questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Because he smoked too much for his age."
},
"options": [
"Because he smoked too much for his age.",
"Because his parents were both heavy smokers.",
"He fought against smoking.",
"Because his parents forbid him to smoke.... | In Indonesian 2-year-old boy who hit the headlines last month due to a 40-a-day cigarette addiction has reportedly cut down to 15-a-day from 40, after the child received treatment.
Images of a two-year-old boy smoking cigarettes have shocked people in Indonesia. The little boy, Ardi Rizal from Sumatra, is addicted to nicotine and smokes 40 cigarettes a day. His father, Mohammed Rizal, thinks there's no problem with his son's bad habit. He told reporters that his child looked healthy and that it was the only thing that was important. He went on to explain how Ardi took up smoking when he was 18 months old. That was when he gave his son his first cigarette. Now he's totally _ ; he screams if his father doesn't let him smoke.
Ardi's story is part of a worrying trend in Indonesia. It has one of the worst smoking records in the world, with a population of 250 million people. Government statistics show 25 percent of Indonesia teenagers have smoked and that about 3 percent are regular smokers.
Indonesia is the world's third largest smoking nation. It is reported that over a third of the country smokes, and 90% of the country's smokers smoke a native cigarette which has twice the levels of tat and nicotine in an average cigarette used around the world. Cigarettes are everywhere and smoking is still seen as a socially acceptable practice. Many people in the country do not know the health risks connected with smoking.
Health Minister Endang Sedyaningsih said preventing youngsters from smoking would be very difficult because people believe smoking is a good thing. She said tobacco companies are well like because they sponsor many things from education to sporting and public events. She added, " This is the challenge we face in protecting youth from the danger of smoking". | high23087.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "his friends hadn't invited him to the cinema"
},
"options": [
"his father had a terrible accident",
"he couldn't drive to the mall with his friends",
"his friends hadn't invited him to the cinema",
"his father didn't al... | It was a Sunday morning, and I was in a terrible mood. Two of my friends had gone to the movies the night before and hadn't invited me. I was in my room thinking of ways to make them sorry when my father came in. "Want to go for a ride, today, Beck? It's a beautiful day."
"No! Leave me alone!" Those were the last words I said to him that morning.
My friends called and invited me to go to the mall with them a few hours later. I forgot to be mad at them and went with them. I came home to find a note on the table. My mother put it where I would be sure to see it. "Dad has had an accident. Please meet us at Highland Park Hospital".
When I reached the hospital, my mother came out and told me my father's injuries were extensive. "Your father told the driver to leave him alone and just call 911, thank God! If he had moved Daddy, there's no telling what might have happened. A broken rib might have pierced a lung...."
My mother may have said more, but I didn't hear. I didn't hear anything except those terrible words: Leave me alone. My dad said them to save himself from being hurt more. How much had I hurt him when I hurled those words at him earlier in the day?
It was several days later that he was finally able to have a conversation. I held his hand gently, afraid of hurting him.
"Daddy... I am so sorry...."
"It's okay, sweetheart. I'll be okay."
"No," I said, "I mean about what I said to you that day. You know, that morning?"
My father could no more tell a lie than he could fly. He looked at me and said, "Sweetheart, I don't remember anything about that day, not before, during or after the accident. I remember kissing you goodnight the night before, though." He managed a weak smile.
My English teacher once told me that words have immeasurable power. They can hurt or they can heal. And we all have the power to choose our words. I intend to do that very carefully from now on. | high1403.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "tobacco industry"
},
"options": [
"Obama",
"tobacco industry",
"White House",
"US Food and Drug Administration"
],
"question": "The new law makes life difficult for _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"... | Obama Still Smokes in Secret
US President Barack Obama has just made life more difficult for cigarette makers. He has just signed a law that will set tough new rules for the tobacco industry. The new law gives the US Food and Drug Administration the power to strictly limit the making and marketing of tobacco products.
At a White House signing ceremony Monday, Obama said that he was among the nearly 90% of smokers who took up the habit before their 18 th birthday.
Obama, who has publicly struggled to give up smoking, said he still hadn't completely kicked the habit. Every now and then he still smokes in secret.
"As a former smoker I struggle with it all the time. Do I still smoke sometimes? Yes. Am I a daily smoker, a constant smoker? No." Obama said at a news conference.
"I don' t do it in front of my lads.I don ?t do it in front of my family.I would say that I am 95% cured, but there are times when I mess up, " he said.
"Once you go down this path, it' s something you continually struggle with, which is exactly why the law is so important.The new law is not about me, it' s about the next generation of kids coming up.What we don ' t want is kids going down that path," he said.
Nearly 20% of Americans smoke and tobacco use kills about 440,000 people a year in the United States due to cancer, heart disease, and other serious diseases. | high197.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "They showed they were only willing to communicate in French."
