believe, is possibly one of the youngest that had the machines without her own heart," one of D' Zhana Simmons' doctors said.
Living without a heart for 118 days -- that's great. When a heart transplant doesn't work, doctors have no time to waste. If they don't get a new heart or some machines to help the patient, he or she will die. The patient's life is in their hands. This story once again shows how important the medical world really can be. I hope that one day I will be a doctor. I hope I can be so quick and helpful to my patients. | middle4606.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Five"
},
"options": [
"Three",
"Four",
"Five",
"Six"
],
"question": "How many tips are mentioned in the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text":... | Maybe you are an average student. You probably think you will never be a top student . However, anyone can become a better student if he or she does his or her best. Here are some tips to help you.
Plan your time carefully. You should plan your time for such things as eating, sleeping and dressing. Then make a good, regular time for studying. But don't forget to set enough time for entertainment .
Keep your _ quiet and clean. The study should have a desk, a chair and some study materials , but no games, no radio and no television ! When you sit down to study, you can put your heart into it. Make good use of your time.
Listen to everything that the teacher says. Listening carefully in class means less work later. Taking notes will help you remember what the teacher says.
After you get home from school, go over your notes . Review the important points. If you know what your teacher is going to discuss next day, read the material. It will help you study better.
Develop a good attitude to tests . The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject . It helps you know what you are not good at. The world will still go on even if you fail in a test , so don't be too worried . | middle6011.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "an online shopping site"
},
"options": [
"a shopping mall",
"an online shopper",
"an online shopping site",
"A kind of treasure"
],
"question": "Taobao is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
}
] | "Who needs a shopping mall if you have Taobao ?" says Wang Lin , 28 , a\ writer in Beijing . Taobao , China's largest online shopping site , has become an important part of Wang Lin's life . She spends lots of money on Taobao. A growing number of Chinese Internet users like Wang have found the joys of online shopping . Most online shoppers are students or young workers . More women shop on line then men. Clothing and home-use products are the most popular online. It was reported that more than 250 billion yuan was spent on online shopping last year,80% through Taobao . Taobao means "looking for treasure" in Chinese. People can find almost everything they need on Taobao, from clothes to books ,from candies to DVD players . | middle201.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "physics"
},
"options": [
"English",
"physics",
"math",
"music"
],
"question": "James got the best grade in _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
... | Report Card
Name: James Stuart Time: January 24th, 2012
Subjects Grades Comments
English B+: Your reading and writing are good. But you have a strong accent , so you are not good at speaking. And you do not put much effort into this subject. If you work hard, you can get a better grade in this subject.
Physics A+:You are good at this subject. You are hard-working. I am glad that you do best in this subject
Math C:You like this subject. But you are not good at this subject because you are a little bit lazy. It is disappointing. You can do better if you try your best.
Music B:It is a happy thing to hear you play the piano. You are crazy about the music. Although you like this subject best, your accent has a bad influence on your singing. | middle1795.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "taking a break before going to a university"
},
"options": [
"going abroad in a year for further education",
"travelling around the world in a year",
"taking a break before going to a university",
"doing a part-time job... | A "Gap Year" is a period of time when a student takes a break before going to university. It is often spent travelling or working. It can give young people useful learning experiences and new skills.
Gap years are popular with European and Australian students, but remain less popular in America. However, in recent years, more and more American students are preparing for college by taking a gap year. The advantages of taking a gap year are as follows:
Learn about the World and Yourself
Although you don't have to go abroad to experience gap years, most gap year students catch the chance to travel abroad. You are able to work out who you are and what you are for. The experiences of different cultures offer you interesting lessons. You can learn more about the world and get to know yourself better.
Face Challenges and Have Fun
A gap year is not only a time to take a vacation, but also a time to face challenges. Gap year students usually work, volunteer or take service projects. You have to learn how to get along in the real world. This process isn't always easy, but it is an important part of growing up. Only in this way can you enjoy life and have fun.
Save Money and Improve Your College Admission Chances
There's a common thought that gap years are only for rich students,but it' s not true. Actually, taking a gap year can save your money. Gap year students often take a part-time job. Besides, at the end of a gap year, students are much more likely to know what to study in college. Clear learning goals ran keep the students working hard instead of wasting time and money playing.
Imagine an admission officer trying to admit only one between two students. Both of them are excellent and have high grades. However, one student has much practical experience or has volunteered in his vacation. Who do you think the admission officer will choose? | middle3182.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The Beginning of Rock and Roll"
},
"options": [
"Different Kinds of Music",
"The Beginning of Rock and Roll",
"Elvis's Contribution to Music",
"Rock and Roll Is Developing"
],
"question": "What's the best title... | It is difficult to say exactly how the music we call "rock" or "rock and roll" began. Its roots go back to many different countries and many different kinds of music and many musicians.
Rock music developed mainly from the interaction of black African and white European music. The Europeans and the African slaves who came to America during the seventeenth century each had their own different kinds of music. Black Africans used heavy drumbeats,a rough singing voice,and the calling of a melody and answer of a chorus. The white Europeans,mostly English and Scots,used a stronger melody,a less heavy beat,and instruments such as guitars,horns,and fiddles. The history of rock and roll is the history of how rock changed from these two traditions.
From the seventeenth to the twentieth century, musicians in the southern United States developed two new forms of music: the blues,usually played by blacks,and country music, played by whites. Black musicians sang the blues with a guitar. This music was similar to work songs:stories of troubles and pain, with lines that were repeated several times. The word "rock and roll" probably came from the black churches in the South, where people sang and danced to the strong rhythms, which they called "rocking and reeling". At the same time, whites were playing country music, which was mostly traditional dancing music and slow songs that told sad stories. The singers played with string instruments such as fiddles and guitars.
During this time blues and country musicians had some influence on each other, but the influence grew stronger after phonograph records became popular in the late nineteenth century. The birth of the electric guitar changed country and blue music in the 1940s. The sound of the electric guitar would become the sound, of rock and roll. No one thinks of early rock and roll without thinking of Elvis Presley,the"King of Rock and Roll".Rock music continues to develop and change, but the heart and soul of rock is the same heart and soul that Elvis expressed. | middle4835.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "proud"
},
"options": [
"silent",
"kind",
"proud",
"poor"
],
"question": "All the following words can describe the girl except _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer... | For years I went to school by bus,so I met many"familiar"strangers.We took the same bus but didn't know each other's names.I used to think it was impossible for us to be true friends.How wrong I was!Smiles from the"nameless"people have changed my thoughts.
The first time I got on the bus,I saw different faces.We met,greeted and cold faces turned into smiling faces.As days went on,we chatted like old friends.
But I felt it a pity that I was unable to set up the same friendship with a silent girl in the front of the bus.Her old clothing suggested that she didn't have much money,but she always took a cup of water for the driver.I guessed she was a kind girl.But why did she sit in silence instead of talking with us?Why did she never reply to our friendly greetings?Couldn't she smile?
Then,one evening,I got the answer.I walked to the park nearby and found the girl sitting alone under a tree,lonely and sad.I greeted her with the same warm smile that I had shown to her all these months,but this time her face turned red,then a shy smile appeared.As soon as she began her first words,I understood why she hadn't spoken to us before.Talking was hard for her.
I learnt her story:Her parents worked hard somewhere.She lived with her disabled grandparents.She said,"I can't express myself very well.Most of the time,I can't say what I want to say.I have no friends but...you always smile to me like an angel...so I also want to smile."That evening,we exchanged our names and we said goodbye like old friends.
Smile is the key to opening the door of the heart;it can break the cold walls in front of us. | middle5295.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "On a bus."
},
"options": [
"On a bus.",
"At a bus stop.",
"On a train.",
"On a plane"
],
"question": "Where does the story happen ?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
... | There are many people on the bus. Some have seats, but some have to stand. At a bus stop, a woman gets on the bus. An old man is near the door and tries to stand up. "Oh, no, thank you," the woman forces him back to the seat."Please don't do that. I can stand." "But, Madam, let me..."says the man. "I ask you to keep your seat." the woman says. She puts her hands on the old man's shoulder . But the man still tries to stand up."Madam, will you let me...?""Oh, no." says the woman. She again forces the man back.
At last the old man shouts ,"I want to get off the bus!" | middle7482.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Recycling should be done in the first place."
},
"options": [
"Supermarkets should recycle first.",
"Packaging causes serious problems.",
"Needless things are mostly recycled.",
"Recycling should be done in the first pl... | Ask someone what they have done to help the environment recently and they will almost mention recycling, which is the process of treating used things, such as paper or steel so that they can be used again. Recycling in the home is very important of course. However, being forced to recycle often means we already have more things than we need. We are now dealing with the results of that _ in the possible greenest way, but it would be far better if we did not bring so many things home in the first place.
Here is an example. In the UK, the total of packaging increased by 12% between 1999 and 2005. It now makes up a third of a household's waste. In many supermarkets, foods are packaged twice with plastic and cardboard.
Too much packaging causes serious environmental problems. The UK is running out of different kinds of ways for dealing with this unnecessary waste. If such packaging is burnt, it gives off greenhouse gases which go on to cause the greenhouse effect . Recycling helps, but the process itself uses energy. The best way of avoiding this problem is to stop producing such unnecessary things in the first place. Food waste is another serious problem, too. Too many supermarkets encourage customers to buy more than they need. They seldom encourage customers to reuse their plastic bags, for example. However, a few of them are coming round to the idea that this cannot continue.
But this is not just about supermarkets. It is about all of us. We have learned to connect packaging with quality . We have learned to think that something unpackaged is of poor quality. Is it true for all the products? In fact, more and more companies realized the importance of protecting the environment. They try to package what really should be packaged, including products in good quality.
As more of us recycle, we are beginning to realize how many unnecessary things are being collected. We need to face the waste of our daily life. Although many people have taken action to recycle, we have a high mountain to climb. | middle567.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "2"
},
"options": [
"4",
"3",
"2",
"1"
],
"question": "How many reasons are given why people might get fat without enough sleep?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_i... | Do you get enough sleep? With so much homework, it's often difficult to get the rest you need. But you need to try, because sleep keeps you healthy and it stops you getting fat.
