questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "learns what the students need"
},
"options": [
"learns what the students need",
"is very happy and easy",
"can affect the life of any student",
"has understood everything of the University"
],
"question": "The p... | Student Services
Students' Union
Every University has a Students' Union. If students are the lifeblood of a university, the Union is surely its beating heart.
For students, by students
A Students' Union is run by students and acts independently. At the end of each academic year, it will find six students to hold a sabbatical position managing the Union for the coming year. That the six successful sabbatical officers have only recently experienced issues affecting students ensures that your needs are very well understood.
Letting your hair down
Although the University is spread across a fairly wide area, the Union is centrally located and is only a short walk from any of the main buildings. This makes it very easy to catch up with friends who might be on a different course.
At night, the place really comes alive - we have three different bars to suit every occasion. The venues are student-only so you can be sure of meeting people with a similar outlook and we throw in a transport service to make sure you get home safely.
The Union also organizes various formal balls throughout the year, with the highlight being the end-of-year ball.
Supporting you
Beyond having fun, we also make sure some of the more serious issues are effectively dealt with. If you have a problem with your course, another sabbatical officer is trained to help you. Being independent from the University means we can represent and support you to the best of our ability, and once you reach university you may find that you become aware of more national or political issues. | high10699.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the world's best places for beach walks"
},
"options": [
"the wonderful beaches in the world",
"the world's best places for beach walks",
"the beautiful beaches in Australia",
"the ideal tourism resort for health"
]... | Beaches are not only great for lying on and doing water sports, and in fact one of the best ways of enjoying them is a classic beach walk. Here at iWantSun. Co. Uk, we've been searching the globe to find you the world's best and most glorious beach walks, and here's our pick of the top.
The Footpath of the Gods, Amalfi Coast, Italy
The name says it all really and you truly do feel up there to walking along this wonderful mountain coastal path, which offers some of the most striking views on the planet. The path begins at town of Bomerano to charming Positano along the UNESCO World Heritage area of the Amalfi Coast. The whole walk will take you approximately four and a half hours to complete and pass over narrow rocky paths, past sheer cliffs and shining blue bays.
Sydney's Great Coastal Walk, Australia
Sydney's coastline is one of the most beautiful and diverse in the world. Here you have national parks, historic sites, steep cliffs, sparkling beaches and quiet bays all in one place. Sydney's Great Walk runs all the way from Barrenjoey in the north to Royal National Park in the south and takes an incredible seven days to complete. However, if you're not up to doing the full walk, then there are many different parts of the walk that you can do right in the city. Walking from the city's famous Bondi Beach to the sweeping curve of Bronte Beach takes just an hour, which takes in some top scenery.
Great Ocean Walk, Australia
The Great Ocean Walk stretches 104 km along Victoria's famous Great Ocean Road, located on the southern coast of Australia, from the resort town Apollo Bay to the magnificent Twelve Apostles. The Twelve Apostles are the area's famous stone landmarks which stand out like giants from the sea. The walk passes through a range of landscapes and sights, from national parks, famous surfing spots and deserted beaches, to wild coastlines, cascading waterfalls, lush forests, historic lighthouses and ghostly shipwrecks. Day walks and shorter three-hour walks such as the Wreck Beach Walk or the Lighthouse Cemetery and Lookout Walk can also be enjoyed.
So next time when you're looking for a beach holiday don't just think about the resorts and the sand, but consider a more active sun holiday, discovering some of the best beaches in the world. | high10841.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Borrowing money has become a simple matter."
},
"options": [
"Americans buy a lot of foreign products.",
"It is easy for Americans to manage their debts.",
"Borrowing money has become a simple matter.",
"Americans have... | Spending beyond one's means is becoming a national problem for Americans.Borrowing has become so easy that it takes great willpower for people to refuse it."I received a number of gold MasterCard and gold Visa card offers in the mail during the past two months,"said one computer engineer at AT &T Bell Laboratories in Chicago."I got three of them in one day last week."
Lenders are providing easy credit for borrowers.Many banks now offer every borrower a great variety of credit,a service once offered almost only to big companies.Norwest Bank Minneapolis offers lending programs for cars and boats that can cut monthly payments nearly m half .Carmakers,too,are lengthening easier terms.Ford Motor Credit states that 45 % of its recent lendings has been for sixty months,rather than the sixty-six-month period that was usual before.
The total consumer debt in the United States rose 73 percent between 1974 and 1984,as the debt for each man,woman,and child increased from $10,264 to $26,566.Huge debt now is present in our economy at all levels.As a nation,we are more than $7 trillion in debt,and the total keeps increasing astonishingly.
As we have over borrowed,so have we overspent.In late 986,the share of after-tax income that Americans saved sank below 2 percent for a short time,less than half the figure at which we saved only 10 years ago.Americans now are buying from foreigners between about $50 and $100 billion more Mercedes and Toyotas, Paris fashions,and tours to Europe than the Boeing 747s, agriculture machinery , or Kansas wheat that the foreigners bought from America. The country could not produce and pay for all the things it wanted.
To make a long story short, we Americans have serious problems in keeping down spending and keeping up personal savings.It is high time for us American people to learn the basics of long-term money management. | high21444.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "unwilling until his father corrected his misunderstandings about life in the North"
},
"options": [
"cold, as he was too young to know any better",
"unwilling until his father corrected his misunderstandings about life in the North... | I call my story the story of a bad boy, partly to distinguish myself from those faultless young gentlemen, and partly because I really was not an angle. I may truthfully say I was a friendly, impulsive teenager. I didn't want to be an angel. In short, I was a real human boy, such as you may meet anywhere in New England.
Whenever a new scholar came to our school, I used to ask him " My name's Tom Bailey; what's your name?" If the name struck me favorably, I shook hands with the new pupil _ , but if it didn't, I would turn and walk away, for I was particular on this point.
I was born in Rivermouth almost fifty years ago, but, before I became very well acquainted with that pretty New England town, my parents moved to New Orleans. I was only eighteen months old at the time of the move, and it didn't make much difference to me where I was, because several years later, when my father proposed to take me North to be educated, I had my own view on the subject. I instantly kicked over the little boy, Sam, who happened to be standing by me at the moment, and declared that I would not be taken away to live among a lot of Yankees! You see I was what is called " a Northern man with Southern principles," I had no recollection of New England: my earliest memories were connected with the South. I knew I was born in the North, but hoped nobody would find it out. I never told my schoolmates I was a Yankee, because they talked about Yankees in a scornful way which made me feel that it was quite a shame not to be born in the South.
And this impression was strengthened by Aunt Chloe, who said, "There wasn't no gentlemen in the North no way."
With this picture of Northern civilization in my eye, the readers will easily understand my terror at the bare thought of being transported to Rivermouth to school, and possibly will forgive me for kicking over little Sam, when my father announced this to me. As for kicking little Sam, I always did that, more or less gently, when anything went wrong with me.
My father was greatly troubled by this violent behavior. As little Sam picked himself up, my father took my hand in his and led me thoughtfully to the library. He appeared strangely puzzled on learning the nature of my objections to going North.
"Who on earth, Tom, has filled your brain with those silly stories?" asked my father calmly.
"Aunt Chloe, sir, she told me."
My father devoted that evening and several evenings to giving me a clear account of New England: its early struggles, its progress, and its present condition. I was no longer unwilling to go North; on the contrary, the proposed journey to a new world full of wonders kept me awake nights. Long before the moving day arrived I was eager to be off. My impatience was increased by the fact that my father had purchased for me a fine little Mustang pony, and shipped it to Rivermouth two weeks before the date set for our own journey. The pony completely resigned me to the situation. The pony's name was Gitana, which is the Spanish for "gypsy", so I always called her Gypsy.
Finally the time came to leave the vine-covered mansion among the orange-trees, to say goodbye to little Sam(I am convince he was heartily glad to get rid of me), and to part with Aunt Chloe. I imagine them standing by the open garden gate; the tears are rolling down Aunt Chloe's cheeks; they and the old home fade away. I am never to see them again! | high11587.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "The author's daughter"
},
"options": [
"The author's daughter",
"The author",
"The author's husband",
"The man in rags"
],
"question": "Who paid for the trip?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
... | My husband and I recently had the chance to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary in Morocco, Our daughter had very kindly given us the trip as a gift a few weeks ago.
One day, we were walking around in the lively and crowded streets, having a good time. I was looking at all the amazing places and architectures, and all the beautiful faces of the people around us. While I was excited about all the beautiful things around me, my husband walked into a shop.
I was left standing alone in the street. The women in this country are never alone.
After fifteen minutes, I started feeling a little uneasy. A street man dressed in torn, ragged clothes was coming towards me. To tell the truth, I thought the worst at that moment. I thought he was a beggar who was coming to ask for money.
As he was passing, he stopped and touched my shoulder. He looked directly at me and the enormous love shining through his eyes made me relaxed. He then asked, "D' accord? D' accord?" I nodded yes.
And with his smile, calmness and those incredible peaceful loving eyes, I was moved for days, and my mind was filled with the memory of such a kind person.
For me, it was a reminder that we can all talk a good talk , but it is the action that matters. Usually, I tell others that we should be loving towards everyone. That day, I felt sorry as I did not walk my talk . But this stranger in rags gave me the most special reminder.
He showed me the beauty that anyone can receive care and concern, at any moment, from the most unlikely sources. | high17848.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "minerals"
},
"options": [
"gold",
"silver",
"metals",
"minerals"
],
"question": "Scientists went to different regions in order to search for _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": ... | Flying over a desert area in an airplane, two scientists looked down with trained eyes at trees and bushes. After an hour's flight one of the scientists wrote in his book, "Look here for probable metal." Walking across hilly ground, four scientists reported, "This ground should be searched for metals." From an airplane over a hilly wasteland a scientist sent back by radio one word "Uranium."
None of the scientists had X-ray eyes: they had no magic powers for looking down below the earth's surface. They were merely putting to use one of the newest methods of locating minerals in the ground---using trees and plants as signs that certain minerals may lie beneath the ground on which the trees and plants are growing.
This newest method of searching for minerals is based on the fact that minerals deep in the earth may affect the kind of bushes and trees that grow on the surface.
At Watson Bar Creek, a mineral search group gathered bags of tree seeds. Boxes were filled with small branches from the trees. Roots were dug and put into boxes. Each bag and box was carefully marked. In a scientific laboratory the parts of the forest trees were burned to ashes and tested. Each small part was examined to learn whether there were minerals in it.
Study of the roots, branches, and seeds showed no silver. But there were small amounts of gold in the roots and a little less gold in the branches and seeds. The seeds growing nearest to the tree trunk had more gold than those growing on the ends of the branches.
If the trees had not indicated that there was gold in the ground, the scientists would not have spent money to pay for digging into the ground. They did dig and found more gold below. They dug deeper. They found large quantities of gold. | high17690.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "spread a kind of concept to the public"
},
"options": [
"promote special produce or business",
"show mercy on less developed organizations",
"spread a kind of concept to the public",
"give away money to charities and sc... | The general objective of public interest advertising is to inform, persuade, or remind people about the particular idea, cause, or philosophy being advertised. This kind of advertising is often used by non-business institutions, such as schools, hospitals and charity organizations. We also see advertising by associations. In addition, we witness millions of dollars' worth of advertising placed by government organizations. Much government advertising announces the availability of such valuable government services as consumer assistance, welfare aid, or career guidance. However, with the resource available to it, the government can also use advertising techniques for propaganda purposes. Many state governments use advertising to attract new businesses, tourists, or workers to aid their economy.
Because of the fact that public interest advertising is nonprofit, the words it uses are much more different from the other 3 kinds of advertising. Its purpose is not to urge readers to spend their money, but to disseminate a kind of concept or advocate a social ethic. The headline of public interest advertising also acts as a role of attraction. The average words of them are 10.6, and most of them are curious headlines (60%) and emotional headlines (30%). We can know from the statistics that attracting the reader is still a main task for the headline of public interest advertising, because only when the readers feel the advertising will benefit them (no matter physically or mentally) should they have the patience to read it further--that's the rule of all the advertisements. I also notice that only 10% of those advertisements include their advertiser's brand, which shows that the public interest advertisements do not aim to propagandize any company or organization. Straight-line body copy is the most frequently used form--which is 50% of the 20 ads. 75% of those ads have used imperative sentences. Most of these sentences are urging readers to take action immediately for others or social ethics. All these data show the fact that public interest advertising does not please readers by beautiful words or original ideas, but touch them through true feelings. | high19865.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "They eat the wrong foods at the wrong time."
},
"options": [
"They eat the wrong foods at the wrong time.",
"They eat food with lots of calories.",
"They don't take any weight loss pills.",
"They burn many calories ever... | People are overweight for many reasons, the most important one of which is that they eat the wrong foods, get the wrong types of calories per meal, and they also eat meals at the wrong time each day. Food is more powerful than any weight loss pill, because the food that you eat can either make you thin or fat. This is true because your body is like an engine, and it only needs certain foods at certain intervals each day.
Low-calorie Diets Do Not Work
The reason people cannot lose weight by starving themselves is that their metabolism will detect any major drop in calories and it will then adjust itself by burning fewer calories each day. That is the reason why you can eat 1,000 calories per day and not lose any weight, while your friends can eat 2, 500 calories per day and not gain any weight.
Low-fat Diets Do Not Work
Many people in today's society are buying mostly low- fat or non-fat food at the grocery store. Everybody knows how much fat is inside the food they buy. However, people are getting fatter than ever before by doing this. They are not losing weight by changing to this low-fat lifestyle.
Losing weight has nothing to do with these things. One of the most important things you can do to control your weight is to eat the proper foods, such as fruit and vegetables, eat them at the right time, and exercise every day. If people make this a habit, they will lose weight. | high425.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Because he doesn't look polite."
},
"options": [
"Because he doesn't look polite.",
"Because he seldom says polite words.",
"Because he doesn't listen to others politely.",
"Because he doesn't behave politely towards st... | Most people don't notice I'm polite, which is the point. I am big and look less energetic. Still, every year or so, someone takes me aside and says, "You actually are polite, aren't you?" I'm always thrilled. They noticed. That's the thing. Actually, when we talk about politeness, we usually think of please; thank you; I like your hat; etc. All we need to do is to hear, not to notice.
When I was in high school, I read etiquette manuals . No one noticed my politeness except for one kid. He yelled at me about _ . "It's strange that you are always so polite," he said. I took that as praise and made a note to hide my politeness further. Real politeness, I believed, was invisible . It adapted itself to the situation.
Politeness leaves door open. I've met so many people whom, if I had trusted my first impressions, I would never have wanted to meet again. Yet many of them are now great friends. One of those people is my wife. On our first date, she told me in detail that she had an operation to remove a cyst from her body. Of course, it killed the chemistry. But when I walked her home, I told her I'd had a great time. We talked a little after that. I kept everything pleasant and brief. Much later, I learned that she'd been having a very bad day in a very bad year.
People silently suffer from all kinds of terrible things. The good thing about politeness is you can regard these people exactly the same and wait to see what happens. You don't have to have an opinion. You don't need to make a judgment.
Last week, my two-year-old son, Abraham met a foreign woman in the playground. Out of curiosity, I suppose, he asked, "What's your name?" The woman told him. Then he put out his little hand and said, "Nice to meet you!" Everyone laughed and he smiled. He shared with his firmest handshake, like I taught him. | high14399.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Researchers found that bilingual people can slow down the speed or aging on the brain and respond fast."
},
"options": [
"Researchers found that speaking two languages is important.",
"Researchers found that bilingual people respon... | Speaking two languages can actually help offset some effects of aging on the brain, a new study has found.
Researchers tested how long it took participants to switch from one cognitive task to another, something that's known to take longer for older adults, said lead researcher, Brian Gold, a neuroscientist at the University of Kentucky.
Gold's team compared task-switching speeds for younger and older adults, knowing they would find slower speeds in the older population because of previous studies. However, they found that older adults who spoke two languages were able to switch mental activities faster than those didn't . The study only looked at life-long bilinguals, defined in study as people who had spoken a second language daily since they were at least 10 years old.
Gold and his team asked 30 people, either bilingual or monolingual , to have a series of tests. They found that bilingual people were not only able to switch tasks faster, they had different brain activity than their monolingual peers.
Kristina called bilingualism "a beautiful natural experiment", because people grow up speaking two languages,and studies have shown that they get certain cognitive benefits from switching between languages and determining which to respond with based on what's going on around them.
Gold said he grew up in Montreal, where he spoke French at school and English at home, prompting relatives to question whether his French language immersion would somehow hinder his ability to learn English.
"Until very recently, learning a second language in childhood was thought of as dangerous," he said. "Actually, it's beneficial. " | high12930.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Johnstone and Dolby could have seen each other in the same airport waiting-room in Singapore"
},
"options": [
"Johnstone and Dolby could have seen each other in the same airport waiting-room in Singapore",
"the couple pretended not... | London Thursday July 26(Reuters)--Ian Johnstone missed his girlfriend so much that he flew back to Britain from Australia to propose to her.The problem is that she flew in the opposite direction.
He and Amy Dolby even managed to miss each other when they sat in the same airport waiting-room in Singapore at the same time to wait for connecting flights.
Dolby,heartbroken when she arrived at Johnstone's Sydney apartment to find he had flown to London,told the Times:"It was as though someone was playing a cruel joke on us.He is the most romantic person I have ever known.I think our problem is that we are both quite impulsive people.We are always trying to surprise each other."
After an 11,000-mile flight across the globe,she was greeted by Johnstone's astonished flatmate asking what she was doing there.
"The terrible truth dawned when I found that Lan's rucksack and most of his clothes were missing.I sat on the end of his bed and cried my eyes out.And that really annoyed me,"she said.
Johnstone,a 27-year-old bricklayer,had taken a year off to travel round Australia.But he was missing Dolby,a 26-year-old secretary,so much he got a job on a Sydney building site and started saving for a surprise.
He then flew home to Britain and went to her apartment armed with an engagement ring,champagne and flowers.
"I really missed Amy and I'd been thinking about her all the time.I thought she was winding me up when she phoned me from Australia."he said.
Johnstone then asked Dolby to marry him on the phone."I didn't know whether to laugh or cry but I accepted,"she said.
Dolby was given a short tour of Sydney by Johnstone's friends and Johnstone had to stay in Britain for two weeks because he could not change his ticket. | high15087.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "experienced a terrible nuclear accident 32 years ago"
},
"options": [
"experienced a terrible nuclear accident 32 years ago",
"has a strong program to deal with radiation danger",
"depends heavily on nuclear energy to produce... | The crisis at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear energy center caused by the terrible earthquake has raised questions about the future of the nuclear energy industry. Arjun is president of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research in the United States. He says the disaster in Japan is historic.
This week, the chairman of America's nuclear agency said there is little chance that harmful radiation from Japan could reach the United States. Gregory also said America has a strong program in place to deal with earthquake threats. No new nuclear power centers have been built in the United States since 1979. That was when America's worst nuclear accident happened at the Three Mile Island center in Pennsylvania. The accident began to turn public opinion against nuclear energy. At present, about twenty percent of electricity in the United States comes from nuclear energy.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany would close seven nuclear power centers for the time being while energy policy is reconsidered. The European Union is planning to test all centers in its twenty-seven member nations.
Developing nations are less willing to slow down the development of nuclear. China says it will continue with plans to build about twenty-five new nuclear reactors . And India, under a cooperation agreement with the United States, plans to spend billions on new centers in the coming years.
Nuclear reactors supply fourteen percent of global electricity. Nuclear energy is a clean resource, producing no carbon gases. But radioactive waste is a serious problem to be solved. So is the presence of nuclear power centers in earthquake areas like the one near Bushehr, lran. | high431.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the benefits of manageable stress"
},
"options": [
"how to promote immune function",
"the benefits of manageable stress",
"how to deal with stress effectively",
"the effect of stress hormones on memory"
],
"ques... | "Humans should not try to avoid stress any more than they would _ food, love or exercise," said Dr. Hans Selye, the first physician to document the effects of stress on the body. While here's on question that continuous stress is harmful, several studies suggest that challenging situations in which you're able to rise to the occasion can be good for you.