},
"options": [
"They warmly offered her help.",
"They asked her to speak French.",
"They thought she should struggle to learn French.",
"They showed they we... | The highlight of my journey was to be Paris,the city I'd always longed to see.But now I was frightened to travel without a companion.I steeled myself and went anyway.I arrived at the train station in Paris panicked.Pulling my red suitcase behind me,I was pushed by sweaty travelers . On my first Metro ride, I encountered a clumsy pickpocket.I melted him with a look,and he eased his hand from my purse to fade into the crowded car. At my stop,I carried my heavy suitcase up the steep stairs and froze in confusion.Somewhere in this confusing city my hotel was hidden,but suddenly I couldn't read my own directions.I stopped two people.Both greeted me with that Parisian face that said:"Yes, I speak English,but you'll have to struggle with your French if you want to talk to me."
When I finally found the hotel,my heart was pounding. Then when I saw my room.I couldn't stay.Could I? The wallpaper looked like it had been through a fire.The bathroom was down the hall,and the window looked out onto the brick wall of another building.Welcome to Paris.It was my third week away from home and my kids,and I had arrived in the most romantic city in the world, alone, lonely and very scared.
The most important thing I did in Paris happened at that moment.I knew that if I didn't go out,right then,and find a place to have dinner,I would hide in this place my entire time in Paris. I might never learn to enjoy the world as a single individual.So I went out.Evening in Paris was light and warm.I strolled along a winding path,listening to birds sing,watching children float toy sailboats in a huge fountain.Paris was beautiful.And I was here alone but suddenly not lonely.My sense of accomplishment at overcoming my fear had left me feeling free,not abandoned.
During my week's stay in Paris.I did everything there was to do,and it was the greatest week of my European vacation.I returned home a believer in the healing power of solitary travel.Traveling alone makes up for its problems by demanding self-reliance and building the kind of confidence that serves the single life well.Certainly Paris became my metaphor for _ life's challenges on my own.Now when I meet an obstacle I just say to myself: If I can go to Paris,I can go anywhere. | high13144.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "encouraged to read many literature works"
},
"options": [
"fond of reading all kinds of novels",
"forbidden to discuss movies in class",
"not allowed to watch movies in the cinema",
"encouraged to read many literature w... | As more and more books become movie adaptations , I can't help but think how this will affect English classes in America. Thinking back to my years in middle and high school -- ten years ago, I would be rewarded if I had read a number of classics. Today, a majority of those books are now also movies Life of Pi, The Great Gatsby, Much Ado About Nothing and Anna Karenina, to name a few.
Even modern books such as The Hunger Games and Harry Potter have been adapted for the big screen. In discussion with my students, I often hear them say they are not going to read books because movies will come out soon, which makes me wonder what effect movie adaptations have on modern-day students. Will the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) encourage them to read books more carefully or to use movies to improve their understanding of the text?
The CCSS requires students to provide text-based evidence when reading and discussing a book. By focusing on such evidence, teachers can pull specific details from a book that may have not made the final cut when the book was adapted for the big screen. For instance, after reading and watching The Hunger Games, there were a number of details from the book that were missing from the film -- many people were disappointed with Rue's meek movie role. A student who failed to read The Hunger Games would not quite understand Rue's impact on the games in the same way as someone who had read the book and remembered all the details that went into her death.
I am not saying the CCSS will stop students from cutting corners, but I believe if teachers use the support the CCSS provides, it can be a great roadway to ensure all students are digging deep into texts and not just hitting the play button. | high8341.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "look ahead and write something positive."
},
"options": [
"Draw a picture of something complicated.",
"Put more sugar into your coffee.",
"Writing down negative thoughts.",
"look ahead and write something positive."
... | Having one of those days--or weeks--when everything seems to annoy you? Even if you do nothing about it, your bad mood will probably go away after some time. But with a little effort, you can forget it much faster, often within a day or two.
Walk it off
Exercise is the most popular bad-mood buster. A person who's in a bad mood has low energy and high tension. Taking a fast ten-minute walk, or taking some quick exercise can do wonders towards changing that bad mood.
Tune it out
Listening to your favorite music for a while can also make tensions go away quickly, because music starts associations with past positive experiences we've had.
Give yourself a pep talk
Stop and listen to what's on your mind. Bad moods are often started by too many negative thoughts. Write them all down on paper, including the pessimistic messages you've been giving yourself and then give optimistic answers.("I still don't have a job." Vs" I have two interviews next week.")
Reduce your stress
Relaxation techniques are wonderful mood-lifters. There include de3ep breathing, stretching and visualizing, all of which sound complicated but aren't. One easy way to visualize, close your eyes and picture a favorite place, such as the beach. Another simple way to unhappiness is to make a to-do list. One reason for being in a bad mood is feeling you have no options. By taking control over certain areas, you realize you're not helpless. You can make changes in your mood and life.
Avoid things that won't improve your mood
TV may not help much: you need to increase your energy level and stimulate your mind-something that the TV show "Neighbors" won't do. And before you reach for that piece of cake and coffee, think about how mood and food are linked. Sugar and caffeine contribute to depressed moods. The better choice? Research shows that carbohydrates, such as potatoes and pasta , produce a calming effect on people who have a desire for them. | high15535.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "finding places to stay in England"
},
"options": [
"learning English",
"finding places to stay in England",
"driving their car on English roads",
"going to England by car"
],
"question": "My Spanish friends want... | When I lived in Spain,some Spanish friends of mine decided to visit England by car,before they left,they asked me about how to find accommodation .I suggested that they should stay at "bed and breakfast" houses,because this kind of accommodation gives a foreign visitor a good chance to speak English with the family.My friends listened to my advice,but they came back with some funny stories.