Recently, a group of US scientists did a study of kids aged between 8 and 13. The studt found that if kids sleep for just one extra hour each day, the chance of their getting fat is cut by about 30%.
Why? When people don't get enough sleep, they become tired. When they are tired, they don't exercise enough. Also, kids like snacks. If they are awake an extra hour or two each day, they have more time to eat snacks or other unhealthy foods.
So, how much sleep should you get? Scientists suggest 10 to 11 hours a night for kids aged 5 to 12. For older kids, eight to nine hours will do. | middle6950.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He didn't lose the hope of drawing"
},
"options": [
"He did well in his subjects.",
"He got a good grade in physics.",
"He didn't lose the hope of drawing",
"He didn't accept he was a loser."
],
"question": "Whi... | This is a story about a boy called Sparky. For Sparky, school was all but impossible. He failed every subject in the eighth grade. He got a zero in physics. It made him the worst physics student in the school's history. He didn't do much better in sports. Although he tried to join the school's golf team, he quickly lost the only important match.
He didn't have friends, either. Other kids didn't care about him. If a classmate said "Hello" to Sparky outside of school, he would feel very surprised.
Sparky was a loser and everyone knew it. So he accepted it.
But one thing was important to Sparky---drawing. He was proud of his artwork. In senior high school, he sent some cartoons to the editors of the yearbook but he was refused. Sparky was hurt. But he didn't lose hope because he believed in his ability and he _ . He decided to become a professional artist.
He wrote a letter to the Walt Disney Studios after graduating from high school. The studio asked him to draw some cartoons on a certain subject. Sparky spent a lot of time on the cartoons. Finally, the reply came from Disney Studios: they aren't like cartoons.
Was it time to stop drawing?
Sparky didn't think so. He started to put his own life in the cartoons. He created his childhood self----a little boy loser: Charlie Brown. He wasn't good at football.But Charlie Brown would soon become famous worldwide. Sparky, the boy who used to fail in school and who was refused again and again, was Charles Schulz. He created the Peanuts comic strip and the world-famous cartoon characters Charlie Brown and Snoopy. | middle6788.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "American country music"
},
"options": [
"the cowboy's life",
"the life in America",
"American country music",
"the people who lives in America, Canada, Ireland, and Britain"
],
"question": "The passage is about ... | American country music is very old. It came from the United States, Canada, Ireland, and Great Britain. It's a mixture of music from all of these places.
In West America, cowboys had to take care of the cattle. They had to watch them all day and all night because the cattle sometimes ran away. A cowboy's life was lonely and dangerous. When he was alone in the desert with the cattle, he drank strong coffee to stay awake at night. He sang about the stars and the moon, about his family and his friends. The cattle listened to the cowboy and went to sleep. They didn't run away if he sang beautiful songs.
In South America, many people came from Ireland and England. Other people came from France and Canada. They enjoyed their own kind of music. When they visited their friends and families on holidays like Christmas, they usually sang and played country music.
American country music describes life. It talks about love, jobs, home and money. People in many parts of the world like western country music because everyone knows something about these ideas. | middle573.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "why you like the place somuch"
},
"options": [
"why you like the place somuch",
"why drawing is your favoritehobby",
"whether you think you canwin",
"when you started learning todraw"
],
"question": "Besides you... | Hand in a drawing of your favorite place in school and get a chance to win PRIZES!
Your drawing may be a picure of the gate,the dining hall,the field,the classroom or even the toilet!
Along with your picture,include a short description(3--5sentences)explaining why that place is special for you!
All winning picture will be on show outside the school hall for the whole month of June!
1stprize--$100
2ndprize --$70
3ndprize -$50
5 Comfort prizes of $30 each
Your picture can be either or black-and-white.All drawings must be handed in to your Art teacher by May 30,2015.
All LCPS students are encouraged to join!
Organized by:
Lion City Primary School (LCPS) Prizes sponsored by:
(Art Department) Lucky Books and Stationery | middle5281.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "disabled people's living conditions are not good"
},
"options": [
"disabled people are poor, but they are happy",
"all disabled people ask for money from those who are shopping",
"disabled people's living conditions are not g... | Have you been asked for money by some disabled beggars while you're enjoying shopping? Do you have any pity on them who are so poor and lonely or do you just feel afraid of their terrible shapes? As one of the most special groups, disabled people's living conditions -- not only their material conditions, but their mental world -- really need improvement.
The treatment for disabled people should go like this: First, don't look down upon them. Don't be afraid of looking at the terrible shapes of the disabled. Try to treat them _ . Because they are a part of the society ,we cant discard them. The second is to help them as much as we could. If you can be a volunteer and do some work for the disabled people, that would be very nice. That does help not only to the disabled people but also to yourself because you will feel good after your kind action.
If every one of us gives a little love, the world will become a beautiful wonderland! | middle3196.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "For 10 years."
},
"options": [
"For 10 years.",
"For 13 years.",
"For 14 years.",
"For 18 years."
],
"question": "How long did the young man smoke?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer... | A young man is lying in hospital sadly. The 24-year-old lost his right leg. The doctor said that his long history of smoking was the reason. "I first smoked when I was 14. _ made me feel like a man and I thought it looked cool. Now I know I was wrong," said the young man.
It is a mistake many young people make. According to the survey, 40 million of China's 130 million young people aged between 13 and 18 smoke. Fifteen million of them are addicted . The survey also found that about 68% of young smokers first smoked before the age of 13.
Many young people see people smoke in the movies, but in real life, stars like Jackie Chan think smoking is a bad thing and not cool at all.
Doctors say that if a person starts smoking very young, he or she may live 22 years less than those who don't smoke. | middle2288.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "People know little about it."
},
"options": [
"People know H7N9 very well.",
"No people have heard about it.",
"People know little about it.",
"Only Chinese people know about it."
],
"question": "How do people k... | Two men in Shanghai have been dead from H7N9, while a woman in Anhui province is seriously ill from the virus, the National Health and Family Planning Commission said on Sunday. This is the first time a human from H7N9 has been found. Little research has been done on this unknown bird flu, and three are no vaccines against the virus.
The reported deaths were of an 87-year-old man who was found ill on Feb. 19 and died on March 4, and a 27-year-old man who was found ill on Feb. 27 and died on March 10. The third person, a 35-year-old woman from Chuzhou, Anhui province, is in hospital in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. It is still unknown how the three became ill, and experts said there is no evidence that they caught the illness from each other. There is also no evidence of anyone who stay closely with them being ill. To be away from H7N9 and stay healthy, remember the following things.
* Go to crowded places as less as possible, especially the elderly and children. Pay attention to personal self-protection.
* Keep the air in door fresh. Often wash your hands. Cover the nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing . Wash hands after cleaning the nose and mouth.
* Eat clean food. Don't put raw and cooked food together. And do not eat raw or _ meat, eggs and other food.
* Take more exercise, have enough sleep and rest, so that you can get yourself stronger. | middle4821.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Traffic lights"
},
"options": [
"Americans",
"Traffic lights",
"Chinese",
"policemen"
],
"question": "Todaycan help buses or cars to go regularly in cities .",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
... | Traffic lights are very important for us. I think you know this. But do you know how they were born?
Garrett A. Morgan was the father of traffic lights. He was an American. His family was very poor. He left school at the age of 14. He was clever. He always looked for better ways to do things. And he liked to make new things.
At that time, every American wanted to have a car. The streets were full of cars. The traffic was really bad. "Why not put three lights at each corner ? They should be red,green,and yellow," Morgan said , " Let them tell cars to go or stop." He made a timer to change the lights.
So we have traffic lights today . | middle1781.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "a radio program"
},
"options": [
"a newspaper",
"a magazine",
"a TV program",
"a radio program"
],
"question": "This passage is from _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | This is a song millions of Americans will hear this New Year's Eve. It is calledAuld Lang Syne(<<>> ). It is the traditional music played during the New Year's celebration.Auld Lang Syneis an old Scottish poem. It tells about the need to remember old friends.
The words "auld lang syen" mean "old long since". No one knows who wrote the poem first. However, a version by Scottish poet Robert Bums was published in 1796. The words and music we know today first appeared in a songbook three years later.
The song is played in the United States mainly on New Year's Eve. The version you are hearing today is by the Washington Saxophone Quarter. As we end our program withAuld Lang Syne, I would like to wish all our radio friends a very Happy New Year! This is Buddy Thomas. | middle215.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "at the 2nd largest supermarket in Britain"
},
"options": [
"on the Internet",
"from the shops all over the world",
"at the designer's home",
"at the 2nd largest supermarket in Britain"
],
"question": "We can buy... | A popular shopping bag has been seen on the arm of some of the world's most beautiful women. It sells at an official price of PS5, but as much as PS400 online. The bag called "I'm Not a Plastic Bag" is made of cotton. It is so "hot" that now everyone wants to get one. It's fashionable, and it's green!
Supporters see the bag as a way to move away from throwaway plastic bags that are given away in large numbers by supermarkets every year.
When the bags were first sold, about 500 people waited in line to buy one. So far, 20,000 of the popular bags have been sold at the second largest supermarket in Great Britain. It is one of the ways to encourage shoppers to use the reusable bags, rather than the plastic ones.
The bag has also become a must-have for many famous people who want to be fashionable, and at the same time care about the environment.
The designer of the bag has been asked to develop the bag by _ group. The group believes that each person in Great Britain uses about 167 plastic bags every year. It says that small lifestyle changes can have a strong effect on reducing waste and the environmental pollution. It also says that everyone should try his best to protect the earth from being polluted. | middle1959.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "far from"
},
"options": [
"in",
"next to",
"near",
"far from"
],
"question": "Green Sea is _ the small village.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
... | Mrs Green lives in a small village. Her husband is dead, but she has one son. His name is Jack. He is twenty-one. He worked in a shop in the village and lived with his mother, but then he finds a job in a faraway town named Green Sea. He goes and lives there. Mrs Green is not happy about it.