In a study of 158 hospital nurses, those who faced considerable work demands but deal with the challenge were more likely to say they were in good health than those who felt they couldn't get the job done.
Stress that you can manage also promote immune function. In a study at the Academic Center for Dentistry inprefix = st1 /Amsterdam, researchers put volunteers through two stressful experiences. In the first, a timed task that required memorizing a list followed by a short test, subjects believed they had control over the outcome. In the second, they weren't in control. They had to sit through a bloody video on surgical procedures. Those who did the memory test had an increase levels of immunoglobulin A, an antibody that's the body's first line of defense against germs. However, the video-watchers experienced a fall in the antibody.
Stress encourage body to produce certain stress hormones . In short bursts these hormones have a positive effect, including improved memory function. "They can help nerve cells handle information and put it into storage," says Dr. Bruce McEwen of Rockefeller University inNew York. But in the long run these hormones can have a harmful effect on the body and brain.
"Continuous stress is not good for you," says Richard Morimoto, a researcher at Northwestern University in Illinoisstudying the effects of stress on one's life, "It's the occasional burst of stress or brief experience of stress that could be protective. " | high23521.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "13 kg"
},
"options": [
"5 kg",
"7.2 kg",
"10kg",
"13 kg"
],
"question": "According to the passage, last year the average crop per hive might be _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer... | Rain and cold weather this summer saw honey yields from hives fall by almost three-quarters, the British Beekeepers Association(BBKA)said today. The average crop per hive was down 72% compared to last year, with just 3.6kg (81b) of honey produced compared to an annual average, the annual honey survey by the BBKA revealed.
The survey of 2,712 beekeepers in England, Northern Ireland and Wales found that 88% said this summer's bad weather caused the _ in honey yields. The bad weather made it difficult for bees to excrete ,which led to disease easily, and the bad weather also increased the risk of keeping bees for heavy rain caused the places which bees regularly visited to meet natural disasters. The bad weather also influenced the plants flowering which increased the cost of keeping bees. The BBKA issued a midsummer warning to feed bees if necessary to avoid dying from hunger. But in London, which recorded the worst results with just 2.5kg (5.61b)of honey harvested on average, beekeeping experts said that in addition to the bad weather there was a lack of food for bees in the city.
Angela Woods, secretary of the London Beekeepers Association, said, "Rather than putting beehives on office roofs, we encourage companies in London that want to help to look at different ways of supporting bees and beekeepers. We need more food for the bees and better-educated beekeepers."
Elsewhere, the weather was the main problem. Peter Hutton, a beekeeper in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, said, "It has been the most difficult year I have known in my 53 years of beekeeping. Bad weather in spring prevented bees in many areas from collecting nectar from early-flowering crops such as oilseed rape ,and the rain continued in many places throughout June and July, preventing honeybees from searching for food on later crops."
The BBKA warned that as well as reducing the honey harvest, the bad weather is likely to have a longer-term influence as it will have affected the normal process of breeding for the queens, which mate on the wing on fine, still summer days. As a result they may have mated poorly and be unable to produce enough new babies to see groups through the winter. | high12924.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the change of the American family"
},
"options": [
"the change of the American society",
"the change of the American children",
"the change of the American family",
"the change of the American adults"
],
"questi... | There are some great differences between the traditional family and the modern family.
The first important difference is in the man's role.The traditional husband was the head of the household because he was the only one who worked outside the home.If the wife worked for money,then the husband was not considered to be a good provider,In many families today,both husband and wife work for money.Therefore,they share the role of head of household.In addition,the traditional husband usually made big decisions about spending money.However,the modern husband shares these decisions with his working wife.Also,the traditional husband did not help his wife with housework or meal preparation. Dinner was ready when he came home,In contrast,the modern husband helps his working wife at home.He may do some of the household chores,and it is not unusual for him to cook.
The second difference is in the woman's role. In the traditional family,the woman may have worked for miney during her first years of marriage.However,when she gave birth,she would usually give up her job. Her primary role would be to take care of her family and home.In contrast,in many families today,the modern woman works outside the home even after she has children .She's doing two jobs instead of one,so she is busier than the traditional mother was.The traditional wife learned to live within her husband's income.But the modern wife does not have to because the family has two incomes.
The final difference is in the role of the children .In the traditional family,the children were taken care of by the mother because she didn't work outside.However,today pre-school children may go to a child-care center or to a baby-sitter regularly because the mother works.The school-age children of a traditional family were more dependent.Their mother was there to help them get ready for school and to make their breakfast.In conrtast,modern children are more independent.They have to get up early and get ready for school themselves,and they may even have to make their own breakfast. | high15093.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "She wanted to show kindness."
},
"options": [
"She knew the car drivers well.",
"She wanted to show kindness.",
"She hoped to please others.",
"She had seven tickets."
],
"question": "Why did Natalie Smith pay f... | It was a cold winter day. A woman drove up to the Rainbow Bridge tollbooth . "I'm paying for myself, and for the six cars behind me," she said with a smile, handing over seven tickets. One after another, the next six drivers arriving at the tollbooth were informed, "Some lady up ahead already paid your fare."
It turned out that the woman, Natalie Smith, had read something on a friend's refrigerator: "Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty." The phrase impressed her so much that she copied it down.
Judy Foreman spotted the same phrase on a warehouse wall far away from home. When it stayed on her mind for days, she gave up and drove all the way back to copy it down. "I thought it was beautiful," she said, explaining why she'd taken to writing it at the bottom of all her letters, "like a message from above." Her husband, Frank, liked the phrase so much that he put it up on the classroom wall for his students, one of whom was the daughter of Alice Johnson, a local news reporter. Alice put it in the newspaper, admitting that though she liked it, she didn't know where it came from or what it really meant.
Two days later, Alice got a call from Anne Herbert, a woman living in Marin. It was in a restaurant that Anne wrote the phrase down on a piece of paper, after turning it around in her mind for days.
"Here's the idea," Anne says. "Anything you think there should be more of, do it randomly." Her fantasies include painting the classrooms of shabby schools, leaving hot meals on kitchen tables in the poor part of town, and giving money secretly to a proud old lady. Anne says, " _ ."
The acts of random kindness spread. If you were one of those drivers who found your fare paid, who knows what you might have been inspired to do for someone else later. Like all great events, kindness begins slowly, with every single act. Let it be yours! | high6812.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "People seek nature in different ways."
},
"options": [
"People seek nature in different ways.",
"People should spend most of their lives in the wild.",
"People have quite different ideas of nature.",
"People must make m... | Most of us spend our lives seeking the natural world. To this end, we walk the dog, play golf, go fishing, sit in the garden, drink outside rather than inside the pub, have a picnic, live in the suburbs, go to the seaside, buy a weekend place in the country. The most popular free time activity in Britain is going for a walk. And when joggers jog, they don't run down the streets. Every one of them automatically heads to the park or the river. It is my firm belief that not only do we all need nature, but we all seek nature, whether we know we are doing so or not.
But despite this, our children are growing up nature-deprived . I spent my boyhood climbing trees. These days, children are robbed of these ancient freedoms, due to problems like crime, traffic, the loss of the open spaces and strange new ideas about what is best for children, that is to say, things that can be bought, rather than things that can be found.
The truth is to be found elsewhere. A study in the US: families had moved to better housing and the children were assessed for ADHD . Those whose housing had more natural views showed an improvement of 19%; those who had the same improvement in material surroundings but no nice view improved just 4%.
A study in Sweden indicated that kindergarten children who could play in a natural environment had less illness and greater physical ability than children used only to a normal playground. A US study suggested that when a school gave children access to a natural environment, the entire school would do better in studies.
Another study found that children play differently in a natural environment. In playgrounds, children create a hierarchy based on physical abilities, with the tough ones taking the lead. But when a grassy area was planted with bushes, the children got much more into fantasy play, and the social hierarchy was now based on imagination and creativity.
Most bullying is found in schools where there is a tarmac playground; the least bullying is in a natural area that the children are encouraged to explore. This reminds me unpleasantly of Sunnyhill School, with its hard tarmac, where I used to hang about in corners dreaming about wildlife.
But children are frequently discouraged from involvement with natural spaces, for health and safety reasons, for fear that they might get dirty or that they might cause damage. So, instead, the damage is done to the children themselves: not to their bodies but to their souls.
One of the great problems of modern childhood is ADHD, now increasingly and expensively treated with drugs. Yet one study after another indicates that contact with nature gives huge benefits to ADHD children. However, we spend money on drugs rather than on green places.
The life of old people is much better when they have access to nature. The most important for the growing population of old people is in quality rather than quantity of years. And study after study finds that a garden is the single most important thing in finding that quality.
In wider and more difficult areas of life, there is evidence to indicate that natural surroundings improve all kinds of things. Even problems with crime and aggressive behaviour are reduced when there is contact with the natural world.
Dr William Bird, researcher from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, states in his study, "A natural environment can reduce violent behaviour because its process helps reduce anger and behavior that people might regret later." Wild places need encouraging for this reason, no matter how small their contribution.
We tend to think human beings are doing nature some kind of favour when we are protecting nature. The error here is far too deep: not only do humans need nature for themselves, but the very idea that humanity and the natural world are separable things is damaging.
Human beings are a species of animals. For seven million years we lived on the planet as part of nature. So we miss the natural world and long for contact with non-human life. Anyone who has patted a dog, stroked a cat, sat under a tree with a glass of beer, given or received a bunch of flowers or chosen to walk through the park on a nice day, understands that.
We need the wild world. It is necessary to our well-being, our health, our happiness. Without other living things around us we are less than human. | high21336.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the mainland of Europe"
},
"options": [
"Asia",
"the mainland of Europe",
"America",
"Africa"
],
"question": "The writer came to London from _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer":... | I have been in England three months now. I hope you don't think I've forgotten you. There have been so many places to see and so many things to do that I've not had much time for writing letters.
I shall soon be starting my studies at King's College.So far I've been learning about England and British ways of living.I won't tell you about London.There are lots of books you can read and lots of pictures you can look at about this famous city.I'm sure you'll be more interested to know what I think about life here.
I find some of the customs interesting.People here do not shake hands as much as we do in the mainland of Europe. During the first few weeks I was often surprised because people did not put out their hands when I met them.Men raise their hats to women but not to each other. | high17684.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To attract more students to study in the International Summer School"
},
"options": [
"To introduce to readers the International Summer School",
"To attract more students to study in the International Summer School",
"To shar... | Welcome to the International Summer School
Students can have an enjoyable English language learning experiencce--together with organized sports, activities and excursion program. The International Summer School runs 4 different summer school centers for boys and girls aged from 7 to 20.
Two of these schools--Moira House and University Hall of Residence--are based in East Bourne on the south coast of Englanded--in the much favored Meads area of the town, within walking distance of the seafront and town centre. Gatwick Airport is about an hour's drive away and Healthrow around 90 minutes.
Our 4th school--Bethany Centre--is located in the heart of Kent--an area known as "The Garden of England" close go woods of the High Wealed but only 20 minutes from the town of Royal Tunbridge Wells. Gatwick and Heathrow Airports are easily accessible, as are Euro star InternationalStations at Ashford and Ebbs fleet.
The aim of International Summer School is to create a lively and happy atmosphere that makes learning and international communication enjoyable. Young people can have fun, but also gain considerable skills in English.
A full day in London is always included, as well as other places of cultural interest. Students of all cultures are welcomed as our aim is to create a summer school which can truly be described as International.
When we return your child to you at the end of their stay, we hope they will feel enriched by their experience with us and will look forward to returning to meet friends made at International Summer School the following year, as so many do. | high20028.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "have their red blood cells infected"
},
"options": [
"have to kill female mosquitoes",
"have ability to defend parasites",
"have their red blood cells infected",
"have sudden fever, followed by chills"
],
"quest... | Malaria, the world's most widespread parasitic disease, kills as many as three million people every year--almost all of whom are under five, very poor, and African. In most years, more than five hundred million cases of illness result from the disease, although exact numbers are difficult to assess because many people don't (or can't) seek care. It is not unusual for a family earning less than two hundred dollars a year to spend a quarter of its income on malaria treatment, and what they often get no longer works. In countries like Tanzania, Mozambique, and the Gambia, no family, village, hospital, or workplace can remain unaffected for long.
Malaria starts suddenly, with violent chills, which are soon followed by an intense fever and, often, headaches. As the parasites multiply, they take over the entire body. Malaria parasites live by eating the red blood cells they infect. They can also attach themselves to blood vessels in the brain. If it doesn't kill you, malaria can happen again and again for years. The disease passed on to humans by female mosquitoes infected with one of four species of parasite. Together, the mosquito and the parasite are the most deadly couple in the history of the earth--and one of the most successful. Malaria has five thousand genes, and its ability to change rapidly to defend itself and resist new drugs has made it nearly impossible to control. Studies show that mosquitoes are passing on the virus more frequently, and there are more outbreaks in cities with large populations. Some of the disease's spread is due to global warming.
For decades, the first-choice treatment for malaria parasites in Africa has been chloroquine, a chemical which is very cheap and easy to make. Unfortunately, in most parts of the world, malaria parasites have become resistant to it. Successful alternatives that help prevent resistance are already available, but they have been in short supply and are very expensive. If these drugs should fail, nobody knows what would come next. | high4963.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "looks after children while their parents are out"
},
"options": [
"helps to do housework",
"is a cleaning woman",
"looks after children while their parents are out",
"takes care of babies and cooks for the family"
]... | Today only one person in five in the United States lives within 50 miles of his birthplace. Since the country was first settled, Americans have moved around a great deal, and are often far away from their parents. Because they have broken ties with their past at a young age, chosen their own occupations, established their own homes and developed their own lifestyles, few American children grow up closely surrounded by grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins as they do in Italy, Nigeria, or India, for example. This along with the fact that modern American families do not have servants has made the "baby-sitter" a vital part of the American scene. A "sitter" is someone who is hired to care for children for a specific length of time--usually relatively short--while the parents are out for an evening, going to a party or a course of study for example. Sometimes the baby-sitter is also hired for longer period, perhaps when the parents are away for a weekend. In such cases the "sitter" is likely to be a mature and motherly woman. For short periods, teen-agers, college students, nursing students, and others are commonly employed on an hourly basis.
From the point of view of convenience, the best sitters are often young people who live in your apartment building or close by in the neighborhood. This gives you a chance to meet the parents and see what they are like. If an emergency occurs, young sitters can call upon their parents quickly for help; you do not have to take them far to see them home at night or pay expensive taxi fares. Another advantage is that young people living close by can usually fill in quite readily on short notice or for short periods of time.
In an apartment house you can ask the superintendent for permission to post a notice for a baby-sitter by the mailboxes. This is often the best way to find out if there is anyone in the building who is interested in baby-sitting. Retired people as well as students are often glad to earn a little money in this way and can be found by such a note. | high10855.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "are now used for protecting the children"
},
"options": [
"can help children all the time",
"are now used for protecting the children",
"were first designed to keep kids safe at home",
"are developed to spare parents mo... | Millions of American kids come home to or leave an empty house every day. However, parents are increasingly using an existing technology -- home security systems -- to keep an eye on their "home-alone" children. In the early days of home security, the systems were basically designed just to keep the bad guys out. Now, many parents are also using them to make their children safe when they are at home alone. Below are some simple rules for adults to teach their children:
Every child should memorize his or her own full name and address, and home, work and cellphone numbers of each parent. Also keep this information posted next to the phone at home. If your child is too young to memorize the information, he or she may be too young to be home alone -- for any time.
Teach your child to observe things around him or her when he or she returns to the house. If a door or window is slightly open, the child has any reason to suspect someone has been in the house that shouldn't be, have him or her call you, then wait at a safe house a neighbor offers.
Warn your child never to answer the doorbell or telephone when they are home alone. Besides, set a rule that he or she must never play outside the house when no one else is at home.
Be sure he or she knows how to disarm and arm your home security system. Program your control panel to give you a message when your child enters or leaves the house, and arms or disarms the system. If your child forgets to rearm the system, you can call him or her with a personal reminder.
To learn more about home security systems that can help parents protect their "home-alone" children, visit www.ProtectAmerica.com. | high21450.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "was born with a heart disease"
},
"options": [
"experienced five operations in a month",
"got along well with other children",
"stayed in the hospital before three",
"was born with a heart disease"
],
"question"... | When my sister Gina was born, she had a problem with her heart. Her heart was pretty bad in the beginning and she stayed in the hospital for a month. The first few years were very difficult because she was very sick. She had five operations before she was three years old. She had trouble walking, playing with other children, and going to school.
Although Gina couldn't laugh and talk, we all knew that she just needed love and care. Our parents wanted to take Gina to a special place in Florida. There she could swim with dolphins. Gina was afraid of swimming with them because she had never been around dolphins before. We had also never traveled that far as a family. When we got to Florida, we saw where the dolphins lived. It was a place where kids with special needs like Gina could come and spend time. I thought it was going to be a vacation, but it wasn't. Gina had to work hard every day for a week.
The trip was amazing. Gina laughed and clapped when she saw the dolphin. The dolphin splashed when it saw Gina. They swam together all day. Gina was able to move her body more than she normally did at home. Mom and Dad were proud of Gina. I was , too. | high11593.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Bilingual People, Better at Some Skills"
},
"options": [
"Bilingual People, Smarter",
"Monolingual People, Smarter",
"Bilingual People, Longer Lives",
"Bilingual People, Better at Some Skills"
],
"question": "Wh... | In the early 1950s, researchers found that people scored lower on intelligence tests if they spoke more than one language. Research in the sixties found the opposite. Bilingual people scored higher than monolinguals, people who speak only one language. So which is it?
Researchers presented their newest studies last month at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The latest evidence shows that being bilingual does not necessarily make people smarter. But researcher Ellen Bialystok says it probably does make you better at certain skills.
Ellen Bialystok said, "Imagine driving down the highway. There're many things that could
capture your attention and you really need to be able to monitor all of them. Why would bilingualism make you any better at that?"
And the answer, she says, is that bilingual people are often better at controlling their attention -- a function called the executive control system.
Ms. Bialystok is a psychology professor at York University in Toronto, Canada. She says the best method to measure the executive control system is called the Stroop Test. A person is shown words in different color1s. The person has to ignore the word but say the color1. The .problem is that the words are all names of color1s.
Ellen Bialystok said, "So you would have the word blue written in red, but you have to say red. But blue is so salient , it's just lighting up all these circuits in your brain, and you really want to say blue. So you need a mechanism to _ that so that you can say red. That's the executive control system."
Her work shows that bilingual people continually practice this function. They have to, because both languages are active in their brain at the same time. They need to suppress one to be able to speak in the other.
This mental exercise might help in other ways, too. Researchers say bilingual children are better able to separate a word from its meaning, and more likely to have friends from different
cultures. Bilingual adults are often four to five years later than others in developing dementia or
Alzheimer's disease. | high20996.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "He felt he could no longer meet the responsibilities as a CEO."
},
"options": [
"He was found seriously ill in 2003.",
"He felt he could no longer meet the responsibilities as a CEO.",
"He would like to be Chairman of the Boa... | A Letter from Steve Jobs
August 24, 2011
To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community,
I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.
So I resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board feels fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.
As far as my successor goes, I strongly suggest that we name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.
I believe Apple's brightest days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.
I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.
Steve
More Information:
Steve Jobs (February 24, 1955--October 5, 2011) was an American businessman, designer and inventor. He is best known as the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple Inc. Unluckily, in 2003, Jobs was diagnosed with a pancreas neuroendocrine tumor . Although the cancer was treated in the first place, he appeared thinner as his health fell. On medical leave for most of 2011, Jobs finally made a decision to resign as Apple CEO in August that year. Shortly after that, on October 5, he died. He continues to receive honors and public attention for his influence in the technology and music industries. | high357.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "destroy the balance of glucose and fat in the body"
},
"options": [
"increase glucose and fat in the body",
"make a person become lazy",
"destroy the balance of glucose and fat in the body",
"make a person unable to exe... | Here's a new warning from health experts: sitting is deadly. Scientists are increasingly warning that sitting for long periods, even if you exercise regularly, could be bad for your health. And it doesn't matter where the sitting takes place--in the office, at school, in the car or before a computer or TV. Just the overall number of hours it takes matters. Several studies suggest people who spend most of their days sitting are more likely to be fat, have a heart attack or even die. While health officials have issued guidelines advising on the least amounts of physical activities, they haven't suggested people try to limit how much time they spend in a seated position.