"We didn't stay at bed and breakfast houses,"they said."Because we found that most families were away on holiday."
I thought this was strange.Finally I understood what had happened
My friends spoke little English,and they thought "VACANCIES" meant "holidays" because Spanish word for "holiday" is "vacaciones".So they did not go to houses where the sign outside said "VACANCIES",which in English meant there are free rooms.Then my friends went to houses where the sign said "NO VACANCIES",because they thought this meant the people who owned the house were not away on holiday.But they found that these houses were all full.As a result,they stayed at hotels!
We laughed about this and about mistakes my friends made in reading other signs.In Spanish,a word very similar to "DIVERSION" means fun.In English it means that workman is repairing the road,and that you must take a different road when my friends saw the word "DIVERSION" on a road sign,they thought they were going to have fun.Instead, the road ended in a large hole.
English people have problems too when they learn foreign languages.Once in Paris,when someone offered me some more coffee,I said "Thank you" in French.I meant that I would like some more.However,to my surprise the coffee pot was taken away! Later I found out that "Thank you" in French means "No,thank you". | high7072.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "he was not responsible for the girls' accident"
},
"options": [
"he didn't break the traffic rules on purpose",
"he was not responsible for the girls' accident",
"he had the right to chase after the girls",
"he didn't f... | It was a cold evening,the night before Halloween,when something happened in my town that no one will ever forget. During lunchtime at school,some girls who were my brother's friends told him about a plan that they had to toilet paper a guy's house. They had already been playing pranks on this guy,and they were laughing about what his house would look like when they were through with it. My brother told me later that he knew what they were planning on doing was wrong,but he didn't say anything to the girls. _ .
That night my brother's six friends stayed overnight at one of the girls' houses. In the middle of the night,they sneaked out of the house. They piled into one of the gifts' small blue car and set off to play their little prank. When they got to the guy's house, everything went as planned---until they got caught. The guy that they were playing the prank on came outside and saw them. Laughing,they all ran to the ear and hopped in,hoping to get away. The guy got into his car and chased after them,trying to identify them. He was right on their tail,and it scared the girls really badly, They were not sure what he would do to them if he caught them, so they went faster.
Then,when they were turning on a blind curve in the road,they lost control of the car and hit a tree head-on. Three of the girls were ejected from the car and were killed instantly. The other three girls were seriously injured. One of the girls had just enough strength to get out of the car and go to a nearby house. The people who answered the door were afraid of her and didn't even believe that there had been an accident. They said,"Yeah, right,you really got into a wreck,"and they would not call the police.
The three girls that died were all honor roll students and were looking ahead to doing something great with their lives. But all of their dreams were shattered when they hit the tree on that cold night. Only one of my brother's friends was wearing a seat belt,and she was one of the survivors. Now when ever I get into a car, I think about the accident and put on my seat belt.
The guy that chased them went to court. All he got was a ticket for running a stop sign and for speeding. I often wonder if he feels anything at all about the death of the girls in that car that he chased. My brother feels bad that he didn't say anything to his friends that day when they told him what they were planning on doing. They still might have gone on their mission regardless of what he said,but he might have saved his friends' lives. We'll never know.So many people have suffered because of a stupid act that was never meant to go wrong.
The only good thing that came from this tragic event is that the mother of one of the deceased girls is setting up a teen center in town in memory of the girls who died. Now there will be a place for teens. Maybe that will keep some of them from getting into situations like this by providing a place to hang out and have fan, to talk to each other, and hopefully five them a chance to help them think before they act. | high21690.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "study the course of St. John Ambulance Training Officer"
},
"options": [
"belong to the junior sections of the first aid competition",
"complete our application form by the end of April, 2012",
"study the course of St. John A... | The national schools' first aid competition is an interesting way for young people to practice their first aid skills in a safe environment.
A school may have three teams. The deadline for this competition has now been continued to April 21, 2012. All teams will compete at an elimination round, with the winners going forward to the National Final for the chance to become the winner.
A team has three formal members, and a reserve is also needed. All team members, together with the reserve, will take part. There are two age sections:
Junior: 7 to11
Senior: 12 to 16
This competition is based on the Young First Aid Course from St. John Ambulance Training Officer. Support will be given to make sure everyone has equal chances to win.
The winners of this competition will be invited to take part in the Young Grand Prior Competition. This competition improves the practical first aid skills of young people and tests their knowledge and skills with a series of realistic accidents and injuries. Youth teams are aged between 12 and 16 years old and should have three members. Young adults are aged between 17 and 21 and should have two members. All teams may bring a reserve. The Young Grand Prior Competition will be held at the Spa Complex, Scarborough, on November 28, 2012.
Those who want to take part in the national schools' first aid competition will have to complete our application form. | high3214.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Animals cells have a nucleus in the center."