One day Mrs Green is angry. She gets on a train and goes to her son's house in Green Sea. Then she says to him, "Jack, why do you never telephone me?"
Jack smiles, "But, Mother, you don't have a telephone."
"No," she answers, "I don't have, but you have one!" | middle4809.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "He died of a heart attack."
},
"options": [
"He was ill.",
"He died of a heart attack.",
"He made a promise.",
"He became a teacher, too."
],
"question": "What happened to the teacher's husband?",
"question_... | I had a very special teacher in high school many years ago. Her husband died of a heart attack. About a week after his death, she shared some of her insights with us.
The class was nearly over. She said, "Before class is over, I would like to share with all of you an important thought."
"Each of us is put here on Earth to learn, share, love, enjoy and give all by ourselves. We must make the best of every single day."
Her eyes were beginning to water and she went on, "So I would like you all to make me a promise. From now on, on your way to school, or on your way home, find something beautiful to notice. It doesn't have to be something you see -- it could be a nice smell -- perhaps of freshly baked bread, or it could be the sound of the breeze slightly blowing the leaves in the trees."
"Please look for these things, and love them. For, although it may seem common, these things are the stuff of life. They are the little things we are put here on Earth to enjoy. They are the things we often take for granted. We must make it a point to notice them, for at any time it can all be taken away."
The class was completely quiet. We picked up our books and went out of the room silently. That afternoon, I noticed more things on my way home from school than I had that whole term.
I usually think of that teacher and try to enjoy all of those things that we sometimes overlook .
Take notice of something special you see during your lunch hour today. Walk barefoot along the beach at sunset. For as we get older, it is not the things we did that we regret , but the things we didn't do. | middle1971.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "learn how to choose fishing places"
},
"options": [
"go to the countryside",
"know where to buy fishing rods",
"know how to cook fish",
"learn how to choose fishing places"
],
"question": "If you buy and read Su... | Do you need useful and interesting books? Here we've got plenty for you.
Successful Fishermen
Fishing is a healthy hobby. You can enjoy fresh air when you go fishing in the countryside. This book will teach you how to choose fishing places and how to make good fishing rods easily. Many kinds of fishing skills are shown in the book. Read it and you will become a more successful fisherman.
Best Learners
This book can give you the answers to the questions most often asked by parents, teachers and students themselves.
Read this book and learn:
*What the three difficulties in study are and what to do with them.
*What to do if you are not interested in a subject you are studying.
*Twenty-six simple exercises to help you study easily and fast.
You will get more from this book. For younger students, you can buy Learn to Study for Beginners. It is easier to understand.
How to Keep Pets
A pet can be our best friend. Do you have pets in your house? Are they in good shape? This book not only offers you many colorful pictures of lovely pets, but also provides you with the knowledge about:
*How to choose right pets for yourself.
*How to build houses or nests for your pets.
*How to feed the pets and how to keep them clean.
Buy this book and you will learn more.
We have many other books on sale. For more information, enter www. Knowbetter. com. If you buy two or more books at a time, you'll get 10% off. | middle6978.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "create different feelings for us"
},
"options": [
"create different feelings for us",
"only help us develop good habits",
"develop our interest in money",
"influence natural environments"
],
"question": "Accordi... | We know music is very important in our daily life.Do you notice music playing at any of those places when you go somewhere? Today, most stores,stations,restaurants and other places play music.You might even hear music in an office or on a farm.
Scientists believe that music influences the way people behave.They think that the sound of western classical music makes people feel richer.When a restaurant plays classical music,people spend more money on food and drinks.When the restaurant plays modern music,people spend less money.Without music,people spend even less.
Scientists also believe that loud,fast music makes people eat faster.Some restaurants play fast music during their hours.This makes people eat faster and leave quickly.Restaurants can make more money in this way.
Some scientists think that music makes you think and learn better.They say that music helps students to be more active.It is true that people learn better when they are relaxed.And 1istening to music can help you relax.
The next time you hear music somewhere,be careful,it might influance the way you do things. | middle3800.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "on his way back home"
},
"options": [
"leaving the station for a cemetery",
"walking slowly along the street",
"on his way to Mr. Green's house",
"on his way back home"
],
"question": "That day Charlie was _ ... | One evening Charlie was on his way home from the railway station. When he turned round a corner, he heard footsteps behind him and he thought someone was coming near. He began to walk fast. The footsteps came fast, too. He slowed down. The footsteps also slowed down. Now he was sure that someone must be going after him. He tried to hide. Still the steps followed him. He didn't know how to save himself, so he jumped over some tall grass and hid himself in a cemetery . He threw himself down on one of tombs .
The man behind came near. Charlie could hear the man jump over the grass. Thoughts of thieves and robbers filled his mind. Charlie stood up and faced the man. "What do you want? Why are you coming after me?" He asked.
"I say," the stranger asked, "do you always go home like this, or are you taking some special exercise tonight? I want to go to Mr. Green's and don't know the way. The station master told me to follow you as you live next door. Excuse me for asking, but is there much farther to go before we get there?" | middle3814.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "different breakfasts or sometimes none"
},
"options": [
"no breakfast at all",
"different breakfasts or sometimes none",
"very good breakfasts",
"little food for breakfast"
],
"question": "During the test, peopl... | Will it matter if you don't have your breakfast? There were a test in the US. People of different ages, from 12 to 83, took the test. During the test, these people got all kinds of breakfasts and sometimes they got no breakfast at all. Scientists wanted to see how well they worked after they ate different kinds of breakfasts.
The result shows that if a person eats a right breakfast , he or she will work better than if he or she has no breakfast. If a student has fruit, eggs, bread and milk before going to school, he will learn more quickly and listen more carefully in class.
The result is different from what some people think. It shows having no breakfast will not help them lose weight. This is because they become so hungry at noon that they eat too much for lunch. In fact, they will gain weight. But they will lose more weight if they _ other meals. | middle229.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "nottowastefood"
},
"options": [
"nottoeatleftovers",
"toeatgoodfood",
"nottowastefood",
"tomakegoodfood"
],
"question": "The writer learns from her parents _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
... | My parents taught me not to waste food. My mum always found ways to make leftovers taste good. I went to YiLan to learn about some of their special food. As I was there, I learned about the food and the history of the area. I learned that they don't waste food, either, and they use leftovers!
Many years ago, there was not enough food for everyone. People learned to cook and eat almost everything. They had to think of ways to make special dishes. One of these dishes is kao zha.It made with leftovers like
meat, soup, oil and fat. That might not sound very good, but it does taste good.
Today, kao zha is a special dish at big banquets . Another famous dish is called zao bing.
It's made with fruit, meat and other things. I really liked it! But I didn't want to eat too much. It has a
lot of fat in it. I smelled something burning and I saw smoke, so I found another special food of the YiLan area duck meat. The duck meat is put in a big oven to cook it. Smoke keeps the meat fresh. I don't
usually eat meat, but this duck meat was delicious! It tasted sweet. YiLan is a great place with delicious food. I hope I can come back again! | middle1965.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Jacob and William."
},
"options": [
"Jacob and his teacher.",
"William and his teacher.",
"Jacob and William.",
"Some old people."
],
"question": "Who wrote Grimms' Fairy Tales?",
"question_type": "factiod_q... | Once upon a time there lived two brothers named Jacob and William in Germany. They liked to listen to old stories and then write them down. So they had enough stories to make a book. You can guess the name of the book! It is Grimms' Fairy Tales.
The story of this little book began when the brothers were still in school. And it started with a good teacher. The teacher liked to find out how things happened. Soon the two brothers were doing the same thing. They asked questions and then looked for answers.
Among the questions the brothers asked, "Who made up the old fairy tales? Who first told about Cinderella ? Why made up the story of the Snow White and the story of Sleeping Beauty?"They found that no one knew the answers to such questions. The tales were made up in very early times. Most of them were made up in the days before people knew how to write. People told the stories to one another and to their children. But only a few old people still remembered them.
"When old people die, the stories will die with them," said the brothers. "We must write down all the stories we can find."
Jacob and William hunted for stories for five years. At last they had 89 tales written. Just before Christmas in 1812, the first book was published.
People love the book! They asked more fairy tales. So Grimms put tales into two more books. In all, they collected 210 stories to put into their books. | middle5054.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "going to Beijing to do their tasks"
},
"options": [
"going to Beijing to do their tasks",
"working part-time jobs",
"giving talent shows",
"drawing and making paper crafts"
],
"question": "To make money, student... | If you are given only 1 yuan, could you live in a city for one day? It seems this may be a little difficult. But students from Xi'an did it.
On April 10, more than 60 students from the Middle School Attached to Northwestern Polytechnical University took part in the One Yuan Metropolis Survival. The charitable organization for teenagers called Imperceptible Education held this activity. Students not only have to live, but they also have to deal with a lot of hard tasks. It has happened in eight cities and is going to four others, including Beijing, in June.
To make money, many students looked for part-time jobs and saw how hard life was. Zhang Qiyue, 14, asked more than 10 restaurants for a job and finally got one chance. "We were sad when they said no. But gradually , we got used to it," he said. After being a waiter for an hour, he got 25 yuan.
Some made use of their talents by singing and dancing in parks or shopping malls. Many people who walked by took notice and helped them. Zhao Jiacheng, 14, drew pictures and made paper crafts . "This showed it's important to learn a special skill," he said.
Living was hard, but finishing the tasks wasn't any easier. They went to different places to finish tasks in a short time. The most amazing one was when they had to exchange things worth thousands yuan with only a piece of paper in half an hour. "We learned how to _ others. From a balloon to a cake to a bottle of yogurt ... after almost 20 tries, we got an expensive necklace," he said. They will give all of the money they made to poor schools in Tibet. | middle7643.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "One."
},
"options": [
"One.",
"Two.",
"Three.",
"Four."
],
"question": "How many children do Gary and Nancy Wilson have?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": ... | My name is Peter and I'm 12 years old. I don't have a brother or a sister. I am in No.2 Middle School. My parents are Gray and Nancy Wilson. My father is a worker and my mother is a music teacher.
