questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To draw public attention to the needs of the tall."
},
"options": [
"To provide better services.",
"To rebuild hotels and restaurants.",
"To draw public attention to the needs of the tall.",
"To attract more people to b... | While small may be beautiful, tall is just plain uncomfortable it seems, particularly when it comes to staying in hotels and eating in restaurants.
The Tall Persons Club Great Britain (TPCGB), which was formed six months ago to campaign for the needs of the tall, has turned its attention to hotels and restaurants. Beds that are too small, shower heads that are too low, and restaurant tables with hardly any leg-room all make life difficult for those of above average height, it says.
But it is not just the extra-tall whose needs are not being met. The average height of the population has been increasing yet the standard size of beds, doorways, and chairs has remained unchanged.
"The bedding industry says a bed should be six inches larger than the person using it, so even a king-size bed at 6'6'' (6 feet and 6 inches) is falling short for 25% of men, while the standard 6'3'' bed caters for less than half of the male population." Said TPCGB president Phil Heinricy, "seven-foot beds would work fine."
Similarly, restaurant tables can cause no end of problems. Small tables, which mean the long-legged have to sit a foot or so away from them, are enough to make tall customers go elsewhere.
Some have already taken note, however. At Queens Moat Houses' Caledoman Hotel in Edinburgh, 6'6''beds are now put in as standard after requests for longer beds from taller visitors, particularly Americans. | high4357.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Their habitats had been becoming smaller."
},
"options": [
"They had been driven away by humans.",
"Their habitats had been becoming smaller.",
"They had lived throughout the world.",
"Their young had been hunted by hum... | As a young man, Paul Beier hiked in the mountains of California. Since then, he has decided to choose his career as a wildlife protector. He went to school to learn more first of all. After he earned his doctor's degree, he eagerly signed up for a job studying cougars , which once lived throughout the United States, but now live mainly in the Rocky Mountains and westward.
They need not only a lot of land to survive but also plenty of food and places to raise their young. But many wild areas have been divided by freeways and taken over by towns. The small wilderness areas of the Santa Ana Mountains in Southern California didn't have much room for them. And yet a few still lived there. How did they do it?
Many big animals are disappearing. Those that survive are being trapped in shrinking patches of habitat. A patch may not have enough space or food for a cougar to survive. Scientists wondered if cougars could move from one patch to another. If so, maybe humans could preserve wildlife corridors to connect the patches, providing enough room for the animals. But no one had shown that animals use wildlife corridors in real life.
To see if cougars had found corridors through local suburbs and freeways, Paul and his research team studied 32 cougars for five years. They used a drug to make each cat sleep, buckled a radio collar around its neck, and let it go. Every day, Paul used an electrical device that sends and receives radio signals to find cougars, listening for radio beeps from their collars. Once or twice a week, he trailed one of the cougars all night. He traced their travels on a map. Sure enough, some of them had discovered paths from one small park land to the next.
One cougar became famous for his travels. He was named M6:"M"for Male, and"6"because he was the sixth one collared in the study. M6's corner of the Santa Ana Mountains wasn't large enough for him. Chino Hills State Park was not far away, but the trip was not safe. After dark, M6 used a paved vehicle underground passage to cross undera busy eight-lane freeway. He slipped by a riding stable, and then picked his way through a golf course and across two sets of busy railroad tracks. Finally, he arrived in the sheltered canyons of 12,000-acre Chino Hills State Park. There, the cougar found deer to hunt. During a year and a half, the scientists recorded M6 making this journey 22 times! Then Paul learned of plans to build houses, gas stations, and a mall that would block M6's path.
Paul once said,"The loss of this corridor would guarantee the extinction of the cougar from the Chino Hills and endanger the entire population of lions in the Santa Ana Mountains."A local citizens' group called Hills for Everyone raised money to buy the land and add it to the state park. When the group visited the state capital and showed the map that Paul had made of M6's journeys, the lawmakers saw how important the corridor was.
The lawmakers had the passage preserved, with the pavement removed and with native bushes near the openings. While traffic roared above, M6 and other cougars could move safely between the state park and the mountains. Other animals such as deer, foxes, and bobcats could also use the corridor.
Paul's research showed that wildlife corridors can save animals. Since his study in the Santa Ana Mountains, scientists around the world have begun restoring and protecting wildlife corridors. | high19523.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the more friends you have in school, the more money you'll earn in your late life"
},
"options": [
"if you have more friends you will not live happily",
"the more friends you have in school, the more money you'll earn in your late ... | What can help you make a fortune in the future? Graduating from a top university might not be enough. A new study from the University of Essex in Britain has shown that the more friends you have in school, the more money you'll earn later.
The idea that popularity could have a serious impact on one's earning potential shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. The researchers noted that if you want to get ahead in life, social skills and networking are easily as powerful as talent and hard work.
"If a person has lots of friends, it means that he or she has the ability to get along with others in all kinds of different situations," said Xu Yanchun, 17, from Nantou High School in Shenzhen, who totally agreed with the recent finding. "Also, friends always help each other. They not only create wider social circles for you but lift your mood when you occasionally feel depressed," said Xu. She believed that all this helps you "earn a higher salary".
Maybe that's why some people think the younger generations are in the age of Friendalholism . A woman even complained that the networking website Facebook's 5,000-friend limit was too low for her large reserve of social contacts.
But what does a friend mean? Should friends be regarded as a form of currency?
"Call me uncool, but I think of a friend as an actual person with whom I have an actual history and whom I enjoy actually seeing. It seems, however, that this is no longer the definition of 'friend'," said Meghan Daum, who works with the Los Angeles Times in the US. | high15319.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "To give a warning to other countries"
},
"options": [
"To seek help for Nauru's problems.",
"To tell a heartbreaking story of a war.",
"To show the importance of money",
"To give a warning to other countries"
],
... | The Pacific island nation of Nauru used to be a beautiful place.Now it is an ecological disaster area.Nauru's heartbreaking story could have one good consequence -- other countries might learn from its mistakes.
For thousands of years, Polynesian people lived in the remote island of Nauru, far from western civilization.The first European to arrive was John Fearn in 1798.He was the British captain of the Hunter, a whaling ship.He called the island Pleasant Island.
However, because it was very remote, Nauru had little communication with Europeans at first.The whaling ships and other traders began to visit, bringing guns and alcohol.These elements destroyed the social balance of the twelve family groups on the island.A ten-year civil war started, which reduced the population from 1,400 to 900.
Nauru's real troubles began in 1899 when a British mining company discovered phosphate on the island.In fact, it found that the island of Nauru was nearly all phosphate, which was a very important fertilizer for farming.The company began mining the phosphate.
A phosphate mine is not a hole in the ground; it is a strip mine.When a company strip-mines, it removes the top layer of soil.Then it takes away the material it wants.Strip mining totally destroys the land.Gradually, the lovely island of Nauru started to look like the moon.
In 1968, Nauru became one of the richest countries in the world.Every year the government received millions and millions of dollars for its phosphate.
Unfortunately, the leaders invested the money unwisely and lost millions of dollars.In addition, they used millions more dollars for personal expenses.Soon people realized that they had a terrible problem -- their phosphate was running out.Ninety percent of their island was destroyed and they had nothing.By 2000, Nauru was financially ruined.Experts say that it would take approximately $433,600,000 and more than 20 years to repair the island.This will probably never happen. | high963.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Problems brought about by cars."
},
"options": [
"Environmental problems.",
"Traffic jams in Beijing.",
"Problems brought about by cars.",
"Benefits of using cars."
],
"question": "What is this passage mainly ab... | "Everybody in this city wants a car, and I'm no exception. A car brings with it the freedom to travel", said a friend of mine while reading a car magazine. I might not agree with him, but no doubt he was speaking for a rapidly growing number of middle-class Chinese. While it is true that all the waiting, walking, being part of a crowd, and sweating, are somewhat unpleasant, there are many problems which can arise when our lives rely too much on this invention.
First of all, in terms of polluting the environment, driving a car is the worst act an average person can _ . Beijing now finds itself at the top of the list of the most polluted capital cities in the world with Mexico City in the second place. Research also shows that by 2010 around 90% of total pollutants in Shanghai have come from cars. These pollutions are extremely dangerous to our health. They can damage the lungs, cause cancer, and damage the brain.
Apart from environmental problems, relying too much on cars also creates social problems such as traffic jams, road accidents, and noise pollution. The jeeps that proudly drive through the Hutongs in Beijing as if they are in a race often annoy me, and to make it worse, these drivers seldom respect cyclists.
Of course, we cannot forget the convenience that cars bring us when we need to travel far, but I often find it faster to cycle from one place to another within the city of Beijing, especially with the growing traffic jams.
Since people travel further and more frequently than before, cars will certainly be important in the future. At the same time, however, let us work hard to make sure that this invention brings us a more convenient lifestyle rather than trouble and disease. Let us make good use of cars. | high12476.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "likes the games sites"
},
"options": [
"likes to send e-mails",
"likes to buy goods online",
"likes to pay for entertainment",
"likes the games sites"
],
"question": "A typical Chinese Internet user will be the ... | A typical Chinese Internet user is a young male who prefers instant messaging to e-mail,seldom makes online purchases but favors news,music and games sites.According to a study,about two-thirds of survey participants use the Internet for news--often entertainment-related--or for online games.About half download music and movies.
They also tend to prefer instant messaging to e-mail,and they are depending on the Internet more frequently than before to communicate with others who have the same professions,hobbies and political interests.Online purchases still remain unpopular in China.Three-quarters of users surveyed have never bought anything over the Internet,and only 10 percent make purchases even once a month.Among those who do buy online,most pay for entertainment while others buy phone cards,or computer hardware or software.
"Many people don't trust the quality of goods bought online," Guo said Wednesday."If they buy it in a store and don't like it,they can easily bring it back.''
The survey was done in five major cities:Beijin9,Shanghai,Guangzhou.Chengdu and Changsha.Results do not necessarily project countrywide because Internet use in rural areas is lower than in cities.Guo describes the typical netizen in the five cities surveyed as young,male,richer and more highly educated.Males make up two-thirds of the Internet community,and more than 80 percent of users are under 24.Among people ages 25 to 29,60 percent to 80 percent go online.
China has more than 100 million people online,second in the world to the United States. | high23873.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "when the child is quiet and peaceful"
},
"options": [
"when the child is still active in the early evening",
"when the parents finish the day's housework",
"when the child has a chew toy to play with",
"when the child i... | We feel it important to start reading to your child right from the start -the younger the better! With little ones(children from birth to 4)it is very important to read and reread books.Starting early makes the job of _ (for you will be teaching your child how to listen) easier,as it helps to develop an early love of the written and spoken word.
We believe that you should read aloud to your child at least once every day .Set a special reading time during the day or evening when you can settle down and enjoy a book,without interruption.For most families,reading aloud at bedtime is a common practice.
We understand that it can be quite discouraging to read to a child who takes no interest .Take heart! Learning to listen takes experience .The more you read ,the more your child will learn to sit for a story .Children have a natural development of responses to your reading .By the time your child reaches6-7 months,she/he is attracted by the book in your hand ,and would like to test it out by using it as a chew toy.This is natural! By one year,your child is learning to listen and talk about the pages,often shouting out things she/he recognizes.Encourage this! And at the onset of walking ,you have your biggest challenge yet.your child is always on the go.you need to set your reading time for a time in the day when your child is preparing to settle down.This means bedtime.Remember,it is your right and duty to teach your child about the power of books.Of course ,it doesn't happen overnight,but the returns are great! | high13768.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "taking photos at the lake"
},
"options": [
"skating on the ice",
"taking photos at the lake",
"having a picnic",
"walking along the lake"
],
"question": "When the three students fell into water,the university st... | When many people are worried that there are no more heroes in the modern era two university students who lost their lives to rescue drowning children have shown that heroes still exist .
According to the Inner Mongolia Morning Post, the tragedy occurred on the afternoon of December 14, 2002 when three school students skating on a frozen lake in Qingcheng Park in Hohhot fell through the ice into the freezing water. More than 20 university students who happened to be near the spot immediately went to the rescue of the children. Two children were quickly rescued, but the third died. The child's body was not found for three hours. Two of the rescuers, Liu Ye and Hao Longbiao, also died of cold and exhaustion . The body of Hao and who took the lead in jumping into the lake was not found until the next day. A student who was unwilling to tell his name said he and his classmates from the local college were taking photos at the lake. When they heard the children's cries for help, they went to the ice hole hand in hand to rescue the children. But the ice kept breaking, causing most of then to fall into the icy water. Local residents held mourning ceremonies at the lake.
Eight of the students were seriously affected by the freezing water and were being kept in hospital for further observation, but their lives were no longer in danger. | high7886.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "They'd like to share what they have seen with their friends and family"
},
"options": [
"They want to have their phones updated.",
"They are fond of using phone apps to create their travel routes.",
"They prefer to experience... | Chinese tourists prefer hotels and restaurants that offer free Wi-Fi when traveling abroad. Most Chinese tourists instantly update their social networks using their mobile phones. They send photos and short videos to friends and family when traveling abroad.
About 10 percent of outbound Chinese tourists get expensive marring charges by using 3G-powered smart phones. About 90 percent of Chinese travelers consider Wi-Fi _ when traveling abroad They often use phone apps to create travel routes and book hotels, which requires large data flows that can be expensive without Wi-Fi
But free Wi-Fi is not always available, even in regions with advanced telecnrnmunications,such as the United States and Europe. Portable Wi-Fi costs 15 -50 yuan a day,depending on the country. Ifs cheaper in South Korea,Japan and Thailand. The Wi-Fi services increase rapidly thanks to reasonable pricing and smooth surfing
Thus, a growing number of travel agencies begin to offer increasingly diverse Wi-Fi services. A travel website Ctrip leases Wi-Fi transmitters that offer unlimited data for about 20 yuan a day on average in more than 100 countries. It plans to make mobile Wi-Fi an important part of its business model. Another travel website Tumiu also launched a Wi-Fi phone service in 2013. More than 100, 000 people used the service in 2014.
More than 100 million Chinese went abroad last year, and the 10 percent who used Wi-Fi services spent an average of 150 youn, and it's expected to grow largely. But the business may become out of date in five to eight years, for more locations am offering free Wi-Fi. 1n the meantime, it is reported that more for-profit models should be introduced and offer more services for outbound travelers in the future | high14007.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "there are two parts in his brain dueling for the upper advantage"
},
"options": [
"he is unconscious when he gets his memories",
"he forgets what is on the pages of the photo album",
"there are two parts in his brain dueling ... | New research shows that the healthy brain may hold memories which we don't even remember. In The Journal of Neuroscience, experts report that the brain might hold more memories than people realize, but that restoring those memories can be tricky.
Memory Check
First, participants saw a list of 120 real words mixed with 80 nonsense words. Next, they saw another word list and tried to remember which words had been on the first list. Meanwhile, their brains were scanned with functional magnetic resonance imaging.
While participants reviewed the second word list, their brain scans showed more activity in a certain brain area -- the posterior median temporal lobe -- when they saw words that had been on the first word list.
But participants didn't always remember that they'd seen those words before. Sometimes, they _ and said they hadn't seen those words before. In other words, the posterior median temporal lobe was more sensitive to memory than participants' consciousness, the researchers note.
"Album"of Memories
Another part of the median temporal lobe also attracted the scientists' attention. The anterior median temporal lobe showed more activity when participants thought they were seeing a new word, the study shows.
So, why did participants sometimes mess up their memory recall? It might be that two parts of their brain -- the posterior and anterior median temporal lobes -- might be dueling for the upper hand in deciding what actually happened in the past, the study notes.
In other words, memories might have a photo album in the brain, but sometimes we forget what's on all of the photo album's pages. | high9673.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "A librarian."
},
"options": [
"A teacher.",
"A librarian.",
"A detective.",
"A student."
],
"question": "What was the author when the story happened?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"a... | One day in 1965,when I worked at View Ridge School in Seattle,a fourthgrade teacher approached me.She had a student who finished his work before all the others and needed a challenge."Could he help in the library?" she asked.I said, "Send him along."
Soon a slight,sandyhaired boy in jeans and a Tshirt appeared."Do you have a job for me?" he asked.
I told him about the Dewey Decimal System for shelving books.He picked up the idea immediately.Then I showed him a stack of cards for longoverdue books that I was beginning to think had actually been returned but were misshelved with the wrong cards in them.He said,"Is it kind of a detective job?" I answered yes,and he became working.
He had found three books with wrong cards by the time his teacher opened the door and announced,"Time for break!"He argued for finishing the finding job;she made the case for fresh air.She won.
The next morning,he arrived early."I want to finish these books,"he said.At the end of the day,when he asked to be a librarian on a regular basis,it was easy to say yes.He worked untiringly.
After a few weeks I found a note on my desk,inviting me to dinner at the boy's home.At the end of a pleasant evening,his mother announced that the family would be moving to a neighbouring school district.Her son's first concern,she said,was leaving the View Ridge library."Who will find the lost books?" he asked.
When the time came,I said an unwilling goodbye.I missed him,but not for long.A few days later he came back and joyfully announced,"The librarian over there doesn't let boys work in the library.My mother got me transferred back to View Ridge.My dad will drop me off on his way to work.And if he can't,I'll walk!"
I should have had an idea such focused determination would take that young man wherever he wanted to go.What I could not have guessed,however,was that he would become a genius of the Information Age:Bill Gates,tycoon of Microsoft and America's richest man. | high6226.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "had often spent money without thinking much"
},
"options": [
"had had higher income",
"had had a good habit of saving money",
"had often spent money without thinking much",
"hadn't realized they would have met financial... | One afternoon, after finishing shopping in a supermarket, my family and I went to the checkout. I suddenly thought we didn't need any of the junk, and we abandoned all of those, saving $300.
That got me thinking about all our pointless expenses in life. With a promise that we'd stop if it was killing us, I convinced the family to take the leap into frugality . The rules were that we would buy nothing for 30 days except absolutely essentials.
Our adventure began with a great start. By 9 a.m., my wife, Ruth, had already made cakes from old strawberries and picked flowers I didn't even know we had in the garden. I cleared the car by hand for the first time for years. I read and returned the neighbor's newspaper before he woke up. Total spending on the first day: $0.
As days turned into weeks, we became so proficient at living frugally. We started riding our bikes to save gas. My child's finger painting was recycled as gift wrap for the homemade presents. We started to use an Internet application like Skype for free phone calls and ask neighbors with gardens for extra vegetables and herbs.
In the end, we saved more than $2000 by not spending for a month. When we began, I imagined we would rush out the moment we were done and buy a lot of things in the supermarket, then maybe hit the mall or go to the movies. | high14761.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "he had to learn to keep the farm"
},
"options": [
"he often ran away from home",
"he couldn't get along well with others",
"he often performed badly in his school",
"he had to learn to keep the farm"
],
"questio... | My father was born on a farm in Tipperary, Ireland. He was the fourth child out of eight children.
My father was the oldest boy so the majority of the responsibility fell upon his shoulders to complete the farm work. He attended school until the fourth grade; his father pulled him out of school to work on the farm permanently , though he hated it. Though supposed to _ the farm, my father had other plans. At sixteen he left home for England.