"After four hours of sitting, the body starts to send harmful signals," said Ekblom-Bak of the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences. She explained that genes controlling the amount of glucose and fat in the body start to shut down.
Even for people who exercise, spending long periods of time sitting at a desk is still harmful. Tim Armstrong, a physical activity expert at the World Health Organization, said people who exercise every day but still spend a lot of time sitting might get more benefits if that exercise were spread across the day, rather than in a single hour.
Still in a study that tracked more than 17,000 Canadians for about a dozen years, researchers found people who sat more had a higher death risk, whether they exercised or not. Experts said more research is needed to figure out just how much sitting is dangerous, and what might be possible to _ those effects.
People should keep exercising because that has a lot of benefits," Ekblom-Bak said. "And when they're in the office, they should try to interrupt sitting as often as possible." | high13384.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "most of them have been audience of such activities"
},
"options": [
"most of them have been trained as public speakers",
"most of them have been audience of such activities",
"most of them have to do it when they study at col... | Although there are many ways in which people communicate through speech, public speaking has probably received more study and attracted more attention than any other. Politicians winning an election, salespeople presenting products and etc. All depend upon this form of public communication. Even people who do not make speaking a part of their daily work are often asked to make public speeches: students at graduation, for instance, or members of churches, clubs or other organizations. Nearly everyone speaks in public at some time or other, and those who perform the task well often become leaders.
There are many reasons for speaking in public. A public speaker may hope to teach an audience about new ideas, or provide information about some topic. Creating a good feeling or entertaining an audience may be another purpose. Public speakers, however, most often seek to persuade an audience to accept new opinions, to take certain actions, or to see the world in a new way.
Public speakers usually know well in advance when they are scheduled to make a speech. Consequently, they are able to prepare their message before they deliver it. Sometimes, though, speakers must deliver the message unprepared, or off the cuff, such as when they are asked to speak at a wedding reception or to participate in an interview.
When they do not have to speak unprepared, most speakers write their own speeches. Politicians and business managers sometimes employ professional writers who prepare their speeches for them. These professional writers may work alone or in small teams. Although the speaker may have some ideas into the contents of the speech, the writers sometimes have a great influence over the opinions expressed by their employers. Regardless of how a speech is prepared, the person who delivers it is given credit for its effect upon its hearers. | high20766.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Darryn Webb"
},
"options": [
"Anthony Alcalde",
"Darryn Webb",
"Cerro Negro",
"Melinda Vorisek"
],
"question": "Who is the key person to develop the sport of volcano boarding?",
"question_type": "factiod_q... | Nicaragua's Cerro Negro Volcano has erupted 23 times in the past 100 years,burying homes, crops and people in lava and ashes. But recently the black mountain has become a tourist draw, thanks to a newly invented extreme sport: volcano boarding.
Thousands of thrill-seekers have climbed to the top of Cerro Negro, peered into its mouth, then zipped down its rough-and--rocky 41--degree slope on special boards. The volcano-boarding speed, set by an Israeli woman, is 54 mph.
"Rushing down an active volcano is something that people expect." Said Anthony Alcalde, an expert volcano boarder. The sport was developed in the mid-2000s by Darryn Webb, an Australian who had climbed the nearby Cerro Negro but was looking for a faster way to get to the bottom. He tried sliding down on surfboards, snowboards, and even a refrgerrator door before inventing a sit-down board made of plywood.
"At first, Darryn planned to use a snowboard," said Gemma Cope, a British woman who now runs Big Foot, which offers volcano boarding tours. "But he realized he couldn't cut an edge for there were little rocks everywhere. So he came up with the sitting-down option and realized he can go pretty fast. "
Tourists,who are nearly all foreigners,pay $28 for the experience, which begins with a truck ride on dirt roads to Cerro Negr0.a 2,400-foot--high volcano that last erupted in l999.Visitors must carry their boards during the half-hour climb to the top. There,they go straight down the slope and sometimes they have to use their feet for brakes.Along the way.The board fills with rocks and dust,making boarders almost blind.Crashes are common."l wiped out twice and ripped my pants."said Melinda Vorisek, a tourist from Miami."But I'd do it again." Another tourist added:"It was sheer terror. I was eating dirt.But how many people can say they've bombed down a volcano?" | high21478.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "in the work itself"
},
"options": [
"to win the Nobel Prize for the first time",
"to be awarded the Nobel Prize for the second time.",
"in the work itself",
"to have a much more important recognition of his work."
]... | I have been very lucky to have won the Nobel Prize twice. It is, of course, very exciting to have such an important recognition of my work, but the real pleasure was in the work itself. Scientific research is like an exploration of a voyage of discovery. You are continually trying out new things that have not been done before. Many of them will lead nowhere and you have to try something different, but sometimes an experiment does work and tells you something new and that is really exciting. However small the new finding may be, it is great to think " I am the only person who knows this" and then you will have the fun of thinking what this finding will lead to and deciding what will be the next experiment. One of the best things about scientific research is that you are always doing something different and it is never boring. There are good times when things go well and bad times when they don't. Some people get discouraged at the difficult times but when I have a failure, my policy has always been not to worry but to start planning the next experiment, which is always fun.
It is very exciting to make a new discovery. Some people will do the strangest things for this excitement, such as going round the world in a balloon or walking to the North Pole. There are not many new places to explore but there is a lot of new information to be discovered in science and a journey into this unknown area can be much more worthwhile and just as exciting.
I am sometimes asked, "What do you have to do to win a Nobel Prize?" My answer is: "I don't know. I have never tried." But I know of one way not to win one. There are some people whose main reason for doing science is to win prizes and they are always thinking about how to do it. Such people don't succeed. To do good science you must be interested in it and enjoy doing experiments and thinking out problems. And, of course, you must be prepared to work hard and not to be too discouraged by failure. | high4793.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "The workers didn't operate properly."
},
"options": [
"The workers didn't operate properly.",
"The mine didn't obey the rules to mine for coal.",
"A lot more miners than allowed were working under the mine.",
"The safet... | BEIJING -- The rescue operations at a coal mine accident have ended with 105 miners dead. The State Council has organized an investigation team to probe into what caused the disaster in the city of Linfen, North China's Shanxi Province. Preliminary investigations show the illegal mining of an unauthorized seam , and the number of miners who had been sent down the shaft far exceeded its capacity.
This mine was found to have long ignored the rules to steal state coal, and did not have a list of miners employed to check the number of miners missing after the accident.
How did such a coal mine get all the necessary licenses for production? How did it pass the three safety inspections the local government organized last month?
In response to this disaster, the Shanxi governor promised to set up hotlines for people to report illegal coal mines and rewards as high as 100,000 yuan for _
We appreciate the action this governor has taken to solving the coal mining problems, and we believe that the reporting scheme will help to stop the existence of illegal coal mines.
But at the same time we have reason to question how governments at various levels supervise these mines.
The sad fact that such a mine with serious safety problems could pass three consecutive local government safety inspections in a month is enough to tell us how ineffective the safety inspections were.
What if these inspections were just a formality ? What if the inspectors were bribed by the mine owners to turn a blind eye to the safety dangers? We can well imagine what would happen if reports about mine problems were handled by such officials.
So a thorough probe must find out who are responsible for the death of so many miners. A real safety inspection and management system must be established to guarantee that safety dangers will be removed. | high22171.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "I really put my foot in my mouth this time."
},
"options": [
"Do not bad mouth me.",
"Stop mouthing off.",
"Do not put words in my mouth.",
"I really put my foot in my mouth this time."
],
"question": "What will... | People use their mouths for many things.They eat,talk,shout and sing.They smile and they kiss.In the English language,there are many expressions using the word "mouth".
For example,if you say bad things about a person,the person might protest and say "Do not bad mouth me." Sometimes,people say something to a friend or family member that they later regret because it hurts that person.Or they tell the person something they were not supposed to tell.The speaker might say,"I really put my foot in my mouth this time." If this should happen,the speaker might feel down in the mouth.In other words,he might feel sad for saying the wrong thing.
Another situation is when someone falsely claims another person said something.The other person might protest,"I did not say that.Do not put words in my mouth."
Some people have lots of money because they were born into a very rich family.There is an expression for this,too.You might say such a person,"was born with a silver spoon in his mouth." This rich person is the opposite of a person who lives from hand to mouth.This person is very poor and only has enough money for the most important things in life,like food.
Parents might sometimes keep a child off sweet food as a form of punishment for saying bad things.For example,if a child says things she should not say to her parents,she might be described as a mouthy child.The parents might even tell the child to stop mouthing off.
But enough of all this talk.I have been running my mouth long enough. | high6184.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "She was nervous, dissatisfied with her manners but still confident."
},
"options": [
"She was nervous, dissatisfied with her manners but still confident.",
"She was cold, hungry but eager to see all the children in the family.",
... | As we drove along, my spirits went up again, and I turned, with pleasure, to the thought of the new life which I was entering. But though it was not far past the middle of September, the heavy clouds and strong north-easterly wind combined to make the day extremely cold; and the journey seemed a very long one, so that it was nearly one o'clock before we reached the place of our destination. Yet when we entered the gateway, my heart failed me, and I wished it were a mile or two farther off. For the first time in my life I must stand alone: there was no retreating now. I must enter that house, and introduce myself among its strange people. But how was it to be done? True, I was near nineteen; but, thanks to the protecting care of my mother and sister, I well knew that many a girl of fifteen, or under, was gifted with a more womanly address, and greater ease and self-possession, than I was. Yet, anyway. I would do very well, after all; and the children, of course, I should soon be at ease with them.
"Be calm, be calm, whatever happens," I said within myself; and truly I was so fully occupied in steadying my nerves and keeping down the rebellious beat of my heart that when I was admitted into the hall and into the presence of Mrs. Bloomfield, I almost forgot to answer her polite greeting; and it afterwards struck me that the little I did say was spoken in the tone of one half-dead or half-asleep.
With due politeness, however, she showed me my bedroom, and left me there to take a little refreshment for a little while and led me into the dining-room. Some beefsteaks and potatoes were set before me; and while I dined upon these, she sat opposite, watching me (as I thought) and trying to keep something like a conversation-- consisting chiefly of commonplace remarks. In fact, my attention was almost wholly absorbed in my dinner: not from appetite, but from the toughness of the beefsteaks, and the numbness of my hands.
"I have had so little time to attend to their education myself, but I think they are clever children, and very willing to learn, especially the little boy; he is, I think, the flower of the flock-- a generous, noble-spirited boy, one to be led, but not driven, and remarkable for always speaking the truth." "His sister Mary Ann will require watching," continued she, "but she is a very good girl on the whole, though I wish her to be kept out of the nursery as much as possible, as she is now almost six years old, and might acquire bad habits from the nurses. I have ordered her bed to be placed in your room, and if you will be so kind as to look after her washing and dressing, and take charge of her clothes, she needs to have nothing further to do with the nursery maid."
I replied I was quite willing to do so; and at that moment the children entered the room. Tom Bloomfield was a well-grown boy of seven. Mary was a tall girl, for her age of six, somewhat dark like her mother. The second sister was Fanny, a very pretty little girl, looking little younger than Mary. The remaining one was Harriet, a little broad, fat, merry, playful thing of scarcely two, whom I had more desire for than all the rest -- but with her I had nothing to do. | high419.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "violence can speed up a child's aging"
},
"options": [
"violence leaves scars on a child's mind",
"violence can speed up a child's aging",
"hardship can change a child's aging",
"hardship has a long-term effect on child... | Conventional wisdom says that hardship can make us old before our time. In fact, a new study suggests that violence not only leaves long-term scars on children's bodies, but also changes their DNA, causing changes that are equal to seven to ten years of premature aging .
Scientists measured this by studying the ends of children's chromosomes , called telomeres, says Idan Shalev, lead author of a study published in Molecular Psychiatry.
Telomeres are special DNA sequences which prevent the DNA in chromosomes from separating. They get shorter each time a cell divides, until a cell cannot divide any more and dies.
Several factors have been found to shorten telomeres, including smoking, radiation and psychological stresses such as being treated badly when young and taking care of a chronically ill person.
In this study, researchers examined whether exposure to violence could make children's telomeres shorten faster than normal. They interviewed the mothers of 236 children at ages 5, 7 and 10, asking whether the youngsters had been exposed to domestic violence between the mother and her partner, physical maltreatment by an adult or bullying. Researchers measured the children's telomeres--in cells obtained from the insides of their cheeks--at ages 5 and 10.
Telomeres shortened faster in kids exposed to two or more types of violence, says Shalev. Unless that pattern changes, the study suggests, these kids could be expected to develop diseases of aging, such as heart attacks or memory loss, seven to 10 years earlier than their peers.
Shalev says there is hope for these kids. His study found that, in rare cases, telomeres can lengthen. Better nutrition, exercise and stress reduction are three things that may be able to lengthen telomeres, he says.
The study confirms a smallbutgrowing number of studies suggesting that early childhood hardship imprints itself in our chromosomes, says Charles Nelson, a professor of pediatrics and neuroscience at Harvard Medical School. | high8817.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": ". a prisoner"
},
"options": [
". an animal protector",
".the owner of the cat",
". a prison officer",
". a prisoner"
],
"question": "From the passage , we can learn that the author was",
"question_type": nul... | When a dirty and untidy orange cat showed up in the prison yard,I was one of the first to go out there and pet it. I hadn't touched a cat or a dog in over 20 years.I spent at least 20 minutes, knelt down behind the kitchen as the cat rolled around,relaxed.What he was expressing outwardly, I was feeling inwardly.It was an amazing bit of grace to feel him under my hand and note that I was reaching a life or another creature with something as simple as my care.
Over the next few days,there were other prisoners responding to the cat.Every yard period,a group of prisoners gathered there.They stood around talking and taking turns petting the cat. These were guys you wouldn't usually find talking to each other.Several times I saw an officer in the group,not chasing people away,but just watching and seeming to enjoy along with the prisoners. Bowls of milk and water appeared along with bread,wisely placed under the edge of the dustbin to keep the birds from getting it.
The cat was obviously homeless and in pretty bad shape .People said that the cat came to the right place.He's getting treated like a king.This was true,but as I watched I was also thinking about what the cat was doing for us.There was a lot of talk about what's wrong with prisons in America.We need more programs.We need more psychologists or treatment of various kinds, Some may even talk about making prisons more kind. But I think what we really need is a chance to practice our own kindness , Not receive it , but give it, After more than two decades here, I know kindness is not a value that's encouraged. It's often seen as a weakness, Instead, the culture encourages keeping your head down, minding your own business, and never letting yourself be weak.
The cat did my heart good to see the effect he had on me and the men here, By simply saying ,"I need some help here", he did something important for us, He needed us , And we needed to be needed, I believe we all do. | high23509.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "He was too considerate to trouble his friends again."
},
"options": [
"He had an operation to carry out.",
"He has no other transportation choices.",
"He was not permitted to drive by local law.",
"He was too considerat... | I've ridden a lot of buses in my time. There was the one in India that was so crowded, I had to climb onto the top just to breathe. Neither will I forget the bus in South Africa that was almost taken up by monkeys. No matter how entertaining they were at the time, none can compare to my first ride on what I now call the Leisure Village Local.
When I first moved into Leisure Village, I didn't even know bus transportation was provided. Then I had an operation on my left foot and I couldn't drive. As I didn't want to keep making trouble for friends to shop for me, I decided to try out the Leisure Village Local.
The next morning, undaunted, I stood with the support of my crutches and waited. Suddenly, the bus arrived. As soon as I boarded the bus, I discovered I was all by myself. Then the bus approached another stop, and four women climbed aboard. They sat next to me and introduced themselves.
A few minutes later, we arrived at the Wal-Mart in Middle Island. As soon as we entered, one of my new friends showed me how to operate the motorized shopping cart . Another walked alongside the entire time, waiting to help if something was out of reach. One hour later, another insisted on carrying my bags onto the bus. And the fourth woman carried my bags to my front door when we got back. I thanked them all for their help, and told them I would see them soon.
The next day morning, I found a brown paper bag at the front door. Inside was a giant bowl of chicken soup, and a note.
"Get well soon." It was signed, "Your guardian angels."
I rode the Leisure Village Local two more times later, but didn't see any of my guardian angels. Maybe they're helping someone else, I thought. Or, maybe they flew south for the winter. | high17874.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The effect of the Sept.11 attack on Hollywood films"
},
"options": [
"The relationship between the Sept.11 attack and Hollywood films.",
"The effect of the Sept.11 attack on Hollywood films",
"The response Hollywoodmade to th... | As the world watched the twin towers of theprefix = st1 /WorldTradeCentercome under attack, a common phrase was repeated:" It looks like a movie."
But this time there was no superman to save the people or the famous building. The attack destroyed one of the world's highest skyscrapers and left 5,000 people dead or missing.
Movie fans have become used to such events after years of Hollywood films showing disasters, terrorism and danger, The Empire State Building, the White House, New York City and even the American president himself have all been threatened by terrorist attacks in these exciting films.
The film"True Lies", released in 1994 is considered to be a good example of this kind of movie. The special effects, including explosions and missiles, make the action look like a real thing.
"Independence Day"in 1996 took this type of movie one step further by blowing up the White House. This science fiction movie is about a war between human beings and aliens from another planet. In the movie, the WorldTradeCentertowers are destroyed.
Violence has become a major part of Hollywood movies. And this is what people enjoy. Soon after the attacks, many famous film companies stopped the planned releases of some of their new movies, especially if their films showed terrorist attacks or plane crashes. "Swordfish" was top of the American box office in June, 2001. But the movie's story was frighteningly similar to the Sept.11 disaster. The film would have been stopped in American and British cinemas after the attack.
But it's unlikely thatHollywoodwill stay quiet for long. It is already waiting for the feeling inAmericato calm down. | high20000.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "use for their schoolwork"
},
"options": [
"use for their schoolwork",
"search the Internet",
"work at home",
"connect them to libraries"
],
"question": "The main purpose of the laptop program is to give each stu... | Laptop computers are popular all over the world. People use them on trains and airplanes, in airports and hotels. These laptops connect people to their workplace. In the United States today, laptops also connect students to their classrooms.
Westlake College in Virginia will start a laptop computer program that allows students to do schoolwork anywhere they want. Within five years, each of the 1500 students at the college will receive a laptop. The laptops are part of a $10 million computer program at Westlake, a 110-year-old college. The students with laptops will also have access to the Internet. In addition, they will be able to use e-mail to "speak" with their teachers, their classmates, and their families. However, the most important part of the laptop program is that students will be able to use computers without going to computer labs. They can work with it at home, in a fast-food restaurant or under the trees----anywhere at all!
Because of the many changes in computer technology , laptop use in higher education, such as colleges and universities, is workable. As laptops become more powerful, they become more similar to desktop computers. In addition, the portable computers can connect students to not only the Internet, but also libraries and other resources. State higher-education officials are studying how laptops can help students. State officials are also testing laptop programs at other universities, too.
At Westlake College, more than 60 percent of the staff use computers. The laptops will allow all teachers to use computers in their lessons. As one Westlake teacher said, " Here we are in the middle of Virginia and we're giving students _ . They can see everything and do everything." | high2484.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Music."
},
"options": [
"Music.",
"Sport.",
"Cinema.",
"TV."
],
"question": "Which activity is the most popular with young French people?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Many French academics,teachers and parents complain because they feel that intellectual levels are falling rapidly!The figures prove it:young people visit museums less,spend their lives chatting on the Internet,read nothing but Stephen King,while watching American soaps such as Friends or reality shows like Star Academy on television,music player glued to their cars,and the games console handy.
It is,however,easy to see these habits in a positive light.Music is the favorite leisure activity:86% of 14-to18-year-olds put it at the top of their activities,above the cinema(71%),clubbing(68%),sport(56%) and television(48%).For 90% of young people aged 14to 18,radio is also very popular:they listen to it every day without exception.International popular music has a strong showing,but songs in French are still in the majority(60%).