My father's parents are David and Jacy Wilson. They don't live with us. They live in the nearby city . David is 63 and Jacy is 61. They come to see us once a month .
My mother's parents are Henry and Sara Smith. Henry is 62 and Sara is 58. They are farmers. They have a farm. They grow vegetables and rice . I like to go to see my grandparents. | middle8216.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Reading, writing and math."
},
"options": [
"Cooking, sewing and embroidery.",
"Reading, writing and math.",
"Quran, drawing and history.",
"Science and Quran."
],
"question": "If a girl is in Grade 2 in a gener... | My name is Kerula. I am 10 years old and I live in Cairo, Egypt. It's the capital of my country and is the largest city in all of Africa. Egypt is very dry and hot. Most of it is covered with desert, so most of our people live near the Nile River.
Kids go to primary school from ages 6-12. I learn cooking, sewing and embroidery . Only half of the kids in primary school go to general school. (I hope to go there.) In the first two years we learn reading, writing and math. In the third year of school we learn science and Quran .
Some popular games are marbles and hide and seek. The most popular sport in my country is soccer. To have fun, we also visit markets to _ things and to see our friends.
I get around by taking the train. Sometimes when my family goes on vacation we take a boat, plane, or a camel. I like to visit the Great Pyramids. Near the pyramids there stands the Sphinx . It used to be facing open desert but now lots of buildings are in Egypt, and it is just facing buildings.
Well, I had better rap things up, bye! | middle7125.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Brown"
},
"options": [
"Peter",
"Brown",
"Jane",
"Peter Brown"
],
"question": "What's Peter's family name?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answ... | Peter is a boy. His full name is Peter Brown. He is nine years old. His telephone number is 010-55882226. Peter has an email address. It's peterbrown@hotmail.com. He likes singing and dancing.
Jane is Peter's sister. Jane is seven years old. Her QQ number is 735469. Jane's email address is janebrown@hotmail.com. She is good at swimming and playing volleyball. | middle3343.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "The Fighting Boys"
},
"options": [
"The Fighting Boys",
"The Famous Boys",
"The Friendly Boys",
"The Fat Boys"
],
"question": "The band name TFBOYS stands for _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
... | Forget about Super Junior. We now have TFBOYS. TFBOYS is a popular Chinese boy band made up of three members. They are Wang Junkai, 14, Wang Yuan, 13, and Yi Yangqianxi, 13. The boys are all junior middle school students. The band name TFBOYS means The Fighting Boys.
TFBOYS started in 2013, but has become popular in just one year. Fans love their sweet looks and cute voices. Their songs are full of positive energy. In their latest single Magic Castle(<>), they call on teenagers to not be afraid of dreaming big.
The three boys are all top students in school. Wang Junkai, the eldest, has recently taken the senior middle entrance exam . We hope he's done well. | middle5732.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "only popular in the big universities in the USA"
},
"options": [
"the same as soccer",
"only popular in the big universities in the USA",
"a game played only with feet",
"a game with ten players"
],
"question": ... | American football
In almost every big university in the USA, football is a favourite sport. American football is not like soccer. Players sometimes kick the ball, but they also throw the ball and run with it. They try to take it to the other end of the field. They have four chances to move the ball ten yards. They can carry it or throw it If they move it to the end of the field, they win six points. This is called a touchdown.
It is difficult to move the ball. Eleven men on the team try to stop the man with the ball. If the man does not move the ball ten yards, his team kicks the ball to the other team.Each university wants its team win. Thousands of people come to watch. They all yell (,)for their favourite team. Young men and women from the cheer
Team dance and jump while they yell.Each team plays ten or eleven games each season. The season begins in September and ends in November. If a team is very good, it may play another game after the season ends. The best team plays again on January 1st,the first day of the New Year. Many people go to see these games and many others watch them on television. | middle4438.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "He was playing with his friend."
},
"options": [
"He was playing with his pet.",
"He was cleaning his bike.",
"He was drawing a picture.",
"He was playing with his friend."
],
"question": "What was Peter doing w... | Hello, I'm Peter in the second grade. Now I have one thing to say: It's not easy being a kid. Being a kid might look like fun, but sometimes it's not fun at all.
Yesterday I was playing outside with my friend. We were having a good time. But suddenly, my mother said, "Peter, it's time to come inside now. It's getting dark." When you're an adult, no one can tell you what to do or when to do it.
When you are a kid, you have to get up early in the morning and go to school. At school, you have to study math, English, science and history. After school, you have to do your homework. When you are an adult, you do not have to go to school and you never have homework to do.
When you are a kid, the older kids sometimes _ you. When I was walking home from school on Monday, Tom and Steve bothered me. Steve took my schoolbag and put it in a tree. It made me very mad. When you are an adult, no one can pick on you.
When you are a kid, you have to go to bed early. On school nights, my mom asks me to go to bed at 9:00 pm. But I do have parents who love me, which is really great. So I think I like being a kid, even though it's not easy being a kid.
,. | middle3357.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "they can get things with less money."
},
"options": [
"they can sleep all day long",
"they want to leave their homes.",
"they want to play with their friends",
"they can get things with less money."
],
"question... | Shopping on the Internet is becoming more and more popular. Why do people use the Internet to shop? Some people say it is more convenient. They don't have to leave their homes to order something; they can shop for anything they want at any time; they can find things for sale that they can't find in the Mores near their homes. Still other people say they can find better prices on the Internet.
If you want to buy something on the Internet, you need a credit card. You have to type your credit card number and information on the website and send them to the store over the Internet. You have to be sure that the store will not use your information in the wrong way. You don't want someone to get your credit card number, so be careful with it, because people sometimes steal credit card numbers from stores.
TV Internet is also a good place to go window-shopping. Window-shopping is when you look at the things for sale in a store, but don't plan to buy anything. In window-shopping you can see what kinds of things you are able to get and how much they cost. Some stores like Ross Stores have a website for information about their Mores, but not for shopping. Some stores have a website for information about their stores, and you can shop on line there, such as Office Depot, Payless Shoe Source and Safeway. Some stores like Amazone.com are only for on line shopping | middle2049.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Too much carbon dioxide"
},
"options": [
"Little rubbish",
"A waste of money",
"Too much carbon dioxide",
"A waste of water"
],
"question": "_ makes the weather on the earth get warmer.",
"question_type": ... | At present, too much carbon dioxide makes the earth warmer and warmer and causes terrible effect to human beings. To save our planet, to save ourselves, a new lifestyle called low-carbon life becomes popular. Low carbon means low energy and no waste. It is necessary for everybody to learn to live a low-carbon life.
To live a low-carbon life, we'd better save energy as possible. Turn off the lights and TV whenever they are not needed. If possible, use cold water to wash clothes or dishes. Take a short shower and try to take a cold one when the weather gets warm. Don't do the cooking with electricity.
To live a low-carbon life, we should eat less meat. Everybody knows eating too much meat makes people fat and easy to have heart disease, but maybe you don't know keeping animals for food produces even more carbon dioxide than all the cars in the world, and being a vegetarian can help reduce one and a half tons of carbon dioxide a year. Maybe _ is a little difficult, but it's really necessary.
To live a low-carbon life, we are supposed to do less shopping. When we go shopping, we may drive a car or take other transportations. On the one hand, these machines pollute the air and waste energy. On the other hand, most of us always buy some useless things because of some advertisements. It is not only a waste of money but also causes trouble to the earth, because as you know, making everything will produce carbon dioxide more or less.
There are many other ways to live low-carbon life, such as recycling things, planting trees and reusing textbooks. If we can keep it a habit in our daily life, the earth will become a safer planet for us to live on.
,. | middle5726.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Blue Sea Hotel"
},
"options": [
"Beijing Hotel",
"Changcheng Hotel",
"Haitian Hotel",
"Blue Sea Hotel"
],
"question": "When you live in _ , you won't pay for the breakfast.",
"question_type": "cloze_quest... | Zhongshan, China Beijing is a beautiful city with a long history. There are many
Travel Agency famous buildings and mystery stories here. It's a good place to
Complaint telephone: go sightseeing and relax. You will have fun if you join us.
400-581-278
Best of Beijing 5 Days
From Y=799
2 nights Beijing Hotel
&
2 nights Changcheng Hotel
Book online or call
400-581-467
www.zhongshantour.com Beijing Hotel:
Close to Tian'anmen Square
Prize-winning garden
Bars&French restaurant
Swimming pool
Changcheng Hotel:
Gardens with mountain views
Restaurant & Cafe
Buses to the downtown Departure Date Price
Apr 8, 2013 Y=899
May 29, 2013 Y=999
Jun 30, 2013 Y=799
To book, choose your
Preferred date
Business Hours
Monday~Thursday:24 hours
Friday: 8:00 am~9:00 pm
Weekends: 8:00 am~6:00 pm
Zhongshan, China Do you like beautiful sunshine? Do you want to see blue sea and
Travel Agency colorful fish? Do you want to enjoy the fresh air? Do you want to
Complaint telephone: relax yourself on the beach? Come and join us! Let's go to Hainan.
400-581-258
Best of Hainan 5 Days
From Y=1,566
2 nights Haitian Hotel
&
2 nights Blue Sea Hotel
Book online or call
400-581-620
www.zhongshantour.com Haitian Hotel:
Close to Yalong Bay
Delicious seafood
Swimming pool
Blue Sea Hotel:
Five minutes' walk to the nearest beach
Breakfast is free
Night Club
Buses to the downtown Departure Date Price
Mar 6, 2013 Y=1,566
April 8, 2013 Y=1,666
May 10, 2013 Y=1,766
To book, choose your
Preferred date
Business Hours
Monday~Thursday:24 hours
Friday: 8:00 am~10:00 pm
Weekends: 8:00 am~6:00 pm | middle1540.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Nine"
},
"options": [
"Six",
"Seven",
"Eight",
"Nine"
],
"question": "_ members are in Lucy's family.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_t... | My good friend Lucy has a big family. Many people are in her family: her grandparents, her parents, her uncle, her aunt, her two cousins and she. Alan and Gina are her grand-parents. Nick and Sonia are her parents. Paul is her uncle and Mona is her aunt. Dave is Paul and Mona's son. He is 12. Linda is Dave's sister. She is 10. | middle8202.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "In India."