He left without telling his parents anything. He eventually became very homesick and missed his mother greatly. He came back to Ireland and worked on the farm until he was eighteen. He got tired of the farm and left home for England again. He worked as a construction worker for five years, and then a part-time actor. But he couldn't get a decent job because he was Irish. Many times he would walk into an interview and read a sign saying, "The Irish need not apply."
He was twenty years old with no family and limited friends in a foreign country that didn't want him. Once he was able to work again my father decided to save money to move to Australia. He lived in a house with a fellow Irishman, a Swede, an Englishman, and an Austrian for five years becoming a successful salesman. He bought a beach house for himself in Sydney. He then traveled through Europe visiting his family in Ireland.
In 1975 my father came to America as an illegal immigrant . My father with a friend of his drove across the country to Los Angeles with the dream of becoming Hollywood stars. My father lived in his car for the first few months in Los Angeles, and worked as a used car salesman. After two years of living in Los Angeles, he became documented. He met my mother and started a family. My parents have kept the family in Los Angeles, and just three years ago my father became a U.S. citizen. | high9115.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "19"
},
"options": [
"21",
"18",
"20",
"19"
],
"question": "When she wrote album19, she is at the age of _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"ans... | When most people turn 21, they spend too much time partying and having fun. But when Adele turned 21, she did something completely different.
After going through a tough breakup , the British singer turned her pain into glory and recorded one of the most moving albums of the year.
The album,21, which was _ in January, has already hit the charts in 14 countries, according to the Billboard magazine.
It also noted that Adele made history as the first artist since the Beatles to have two top five singles and two top five albums in the charts at the same time (Adele's first album,19, was released in 2008. Each album is named for her age when she wrote it).
Now, after touring around the world for almost a year, the DVD of her live concert, released on November 29, is Adele's latest work.
Having topped the pre-order list ofAmazon. comfor over a month already, this one seems set to stay on top for a while.
Born in north London, Adele sang her way up honestly: In 2006, she was signed by England's XL Recordings on the strength of a three-song demo a friend of hers had posted on MySpace;within two years she had won the BRIT Awards 'Critics' Choice prize and been tipped by the BBC as the "Sound of 2008".
In 2009 she got the best new artist Grammy Award, and went on a world tour in support of the album19with a sold-out show in Los Angeles.
According to Adele herself, much of the inspiration of her music comes from one single breakup.
That's probably what has made the singer's success-that emotional certitude , according to Dickins.
"The key to great singers is believing every single word they sing, " he said. "And I think you believe every word that comes out of Adele's mouth. You can feel her life force through her voice. " | high1549.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "like sending text messages but those today do it in a more secret and skillful way"
},
"options": [
"like to break rules and have the same means of sending messages",
"are always the big problem for the educators and their parents"... | A 17-year-old boy, caught sending text messages in class, was recently sent to the vice principal's office at Millwood High School in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The vice principal, Steve Gallagher, told the boy he needed to focus on the teacher, not his cellphone. The boy listened politely and nodded, and that's when Mr. Gallagher noticed the student's fingers moving on his lap. He was texting while being scolded for texting. "It was _ ," says Mr. Gallagher, who took the phone away. "Young people today are connected socially from the moment they open their eyes in the morning until they close their eyes at night. It's compulsive."
A study this year by psychology students at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Ga., found that the more time young people spend on Facebook, the more likely they are to have lower grades and weaker study habits. Heavy Facebook users show signs of being more sociable, but they are also more likely to be anxious, hostile or depressed. (Doctors, meanwhile, are now blaming addictions to 'night texting' for disturbing the sleep patterns of teens.)
Almost a quarter of today's teens check Facebook more than 10 times a day, according to a 2009 survey by Common Sense Media, a nonprofit group that monitors media's impact on families. Will these young people get rid of this habit once they enter the work force, or will employers come to see texting and 'social-network checking' as accepted parts of the workday?
Think back. When today's older workers were in their 20s, they might have taken a break on the job to call friends and make after-work plans. In those earlier eras, companies discouraged non-business-related calls, and someone who made personal calls all day risked being fired. It was impossible to imagine the constant back-and-forth texting that defines interactions among young people today.
Educators are also being asked by parents, students and educational strategists to reconsider their rules. "In past generations, students got in trouble for passing notes in class. Now students are skilled at texting with their phones still in their pockets," says 40-year-old Mr. Gallagher, the vice principal, "and they're able to communicate with someone one floor down and three rows over. Students are just fundamentally different today. They will take suspensions rather than give up their phones." | high12310.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "make lonely old people's life better"
},
"options": [
"understand human-animal relationship",
"find the causes of old people's loneliness",
"make lonely old people's life better",
"promote the animal-assisted research"
... | Researchers are placing robotic dogs in the homes of lonely old people to determine whether they can improve the quality of life for humans. Alan Beck, an expert in human-animal relationship, and Nancy Edwards, a professor of nursing, are leading the animal-assisted study concerning the influence of robotic dogs on old people's depression, physical activity, and life satisfaction. "No one will argue that an older person is better off being more active, challenged, or stimulated ," Edwards points out. "The problem is how we promote that, especially for those without friends or help. A robotic dog could be a solution."
In the study, the robot, called AIBO, is placed for six weeks in the houses of some old people who live alone. Before placing AIBO in the home, researchers will collect baseline data for six weeks. These old people will keep a diary to note their feelings and activities before and after AIBO. Then, the researchers will review the data to determine if it has inspired any changes in the life of its owner.
"I talk to him all the time, and he responds to my voice," says a seventy-year-old lady. "When I'm watching TV, he'll stay in my arms until he wants down. He has a mind of his own."
The AIBOs respond to certain orders. The researchers say they have some advantages over live dogs, especially for old people. Often the elderly are disabled and cannot care for an animal by walking it or playing with it. A robotic dog removes exercise and feeding concerns.
"At the beginning, it was believed that no one would relate to the robotic dog because it was metal and not furry," Beck says. "But it's amazing how quickly we have given up that belief."
"Hopefully, down the road, these robotic pets could become a more valuable health helper. They will record their masters' blood pressure, oxygen levels, or heart rhythms. AIBOs may even one day have games that can help stimulate older people's minds." | high7138.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Possible Ways to Problem-solving"
},
"options": [
"Six Stages for Repairing Sam's Bicycle",
"Possible Ways to Problem-solving",
"Necessities of Problem Analysis",
"Suggestions for Analyzing a Problem"
],
"questi... | People do not analyze every problem they meet. Sometimes they try to remember a solution from the last time they had a similar problem. They often accept the opinions or ideas of other people. Other times they begin to act without thinking. They try to find a solution by trial and error. However, when all these methods fail, the person with a problem has to start analyzing. There are six stages in analyzing a problem.
First the person must recognize that there is a problem. For example, Sam's bicycle is broken, and he cannot read it to class as he usually does. Sam must see that there is a problem with his bicycle.
Next the thinker must define the problem. Before Sam can repair his bicycle, he must find out the reason why it does not work. For instance, he must determine if the problem is with the gears, the brakes, or the frame. He must make his problem more specific.
Now the person must look for information that will make the problem clearer and lead to possible solutions. For instance, suppose Sam decided that his bike does not work because there is something wrong with the gear wheels. At this time, he can look in his bicycle repair book and read about gears. He can talk to his friends at the bike shop. He can look at his gears carefully.
After studying the problem, the person should have several suggestions for a possible solution. Take Sam as an illustration. His suggestions might be: put oil on the gear wheels; buy new gear wheels and replace the old ones; tighten or loosen the gear wheels.
Eventually one suggestion seems to be the solution to the problem. Sometimes the final idea comes very suddenly because the thinker suddenly sees something new or sees something in a new way. Sam, for example, suddenly sees that there is a piece of chewing gum between the gear wheels. He immediately realizes the solution to his problem: he must clean the gear wheels.
Finally the solution is tested. Sam cleans the gear wheels and finds that afterwards his bicycle works perfectly.
he has solved the problem. | high16176.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "South Korea"
},
"options": [
"Saudi Arabia",
"South Korea",
"Canada",
"India"
],
"question": "Which ranked the third place sharing US higher education?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"an... | China is now sending more college students to study in the United States than any other country. A new report shows a 23 percent increase in the number of Chinese students coming to the U.S.
The latest edition of the annual Institute of International Education(IIE)and another US institute found a 5 percent rise in the number of international university students in the US compared to one year ago. There are now over 157, 000 Chinese students at U.S. colleges and universities.
Aisa accounted for four of the top five countries and regions to take advantage of the US higher education system. "Increased numbers of students from China, particularly at the undergraduate level, largely accounts for the growth this past year," the report stated. "They really enroll in a full range of US higher education," said Peggy Blumenthal, senior counselor to the president of IIE, the group that made the report. "20 years ago, students from China only knew of a handful of US insitiutions, but now, they are enrolling in our community colleges, in our small liberal arts institutions, in the research universities. Really spread across the country," she said.
Chinese mainland was in the number one spot, while India was the number two country of origin. South Korea was third and Canada was number four. China's Taiwan held the number five spot. Saudi Arabia was in sixth with a 44-percent increase, while Japan was seventh, down 14 percent.
Blumenthal attributes the increase in the number of Chinese students heading to US colleges to limited university places in China, as well as a feeling from students and their parents than they want a "unique" educational experience. China's family planning policy, says Blumenthal, has also meant that families can concentrated resources on a single child.
The University of California at Los Angeles has one of the largest Asian student populations of any college in the United States. | high4431.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "explore the natural beauty"
},
"options": [
"walk on the beach",
"visit the galleries",
"enjoy the wine",
"explore the natural beauty"
],
"question": "If you rent Lake Arrowhead, you can_.",
"question_type":... | Best Vacation Home&Rental Deals
$ 240-$350--Ojai, CA: 3-Bedroom Home in Historic Downtown
Providing a ton of value versus Ojai's pricey hotels, this home with patios and a fire pit accommodates up to SIX
Through December
$ 225Lake Arrowhead 2-Nt.Cabin Retreat, Save 65%
Retreat to a cozy cabin in the mountains and discover the great outdoors with this exclusive
Lake Arrowhead deal that saves 65% on regular rates.
Arrive through Dec.18,2015
$ 149 - Colorado Springs: Home for 8 in Historic Downtown
Retreat to this Victorian home with a patio located in the heart of downtown near restaurants, galleries and shops.
Many dates September-December
$ 139 - Nlaui: Apartment for 4 near Beach w/Pool &Parking
This upgraded apartment comes with a parking spot and is within a five--minute walk of
Kamaole Beach.
Through December
$ 189Seattle: Charming Home for 8 Near Downtown
Retreat to a three-bedroom home with large backyard close to both the airport and downtown.
Many dates between September - December
$ 319 Sonoma Wine Country 2-Bedroom Apartment for 4
Stay in a newly-renovated flat that's walking distance to wineries and downtown.
Many dates through 2016; 2-nt. stay required | high19245.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "his not obeying the orders by Roman Emperor Claudius II"
},
"options": [
"his not attending a ceremony on time.",
"his stealing something from the church",
"his rude words to Roman Emperor Claudius II",
"his not obeying... | Valentine's Day is on Feb. 14, and Chinese call it "lovers day". I don't think the translation is an accurate one, since it doesn't only belong to lovers. Valentine's Day is for expressing affection of all sorts. But it is uniquely for the romantically involved who shine the brightest, who spend the most money, whose hearts are the most engaged.
When I was b boy, my mother would buy enough cheap cards with ugly drawings of butterflies and little rabbits and honeybees for me to give one to every kid in my class, about 20 or so. The cards came in bags, and each card had a few foolish words-"Be Mine" or "I like you" or "You've Got My Heart" or the uninteresting words, "Hi, Valentine!" I would sign my name on the cards quickly and the name of one of my classmates on each easily-broken envelope. I would lick each one shut, but they were so cheap that the envelopes rarely had enough glue. On Valentine's Day, I would take the cards to school-everyone did. We would have a party in our classroom, with cupcakes and juice and tiny candy hearts, which also had Valentine messages printed on them-"You're sweet" or "Cupid "or "Love".
Ah, love! That's the Valentine's Day message: love. No one knows for certain the origin of the holiday. Several, Catholic victims were named Valentine, but it's difficult to separate legend from fact. One story tells of a priest named Valentine who was imprisoned and may have been stoned to death around 270 for performing marriages in going against the orders of the Roman Emperor Claudius II. But it's hard today to find any religious connection. | high11619.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Many things"
},
"options": [
"The custom of giving presents",
"Many things",
"The religious significance",
"The great decorations"
],
"question": "_ help(s) to set Christmas as an important holiday.",
"que... | In England, Christmas is the most important holiday in the year. Two important things, apart from its religious significance, help to set this holiday apart from all others: the custom of giving presents and the habit of spending it with the family. In the present highly commercialized age we are reminded of Christmas many weeks before the event. In the shops the special Christmas displays appear and outside them the special Christmas decorations. In the shopping centers of very large towns decorations are put up in the streets. In London thousands of people crowded into the centre of the town to see the decorations. The advertisements in all the newspapers remind us every day that there are "Only X more shopping days to Christmas". The Post Office vans are covered with brightly color1ed pictures advising us to "Post Early for Christmas", for hundred of millions of Christmas cards and millions of parcels are sent every year. Everywhere one turns, one is made aware that Christmas, which comes "but once a year", is coming once again.
Many people feel sorrow about what they consider the over-commercialization of a sacred holiday, but, underneath all the business activities, a great deal of Christmas spirit is to be found. The custom of giving presents to one's family and friends is a very pleasant one so long as one remembers that it is the spirit behind the present which matters most and not the present itself. And how good it is at Christmas to return to the family home and meet parents, grandparents and as many aunts, uncles and cousins as can be expected to meet. Without the modern means of transport, however, many families would have the Christmas reunion. | high21902.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "everyone seemed to be free for others"
},
"options": [
"everyone was paying a visit to some relatives far away",
"everyone seemed to be free for others",
"Dad was not at work while Mom was busy cleaning the house",
"nea... | Last Sunday I made a visit to some new neighbors down the block.No specific in mind, just an opportunity to sit at the kitchen table, have some tea and chat.As I did so, it occurred to me how rare the Sunday visit has become.
When I was a kid in New Jersey of the 1960s, Sunday visits were routine.Most stores were closed, almost nobody worked, and the highways, as a result, were not desperate steeplechases they have become today.My family normally traveled eight city blocks to the home of my grandmother, where adults would sit on the front porch and chat while we children played hide-and-seek.
The Sunday visit was something to desire strongly.It was the repetition to church, our reward for an hour of devotion, an opportunity to take advantage of the fact that Dad was not at work, we were not in school, and there was no housework that couldn't wait until Monday.Sunday was, indeed, different from the other days of the week, because everyone seemed to be on the same schedule, which means that there was one day when everyone seemed to have time for everybody else.
Sunday as a day of rest is, or was, so deeply rooted in the culture that it's surprising to find that, in a short span of time, it has almost entirely lost this association.In my childhood, it was assumed that everyone would either be home or visiting someone else's home on Sunday.But now the question is, "What do you plan to DO this Sunday?" The answer can range from going to the mall, to participating in a road race, to Montreal for lunch.If one were to respond, "I'm making a Sunday visit to family," such an answer would feel strange, which sounds like an echo from another era.
I suppose I should be grateful to live in Maine, a state of small towns, abundant land and tight relationships.Even though folks work as hard here as they do anywhere else, the state's powerfully rural feature still keeps at least remnants of the moral of yesterday's America, where people had to depend on one another in the face of economic vagaries and a challenging environment. | high10507.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "four weeks"
},
"options": [
"two weeks",
"six weeks",
"four weeks",
"eight weeks"
],
"question": "The shortest summer English course will last for",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer"... | We provide summer English courses which are the best you can find. You will enjoy coming to Los Angeles to learn about American culture and improve your English at the same time. The courses last for four, six or eight weeks. They start at the beginning of July and August. Our teachers are well-trained and very experienced. They teach English classes for four hours a day. You can choose between small groups of two or three, or larger groups of up to 15. We provide weekly tests to see the progress you' re making with your language skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. We also provide books and other materials.
As well as learning English, we want you to experience life in the USA. You live with an American family, and you take part in American life. You have meals with an American family and do some activities with them, too. For many of our students this is the most interesting part of the course. Many families create friendships with the students which last a long time. Of course, if you prefer, we can arrange hotel accommodation.
Of course, there are many things to do in Los Angeles. Every day we have activities which take place after class. You can choose to take trips to Hollywood, Disneyland or the famous beaches around LA. You can also go to various shopping centers, sports centers, movies and concerts. There are also weekend visits organized to San Francisco and other places of interest in California. We try to give our students the best possible experience of English and life in the USA. Just ask our students! They say our summer English courses are fantastic!
We hope that you'll enjoy a course with us, too. If you're interested, please fill in our application form where you will also find our list of prices.The course must be paid for one month before it begins. | high17268.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "It is urgent to build tornado safe rooms."
},
"options": [
"Building codes make a difference in preventing property destruction.",
"If people take shelter in safe rooms, nobody will die.",
"It is urgent to build tornado safe ... | The ruins of Moore, Oklahoma, a town destructed for the fourth time in 14 years by a major tornado , are a reminder that current building codes can't do much to prevent property destruction and loss of life, especially when a powerful tornado cuts through town. But the total death number can be reduced when people take shelter in underground storm bunkers and hardened safe rooms.
The tornado that carved a path of destruction through Moore took 24 lives. Its winds were clocked at 400 kilometers per hour. With only 15 minutes' warning, residents fled town or took refuge in the firmest corners of their homes. The luckiest were able to climb into shelters or move to safe rooms.
In Moore those rooms saved lives. But at two schools destroyed by Monday's tornado, no such shelter was available. Leslie Chapman Henderson is CEO of a non-profit group called the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes. She's an advocate for tornado safe rooms.
"The safe room is an interior room of the home that has been reinforced and tested to withstand high wind. In fact, we've already heard of stories of survival of people who were in safe rooms, either above or below ground," she said.
Better storm forecasts give people more time to react. But they need someplace safe to go. Buildings can be built to resist strong winds, but not like those in the F-5 tornado that touched down in Moore. Chapman Henderson says even the building codes that do exist are not widely adopted or enforced.
As its residents prepare to rebuild, Moore's mayor is pushing for an order to make safe rooms compulsory in all new construction. Similar proposals were made following each of the previous tornado strikes, but none were adopted. | high19251.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "They are very small,but valuable things."
},
"options": [
"They are nothing useful.",
"They are very small,but valuable things.",
"They are the main things factories produce.",
"They are odd moments students refuse to g... | Nowadays,much of the profit of a business--sometimes the whole of its success--depends upon the use of the odds and ends.The odds and ends are various small things,which are left over when the main things are produced.But they possess a real value of their own.
If a business,big or small,looked down upon these odds and ends,it would mean a big difference in the amount of the benefit of the business.Take a meat factory for instance,there are countless odds and ends--bones and hair,which can be made into glue and rope to increase its profit greatly.