Young people do,of course,watch a lot of television,but less than their elders,and if they tend to choose mostly soaps and reality TV shows,that is because these are the programs people talk about,which encourages social interaction.Do young people read less than they used to?Maybe,but that's also true of the elders.Young people still read more than their elders.When asked,"Do you like reading?",94% of 14-to-18-year-olds say they do,and 81% are convinced that computers will never replace books.
Contrary to popular belief,reading continues to occupy an extremely important place in leisure-time activities,but the reading matter young people choose has changed considerably:there is a greater variety of media(computers and new technologies) and young people admit to taste they would perhaps have been ashamed of in the past.For example,comic strips,Stenphen King or other authors not recognized by mainstream culture,such as Betty Mahmoody (Not Without My Daughter),Mary Higgins Clark or Jostein Gaader (Sophie's World).As Beatrice Toulon,Editor in Chief of the magazine Phosphore,see it,"They don't read the same things as their parents did,but they are not afraid to admit it.They have their own culture,which they flaunt openly!" | high19859.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The increasing popularity of digital wallets in China and the reasons behind it."
},
"options": [
"How to survive with no cash or credit cards at hand in China.",
"Differences between mobile payments and traditional cash payments."... | Digital wallets have been called the future of real-world payment technology. With major players like Alipay, WecChat and Apple Pay becoming popular, it seems to be a safe bet that a change in consumer payment technology is coming soon.
A recent study by Citi Retail Services found that a growing number of people are embracing digital wallets, due in large part to their convenience and ease of use , "There's no question 2016 will be an important year as digital wallets gain more acceptance.", Leslie MeNamara, managing director of partner management, Citi Retail Services, noted.
Last month, CNN reporter Will Ripley experience a day in Beijing without his wallet. "In China's largest cities, you can definitely survive without carrying a pocket full of cash and credit cards- as long as you've got your smartphone," he wrote. "A huge number of businesses in Beijing accept mobile payments."
He paid for breakfast by scanning a QR code on the window of a hole-in-the -wall restaurant. All he had to do was enter a password and the transaction was completed. Then he also used his phone to pay for movies tickets, buy takeout food, order goods for delivery.
In fact, he was not the only one to enjoy this convenience. His assistant Shen Lu also paid her household water bill with her mobile phone. In seconds, she was able to transfer funds( ) from one of several linked accounts.
Unlike the situations in the US and other countries, "China doesn't have a really money-making credit card system". Gu Yu, co-founder of the new payment app Mileslife, told CNN. "So Chinese people just skipped credit cards and wet straight to mobile payments."
Gu also pointed out the advantages of mobile payments. "No coins or bills that can be lost or stolen, electronic receipts, the ease of keeping track of spending and of course, no wallet taking up space." he said | high19695.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "proved some of his findings wrong"
},
"options": [
"took the lead in the competition",
"kept her results from him",
"proved some of his findings wrong",
"shared her data with other scientists"
],
"question": "Wa... | Four people in England back in 1953, stared at Photo 51,It wasn't much--a picture showing a black X. But three of these people won the Nobel Prize for figuring out what the photo really showed -the shape of DNA The discovery brought fame and fortune to scientists James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins. The fourth, the one who actually made the picture, was left out.
Her name was Rosalind Franklin."She should have been up there," says historian Mary Bowden." If her photos hadn't been there, the others couldn't have come up with the structure." One reason Franklin was missing was that she had died of cancer four years before the Nobel decision. But now scholars doubt that Franklin was not only robbed of her life by disease but robbed of credit by her competitors
At Cambridge University in the 1950s, Watson and Click tried to make models by cutting up shapes of DNA's parts and then putting them together. In the meantime, at King's College in London, Franklin and Wilkins shone X-rays at the molecule . The rays produced patterns reflection the shape.
But Wilkins and Franklin's relationship was a lot rockier than the celebrated teamwork of Watson and Crick, Wilkins thought Franklin was hired to be his assistant .But the college actually employed her to take over the DNA project.
What she did was produce X-ray pictures that told Watson and Crick that one of their early models was inside out. And she was not shy about saying so. That angered Watson, who attacked her in return, "Mere inspection suggested that she would not easily bend. Clearly she had to go or be put in her place."
As Franklin's competitors, Wilkins, Watson and Crick had much to gain by cutting her out of the little group of researchers, says historian Pnina Abir-Am. In 1962 at the Nobel Prize awarding ceremony, Wilkins thanked 13 colleagues by name before he mentioned Franklin, Watson wrote his book laughing at her. Crick wrote in 1974 that "Franklin was only two steps away from the solution."
No, Franklin was the solution. "She contributed more than any other player to solving the structure of DNA . She must be considered a co-discoverer," Abir-Am says. This was backed up by Aaron Klug, who worked with Franklin and later won a Nobel Prize himself. Once described as the "Dark Lady of DNA", Franklin is finally coming into the light. | high3956.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "they don't pollute the air"
},
"options": [
"the owners can get some money",
"they can get repaired on time",
"they don't pollute the air",
"the government can decide to buy them or not"
],
"question": "Cars get... | Car Pollution
Some cars do not run the way they should. Bad smoke from a car can get into the air. This bad smoke is called pollution.
Pollution turns the air a gray color1. It is very dirty. It is not good for people to breathe this dirty air.
To keep pollution down, the states tests cars every two years. This test checks to make sure the cars do not pollute the air. If a car does not pass the test, the owner cannot drive it the next year.
Some car owners drive their cars even though they cannot pass the test. It is also very bad for the air.
People want to find a way to get these cars off the road. So a state program was started that now seems to be helping. In this program the States buys cars that cannot pass the test or will help pay for repairs. This program has been helping people buy better cars or fix their old ones. It has also been helping to cut down on pollution.
To meet the needs for the program, a car must be drivable and the owner must meet certain income restrictions . In order to get help from the program, a motorist must have a family income of no more than 185% of the national poverty guidelines . For a family of four, that would be no more than $32,653 each year.
The state program that takes polluting cars off the road has just finished its first year, and people say it has been successful.
For the past year, the state program has been buying cars that can't pass the test. Some car owners get as much as $1,000 for their old ones, while others receive as much as $500 for repairs.
The cars bought by the States through the program are put out of use and sent to dismantlers . | high20014.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Natural eye care"
},
"options": [
"Seeing the doctor",
"Taking medicine",
"Natural eye care",
"Being happy all the time"
],
"question": "_ is the most important way to protect our eyes.",
"question_type": ... | Many of us don't pay much attention to the importance of eye care. It is said that if you take care of your body, then you can surely be healthy. That is why our eyes should be given a lot of care. Natural eye care should be put in a number one place.
There are several causes leading to poor eyesight like not enough food, genes and aging . Televisions, computers and reading are also the causes of having poor eyesight. If you happen to work in front of the computer, it is best to take a break every once in a while. Something dirty can cause redness and they will make you feel uncomfortable. It is bad for your eyes, too. If this happens, the best way is to clean your eyes by using cold water. You must also try your best to protect your eyes from harmful things. For example, sunglasses are not just for fashion but they can also serve as a great way to protect your eyesight form UV rays.
Eating healthy foods will do good to your eyesight. Remember that vitamins A, C and E are good for eyes. Try to eat food groups that have these vitamins. And you should do eye exercises because exercise protects your eyesight, too. If a person exercises regularly and eats the right kind of food, his eyes will stay in good condition for a long time.
All above are natural ways of eye care that help us keep healthy eyes. Being happy all the time can be helpful to a person's eyesight, too. In a word, eye care is very important, no matter how old a person is. | high2490.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "tiger"
},
"options": [
"lion",
"tiger",
"panda",
"bear"
],
"question": "The _ is the largest wild cat in the world.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
... | Tigers are the largest wild cats in the world. They usually go out to hunt for food when it is dark. When a tiger sees an animal, it moves quickly and then jumps on the animals to kill it. Sometimes it can take the tiger several days to finish eating its food. When the tiger is full, it will cover the dead animal with leaves. Later, when the tiger is hungry again, it comes back to eat some more.
Tigers are different from others in the cat family: they like water and often jump into rivers to swim. Some tigers live in very cold places in North Korea, Russia and China. Other tigers live in warmer places--in India and parts of Southeast Asia.
But now all tigers are in danger. Some people kill tigers to use their skins for clothes, and their bodies for medicine. There is also less and less land for tigers to live in.
,. | high8803.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "She couldn't recite words clearly owing to stuttering."
},
"options": [
"She hadn't enough time to practice.",
"She wasn't popular with the students in her class.",
"She couldn't recite words clearly owing to stuttering.",
... | One day in my class, the children were busy preparing for the coming concert. Suddenly Patty came up to me and said, "Every year I-g-g-g-get to be a quiet student. The other kids are always in a p-p-p-play or something. This year, I w-w-want to recite a p-p-p-poem myself!"
Watching her eager eyes, I had no way to refuse her request. So I had to promise her that she would have a "reciting" part. That promise proved to be very difficult to keep. None of my books had any proper poems for her. So I had to spend most of the night writing a poem for her. It was not excellent, but it was enough to cope with Patty's speech problem.
From then on, Patty spent a lot of time practicing the reciting every day. With my help, she made great progress. However, an unexpected thing happened when the concert was about to start. The MC came to me with anger, waving his printed program. "There has been a mistake! You have listed Patty for a recitation. That girl can't even say her own name without stuttering." Because there was not enough time for explanations, I said to him angrily, "We know what we are doing."
The concert was going very well. When it was time for Patty's recitation, the MC again said that Patty would embarrass everyone. Losing patience, I shouted to him loudly, "Patty will do her part. You do yours. Just introduce her number."
The curtain parted to show Patty, excited and confident. In perfect control, Patty uttered each syllable clearly helped by my gestures. At last, she made her bow, with tears in her eyes.
The curtain closed. At first silence held the audience, then the silence gave way to warm and lasting applause. Patty threw her arms around me and said to me excitedly, "We d-d-d-did it!" | high12918.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "It presents the reader with some information concerning swine flu."
},
"options": [
"It mainly tells us how swine flu broke out in Mexico City.",
"It presents the reader with some information concerning swine flu.",
"It tells... | Life has changed in Mexico City. Streets normally filled with people are empty. One of the most popular professional soccer teams recently played a game in an empty stadium that can seat more than100,000 people. It's swine flu that has made life in Mexico City grind to a halt .
Seemingly out of nowhere, swine flu has caused confirmed deaths in 12 countries as of April 30. It has sent a wave of alarm around the world. Governments are trying to find ways to prevent further out-breaks. The World Health Organization has raised its swine flu global threat level to five out of six.
People may be familiar with bird flu, but they know little about swine flu. Swine flu is a contagious respiratory disease in pigs. It is caused by a type-A influenza virus.
Humans can also catch swine flu. The virus causes regular outbreaks in pigs, but people usually do not catch it. However, there have been cases of the virus spreading to people, and then from one person to another.
The symptoms of swine flu are similar to the common flu. They include fever, lethargy , lack of appetite, coughing, runny nose, sore throat, nausea , and vomiting . The high proportion of young adults among the deaths is one of several mysteries about this virus. Most of the dead had lung damage. What caused it is not yet known.
The virus spreads the same way the common flu does. When an infected person coughs or sneezes around another person, the latter is put at risk. People can get the disease by touching something with the flu virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose or eyes.
There are medicines to treat swine flu. Doctors suggest using anti - viral drugs. They keep the virus from reproducing inside the body.
Although there are no vaccines for it now, several everyday steps can help prevent the spread of the virus: washing hands frequently; avoiding close contact with people who are sick; and avoiding touching surfaces that might have the virus on it.
People may worry that they will get swine flu from eating or preparing pork. In fact, you cannot catch the virus from pork products if they have been properly prepared and cooked. Cooking food at temperatures of 71degCkills the virus. | high22603.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "young people make muscles more quickly when eating"
},
"options": [
"older people can't make muscles any more",
"eating fast will help make more muscles",
"young people make muscles more quickly when eating",
"older peo... | Have you ever noticed that people have thinner arms and legs as they get older? As we age it becomes harder to keep our muscles healthy. They get smaller, which reduces strength and increases the possibility of falls and fractures . New research is showing how this happens and what to do about it.
A team of Nottingham researchers has already shown that when older people eat, they cannot make muscle as fast as the young. Now they've found that the ability to prevent muscle breakdown is reduced with age.
When older people eat, they don't build enough muscle with the protein in food; also, the insulin fails to shut down the muscle breakdown that rises between meals and overnight. Normally, in young people, insulin acts to slow muscle breakdown.
The research just published compared one group of people in their late 60s to a group of 25-year-olds, with equal numbers of men and women. "We studied our subjects first -- before breakfast -- and then after giving them a small amount of insulin to raise the hormone to what they would be if they had eaten breakfast," Professor Rennie said.
" The results were clear. The younger people's muscles were able to use insulin we gave to stop the muscle breakdown, which had increased during the night. The muscles in the older people could not. In the course of our tests, we also noticed that the blood flow in the leg was greater in the younger people than the older ones," added Professor Rennie.
However, scientists think that weight training may reactivate muscle blood flow and help retain muscles for older people. "In fact, doing exercise three times a week over 20 weeks reactivates the leg blood flow responses of older people. They became identical to those in the young," said Professor Rennie. | high22165.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "they were both new students"
},
"options": [
"they were of the same age",
"they had the same hair styles",
"they were both tall",
"they were both new students"
],
"question": "The writer and Lisa were similar in... | My Best Enemy
Once again, I was in a new school. So was a girl in my class named Lisa. That's where the similarities ended.
I was tall and she was small. My thick black hair had been recently cut short into an untidy style. Her natural blonde hair flowed to her waist and looked great. I was 12 and one of the oldest in the class while she was 11 and the youngest. I was awkward and shy. She wasn't. I couldn't stand her, considering her my enemy. But she liked me and wanted to be friends.
One day, she invited me over and I said yes--I was too shocked to answer any other way. My family had moved six times in six years, and I had never managed to develop any friendships. But this girl who wore the latest fashions wanted me to go home with her after school.
She lived in a fun part of town that had two pizza places, an all-night bookstore, a movie theater and a park. As we walked from the school bus stop through her neighborhood, I tried to guess which house might be hers. Was it the white one with the perfect lawn or the three-story house with a front porch? I got very surprised when she led me into an old apartment building. She lived on the fourth floor in a two-room place with her mother,her stepfather, her two brothers and her sister.
When we got into the room she shared with her sister, she took out a big case of Babies, which was my next surprise. I had never played with them. We sat on the floor,laughing as we made up crazy stories about the Babies. We found out that we both wanted to be writers when we were older and both had wild imaginations. We had a great day that afternoon.
Lisa was loved by the whole neighborhood. The bookstore owners lent her fashion magazines; the movie theater gave her free tickets... Soon I was included in her magic world. We slept over at each other's houses and spent every free moment together.
Lisa, my first real friend since childhood, helped me get through the rough year of early adolescence and taught me an amazing and very surprising thing about making friends: that your worst enemy can turn out to be your best friend. | high1827.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "On the first weekend of August every year."
},
"options": [
"On August 2nd every year.",
"On the third weekend of August every year.",
"On August 1st every year.",
"On the first weekend of August every year."
],
... | Friendship Day in India falls on the first Sunday of August every year. It is celebrated with many activities.
Young people in India spend the day with their closest friends and have fun together. Most youngsters in India plan a movie or have a meal with their friends. Many friends may go on a drive to tourist places or make a plan for camping. Some friends go to the supermarket to do some shopping. On Friendship Day, most stores offer discounted prices for customers and it is the perfect day to buy something for friends.
Some friends go to parties that are organized by many restaurants in order to attract youngsters. Such parties are very enjoyable. You can get food at a discounted price. Some friends just decide to meet up (,) at someone's home and talk about their happy time. The time good friends spend sitting together and talking over a cup of coffee is precious and unforgettable.
Long-distance friends call up each other on this day and wish each other with warm feelings. Some of them even plan to meet up on this particular day. Yet some others plan a surprising visit just to see their friend gasp in shock!
In 2009, Friendship Day in India falls on August 2nd. So don't forget to celebrate it with your friends. | high15911.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Entertainment"
},
"options": [
"Finance",
"Current affairs",
"Tech",
"Entertainment"
],
"question": "On which section of a newspaper will you read this passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer":... | "The Voice" has become a major player in the TV talent-show stages, as the show has become NBC's biggest entertainment prime-time program of 2012. In addition to being a hit in the ratings, "The Voice" is also a hit with critics and Emmy voters: The second season of the show , which _ from February to May 2012, has earned the 2012 Critics' Choice Award for Best Realty-Series Competition and an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program.
All the original coaches are back for the third season in a row: Christina Aguilera, Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green and Blake Shelton. The show's other on-air talent returning for Season 3 are host/producer Carson Daly and social media reporter Christina Milian, who has been with the show since Season 2. The grand prize for the winner is also the same: a record deal with Universal Republic Records.
The third season of "The Voice" features two big new changes: "steals", in which the coaches can steal contestants who have been rejected from another coach's team, and "knockout rounds". In the "battle rounds," two contestants face off in a duet of a song chosen by their coach. When a contestant is rejected from a team after a battle round, another coach has the option to "steal" the contestant for his or her team. If more than one coach wants the same contestant, then the contestant gets to choose the coach. In the "knockout rounds," two contestants face off by each doing a different song of the contestant's choice, and coaches can no longer "steal" a contestant who is rejected.
Season 3 will also have a new group of four advisers, who are each paired with a coach: Green Day lead singer with Aguilera; Mary J. Blige with Levine; Michael Buble with Shelton; and Matchbox Twenty lead singer Rob Thomas with Green. At an August 2012 press event held at "The Voice" executive producer Mark Burnett's home in Malibu, California, members of the media gathered for a press conference with Burnett, Aguilera, Green, Shelton, Levine, Daly and Milian to discuss changes in the show and what the future holds for "The Voice." | high5499.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "was afraid of disappointing everyone"
},
"options": [
"was afraid of disappointing everyone",
"didn't expect to lose the swim match",
"didn't want to compete against other girls",
"was worried about making errors in pub... | When the swim season began, my 11-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, and I cut a deal. She would go to practice three times a week and try really hard, and I wouldn't make her compete in the swim meets because on the day of a meet, she would be nervous all day. Her nerves rooted from the possibility that she would do something horribly wrong and let everyone down.
Recently, they had a T-shirt relay, which works like this: one person from each relay team puts on a T-shirt and a pair of socks, swims 50 meters, and gets out of the pool. She takes off the clothes and puts them on the next person, who then swims 50 meters. This continues until everyone on the team has completed a lap.
By the last leg, Elizabeth's team had built up a moderate lead. Then it was Elizabeth's turn to swim. She seemed to swim faster in the T-shirt and socks than when she wasn't wearing them.
Approaching the halfway mark, she was still in the lead. Then one of Elizabeth's socks fell off and was floating in the pool. "She has to get that sock on before the end of the race," a swimming official told her team, "or you will be disqualified."
Everybody on her team started screaming, "Elizabeth! Elizabeth! Stop! Get the sock!" But she couldn't hear them. As she started her last 25 meters, a girl in Lane 2 was gaining on Elizabeth. It was time for desperate measures. A girl on my daughter's team jumped in the pool, grabbed the sock, and swam after Elizabeth. She grabbed Elizabeth's foot. "You have to put the sock on," the girl screamed. Elizabeth continued swimming while her teammate put on the sock.
By now, the girl in Lane 2 was about to pass Elizabeth. With the sock finally on, Elizabeth swam her heart out for the last 15 meters. It was close, but Elizabeth beat the other girl to the wall for the victory.
On the ride home, she relived her moment of glory again and again. She told me that if the T-shirt relay was an Olympic event, her team would win the gold medal. I told her that in my professional opinion, she was absolutely right. | high4787.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "have more or less the same income"
},
"options": [
"get up and go to work at the same time",
"spend their holidays in the same pattern",
"buy and eat the same kind of food",
"have more or less the same income"
],
... | Although the US is so big and its people have so many different racial backgrounds, it is in some ways less varied than Europe.The English language is used almost everywhere in its American form.The American way of speaking has developed independently of English and is on the whole closer to what can be heard in Ireland.