},
"options": [
"In China.",
"In America.",
"In India.",
"In Canada."
],
"question": "Where did this story happen?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_ind... | A little boy called Dhon lived in a small village in India. One afternoon Dhon's mother told Dhon, "I am going to bring firewood, Son. Do not go out. Play near the hut ."
"Mama, may I go a little way in the woods to pick blackberries ?" he asked one day. "All right," his mother said, "but do not go very far." So Dhon went to the woods. He was happy to hear the birds singing in the trees. He _ some blackberries in his pockets.
Then Dhon tried to catch some beautiful butterflies. He chased them far into the woods. He ran and he jumped. He forget he had to go back home. By that time the sun had set. Dhon was frightened. He thought of his mother and he cried.
Suddenly, he saw a speck of light flying then he heard a voice. "I am a firefly . Why are you crying, little boy?" "I have lost my way. I want to go home to my mother," replied Dhon. "Don't cry, little boy, I will take you home. Follow me. But you must promise never to catch me."
Dhon promised and followed the firefly through the trees. Soon he reached home and was safe in his mother's arms.
That is why there are so many fireflies twinkling like little stars near the village huts in India. | middle7131.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "My father"
},
"options": [
"My father",
"My grandfather",
"My uncle",
"My friend."
],
"question": "_ has a great sports collection.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answe... | My father has a great sports collection .he love sports very much. And he loves all balls. he likes playing basketball and volleyball. And he likes playing baseball and tennis. he also likes watching ball games. how many balls does he have? He has 15 basketballs,12 baseballs ,10 tennis bats.8 volleyballs and 14 baseball bats. and many other balls. | middle6549.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the outside of the earth is made of lots of different plates"
},
"options": [
"the outside of the earth is made of a plate",
"the inside of the earth is made of different plates",
"the outside of the earth is made of lots of ... | Why do earthquakes happen? Scientists explain that the outside of the earth is made of a number of different plates . For example, at San Francisco the Pacific Plate which is moving towards the northwest meets the North American Plate. The Pacific Plate is moving very slowly-at 5. 3 centimetres a year. Sometimes these two plates stop and do not move for years. Then suddenly, they jump and an earthquake is felt. As the movement of these plates, West America near the sea has always been a bad place for earthquakes. When the 1906 earthquake happened, the Pacific Plate jumped 5-6 metres to the north.
We cannot stop earthquakes, but we can do things to make sure they don't destroy the whole of cities. First ,it is not a good idea to build houses along the lines, where two of the earth's plates join together. Second, if you think there may be an earthquake, it is better to build houses on rock not on sand. Third, you must make the houses as strong as possible. Weak buildings will fall down in an earthquake, but strong ones may stay up. | middle5040.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "on April 14,2010"
},
"options": [
"on April 12,2010",
"on April 14,2010",
"on May 14,2010",
"on May 12,2010"
],
"question": "An earthquake hit Yushu _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"... | Earthquake safety tips
On April 14,2010, a big earthquake hit Yushu,Qinghai.Over,2,000 people died. Many people were hurt. Why are there earthquakes?
The surface of the Earth has many pieces. These pieces are always moving. When two pieces move past each other, there is an earthquake.
Scientist are working hard to find out more about earthquakes. They try to predict them, but it's very hard.
Do you know how to get ready for an earthquake? Do you know what to do during an earthquake? Here are some things you should know.
What to do before an earthquake
Make sure you have two bottles of water, a packet of biscuits ,a clean towel ,a few band-aids ,a radio and a flashlight at home.
What to do during an earthquake
If you are inside:
Stay where you are. Quickly move under a strong desk, or along a wall. This will protect you from falling things.
Don't stand near windows.
Turn off the lights.
Don't get into a lift during an earthquake. If your are in a lift, get out as quickly as possible.
If you are outside:
Don't stand near buildings. Things may fall on you.
Lie on the ground until the shaking stops. | middle3431.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "three"
},
"options": [
"one",
"two",
"three",
"four"
],
"question": "The passage has talked about _ wonders of the world.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index... | Here is some information about some of the wonders of the world. I am sure you will be interested in them.
The Pyramids of Egypt
There are about eighty pyramids known today. The most well-known was for Pharaoh Khufu. It is known as the "Great Pyramid". It's also the largest one. Workers used about 2.3 million blocks of stone to build it. (A)20.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
The garden sat on a hill. It was a large and wonderful structure . Many parts of the garden were high up on large columns . There were many big and green trees with lovely flowers. Although there are many different ideas about the garden, we are not sure whether this wonder ever existed !
The Lighthouse of Alexandria
The Lighthouse of Alexandria was designed about 2,000 years ago. It was in Egypt, too. (B) It was one of the ancient wonders of the world, about 135 metres high. It was once the highest building in the world. Although it doesn't exist now, many people come to see its relic every year. | middle942.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "is born with straight ears"
},
"options": [
"is born with folded ears",
"is born with straight ears",
"always has folded ears",
"always has straight ears"
],
"question": "The Scottish Fold _",
"question_typ... | Look at the cat on the left. Find anything strange?
In 1961, a man found a strange cat on his farm in Scotland. The cat's ears were folded , bent forward, on its head. In fact, this was a new kind of cat. People named it the "Scottish Fold".
The Scottish Fold has a round head and big eyes. Its neck and legs are short. They make it look very lovely. Interestingly, all the Scottish Folds are born with straight and unfolded ears. And when they are growing up day by day, some cats' ears will begin to fold. So, the Scottish Fold comes in two types: folded ears and straight ears.
There is a nickname for the Scottish Fold. It is the "Messenger of Peace". Why? Because the Folds are sweet and friendly animals. They can _ with other cats. And unlike some other cats, they can even get along well with dogs! In many different places, for example, at a noisy house or in a cat show, you can see them playing with other animals happily.
Well, when you come to a new school, do you think it's difficult to feel comfortable in the new place? Perhaps you can learn from the Scottish Fold, which is always sweet and friendly to others. | middle6561.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "In a magazine."
},
"options": [
"In a poster.",
"In a magazine.",
"In a storybook",
"In an advertisement."
],
"question": "Where can we probably read this passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answe... | Spending more than two hours a night doing homework leads to better results in English,math and science, according to a major study (by Pam Sammons, England) which has tracked the progress of3,000 children over the past 15 years.
Spending any time doing homework showed advantages, but the influence was greater for the students who put in two to three hours a night, according to the study published by the Department for Education in England.
The scientists who did the research say their study empbasizes what students actually do rather than how much work the school has set.
Pam Sammons, a professor of education at Oxford University, said that time spent on homework showed the influence of the school-if children were expected to do homework and if they enjoy their subjects. "That's one of the reasons Indian and Chinese children do better.They put more time in it." he added.
It's also reported that students who enjoyed school got better results. "Schools could make sure children had a better experience by improving the school environment, making school work interesting and making children feel supported by teachers." Sammons said.
It is suggested that children aged 5 t0 7 should be set one-hour homework a week, half an hour a night for 7 t0 11-year-olds. Secondary schools were encouraged to set up two hours a night for 14 t0 16-year-olds.
"Head teachers should make their own homework policy ," the government says. | middle5068.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "they want to see something new"
},
"options": [
"they have much money",
"the weather is pretty poor",
"they want to see something new",
"they want to see different people"
],
"question": "Many people don't like ... | Many people do not like to stay at home on holidays. They want to go out to see something different or do something exciting. So people from the country go to the city and people from the city go to the country for holidays. During the holidays, trains, buses and planes are all very busy. It's very hard to buy train tickets or air tickets. Many people take cars or buses for travelling.
Last May Day my family went to the country by car for our holiday. There was too much traffic on the road, so we had to move very slowly. It took us about an hour to get out of the town. After some time, we came to a farm. It was clean and beautiful. The animals were very lovely, we thought it was a nice place for a picnic, so we stopped and took the food, fruit and drinks out of the car. We sat down under a big green tree and began to eat. Suddenly, a strong wind _ and soon it started to rain. We had to run back to our car and had our picnic in the car. Then we drove back home. What a bad trip it was! | middle3419.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "on school holidays"
},
"options": [
"on school holidays",
"on weekdays",
"every morning",
"every afternoon"
],
"question": "Young people in the USA volunteer to help others _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_qu... | If you have no special plans for your free time, why not spend your time helping others? Don't listen to people who say that young people today often think only of themselves. It is not true at all. More and more young people in the United States volunteer(,) to spend their school holidays working for others. And they don't do it for money. Here are some of their stories.
Alice Hamiton, 17
I'm going to help the Forest Centre build new hiking paths in the mountains. It sounds terrible. I'll spend the whole summer living in a tent and breathing the clean mountain air. I'm going to sleep under the stars. It will be nice, and I'll be able to do something good at the same time!
Jason Moore 18
This summer, I'm going to volunteer with Special House Program.They build good, low-cost houses and sell them to families that are not very rich. They'll teach me what to do, so I'll help people and also have a chance to learn how to build houses.
Trish Anderson, 16
I'm going to teach kids who have trouble in reading. I'll work for a program called Reading For Life. Every day, I'm going to help kids choose and read books that they like. I want to be a teacher, and I love children and reading, so this is going to be a great experience for me.
,. | middle4376.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Waiting outside"
},
"options": [
"Waiting outside",
"staying with Mrs White",
"waiting at home",
"helping the nurse"
],
"question": "Mr White was _ all the time.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
... | Mrs White was going to have her first baby very soon. Yesterday her husband took her to a hospital.So Mr White helped her get into car and drove her there. A nurse took Mrs White to her room and told Mr White that he could go home and she could call him when the baby arrived . But Mr White said he liked to wait at the hospital. The nurse said ."You may wait outside." Mr White was walking up and down at about midnight when the nurse came out of the room and said with a smile."Which would you like better, a boy or a girl?""A girl," said Mr White."I have an elder sister,and she loves me.""Well,"said the nurse,""it's a boy this time.""That's all right,"said Mr White happily,"That's my second choice." | middle2061.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Because there are more and more cars on the roads."