Then,if we are college students,what about our odds and ends--the odd moments?Take time for example.Every one of us has the exact same amount of it.Everyone's success or failure depends on the use of their time.But everyone uses the time more or less in the same way.However,why many great men in science or art have made huge successes for themselves in the world?Because they have made best use of their odd moments.Thomas A.Edison,never allowed his odd moments to slip by.He thought,planned,and tried his inventions.He always worked twenty hours out of each twentyfour.His inventions made him famous all over the world,and provided valuable wealth for the human beings.
So,remember this _ :busy people always find time for everything.However,people with great spare time find time for nothing.Is it very strange?Not at all!The question is how to gather up fragments of time and make full use of them.As many big businesses have found,the real profit is in using the odds and ends.We also must do in this way to make best use of our odd moments and manage to be successful in something we do. | high6232.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "it was hungry"
},
"options": [
"it was hungry",
"it was angry[:Z _ xx _ k.Com]",
"it was frightened by the man",
"not mentioned in the passage[:Z*xx*k.Com]"
],
"question": "The reason why the tiger attacked the ... | One day last November, Tom Baker stopped out of his house into the morning light and headed across the rice fields toward the bank of the Rapti River. Tom, a 32-year-old school teacher in the farming village of Madanpur, was going for his morning bath.
As he approached the river, the head of a tiger suddenly appeared over the edge of the river bank. Before he could turn to run, the tiger was upon him. It jumped on his shoulder and threw him to the ground, its huge jaws attacked his head in a killing bite.
Peter Smith was also on his way to the river and saw the attack. He screamed. The tiger lifted its head and roared at him. Peter ran.
From the window of his house John Brown heard the tiger roar and ran out to see it attacking a man. He screamed, too, and all the villagers ran out shouting as the tiger dropped its victim and ran off. When the villagers reached the river bank, Tom was already dead.
For the villagers, the horror of the incident intensified by the tales of man-eating tigers that has once run around in the countryside, killing hundreds. | high9101.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "It aims to help protect amphibians."
},
"options": [
"It runs for seven months in 2016.",
"It aims to help protect amphibians.",
"It will publicize the artworks on TV.",
"It has been held as a national event."
],
... | SAVE THE FROGS! Art Contest Time
The 2016 SAVE THE FROGS! Art Contest will run from April 1st through October 1st , 2016. Best of luck!
Introduction
The SAVE THE GROGS! Art Contest invites you to create your coolest frog artwork. The contest will call on people to pay more attention to the amphibian extinction problem by getting people interested and to take part in it, and the artworks will be used on T-shirts, coffee cups, hats, cards and books to both publicize our cause and raise money for SAVE THE FROGS! amphibian protection efforts. Between 2009 and 2015 we received more than 12 thousand pieces of frog artworks from 70 countries. We look forward to receiving your creation!
Who can enter?
Anybody! It is free to enter the contest, though we suggest all artworks include a few dollars to assist our frog-saving efforts!
Prizes The 1st Prize Winner will:
(1) Receive $100. (2)Receive a one-year SAVE THE FROGS! membership.
The 2nd and 3rd Place Artists will: Each receives a one-year SAVE THE FROGS! Membership.
Contest Rules
(1)The submitted artwork must be your original creation!
(2)Your artwork should not be larger than 8.5"x11"(22cmX28cm)in size.
(3)You may submit up to three artworks
(4)All artworks must refer to SAVE THE FROGS! by including either the phrase "SAVE THE FROGS!" or "savethefrogs.com", or both.
Please note that both "SAVE THE FROGS!" and "savethefrogs.com" are PLURAL, meaning the letter. "S" must appear at the end of the word "FROGS".
Submissions
If your artwork was digitally created, you should email your artwork to art @ savethefrogs.com
If your artwork is on paper or any other non-digital type, then mail your artwork to :
SAVE THE FORGS! Art Contest
P. O. Box 78758 Los Angeles, CA 90016 USA | high12304.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Getting unsuitable pictures of a 10-year-old actress published."
},
"options": [
"Taking pictures of famous people in public places.",
"Getting unsuitable pictures of a 10-year-old actress published.",
"Following a famous wom... | Paparazzi, or "paps", are photographers who take pictures of famous people when they are not at the center of public attention. Paps are different from professional photographers or journalists because they never take ordinary photos.
The goal for paparazzi is to get pictures that no one else will get and then sell the pictures to the buyer who offers the most money --normally a small newspaper, magazine or website.
There is no law against paparazzi taking pictures in public places. However, there are laws that protect certain individuals. For example, child protection laws stop improper pictures of anyone under 16 from being published.
There is also no law that stops paparazzi from following celebrities and taking their pictures either. However, if paps are secretly following them and taking pictures of their faces, they could get into trouble.
Most paparazzi hang out on streets and hot spots for celebrities, waiting for the opportunity to take a picture of a star. Many stay on the streets until the early hours of the morning when celebrities are leaving nightclubs and looking a little worse for wear. However, some have other ways to make sure they get pictures. Many paps are in contact with "informers" who know the locations of celebrities at any given time. They then pass the information on to paparazzi. An informer could be anyone --from a restaurant waiter to a salesman.
Most of the time, paparazzi get a bad reputation for following celebrities. But sometimes stars or their managers will contact paps themselves and tell them exactly where and when they will go.
What a love-hate relationship between paparazzi and celebrities! | high977.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "children would get a poisonous level of pesticides because of the remains on the apple"
},
"options": [
"there are some pests in the apple",
"children would get a poisonous level of pesticides because of the remains on the apple",
... | Apple a day may poison children
Children who eat an apple or pear a day may be exceeding the pesticide safety limit because of remains on the fruit,according to research.
Using data of the British Department of Environment on pesticides on fruit collected from supermarkets,scientists thought that each day some children would get a poisonous level of pesticides.
The research,published on Sunday,says the government repeatedly claims that the levels of pesticide are safe because,instead of measuring individual apples, researchers buy 10,crush them and take an average reading to see if they are safe. This is the internationally agreed method of checking remains.
But government figures show that the pesticide is not averagely spread across the batch ,and one or two apples could contain 90% or more of the pesticide in the batch.
It used mathematical modeling to measure exposure to pesticides for children aged between 18 months and four years old. The pesticides involved can destroy children's hormones and some are suspected of causing cancer.
The good news for British fruit growers is that samples grown in this country had lower _ level than imported fruit,so buying home-produced fruit will reduce the danger,said Emily Diamand,one of the Earth's senior food researchers and one of the authors of the report. | high8579.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "An official guide."
},
"options": [
"A morning newspaper.",
"A monthly magazine.",
"A geography book.",
"An official guide."
],
"question": "Where is the passage likely to appear?",
"question_type": null
}... | Sydney Airport International Terminal -Arrival Area
SPECIALTY RETAIL
Newslink: Two separate Newslink stores _ all your reading needs including newspapers, magazines and the latest bestsellers.
Downtown Duty Free: Make sure you shop at Downtown Duty Free for great savings on a range of items including perfume, alcohol, skincare and cigarettes. It's your last chance before customs.
Beach Culture: A must for those into the Latest in beach clothing. Top surfer street and fashion labels including Mambo, Stussy and Quicksilver, including children's sizes.
DINING
Blue Sky Cafe: Speedy service leaves you time to keep an eye on the arrivals gate. Fresh milk, coffee, lemon juice, beer, Whisky, ice-cream, soda water, cakes and dumplings are on sale.
Macdonald's: hamburgers, fries, pancakes, toasted potatoes, muffins, Pepsi, coca-cola and chocolates-all your family favorites. Breakfast served until 10:30.
SERVICES
ATM: ATMs are conveniently located throughout Arrival and Departures. Dollars, pounds and francs and RMB are all available.
Vodafone Rentals: This communications center offers the very latest technology for mobile phone rentals, sales and serving. | high12462.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "11 March 2013"
},
"options": [
"30 May 2013",
"11 March 2013",
"16 December 2013",
"19 September 2013"
],
"question": "Sochi 2014 Volunteer Training Program was launched on _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_qu... | Below are pages adapted from, _
Sochi Volunteers
* 5 December 2013 Sochi 2014 Volunteer Team is Prepared for Games
On international Volunteer Day, 5 December, the Organizing Committee of the Winter Games in Sochi presented the national "Sochi 2014 Volunteer Team", The Sochi 2014 Volunteer Team is complete, consisting of 25,000 volunteers from 26 volunteer centers across Russia as well as global volunteers.
* 6 August 2013 Sochi 2014 Sochi 2014 volunteer s meet athletics stars in Moscow
Approximately 2,000 Sochi 2014 volunteers will take part in the staging of the World Athletics Championships, which will be held in Moscow from 10-18 August.
* 30 May 2013 "Sochi 2014"volunteers on the presentation of the Olympic and Paralympic medals
In St. Petersburg during the 11th"Sport Accord", Annual International Sports Convention was held on the presentation of the Olympic and Paralympic medals.
* 11 March 2013 Sochi 2014 Volunteer Training Program Launched across Russia
On March 11, the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee launched a large-scale project for training 25,000 volunteers for the 2014Games in Sochi.
Sochi Culture Activities
* International Ballet Stars Gala, 29 January 2014
Year of Russian Culture in the United Kingdom and Year of British Culture.
* Sochi 2014 Culture Olympiad to Present History of Sports in Russia, 20 December 2013
As part of the Year of the of the Museum of the Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad the " Training the Strength of the Body, Sports and the Romanov Family " exhibition will be open starting from 21 December at the Sochi Art Museum.
* Sochi 2014 Cultural Program Culminates in Grand Finale, 16 December 2013
The Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee has presented an entertaining Cultural Program for the guests and participants of the Olympic Games.
* Sochi 2014 Games Fans' Anthem will Unite Spectators in the Stands, 31 October 2013
100 days before the start of the first ever Olympic Winter Games in Russia, the Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad and General Partner of the Games Sberbank have unveiled the fans' anthem for the Games. The anthem will be played at all Olympic venues and will be the main song at the sports fields for the competitions.
* "White Stick" Music Festival to Take Place during the Start of Sochi 2014 Torch Relay, 7 October 2013
On 7 October, during the launch of the Olympic Torch Relay, the "White Stick" IV International charity festival will take place against the backdrop of the Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad in Moscow.
* Winners of Cultural Program Competition to Perform at Sochi Games, 19 September 2013
The Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee's cultural program Contest has come to an end and the winners have been announced. It took place within the framework of the Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad.
* Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad to Showcase Russia's cultural diversity, 22 August 2013
From August, 25 to September 8, the "Alluring Worlds, Ethnic Russia" travelling festival will travel along the coast of the Black Sea. The festival is part of the Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad's Year of the Museums and will illustrate Russia's diversity. | high6554.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Glacier Bay National Park"
},
"options": [
"Glacier Bay National Park",
"the Klondike Gold Rush National Park",
"the White Pass Yukon",
"the fjords"
],
"question": "You can watch a whale exploding out of the wat... | The Best of Alaska
Nothing evokes Alaska like a whale exploding out of the water or an eagle pulling a silver fish from the river. Combine these images with high mountains, brilliant icebergs and wonderful meals and you really do have the Best of Alaska! Join us for an unforgettable 7-day excursion to the last frontier!
Highlights :
JUNEAU: Juneau, the state capital, is rich in culture and scenic beauty. It is here that we start and end our trip.
HAINES: Haines is a small community located along the fjords . The natural beauty and expansive wilderness found here have made Haines a premier center for adventure in Alaska.
ALASKA INDIAN ARTS: Alaska Indian Arts is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to the preservation and continuation of traditional native craft and culture of the Northwest Native Tribes. We spend a few hours learning carving, native beading and culture from these master artists.
SKAGWAY: Skagway is a lively town, which still reflects its gold rush roots and contains colorful shops. In Skagway, we stop by the Klondike Gold Rush National Park Visitor's Center and ride the White Pass Yukon Route Railway.
GUSTAVUS: Gustavus is the gateway to Glacier Bay National Park. We'll stay at a comfortable lodge here for two nights. This will be the base for both the whale-watching excursion and a full day cruise in Glacier Bay.
DATES/PRICES:
2014: May 16, June 20, July 18, August 15.
7 days--$3,500, including lodging, all meals, excursions, guides, park fees, sales taxes, and transportation between Juneau, Skagway, Haines, and Gustavus. Not included: Alcohol, personal items, airfare to and from Juneau.
Contact:
Email: info@alaskamountainguides.com
Call: 18007663396
Write: Alaska Mountain Guides & Climbing School
P.O. Box 1081, Haines AK 99827 | high9667.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "He liked text messages better."
},
"options": [
"He didn't want to talk with his father.",
"He liked text messages better.",
"He didn't receive any voice mail messages.",
"He enjoyed checking his voice mails."
],
... | Some people are so rude!
Who sends an e-mail or a text message that just says "Thank you"? Who leaves a voice mail message rather than texts you? Who asks for a fact easily found on Google? Don't these people realize that they're wasting your time?
Maybe I'm the rude one for not appreciating life's little politeness. But many social agreed standards just don't make sense to people drowning in digital communication.
In texts, you don't have to declare who you are or even say hello; E-mail, too, is slower than a text; Voice mail is a now impolite way of trying to connect.
My father learned this lesson after leaving me a dozen voice mail messages, none of which I listened to. _ , he called my sister to express his dissatisfaction that I never returned his phone calls. "Why are you leaving him voice mails?" my sister asked. "Just text him."
In the age of the smartphone, there is no reason to ask once-acceptable questions about: the weather forecast, a business's phone number, or directions to a house, a restaurant, which can be easily found on Google Maps. But people still ask these things. And when you answer, they respond with a thank-you e-mail.
How to handle these differing standards? Easy: Consider your audience. Some people, especially older ones, appreciate a thank-you message. Others, like me, want no reply.
The anthropologist Margaret Mead once said that in traditional societies, the young learn from the old. But in modern societies, the old can also learn from the young. Here's hoping that politeness never goes out of fashion but that time-wasting forms of communication do. | high14013.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "it has stimulated a Chinese craze for travel writing"
},
"options": [
"it has stimulated a Chinese craze for travel writing",
"its author was born in the late 1970s and 1980s",
"a hostel in Lijiang Yunnan province is named af... | As he looks up at the Jade Dragon Mountain, Zhang Jinpeng basks in the sunshine on the roof-top of his youth hostel in Lijiang, a popular tourist destination in Yunnan province in Southwest China. He is content and excited at the same time, since the hostel, which he named after his best-seller A Decade of Backpacking, opened earlier this month.
Published in 2010, Zhang's book was considered a milestone in Chinese travel writing. It sold more than 600,000 copies and triggered a wave of travel books by other Chinese writers who were born in the late 1970s and 1980s. Different from travel guides and traditional Chinese travel literature that mainly depict landscapes and scenery, these books by young travelers tell stories of their personal growth through traveling.
In A Decade of Backpacking, Zhang recounts his travels around the world since 2001, after he graduated from Nan Kai University in Tianjin and decided to see the world. "At the time my book came out, there were few books that catered to young people's longing while traveling." Zhang's book ignited a Chinese craze for travel writing. Featuring different themes, travel writing became a popular genre. But most of the books have one thing in common: The travelers are mostly young people. The Late Gap Year (2009), written by Sun Dongchun, tells the story of a young man who gave up a white-collar job and started a three-month trip for a volunteer program in Southeast Asia. The trip turned into a year-long travel. What's more, he even found his Miss Right and got married by the end of the story. We Always Travel Hand in Hand, published in 2012, was written by a young couple. Their travel romance, complete with beautiful pictures, first went viral on a Chinese micro-blog. Song Zhenshao, counselor at the psychological counseling center of Beijing Normal University, says: "To step out of ordinary life is a deep desire associated with freedom in people's hearts, and the hustle and bustle of city life intensifies the desire."
But as more similar travelogues hit the bookshelves, the average sales for new travel books have dropped. "The market for travel writing has become saturated ," says Li Shen, editor of several travel books at the Beijing-based China Civic Press. "We have been very cautious in accepting manuscripts from new travel writers. We don't publish them unless they have a very unique perspective or unusual experiences." Zhang Jinpeng, too, has been changing the direction in his writing. After A Decade of Backpacking, he published Why We Travel in 2012. His next book will be titled Don't Forget the Road Back Home. | high18629.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "It can send a lot more goods and passengers into space."
},
"options": [
"It's equipped with an advanced control system.",
"It's the first unmanned space shuttle in the world.",
"It's the only vehicle that can fly astronauts ... | Next Stop: Planet Mars
Fly me to the moon? That's not far enough. On September 14, 2011, NASA released designs for a superrocket, the Space Launch System (SLS). This time the final destination will be Mars.
The SLS is a huge, liquid-fuelled rocket. If it is fully developed, it will be the most powerful rocket ever built. Its lift capability will be much bigger than that of the space shuttle of Saturn 5, the rocket that sent the Apollo missions to the moon.
NASA is planning to launch its first unmanned test flight in 2017. It is hoped that the first crew will fly in 2021 and astronauts will make it to a nearby asteroid in 2025. NASA hopes to send the rocket and astronauts to Mars from the asteroid by the 2030s, according to the Associated Press (AP).
NASA used liquid rockets to send Apollo, Gemini and Mercury into space, but later changed to solid rockets boosters because they were cheaper. Tragically, however, a booster flaw caused the space shuttle Challenger to crash in 1986. The new project plans to return to liquid fuel.
According to AP, the rockets will at first be able to carry 77 to 110 tons of payload . Eventually they will be able to carry 143 tons into space, maybe even as many as 165 tons, NASA officials said. By comparison, the Saturn 5 booster could lift 130 tons and the space shuttle just 27 tons.
However, unlike reusable shuttles, these powerful rockets are mostly one use only. New ones have to be built for every launch. This will be very costly.
NASA estimates that it will cost about $3 billion (19 billion yuan) per year, or $18 billion until the first test flight in 2017. NASA hopes to make money by allowing private companies to send astronauts to the International Space Station like giant taxi services, so that the program can be "sustainable".
"This is perhaps the biggest thing for space exploration in decades," said Senator Bill Nelson, a former astronaut. "The goal is to fly humans safely beyond low-Earth orbit and deep into outer space where we cannot only survive, but one day also live." | high2732.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "find out how much they fear math of pain"
},
"options": [
"see whether math hurts",
"test their endurance",
"observe how their brain response",
"find out how much they fear math of pain"
],
"question": "In the f... | Does solving a math problem give you a headache? Do you feel nervous when you sit a math exam? For most students, math can be tough but scientists have proved that math problems can actually trigger physical pain.
Scientists came to his conclusion with an in-depth experiment, which was published in the Public Library of Science One journal. They began by finding out how much participants fear math. Those involved were asked a series of questions such as how they feel when they receive a math textbook or when they walk into a math lesson.
Based on their answers, participants were divided into groups. One group was made up of people who were particularly afraid of math and participants in the other group were more comfortable with the subject.
Both groups were then given either math tasks or word tasks. When a math task was going to come next, a yellow circle would appear but when a word task was soon to come, a blue square would be shown.
Using a brain-scan machine, scientists noticed that whenever people from Group One saw a yellow circle, their brain would respond in a way similar to when their body is feeling pain. It was like the pain they would fee, for example, if they burnt their hand on a hot stove. But they reacted less strongly when they knew that they would be faced with a word task.
However, scientists saw no strong brain response from people in the second group.