},
"options": [
"Plants cells can store more energy than animal cells.",
"Plant cells have a nucleus in the center.",
"Animal cells are bigger than plant cells.",
"Animals ce... | Cells were discovered in 1665 by Robert Hooke when he took a piece of cork and looked at it under a microscope. Cork is made up of dead cells but you are still able to see the cells which proved to be interesting to him. He described _ as being made of something, just like a wall is made of bricks. He then called those bricks "cells". Due to the size of cells, it is nearly impossible to see them without the aid of a light microscope, but by using an electron microscope you'd be able to see cells in much greater detail.
There's a cell theory which is made up of four basic ideas. First, cells are the building blocks of life. Second, cells are derived from other cells by division. Third, cells contain DNA (the blueprint for life). Fourth, the cell is the functioning unit of life, and the chemical reactions of life take place within cells.
There are two types of cells, animal cells and plant cells. Plant cells differ from animal cells in many ways. Plant cells have a large central vacuole , with the nucleus nearer to the side of the cell instead of in the middle like in animal cells. Another big difference is that plant cells can produce and store sugar as starch while animal cells contain glycogen .
It's noteworthy to mention that a cell cannot survive without the nucleus which acts as a type of control center; it runs the cells. The nucleus contains DNA, which in turn contains the cell's genes. These genes tell the cell how to grow. DNA contains the genetic blueprint that tells if you have blonde hair and blue eyes. | high21848.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The family lived in the suburbs, who were fond of the cat."
},
"options": [
"The family living in the middle of the city liked a cat very much.",
"No one in the family was fond of the cat.",
"The family lived in the suburbs, ... | A family living in an apartment house in the suburbs of a large city had a cat of which they were very much fond. One day the cat got sick and finally dies. As there was no back yard to their home in which to bury the cat. Father was forced to wrap the cat up in a newspaper and take it with him, being carefully reminded by Mother to throw the package from the train window when on the way to his work.
Father placed his bag upon the package shelf over his seat, but started to have a conversation with a traveler and forgot to throw the bag out of the window. He took the package on to his office, thinking that he would deal with it on his way home that evening. But again he got to talking to someone on the train, forgot about the cat, and still had the package under his arm when he arrived home. His wife scolded him about it and Father promised to take care of the matter the next day. But once more his memory failed him. When for the third time he arrived home still carrying the package, the poor Mother became quite angry.
"You've got to deal with that cat right now," she said. "Put it in the stove right now as the fireman is seldom there at this hour." Well, Father decided perhaps he'd better take it to the room and put it in the stove, but as he lifted the bag from a table, it fell open, and to their surprise there was a boiled ham!
(2,6) | high18011.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The mouse was created only for the Apple Lisa computer"
},
"options": [
"The mouse was the first commercial one for consumers",
"The mouse was created only for the Apple Lisa computer",
"The mouse was buried in Aspen ,Colotad... | The National Geographic Channel has unearthed a time capsule buried by late Apple chairman and co-founder Steve Jobs thirty years ago.
The time capsule was buried in Aspen .Colorado .in 1983, shortly after Jobs attended the International Design Conference being held in that city. Organizers called the device the Aspen Time Tube and contributed items like Rubik's cubes and some iconic music. Jobs added his own items to the capsule ,including the " Lisa" ( also known as an "Apple" )"mouse he used for his presentation at the conference. '
Younger readers may not recognize the name but the Lisa Apple mouse was one of the first commercial mice released to consumers. The mouse was specially designed for the Apple Lisa computer. It's also the first personal computer to offer users a graphical user interface
Initially ,the plan was to dig up the time capsule in the year2000,but organizers forgot its exact location. Recently .they brought in researchers working with the National Geographic Channel show Diggers to find the device. Eventually they came across the 13-foot-long.1. 5-foot-diameter tube. inside they found a lot of 1980s artifacts that are still being catalogued.
"When the end came off .literally things just poured out ."noted Diggers host Tim Saylor "There must be literally thousands of things in there."
"They had the foresight to put a bunch of stuff in plastic bags." Saylor said ."I could see at least a dozen plastic bags and other items. But I know for sure there got to be photographs in there. People had hand-written things on the back of the photographs ,so there will be some really interesting things inside."
Among the artifacts researchers expect to discover inside :a Steve Jobs speech in which the Apple visionary outlines his predictions for future technologies. We should know more about the researchers ,discoveries once the Diggers program airs this fall. | high5665.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "A typist"
},
"options": [
"A writer",
"A typist",
"A teacher",
"A doctor"
],
"question": "In the past, who usually suffered from a pain in the neck according to the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
... | Texting long messages can be a pain in the neck. The repetitive action of working your fingers across the keyboard of your cell phone can cause some of the same chronic pain problems previously limited to those who'd spent a lifetime typing.
The possible connection is particularly worrying considering how much teens and young adults -- and increasingly those in professional settings -- are texting nowadays, said Judith Gold, who carried out one of the first studies on the potential connection.
Text messaging is a fairly new technology, Gold says, so this is a new area of research for those who study ergonomics . But "considering the similarities in body position, findings from research on overuse injuries from computers could be applicable" to texting.
"The way the body is positioned for texting - fixed shoulders and back with rapidly moving fingers - is similar to the position for typing on a computer," Gold explained. Previous research has found pain in the elbow connected with too much thumb texting.