Another example of uniformity is in habits and ways of living.From Boston to Los Angeles it is as far as from France to Central Asia, and from east to west there are five time zones; but everywhere people get up and go to bed at about the same time, eat the same kind of food, buy in the same kind of shops, work and rest at the same time of the day and have the same pattern of holidays. _ there is less difference between rich people and ordinary people or between town and country, than in any single European nation.
Although far more food is produced than the present population needs, America is actually an urban society.Less than a tenth of the people are engaged in agriculture and most of the rest live in or around towns large and small.Here the traditional picture is changing; most Americans do not live in small towns any more.Half the population now live in some thirty metropolitan areas.
The fact that the United States has always been a single economic unit has contributed to uniformity.Modern industry favors large organization, and it is no accident that the world's biggest commercial firms are American.The people can choose between the products of competing manufacturers but the products are all much alike. | high10869.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "they have the same idea in governing"
},
"options": [
"they both lived Illinois",
"they have the same idea in governing",
"both of them are black",
"they served in the same office"
],
"question": "According to B... | Barack Obama has never been shy about comparing himself with Abraham Lincoln. He did so when he announced his presidential election in Illinois, where both he and Lincoln served in the legislature . "The life of a tall, thin, self-made Springfield lawyer tells us that a different future is possible." Obama said. "He tells us that there is power in words and that there is power in hope." Such comparisons have continued on big and small occasions, but the most important similarity, in Obama's mind, is how he plans to govern if elected.
Obama says he admires Doris Kearns Goodwin' s wonderful Lincoln biography, Team of Rivals. "He talks about it all the time." says a top assistant. "He is particularly interested in the idea that Lincoln successfully won the hearts of many people who had run against him for President, some of them even disagree with him firmly." "The lesson is that you shouldn't let your hatred get in the way of hiring ly the best people." says Obama. "I think American people are practical and so I have an interest in casting a wide net, seeking out people with a wide range of expert knowledge, including Republicans, for the highest positions in the government."
"I don't want to have people who just agree with me." He says. "I want people who are continually pushing me forward and I'd be very interested in having those sorts of Republicans in my government, especially people who can speed up a responsible and logical conclusion to the Iraq war." | high22602.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Disturbing schools"
},
"options": [
"Playing cellphones in class",
"Disobeying the teacher",
"Disturbing schools",
"Fighting with the police officer"
],
"question": "What are the teens charged with?",
"quest... | COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- A group of black parents and civil rights activists presented a petition Thursday calling for officials to drop charges against a 16-year-old South Carolina high school student who was videotaped being dragged from her desk and thrown to the floor by a police officer in her classroom.
The group said it was unfair and unacceptable that the student and her 18-year-old classmate at Spring Valley High School who taped the incident were the only people charged that day when authorities already knew Richland County Deputy Ben Fields had tossed the girl from her desk to the ground.
They also said their petition had hundreds of thousands of names from around the country asking prosecutor Dan Johnson to drop the "disturbing schools" charges against the teens. The students in the case are black; Fields is white.
Johnson issued a statement Wednesday saying he won't do anything with the case until the FBI finishes its investigation into Fields, who was fired after the video became public. "I do not simply decide cases based upon feelings, public opinion or sentiment, nor do I decide them based on political pressure," Johnson said in the statement.
Disturbing schools is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or 90 days in jail. The students' lawyer did not respond to telephone messages.
The video spread quickly across the country, prompting questions about when police officers should get involved with classroom discipline. Fields was called to the classroom after the student refused to stop using her cellphone, and then she would not leave the classroom for a teacher or administrator.
In the days after the incident, the teacher turned her class over to a substitute and the administrator was placed on leave. Richland two officials didn't respond to an email asking about their current status. The students were allowed back in school.
Organizers of the protest said they plan to be at South Carolina's Statehouse next year, calling for legislators to change the law that allows police officers to arrest students for misbehaving at schools. Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott blamed that law for escalating the situation. "Let's find a way where we don't saddle students with arrest records," said EfiaNwangaza from the Malcom X Center for Self Determination. "Let's get ahead of the schoolhouse-to-jailhouse train in South Carolina." | high12919.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "wearing different color1s of clothes"
},
"options": [
"wearing different styles of clothes",
"changing hair-style",
"wearing different color1s of clothes",
"Playing games"
],
"question": "In the article, one way... | Our clothes are a powerful tool that can make us feel better about ourselves. One way in which this works is by wearing different color1s of clothes.
Normally when we are sad, we will wear dark color1ed clothes. Oppositely, when we are happy, we often choose to wear brightly color1ed clothes. The reason for this is that our choice of color1 mirrors is how we are feeling.
Those who don't believe in the idea are often heard saying, "if only this truly worked". Well in reply to those people, there has been a lot of research into what happens to someone's feelings when they are asked to wear just one color1 of clothes. It has been proven that if we wear particular color1s of clothes they can change our feelings.
Suppose we are feeling sad, if we wear black we may begin to feel worse. However, if we wear green, red or yellow, we may begin to feel better.
Each color1 is said to have its own healing power. So remember, if you are not feeling your best, you can always try out some different color1ed clothes. If one color1 has no effect on your feelings, maybe another will. | high24273.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "From London"
},
"options": [
"From London",
"From Shanghai",
"From Xi'an.",
"From New York"
],
"question": "Where is the writer from?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"an... | Hi Hongbo,
I'm so glad to read about the changes talking place in your city. It's really good news that you can travel by subway in Xi'an, though there's only one line there. Here in London we have twelve lines. By the way, we don't use the word "subway" here. It's American English. We call it "the Underground", instead.
The London Underground is very famous. It's famous for several reasons. First of all, part of the underground railway today is the oldest in the world, which opened in 1863. Secondly, the London Underground is also the first line to have electric trains, in 1890. Thirdly but not the last, the London Underground is the second largest metro system in the world, after the Shanghai Metro. There are 270 stations in the Underground and it has 402 kilometres oftracks . What's more, the city of London itself helps make the transportation system famous! I've got a few photos to help you build a clear picture of the Underground in my city. They are together with this mail.
In your email, you also said workers were building more lines. I'm sure your city is developing fast. Maybe you can send me a few photos of your city today. I really want to see the changes taking place there. I'm happy for you to live there in an ancient city with such a new look!
So much for now. I'll write soon again. Best wishes! | high2491.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "its attractive buildings"
},
"options": [
"its charming banks",
"its famous museums",
"its wonderful palaces",
"its attractive buildings"
],
"question": "Visitors who see the city for the first time would be dee... | Liverpool, my hometown, is a unique city. It is so unique that in 2004 it became a World Heritage Site.
I recently returned to my home city and my first stop was at a museum on the River Mersey. Blanketed in mist , Victorian architecture rose from the banks of the river, responded to the sounds of sea-birds, and appeared unbelievably charming. When I headed toward the centre, I found myself surrounded by buildings that mirror the best palaces of Europe. It is not hard to imagine why, on first seeing the city, most visitors would be overpowered by the beauty of the noble buildings, which are solid signs of Liverpool's history.
As if to stress its cultural role, Liverpool has more museums and galleries than most cities in Britain. At Walker Art Gallery, I was told that it has the best collections of Victorian paintings in the world, and is the home of modern art in the north of England. However, culture is more than galleries. Liverpool offers many music events. As Britain's No.1 music city, it has the biggest city music festival in Europe, and its musicians are famous all over the world. Liverpool is also well-known for its football and other sports events. Every year, the Mersey River Festival attracts thousands of visitors, making the city a place of wonder.
As you would expect from such a city, there are restaurants serving food from around the world. When my trip was about to complete, I chose to rest my legs in Liverpool's famous Philharmonic pub . It is a monument to perfection, and a heritage attraction itself.
Being a World Heritage Site, my home city is certainly a place of "outstanding universal value". It is a treasure house with plenty of secrets for the world to explore. | high3957.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "to understand its jokes, you'd better lean the culture."
},
"options": [
"making jokes can help you make friends with native speakers",
"local jokes can help you to understand the local culture better.",
"understanding jokes ... | A good joke can be the hardest thing to understand when studying a foreign language. As a recent article in The Guardian newspaper noted, "There's more to understanding a joke in a foreign language than understanding vocabulary and grammar."
Being able to understand local jokes is often seen as an incredible ice-breaker for a language learner eager to form friendships with native speakers. "I always felt that humor was a ceiling that I could never break through," Hannah Ashley, a public relations account manager in London, who once studied Spanish in Madrid. Told The Guardian, "I could never speak to people on the same level as I would speak to a native English speaker. I almost came across as quite a boring person because all I could talk about was facts."
In fact, most of the time, jokes are only funny for people who share a cultural background or understand humor in the same way. Chinese-American comedian Joe Wong found this out first-hand. He had achieved huge success in the US, but when he returned to China in 2008 for his first live show in Beijing, he discovered that people didn't think his. Chinese jokes were as funny as his English ones.
In Australia, meanwhile many foreigners find understanding jokes about sports to be the biggest headache. "The hardest jokes are related to rugby because I know nothing about rugby," said Melody Cao, who was once a student in Australia. "When I heard jokes I didn't get, I just laughed along."
In the other two major English-speaking countries, the sense of humor is also different. British comedian Simon Pegg believes that while Britons use irony-basically, saying something they don't mean to make a joke-every day, people in the US don't see the point of using it so often. "British jokes tend to be more subtle and dark, while American jokes are more obvious with their meanings, a bit like Americans themselves," he wrote in The Guardian. | high19694.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the physical problems of the chief executives"
},
"options": [
"the constant change of its share price",
"the board's failure to reach an agreement",
"the falling sales",
"the physical problems of the chief executives"
... | Charlie Bell became chief executive of McDonald's in April. Within a month doctors told him that he had color1ectal cancer. After stock market hours on November 22nd, the fast-food firm said he had resigned; it would need a third boss in under a year. Yet when the market opened, its share price barely dipped then edged higher. After all, McDonald's had, again, shown how to act swiftly and decisively in appointing a new boss.
Mr. Bell himself got the top job when Jim Cantalupo died of a heart attack hours before he was due to address a convention of McDonald's franchisees . Mr. Cantalupo was a McDonald's veteran brought out of retirement in January 2003 to help remodel the firm after sales began falling because of dirty restaurants, indifferent service and growing concern about junk food. He devised a recovery plan, backed by massive marketing, and promoted Mr. Bell to chief operating officer. When Mr. Cantalupo died, a rapidly convened board confirmed Mr. Bell, a 44-year-old Australian already widely seen as his heir apparent, in the top job. The convention got its promised chief executive's address, from the firm's first non-American leader.
Yet within weeks executives had to think about what to do if Mr. Bell became too ill to continue. Perhaps Mr. Bell had the same thing on his mind: he usually introduced Jim Skinner, the 60-year-old vice-chairman, to visitors as the "steady hand at the wheel". Now Mr. Skinner, an expert on the firm's overseas operations, becomes chief executive, and Mike Roberts, head of its American operations, joins the board as chief operating officer.
Is Mr. Roberts now the new heir apparent? Maybe. McDonald's has brought in supposedly healthier choices such as salads and toasted sandwiches worldwide and, instead of relying for most of its growth on opening new restaurants, has turned to upgrading its 31,000 existing ones. America has done best at this; under Mr. Roberts, like-for-like sales there were up by 7. 5% in October on a year earlier.
The new team's task is to keep the revitalization plan on course, especially overseas, where some American brands are said to face political hostility from consumers. This is a big challenge. Is an in-house succession(, ) the best way to tackle it? Mr. Skinner and Mr. Roberts are both company veterans, having joined in the 1970s. Some recent academic studies find that the planned succession of a new boss from within, such as Mr. Bell and now (arguably) Mr. Roberts, produces better results than looking hastily, or outside, for one. McDonald's smooth handling of its serial misfortunes at the top certainly seems to prove the point. Even so, everyone at McDonald's must be hoping that it will be a long time before the firm faces yet another such emergency. | high17861.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "lovely"
},
"options": [
"terrble",
"fierce",
"clever",
"lovely"
],
"question": "Comparcd with most carnivores. the olinguito may seem more _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {... | The olinguito is new to science. Although lt has been living in the cloud forests of South Amcrica for some time.
Scientists say the olinguito is the first new carnivore discovered In the Americas in more than 30 years. It is a hairy orange-brown creature with a sweet face and big eyes The animal has small. rounded ears and lives in the trees An adult weighs one kilogram and measures about 75 centimeters. with half of those centimeters taken up by its ringed tail Most of the time. it likes to eat fruit, although it also eats meat. Active at night, the animal has lived in Colombia and Ecuador for a long time. But the olinguito did not exist in science books before now.
Kristofer Helgen, director at the National Museum in Washington, led the research team that confirmed the existence of the olinguito. It had been mistaken more than a century ago for a look-alike animal -- a similar but larger olingo . Mr. Helgen had been studying olingos in a museum for ten years. At that time. he observed a difference in the size and shape of the heads and teeth. That led him on an effort to prove he was looking at an animal never before described by science. He got lucky when he communicated with a zoologist in Ecuador. The animal expert there made a short video that shows an olinguito in the trees. The video confirms that the oiinguito is different from the olingo Mr. Helgen says tens of thousands of olinguitos live in the wild and are not in danger of disappearing forever. Human beings, however, are moving closer to the olinguito habitat in the Andean cloud forests. The research team estimates that 42 percent of historic olinguiio habitat has been removed | high4786.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "St. Louis has a higher level of homeownership than Los Angeles."
},
"options": [
"People in Los Angeles earn high incomes because of its low homeownership rate.",
"New York's low homeownership rate increases people's happines... | Cities with high levels of homeownership--in the range of 75%, like Detroit and St. Louis--had on average considerably lower levels of economic activity and much lower wages and incomes. Far too many people in financial problems are trapped in homes they can't sell, unable to move on to new centers of opportunity.
The cities and regions with the lowest levels of homeownership--in the range of 55% to 60% like Los Angeles and New York--had healthier economies and higher incomes. They also had higher levels of happiness and well-being.
I was shocked to read these interesting points that Richard Florida made in his recent article. Let me try to understand. The people in Detroit and St. Louis are less happy than the people in New York, and Los Angeles. And, the reason is because of homeownership rates?
First, to compare them to New York City (the economic capital of the world), Los Angeles (the entertainment capital of the world) seems unfair. Most people in almost any other city in the world might be less happy!
Next, let's try a different way of determining whether renters are happier than homeowners. Why don't we ask them? Fannie Mae's National Housing Survey 2010 reported:
75% of current renters believe owning a home makes more sense.
67% plan to buy a home at some point in the future.
When they asked current renters for the major reason to buy a house, these were their answers (they could pick several answers):
78% said it was a good place to raise children.
75% said because they would feel safe.
70% said because you have control of your own space.
If you believe renters are happier, you would also have to believe the majority enjoy living in a less safe environment, which wouldn't be a good place to raise children and would be a place where they have less control of their space. | high5498.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "attend school of a single sex"
},
"options": [
"attend school of a single sex",
"attend school of mixed sexes",
"attend school with students of other skin color1s",
"attend any school they like"
],
"question": "... | Their reunion was unlike any other. Graduating from the Macon, Georgia, class of 1959 gathered together in 2009, even though many of them never had an opportunity to meet during their high school days.
Schools in the 1950's, like most other public locations, were segregated in Georgia. Kids were forced to attend different schools depending on the color1 of their skin, and those with white skin were further separated by gender. Fifty years later these people who were not allowed to associate with each other were finally able to connect.
It all began with the personal journey of a man named Tom Johnson. He grew up in Macon and enjoyed a very successful career which included serving as the publisher of the Los Angeles Times and president of CNN. Tom's life changed drastically over the years, but he still felt the desire to reconnect with his roots.
In 2005 Johnson returned to Macon with his son, Wyatt. As the pair drove around town, the father recounted high school stories to his son. He talked about how students attended one of three schools: BallardHudson, Lanier or Miller. Wyatt looked over at his father and said:"Dad think about how many friends you missed getting to know."
Johnson thought about the people he never got the chance to meet. He decided to do something about it.
The first step was to find people who graduated from all three schools. Johnson wrote to each person and proposed they all get together for a luncheon. He explained that even though they were kept apart during their youth, they didn't have to be separated any more. His classmates received the message with open hearts. A reunion date was set for October.
More than 200 former Macon students traveled hundreds of miles to reunite with people who went to high school with them. It was an unprecedented event, former students coming together to make up for the time they had lost during the days of segregation. | high20773.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "She expresses herself differently."
},
"options": [
"She worries less than they do.",
"She expresses herself differently.",
"Her family background is not like theirs.",
"Her aims are different from theirs."
],
"... | The triathlon promises to be one of the most popular Olympic sports.Recently it has drawn huge crowds attracted by athletes swimming 1,500m,cycling 40km,then running 10km without stopping.But what makes an attractive 17yearold girl give up everything for the doubtful pleasure it offers?
Melanie Sears has not yet learnt those oftenrepeated phrases about personal satisfaction,mental challenge and higher targets that most athletes use when asked similar questions."You swim for 1,500m,then run out of the water and jump on your bike,still wet.Of course,then you freeze.When the 40km cycle ride is over,you have to run 10km,which is a long way when you're feeling exhausted.But it's great fun,and all worth it in the end," she says.
Melanie entered her first triathlon at 14 and she won the junior section.Full of confidence,she entered the National Championships,and although she had the second fastest swim and the fastest run,she came nowhere."I was following this man and suddenly we came to the sea.We realised then that we had gone wrong.I ended up cycling 20 kilometres too far.I cried all the way through the running."
But she did not give up and was determined that she never will."Sometimes I wish I could stop,because then the pain would be over,but I am afraid that if I let myself stop just once,I would be tempted to do it again."Such doggedness draws admiration from Steve Trew,the sport's director of coaching."I've just been testing her fitness," he says, "and she worked so hard on the running machine that it finally threw her off and into a wall.She had given it everything,and she just kept on."
Melanie was top junior in this year's European Triathlon Championships,finishing 13th."I was almost as good as the top three in swimming and running,but much slower in cycling.That's why I'm working very hard at it." She is trying to talk her longsuffering parents,who will carry the PS1,300 cost of her trip to New Zealand for this year's world championships,into buying a PS2,000 bike,so she can try 25km and 100km races later this year.
But there is another price to pay."I don't have a social life,"she says."After two hours' hard swimming on Friday night,I just want to go to sleep.But I phone and write to the other girls in the team." What does she talk about?Boys?Clothes?"No,what sort of times they are achieving." | high6191.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "carry out their work mostly in forests and mountains."
},
"options": [
"do much of their work in California",
"avoid climbing steep hills in their work",
"do their work equipped with advanced tools.",
"carry out their w... | You may picture firefighters holding a hose outside of a burning building, but the Golden Eagles Hotshots don't fight fires quite that way. When they go into action, you may not even see a fire truck.
The Hotshots are firefighters who battle fires in wildness areas. But don't think you'll only find them in their home state California. Wherever there is a national wildfire emergency, the Golden Eagles Hotshots could be there.
But these firefighters don't work the same way as firefighters in a big city. They work in areas where there are a large number of trees, bushes, and grass. They climb up and down steep hills to clear brush and burnable debris . They sometimes use water, but they often fight fire with fire!
They do that by lighting what are called "backfires," which are small, controlled fires that burn up fuel in the path of large wildfires. That way, when the wildfire gets there, it has nothing to burn and nowhere to go, because all the burnable fuel has already gone up in smoke.
The Hotshots also clear away fuel using old-fashioned hard work. For example, they use a saw to cut away trees and heavy brush that could catch fire.
Of course there are times when the Golden Eagles Hotshots do have trucks to supply water to the fires. But the water is limited, and these guys have to rely on hard work more than anything. Physical fitness is very important. They have to be in great physical shape to handle steep hills and difficult terrain while carrying a 60-pound pack.