Math can be difficult, and for those with high levels of mathematics-anxiety (HMA), math is associated with tension, apprehension and fear. "When you are really thinking about the math problems, your mind is racing and you are worrying about all the things that could go wrong," explained Ian Lyons from University of Chicago, US, leader of the study. "The higher a person's anxiety of a maths task, the more he activated brain regions associated with threat detection, and the experience of pain."
More interestingly, the brain activity disappeared when participants actually started dealing with the math tasks. "This means that it's not that math itself hurts; rather, the anticipation of math is painful," Lyons said.
Based on the study, scientists suggested that things could be done to help students worry less and move past their fear of math, which might mean they perform better in tests. | high16604.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "she thought her parents didn't act as they said"
},
"options": [
"her great-grandfather did something her parents forbad",
"someone preferred watermelons to cabbages",
"she thought her parents didn't act as they said",
... | "Please read this," my three-year-old Claire said one day, pointing to a page with an old children's song: "Do you know how to plant cabbages". In blue ink, someone had crossed out cabbages and written "Watermelons!"
"Daddy! Did you do that?" Claire asked, looking up with an expression of shock. We had only recently asked her not to write in books, and suddenly here was proof that her parents weren't practicing what they asked. I told her it was written by my grandfather and sat down to tell the story.
I grew up on Granddad's farm in Nebraska, America. One afternoon, I decided to plant some watermelons.
"Hmm, there's a crop I haven't tried!" Granddad smiled. "Let's do it now!"
With Granddad's help I planted the seeds.
The next morning, I found a big watermelon there. I knew it was Granddad that put a watermelon there and I thought he had played a joke on me.
Later that month, Granddad gave me a book. "For school," he said seriously. I opened it to where he'd written "Watermelons!" and laughed at another of his jokes.
Claire listened quietly to the story and asked to plant seeds too, so I took her to buy some seeds. On the walk home, I realized for the first time that Granddad could have met my childish enthusiasm with some disappointing facts such as that watermelons don't grow well in Nebraska or that it was too late to plant them anyway. But instead of doing that, he had stolen back into town that afternoon and bought the biggest melon on the market. That night, after I was asleep, he had awkwardly unloaded it and, with a painful bend, placed it exactly above my seeds. He made sure I experienced the "wow."
I had always thought the midnight miracle was just one of Granddad's jokes. Now I realized he had planted hope that day. As Claire planted the seeds happily, I watched my grandfather's joy take fresh root in her life. And that was the biggest miracle of all. | high19537.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "polluted air"
},
"options": [
"aspirin",
"pollen",
"polluted air",
"tobacco"
],
"question": "All of the following are possible factors causing asthma except _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
... | Five Things You Should Know About Adult Asthma
About 44 million people in Asia Pacific suffer from asthma. The numbers are on the rise especially in China and India where there is rapid industrialization and urbanization. Dr Mariko Koh, Director of the Pulmonary Function Laboratory and Asthma Programme at Singapore General Hospital, tells us more about adult asthma:
1. Chronic inflammation of the airways
When the airways are inflamed, mucus forms, blocking airflow, causing breathlessness, wheezing and tightness in the chest.
2. Common triggers
Exposure to allergens such as mites, cockroaches, pets and pollen can trigger asthma. Tobacco smoke, respiratory infections, exercise and some medications like aspirin and beta blockers are also possible triggers.
3. Effective treatment
Asthma can be controlled with medication. The main treatment of asthma is inhaled corticosteroids to reduce inflammation and block of the airways. Reliever medications may be used to treat acute symptoms. Take note: it is not too late to take medication after an asthma attack.
4. Take medication daily
To ensure good control over asthma, medication must be taken daily on a long term basis to prevent attacks. Also, go to your doctor for regular checkups.
5. Quality of life
Asthma sufferers can lead normal active lives as long as the symptoms are well controlled. Taking medication as directed and avoiding triggers can make a big difference to the quality of life. | high11180.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the English used in London."
},
"options": [
"the English spoken by British people.",
"the English spoken by American people.",
"the English used in London.",
"the English spoken by British people in 15th Century."
... | Standard English is the formal English that you need to use when you write in coursework or in the exam. Standard English is the form of English you learn in school. All written English should be standard -- that means it should be clear enough for anyone in Britain to understand it. Standard English developed as the main form of printed English in the 15th Century. At the time, every region of Britain used to spell words differently, but printers needed a fixed spelling. Printers like Caxton chose the East Midlands dialect form which was used in London and the South East. Soon Standard English replaced all written dialect forms -- the other forms of English spoken around the country. It also replaced French and Latin in law and in academic work. In the 18th Century, people wrote dictionaries and grammar books which standardized spelling -- Dr Johnson's Dictionary of 1755 fixed many of the spellings we still use today. All written English should be Standard English -- any grammar rules you learn are for Standard English and you will definitely need to learn them to avoid making mistakes in your work. The rules of Standard English mean using the correct forms of words with the correct spellings.
Avoid slang words -- words that your teachers or friends wouldn't understand. You'll lose marks if the examiners can't understand what you say or write. Don't use dialect words. Every region has words or phrases that are only used there. Don't use them in your coursework, because you won't be understood. Make sure you revise grammar and punctuation you have learned, and learn the list of commonly misspelled words you have made. Cliches are ideas or sayings which have been used so often that they've become boring and unoriginal. Phrases like, "As good as it gets" "At the end of the day" "In the fullness of time" are all cliches. So are images like, "as fierce as a lion" "as cunning as a fox". If you use them you will sound boring and unimaginative -- that could mean you lose marks for writing and speaking style. So avoid cliches. | high21043.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "they claimed the order would be easy since the watches were already in stock"
},
"options": [
"they produced the best watches of its kind in the world",
"the watches would be easy to make and the designs were already prepared",
... | Dear sir,
Your shipment of twelve thousand 'Smart' watches was received by our company this morning.However we wish to make a number of complaints concerning the serious delay in delivery and your failure to carry out our specific instructions with regard to this order.
It was stressed from the beginning that the delivery date had to be less than six weeks from the first order, in order to meet our own customers'requirements.While we understand that delays in production are occasionally unavoidable,we must point out that the major reason why, the order was placed with your company was because we were assured by you of its speed of delivery, and that your existing stocks were sufficiently high to ensure immediate shipment.Late delivery of the goods has caused us to disappoint several of our most valued customers,and _ have a negative effect on the potential future orders.
The second complaint concerns the difference in colour between the watches we ordered and those delivered.It was stated clearly in the original order that watches in combinations of green/purple and orange/purple only were required.However only half the watches in the delivery received are of the colours specified.Our Hong Kong agent assures us that she stressed to you the importance of following our instructions precisely, since we consider there to be only a limited market in this country for watches of other colours at the present time.Any watches that are not of ate specified colours will,of course,be returned to you.
We are also somewhat concerned about the rather poor quality of the goods received,since it is obvious that the watches that finally arrived have been produced from inferior materials and have been manufactured to a lower standard than those in the sample.We have also found that a number of the watches do not appear to be functioning.Whether the latter problem is due to poor manufacture,damage during transportation or bad batteries is not yet clear, but we should like to point out that we feel this matter to be only your responsibility.
As a result of the above problem,therefore,we feel that the most suitable course of action is to return to you unpaid any of the goods considered unsatisfactory, and to subtract any resulting costs from our final settlement.We shall also, of course, be forced to reconsider whether any further orders should be placed with your company.
We look forward to your prompt reply.
Yours sincerely,
John Smith | high16837.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "hasn't decided where to go"
},
"options": [
"is going to Hawaii",
"will go to Lake Arrowhead",
"has decided to go nowhere",
"hasn't decided where to go"
],
"question": "The author _ to spend their vacation thi... | We're trying to decide where to go on our vacation this summer. We usually go to the Lake Arrowhead for a few weeks, but we'd like to go somewhere else this year. We're tired of doing the same thing summer after summer. Some friends of ours suggested that we go to Hawaii. That would be wonderful! I'm sure we'd enjoy a trip like that, but of course _ . In the first place, it would be rather expensive, and in the second place, there wouldn't be enough time. If we're lucky enough to save some money between now and next summer, and if I'm lucky enough to get four weeks of vacation instead of two weeks, maybe we can go to Hawaii next year. As a matter of fact, if we wanted to plan a trip like that, it might be advisable to stay home this summer and not go any place. That's one way we could begin to save some money for next year's trip. Also, if we were to stay here, I could offer to work instead of taking two weeks off; then maybe my boss would suggest that I be given four weeks' vacation next summer instead of two weeks. | high7879.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Methane from ruminants."
},
"options": [
"Consumption of meat.",
"Growth of cattle.",
"Methane from ruminants.",
"Processing of meat."
],
"question": "What is directly related to global warming?",
"question_... | "People should have one meat-free day a week if they want to make a personal and effective sacrifice that would help deal with climate change," the world's leading authority on global warming has told The Observer.
Dr Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said that people should then go on to reduce their meat consumption even further.
Pachauri, who was re-elected the panel's chairman for a second six-year term last week, said diet change was important because of the huge greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental problems associated with raising cattle and other animals. "It was relatively easy to change eating habits compared to changing means of transport," he said.
The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation has estimated that meat production accounts for nearly a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. These are produced during the production. For example, ruminants , particularly cows, give off a gas called methane, which is 23 times more effective as a global warming agent than CO2.
Pachauri can expect some opposite responses from the food industry to his advice, though last night he was given unexpected support by Masterchef presenter and restaurateur John Torode. "I have a little bit and enjoy it," said Torode. "Too much for any person is bad. But there's a bigger issue here: where the meat comes from. If we all bought British and stopped buying imported food, we'd save a huge amount of carbon emissions."
Professor Robert Watson, the chief scientific adviser for the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, said government could help educate people about the benefits of eating less meat, but it should not regulate. "Eating less meat would help, there's no question about that," Watson said.
However, Chris Lamb, head of marketing for pig industry group BPEX, said the meat industry had been unfairly targeted and was working hard to find out which activities had the biggest environmental impact and reduce them. "Some ideas were contradictory," he said. "For example, one solution to emissions from cattle and other animals was to keep them indoors, but this would damage animal welfare. Climate change is a very young science and our view is there are a lot of simple solutions being proposed." | high12489.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "She was worried about her school project."
},
"options": [
"She failed to pass the exam.",
"She was tired of school life.",
"She was worried about her school project.",
"She made a mistake in her technology class."
... | It was a long week for Amanda at school. She stayed after school to work on a special project three days in a row. When she got home on Friday, she dropped into the chair with a sigh.
"What's going on, Amanda?" her dad asked as he was reading the newspaper.
"I have to create a webpage for my technology class, and it is taking a lot more time than I thought it would," Amanda answered.
Her dad looked over his newspaper and asked Amanda what the webpage was about.
"It's about the difference between newspaper news and Internet news," Amanda said and added, "I have to provide information, examples and illustrations ."
"Sounds tough; do you have someone to help you?" her dad asked.
"I have a partner named Zach," Amanda replied. "We did research on the Internet today and found some pictures to use."
Then Amanda explained to her father the main differences: newspaper news is printed on paper, and Internet news is published online; newspaper news is only available once a day, and Internet news is published almost as soon as the news happens; many newspapers don't even print a daily paper, and Internet news is published around the clock.
Amanda's dad asked, "Which type of news do you like better?"
"I like Internet news better because I like to learn about the news when it happens," she answered.
Her dad said, "I still like newspaper news better because I like to hold the paper in my hands and turn the pages."
Amanda dropped into her chair again and said, "You are so old school, Dad." | high14946.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Surprised"
},
"options": [
"Surprised",
"Excited",
"Nervous",
"Hopeless"
],
"question": "How did the author feel as the well-dressed man joined the line for food?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer... | It's easy to see how to help some people, but what about those whose needs are not so clear? This story may have happened not long ago--- but it was a lesson which has stayed with me and helped me ever since.
It was Thanksgiving and I was volunteering with my parents at a shelter for the needy. We served hot food to whoever came in. Most of our dinners looked like they had been having hard times; their clothes were worn out and dirty. Then, a man came in, who looked anything but needy. He was well dressed. I wondered what he was doing there and my jaw dropped in amazement when he joined the line for food. The closer he came to my service station , the more I muttered . What was this man doing? Surely he wasn't going to take food which was meant for those who were really in need!
Then my mother quietly took me to one side. She said, "You have thought that the needs of the people who come here must be purely physical, hunger, etc. And this gentleman doesn't seem to have any of those problems. But what if his needs are emotional ? What if he needs comfort, friends, or just to be among other human beings? Her words hit me like a ton of bricks! I felt like I should apologize to the man--- but I didn't.
About a week later the shelter received a large donation from an
source. I can't help but wonder if it came from that man.
Now, whenever I meet someone I remember my mother's lesson and try to send kindness their way, no matter how they look. Needs aren't always seen. But kindness always makes a difference. | high15480.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To advance Canada's honor and opportunities."
},
"options": [
"To enlarge the content of the Luminato festival.",
"To advance Canada's honor and opportunities.",
"To consider his own benefits from the prize.",
"To make ... | A new Canada Prize for the Arts and Creativity could be in place by 2010, with large cash prizes for emerging artists in dance, music, theatre and visual arts.
The prize is the idea of Tony Gagliano and David Pecaut, founders of the Luminato festival,who were able to convince the federal government to back it. The federal budget has allocated $25 million to support the awards open to emerging artists. The aim is to create a prize that has the prestige of a Nobel Prize.
"When you think about the major prizes of the world ---- the Nobel Prize in Sweden,the Kyoto prizes in Japan or the Booker Prize in the U.K . --- they bring great honor and opportunity to the countries that award them," Pecaut said."The idea here is that every year,the Canada prizes will be awarded to the very best promising emerging artists around the world in those four fields. "
A jury of international experts would judge the 12 finalists,who would come to Canada and perform or show their work in public to win the Canada prizes.The performances would be televised, allowing Canadians across the country to see it.
The federal government liked the idea of such an international prize that would advance Canada's brand,draw tourists and arts professionals from around the world.For the Canadian arts community, one of the greatest challenges is connecting to that international arts world to come up with co-productions and foreign investment and touring chances.
A group is working toward establishing the prize by 2010,with potential for semi-final rounds to take place about the same time as the Vancouver Olympic Games."Thirty or forty years from now,the future outstanding dancers and performers will look back and say, 'I broke out on the world scene in Toronto -- that's where I was discovered.' " | high23132.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Nurses in UKtend to be older in age than before."
},
"options": [
"Nurses in Britainare badly paid.",
"Nurses in UKtend to be older in age than before.",
"Half of the nurses in UKwant to leave their jobs.",
"There is le... | A recent survey by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) found that about a third of nurses inprefix = st1 /UKplanned to give up their jobs in the next two years because of the amount of worries and unhappiness with their pay.
Among those under 40, the percentage of nurses planning to leave their employers increased from 32% in 2005 to 36% in 2007.
The survey also found that 71% of nurses believed they could be paid more for less effort if they left nursing, compared to 60% in 1997.
The research was published as the RCN hosted a meeting for nurse leaders to deal with the growing concerns of the nurses.
Josie Irwin, an RCN expert, said, " Many nurses say that changes in junior doctors' hours have resulted in an increase in their workload. Nurses are under more and more pressure."
Ms Irwin added, "Only 22% of all nurses disagree that they are under too much pressure."
She also said that 27% of nurses had a second job, with the main reason that they needed some extra income.
"Nurses have made it clear that while they enjoy their work, they have more to do than ever and are not being paid enough to do it." She added. " For this reason, the RCN is calling for a pay increase for nurses to bring their pay into line with others."
The survey of 4,795 nurses found that some important changes to the profession had taken place in recent years. The average age of the nurses questioned was 42 ---compared to an average of 33 in 1987. The RCN said that the age increase was because people were now becoming nurses later. In the 1960s, the average age of a nurse on the completion of training was 21, but over the last 5 years it has been an average of 29. | high17297.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "day trips or weekend breaks are enough for families to share experiences"
},
"options": [
"families can watch TV together in order to keep up their relationship",
"day trips or weekend breaks are enough for families to share experi... | Annual holidays have become a luxury and are no longer a staple of family life, according to government research.
A getaway of a week or more is no longer considered essential by many families and is often beyond their reach, said the analysis of what parents and children say they really need. Fashionable clothes for the children, expensive birthday parties and lots of toys are also on the list of luxuries families don't have to have. Instead, recession -hit parents are thinking of the future, and the things they want for their children centre around learning to behave properly, good education and good health.
Their picture of what a family ought to have includes a space to eat together away from the television, plenty of fruit and vegetables, and bicycles so children can get exercise.
The breakdown of necessities and luxuries was prepared by researchers from the Department for Work and Pensions(DWP) who were trying to establish an up-to-date picture of what parents say they really need.
Their findings show how families have scaled down their expectations in the face of economic difficulties -- how parents are now concentrating their attention and money firmly on the long-term interests of their children. Many believe that while it is vital for a family to do things together, day trips or weekend breaks are enough.
Spending on furniture or decorating the house was also considered luxurious, unless the state of the home was so bad it became difficult to invite visitors in.
Instead, researchers said: A family home should have an area where the family can eat together, not on their laps in front of a television. Families should be able to go on outings, overnight trips and possibly short holiday: the fact of being able to share these experiences is more important than the precise activity and its cost. | high21725.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "all of the above"
},
"options": [
"were pioneers of US history",
"made great contributions to their country",
"played an important role in American history",
"all of the above"
],
"question": "Why were those fou... | The well - known Rushmore National Monument in the United States is built on the Rush More Peak, 1829 meters above sea level, of the Black Hills in the southwest of South Dakota. It is a group of huge stone statues of four American presidents, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson,Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. President Washington is the founding father of the country;the 3rd President Jefferson drafted the U. S. Declaration of Independence;the 16th President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation and the26th President Roosevelt protected the average people's right to compete fairly with trusts. All of them,made outstanding achievements for their country. They were pioneers of U. S. history.
The stone statues of presidents were built at the suggestion of an historian in the State of Dakota,with a view to carrying forward the U. S. pioneering spirit everlastingly.
The statues are 18 meters high. They are the highest and greatest realistic stone statues in the world,taller than a 6-storied building and larger than the Great Sphinx of Egypt. The size of each head is 20sq mt,with a 20-meter- long face,a 7-meter -long nose,a 2.6-meter- wide mouth and two 1.5-meter -wide eyes. Though not facing the same direction,they are all lifelike and look ahead gravely in harmony with fixed gazes. On clear days,one can have a sight of the four presidents with their firm and steady expression at a distance of dozens of kilometers.
Since the stone sculpture is unique in style,the Monument is now the U. S. National Art Centre of Popular Education. Groups of people keep streaming everyday to the site for a visit and tourists across the world are also interested in taking a view of this great Monument. | high17283.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The environmentally friendly products will take the place of the non-environmentally friendly ones."
},
"options": [
"In the past, chicken feathers and rice straw were not very cheaply available.",
"At present, chicken feathers and... | Believe it or not, in the near future people won't just wear a chicken feather suit at Halloween or for fancy dress. Chickens, which have long provided food for dinner, will also be used to make our clothes as well. Last Monday, a report by the University of Nebraska in the US said in the future it should be possible to use chicken feathers and rice straw to make clothes.