},
"options": [
"Because there are not enough ways of transportation.",
"Because there are fewer speed rules.",
"Because there are more and more cars on the roads.",
"... | With more and more cars on the road, the traffic jam will happen. How do we see it and how can we solve the problem?
We know that the traffic jam happens in many places, especially in big cities. What are reasons for the problem? On one hand, some people think that they should have a car when they have enough money, and then it's easy to go out and they can feel comfortable. On the other hand, a growing number of people hope to use their cars to show off . What's more, years of research has shown that one of other reasons for the traffic jam is the driving habit. For example, many young people enjoy driving very fast, so they can feel excited. At last, most of them hardly care about the speed rules.
Many governments are working at how to make the traffic better. In my opinion, firstly, the government should educate those people who have cars or plan to buy cars. The governments must make them know that the traffic jam is very serious , and set up a much more perfect traffic system to solve the traffic pressure. | middle6207.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "poem"
},
"options": [
"story",
"poem",
"slogan",
"letter"
],
"question": "This is a short _ written by Yeats, a famous writer from Ireland.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Down by the salley gardens
Down by the salley gardens
my love and I did meet;
She passed the salley gardens
with little snow-white feet.
She bid me take love easy,
as the leaves grow on the tree;
But I, being young and foolish,
with her would not agree.
In a field by the river
my love and I did stand,
And on my leaning shoulder
she laid her snow-white _ .
She bid me take life easy,
as the grass grows on the weirs;
But I was young and foolish,
and now am full of tears. | middle7119.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "to say goodbye"
},
"options": [
"to say goodbye",
"to overhear others",
"to share their wishes",
"to live too far away"
],
"question": "Many people would find it difficult _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_qu... | Many people have great difficulty in saying goodbye. But from goodbye moments, we can always learn something.
Once, I overheard a father and daughter in their goodbye moment. The father said, "I love you, I wish you enough." The daughter answered, "Daddy, our life together has been more than enough. Your lover is all that I need. I wish you enough, too, Daddy."
They kissed and she left ...
The father walked over towards me. I could see he wanted and needed a cry. He came over to me and asked, "Did you ever say a forever goodbye to someone?" Before I could answer, he went on, " I am old and she lives much too far away. I know her next trip back would be for my funeral ."
"When you were saying goodbye I heard you say, 'I wish you enough.' May I ask what that means?"
He began to smile , "It's a wish that has come down from my great-great-grandparents. And my parents used to say it to me."
He stopped for a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it. He smiled even more.
"When we said'I wish you enough,' we were wanting the other person to have a life full of enough good things."
Then, turning towards me, he shared the following "wish" from his heart.
I wish you enough sun to keep you bright .
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep you alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish enough hellos to get you through the final goodbye.
My friends, I wish you enough. | middle6213.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "on 5 June, Friday."
},
"options": [
"on 4 June, Tuesday.",
"on 5 June, Friday.",
"on 6 June, Saturday.",
"on 7 June, Sunday."
],
"question": "The writer read that article _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_que... | 6 June, Saturday
I read an article about people living in e-age yesterday. It talks about different ways of communicating like chatting on line, sending e-mails, sending different kinds of messages and keeping an online diary.
The article says that people nowadays send e-mails at least once a day. I don't agree with this because I send e-mail only twice a week. However, I do check my e-mail once a day. I like receiving e-mails.
About chatting online, the article says that chatting on line is becoming more and more popular among teenagers. I think this is true. Whenever I arrive at home, I turn on my computer and log on to chat online with my friends. I prefer chatting online to calling a friend, because I can chat with many friends at the same time.
But I like using mobile phones. When I do not have my computer with me I can send short massages to my friends. I also like keeping in touch with them in this way.
I keep an online diary four times a week. I like telling others what has happened to me.
I think I am one of the people living in the e-age. I can live without computers or mobile phones.
What about you? Can you live without computers or mobile phones?
Posted 6:15 pm | middle4404.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "in most of the book shops"
},
"options": [
"in a food shop",
"everywhere",
"in most of the book shops",
"in all the shops"
],
"question": "In the USA, people can buy books about food and cooking _ .",
"que... | In America, almost every book shop sells books about food and cooking. Most newspapers and magazines talk about Americans' eating habits. .Many books write about where to eat. So we can see eating is very important to every American.
Salads are very popular and they have them all year round .Americans enjoy coffee. Most of them drink coffee or tea before or after every meal. Many Americans have coffee or tea with their meals. The main food in American meals is usually meat, fish or chicken, but people don't eat them together at the same meal. Seafood is something they eat as the first course .
Most Americans eat breakfast and lunch quickly, but the evening meal is longer and a time for the family to get together. This is main meal in a day. On Sundays or holidays, Americans like to _ . They get up very late in the morning, so they have to eat their brunch(.) | middle2075.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "America."
},
"options": [
"America.",
"England.",
"China.",
"Japan."
],
"question": "Which country will plan to build a town in the sea?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | The future is coming! All over the world there are many new ideas for new places to live and work in. Some of them will be in the sea! They will be very big and lots of people will live and work in them. The Americans are planning to build a town called Atlantis City. It will be in the sea, about five miles away from the land. But the most exciting idea comes from Japan. It is Aeropolis. Aeropolis will be a _ sea city, with parks, schools, a hospital and an airport ... And it will move ! It will travel slowly around the world. There are just two problems. Aeropolis will cost a lot of money to make. And for people who get seasick, it won't be much fun. | middle6575.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "healthy"
},
"options": [
"healthy",
"unhealthy",
"junk",
"fast"
],
"question": "Lily likes to eat _ food.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answe... | Lily is a healthy girl. She likes to eat vegetables and fruits every day. She has eggs, milk, bananas and bread for breakfast. For lunch, she likes sandwiches, carrots and apples. And she eats chicken, tomatoes, broccoli and fruit salad for supper. Sometimes she has ice cream or apple pies for dessert. She has a good friend, Henry. He is very fat, because he likes to eat much junk food, such as ice cream, chocolate, French fries, coke, popcorn and so on. He gets much fat from the unhealthy food. | middle765.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He was sleeping in the back bedroom."
},
"options": [
"He was using the computer.",
"He was playing in the living room.",
"He was sleeping in the back bedroom.",
"He was crying for help."
],
"question": "What wa... | On April 14th at 7:49 am, the town of Jyekundo in Kham, was struck by a 6.9 magnitude earthquake. My family and I were in our 3rd floor apartment building when the earthquake hit. There was a smaller earthquake (around 4.7) that happened around 4 am and neither my wife nor I could get back to sleep. When the big earthquake hit, my wife was using her computer while our younger son Norbu (18 months old) was playing in the living room. Tsering, our older son who is 3 years old, was still asleep in the back bedroom of the 3 bedroom apartment we were living in.
Norbu flew across the room when the earthquake hit. My wife was also thrown to the ground. Everything in our apartment began to be tossed around, breaking when it hit the walls or floor. I ran to the back bedroom and grabbed Tsering as my wife grabbed Norbu off the floor. Together, we ran to the door. I stopped long enough to grab my shoes, coat and a bit of money. I opened the door and one of our neighbors helped us carry Tsering down to the ground floor. I was the only one of my family who managed to get shoes.
After the earthquake, we were able to see that this was a major earthquake. We began to hear people crying for help, badly injured people crawling to the road and people weeping for loved ones who had died. | middle7858.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "one year and a half old"
},
"options": [
"one year old",
"half a year old",
"one year and a half old",
"two years old"
],
"question": "Helen became blind and deaf when she was _ .",
"question_type": "cloz... | This is the true story of a great woman. Her name was Helen Keller. She was born in 1880 in Alabama in the USA. When Helen was one year and a half, she got ill and then she became blind and deaf.
Her parents tried to do their best for their daughter and they asked a young teacher called Anne Sullivan to their home to teach Helen. Anne herself was almost blind in her youth. Helen was a smart girl but she couldn't hear or talk. She was angry at this. So she was always crying and shouting. Then Anne often went for walks with Helen in the country near her home. After two weeks, Helen became quiet. Anne began to teach her how to spell and Helen learned to write. Boards with lines on them helped her to keep the words straight.
Soon her talents were famous all over the world. There were her stories in newspapers and magazines. By the time she was 17, she was studying French, German, Latin, Physics and many other subjects. She was still blind and deaf. In 1902, she wrote a book The Story of my life. It became well-known all over the world. | middle7680.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "milk and hamburgers"
},
"options": [
"milk and hamburgers",
"salad",
"vegetables",
"chicken"
],
"question": "Kate eats _ for breakfast.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Hello, I'm Kate. I like different kinds of food. I like hamburgers, salad and orange juice. For breakfast, I often have some milk and hamburgers. I don't like dessert . My favorite football star, Tony Brown, eats lots of healthy food. He likes eggs and vegetables for breakfast. For lunch, he eats hamburgers, tomatoes, chicken, oranges and apple juice. For dinner, he likes meat and French fries. He doesn't have dessert. "I like football better than dessert." he says. | middle4389.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The man who first started writing science fiction successfully."
},
"options": [
"The man who loves science and inventions.",
"The writer whose father wrote science fiction.",
"The man who first started writing science fictio... | Science fiction is a popular kind of writing, and many people think of Jules Verne as the father of science fiction. He was born in France in 1828. His father wanted him to become a lawyer , but when he was about twenty years old, Verne decided to become a writer. At first he wrote plays for the theater. Then, in 1863, he wrote a story called Five Weeks in a Balloon. The success of this book encouraged him to write more stories such as A Journey to the Center of the Earth(1864) and From the Earth to the Moon(1865).