The Golden Eagles Hotshots definitely work hard for their pay. But thanks to their efforts, many lives have been saved, many houses have not burned, and countless trees are still standing. | high1826.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "visit the author for the Thanksgiving holiday"
},
"options": [
"ask the author to look after Hannah for them",
"visit the author for the Thanksgiving holiday",
"help Hannah practice the \"one finger rule\"",
"find a saf... | "Mom, you should put some of your things away. The house should be safe for the baby," said my son Mark as he walked upstairs with his wife and fifteen-month-old Hannah.
They visited us for the Thanksgiving holiday. After driving all day from Salt Lake to Ft. Collins, his temper showed. "That one finger rule may work with other kids, but never Hannah," he insisted.
When my three granddaughters first moved into our house three years ago, my friend offered me her secret to behave grandchildren. "Teach them the 'one finger rule'." All of her five grandchildren learned it at a young age and it proved to also work well with mine.
I picked up my granddaughter and said, "Well, Mark, just watch." I hugged her and walked all around the great room.
"Hannah, you may touch anything in this room you want, but, you can only use one finger." I showed the technique by touching my forefinger to the sculpture. Hannah followed my example. "Good girl. Now what else would you like to touch?"
She stretched her finger toward the lamp. I allowed her to touch everything in sight, plants, glass objects, TV, VCR, speakers, etc. If she started to grab , I gently reminded her to use one finger. She always obeyed. However, Hannah, an only child, possessed a more adventurous personality. Her father predicted it would prevent her from accepting the "one finger rule".
During their four-day stay, we aided Hannah in remembering "one finger rule". She learned quickly.
Months later, my husband and I drove to Salt Lake. I watched Mark continue to practice the one finger rule. I smiled happily each time he asked Hannah to touch with "one finger". | high22164.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "It usually walks."
},
"options": [
"It usually walks.",
"It likes walking and flying.",
"It can eat other birds.",
"It can eat frogs."
],
"question": "What is special about the newly discovered bird?",
"ques... | Scientists discovered 163 new species in Southeast Asia's Greater Mekong region last year,but all are at risk of extinction due to climate change,the WWF said in a report released Friday.
The newly discovered creatures include a birdeating frog with fangs ,a bird that would rather walk than fly and a gecko whose alien appearance inspired the report's title of "Close Encounters",the conservation group said.
The report was released ahead of major UN talks on climate change in Bangkok next week,which are being held before a makeorbreak summit in Copenhagen this December.
"Some species will be able to adapt to climate change,and many will not,potentially resulting in massive extinction," Stuart Chapman,director of the WWF Greater Mekong program,said in the report."Rare and endangered species like those newly discovered are especially vulnerable because climate change will further shrink their already restricted habitats," he said.
"The new discoveries in 2010 include 100 plants,28 fish,18 reptiles,14 amphibians,2 mammals and a bird,"the WWF report said.The area spans Cambodia,Laos,Myanmar,Thailand,Vietnam and China's Yunnan Province.
"Among the new species is the birdeating fanged frog,which remains hidden in a protected area of Thailand despite the fact that scientists are studying there for 40 years," the report said.
The tigerstriped pit viper was discovered accidentally on an island off the coast of Vietnam when a scientist was looking for a lizard and his son pointed out that his hand was on a rock right next to the snake's fangs."We caught the snake and the gecko and they both proved to be new species," researcher Lee Grismer of La Sierra University in California was quoted as saying in the report.The leopard gecko,found on another Vietnamese island,has the coloring of a leopard and bizarre orange,catlike eyes and thin legs.
The Greater Mekong region has proved a rich area for scientists.The WWF said in December 2010 that it had found 1,068 new species there between 1997 and 2009. | high6185.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He found it a dusty, old but friendly and lovely little shop."
},
"options": [
"He found it a modern big shop.",
"He thought it a wonderful shop for all Christmas presents.",
"He found it a dusty, old but friendly and lovely ... | The old shopkeeper led me through to the back of the shop.The room was filled with boxes and photographs of people dressed in old-fashioned clothes, holding packages in their hands.
"Who are these people?" I asked.
"Satisfied customers," answered young Mr.Hopkins."We have a very wide choice of items for sale.Whenever I serve a new customer, I always take their picture." Mr.Hopkins pointed to an ancient camera standing next to one wall."Now, how can I serve you?" he added.
By this time, I had started to trust Mr.Hopkins and had begun to appreciate the lovely items on sale.I needed to buy Christmas presents for my family and friends, and this seemed to be the perfect place to purchase them.I spent a very pleasant hour being shown _ in Mr.Hopkins'shop.No matter what I asked for, Mr.Hopkins found it for me.Finally, I bought an antique jewelry box, a pair of riding boots, a leather-bound edition of the Complete Works of Mark Twain, and a sewing machine.
I was very excited that I had found such a good little shop.I promised Mr.Hopkins that I would come back soon."I will tell all my friends about your lovely place," I told the shopkeeper.
"Please do not do that, sir", said Mr.Hopkins."This is a special place for special people.You must keep this shop a secret." Then he took my photograph, and handed me the picture straight away.
"That was quick!" I exclaimed.I looked at the photograph.In the picture I looked proud and excited holding the presents I had bought in Mr.Hopkins' dusty shop.
On Christmas Day, my friends and s were delighted with the presents I had bought for them.For weeks, my brother begged me to show him where to find this wonderful little shop.I finally agreed to take him to London to show him.
When we arrived in London, we walked along Oxford Street, past the department store and found...nothing.The little shop was no longer there.In its place was an empty space being used as a car park.I checked the area again.There was the music shop, and there was the department store.In between should have been Hopkins and Son, but it wasn't there.
As I was staring at the place where the shop should have been, an old policeman came along."Are you looking for something sir?" he asked.
I turned and said "I am looking for a little shop called Hopkins and Son.I thought it was here."
"Oh yes," said the policeman."There was a shop here once called Hopkins and Son.It sold all sorts of things, but it was knocked down over 30 years ago."
I looked again at the place where the shop had been.Then I reached into my pocket and took out the photograph that Mr.Hopkins had taken of me holding my presents in the little shop.
"How strange" I exclaimed. | high22170.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Elderly darker-skinned people."
},
"options": [
"Elderly darker-skinned people.",
"Young lighter-skinned people.",
"Elderly lighter-skinned people.",
"Young darker-skinned people."
],
"question": "Which of the f... | Vitamin D helps bones and muscles grow strong and healthy. Low levels of vitamin D can lead to diseases such asrickets , mainly found in children. The thinning of bone is a common problem as people, especially women, get older.
But more and more research is suggesting that vitamin D might also help prevent many diseases. The easiest way to get vitamin D is from sunlight. The sun'sultraviolet rays react with skin cells to produce vitamin D. But many people worry about getting skin cancer and skin damage from the sun. As a result they stay out of the sun. Also, darker-skinned people produce less vitamin D than lighter-skinned people. The amount also decreases in older people and those living in northern areas that get less sunlight.
Not many foods naturally contain vitamin D. Foods high in this vitamin include oily fish andfish liveroils . Farmed fish have only about one-fourth as much vitamin D as wild fish. Small amounts of vitamin D are found in beef liver, cheese and egg yolks. But most of the vitamin D in the American diet comes from foods such as milk.
Research in the last several years has shown that low levels of vitamin D may increase the risk of heart attacks in men and deaths from some cancers. More doctors are now having their patients tested for their vitamin D levels. But as research continues, some experts worry that if people take too much vitamin D, it might act as a poison. Also, skin doctors warn people to be careful with sun exposure because of the risk of skin cancer. | high1832.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "very clever"
},
"options": [
"very fat",
"very clever",
"very kind",
"very strange"
],
"question": "The farmer thought the pig _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answ... | A traveler lost his way and got off the highway to see where he was. As he drove by, he saw rows and rows of pigpens and pigs running in fields. Suddenly, his eyes caught something really strange. It looked like a pig with a wooden leg.
He drove up into the arm, where he met the farmer. " Excuse me, " the traveler said. " I was just driving by and looking at all your pigs, and I just had to stop and ask about it. Tell me, is there really a pig out there with a wooden leg?" The farmer smiled. " Oh, that would be old Caesar you saw. He's the finest pig I've ever had ---and smart! Well, let me tell you a little about that pig."
" One night a couple of years ago I got to drinking and I guess I had more than I should have. I fell down and knocked over a lamp. That started a fire in the house and old Caesar smelled the smoke. He came in the back door, got the wife and kid out, roused me up and got me out. There is no question about it ---- that night old Caesar saved all our lives. You know that I'm not going to forget it too easily."
" Why," the traveler said, " this is amazing! I have never heard of a pig like this before! This is fantastic! But tell me, how did he get that wooden leg?"
The farmer laughed and said, " Well, when you have a pig so smart, you don't want to eat him all at one time!" | high4792.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "glacier's forcing mountains into the sea"
},
"options": [
"the drowning of the Maine coastline",
"glacier's forcing mountains into the sea",
"the irregularity of the Maine coastline",
"ocean water's flooding the mountai... | The coast of the State of Maine is one of the most irregular in the world. A straight line running from the southernmost coastal city to the northernmost coastal city would measure about 225 miles. If you followed the
coastline between these points, you would travel more than ten times as far. This irregularity is the result of what is called a drowned coastline. The term comes from the glacial activity of the Ice Age. At that time, the whole area that is now Maine was part of a mountain range that towered above the sea. As the glacier descended, however, it applied enormous force on those mountains, and they sank into the sea.
As the mountains sank, ocean water charged over the lowest parts of the remaining land. And the highest parts of the former mountain range, nearest the shore, remained as islands. Marine fossils found here are 225 feet above sea level indicating the level of the shoreline prior to the glacier.
The 2,500-mile-long rocky and jagged coastline of Maine keeps watch over nearly 2,000 islands. Many of these islands are tiny and uninhabited, but many are home to blooming communities. Mt. Desert Island is one of the largest, most beautiful of the Maine coast islands left behind by the glacier. Measuring 16 miles by 12 miles, Mt. Desert was very nearly formed as two distinct islands. It is split almost in half by Somes Sound, a very deep and very narrow stretch of water seven miles long.
For years, Mt. Desert Island, particularly its major settlement, Bar Harbor, has afforded summer homes for the wealthy. Recently, though, Bar Harbor has become a new arts community as well. But the best part of the island is the unspoiled forest land known as Acadia National Park. Since the island sits on the border between two different geographical zones, the park supports the plants and animals of both zones. It also lies in a major bird migration lane and is a resting spot for many birds.
The establishment of Acadia National park in 1916 means that this natural monument will be preserved and that it will be available to all people, not just the wealthy. Visitors to Acadia may receive nature instruction from the park naturalists as well as enjoy camping, hiking, cycling, and boating. Or they may choose to spend time at the museum learning about the Stone Age inhabitants of the island. | high21479.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "In the IMTS test,the birds needed to identify the sample card to get rewards."
},
"options": [
"The birds did better in RMTS than in IMTS.",
"The birds were first made to do RMTS,then IMTS.",
"The birds picked almost all the ... | People may use the expression"birdbrain"in English to talk about someone who is stupid,but crows prove that this is unfair.Now it has been discovered that crows may understand analogies .
It was once thought that only humans could understand analogies,which help us to solve problems creatively,put things into categories,and make scientific discoveries.
To test this ability in animals,scientists do"relational matching-to-sample"(RMTS) tests,according to the IFL Science website.If a pair was AA,for example,then picking BB to match it would be correct.If the pair was CD,however,then EF would be correct.
Apes and monkeys have learned RMTS,but scientists wanted to know if crows could do it,too.An international team led by Edward Wasserman from the University of Iowa in the US first trained two hooded crows to match things by color1,shape,and number in what is called"identity matching-to-sample(IMTS)",then moved onto RMTS.
For the IMTS test,the birds were put in a cage with a plastic tray that had three cards and two cups in it.The card in the middle was the sample card.The cups on either side were covered with the other two cards:One was the same as the sample (in the color1,shape,or number of shapes pictured),while the other wasn't.The cup with the card that matched the sample card contained two wormsto eat.
In the second part of the experiment,the birds were tested with relational matching pairs.A card with two same-sized circles,for example,meant they should pick the test card with two same-sized squares and not two different-sized circles.The birds did well in the more difficult test and picked the correct card more than three quarters of the time,Science News reports.
Wasserman was surprised that crows were able to solve the problem without any training in RMTS."What the crows have done is extraordinary,"he said in a news release."Honestly,if it was only by force that the crows showed this learning,then it would have been an impressive result.But this was spontaneous."
So perhaps it's time to stop saying"birdbrain"permanently! | high19858.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Red."
},
"options": [
"Pink.",
"Yellow",
"Blue.",
"Red."
],
"question": "Which of the following colours should NOT be used in cells according to me passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
... | Nervous suspects locked up in Britain's newest police station may feel relieved by a pleasant yellow Colour on the door. If they are close to confessing a crime, the blue on the wall might tip the balance.
Gwent Police have abandoned colours such as greys and browns of the 20th-century police cell and have used colour psychology to decorate them.
Ystrad Mynach station, which recently opened at a cost ofPS5 million, has four cells with glass doors for prisoners who suffer from claustrophobia . Designers have painted the frames yellow, which researchers say is a calming colour. Other cells contain a royal blue line because psychologists believe that the colour is likely to encourage truthfulness.
The station has 31 cells, including 12 with a "live scan" system for drunken or disturbed prisoners, which detects the rise and fall of their chest. An alarm alerts officers if a prisoner's breathing stops and carries on ringing until the door is opened.
Designers and psychologists have worked for years on colour. Blue is said to suggest trust, efficiency, duty, logic, coolness, thinking and calm. It also suggests coldness and unfriendliness. It is thought that strong blues will stimulate clear thought and lighter, soft colours will calm the mind and aid concentration.
Yellow is linked with confidence, self-respect and friendliness. Get the colour wrong and it could cause fear, depression and anxiety, but the right yellow can lift spirits and self-respect.
Ingrid Collins, a psychologist who specializes in the effects of colour, said that colour was an "energy force". She said: "Blue does enhance communication but I am not sure it would enhance truthful communication."
Yellow, she said, affected the mind. Red, on the other hand, should never be considered because it could increase aggression. Mrs Collins praised the designers for using colours in the cells. Gwent is not the first British force to experiment with colour to calm down or persuade prisoners to co-operate. In the 1990s Strathclyde Police used pink in cells based on research carried out by the US Navy. | high20001.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "prove overweight people are not necessarily unhealthy"
},
"options": [
"tell us slim people are more likely to die young",
"show how successful an overweight person can be",
"prove overweight people are not necessarily unheal... | Last week the American Medical Association voted, for the first time, to declare obesity a disease. How should the rest of us respond? When we meet obese people, should we cast them a knowing glance of concern and ask how they are doing? Should we send flowers and "get well soon" cards to obese family members and friends?
Should the U.S. declare war on obesity, as we once did on cancer?
If obesity truly is a disease, then over 78 million adults and 12 million children in America just got classified as sick. Yet many sensible people know that declaring obesity a disease is a mistake. Simply put, obesity is not a disease. To be sure, it is a risk factor for some diseases.
Yet everyone who is obese does not get sick, and many normal-weight people do not stay healthy. I have known slim people who took good care of themselves throughout their lives yet fell ill and died young. Others who exhibited no particular interest in their health and did not watch their weight lived to an old age. In most cases, we simply cannot tell from a person's weight what lies ahead for them in life. Consider Winston Churchill. Though average in height, Churchill weighed up to 250 pounds. He smoked cigars and drank ly heavily. He did not work out. Yet he became perhaps the most important statesmen of the 20th century and one of the greatest politicians in history. He lived to age 90.
Is obesity bad for people? For some, especially patients who are extremely overweight, the answer is almost certainly yes. Would many overweight people benefit from exercising more and eating less? Again, the answer is likely yes. But this does not make obesity a disease. Many people are not harmed by carrying extra pounds, some may actually benefit from it. For these reasons, we should be careful before labeling obese people diseased. | high17875.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "psychologists"
},
"options": [
"psychologists",
"scientists",
"doctors",
"biologists"
],
"question": "Previously, if people wanted to understand their dreams, they would get help from _ .",
"question_type... | Scientists think it will be possible to record people's dreams and then interpret them, according to a new report. They claim to have developed a system which allows them to record higher level brain activity.
Dr Moran Cerf told the journal Nature: "We would like to read people's dreams." Previously the only way to access people's dreams is for psychologists to ask about them after the event and try to interpret them. Dr Cerf hopes to eventually compare people's memories of their dreams with an electronic visualization of their brain activity. He told the BBC: "There's no clear answer as to why humans dream. And one of the questions we would like to answer is when do we actually create this dream?"
The scientist believes his latest research shows that certain neurons or individual brain cells are linked with specific objects or concepts . He found that a particular neuron lit up when a volunteer thought about Marilyn Monroe. If a database was built up identifying various neurons with concepts, objects and people it would allow them to "read the subject's minds", according to Dr Cerf.
However, Dr Roderick Oner, a clinical psychologist and dream expert, said that this kind of visualization would be of limited help when it came to interpreting the "complex dream narrative ". In addition to getting a detailed picture of individual neurons subjects had to have electrodes implanted deep in the brain using surgery.
The Nature researchers used data from patients who had electrodes implanted to monitor and treat them for brain seizures . However, Dr Cerf said he hoped that it would be possible at a later stage to monitor people without invasive surgery .He said it would be "wonderful" to be able to read the minds of coma patients who are unable to communicate. | high22616.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "They protect the plant from insects"
},
"options": [
"They create nutritional matter",
"They produce electrical signals",
"They protect the plant from insects",
"They cure diseases by changing chemicals"
],
"que... | When a caterpillar feeds on a tomato leaf , the plant moves rapidly to meet with a defensive response , systematically releasing " proteinase inhibitors " -- proteins that interfere with the caterpillar's digestion -- throughout the plant , especially in the leaves . But how does the message get from the wounded leaf to the rest of the plant ?
Most scientists believed the alarm was spread by chemical messengers until a team of researchers headed by David Weldon-- a biologist at the University of East Anglia in Norwich , England -- made a shocking discovery . An injured leaf , the researchers found , sends an electrical signal to warn neighboring leaves of upcoming danger . It's a " terribly tiny current " driven by an electrical potential difference of only 20 millvolts , says Weldon , who measured the voltage after electrodes were attached to the plant's surface .
" Right now , all we can say is that there is a correlation , " Weldon notes . " If you wound the plant , you'll see an electrical signal accompanied by a biochemical response . " To learn more about the reaction , Weldon's team plans to insert electrodes within the pant tissue ( rather than on the surface ) to determine what's going on at the cellular level . The findings may help explain other mysteries surrounding plants . For example , many plants start to flower in springtime , as days grow longer , but plants sense the change in the day length through their leaves , while flowers begin to bloom at the buds . " There must be a signal from the leaf to the growing points , " Weldon says . " So far , no one has come up with a convincing chemical mechanism . Maybe an electrical signal is involved . " | high23508.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Because it is extremely hot in summer and dangerously cold in winter."
},
"options": [
"Because they didn't respect Death Valley and thus they were punished.",
"Because it is extremely hot in summer and dangerously cold in winter."... | Death Valley, one of America's great national parks, is a place of strange and silent beauty. As beautiful as this place is, its name provides evidence of very real danger. Death Valley is a land of beautiful yet dangerous extremes. There are mountains that reach more than 3,000 meters into the sky. There is a place called Badwater that is the lowest area of land in the Western Hemisphere. If there were water there, it would be 86 meters below the level of the ocean.
Death Valley can be dangerously cold during the winter months. Storms in the mountains can produce sudden flooding on the floor of the Valley. The air temperature during the summer has been as high as 57degC. The sun can heat the ground so that the temperature of the rocks and soil can be as high as 74degC. The extreme heat of Death Valley has killed people in the past. It will continue to kill those who do not honor this extreme climate. Death Valley does not forgive those who are not careful.
Death Valley is a good example of the violence of nature. It contains evidence of several ancient volcanoes that caused huge explosions. Evidence of one of these explosions is called Ubehebe Crater. The explosion left a huge hole in the ground almost a kilometer and a half wide.
In many areas of Death Valley it is easy to see where the ground has been pushed up violently by movement deep in the Earth. This movement has created unusual and beautiful rock formations. Some are red. Others are dark brown, gray, yellow or black. Other areas of rock look as if some huge creature violently broke and _ the Earth to create unusual, sometimes frightening shapes.