"All those wasted agriculture products don't have to be wasted anymore," researcher Yiqi Yang said.
New technology will change these by-products into something similar to wool, linen, or cotton. Because producing synthetic fabrics causes pollution, scientists wanted to find a cheaper and environmentally friendly replacement. They turned their eyes to the millions of tons of rice straw and chicken feathers that are widely and cheaply available worldwide. Moreover they don't cause pollution like petroleum-based fibers .
Chicken feathers are mostly made up of the same kind of protein found in wool. A sweater made from chicken feathers would feel just like a wool sweater. It would be lighter in weight and warmer, too.
According to Yang and his team, rice straw, on the other hand, can produce a fabric that looks and feels similar to cotton or linen. The process is also environmentally friendly. The total production cost of rice fiber is about 50 cents per pound, while cotton now sells for about 60 cents a pound.
Maybe some day in the future you will wear _ clothes like these. | high21731.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Less salty but crunchier."
},
"options": [
"Less salty but crunchier.",
"Sweeter and saltier.",
"Sweeter but less crunchy.",
"Less sweet and crunchy."
],
"question": "How does the food taste when it is eaten in ... | Some people surveyed tasted the sweet, salty, and crunchy together with other tastes of food as they listen to different noises. It shows that louder noises reduced the reported sweetness or saltiness of food while increasing the measure of crunchiness .
It may go some way to explain why airline food is widely complained about by both the workers and passengers. Andy Woods, a researcher, said, "It's a general opinion that plane foods aren't fantastic, but I'm sure airlines do their best, so we wondered if there were other reasons. One thought was that perhaps the background noise may have an effect. NASA gives their space explorers very strong-tasting foods, because for some reason, they can't taste food that strongly--again, it may have something to do with the background noise."
In a study, 48 people were fed sweet foods or salty ones, while listening to nothing or noise through earphones. Meanwhile they rated the foods. In noisier settings, foods were rated less salty or sweet than they were when it was silent, but were rated crunchier. "The evidence shows that if the background noise is loud, your attention might be drawn to that, away from the food." Dr. Woods said.
"We are still at an early stage of progressing and this is a rather small study to really draw definitive conclusions from," Dr Woods said, "but they suggest that restaurants could well adapt their choice of food for a given environment."
Also in the group's findings there is the suggestion that the overall satisfaction with the food is also related to the degree to which people like what they are hearing. | high14952.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "in his own back yard"
},
"options": [
"in a minute",
"at the foot of a big mountain",
"in his own back yard",
"in a garage"
],
"question": "Joker found one of the biggest diamonds in the world _ .",
"que... | Joker found one of the biggest diamonds in the world right in his own back yard. He sold the stone to a diamond dealer for over three hundred thousand dollars. In New York, the diamond was resold---this time for almost eight hundred thousand dollars. The true value of a diamond is never known until it has been cut. Once cut successfully, its value can increase a thousand times. It's easy to understand why the owner of Joker's diamond went to the best diamond cutter he knew, Kaplan. The cutter studied the diamond for twelve whole months.
When he felt he was ready to start work, he discovered a flaw . He had to begin his calculations all over again, or he might have made the stone useless. Six months passed, and Kaplan finally said to the owner, "I am ready to start my work. There will be one excellent diamond that will be comparable one excellent diamond of first-class quality " Kaplan waited a few more days until he felt he was in the best physical and mental condition possible. He picked up his tools and held his breath as he made the diamond exactly as he promised. | high15494.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "is nicknamed the \"Tube\""
},
"options": [
"was brought into use 150 years ago with only 6 miles",
"includes eleven lines, covering 270 kilometres",
"ranks first in the world in terms of the total length",
"is nicknamed... | One hundred and fifty years ago, the world's first underground railway began operating in London, running for just six kilometres from Paddington to Famngdon.Today, the network covers 408 kilometres, with 11 lines running through 270 stations.And despite every major city in the world now having its own metro system, London's is still the second-longest (Shanghai's is the first).It's no surprise that locals and travellers will all be wishing London's "Tube" a very happy 150th birthday.
Londoners have an unspoken code of conduct when they travel on me Tube, and a bit of local knowledge is essential for getting around the British capital.Here we provide some tips and etiquette for your next visit to London.
Do...
Stand on the right on escalators , walk on the left -Londoners will be quick at reminding you should you forget this.
Let other passengers off before getting on.
Give up your seat if someone needs it more than you.
Mind the gap (between the train and the platform edge) -they are sometimes pretty wide.
Don't...
Block doorways-move down inside the carriages.
Talk to people you don't know.Even if the train is delayed you should merely sigh or shake your head, rather than strike up a conversation.
Travel on the Hammersmith & City or Circle lines if you can help it-they have a poor record for delays and disruptions.
Expect air-conditioning-the low tunnels mean there's no space on most lines to install air-con equipment so expect to set hot and sweaty in summer. | high23126.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "at home"
},
"options": [
"before breakfast",
"after breakfast",
"at home",
"in a teahouse"
],
"question": "This story happens _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer... | Now we can see a man and his wife at the breakfast table. They are not speaking to each other. They haven't spoken to each other at the breakfast table for years. The husband is reading his newspaper. We can't see his face. The wife looks very worried as she gets a cup of tea ready for him. Today she is using a new kind of tea for the first time. The husband picks up his cup. He isn't interested. He tastes his tea. Suddenly he puts down his newspaper. Something is different! Can it be the tea? He takes another taste. It's wonderful. He smiles. He looks at his wife and says in surprise, "Doris, when did you cut your hair?" Doris is pleased. She answers, "Two months ago." Doris asks, " Herbie , when did your hair begin to become white?" He answers, "A long time ago." Doris says, "We have been together for many years, but we never cared about each other." Now they aren't worried any longer. Breakfast is different. Has a new kind of tea changed their lives? | high750.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "A new theory about Stonehenge."
},
"options": [
"The history of Stonehenge.",
"A new theory about Stonehenge.",
"Why Stonehenge has started endless debates over the centuries.",
"How Stonehenge is different from other a... | FOR thousands of years, Stonehenge has confused visitors with a seemingly unanswerable question: Why would anyone carry so many huge stones across Britain and put them in a ring? It seems even stranger when you think of the fact that it was done by prehistoric people working without modern technology, not even a wheel.
Stonehenge has started endless debates over the centuries. Experts have said at different times that it was a temple, a calendar or a graveyard .
Yet "all the ideas to date could be mistaken," said Julian Spalding, a famous art critic and former director of some of the UK's leading museums. "We've been looking at Stonehenge the wrong way: from the earth, which is very much a 20th century viewpoint," he told The Guardian.
Spalding has put forward a new theory about Stonehenge in his latest book, Realisation: From Seeing to Understanding. "The current theories about Stonehenge are based on looking across the ground, which is a modern idea," he writes in his new book. He told The Guardian that in ancient times, spiritual ceremonies didn't happen on the ground. Prehistoric people believed that in this way they could get closer to the heavens. So Spalding says that "rituals at Stonehenge were performed in the same way - not among the stones, but on top of them," reported The Washington Post.
He re-imagines a scene in his book, explaining how the mysterious site was used: Stonehenge held up a large, circular platform . It was a raised altar reached by stairs, and thousands of people might have worshipped there.
To support his theory, Spalding lists examples from ancient civilizations worldwide. In China, Peru and Turkey, such sacred monuments were built high up, whether on man-made or natural sites. In an interview with The Washington Post, Spalding said the wood that would have been used for the platform had long since rotted away , leaving only the stone pillars that supported it behind.
So far scholars have had "a fair degree of skepticism " about these ideas, according to The Huffington Post. Sir Barry Cunliffe, prehistorian and Oxford University archaeology professor, said: "He could be right, but I know of no evidence to support it ... There are a large number of stone circles around the country which clearly didn't have a platform on top. So why should Stonehenge?" | high13783.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "save Jewish children"
},
"options": [
"help the homeless",
"transfer the affected",
"stop German attacks",
"save Jewish children"
],
"question": "Kindertransport aimed to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_ques... | By 1938, Europe had been experiencing an increased number of attacks on Jews. With no end in sight, Jewish refugee agencies requested the British government to allow them to bring in only Jewish children under17 years of age. This was to be only temporary, until the situation in their home countries was improved.
Kindertransport, meaning "children transport" in German, was then born. Children from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland and other Nazi-occupied regions were transported to the United Kingdom. There they were either placed with other families or in hostels. Later, it was found that many of these children were the only survivors of their families. Nicholas Winton was among those people who helped to save Jewish children. He managed to rescue 669 children from Czechoslovakia and bring them safely to England. In 1938 around Christmas, 29-year-old Nicky was about to leave for a skiing holiday. Suddenly, Martin Blake, one of his good friends, contacted him from Czechoslovakia, asking him to travel there to help political refugees on the run from the Nazis. And Nicholas agreed.
Nicky spent his entire holiday of 3 weeks in the capital city of Prague where he saw the situation first-hand. Once back in England, he immediately started organizing the evacuation of children from the Czech region. From advertising for the necessary permits, Nicky worked tirelessly. By August 1939, 669 children had been helped by Nicky and his friends. _ , the last group of children due to leave Prague in the beginning of September could not do so-- World War II broke out, and swallowed them up.
Nicky did not discuss his particular task with his wife, Grete. It was only when she found a scrapbook in 1988, with names of the rescued children, their (lost) parents and the foster families that had taken them in, that his heroism came to light. Nicky has received several awards in Britain and the Czech Republic. | high9698.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "No pains, no gains."
},
"options": [
"No pains, no gains.",
"Knowledge is power.",
"It's never too old to learn.",
"Nothing is impossible for a willing heart."
],
"question": "Which proverb can show the writer's... | How to prepare for exams? Well, it is a big question that you always ask yourself.
There is no short cut to success, which is the first thing you should remember. For this reason you have to study hard first of all. Besides, here are some tips for you.
Never fear or hate exams and be confident. Some students study well but still may be afraid of exams and due to this reason they won't be able to get good marks. So leave all your fears behind and free your mind before starting your studies. You have to be confident and it is the most important thing for attaining victory.
Prepare a good timetable. Prepare a timetable before starting your studies. This should include all subjects, but tough subjects can be given more time while easier ones less. And remember some time shall be spared for entertainment and also there should be enough break time between each subject.
Select a proper atmosphere for studying. No need to explain this point. Can anyone study well while watching TV? So select a place where you feel comfortable and can concentrate. And importantly it is better to study early in the morning when you will have quiet surroundings and you can concentrate more.
Make notes while studying. This is a very important point. Make small notes while studying can help you remember all the points. It will work better if you use these notes for revision in the last one or two hours than you skip through pages of your textbook. It won't take much time to go through these notes.
Write well. As we all know, the first impression is the best impression. So your handwriting affects your marks. Try to write neatly. If it is not good enough, don't worry; if you present it in a good manner you can score more marks. | high8586.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Regretful"
},
"options": [
"Sad",
"Sorry",
"Regretful",
"Pitiful"
],
"question": "Which of the following word can be used to describe the writer's friend?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
... | A few days ago I got a call from my old college friend whom I haven't seen for a very long time. The topic, which was about all the good old times that we had changed to a touching story when he started talking about his father.
His father's declining health made him stay at the hospital. Because of his illness, his father suffered from insomnia and often talked to himself. My friend, who had not been able to sleep for a few days as he had to keep watching his father's condition, became irritated and told his father to keep silent and try to get some sleep. His father said that he really wanted to sleep well because he was very tired and told my friend to leave him alone in the hospital if he did not want to keep him company.
After his father finished talking, he fell unconscious . My friend was very sorry for speaking the ill words towards his father. My friend, whom I knew as a tough person, cried as a baby on the other end of the telephone. He said that from that moment on, he prayed every day, asking God to let his father wake up from his coma. He promised himself that whatever words came out from his father's mouth after he regained his consciousness, he would gladly take them. His only hope for God was to give him a chance to _ his past mistake.
Often, we complain when we have to accompany or watch over our parents for years, months, days, hours or even minutes. But do we realize that our parents keep us company and watch over us for as long as we (or they) live? From the day we were born to our adulthood, and even when deaths come to us, they are always at our side.
Imagine how sad our parents will be when they hear a seemingly innocent word of "no" come out from our mouths. We can make promises to ourselves that from now on there will be no more complaints that come out from our mouths when we have to watch over or accompany our parents. No more complaints come out from our mouths when we feel that our parents have treated us like little children. There are so many unlucky ones who have neither fathers nor mothers. They long to have the things that we most complain about, but never have them.
Actually, it takes only a second to think and light the lamp that will bring us to a place where peace is dwelling. | high988.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "starting to rebuild the earthquake - hit areas"
},
"options": [
"life in the earthquake- hit areas",
"starting to rebuild the earthquake - hit areas",
"how to build houses in the earthquake - hit areas",
"caring for peo... | Surrounded by far - away mountains and nearby downtown buildings, a large open field was filled with lines of blue and white houses. Several kids were laughing and playing table tennis inside a play room. Some old men were playing Chinese chess and a crowd of women chatting in front of two TV sets.
Two weeks after the deadly earthquake, the first batch of 1,500 people inprefix = st1 /Dujiangyan,SichuanProvince, one of the worst earthquake - hit cities, has finally settled into a peaceful life in a newly built temporary community.
"Compared with tents, these simple houses make us feel more at home. My grandchild can go on with his study here," said an old woman.
These one - floor buildings are totally different from their old homes. Instead of cement and bricks, the houses are made of light- weight steel or foamed plastic and can stand a 7 - magnitude earthquake. Each of the houses, featuring about 20 square meters, serves as a three - person family unit. The units have three beds and electricity. Each has its own postal address.
Communal facilities will include showers, toilets and refectories . It is also planned that there should be one primary school, one hospital and one supermarket for every 1,000 homes. Everything will be free to the residents in possession of their identity cards, and work has already started in looking for jobs for the community.
"More than 1.5 million such _ houses will be built inSichuan, which are expected to be in use for at least three years," said Minister of Housing and Urban - Rural Development Jiang Weixin. The government said over 5.93 million rooms in Sichuan had been leveled in the quake and more than 11 million people, which even outnumber the entire population of some countries such as Norway and New Zealand, became homeless. It is planned that all the victims will be housed by early August, and that they will stay in the temporary houses for between three and five years until permanent homes are built. | high23898.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "draw readers' attention to the topic"
},
"options": [
"ask readers for information",
"compare answers from readers",
"expect positive answers from readers",
"draw readers' attention to the topic"
],
"question": ... | What is the definition of "happiness?" Is it material wealth filled with fancy cars, a dream house or jewelry? Or does happiness simply mean having a roof over your head? Food in the fridge? Having a swimming pool? A designer Gucci bag? Love? Money? A perfect job?
Do you recall a time----let's say when you were about 5 years old-----what defined happiness back then? Was it getting a puppy for Christmas? Or maybe, you were a child of divorce; and all you wanted was for Mom and Dad to get back together again? Then as you got older, you were hoping that someone would ask you to the party that would have made your day. During college, good grades made you happy, but it was short-lived. Because in the real world, you had to look for a job, and competition was fierce. But then, you got a perfect job, could you be happy?
We like having and accumulating things. We work so we can pay our rents, credit card debts, school loans, car payments... The list goes on and on. And at some point, we realize that apart from having most of what we want, we still aren't happy. Now since we've learned to adapt to new standards which we've created for ourselves, we find that we have less time, less patience, less sleep, which leads to more stress and more anxiety. Therefore, don't stupidly make a conclusion that happiness is just based on "things".
Sometimes, we trade our lives for not only basic necessities, but for excessive items and services as well. Certainly, you've heard of individuals trying to "find themselves", or to "rediscover themselves". But the point has been missed: happiness is already there.
Disappointments and tragedies in life will come and go, but happiness never leaves you. We can lose our jobs, but be grateful for those who love us. We can lose our homes to nature, but be thankful to be alive. If we think we are happy, we are indeed happy. Happiness is merely a perception of each individual.
Happiness is part of love, and love is an ocean. Go dive in and get some, and then share it with everyone, which can be an endless supply. But sharing happiness with people around demands skilful techniques. | high9840.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Special consideration ought to be shown to them in some cases."
},
"options": [
"They no longer need to be treated differently from men.",
"Young men should give up their seats to young women.",
"\"Lady first\" should univers... | Manners nowadays in big cities like London are particularly non-existent. It's nothing for a big, strong schoolboy to elbow an elderly woman aside in the dash for the last remaining seat on the tube or bus, much less stand up and offer his seat to her.
This question of giving up seats in public transport is much argued by young men, who say that, since women have claimed equality, they no longer deserve to be treated with courtesy and that those who go out to work should take their turn in _ like anyone else. Women have never claimed to be physically as strong as men. Even if it's not agreed, however, that young men should stand up for older women, the fact remains that courtesy should be shown to the old, the sick and the burdened. Are we really so lost to all ideals of unselfishness that we can sit there indifferently reading the paper or a book, saying to ourselves " First come, first served", while a gray-haired woman, a mother with a young child or a cripple stands? Yet this is too often seen.
Older people, tired and easy annoyed from a day's work, aren't angels, either--far from it. Many a brisk argument or an insulting quarrel breaks out as the weary queues push and shove each other to get on buses and tubes. One cannot commend this, of course, but one does feel there is just a little more excuse.
If cities are to remain pleasant places to live in at all, however, it seems necessary, not only that communication in transport should be improved, but also that communication between human beings should be kept smooth and polite. Shop assistant won't bother to assist, taxi drivers growl at each other as they dash dangerously round corners, bus conductors pull the bell before their desperate passengers have had time to get on or off the bus, and so on. It seems to us that it's up to the young and strong to do their small part to stop such deterioration . | high11194.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a support"
},
"options": [
"an argument",
"an introduction",
"a support",
"a conclusion"
],
"question": "The example of the writer's sister serves as _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"... | I have a friend who lives by a three-word philosophy: Seize the moment. Just possibly, she may be the wisest woman on this planet. Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too strict to depart from their routine.
I can't count the times I called my sister and said,"How about going to lunch in half an hour?" She would gasp and stammer , "I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday. I had a late breakfast. It looks like rain."And my personal favorite response:"It's just Monday."She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.
Life has a way of going faster as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises made to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all have to show for our lives is repetition of "I'm going to","I plan on" and "Someday, when things are settled down a bit."
When anyone calls my"seize the moment" friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is _ . You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.
My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.
Now go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to, not something on your SHOULD DO list. | high2915.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "When cosplaying, comic fans wear costumes and pretend to be their favourite comic characters."
},
"options": [
"When cosplaying, comic fans wear costumes and pretend to be their favourite comic characters.",
"Cosplay is a kind of p... | Beijing (Xinhua): When she appeared on stage, singing a Japanese song, hundreds of excited teenagers crowded around shouting, "Curarpikt !Its Curarpikt!"
At the Beijing Comic and Animation Expo last week, that's exactly who Shi Jia was. The Senior 1 girl was cosplaying "Curarpikt", a character from the popular Japanese comic book Hunter X Hunter (<<>> ) by Yoshihiro Togashi.