In the 19th century, many people were interested in science and inventions. Jules Verne wrote about scientific subjects in his stories and, as a result, they were very popular. Verne's writing included many predictions for the 20th century and many of them came true. He described space flight, movies, and air conditioning, a long time before they appeared. These books were very successful and they made Verne rich.
Jules Verne's books have been the subjects for many movies. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was a successful movie for Walt Disney. It was the first Disney movie to use real actors instead of cartoon drawings. Around the World in Eighty Days is another famous movie based on one of Verne's books. The main character is an Englishman called Phileas Fogg. For him, the most important thing is to be always on time! | middle2920.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "China and India."
},
"options": [
"Venezuela and Indonesia.",
"Ivory Coast and Ghana.",
"Indonesia and China.",
"China and India."
],
"question": "In which countries has chocolate become more popular in recent y... | Most of us probably live without vegetables, but a world without chocolate? Now that would be hard! According to chocolate makers it could happen if we don't act soon.
There are two main causes of the chocolate shortage --- chocolate's growing popularity and less production of cocoa, the plant from which chocolate is made. With more and more people in India and China loving chocolate, not much can be done about the first cause.
Therefore, the only thing we can do is to increase cocoa production. However, new plant diseases and little rain in Ivory Coast and Ghana, the world's largest producers, have reduced cocoa production by 40 percent in the past 10 years. What's worse, many cocoa farmers in Africa and other cocoa-producing countries like Indonesia and Venezuela are changing to easier-to-grow crops such as corn or rubber. This way, the farmers can make more money.
To prevent more farmers from changing, researchers at the newly opened International Cocoa Control Centre, in the UK, are trying to create new cocoa plants that are stronger and faster growing. But first they must make sure the new plants are safe to grow. This takes a long time.
First, each new plant is stored at the Control Centre for six months to make sure it is healthy. It is then planted in the Centre's fields, studied and tested for another two years. Only after scientists are certain that they're disease-free, will the plants be sent to farmers in West Africa or wherever else they are needed.
To create new stronger types of cocoa, scientists at the Centre are combining the best parts from different cocoa plants. Though the world is facing a serious chocolate shortage, there is now hope! | middle5097.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The USA"
},
"options": [
"Beijing",
"London",
"Japan",
"The USA"
],
"question": "An interesting experiment is taking place at the Children's Hospital in _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | An interesting experiment is taking place at the Children's Hospital in London. Dogs, cats, and even horses help sick children to get better. Dr. Marcus Finch of the Children's Hospital says,"Children have many problems as they are growing up. When they have problems, it's not easy for them to open up. But when they are with a pet animal, they feel relaxed and always smile. Animals don't speak, so they don't criticize .They listen and don't stop children. Children can talk with animals because they can believe them. Animals know how to keep secret! Also, children feel they are needed because they help to feed the animals and look after them."At the Children's Hospital, you can find children playing with cats, dogs, and goats,and riding horses. The doctors just watch them and are surprised at the power of the animals. | middle5929.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "in the newspaper"
},
"options": [
"in the newspaper",
"on TV",
"in the magazines",
"over the radio"
],
"question": "According to the dialog, the word \"clone\" often appeared _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_... | A: Recently, the word "clone" appeared very often in the newspapers. Do you know its meaning?
B: Not exactly, I read a report in yesterday's newspaper. It said there was a Scottish Dolly. It was the first time that a cloned lamb had been made from an adult sheep.
A: Actually, the word "clone" means to produce the "same" animal by taking cells from an adult one, I think, if we know how to do cloning, we need only keep a small number of sheep, cows or horses.
B: There's more to it. Recently there have been some people who ever want to clone humans.
A: It seems interesting. But do you think it is possible to do that?
B: No, I don't think so. First I think we cannot clone a dead person, because the cells in his body are dead already.
A: Then we can clone a living person?
B: Again no! You might clone yourself one after another, but it is only a replica , not real you. It is only something, not a human.
A: Now, you mean that a real human can speak, think and create, and these abilities cannot be cloned?
B: True enough! I think the main purpose of Dr. Lan Wilmot, the "father" of Dolly, is to make better animals. It has nothing to do with human cloning.
,. | middle3380.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "the serving of the teahouses in Chengdu is very special"
},
"options": [
"the serving of the teahouses in Chengdu is very special",
"there are many people in Chengdu teahouses",
"there are many old men in Chengdu teahouses",
... | Teahouses in Chengdu
There is a saying, "China has the best teahouses in the world and Chengdu has the best teahouses in China."Chengdu has not only many teahouses but also the special ways of serving and drinking tea.
As soon as the visitors enter the teahouses, the waiters or waitresses will greet them with teapots and cups in their hands. The cups often have special covers and saucers . The covers can keep the water warm.
People who go to the teahouses are not all thirsty. Retired people pay a little money to the teahouses and then sit there all day long to chat with others. Sometimes, people have parties in the teahouses. They eat fruit and sunflower seeds while they chat and return home when they are tired. Teahouses are also good places for people to talk about businesses. Some of the teahouses even have stages for performances, such as storytelling, cross talk and Sichuan Opera. Sometimes when people have a quarrel, a mediator will bring them to the teahouse. After their problem is solved, the person who is wrong will pay for the tea. It is interesting that as soon as the quarrelers enter the teahouse and sit down to drink tea, they have almost calmed down. With the help of the mediator, their problems can be easily solved then. Maybe we can say the teahouses have some special social functions. | middle1583.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the purpose of a summer camp is not only for children to have fun"
},
"options": [
"finding a proper summer camp for children is not difficult",
"the purpose of a summer camp is not only for children to have fun",
"what other... | Selecting a proper summer camp for your child is not an easy task. You have to consider too many factors . Remember, you are sending your kid to a summer camp not just to let him enjoy himself but also to help him become confident. So you should try to select a summer camp for your kid so that after he returns from the camp, the first thing that he asks you is when you will send him again for camping. Let us see how you can pick the best summer camp for your child.
Search the Internet
If you browse the Internet, you will find a number of websites of summer camps where you can find all the detailed information about the camps. For example, how much the whole camping will cost, where the camps are, what children can do in the camps and what additional facilities they can provide. Don't forget to read the comments of parents who have sent their children to those camps and pay attention to how they find those camps.
_
Some camp organizers prefer advertisements in newspapers. Some of the organizers even invite famous people to their camps to communicate with kids. You should keep an eye in the summer camp advertisements in newspapers so that you could pick a suitable one for your kid.
Ask for advice from your child's school teachers
Go to your kid's school and ask his teachers whether they can give you names of some of the summer camps they consider to be the best.
Know the interest of your child
While searching, you will come across different types of camps. They are organized according to the nature and interest of children like a music camp, a sports camp, etc. So it is very important to know what your child is interested in before picking a summer camp. | middle2934.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "one and a half years"
},
"options": [
"one year",
"one and a half years",
"two years",
"two and a half years"
],
"question": "The author has been in the US for _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},... | We always want to prepare ourselves to the changes we may face when we go to a different country. Well, I have to say that for me, even after living in the US for one year and a half, I am still not used to the changes of weather, or how to manage my money well. There are many things that can give us culture shocks, but it is up to us whether to make it a big shock or a small one.
I know that changing schools was a big thing for me. It helped me to be stronger and open towards meeting new people. Sometimes it feels like everybody is already in a group. This makes it harder for someone else to go in. But, it is not that hard. Actually many people know that you are from another country. They feel curious about your "history", and would often think you are a different man.
Another thing that can produce a shock to me is the sudden change of weather. During the last couple of days, there was an ice-snow storm. It was the biggest in 15 years in the state of Missouri. It was raining ice, really, and you could hear sounds outside the window like little pieces of rocks hitting it, of course it was the ice. It started _ so heavily that the University had to close down for two days, and it got worse when it started snowing after the ice storm.
As international students, you may at times find something very difficult, but hey, anyone can beat and overcome it to make studying aboard an unforgettable experience. | middle771.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "summer"
},
"options": [
"summer",
"autumn",
"winter",
"spring"
],
"question": "When they rest in winter, trees live on the food they store during the _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"... | Have you ever wondered how and why a fall leaf changes color? We first have to understand what leaves are and what they do.
Plants are the world's food factories. Plants take water from the ground and take CO2from the air. Plants use sunlight to turn water and CO2into glucose . Glucose is a kind of sugar. Using it as food, plants get energy and grow. Plants using sunlight to turn water and CO2into sugar is called photosynthesis . _ helps photosynthesis. It gives plants their green color.
As summer ends and autumn comes, the days get shorter and shorter, and trees "know" to begin getting ready for winter. During winter, there is not enough light or water for photosynthesis. Trees rest during this time and live on the food they store during the summer. They begin to shut down their food -- making factories. As the green chlorophyII disappears from the leaves, we begin to see yellow and orange leaves. These colors have been in the leaves all the time. We just can't see them in the summer, because they are covered up by the green chlorophyII.
The bright reds and purples we see in leaves are made mostly in autumn. In some trees, glucose is caught in the leaves after photosynthesis stops. Sunlight and the cool nights of autumn turn this glucose into a red color. The brown color of trees is made from waste left in the leaves. It is mixture of all these things. It makes the beautiful leaves during autumn.
. | middle7694.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "In 2020"
},
"options": [
"In 2010",
"In 2020",
"In 2030",
"In 2040"
],
"question": "According to Samsung CEO, when will his product be part of the Internet of things?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
... | Is your TV connected to the Internet? What about your chair, or your fridge? Probably they are not. But in the future, most things in your home may be connected, thanks to the so-called "Internet of things".
The Internet of things may be coming sooner than you think. Earlier this year, Samsung CEO spent a lot of time talking about the Internet things. He said that four years from now, every Samsung product will be part of the Internet of things, no matter whether it's a remote control or a washing machine.
So, how do household objects that are part of the Internet of things work? Well, think of a common chair. When connected to the Internet, the chair warms up when it knows the user has just walked into the room and is feeling cold.
An Internet-connected camera could help people feel safer in their homes. It can know people's faces and has an infrared sensor , so even if it's dark it can see when someone passes by and send you a message on your smartphone to let you know who's there. If the person is someone you don't know, it can tell you that, too.