To look for a broader link between texting and chronic pain, Gold and her colleagues sent a questionnaire to 138 college students, asking them to report the number of text messages they sent per day (in four categories: 0, 1-10, 11-20, 21+ messages) and to point out any discomfort they felt on a body map.
The research showed an association between the number of text messages sent per day and shoulder discomfort. The effect seemed to be particularly pronounced in males, though Gold says she doesn't know why that would be.
"What we've seen so far is very similar to what we see with office workers who've spent most of their time at a computer," Gold said. However, Gold's study did not take account of the amount of time the people surveyed also spent typing on computers, which could be affecting the results. | high17322.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "People wore casual clothing."
},
"options": [
"It was very formal.",
"People wore casual clothing.",
"It took place in a restaurant.",
"People care more about formality."
],
"question": "Which of these statement... | One day an American friend invited me to a party. It wasn't a real party, it was some kind of informal get-together. Since it was summer time, he had a cookout where most of his American friends and s were known to me, but there were others I had never met before.
It was the most embarrassing party for me when I noticed that everybody was wearing jeans and simple T-shirts for the day, while I arrived in proper dress with my shoes and my hair all fixed for a fancy party. It was hard to explain my embarrassment to other guests. When one of them turned around and said, "What nice clothes! What's the occasion?" I felt my face burning hot with embarrassment. I did not answer at all. If she knew how bad I already felt, she wouldn't have come near me. But she did. Maybe she didn't ask _ to make me feel bad or uncomfortable, but my reaction had to do with the way I already felt. I could have told her I had to go to another party afterwards, but I did not want to continue the conversation.
Many times I thought about going home and changing, but I knew that they would notice. It would be even worse for me, because I knew they would quickly think that I felt out of place. So I wanted to pretend that I was okay...
I had already realized their customs were different from mine; but after I talked to my friend, I was more convinced that people here are more casual (,). They care less about formality, unless it is a special occasion, like a wedding or a very formal invitation.
In contrast, my culture is totally the opposite. For instance, inprefix = st1 /CapeVerdeanculture, if a friend invited me to his house on a special day, even if it is not a real party, one should appear well dressed or otherwise the host will be annoyed thinking you are disrespectful to him or the other guests. We do dress casually for going on picnic or on ordinary days, but not normally to go over to a friend's when invited, especially if other people will be there.
After all, I think that my problem at the party wasn't that I wasn't accepted by the Americans; but my feeling was so bad that I couldn't fit in the group even if nobody noticed, because I was the one who discovered the difference in the first place. It doesn't matter if people dress differently, but I was the only one different in the group. I felt I was the one who should adjust to their customs. After that, I decided to learn more about American culture, so now I don't have as many problems as I've had in the past. | high18777.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "the world's largest insect"
},
"options": [
"the world's largest insect",
"a toy used in many parts of the world",
"the only insect found in Africa",
"the world's smallest insect"
],
"question": "The African Gol... | The World's Largest Insect .This giant insect can be used as a toy.
A child ties one end of a string to a stick and the other end around the "neck" of an insect. Holding the stick, the child lets the insect go. With a loud whirring sound, the insect takes off, pulling the string in a large curve over the child's head. The child laughs as the stick jumps around. The child is African, and the toy is the African Goliath beetle, the largest insect in the world.
The Goliath is a true insect because it has six legs and a body that is divided into three parts. Like all beetles, it has two pairs of wings. The front pair are thick and stiff and protect the back pair, which are soft. It is these soft back wings that make the beetle fly forward. They also cause the loud whirring sound the beetle makes when it flies. To steer, the beetle twists and turns its legs the same way you steer a bike by turning its front wheel.
African children often use the Goliath beetle as a toy. Although it is over 15 centimeters long, it is quite harmless. | high5103.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the moving love story between Tinker Bell and Terrence"
},
"options": [
"the attractive details",
"the lively animation characters",
"the three-dimensional animation",
"the moving love story between Tinker Bell and Terr... | If there's a child in your house who likes pixies , nature, or magic, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure is sure to be a hit. This beautifully animated film is a first class production in every way, and features the familiar voices of Kristin Chenoweth, Anjelica Huston, Jane Horrocks, Lucy Liu, and Raven Symone. The movie offers up an adventure that's easy enough to follow, but complex enough to hold one's attention, and even throws in a nice little moral about friendship. What can I say? I'm pleasantly surprised.
The up-and-coming Mae Whitman voices Tinker Bell herself, a far more dynamic character than we met in Peter Pan. Though Tinker still possesses her fiery temper, it doesn't manifest itself immediately, and takes a backseat to this pixie's many good qualities. As it turns out, Tinker Bell is extremely skilled at tinkering , so she is a natural choice to build a special scepter , for Pixie Hollow's Autumn Celebration. The scepter will hold the moonstone through which the light of the Blue Moon will pass, supplying Pixie Hollow with enough pixie dust for the year ahead.
For days, Tinkers works hard on the perfect scepter design while her good friend Terrence does his best to assist. When Terrence accidentally breaks the Moon Stone, Tinker Bell "explodes" and sends him away. One of Tinker's more literal friends finds this extremely concerning, as she doesn't quite understand that the outburst was emotional rather than physical ----- very funny indeed.