In other parts of Death Valley there are lines in the rock that show clearly that this area was deep under an ocean for many thousands of years. Much of the Valley is flat and extremely dry. In fact, scientists believe it is the driest place in the United States.
Death Valley, part of the Great Mojave Desert, is a huge place. It extends more than 225 kilometers across the southern part of California, and across the border with Nevada. | high418.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "her experiences in Europe"
},
"options": [
"her experiences in Europe",
"her poor health",
"the lack of supplies for the army",
"her work in the US Patent Office"
],
"question": "Clara Barton set up the Red Cros... | At the age of 16, Clara Barton was advised to become a teacher since she was quite shy. She taught in Massachusetts for ten years, and was invited to Bordentown, New Jersey to teach in a school. She saw that these communities needed _ education for their citizens, and she took action by creating a free school, one of the first in her state. But later, ignoring her, officials named a male instead as the head teacher. Disappointed, she left her job and moved to Washington D.C., becoming the first woman employed by the US Patent Office.
Clara Barton was forever changed by her experience with the army in the Civil War. She saw doctors use leaves when dealing with injuries since they had nothing else. The medical supplies were well behind the army, who were moving faster than their medical supply lines. She brought in a truck of medical supplies that she collected personally some years ago. Miss Barton continued to work on the battlefields throughout the war.
She helped in the identification of 13,000 dead Union soldiers. This non-stop work made her fully exhausted, and upon recommendation by her physicians, she traveled to Europe where she recovered energy and enriched herself.
While in Europe, and still in poor health, Miss Barton was moved by the hardship on people brought about by the France-Prussia war. She helped in their relief effort, which encouraged her to create the Red Cross, which served the whole army and common people under a neutral flag.
Clara Barton returned to America and then began the establishment of the American Red Cross. The US government did not think there would ever be another war after the Civil War. But she convinced them that the Red Cross would be valuable to serve in times of natural disasters as well. This was her lasting legacy , an agency that still provides aid to all people today. | high8816.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "25%"
},
"options": [
"65%",
"50%",
"33%",
"25%"
],
"question": "What percentage of freed prisoners returns to prison within three years?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Many people believe that the only way to make our communities safer is to build more prisons. But there's a way better protect cities and towns by doing just the opposite.
In many countries throughout the world, prison populations have risen dramatically over the past decade. One of the main reasons for this is the large number of repeat offenders; that is people who break the law again once freed from jail. Statistics show that about one in four prisoners freed every year return to jail within three years.
This is partly because ex-prisoners face huge difficulty finding employment. More than a third of them cannot find any job at all. Data show that having a job greatly reduces the chances that a person will commit a crime again or commit one in the first place. Released prisoners who do manage to find steady employment are 50 percent less likely to return to prison. Rather than harming a community, having a job helps ex-prisoners to change their ways and make a positive and productive contribution to their communities.
What's more, helping these men and women find jobs would also save taxpayers a lot of money. Few prisoners would save governments millions or possibly even billions of dollars annually: the costs of building and operating jails.
There are many things that the government can do to help ex-prisoners find work. More job training programs should be introduced to provide prisoners with work skills before they are freed. Companies and factories should also be given tax benefits if they employ ex-prisoners. Such programs have been shown to work in several countries.
Such policies of course assure that freed criminals actually want to work. But shouldn't they be given the chance? Our goal, after all, shouldn't be to incarcerate as many prisoners as possible, but to build a society that doesn't need to put such a large percentage of its population in jail. We should take a step in that direction and help prisoners find self-respect and purpose through work. | high19870.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "A Special Soup"
},
"options": [
"A Good Son",
"A Special Soup",
"How to Make Brains",
"How to Live a Long Life"
],
"question": "The best headline for this newspaper article is _ .",
"question_type": "cl... | In Shanxi Province you may be offered brains to eat. Frightened? You shouldn't, because the brains is only a kind of food, which is famous for its unusual name and rich nutrition .
Brains as food was invented more than 300 years ago by Fu Shan, an artist whose mother had been ill for a long time. To help her become well again, he studied medicine and invented a kind of soup made of meat, vegetables and a number of Chinese medicines.
Rice wine was also used in the soup to help treat illnesses caused by old age. After taking the soup his mother got better little by little and lived a long life.
Fu's soup became the talk of the town. Many people came to see him. One day a restaurant owner asked him what was in the soup. "I'll tell you," Fu said. "But if your restaurant is going to sell the soup, you must call it brains because of its shape and colour. And your restaurant should be renamed after my mother." | high17685.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "over a quarter of the French give second-hand Christmas gifts"
},
"options": [
"over a quarter of the French give second-hand Christmas gifts",
"the French are less willing to buy eco-friendly gifts than other Europeans",
"80... | A used book or nearly-new kitchen gadget may not be at the top of every Christmas wish list, but hard economic times coupled with a new green awareness are changing attitudes about gift-giving in France.
French holiday shoppers are choosing larger numbers for "green" gifting this Christmas, studies show. About 30 percent of French consumers will give second-hand items as gifts to stretch out their tight budgets but also to do their little bit for recycling, according to a study by international consulting firm Deloitte.
The survey of Christmas consumer behaviors in 18 European countries found the French were more than twice as likely as other Europeans to give second-hand items. Websites promoting re-gifting and green gifting are popular in France, with many reporting a rise in business.
"Concerns about the ecology and the economy have come together and we are now seeing people who accept the types of gifts that were not appreciated just a short time ago," said Sebastien Ravut, who runs a website promoting eco-friendly consumerism. His site lists shops in France that offer fair trade products, bio-friendly goods and recycled items. Over the Christmas holidays, the number of visits to the site has doubled from last year, reaching 60,000 a month.
A study by online survey firm Vivodi for PriceMinister showed eight out of 10 people would be happy to receive a used item as a gift and that younger consumers were more open to the idea.
But Gilles Goldenberg, author of the Deloitte study, said that environmental concerns are not why customers buy used goods. "The number one concern is getting the lowest possible price," said Goldenberg. "Eco-friendly products are drawing a lot of interest, but not if that means paying more."
Theatre tickets and other low-carbon gifts are fashionable, and eco-friendly websites are also encouraging gift givers to offer time and services instead of stuff. "The order of the day is to spend less time shopping and more time connecting" over the holidays, said Florence de Monclin from the Nicolas Helot foundation for Nature and Humanity. | high20029.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Because he fell in love with the pretty girl."
},
"options": [
"Because he liked listening to music.",
"Because his mother asked him to do so.",
"Because he fell in love with the pretty girl.",
"Because he wanted to kno... | There was a guy that was born with cancer.He could die at any moment.So he was always at home, under his mother's care.One day he decided to go out, even if it was just for once! He asked his mother for permission and she agreed. Walking down his block he saw many stores.Stopping at a music store he saw a very pretty girl of his own age.
He walked up to the counter.She smiled at him and asked, "Can I help you with anything?" The guy could only think that it was the most beautiful smile he had ever seen and stuttered , "'Well, I'd like to buy a CD." He grabbed the first one he saw."Do you want me to wrap it?" the girl asked. The guy said yes and then took the wrapped CD home.
From that day on he visited the music store every day, and each day he bought a CD, and each day the girl wrapped it up and the guy stored it unopened in his closet.
He was too shy to find the nerve to ask the girl out.His mother noticed this and encouraged him.
The next day the guy set out for the store with a determined mind. He bought a CD and the girl wrapped it as usual.While she was busy , he left his telephone number on the counter and rushed out of the store.
The following day the guy didn't visit the store.When the girl called him, his mother answered the phone and started crying.The girl asked her what was the matter."He died yesterday," the mother said. There was a long silence.
Later that afternoon the guy' s mother entered his room and opened his closet.To her surprise, she saw a big pile of unopened CDs wrapped in festive paper.With curiosity she tore open the package and noticed a slip of paper "Hi! You're cute; I would love to meet you.Let's go out some time.Sophie."
The mother started crying as she opened another, and another.Every single CD contained a slip of paper that said the same.
That's the way life is.Don't wait to show those special people the way you feel.Tomorrow would be too late. | high21337.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "His university education focused on the theoretical knowledge."
},
"options": [
"His university education focused on the theoretical knowledge.",
"His dream at university was to become a volunteer.",
"He took pride in having ... | Like many new graduates, I left university full of hope for the future but with no real idea of what I wanted to do. My degree, with honors, in English literature had not really prepared me for anything practical. I knew I wanted to make a difference in the world somehow, but I had no idea how to do that. That's when I learned about the Lighthouse Project.
I started my journey as a Lighthouse Project volunteer by reading as much as I could about the experiences of previous volunteers. I knew it would be a lot of hard work, and that I would be away from my family and friends for a very long time. In short, I did not take my decision to apply for the Lighthouse Project lightly. Neither did my family.
Eventually, however, I won the support of my family, and I sent in all the paperwork needed for the application. After countless interviews and presentations, I managed to stand out among the candidates and survive the test alone. Several months later, I finally received a call asking me to report for the duty. I would be going to a small village near Abuja, Nigeria. Where? What? Nigeria? I had no idea. But I was about to find out.
After completing my training, I was sent to the village that was small and desperately in need of proper accommodation. Though the local villagers were poor, they offered their homes, hearts, and food as if I were their own family. I was asked to lead a small team of local people in building a new schoolhouse. For the next year or so, I taught in that same schoolhouse. But I sometimes think I learned more from my students than they did from me.
Sometime during that period, I realized that all those things that had seemed so strange or unusual to me no longer did, though I did not get anywhere with the local language, and returned to the United States a different man. The Lighthouse Project had changed my life forever. | high6813.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Why people like to eat in the hotel is that it is full of a friendly atmosphere."
},
"options": [
"Businessmen like to be suggested what to eat.",
"Many couples often want you to recognize them.",
"Why people like to eat in t... | For a small town, Mantattan, Kansas has some big surprises. And one of them is the Holiday Inn Hotel, with rooms built around a swimming pool and a friendly atmosphere.
The Holiday Inn is where Manhattan people often go for a special party, or a night out. A lot of them choose to eat in the bright-lit restaurant near the pool, And many of them will be served by Ellen Logan, who has worked as a waitress here for more than two years.
Ellen, like most of the waitresses, is also a student. She comes from Nebraska, but she's planning one day to be a veterinary surgeon, and to care for small animals. But in order to support herself at college, she works twenty hours a week at the Holiday Inn.
Ellen soon learned what every waitress finds out. Your best friend has a good pair of shoes. She paid forty-five dollars for hers, much more than she would usually spend. She's discovered something else too. You don't have to know much about food to be a good waitress, but you do have to know a lot about people.
"A lot of business people always stay here when they come to Manhattan", she explains. "They like you to recognize them and remember their favorite dishes. But some couples come for a night out together. They just want to be left alone. Then there are people who can't make up their minds. They look down the menu and say,'What do you suggest?'So I ask them how hungry they are. If they say,'Not very.'I suggest the salad bar, with soup, salad, bread, and a fruit plate. But if they say they're very hungry, I suggest a Kansas Strip Steak, with potatoes or rice. You get salad and bread as well. It's very nice. Real good value".
Ellen may get tired sometimes, but at least she's learning too much about people. She's learning too much about people. She'll probably make a good animal doctor, but if she finds she doesn't like it after all, she can become a psychiatrist instead. | high15092.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "hanging"
},
"options": [
"Kicking",
"burying",
"hanging",
"drowning"
],
"question": "Rey was intended to be killed by_.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
... | Somehow Rey had managed to struggle free from the rope around his neck, after being left to die a slow death as punishment for being a bad Spanish greyhound .
It is believed that 50,000 greyhounds are killed by their owners in prefix = st1 /Spaineach year after they grow too old, or turn out to be too slow to hunt with. Dogs have also been found thrown into wells, burnt alive and even injected with poison.
But Rey's intended fate was, even within the levels of cruelty usually shown to Spanish hunting dogs, especially cruel. The rope around his neck had been set at a height so that his front paws could not touch the ground, meaning that he was intended to stand on his back legs until he was too tired to support himself. When his legs finally became too tired, the rope should have done its work.
"They call it the typewriting death, because the dog's back legs struggled against the ground and make the clicking sound of a typewriter," said Albert Sorde, of the SOS Galgos greyhound rescue group. "It is a punishment for greyhounds that are thought to have made their owners lose face. "
"Rey's throat was severely damaged but we managed to find a vet to operate and, though it was expensive, he survived," he said.
Greyhounds in Spain are used for hunting hares . "The dogs are meant to imitate the swerves of the hares," said Sorde. "Those who don't, and make their owners look bad, are called ' dirty greyhounds' and are most likely to be killed by the typewriter method. " | high23520.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "lying about college degrees is becoming a widespread problem"
},
"options": [
"college degrees can now be purchased easily",
"it is very hard for people to find jobs",
"lying about college degrees is becoming a widespread pro... | You are busy filling out the application form for a position you really need; let's assume you once actually completed a couple of years of college work or even that you completed your degree. Isn't it tempting to lie just a little, to claim on the form that your diploma represents a Harvard degree? Or that you finished an extra couple of years back at State University?
More and more people are turning to an utter deception like this to land their first job or to move head in their careers. For personnel officers, like most Americans, value degrees from famous schools. A job applicant may have a good education anyway, but he or she assumes that chances of being hired are better with a diploma from a well-known university. Registrars at most well-known colleges say that they deal with dishonest claims like these at the rate of about one per week.
Personnel officers do check up on degrees listed on application forms. If it turns out that an applicant is lying, most colleges are unwilling to accuse the applicant directly. One lvy League school refers to them as "special cases", One well-known West Coast school, in perhaps the most delicate phrase of all, says these claims are made by "no such people".
To avoid complete lies, some job seekers claim that they "attended" or "were associated with" a college or university. After careful checking, a personnel officer may discover that "attending" means being dismissed after one semester. It may be that "being as sociated with" a college means that the job-seeker visited his younger brother for a football weekend. One school that keeps records of false claims says that the practice dates back at least to the turn of the century--that's when they began keeping records, anyhow.
If you don't want to lie or even stretch the truth, there are companies that will sell you a fake diploma. One company, with offices in New York and on the West Coast, will put your name on a diploma from any number of non-existent colleges. The price begins at around twenty dollars for a diploma from "Smoot State University". The prices increase rapidly for a degree from the "University of Purdue". As there is no Smoot State and the real school in Indiana is properly called Purdue University, the prices seem rather high for one sheet of paper. | high430.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Jeremy didn't understand his teacher's instructions."
},
"options": [
"In one of the eggs is a flower.",
"Jeremy didn't understand his teacher's instructions.",
"In one of the eggs is a butterfly.",
"There was nothing i... | Jeremy was born with a twisted body, and terminal illness slowly killing him throughout his young life. Still, his parents had tried to give him as normal a life as possible and had sent him to St. Theresa's Elementary School.
At the age of 12, Jeremy was only in second grade, seemingly unable to learn. His teacher, Doris Miller, often became angry with him. He would often disturb the class by squirming in his seat, drooling and making grunting noises. Doris had 18 other youngsters to teach and she didn't want to waste time on Jeremy.
Spring came, and the children talked excitedly about the coming of Easter. Doris told them of the story of Jesus, and stressed the idea of new life springing forth, she gave each of them a large plastic egg. "Now," she said to them, "I want you to take this home and bring it back tomorrow with something inside that shows new life. Do you understand?" "Yes, Miss Miller!" All the children responded except Jeremy. He just listened, his eyes never left her face. He did not even make his usual noises.
The next morning, the children came to school and placed their eggs in a large basket on Doris' desk. After they completed their Math lesson, it was time to open the eggs.
In the first egg, Doris found a flower. "Oh yes, a flower is certainly a sign of new life," she said. The next egg had a plastic beautiful butterfly in it. Then Doris opened the fourth egg. It was empty! Surely it must be Jeremy's she thought, and he did not understand the instructions.
She put that egg down so she wouldn't embarrass him. Suddenly Jeremy spoke up and said "Aren't you going to talk about my egg?" Doris replied, "But Jeremy - your egg is empty!" He looked into her eyes and said softly, "Yes, but Jesus' tomb was empty too!"
Doris asked him, "Do you know why the tomb was empty?" "Oh yes!" Jeremy exclaimed. "Jesus was killed and put there. Then His Father raised Him up!"
After class the children excitedly ran out, but Doris cried. The cold inside her melted completely away.
Three months later, Jeremy died. Those who paid their respects at the funeral were surprised to see 19 eggs on top of Jeremy's casket, all of them empty. | high13385.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "it mixes many music styles teenagers love into their music"
},
"options": [
"it is about the strange life of teenagers",
"it mixes many music styles teenagers love into their music",
"all the band members are young and handso... | A group of teenagers: they laugh and talk over each other, dance and make faces -- you wouldn't believe they had just played on the same stage as famous American singers Kid Cudi and Eminem.
These seven kids, all under the age of 20, are members of the band Kids These Days (KTD).
Fresh out of high school, the band already has done things that most teens couldn't even imagine. They played at festivals including the recent SXSW in Austin and Lollapalooza in their hometown, Chicago, to crowds of loyal fans.
KTD uses a mix of hip-hop, jazz, blues and classic rock to make a sound of their own.
"KTD simply mixes most, if not all of my favourite music styles," said Kamia Jones, as Chicago high school student."I like that they aren't afraid to be different and that their music is real and speaks to the soul."
The band formed two years ago. Now, as well as local fans, they are becoming popular around the world. Their facebook page is filled with supportive posts from admirers from California to Tokyo.
"It's really strange to me that people from London, Australia and Russia... They have heard
of us and they like our music because it's really cool feeling," says Marcie Stewart, who plays keyboard for the band.
Despite their recent fame, KTD is a group of normal teenagers and they remain very close to one another. While talking to the reporters, they dance and make fun of each other.
When asked what advice they would give to other teen musicians, Greg Landfair, KTD's drummer, said, "Keep your heart in it. Never lose the music and what you are doing, because that's what you're here for. Let the music always be first." | high356.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "some film production companies"
},
"options": [
"some beautiful pictures of the US",
"some American popular movies",
"some famous Canadian companies",
"some film production companies"
],
"question": "This passag... | Walt Disney
As one of the most famous film production companies in the history of the business,Walt Disney now holds 15.3 percent of the US and Canadian market share. With highly successful movies like Pirates of the Caribbean,National Treasure,Meet the Robinsons and Enchanted,there's no doubt that Disney will continue to play a key role in the industry for years to come.
Paramount Pictures
With 15.5 percent of the US and Canadian market share,Paramount Pictures continues to be one of the most successful film production companies in the world. Star Trek,War of the Worlds,Mission:Impossible,Transformers and Tropic Thunder are just a few of the popular films produced by Paramount Pictures.
20th Century Fox
Also known as "Twentieth Century Fox",this highly successful movie production company makes up 11.9 percent of the US and Canadian market share. Some of the biggest and most successful movies from this empire include the X-Men series,Mr and Mrs Smith and Fantastic Four.
Warner Bros. Pictures
Including about 19.7 percent of the US and Canadian market share,Warner Bros. Pictures is the biggest player in the film industry. Owning the rights to major films like Harry Potter,Superman,Batman,The Matrix and Star Wars has made Warner Bros. Pictures the No.1 name in the business.
Universal Studios
12.2 percent of the US and Canadian market share belongs to Universal Studios,which continues to make millions for the film industry. With major _ like the Bourne series,the American Pie series,Knocked Up,American Gangster and The Incredible Hulk,it's very clear that Universal Studios knows what it takes to make money in this industry.