"I cosplay Curarpikt because I like him," said the pretty 15-year-old girl. "I'm moved by his sad story and I'm attracted by his courage and personality."
In the adventure comic story, Curarpikt, a handsome and kind-hearted boy, struggles to become a hunter so he can capture the people who killed his tribe.
Shi has read all the comic books and is a big fan of the animated series of Hunter X Hunter. Then last year she saw a real "Curarpikt" in a cosplay show.
"I had watched cosplay shows before but only for fun," she explained. "It's really exciting to see young people wearing the make up and costumes of characters that you've read about and are familiar with."
"But that time I just fell in love with cosplaying, probably because I like Curarpikt so much. I thought I could play the character better, so I decided to have a go."
Shi bought some cloth and asked a tailor to make a Curarpikt costume for her. She was delighted to find out there was a cosplay show in Beijing in October.
"It's a great way to spend the national holiday. Posing on the stage for all the comic book fans, I knew I was doing something I had always wanted to do," she said.
But she never talks about her hobby with her parents.
"They think it will distract me from my studies. I don't want to upset them, that's my secret hobby," she said. "It's also why I don't dye my hair for cosplaying like all the others." | high21057.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "have little time"
},
"options": [
"like eating in restaurants",
"have little time",
"prefer home-cooked meals",
"want to save money"
],
"question": "This advertisement is designed especially for those who _",
... | Are you always busy? Is your schedule hectic?
Do you sometimes forget to take time to eat?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then you need
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YOUR DAILY ROUTINE
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They don't spoil!
Are you in the mood for a hot meal? Or do you prefer a cold dish instead?
Hot or cold, Quickeats are delicious and the tempting taste will have you
believing you are eating a home-cooked meal. A variety of meals are already
available at leading grocery stores in your area.
Try our Red Hot Quickeats!
( Heat in a microwave for 3 minutes. )
Stew with Garden Vegetables
Barbecued Chicken and Rice
Creamy Hum and Noodles
Choose one of our Cool Blue Quickeats!
(Refrigerate for extra coldness, if desired.)
Yogurt with Dried Fruit and Nutsks5u
Vegetable Salad and Pasta Salad
Tuna Salad and Whole Wheat Crackers
Quickeats are reasonably priced and ready to eat. Take the coupon below to a participating store to receive a free Red Hot or Cool Blue container that will fit neatly in your backpack, briefcase, or shoulder bag and keep your Quickeats meal hot or cold until you're ready to eat it. Each container holds up to 4 Quickeats.
If you have questions or suggestions, please contact our national office:
Neavest Inc., P. O. Box 90210, Lexinet, VA
or call 1-888-293-3151
[?]One Free container for Quickeats with the purchase of one Quickeats meal. | high20349.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "made European setters think differently about swimming"
},
"options": [
"made European setters think differently about swimming",
"change European setters' swimming costume",
"made European setters hotter",
"made Europe... | Australia is famous for its beautiful beaches. And Australian people love swimming and going to the beach. But it wasn't always that way.
Different Climate, Different habits
When Europeans first invaded Australia, the only people here who were good at swimming were the Aboriginal people. The Europeans came from climates where it was too cold to swim. Also some people worried that they would get sick if they wet their whole body.
However the warm climate of Australia soon changed their attitude to swimming. At first, only men swam. They swam naked - there were no women to see them.
Cover up!
By the 1880's and 90's visiting the beach was very fashionable and a lot of people went there, especially in warm weather. They wore everyday street clothes - much more than people wear at the beach today.
In those days, people believed they should cover most of their body so it would not be seen by the opposite sex. Special bathing costumes were designed for women. These costumes used a lot of cloth and were very heavy when wet, making it difficult to swim.
Laws Made and Laws Changed
The government decided to stop men swimming naked.It passed a law which forbade bathing between 6am and 7pm. Many people objected to this law and wrote letters to the government asking it to change the laws. In 1903, the laws changed; people could swim in the daytime, but they had to wear neck-to-knee costumes.
The Shrinking Costume
As time passed, swimming costumes became smaller and more convenient.
At first men and women were covered from neck to knee. Then the arms became bare. Then more of the legs were uncovered.Each new change was regarded by many as shocking and rude and people wrote letters to the newspapers complaining about the new costumes. Nowadays some people go to special "nude beaches" to swim naked.
However, most people cover their bodies more than they did ten years ago -- not because they think bare skin is shocking -- but to protect their skin from the harmful rays of the sun. | high7845.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "student doctors"
},
"options": [
"scientists",
"overweight people",
"patients",
"student doctors"
],
"question": "The bookPsychology for Medicine is mainly written for _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questio... | Why does the rate of heart attacks increase during the World Cup football finals? How can we help an overweight patient to lose weight? They're just some of the topics covered in a new book by University of Sussex academics, which is helping student doctors to consider the importance of psychology in medical practice.
Psychology for Medicineis the first textbook of its kind, providing medical trainees and new doctors with all the relevant psychological knowledge they need. Previously, students had to refer to many different books for the relevant psychology.
The book, by Sussex psychologists Dr. Sussex Ayers and Dr. Richard de Visser, has been well received by fellow academics and medical doctors and was finished with the help of the students and staff of the Brighton and Sussex Medical School. The studentsproofread the chapters, provided ideas for the content and even modeled for the photographs. The book provides a solid grounding in psychological study relevant to medicine, along with practical tips and advice for practice. One student, Simon Hall, drew cartoons for the book.
The study psychology is important for doctors for a number of reasons. Psychological and physical symptoms are highly related. Up to a third of patients will have psychological disorders, while physical causes are usually only found in around 15 per cent of people's symptoms. In treatment, a lot of the effect drugs can be due to patients believing they will recover rather than the drug itself.
Dr. Ayers says, "The important thing about this book is that it's applied science --- it shows why psychology is important to medicine and how we should use it. The book's presentation is really important. It's not just lots of theory, but full of tips and advice so that students can take what they learn in the classroom and apply it to real-life situations." | high778.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "they prevent the listener from focusing on what the speaker is saying."
},
"options": [
"they prevent the listener from focusing on what the speaker is saying.",
"they convey the speaker's superiority to the listener.",
"they... | In December 2008, Caroline Kennedy -- daughter of the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy--sat down, as a frontrunner for the Senate seat in New York, for a televised interview that helped decide the future of her campaign. The result was a disaster.
Her performance wasn't well received, in part because her speech was full of filler words--"ums," "ahs" and "you knows." One listener counted 27 "ums" and 38 "you knows" in the space of five minutes. A few weeks after the interview, Kennedy ended her Senate campaign.
Filler words may seem natural in everyday speech, but they can be deadly in formal presentations. "Using excessive fillers is the most annoying speech habit," said Susan Ward, a speech specialist. "They take your listener's attention away often to the point that he doesn't hear anything you say. Your message is entirely lost."
Many speakers are afraid of pause. They believe their audience will think they are inarticulate if they pause to think of what to say next, so they use filler words to avoid the silence. However, a pause is actually more impressive than a filler word. Listeners know that the speaker is thinking, trying to find the right word. Sometimes a pause can actually improve a speech, as when an actor uses a dramatic pause to hold the attention of his audience. A speaker shouldn't be afraid to pause occasionally during a speech; it shows self-confidence.
It takes some work to cut out filler words. You can begin by taking a few seconds to think about what you want to say the next time you are asked a question. This pause will help you begin powerfully, and it will help you avoid using a filler word.
The same public speaking technique applies when you are shifting from one idea to another. While you may be tempted to fill the silence between ideas with a filler word, remember to allow yourself to pause and think about what you want to say next.
If you need help overcoming your "um" problem, consider asking a family member or a friend to point out when you use filler words. You also could record an upcoming presentation and then watch yourself in action. You may be amazed at how often you say "um" or "uh"!
Although we live in a fast-paced society that seemingly demands instant answers, we must use the pause to our advantage. Finally, we should only speak when we are ready. | high6583.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To tell teens ways to earn their own money."
},
"options": [
"To show teens how to find a full-time job.",
"To encourage teens to help with housework.",
"To tell teens ways to earn their own money.",
"To ask people to p... | Teens naturally ask parents for money for material things and entertainment.But as the need becomes more frequent, why not get a job so you can earn your own money? Working for your own money will give you a sense of accomplishment and the satisfaction of a job well done.
Babysitting is a suitable job for teens.They are best suited as a mother's helper while the mother is working in another part of the house.Babysitting is not a job for girls alone.Boy babysitters are popular with families of boys.Parents rely on friends and neighbors' recommendations.Word of mouth is your best form of advertising.
Pet-sitting involves caring for people's pets while the owners are on vacation or away for the day.A pet-sitter will be responsible for giving fresh food and water, walking dogs arid cleaning out cat litter boxes.Although the pet-sitter does not spend the night, he is there often enough to bring in the mail, water plants and take the garbage out.Create a flyer with your name, prices and references, and pass it out to the families in your neighborhood..
Yard work can be a seasonal job.Spring cleanup is needed for flower beds and preparing the yard for summer.Summer is the busiest time for yard work with lawn mowing , edging and trimming bushes.Fall is the time for sweeping leaves and planting seeds for spring.If you live in a northern climate, there may be snow that needs shoveling.
Odd jobs can mean a variety of things, including painting, washing the pet, weeding the garden, cleaning out the basement, or helping to serve dinner at a party.Doing odd jobs may be a good match for someone with a busy schedule.Most odd jobs only take a few hours to complete.
For more information, please click here. | high23668.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the house was in a great mess"
},
"options": [
"everything was in good order",
"the house was in a great mess",
"his wife was seriously ill in bed",
"his car and house were broken into"
],
"question": "When the ... | A man came home from work and found his three children outside, still in their pajamas playing in the mud,with empty food boxes and wrappers thrown all around the front yard.
The door of his wife's car was open,as was the front door to the house and there was no sign of the dog.
Walking into the entry,he found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over. In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a cartoon channel,and the family room was thrown with toys and various items of clothing.
In the kitchen,dishes filled the sink,breakfast food was spilled on the counter,the fridge door was open wide, dog food was spilled on the floor,a broken glass lay under the table,and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door.
He quickly headed up the stairs,stepping over toys and more piles of clothes,looking for his wife. He was worried she might be ill,or that something serious had happened. He was met with a small drop of water as it made its way out the bathroom door. As he looked inside he found wet towels, soap and more toys thrown over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and toothpaste had been put over the mirror and walls.
As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still sleeping in the bed in her pajamas,reading a novel. She looked up at him,smiled,and asked how his day went. He looked at her puzzled and asked, "What happened here today?"
She again smiled and answered,"You know every day when you come home from work and ask me what in the world I did today?"
"Yes," was his reply.
She answered,"Well,today I didn't do it." | high13973.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "they will earn less money"
},
"options": [
"they are not used to leisure",
"they don't want to spend more",
"they will earn less money",
"they view leisure a challenge to Japanese traditions"
],
"question": "A p... | A new enemy is threatening Japanese traditions: leisure. A part of its attempt to increase imports, the government is trying to get people to work less and spend more. The workers are disgusted.
The figures support the western prejudice that the Japanese are all working without play. Trying to force workers away from their desks and machines, the government said last April that the country should cut down from its 2,100 hours average work year to 1,899 hours and a five-day by 1992. Beginning in February, banks and offices two Saturdays a month. The government hopes that others will follow that practice. But some persuasion will be needed. Small companies are very angry about it and they fear competitions may not cut hour. The unions are no happier: they have even advertised in newspapers arguing their case against the foreign pressure that is forcing leisure upon them. They say shorter hours are a disguised pay cut. The industrialists, who have no objection to the government's plans, admit that shorter hours will help them cut costs. Younger Japanese who are supposed to be acting against their hard-working parents, show no sign of wanting time off either. But unlike older workers, they do spend money in their spare time. Not content with watching TV, they dance, dress up, sit in cafes, go to pop concerts and generally drive the leisure-industry boom. Now that they know how to consume, maybe the West can teach them to relax and enjoy themselves too. | high18826.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "to sell her new album \"The Best of Vanessa-Mae\""
},
"options": [
"to concentrate on writing music",
"to go on a lobng journey",
"to sell her new album \"The Best of Vanessa-Mae\"",
"to attract her fans"
],
"qu... | She belongs to no one but the whole world that can understand her language. Her music is appreciated across the globe but it is Singapore, China, Thailand and Britain that have helped to shape her talent.
Violinist, Vanessa-Mae, best known for her pioneering mix of pop and classical music, has just completed her Asian tour. She has a magic power that has attracted an audience from around the world but the violin genius has always drawn fans by blazing a new trail.
"I don't like playing it safe, I like jumping into new styles," she said. She started her Asian performance tour in China's Hong Kong on September 19 and visited the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumper. The tour, aiming to promote her new album, "The Best of Vanessa-Mae", ends in Thailand's capital Bangkok on September 30.
The graceful and beautiful musician has attracted lots of fans in the places she has visited. She said although she enjoys trying out different forms of performance, including fashion shows and singing, she feels more comfortable with her violin. She has promised her fans she will never abandon the classical music that was the foundation of her training.
Vanessa-Mae, now 23, first picked up the violin at five. After six months of intensive training in Beijing, he turned professional at 10. it was her fusion of classical and rock in her 1995 album "The Violin Player", that shot the then 17-year-old to international recognition. The record sold 3 million copies worldwide.
She has a Chinese-Singaporean mother and a Thai father. She was born in Singapore and grew up in Britain. Vanessa-Mae has released seven albums and plans two more in the near future--first a classical album,, then a pop recording.
She has said she wants to perform for the next 10 years, but after that she may settle down with her boyfriend, a 33-year-old wine-dealer from France, and concentrate on writing music. | high4394.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "he behaves and thinks in the American way"
},
"options": [
"he always prefers apple pie as a dessert",
"his favourite pie is apple pie",
"he behaves and thinks in the American way",
"he is good at making American apple ... | Another food which is closely associated with Americans is apple pie.Apple pie is often served hot with a spoon of ice cream or a slice of cheese at the end of the biggest meal of the day--dinner, and it is a favorite dessert throughout the nation.If a person is typical of Americans, we can say, "He is as American as apple pie."
It is true that the apple and apple pie do not originate in America, but the expression "as American as apple pie" is not the product of a pure imagination.As early as 1625, the English colonists, having brought orchards on this new land and in most of the colonial times, the apple was a main material of both plain and fancy cooking.The first Massachusetts governor, William Endicott, was one of many keen apple planters who helped to lay the foundations for today' s apple-growing industry in America.
A major attraction of the apple for the colonists was that it could be made into cider . Like most Europeans, English colonists held a strong suspicion of drinking water, and since grape growing was _ by plant peats, cider became an alternative to wine.Cheap and easy to produce, it was the American drink of first choice well into the nineteenth century.Whether it was dried, raw or cooked, the apple also found its way into numerous colonial dishes, including apple sauces, pudding, stuffing and many desserts.Therefore, the conclusion to be drawn here is obvious.The apple pie became known as American, not because it was invented on this land (since it was proved that Europeans had been eating apple pies for centuries), but because, thanks to the huge orchards in the states of Washington and New York, America became the world's largest apple-producing nation. | high20361.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Because the government want their citizens to be useful to the country."
},
"options": [
"Because the children don't have money to go to school.",
"Because the government want their citizens to be useful to the country.",
"Be... | In most developed countries the government provides free education for children because it realizes that educated citizens are useful to the country in their later life. Most countries also have private education. This means that parents can pay to send their children to certain schools. People who agree with this system say that it gives parents a larger choice of schools. Other people think that private schools give the children who go to them an unfair advantage over other children.
At the age of three, many children go to nursery school. Two or three years later, they enter a primary school. At the age of 11 they go to a secondary school. Then they may have a chance .of continuing their studies at a university or college.
Universities and colleges are places where some young people go to continue their education after leaving school. Most university students study one main subject, though they may also study a number of others. Teaching is usually by lectures, or by discussions between a lecturer and students.
Most students stay at university for three or four years. At the end of that, they take an examination. If they pass, they receive their Bachelor's degree, usually a BA, which is short for Bachelor of Arts, or a BS for Bachelor of Science. Some students study for several more years in order to get higher degree, such as a MA or a PhD
Most university courses don't train students to do a certain job. Colleges, on the other hand, usually teach skills which enable students to follow a career , such as clothing design, or business studies. | high2083.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "It can be seen from the Earth."
},
"options": [
"It is the biggest ring around Saturn.",
"It can contain a billion Earths.",
"Its diameter is about 22 million miles.",
"It can be seen from the Earth."
],
"questi... | Astronomers recently found another ring around the planet Saturn -- and it's the biggest one yet. This newly discovered ring stretches about 15 million miles across, which makes a loop big enough to fit a billion Earths inside. It may be even bigger and reach 22 million miles across at its diameter . Saturn's new ring is now the biggest known ring in the solar system.
This ring, like Saturn's other rings, is not one solid piece of rock. Instead, it is made up of millions or billions of tiny rocks that orbit the planet all together and give the appearance of a unified ring. Unlike the more visible rings, however, this big one is mysterious -- the pieces are far apart, and the ring cannot be seen from the surface of the Earth. If all the pieces were stuck together, they'd be slightly bigger than a rock a half-mile wide.
Astronomers suspect that the newly discovered ring gets its material from Saturn's outermost moon, Phoebe. For example, the dust in the ring circles Saturn in the same path and the same direction as Phoebe. Plus, the surface of Phoebe is marked with holes and places where rock has been knocked away, the result of collisions between Phoebe and other moons and rocks. These collisions could have sent dust out into space to become part of the big ring.
The discovery of the ring could help explain other mysteries surrounding Saturn and its dozens of moons. The moon called Iapetus, for example, is two-toned: one side is gray; the other more reddish. Iapetus is within the newly discovered ring, but it orbits in the opposite direction. As a result, some researchers say, debris from the ring may have coated and color1ed one side of Iapetus as it moved through space, and left the other side alone.
"The cause of Iapetus' strange color1 distribution ... has been a puzzle that now seems solved," said Joseph Burns, a scientist. But not everyone agrees. Some think the ring alone may not be able to explain Iapetus' funny color1ing. | high18198.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The WHO issues official advice to cut down pollution,"
},
"options": [
"The WHO provided selfless assistance for the poor.",
"People are forbidden to use coal-stoves inside.",
"The WHO issues official advice to cut down pollu... | The World Health Organization warns that millions of people are dying every year from indoor air pollution. The WHO finds that poor cooking, heating and lighting technologies are killing millions of people each year.
Indoor air pollution results from the use of dangerous fuels and cook-stoves in the home. To help fight the problem, the WHO announced, new guidelines aimed at reducing household pollutants.
WHO officials say nearly three billion people are unable to use clean fuels and technologies for cooking? heating and lighting. And they say more than seven million people die from exposure to indoor or outdoor air pollution each year. Of that number, the WHO says about 4. 3 million people die from household air pollution given off by simple coal cook-stoves. Most of the deaths are in developing countries.
Carlos Dora is Coordinator in the WHO's Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health. He says people should not use unprocessed coal and kerosene fuel indoors. He says opening a window or door to let out the harmful air will not improve the situation. It will only pollute the outdoors.