After hearing the legend of the lost treasure, Tinker Bell strikes out on her own to find a new Moon Stone. She faces many difficulties and meets new friends along the way, but when Terrence comes to the rescue at Tinker's darkest hour, she realizes the value of a truly loyal friend. Though the film is engaging and offers a positive message to young viewers, it's the animation that makes Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure stand out. Pixie Hollow is a charming, visually stunning world basked in lush color1s. It's so lovely, so detailed, so three-dimensional that you almost want to step inside. | high17444.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The mystery about nuclear radiation."
},
"options": [
"How to detect nuclear radiation.",
"How radiation kill a man.",
"The mystery about nuclear radiation.",
"Serious damage caused by nuclear radiation."
],
"qu... | Nuclear power's danger to health, safety, and even life itself can be summed up in one word: radiation.
Nuclear radiation has a certain mystery about it, partly because it cannot be detected by human senses. It can't be seen or heard, or touched or tasted, even though it may be all around us. There are other things like that. For example, radio waves are all around us but we can't detect them, sense them, without a radio receiver. Similarly, we can't sense radioactivity without a radiation detector. But unlike common radio waves, nuclear radiation is not harmless to human beings and other living things.
At very high levels, radiation can kill an animal or human being immediately by killing masses of cells in vital organs. But even the lowest levels can do serious damage. There is no levels of radiation that is completely safe. If the radiation does not hit anything important, the damage may not be serious. This is the case when only a few cells are hit, and if they are killed immediately. Your body will replace the dead cells with healthy ones. But if the few cells are only damaged, and if they reproduce themselves, you may be in trouble. They can grow into cancer. Sometimes this does not show up for many years.
This is another reason for some of the mystery about nuclear radiation. Serious damage can be done without the victim being aware at the time that damage has occurred. A person can be irradiated and feel fine, then die for cancer five, ten, or twenty years later as a result. Or a child can be born weak as a result of radiation absorbed by its grandparents.
Radiation can hurt us. We must know the truth. | high16982.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "In Skagway."
},
"options": [
"In Skagway.",
"In Juneau.",
"In Haines.",
"In Gustavus."
],
"question": "Where can you get to know the local history?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer... | Nowhere else like Alaska can you enjoy a whale exploding out of the water or an eagle pulling a silver fish from the river. Combine these images with high mountains, brilliant icebergs and wonderful meals and you really do have the Best of Alaska! Join us for an unforgettable 7-day holiday to Alaska!
You can have fun here:
JUNEAU: Juneau, the state capital, is rich in culture and scenic beauty. It is here that we start and end our trip.
HAINES: Haines is a small community located along thefjords . The natural beauty and expansive wilderness found here have made Haines an important center for adventure in Alaska.
ALASKA INDIAN ARTS: Alaska Indian Arts is a nonprofit corporation devoted to the preservation and continuation of traditional native craft and culture of the Northwest Native Tribes. You can spend a few hours learning carving, playing nativebeading from local artists.
SKAGWAY: Skagway is a lively town, which still reflects its gold rush roots and origins. In Skagway, you may stop at the Klondike Gold Rush National Park Visitor's Center and ride the White Pass Yukon Route Railway.
GUSTAVUS: Gustavus is the gateway to Glacier Bay National Park. You'll stay at a comfortable house here for two nights. This will be the base for both the whale-watchingexcursion and a full daycruise in Glacier Bay.
DATES/ PRICES:
May 16, June 20, July 18, August 15.
7 days --- $3,500, including lodging, all meals, excursions, guides, park fees, sales taxes, and transportation between Juneau, Skagway, Haines, and Gustavus. Not included: Alcohol, personal items, airfare to and from Juneau.
Contact:
E-mail: info@alaskamountainguides.com
Call: 1.800.766.3396
Address: Alaska Mountain Guides& Climbing School
P.O. Box 1081, Haines AK 99827 | high3572.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "A mistake you made at work."
},
"options": [
"A funny political leader.",
"Another person's religious belief.",
"A person in your group.",
"A mistake you made at work."
],
"question": "What is a proper topic for... | Feeling good and having humor in our lives can do wonders for our position and productivity , which means that there is definitely a place for some humor on the job. Having a smiling face will help your coworkers and supervisors feel better being around you, and you may well end up harvesting the rewards by laughing more in the workplace. But you need to know how to apply humor in your work environment.
One of the main rules with humor in the workplace is to avoid argument when you are joking. Stay well away from joking about political affairs , race and religion. Never make fun of other people within your organization, as you are trying to win friends with the people you work with, and not set against them. If you can't help yourself, please be extremely careful.
Making jokes about the ups and downs of your trade is a safe way to add wit to the place of work. You will have the benefit of knowing precisely what your coworkers have to face each and every day, and it's much better as it helps to let go of tensions and lower stress levels by getting them to chuckle about the situations they come across frequently.
The very best time for some humor is when you are not working, but still in the region of the people you work with, such as a coffee or lunch break. You can also make an effort to be funny on the job, but when you are working, it's a good idea to use jokes much more discreetly than you would normally do.