Columbia Pictures
Making up 12.9 percent of the US and Canadian market share,Columbia Pictures remains a big player in the business. Some of this company's recent successes include Casino Royale,The Da Vinci Code,the Spider Man series and Step Brothers. | high8180.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "discussing the reasons for cheating"
},
"options": [
"making the reader believe that cheating is immoral",
"discussing the reasons for cheating",
"describing how students cheat in exams",
"suggesting how to control chea... | You want something you can't get by behaving within the rules, and you want it badly enough you'll do it regardless of any guilt or deep regret, and you're willing to run the risk of being caught. That's how Ladd Wheeler, psychology professor at the University of Rochester in New York, defines cheating. Many experts believe cheating is on the rise. "We're suffering a moral breakdown," Pinkard says. "We're seeing more of the kind of person who regards the world as a series of things to be dealt with using any ways available , regardless of morality. Whether to cheat depends on whether it's in the person's interest." He does, however, see less cheating among the youngest students. Richard Dienstbier, psychology professor at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, believes that society's attitudes explain much of the increase in cheating. "Twenty years ago if a person cheated in college, that is extremely serious, he will be dropped for a semester if not kicked out permanently," he says. "Nowadays, at the University of Nebraska, for example, it is the stated policy of the College of Arts and Science that if a student cheats in an exam, the student must receive an "F" on what he cheated in. That's nothing. If you're going to fail anyway, why not cheat? Cheating is most likely in situations where the interests are high and the chances of getting caught are low," says social psychologist Lynn Kahle of the University of Oregon in Eugene. (from www.nmet168.com) | high22158.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "People who want to control others and have a strong need to do better than others."
},
"options": [
"People who want to control others and have a strong need to do better than others.",
"People who usually think of others and get a... | Here are six questions about your approach to life. Try to answer them as honestly as you can.
Are you hard driving and competitive?
Are you usually pressed for time?
Do you want to control others?
Do you have a strong need to do better than others in most things?
Do you eat too quickly?
Do you get upset when you have to wait for anything?
If you have answered "yes" to most of these questions, then I can make a few predictions about you, based on a recent eight-year study of nearly two thousand people who live the way that you do.
You likely find that life is full of challenges and you often need to keep two or more projects moving at the same time. The chances are that you have been to college, that you have a management job and that you bring work home at night. You think that you put more effort into your job than many of the people you work with, and you certainly take your work more seriously than most of them. You get angry easily, and if someone is being long-winded, you help them get to the point. You also have trouble finding the time to get your hair cut.
And there's one other thing. You are about twice as likely to have a heart attack as someone who takes a more easygoing approach to life.
The beginnings of your hard-driving behavior go right back to childhood. In school you got recognition and perhaps prizes for being quick and bright, for being an achiever, for competing with others and for winning. You likely went on from school to get a series of increasingly better jobs against pretty stiff competition. They were jobs where you had to care about the results, where you constantly had to push things forward and get things done. In your present job you also feel some conflict, either with time or with other people. Some of those you work with don't seem able to understand the simplest ideas, and they often put a brake on what you're trying to achieve. The conflict may not take place every day. You pride yourself on being able to keep the lid on. _ . | high20997.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "It is a government agency."
},
"options": [
"It is a government agency.",
"It only funds scientists in Antarctica.",
"It encourages the understanding of human nature.",
"It enables the mixing of science and art for the ... | For as long as they can remember Jynne Martin and April Surgent had both dreamed of going to Antarctica.This winter,they each made it to the icy continent as guests of the National Science Foundation(NSF).Bm they didn't go as scientists.Martin is a poet and Surgent is an artist.They went to Antarctica as participants.in the NSF's Artists and Writers program.The NSF is thegovernment agency that funds scientific research in Antarctica.But it also makes it possible for artists,including filmmakers and musicians,to experience Antarctica and contribute their own points of view to our understanding of the continent.
The mixing of science and art in Antarctica isn't new.Some of the earliest explorersbrought along painters and photographers.Edward Wilson was a British painter,doctor,and bird expert who journeyed with RobertFalcon Soott on two separate Antamtic expeditionsmore than 100 years ago.Herbert Ponting was a photographer who also accompanied Scott on one of those expeditions.In hundreds of photos,Pontingcaptured the beauty of the continentand recorded the daily lives and heroic struggles of the explorers.
Today's scientists write articles forscientificjournals.Unlike theearly explorers'journals,scientific papers can now be very difficult for non-scientists to understand.Writers in Antarctica workto explain the research to the public.Peter Rejcek is editor,writer,and photographer for the Antarctic Sun,an onlinemagazine devoted to news about the U.S.Antarctic Program.Rejeck began his career in the Antarctic in 2003 by spending a year at the South Pole.He has returned everyyear since,interviewing,scientists about research at Palmer,McMurdo,and South Pole stations.
There are also scientists in Antarctica who work hardto explain their research to the public.Scientist Diane McKnight wrote The Lost Seal,a children's book that explains the research she and others are doing in an unusual ice-free area in Antarctica called the Dry Valleys.
Antarctica is full of stories and wonders that are scientific,historic.and personal. People such as Martin,Surgent,Rejcek,and McKnight are devoted to bringing those storiesto asmany peopleare they can."Some people are going to be scientists,some people are goingto be journalists,some people are going to be artists,but we can all work together,'saysSurgent,"tocelebrate,thisextraordinary place." | high11592.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Before leaving for Australia."
},
"options": [
"Before leaving for Australia.",
"Several months before the journey.",
"Just hours after reaching the destination.",
"The night when she was accepted."
],
"question... | I will be traveling to Australia as a Student Ambassador with People to People. People to People arranges for American students to travel all around the world to learn about other cultures, and to help others understand American culture. The program was founded by former President Dwight D. Eisenhower to promote peace through understanding.
I had to put in many hours of special work to get to this point. First, a teacher nominated me, and then I attended an informational meeting about the program. The application process included an interview, and finally, I was accepted.
That's when the hard work really began. In addition to attending monthly meetings to prepare for the big trip, my parents encouraged my twin sister Beth (also participating in the program) and me to raise $ 2,000 each to help pay for the cost. And so the fund-raising began. We did everything from selling candy bars to selling an old car to decorating people's mailboxes during the holiday season. We also babysat, washed cars, held a yard sale, and washed windows. After months of hard work I had raised a total of $2319.87! Combined, Beth and I raised over $ 4500.00!
Now I have a problem-packing. Yes, I know it sounds unimportant, but my suitcase seems to have shrunk as I placed my belongings inside. According to airline regulations , a suitcase can be no larger than 54 inches and weigh no more than 44 pounds. For a person who likes to wear a different outfit every day, packing all my clothes into such a small space seemed an impossible task. However, I have lessened my load and my suitcase which started out weighting overweight now checks in at a mere 36. Apart from a slightly bloated carry-on bag, my luggage is definitely manageable.
I doubt that I will not get much sleep tonight because I am so excited! I know that what lies ahead is going to be the trip of lifetime! | high10854.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The group of men."
},
"options": [
"The group of women.",
"The group of teenagers.",
"The group of men.",
"The group of old people."
],
"question": "Which group of people smoked more according to the passage?",
... | Until the twentieth century cigarettes were not an important threat to public health. Men used tobacco mainly in the form of cigars. They chewed tobacco, piped tobacco, and snuffed. Most women did not use tobacco at all.
The cigarette industry began in 1870s with the development of the cigarette manufacturing machine. This made it possible to produce great numbers of cigarettes very quickly, and it reduced the price.
Today cigarette smoking is a widespread habit. About forty-three percent of the adult men and thirty-one percent of the adult women in the United States smoke cigarettes regularly. It is encouraging to note, however, that millions of people have quit smoking. Seventy-five percent of the male population and forty-six percent of the female population have smoked cigarettes for some time during their lives, but twenty-six percent of these men and eleven percent of the women have stopped smoking. The number of persons who have given up smoking is increasing. Men as a group smoke more than women. Among both men and women the age group with the highest proportion of smokers is the age group 24--44.
Income, education, and occupation all play a part in determining a person's smoking habit. City people smoke more than people living on farms. Well-educated men with high incomes are less likely to smoke cigarettes than men with fewer years of schooling and lower incomes. On the other hand, if a well-educated man with a higher income smokes, he's likely to smoke more packs of cigarettes per day.
The situation is somewhat different for women. There are slightly more smokers among women with higher family incomes and higher education than among the lower income and lower educational groups. These more highly educated women tend to smoke more heavily.
Among teenagers the _ is similar. There are fewer teenager smokers from upper-income, well-educated families, and also fewer from families living in farm areas. High school students who are preparing for college are less likely to smoke than those who don't plan to continue their education after high school. Children are most likely to start smoking if one or both of their parents smoke. | high4962.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The relationship between sleep and test results"
},
"options": [
"Why children don't get enough sleep",
"How many hours children sleep every night",
"The relationship between sleep and test results",
"The relationship b... | Sleep deprivation is an important hidden factor in lowering the achievement of school pupils, according to researchers carrying out international education tests.
It is a particular problem in richer countries with sleep experts linking it to the use of mobile phones and computers in bedroom late at night. Sleep deprivation is such a serious problem that lessons have to be dragged down to a lower level to suit sleep-deprived learners, the study found. The international comparison, carried out by Boston College, found the United States to have the highest number of sleep-deprived students, with 73% of 9- and 10-year-olds and 80% of 13- and 14-year-olds identified by their teachers as being negatively affected.
In literacy tests there were 76% of 9- and 10-year-olds lacking sleep. This was much higher than the international average of 47% of primary pupils needing more sleep and 57% among the secondary age group.
Other countries with the most sleep-deprived youngsters were New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Australia, England, Ireland and France. High-performing Finland is also among the most lacking in sleep. Countries with the best records for getting enough sleep include Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Japan and Malta.
The analysis was part of the huge date-gathering process for global education rankings, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study(TIMSS)and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study(PIRLS)
"I think we underestimate the impact of sleep. Our data show that across countries internationally, on average, children who have more sleep achieve higher in maths, science and reading. That is exactly what our data show," says Chad Minnich of the TIMSS and PIRLS International Study Center.
"It's the same link for children who are lacking basic nutrition," says Mr Minnich, based at the Lynch School of Education, Boston College. "If you are unable to concentrate, to attend mentally, you are unable to achieve at your best level, because your mind and body are in need of something more basic. Sleep is a fundamental need for all children. If teachers report such large proportions of children suffering from lack of sleep, it's having a significant impact. But worse than that, teachers are having to adjust their instruction based on those children who are suffering from a lack of sleep. The children who are suffering from a lack of sleep are driving down instruction."
That means that even the children who are getting enough sleep are still suffering from this sleep-related lowering. | high11586.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "follows people reports on what they do"
},
"options": [
"follows people reports on what they do",
"helps people start businesses",
"gives advice to people about the law",
"settles arguments between companies"
],
... | Every person leaves a footprint. That's what I learnt when I started to work as a private investigator 10 years ago.People pay restaurant bills with their bank card,check into hotels or travel around. In every case,they leave a trace.And because of this,I'm able to track them down even when they don't want to be found.
The first thing I do when I want to find out where someone is staying is to go to the neighbourhood where he used to live.It's human nature to tell stories--which is why neighbours will tell me all they know when I ring at their houses.Sometimes,someone even talks about his friend's dishonesty.Then I produce a pattern of my subject's life:if he likes to have a holiday in Spain or in Italy,if he prefers two- or three- star hotels and where he might hide his assets .When I've got this life pattern,I start my rescarch.
Nine times out of l0,I find the people I'm looking for.I once investigated a lorry supplier who owed PS500,000 to a subcontractor .The subcontractor wanted to find out if it was worth bringing charges against the supplier.I found out the supplier had moved assets to his son,who founded a new company offering the same product.It was a11 done within the law.There was no money to be got from that operation.
However, I asked the son if I could speak to his father and he told me that his parent was on a long holiday in Spain and wouldn't be back for a while.It didn't take me long to find out that the father wasn't in Spain.
I went back to the son and this time he told me that his father might be in Bulgaria,and I found him doing winter sports in a beautiful mountain area.He was 1iving in a big house on a 1arge piece of land he had bought for ie 400,000.This was exactly the kind of asset my customer was loooking for. | high21445.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a lot of wild animals have been killed for products"
},
"options": [
"a lot of wild animals have been killed for products",
"Jackie Chan and Ang Lee make fin soup popular",
"Steven Spielberg's Jaws inspires us to protect shar... | As we enjoy the summer ocean waves along the beaches, we may think nervously about Steven Spielberg's Jaws and the great fear that sharks inspire in us. Yet we are happy to see global efforts to protect the declining number of sharks. The world has realized that we need the species, like sharks, to keep a balanced ecosystem.
Sharks, in particular, are "in" these days. Thanks to good public policy and famous stars such as Jackie Chan and Ang Lee, killing sharks for fin soup is no longer cool.
The demand for shark fins has been rising for decades, threatening sharks with extinction -- up to 100 million sharks are killed each year just for their fins. But we have started to _ the trend, particularly in many areas of the United States and overseas where restaurants once proudly provided delicious shark fins on the menu.
In California, a ban on the sale and possession of shark fin soup has gone into effect this year through the efforts of Wild Aid and other organizations.
Overseas marketing and public efforts featuring posters on public transportation systems and TV ads have been underway for the past few years. These efforts all show signs of success, on both the supply side and the demand side of trade in shark fins.
Actually, stopping the killing of sharks is part of a broader movement to stop the killing of wild animals and the buying and selling of wildlife products. These products come from hunting elephants, tigers and rhinos, besides killing marine life.
Whether it is shark fin soup or ivory piano keys, killing animals is big business. The hunting of elephants in search of ivory tusks for luxury goods has become a full-scale war. The decrease of African elephant populations is alarming. Together with international partners, the United States is leading the worldwide effort to reduce demand for high-end products that rely on killing animals. | high10840.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "There are few color-blind women."
},
"options": [
"Women are more careful.",
"There are few color-blind women.",
"Women are fonder of driving than men.",
"Women are weaker but quicker in thinking"
],
"question":... | About ten men in every hundred suffer from color blindness in some way. Women are luckier, only about one in two hundred is affected in this matter. Perhaps, after all, it is safer to be driven by a woman!
There are different forms of color blindness. In some cases a man can not see deep red. He may think that red, orange and yellow are all shades of green. Sometimes a person cannot tell the difference between blue and green. In rare cases an unlucky man may see everything in shades of green - a strange world indeed.
Color blindness in human beings is a strange thing to explain. In a single eye there are millions of very small things called "cones". These help us to see in a bright light and to tell difference between colors. There are also millions of "rods" but these are used for seeing when it is nearly dark. They show us shape but no color.
Some insects have favorite colors. Mosquitoes like blue but do not like yellow. A red light will not attract insects, but a blue lamp will. In a similar way human beings also have favorite colors. Yet we are lucky. With the aid of the cones in our eyes we can see many beautiful colors by day, and with the aid of the rods we can see shapes at night. One day we may even learn more about the invisible colors around. | high4976.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Her mother."
},
"options": [
"Her mother.",
"Her father.",
"Sabina herself.",
"An unknown tourist."
],
"question": "Who came up with the idea of having a father-daughter trip when Sabina was 3 years old?",
"... | Photography has been my interest ever since I was old enough to pick up a camera, but today I want to share with you the 15 most treasured photos of mine, and I didn't take any of them. In fact, most of them were taken by random tourists.
My story begins when I was in New York City for a speech, and my wife took a picture of me holding my daughter on her first birthday. We're on the corner of 57th and 5th. We happened to be back in New York exactly a year later, so we decided to take the same picture.
Well you can see where this is going. Approaching my daughter's third birthday, my wife said, "Hey, why don't you take Sabina back to New York and make it a father-daughter trip, and continue the ceremony?" This is when we started asking passing tourists to take the picture.
So these photos are far more than representatives for a single moment, or even a specific trip. They're also ways for us to freeze time for one week in October and reflect on our times and how we change from year to year, and not just physically, but in every way. Because while we take the same photo, our viewpoints change, and she reaches new milestones and I get to see life through her eyes, and how she communicates with and sees everything. This very focused time we get to spend together is something we value(,) and expect the entire year. | high13391.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a typical menu from a US school consists of enough nutrition."
},
"options": [
"a typical menu from a US school consists of enough nutrition.",
"most students in South Africa eat their lunch at home.",
"many schools in Austra... | It seems school children all over the world complain about their school food. Cherie Blair, the wife of previous Prime Minister Tony Blair, said that she would prepare a packed lunch for her son if school dinners do not improve. So what do students of your age eat for lunch at school?
Japan
High schools have canteens , which serve everything from noodles to rice, but not burgers and chips. Other children bring food from home such as cold rice balls, meat or fish, pickles and vegetables.
Students take home a menu for the coming month containing notes on nutrition value. Twice a year parents are invited to have a taste of the food. The class with the fewest leftovers at the end of the month receives a prize.
Untied States
A typical menu from a US school is made up of a hamburger with fried potatoes or roast chicken, lettuce and pickles, fruit and cookies. School lunches must also provide at least one-third of the daily dietary allowances of protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium, and calories.
Australia
Meat pies, sausage rolls and hotdogs are all traditional dishes in Australian school shops. But as the nation pays more attention to children's health, healthier foods have started to find their way onto school menus.
Many schools have used a traffic light system. The sale of red-labelled foods, including pastries, chocolate and soft drinks, is served only twice a week. Healthier green-labelled foods such as sushi , sandwiches, corn and watermelon, however, are available every day.
In some schools, students have a choice of up to 89 foods to choose from, including popcorn and rice.
South Africa
Most of South Africa's schools do not serve meals at all. Classes end at 1:30pm and students get their own lunches. Many students bring food from home, usually sandwiches.
Fast food and fried food sell the best among students, which has led to a rise in _ among children. But as more people began to realize the fact that being too fat may cause different diseases, some schools in towns have led the way towards better nutrition. Now students at these schools are provided with lunches of porridge with vegetables, such as cabbages, onions, beans, carrots and tomatoes. | high342.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "more spurts"
},
"options": [
"more spurts",
"as many sports as there were",
"less sports",
"twice as many sports as there were"
],
"question": "Compared with the first Olympics held in 721 B. C. there are _ ... | The first Olympics took place at Olympia in Greece in 721 B. C. almost 3,000 years ago. Many different sports, such as boxing, running and throwing the discus were played there, though there were much fewer sports than in the modern Olympics. People fr0m all over Greece came and watched the Games at the foot of Olympus, and even those at war stopped fighting and went on with the games.
The Games were held every five years, until they were ordered to stop by the Romans in 383 A. D. It was nearly 1500 years since the Romans stopped the Olympics. Later in 1884 Baron Pierre de Coubertin thought it's possible to start the Games again, so he invited sportsmen from different countries to the competition. Many others agreed to his proposal and in 1896 the first modern Olympics was held in Greece.
Only 50,000 people watched the Games, but the rest of the world soon became enthusiastic about them and from 1900 the Games were held every four years in a different country. 0nly three Olympics were crossed out because of the wars 1916,1940 and 1944. In Tokyo in 1960, the Games reached their highest point in size -- there were over 5650 competitors from 84 countries. | high23252.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "70 decibels"
},
"options": [
"50 decibels",
"65 decibels",
"70 decibels",
"85 decibels"
],
"question": "The recommended level of background noise is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"a... | If you are looking for a creative solution to a piece of work or a school assignment,don't lock yourself up in a quiet room.
A new study suggests that moderate background noise is a better spur to creative thinking than the sound of silence,Time magazine reported.
A paper published in the Journal of Consumer Research says that the perfect working environment should buzz with a little noise.
Researchers found that test subjects were at their most creative when background noise was measured at 70 decibels,the level one might find in a busy coffee shop.
A nearly silent environment(50 decibels)was too quiet. Turning up the volume to 85 decibels (a jackhammer tearing up the pavement outside your building) was counterproductive-the noise became a distraction.
The researchers asked 65 students at the University of British Columbia,Canada,to perform various creative tasks while noises recorded at a roadside restaurant were played in the background.
In one experiment,scientists asked participants to brainstorm ideas for a new type of mattress . Test subjects had the most successful discussions when the noise in the background was noticeable but not too loud.
While a quiet environment may make it easier to read a book. the authors of the study say that moderate background noise creates just enough of a distraction to force people to think more imaginatively, without breaking their focus so completely that they can't think at all.
Should we all head for Starbucks to get creative? Not necessarily.
Researchers found limited work time surrounded by the low-level noise of a coffeehouse is what really stimulates creativity.
Equally, working in a care environment isn't good for everybody. The productivity boost was most obvious among those who were naturally creative to begin with. | high8194.txt |
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