WHO officials say indoor pollution leads to early deaths from stroke, heart and lung disease, childhood pneumonia and lung cancer. Women and girls are the main victims. The United Nations found that more than 95 percent of households in sub-Saharan Africa depend on solid fuels for cooking. It says huge populations in India, China and Latin American countries, such as Guatemala and Peru, are also at risk.
Nigel Bruce is a professor of Public Health at the University of Liverpool. He says researchers are developing good cook-stoves and other equipment to burn fuels in a more efficient way.
WHO experts note some new, safe and low-cost technologies that could help are already available. In India, you can buy an induction stove for about $ 8.00. And in Africa a you can buy a solar lamp for less than $ 1. 00. | high11802.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Buy six more movies at the Club prices in the next 3 years."
},
"options": [
"Buy six more movies at the Club prices in the next 3 years.",
"Buy two more movies at the low price of $6.95 later.",
"Buy six more movies at the p... | Here's How to Get Your 6 Movies for 1C/Each
Just Write in the Numbers of the 6 movies you want for 1C/each, plus shipping. In exchange ,you agree to buy just six more movies in the next three years, at our regular Club prices (which currently start as low as $19.95 plus shipping) -- and you may cancel membership at any time after doing so. What's more, you can get two more movies for the low price of $6.95 each and you will, after that, spend much less on the movies you want.
Free Video Magazine sent every four weeks (up to 13 times a year), with our Director's Selection --plus many lower-priced cassettes, down to $14.95. And you may receive Special Selection mailings up to four times a year (a total of up to 17 buying opportunities per year).
Buy Only What You Want! If you want the Director's Selection, do nothing -- it will be sent automatically . If you prefer some other selection, or none at all, just mail the answer card always provided by the date specified. And you'll always have 14 days to decide.
Instant Bonus Plan. As soon as you become a member, you'll immediately have the right to our money-saving plan! It enables you to enjoy more great savings on the movies you want -- right from the start of your membership!
10-Day Risk-Free Trial. If not satisfied, return everything within 10 days, and then you'll get your money back and there will be no further obligation. | high21719.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "most of Hemingway's works were based on his life experience"
},
"options": [
"Hemingway produced most of his works in Africa",
"Hemingway led a very happy life in his last few years",
"most of Hemingway's works were based on ... | Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899--July 2, 1961) was an American writer and journalist. His writing style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image affected later generations. Hemingway produced most of his works between the mid-1920s and the mid-1950s, and won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954.
Hemingway was raised in Illinois. After high school he reported for The Kansas City Star, before leaving for the Italian front to enlist with the World War I ambulance drivers. In 1918, he was seriously wounded and returned home. In 1922, he married Hadley Richardson. The couple moved to Paris, where he worked as a foreign journalist. Advised and encouraged by other American writers in Paris--F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, he began to see his work appear in print there, and in 1925 his first important book, a collection of stories called In Our Time, was published. A year later, he published The Sun Also Rises, a novel with which he scored his first solid success. The writing of books occupied Hemingway for most of the postwar years. He remained based in Paris, but he traveled widely for bullfighting , fishing, and hunting that by then had become part of his life and formed the background for much of his writing. Hemingway's love of Spain and bullfighting resulted in Death in the Afternoon (1932). His position as a master of short fiction had been advanced by Men Without Women in 1927. The harvest of Hemingway's considerable experience of Spain in war and peace was the novel For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940). _
Shortly after he published The Old Man and the Sea in 1952, Hemingway went to Africa, where he was almost killed in a plane crash that left him in pain or ill-health for much of the rest of his life. Hemingway lived in Florida and Cuba during the 1930s and 1940s, but in 1959 he moved from Cuba to Ketchum, Idaho, where ended his life in the summer of 1961. | high5934.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Japan"
},
"options": [
"France",
"Egypt",
"Japan",
"Australia"
],
"question": "Queen will probably travel to _ according to the ad.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"ans... | Fun, and maybe more
Nickname: tatoosun
Email: tatoosun2003@yahoo.com
When to travel: Jun 2007 - Aug 2007
Who am I: Slender African girl in her late 20's. Quite charming, loving, pretty, fun to be with.
My travel plans: Nothing in mind for sure, just looking to come with you.
Who am I looking for: Looking for a white male between 40-50 years, someone who is full of energy and lively.
When was this ad published: Nov 11 2006, Sat. 20yr old aussie looking for travel companion
Nickname: Aly
Email: alyssia _ europe@hotmail.com
When to travel: May 2007
Who am I: a lovely girl, with fun, honest, caring.
My travel plans: I will be traveling to Europe cities, then the world!!
Whom am I looking for: An extremely fun and entertaining male / female, middle-aged. Someone that I can enjoy every travel moment with. When was this ad published: Nov 12, 2006, Sun
*Just for fun
Nickname: Queen
Email: qrutta@yahoo.co.uk
When to travel: Jan 2007 - Dec 2007
Who am I: Young slender girl, looking to see Asia with anyone who wants to travel.
My travel plans: I most prefer a white man in his late 30's to have fun with me as he travels either on business or leisure trips. Whom am I looking for: someone who is kind, loving, honest, friendly, good sense of humor, adventurous.
When was this ad published: Nov 6, 2006, Mon
By Road Around the World
Nickname: H N Solanki
Email: ragwani@hotmail.com
When to travel: May 2007-Aug 2007
Who am I: I am 55. From my childhood, have this dream to go around the world by hitch hiking. However this is now changed and I want to go by Road.
My travel plans: Going throughout the world and studying various people, culture and habits.
Whom am I looking for: A female companion, and she must have similar interest as me.
When was this ad published: Oct 3 2006, Tue | high22210.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The writer enjoys spending time with his family"
},
"options": [
"The writer moved to Venezuela in North America when he was 19",
"The writer lived in Japan for eight years alone",
"The writer doesn't have any problems in his... | My name's Randall Davis, and I'm originally from the state of Indiana in the United States. When I was 19 years old, I moved to Venezuela in South America, and later returned to the United States, where I attended Brigham Young University in the 1980s. I majored in Spanish education and TESOL. After graduating from college, my wife and I moved to Japan where we lived for eight years. Now, I work back in Utah in the United States.
However, my greatest interest is my family. Years ago, I wanted to make something of myself in my profession to get ahead in life. But I realized that the most important things in life lived within the walls of my own home. Today, I try to put them first. My kids wouldn't remember me for the work I did outside of the home. They would only recall the moments we spent together.
Therefore, I enjoy spending time with my family. I have four children, and we go hiking and camping together. On our hikes, we often talk about life, and I tell stories or share personal experiences. When I do this, I can focus on the kids without the distractions of video games or the Internet. Telling stories sounds easy, but when you have to think of a new story on a hot, 12-kilometer hike through the desert, you always come up with ideas off the top of your head.
However, this does not mean we do not have problems. All families face challenges in their lives, and our family is no exception. But we try to talk openly about our problems, and we try to solve our problems together. _ | high22204.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "She wakes them up with no punishment."
},
"options": [
"She wakes them up with no punishment.",
"She blames herself for giving a boring lesson.",
"She asks them to stand outside.",
"She reports it to their parents."
... | Shelly Nielsen sees students fall asleep in class at least twice a week. "When I see
teens asleep in my class, I wonder if I am really that boring", said Nielsen, a teacher. "I also wonder why they are so tired." Neilson first tried to wake up sleeping students quietly. If the snoozing continues, she may call a student's parents to find out how much sleep the students is getting at night and why.
According to a research, teens need at least nine hours of sleep to function
properly during the day. And more than 90 percent of teens say they are sleeping less than that each night.
"The big problem is the social demand for homework, video games and friends. Teens don't understand how important sleep is." said Dr. Carl Lawyer, a specialist.
Rebecca Lucas, another teacher agrees. "Teens are busy," she said, " many
activities force them to get home pretty late. When I see teens sleeping in my class, I feel sad. I also feel frustrated because I have so much to teach in such a short amount of time and teens sleeping in the class slows me down."
Al Taylor, a teacher says sleeping is not allowed in his class. "When I see a teen
sleeping in my class, I feel bad that they didn't get enough sleep but they need to correct it at home," Taylor said. "I've raised teenage boys myself. Teenagers like to wait to the last minute to do their homework so that they often stay up late trying to finish it." | high20413.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the wife's right to receive one-tenth of her husband's property"
},
"options": [
"the wife's inheritance from her father",
"a gift of money to the new husband",
"a written contract",
"the wife's right to receive one-ten... | It is not often realized that women held a high place in southern European societies in the 10 th and 11 th centuries. As wife, the woman was protected by the setting up of a dowry or decimum. Admittedly, the purpose of this was to protect her against the risk of desertion ,but in reality its function in the social and family life of the time was much more important. The decimum was the wife's right to receive a tenth of all her husband's property. The wife had the right to withhold consent, in all transactions the husband would make, And more than just a right: the documents showed that she enjoyed a real power of decision, equal to that of her husband. In no case did the documents indicate any degree of difference in the legal status of husband and wife.
The wife shared in the management of her husband's personal property, but the opposite was not always true. Women seemed perfectly prepared to defend their own inheritance(,)against husbands who tried to exceed their rights, and on occasion they showed a fine fighting spirit. A case in point is that of Maria, Vivas, a Catalan woman of Barcelona. Having agreed with her husband Miro to sell a field she had inherited, for the needs of the household, she insisted on compensation. None being offered, she succeeded in dragging her husband to the scribe to have a contract duly drawn up assigning her a piece of land from Miro's personal inheritance. The unfortunate husband was obliged to agree, as the contract says, "for the sake of peace." Either through the dowry or through being hot-tempered, the Catalan wife knew how to win herself, within the context of the family, a powerful economic position. | high11816.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "have trouble in reading and writing"
},
"options": [
"be good at learning a new language",
"have trouble in reading and writing",
"have natural abilities to become a writer",
"be unable to stay focused on something"
... | As a published author with a degree in English, 33-year-old Tom Williams has achieved more than many people will in a lifetime. What makes those achievements more impressive is that he's dyslexic.
At school Tom, who has worked as a literary agent and now has a full-time job with a digital publishing company, would often find keeping up in lessons so tiring that he would fall asleep. "I found it quite frustrating that everybody else had neat handwriting and could spell and I just couldn't do what they could," says Tom, who has written a respected biography of crime writer Raymond Chandler.
It wasn't until the age of 17 that he was given a test for dyslexia that showed why he'd struggled for so long. He was always studying for A-levels including English.
"My teacher didn't think I'd get the grades I was capable of," he says. "So she pushed for me to be tested and I'm grateful that she did."
Until his diagnosis Tom had been ranked somewhere in the middle of his classes at school. He couldn't understand why assignments would come back covered in red ink. However, after Tom's diagnosis, when his condition began to be taken properly into account, he found himself at the top of the class.
To study English well, he wrote down new words as he came across them and tried to find somewhere quiet and well lit to read and write.
He says people were often surprised that someone with dyslexia wanted to pursue a degree in English. Similarly, when he went to study at University College London, the tutors were initially taken aback at his degree choice.
Not everyone understands dyslexia so well. "If teachers aren't trained to recognize signs of dyslexia, they'll think children are less able," he says. To make sure that doesn't happen and to encourage a deeper understanding of the condition among those affected by it, Tom becomes a supporter of the charity Dyslexia Action. | high19292.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The increase in the number of online classes."
},
"options": [
"The increasing number of \nprivate tutors.",
"The development of teaching methods.",
"The increase in the number of online classes.",
"The growth in the in... | As an effect of the high fuel prices spent on bus transportation, some American schools are changing to a four-day week. That means longer days instead of the traditional Monday through Friday schedule.
Having been approved for three years and beginning in the fall, students in the Maccray school district in Minnesota will be in school from Tuesday to Friday. Each school day will be 65 minutes longer. Officials say the district expects to save about sixty-five thousand dollars a year in transportation costs.
In new Mexico, the first school district changed to a four-day week in 1974 because of the Arab oil boycott . Now, 17 out of 89 districts use it.
In Custer, South Dakota, students have been going to school four days a week since 1995. Superintendent Tim Creal says the change has saved about one million dollars over just the past eight years. He sees other benefits, too. Students get more instructional time, and activities that used to take up class time are now held on non-school days. He says that in the future, the growth of online classes could make it possible to require even fewer days in school. High fuel prices are driving college students to take more online classes.
A four-day school week sounds like a great idea for students and teachers, but working parents may have to pay for child care for that fifth day. | high3389.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Coins for Change."
},
"options": [
"Coins for Change.",
"Toys for Tots.",
"DoSomething,org.",
"American Red Cross."
],
"question": "David, 8, is fond of playing virtual games. Which charity should he attend?",
... | The holidays are a time to give. These charities---and many more--are looking for volunteers and donations.
World Wildlife Fund
The World Wildlife Fund is helping to protect endangered species through the Symbolic Species Adoption program. Those who "adopt" an animal will receive an adoption certificate and a photo of their species. Anyone can support endangered species year round by buying WWF apparel . worldwildlife. Org/giving
DoSomething. org
This month, Dosomething. org launched their holiday campaign, "Grandparents Gone Wired". The goal of the campaign is to make it easier for senior citizens to keep in touch with their loved ones using the Internet. Teens can volunteer to help seniors in their community. Volunteers are able to win prizes and scholarships. dosomething. org/grandparents
Coins for Change
Disney's Club Penguin, a virtual gaming site for kids, launched its annual Coins for Change campaign this month. From Dec. 15 to Dec. 27, Club Penguin players can donate virtual coins to real-world causes. If players reach the donation goal, Club Penguin will donate $2 million to charity projects. clubpenguin.com.
Toys for Tots
Each year, the U.S. Marine Corps Toys Program collects new, unwrapped toys for the holidays. Communities across the nation host Toys for Tots drives around the holiday season. The toys collected are given as gifts to needy children so they can experience the joy of Christmas. toyfortots.org
American Red Cross
All you need is a pen and a piece of paper. The American Red Cross Holiday Mail Heroes Program is collecting handwritten card to send to members of the U.S. Armed Forces during the holidays. The charity has also set up a Holiday Giving Catalog where you can buy personal gifts, such as babysitting lessons. redcross.org
The Warm Coats & Warm Hearts Drive
The Warm Coats & Warm Hearts Drive is a non-profit organization sponsored by ABC's Good Morning America and Burlington Coat Factory. During the holiday season Burlington stores collect gently worn coats. The donated coats are given to people in need to keep warm during the winter. onewarmcoat.org | high5920.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The passage didn't mention."
},
"options": [
"Because the price was high.",
"Because the food was too cheap.",
"Because the food was not good.",
"The passage didn't mention."
],
"question": "Why didn't people co... | Very few people were coming to eat at the White Rose Restaurant, and its owner did not know what to do. The price was reasonable and the food was of good quality, but nobody seemed to want to eat there.
Then he did something that changed all that, and in a few weeks his restaurant is always full of men with their lady friends. Whenever a gentleman came in with a lady, a smiling waiter gave each of them a menu , The menu looked exactly the same on the outside, but there was an important difference inside. The menu that the waiter gave to the man supplied the correct price for each dish and each bottle of wine. while the menu that he gave to the lady supplied a much higher price! So when the man calmly ordered dish after dish and wine after wine, the lady thought he was much more generous than he really was. | high18832.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "to invite you to take part in the competition"
},
"options": [
"to invite you to take part in the competition",
"to tell you some information of the competition",
"to help to improve your spoken English",
"to show you h... | The Fourth "21th Century Cup" National English Speaking Competition is to be held in prefix = st1 /Shanghai.
Organizers: ChinaDaily andShanghaiBroadcasting Network.
Co-ordinater: China University English Speaking Association (CUESA).
Co-sponsors : English Speaking Union (ESU), Lotus Software (China)Co. Ltd. , Times Publishing Group of Singapore, HiltonShanghai, Pearson Education, Foreign Language Teaching & Research Press.
Date: March 26 ( Friday), 2007
Place: Hilton Shanghai.
Competition Format : Each student will present a prepared speech on the given topic, followed by a three -minute off - hand speech and a three - minute question and answer period with the judges.
Prepared speech period: six minutes.
Q & A period: three minutes.
Speech topic: People and Nature: In search of harmony in a new age + your personal opinion. (Topics for the off hand speech will be given on the day of competition).
Prizes: Besides books and certificates , the top two winners will be offered scholarships to travel to the annual international English -speaking competition which will be held by the English Speaking Union in London in May, 2007. The third and fourth place winners will be offered a study trip to Singapore, sponsored by the Times Publishing Group. The fifth through 10th place winners will be offered cash prizes. All the competitors will receive certificates from the English Speaking Union and book prizes provided by Pearson Education and Foreign Language Teaching & Research Press. The teachers of the top winners will also receive a one - year membership to the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language(IATEFL) | high24113.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "10:30 a.m"
},
"options": [
"1l:00 a.m.",
"4:30 p.m",
"10:30 a.m",
"10:30 p.m."
],
"question": "What is the opening time during the summer?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Weleome to Chatsworth
*Times and dates for the year 2008
Open 2nd April to 21st December,House open daily 1l:00 a.m.to 5:30 P,m,last admission 4:30 p.m.,closes 5:30 p.m.Last entry to Scots Rooms.open 4;00p.m.gardens open 11:00a.m.to 6:00p.1111.,last admission 5:00 p,m,(open 10:30 a.m.June-August),closes 6:00 p.m.Farmyard and Adventureplayground 10:30 a.m.to 5:30 p.in.last admission 4'30 p.m.,closes
5:30 p.m.
*Admission
Adults:PS6.50
Senior citizens&students:PS5.25
Children:PS3.00
Children under three:Free
Family Ticket:PSl 6.75
Car Park:PS1 00
*Shopping
Two Gift Shops,w11 h many items based on designs from tbe House arid Garden.
Christmas shopping available at weekends from November to Christmas.
*Eating
Restaurant servmg home made food.Bar serving drinks and cakes
*Special Events in 2007
Angling Fair Weekend
8th and 9th May.One of the fairs in the Country for game and sea fishing funs.
Flower and Garden Show Weekend
26th and 27th in June.Tbe second year of this event,with flower shows and sales and gardening advice.
Guided Tours[:**Z*X*X*K]
Gulded tours for children and students it:English and French at an exlra eharge.Further details from the Booking Office after 10:30 a.m.
The 1000 acre Park in the banks of the River Derwent is open,free,throughout the year. | high7851.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "He was popular with children."
},
"options": [
"He liked writing stories.",
"He loved making friends.",
"He was a very young man.",
"He was popular with children."
],
"question": "How did Father impress the auth... | From my earlier memory of Mother it somehow seemed quite natural to think of her as different, nor of everyday things as Father was. In those days he was a young-looking man. He did not hesitate to make friends with children as soon as they were able to talk to him and laugh at his stories. Mother was older than he was. She must have been a woman of nearly forty, but she seemed even older. She changed little for a long time, showing no indication of growing old at all until, towards the end of her life, she suddenly became an old lady.
I was always _ about Mother's age. She never had birthdays like other people, nor did anyone else in our family. No candles were ever lit or cakes made or presents given in our house. To my friends in the street who talked delightfully about their birthday parties, I would repeat my mother's words that such celebrations were only foolish.
"Nothing but deception," she would say. "As though life can be marked by birthdays. It's deeds, not years, that matter."