In general, humor in the workplace can flex your creative muscles and be a great help to your job. | high19469.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "when Diana refused Vivien's sandwich"
},
"options": [
"because she was too good for anyone",
"when Diana refused Vivien's sandwich",
"though she asked the writer to forgive me",
"when she was waiting for Vivien"
],
... | It is a very common thing for a person to have a good friend. My good friend is Diana. She is a rich and proud girl. She often thinks that she is too good for anyone, so nobody wants to be her friend.
One day after school, I was waiting for Diana when Vivien came up to me. She gave me a biscuit. I accepted it. We talked and joked, and from then on, I began to spend more time with Vivien than with Diana. I felt a little uneasy.
After a few days, I went to see Diana with some snacks when Vinien came and sat with me. She offered me a sandwich. She also offered one to Diana, but Diana refused it. She walked away. I was angry with Diana for being so rude .
"Never mind." Vivien said, "I'm used to it."
After school, I tried to catch up with Diana. While walking home, I tried to correct her attitude , but she didn't listen to me. She said, "Go and join your dear Vivien. I know you make a new friend and forget the old one."
For the next few weeks, we didn't talk to each other. Then one day, Diana came to Vivien and me, saying, "I'm really sorry about what I did. Would you please forgive me?" Vivien and I looked at each other and smiled. From then on, Diana, Vivien and I have been best friends. | high8427.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Having a bottle of wine in a Chinese restaurant."
},
"options": [
"Selling a can of beer to teenagers.",
"Having a bottle of wine in a Chinese restaurant.",
"Having an open bottle of beer inside a car.",
"Drinking a can... | Most laws in the United States and Canada are similar to laws in other countries. For example, it is against the law everywhere to murder a person, and it is illegal to steal money. Everyone knows these laws, but foreign students or tourists in a new country may not know some of the local laws. For instance, a legal action in Peru may be against the law in Korea, and an illegal activity in an Asian city may be perfectly legal in a European city. On the other hand, laws may be the same in various countries but vary in different cities or states of the same nation.
In many cities in the United States, for instance, it is not legal to " _ " This law may seem strange to visitors. Sometimes they cross a street, and a police officer gives them a ticket. Then they need to pay a fine of $10 to $25. They soon learn to cross a street only in a crosswalk or at a corner. It's against the law to cross in the middle of the street.
Most people know that states in the United States have different laws about the legal drinking age; this age varies, but in most states no one under twenty-one can buy alcohol, even beer or wine. Also, in most U.S. cities, it is illegal to drink alcohol in public. Of course, liquor is legal in restaurants and bars, but it's against the law to drink a can of beer, for instance, on a public street. Some people put the can in a paper bag and drink; nobody can see the beer, but it still isn't legal. In addition, it is illegal to have an open liquor bottle inside a car. | high15253.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Six."
},
"options": [
"Five.",
"Four.",
"Three.",
"Six."
],
"question": "In how many countries is English spoken as a first language in the world?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer"... | English is spoken as a first language by most people in the USA, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Canada. However, English is spoken all over the world. It is the main language in over 60 countries, such as India, Singapore and in many of the Caribbean and Pacific islands. In those places English is often a second language.
English is also as an important international language in many other countries, like China and Japan. People in these countries use it for business, and travelers to these countries use English when they get there. Other people may learn English because they enjoy reading books in English, listening to British or American music or watching American films.
English has changed a lot these years and still goes on changing. It is no longer right to talk about British English or American English if the speaker doesn't come from those countries. People in Japan or Korea, for example, may use the American spelling but may not sound like Americans.
English will be the most widely used language in the world in the 21stcentury. This language no longer belongs to British, American or Australian speakers. It belongs to anyone who can use this language. After you leave school, you will almost certainly need it. | high829.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "to settle disputes among nations by persuasion,mediation or other means"
},
"options": [
"to keep international peace and security and promote international cooperation",
"to consider,discuss,and pass on blinding resolutions",
... | Even before World War II ended in 1945,many world leaders dreamed of a new organization that would keep international peace and safety,and encourage international cooperation .An organization was formed.The United Nations was to work to this ideal of mankind.
When the UN was founded in 1945,it was made up of fifty members.Fifteen members sat on the Security Council .Five members--the United States,the Soviet Union,Great Britain,France and China--were given,not changing membership on the Council.The Council was given the power to settle fights among nations by persuasion,mediation or other means.A General Assembly ,which included every UN member,was also set up.The Assembly could consider,discuss,and pass resolutions .
As the UN passed its fortieth birthday in 1985,it came under increasingly sharp attack by Americans.It declared that the UN is unfit as a peace keeper and cited 130 wars since 1945 as a proof .
The UN's supporters say that the organization is the world's best hope for peace.The UN provides,supporters also point out,much needed economic and technical help to less developed nations. | high7714.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "in case they die out some day"
},
"options": [
"by spreading them around the world",
"so that they can research them",
"by burying them under the ground",
"in case they die out some day"
],
"question": "Many res... | Imagine putting a seed in a freezer, waiting 30,000 years, and then taking the seed out and planting it. Do you think a flower would grow?