But according to MIT Technology Review, whether companies are connecting dog food bowls or security systems to the Internet, there may be some problems. For example, many early connected-home objects don't have much built-in security, which means they could be hacked. Moreover, it could be difficult to get these new machines to work together especially when they are made by different companies. To fight this, many companies have joined the Open Interconnect Consortium, which had 45 members by late 2015.
So, picture this: you enter your home.The temperature changes to make you feel comfortable. Your favorite music starts playing for you. Do you think that this would be a good thing? It may happen sooner than you think.[:] | middle7864.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "July"
},
"options": [
"May",
"January",
"July",
"December"
],
"question": "Every year, school children have the final exams in _ , and the exam means the school year will end.",
"question_type": "cloze_qu... | When July comes, children know they'll have the final exams and the school year will end soon. Boys and girls will have a nearly two months' holiday, and they'll leave school by train or by car to return home to see their fathers and mothers.
The summer holiday is the best time of the year for most students. The weather is good, so they can spend most of their time playing outside .If one lives in the country, he can go on a trip into the woods or in the fields. If one lives in a big city, he can go to a park to play.
The best place for a summer holiday is the seaside. Some children are lucky enough to live near the sea. But for the others who do not, if they have the chance to stay at one of the big seaside towns for a week or two, they will talk about it all the following school year.
Now, what makes children like the seaside so much? I think it is the sand, the sea and the sun, not anything else. Of course, there are lots of new things to see, nice things to eat and interesting things to do. But the feeling of the sand under their feet, the salt water on their skin, and the warm sun on their backs make them happier. | middle981.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "A month."
},
"options": [
"A day.",
"A week.",
"A month.",
"A year."
],
"question": "How long is the exhibition?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
... | Chrysanthemum Exhibition
Name: Yichun the Second Chrysanthemum Exhibition
Date: Oct. 26th -- Nov. 25th, 2015
Place: Yichun Fengcheng Square
Show: Over 300,000 basins and nearly 200 kinds of chrysanthemums
Parts: Watching chrysanthemums, praising chrysanthemums and tasting chrysanthemum tea
Transportation: No.2 bus
Time: At any time in the day
It is free for everyone.
If you like, you can take photos. But do not pick or damage the chrysanthemums.
Come to the chrysanthemum exhibition with your family or friends and have fun. | middle5915.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "100"
},
"options": [
"8",
"80",
"100",
"800"
],
"question": "How many wards are there in this hospital?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_... | Hello, listeners. Welcome to Henton Hospital Radio. Before our music program begins, I'm going to repeat some of our hospital rules.
The hospital can sleep 800 patients. There are 8 beds in each ward .The visiting hours are in the afternoon from 2:30 to 3:30 and in the evening from 7:00 to 8:00. But remember only two visitors at a time. Sorry about that, but you can see what would happen if we didn't have these rules.
The other rules are about our time schedule. We start quite early-you might not be used to that. We wake you at 6 o'clock, and breakfast is at 8 o'clock, lunch at noon. There's tea at 3:30 and supper is at 6' o clock.
You can see the "No Smoking" sign-we don't allow smoking in the wards. I'm sure you understand why. However, if you do need to smoke, there are some smoking-rooms for you.
You will find the radio switch on the wall near your bed, with your own headphones, if you want to listen. It's our own hospital radio wishing you a quick recovery{}. | middle7870.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "height"
},
"options": [
"health",
"height",
"length of life",
"mind"
],
"question": "A baby's season of birth doesn't affect its _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"ans... | According to scientists' research, the month in which babies are born could affect them in some ways.
Babies born in spring get sick easily. Children born under Aquarius may be less clever than those born in other seasons. They may also have shorter lives than those born in autumn Scientists believe many of the differences can be explained by the mother's exposure to sunlight in pregnancy . Sunlight helps lead to the production of Vitamin D in the body. The lack of this in the first months of life may have a bad effect on mental and physical health.
Vitamin D, called the "sunshine vitamin", is known to help regulate thousands of genes during development, according to a study of more than two million people. So Vitamin D has a good effect on health This study showed that people born from April to June had slightly shorter lives than those born in October, November or December. Similar studies in the USA showed that people born in autumn lived about 160 days longer than those born in spring.
Professor Russell Foster, an Oxford University neuroscientist on seasonal biology, said the conclusions were surprising and interesting. He added, "These are small effects but they are very, very clear. I am not giving voice to star signs and they are just for fun. But it is true that we are affected by our season of birth." | middle2897.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "before twelve o'clock"
},
"options": [
"before twelve o'clock",
"after twelve o'clock",
"as soon as the bell rang",
"when he saw the boy"
],
"question": "Mr. Lee went to bed _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_... | Mr. Lee was in bed and was trying to go to sleep when he heard the bell ring. He turned on the light and looked at his clock. It was twelve o'clock. "Who can it be at this time of night?" He thought. He decided to go and find out. So he got of bed, put on his dressing gown and went to the door. When he opened the door, there was nobody there. "That is very strange." Then he went back to his bedroom, took off his dressing gown, got back into bed, turned off the light and tried to go to sleep.
A few minutes later he heard the bell again. Mr. Lee jumped out of bed very quickly and rushed to the door. He opened it, but again he found no one there. He closed the door and tried not to feel angry. Then he saw a piece of paper on the floor. He picked it up. There were some words on it: "It is now after midnight, so it is April Fool's Day. April Fool to you!"
"Oh, it was the English boy next door!" Mr. Lee exclaimed and almost smiled. He went back to bed and felt asleep at once. The bell did not ring again. | middle5120.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "it collects personal data and leads to self- improvement"
},
"options": [
"it watches your eating habits",
"it increases your movement",
"it records how many kilometers you run every day",
"it collects personal data and... | What Is Self-tracking All about
Perhaps you've tracked how many kilometers you've run, how many hours you've slept or how much you've eaten in a day.
If so, you've taken part in a popular movement called the "Quantified Self Movement" or "Self-tracking". Maybe you've wanted to change a bad habit but couldn't. Self-tracking may be your answer. The idea is to collect information about your everyday activities and analyze them to help improve and form a healthier lifestyle.
Recently, tools such as smartphones, apps, along with newly published wearable things, are making self-tracking easy. Today, one can use Fitbit, the Jawbone Up, Google Glass or a smart watch to record personal data including sleeping hours, stress levels, heart rate and mood.
So why does a person self-track? Someone may be trying to lose weight or improve their sleep. Another person feels tired after eating. Self-tracking could help him to know what foods make him sleepy and watch his diet. [:Z#xx#k.Com]
Tracking daily activities isn't a new concept. In years past, athletes and their coaches kept notes food, training and sleep in order to achieve an athletic goal. Similarly, doctors have also helped patients to record parts of their lifestyles and eating habits to help fight health problems. However, it wasn't until 2007 that magazine writers Gary Wolf and Kim Kelly created the term "Quantified Self" or "self-tracking".
Although self-tracking has many advantages, Dennis Nash, president of Data Speaks Health Solutions, says self-tracking has its disadvantages. Once people start tracking their daily activities, it can become an extra task people like to do often. Also, they might begin to worry too much about their health.
Though self-tracking doesn't make sure that one's quality of life will improve, it can encourage people to make healthier choices. | middle6429.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "How Cities Grew"
},
"options": [
"Cities or Villages",
"Back to Towns",
"How Cities Grew",
"People and Animals"
],
"question": "The best title of the text should be _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions... | Long, long ago there were only a few thousand people in the world. These people move form place to place over the land, hunting animals for food.
No one knows how or when these people learned about growing food. But when they did, their lives changed. They did not have to look for food any more. They could stay in one place and grow it.
People began to live near one another. And so the first village grew. Many people came to work in the villages. These villages grew very big. When machines appeared , life in the villages changed again. Factories were built. More and more people lived near the factories. The cities grew very big.
Today some people are moving back to small towns. Can you tell why? | middle1346.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "England"
},
"options": [
"America",
"England",
"France",
"Canada"
],
"question": "Mr. Beckman works in _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answ... | After breakfast Mrs. Beckman started packing the bags. She bought the tickets to London. Her husband works there. She and her children are going to fly there to see him. Thomas and Katy can't help her and she told them to play outside.
"It often rains in London in autumn," the woman said to herself, " I'd better take the umbrellas. So I won't buy any when it rains there."
Suddenly , she heard Thomas crying and ran out at once. She asked, " What's the matter?"
"Katy pulled my hair," the boy said in tears .
"Don't be angry," said the woman. "She's too young. She doesn't know pulling hair hurts "
And then she went to the house again. After a short time there was more crying. She had to come out to see what the matter was.
This time Thomas said, "Now she knows." | middle7737.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Those born in the Year of the Monkey are thought to be friendly."
},
"options": [
"Actors learn how to paint \"monkey faces\" from Monkey Show.",
"Those born in the Year of the Monkey are thought to be friendly.",
"Stories ab... | 2016 is the Year of the Monkey. Monkeys are so smart and cute, and so many people like them. They have become a part of culture. Here are some stories to help you learn more about them.
New stamps for the year
The China Post Group made special stamps for the year. They made two styles. On the first one, a monkey hangs on a branch , holding a big red peach. This means to give luck to people. On the other stamp, a mother monkey holds two monkey babies in her arms. It shows the happy reunion of families. The monkey stamps were for sale on Jan.5th.
Monkey show
In China, there is an ancient drama called Monkey Show. It tells the story of Monkey King. When actors perform, they will paint "monkey faces" with colors. Red is the main color. Interestingly, they don't draw eyebrows .
Influence on personality
In Chinese culture, the monkey is a symbol of wisdom. Those who were born in the Year of the Monkey are said to be smart and outgoing. They are also said to have strong leadership and social skills. They can solve all kinds of problems in life and be kind to others.
Fun Fact
Did you know? The world's smallest monkey is the finger monkey. It is only 10cm tall. They live in the Amazon rainforest of South America. Amazingly, they can turn their heads 180 degrees. | middle7051.txt |
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