Although I often repeated her words and even prided myself on not having birthdays, I once could not help asking Mother when she was born.
"I was born. I'm alive as you can see, so what more do you want to know?" she replied, so sharply that I never asked her about her age again.
In so many other ways Mother was different. Whereas all the rest of the women I knew in the neighboring hoses took pride in their housewifely abilities, their new furniture, the neat appearance of their homes, Mother regarded all those things as of little importance. Our house always looked as if we had just moved in or were about to move out. | high13967.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The Small but Important Nation of Greece"
},
"options": [
"The Earliest Civilizations",
"The Influence of the Sea on Greece.",
"The Small but Important Nation of Greece",
"The Ionian Sea"
],
"question": "A good ... | Greece today is a small country in southeastern Europe. The population is about nine million, and the capital city is Athens.
High mountains with rich, fertile land between them cover northern Greece. The hilly southern part is a peninsula called the Peloponnesus. Hundreds of islands surround the mainland. The largest island is Crete.
No part of the nation is far from water. The Ionian Sea and the Aegean Sea _ deep bays and gulfs into the long coastline. Greece has been a seafaring nation for centuries, and Greece is very well known for its shipping industry.
More than three thousand years ago, the Greek people developed a very sophisticated society. They have a great civilization, one of the greatest that the Western would have ever seen. Greek architecture, thinking and art influenced other languages, including English. For example, the English words alphabet, democracy, and arithmetic come from Greek.
Today Greece is one of the most popular nations with the tourists who visit Europe. Thousands of people are attracted to the country because of its beautiful scenery, magnificent ancient buildings, and its excellent summer weather. | high7689.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "husbands help their wives."
},
"options": [
"husbands read plays aloud.",
"husbands are paid by their wives.",
"husbands help their wives.",
"husbands look after their sick children."
],
"question": "The express... | "In the old days," as one wife said. " The husband was the husband and the wife was the wife." In the past husbands each had their own way of going on. The wives' jobs were to look after them.
"The wives wouldn't stand for it nowadays. Husbands help with the children now. They stay more, as well as have more interest, at home." We shall give some examples of what husbands do, firstly in sharing work with their wives; and secondly, in their largely independent domain of house repairs.
"Some husbands, as well as doing much of the heavy work in the home, carrying the coals, and emptying the rubbish, act as assistants to their wives for at least part of the day." Mr. Hammond washes up the dishes every night and lays the breakfast for the morning. Mr. Clark said that on Sunday mornings he usually hovered around and read plays aloud for his wife while she did a bit of washing. Mr. Davis polishes the floors and helps to make the beds at weekend, and during weekdays, takes the dog out for one of his twice-daily walks. So it goes on.... | high22562.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the crew from the National Geographic Channel`s reality show called Diggers."
},
"options": [
"Apple founder Steve Jobs himself.",
"the crew from the National Geographic Channel`s reality show called Diggers.",
"Steve Jobs' f... | A time capsule buried by Apple founder Steve Jobs 30 years ago has been discovered after its location was long forgotten.In 1983, the young tech innovator was attending a conference in Aspen when he and the group decided to bury as a stunt during a design convention.
The tube that was filled with an eclectic collection of goods- ranging from the then-new apple mouse to a six-pack of beer for the people who discovered the time capsule- was meant to be dug up 20 years later.
There was a problem with that plan, however, as everyone involved forgot where it was buried.
The final discovery happened at the hands of the crew from the National Geographic Channel`s reality show called Diggers.The discovery was well documented and is surely going to be featured on an upcoming episode, and even the experts had problems finding this particular treasure.
CNET reports that in spite of their preparations and clear idea of where the 13-foot-long tube was, it still took them two hours to dig it up using heavy machinery.
To anyone removed from the tech industry, the accomplishment in finding the tube appears to be the biggest accomplishment. To others, the most interesting object would likely be the `Lisa` mouse placed in the tube by the hands of a then-28-year-old Jobs.The Lisa Mouse, which Jobs named after his daughter, was one of the first commercial computer mice soled publicly, making it a rarity at the time.
The Aspen Historical Society is going to help the show creators catalogue the tube`s contents- but no word yet whether or not the Diggers cracked open one of the six bottles of Boddington`s Ale that was left inside for the people who found the tube. | high6408.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "over three thousand"
},
"options": [
"over three thousand",
"thirteen hundred",
"twenty three hundred",
"less than two thousand"
],
"question": "This year _ teenagers will take part in the exchange programme... | This year some twenty-three hundred teenagers (young people aged from 13-19) from all over the world will spend about ten months in U. S. homes. They will attend U.S. schools, meet U.S. teenagers, and form impressions of the real America. At the same time, about thirteen hundred American teenagers will go to other countries to learn new languages and gain a new understanding of the rest of the world.
Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred, nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George's family. In turn, George's son Mike spent a year in Fred's home in America.
Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months' study, the language began to come to him. School was completely different from what he had expected-much harder. Students rose respectfully when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that are usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities.
Family life, too, was different. The father's word was law, and all activities were around the family rather than the individual . Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car. "Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk, but you soon learn to like it."
At the same time, in America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea. "I suppose I should criticize American schools", he says. "It is far too easy by our level. But I have to say that I like it very much. In Germany we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe you schools are better in training for citizens. There ought to be some middle ground between the two." | high1367.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "rats on the healthy food diet performed better at simple tasks than those on the junk food diet"
},
"options": [
"rats from the healthy diet group ate nothing but corn and fish",
"rats on the junk food diet ate more than those on h... | We all know that eating junk food can make us fat. However, a new study suggests that it can do more than that - it can also make us lazy, reported CBS News.
In the study, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, US divided 32 female rats into two groups. The first group was fed a diet of healthy food such as corn and fish, while the second was given a diet of highly processed food rich in sugar, namely "junk food".
Within three months, the rats in the second group were already much fatter than those on the healthy diet. And when researchers trained the rats to do simple tasks, they found even more differences between the two groups rather than weight.
During the task - pushing a lever to receive a reward of sugar water - the rats on the junk food diet were found to be less willing to move, and they took longer breaks between each push than the lean rats did.
"It is as if the rat is thinking 'This is too much work'," Aaron Blaisdell, leader of the study, told the Los Angeles Times.
But what about the possibility that the fat rats were less passionate about getting sugar water because they were already eating lots of sugar in their daily diet? That's why researchers repeated the tests by rewarding fat rats with plain water when they were extremely thirsty. However, the results came out just the same.
According to researchers, these differences suggest that junk food changed the chemistry in the rats' brains.
The experiment didn't end _ . After six months, the rats' diets were switched, and the overweight rats were given a healthy diet for nine days. However, this change didn't help reduce their weight or improve their ability to perform tasks, which means the effects of their junk food diet persisted . "There's no quick fix," said Blaisdell.
For a long time, we've believed that people become fat because they are lazy. But this study has proven the opposite to be true as well, which indicates that laziness and obesity are a "vicious cycle ".
So, if you constantly feel tired, lacking any urge to get up from your chair, it could be that you've been studying too hard. But you should also pay attention to your diet. | high13620.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "If you are on a diet, you should always keep to your diet."
},
"options": [
"If you are on a diet, you should always keep to your diet.",
"Use smaller bowls can help you eat less food.",
"Skipping breakfast is not a wise way ... | Are there fastest ways to lose weight? Yes, there are! This is no magic trick or miracle. It just needs sensible actions.
*Drink water
No, you don't have to fill up like a tub, but ensure that you drink 8 to 10 glasses of water every day. Don't substitute for juice. With adequate water intake your body will be able to metabolize fat more effectively. And if you have a glass of water 10-15 minutes before your meal, you will feel full once you start eating. Another fun fact, did you know that you can lose 62 calories by drinking ice cold water?
*Eat 5 times a day
Start with breakfast. The more you eat for breakfast, the less food you will want to eat at night. Please don't skip this meal as you'll end up swallowing everything in sight for the rest of the day. You don't need to gobble up 5 large meals. Eat sensibly so your body doesn't crave for food.
*Use weights
Needless to say, exercise is crucial to weight loss. You can't expect to sit on the sofa all day, sip water and lose weight. Join a good gym that lets you work with _ It will help you build muscle and your metabolism rate will increase. You'll soon see the fat come off and in its place muscle will develop.
*Smaller bowls
It's better to substitute the huge bowls you usually use for small ones - when food starts to fall off, you'll know it's enough. Try to get these new bowls in dark colors. Dark blue will be your best choice since it is the number one color that fights off the appetite. Avoid red/orange/yellow colors in your dining area - they are the ones making your appetite go sky high.
*Read between lines
Food and drink products are all out to get you. They scream "Buy me! Buy me!" They could be "fat free" but they could still have a lot of calories. You need to analyze the nutrition label on the cover. Find out what's good for you and what isn't. Knowing in advance can help you stay away from products that are calorie-enriched.
*Don't punish yourself
Go easy on yourself at least one day in a week. If you begin to dislike your diet then there's something wrong. Find a diet that suits your body type and your lifestyle. | high15251.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "research still ranks above teaching"
},
"options": [
"research is declining in importance",
"teaching now ranks above research",
"teaching is a sure way to gain position",
"research still ranks above teaching"
],
... | US universities are among the best in the world. Since World War II, American scientists --- mostly working in universties or colleges --- have won more than half of all Nobel Prizes in physics and medicine. Foreign students rush to the United States by the tens of thousands. Last year they earned more than one quarter of the doctoral degrees awarded in the country. Yet while American universities produce the great research and great graduate program, they sometimes pay little attention to the task that lies at their very core: the teaching of undergraduate students.
With the increase in fees, educators feel obliged to improve undergraduate teaching. In speeches and interviews the nation's higher educators have rediscovered teaching. Robert Rosenzweig, president of the Association of American Universities, said, "Our organization was never very concerned about teaching. In the last 18 months, we have spent more time on undergraduate education than on any other subject."
Despite such promising efforts, no one doubts that research still outranks teaching at some of the leading universities, not least because it is a surer and faster way to earn status. Some people don't think it has to be that way. They argue that the reward system for college faculty can be changed, so that professors will be encouraged to devote more time and effort to teaching. They say that they are beginning to believe that the first ten years of the 21st century may come to be remembered as the decade of the undergraduate.
That would bring it full circle. For more than two centuries after the founding of Harvard College in 1636, the instruction of undergraduate students was an essential condition of American higher education. | high3570.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "American parties"
},
"options": [
"Reasons for parties",
"Birthdays without pressure",
"American parties",
"Different parties in the world"
],
"question": "What can be the best title for the passage?",
"ques... | Americans plan parties for many reasons. As in other cultures, many Americans attend parties for weddings and religious or national holidays. But some parties are especially American. For example, a group of neighbors may gather on their street to eat food, play music and visit with one another. This is called a block party. A woman might invite a group of women to a party called a baby shower for a friend who is about to give birth. Guests bring presents for the new baby.
Americans also attend tailgate parties. A tailgate is the back end of a truck or other vehicle that opens down. The tailgate parties are a big part of sports culture in the United States. Friends bring food and drink to a sports event. They eat together in the parking area of the sports stadium.
Birthday parties are also very popular. Many parents organize a party for their child around a theme. Birthday parties usually include gifts and a birthday cake with candles. In many parts of the United States, cupcakes have become a popular replacement for cakes.
Birthday parties can be low cost or very costly. Some parents take their children's birthday parties very seriously, even when the child is too young to fully understand the celebration.
One group of parents started a website called Birthdays Without Pressure. They decided that some parents were under too much social pressure to plan costly parties for their children. The group sees this movement as an example of America's culture of "too much stuff". The group's website gives suggestions on how to keep birthday celebrations simple, meaningful and fun without spending a lot of money. Their advice may be very helpful during this period of economic recession . | high10329.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "visiting one of their good friends in other district"
},
"options": [
"preparing a dinner for a poor family",
"chatting with the elderly mother and her disabled son",
"making preparations for their own Christmas festival",
... | Heather Jack and her family, including her two children, usually spend the Christmas holidays preparing a feast--for others to eat. Last Christmas Eve, they went to a house in the neighborhood and prepared a dinner for an elderly woman and her son, who has muscular dystrophy . They stayed for an hour and chatted before heading home to prepare for a visit from Santa .
"I think it is that kind of direct experience that many find so meaningful," says Heather, president and founder of The Volunteer Family, a Boston-based organization dedicated to matching families with volunteer opportunities, both during the holidays and year-round. "It's a great way for parents to involve the kids."
In a holiday season that stretches from before Thanksgiving to just after the New Year, it's nice to hear stories about people with their children giving instead of receiving. Last December Gary and Debra Danoff and their two teenage sons drove to the Washington, D. C. Jewish Community Center(JCC) and spent Christmas morning in the Center's kitchen preparing a feast for homeless shelters.
By choosing to prepare meals for the homeless, the Danoffs bring together a belief in community service with their love of cooking, "It feels good to prepare food with our kids for other people at Christmas," says Gary. "We want them to know that many people don't have the ability to go to the supermarket and pick the foods they want to eat and pay for them."
The Danoffs were in good company. Across the city, at least 1000 volunteers with their children went across the region to provide food to the poor people as part of the D. C. JCC's annual "December 25th Day of Service", now in its 22nd year. | high16980.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "symbols of barriers in one's life"
},
"options": [
"materials to test one's muscles",
"signs of goals in one's life",
"assessments to show one's progress",
"symbols of barriers in one's life"
],
"question": "The... | A motivational strategy that parents can employ with their kids, is to frame tasks and responsibilities in the context of what the end benefit is for them. I call this strategy WIIFM
("What's in it for me?").
When a teen can combine an understanding of WIIFM with a sense of passion about achieving a goal, barriers will start to fall away. At our teen summer camps, we arrange an event near the end of the 10-day session that helps campers identify an important life goal and mentally break through their biggest barrier to achieving the goal.
We pass around 12-by-12-inch pine boards. We tell campers that this activity is not about breaking a piece of wood. It's about how you can get what you want in your life. It's about breaking barriers to grab on to your goals.
They have the power to break through any barrier. It has nothing to do with body size or physical condition. The skinniest, smallest teens will break through the board almost as easily as the big ones.
We talk to the campers about the reasons they might have had for not reaching their goals in the past. Maybe they got lazy and decided it wasn't worth the effort. Maybe they failed and let their fear of failure hold them back. But this exercise is about putting the past where it belongs. Today is about making new choices.
By this point in the program, we ask them to think of the goal they've set for themselves and write their goals on the boards. Then they write the possible obstacles which may hold them back on the opposite sides. An inch of pine now stands between them and their dreams.
The facilitators and their teammates gather around. The support is strong. One by one, they break through the barriers and grab their goals! All around us teens are laughing, crying, hugging, and holding up the broken pieces of their boards. The confidence shown on their faces is beautiful.
While arranging such an activity in one's home is almost unrealistic for parents, the value of helping a teen break through a personal barrier simply by being there as moral support can not be overestimated. More help for parents in the form of videos and articles is available at our website, in our blogs and in a monthly e-newsletter. | high5101.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "might be responsible for boys' bad deeds"
},
"options": [
"will totally determine men's character and behavior",
"always leads to trouble-making",
"might be responsible for boys' bad deeds",
"plays no role in children's... | Scientists have discovered a gene that plays a role in violence in men ill-treated in childhood.The discovery could explain why some experience unhappy childhoods and go on to normal lives, while others turn to violence, crime of antisocial deeds. But it will also restart another argument.
Terrie Moffitt and Avshalom Caspi report in Science today that one common form of a gene in the brain makes men more likely to be violent--but only if they have experienced cruelty or rejection in childhood . The researchers followed up the life histories of 442 boys born in New Zealand in 1972. Of these, 154 had been ill-treated in the first 10 years, 33 of them badly. They had either experienced sexual attack, beatings or rejection by mother or stepparents. Of the 154 children , 55 had a less active variant of a gene called MAOA, and 99 had the more active variant . The 55 boys were more than twice as likely to have been in trouble as the other ill-treated group . They made up 12% of the total, but were responsible for 44% of all crimes from among the 442 boys.
Prof Moffitt thought a "violence" gene had not been discovered. Boys with the less active form who were not ill-treated during childhood lived normal lives. "It is very common in the population. One third of us have it." she said, "So the gene doesn't do much of anything, it doesn't cause any trouble in any way, unless we are also ill -treated".
The gene might also show the ability to bear mental stress. The army or the police might examine the applicants to see if they have the more active form . But the discovery also raises the argument that people with the less active form of the gene could be social dangers, to be treated with medicine. "This research can easily lead people to fix social problems through medical treatment," said David King of the UK Gene Alert Group. | high18775.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Coney Island"
},
"options": [
"Coney Island",
"Columbus",
"Cleveland",
"Kelleys Island"
],
"question": "According to the passage a basketball lover is most likely to go to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_qu... | In terms of tourism .Ohio is a place full of natural beauty and many vacation spots worth Visiting .
Coney island-Fun Unlimited !
Coney Island is an amusement park situated in the city of Cincinnati. It has the world's largest recirculating pool . several diving hoards .and an "in pool" slide. For basketball and vol- leyhall lovers . there are special courts available. Apart from this . the park is equipped with 22 classic family and kiddie rides .boating facilities . a golf course . etc Other amusement parks in Ohio include Erieview Park .The Beach Waterpark . Memphis Kiddie Park .etc.
Columbus-The Headquarters!
Anyhow, your journey would start from Columbus . the capital city of the state ! So spend some quality time roaming around in this beautiful city. Nightclubs . high quality restaurants .and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-For Music Lovers !
If you are a die-hard music lover. then certainly this place wouldn't disappoint you ! Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was opened somewhere around in 1995 .with an intention of celebrating the spirit of rock and roll music .and also studying it. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame offers exhibitions .music events . and also training programs on the subject. This is a perfect stop for every-thing on rock and roll music !
Cleveland-High Class Experience !
One of the oldest cities. Cleveland ranks among the top 20 metros of the United States .With Lake Erie serving as the most popular tourist attraction .Cleveland is also famous for land marks such as Cavaliers Gund Arena , Playhouse Square and Indians' Jacobs Field. Moreover. vibrant nightlife , clubs , restaurants ;large hotels and shopping festivals add co the touristic significance of this place.
Lake Erie-The Perfect Holiday !
With nearly 900 miles of shoreline .Lake Erie is one place you have to visit. You can enjooy numerous activities like fishing. swimming. boating . etc. It is also perfect for having a family picnic outing. One can even take a ferry to Kelleys Island where things like cycling and miniature golf can be enjoyed. Besides .it is the perfect place for those who are looking for some quiet and relaxing time. | high5667.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The butterfly couldn't fly for ever normally."
},
"options": [
"The cocoon was broken and the butterfly died.",
"The man helped the butterfly out of the cocoon more easily",
"The butterfly couldn't fly for ever normally.",
... | Once upon a time in a land far away, there was a wonderful old man who loved everything:animals, spiders, insects...
One day while walking through the woods the nice old man found a cocoon of a butterfly. He took it home. A few days later, a small opening appeared; he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. Then the man decided to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.
The butterfly then emerged easily.
But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings.
It never was able to fly.
What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were Nature's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If we were allowed to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been.
And we could never fly. | high11989.txt |
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