Amazingly, scientists have just managed to do something very similar. They found the fruit of an ancient plant that had been frozen underground in Siberia for about 31,800 years. Using pieces of the fruit, scientists successfully cloned 36 more of the plant and grew them in a lab. The new flowers have beautiful white petals . They are also the oldest flowering plants that researchers have ever revived from a deep freeze.
"This is like creating a dinosaur from tissues of an ancient egg," University of California biologist Jane Shen-Miller said.
The plant has a long history, back when mammoths ( an animal like an elephant, that lived a long time ago but no longer exist) wandered the land. It was buried in an underground hole. The ground has remained frozen since then.
The ice-age plants look similar to a modern called Silence stenophylla. But the ancient flowers are slightly different: their petals are a bit narrower. It's possible that the regrown plants belong to a different species.
It's important for scientists to know that plant tissues can still be revived after being frozen for a long time. That's because many researchers are trying to store the seeds of modern plants by freezing them and then storing them in very big lockers at various spots around the globe. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, an underground facility in Norway, stores hundreds of thousands of seeds. If a plant becomes extinct, scientists could revive it by pulling its seeds from Svalbard or other underground rooms. | high23939.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "a little help for dog owners"
},
"options": [
"Bow-Lingual's inventors",
"dog barks and their different emotions",
"talking dogs",
"a little help for dog owners"
],
"question": "This passage is mainly talking ab... | Dog owners now have a little help understanding their furry friends . A new device called Bow-Lingual "translates" dog barks into English , Korea or Japanese.
Bow-Lingual's Japanese inventors spent much time and money analyzing dog barks . They found that dog noises can be broken down into six different emotions : happiness , sadness , frustration , anger , assertion and desire .
Part of the Bow-Lingual device hangs on the dog's collar . The other part is a handle-held unit for the owner . When the dogs barks , the unit displays translated phrases .
Some people have scoffed at Bow-Lingual. "Who would pay US$ 120 to read a dog's mind?" they ask .
But those who have purchased Bow-Lingual praise the device . Pet owner Keiko Egawa , of Japan , says it helps her empathize with her dog , Harry . "Before we go to the park , he always says he wants to play," says Egawa , "and after a walk , he always says he is hungry."
Bow -Lingual is not yet available in Chinese . So you'd better keep studying Studio Classroom , or soon your dog may know more English than you do ! | high1365.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "A tall box used to cool food without ice or electricity."
},
"options": [
"An ice box used to contain things.",
"An electrical container to hold things.",
"A small box made of cloth to contain food.",
"A tall box used t... | Before fridges, homes usually had ice boxes. But another way to keep food cool without electricity is to use an evaporative cooler. It is easy to make and does not even use ice.
A common design is a tall box with several shelves inside. The shelves are pieces of metal with many small holes through them. The sides of the box are covered with pieces of thick cloth. Containers of water are placed at the top and bottom of the cooler. The ends of each piece of cloth lie in the water so the cloth stays wet.
Put the cooler in the open air but not in the sun. Air will pass through while the inside of the box will stay several degrees cooler than the outside. This can keep foods fresh for a short time.
The best way to prepare foods for storage is at harvest time. Place the harvested items on a clean surface, but not on the ground. Fruits and vegetables must be cool from field heat before they are stored. A good idea is to harvest foods either early or late in the day, then leave them to cool naturally. Do not remove outer leaves from fruits and vegetables before storage.
Some fruits and vegetables must be stored at zero to four degrees Celsius. Any colder, and they might be damaged. Others need four to eight degrees, and still others above eight degrees. Cover the items in plastic once they reach the right " _ " for storage. | high13622.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "your ability to see the funny side of an unpleasant event"
},
"options": [
"your having been brought up in America",
"the joke being related to a really comic situation",
"your ability to see the funny side of an unpleasant e... | Whether we find a joke funny or not largely depends on where we have been brought up.The sense of humour ismysteriously connected with national characteristics.A Frenchman ,for instance, might find it hard to laugh at Russian joke.In the same way, a Russian might fail to see anything amusing in a joke which would make an Englishman laugh to tears.
Most funny stories are based on comic situations.In spite of national differences, certain funny situations have a worldwide request.No matter where you live, you would find it difficult not to laugh at, say ,Charlie Chaplin's early films.However, a new type of humour, which stems largely from America, has recently come into fashion.It is called "sick humour".Comedians base their jokes on tragic situations like violent (cause by force)death or serious accidents.Many people find this sort of joke distasteful.The following example of "sick humour" will enable you to judge for yourself.
A man who had broken his right leg was taken to hospital a few weeks before Christmas.From the moment he arrived there, he kept on pestering his doctor tell him when he would be able to go home.He was afraid of having to spend Christmas in hospital .Though the doctor did his best, the patient's recovery was slow.On Christmas day, however, the doctor consoled him by telling him that his chances of being able to leave hospital in time for New Year celebrations were good.The man took heart and, sure enough , on New Year's Eve he was able to hobble along to a party.To compensate for his unpleasant experiences in hospital , the man drank a little more than what was good for him.In the process, he enjoyed himself and kept telling everybody how much he hated hospitals.He was still mumbling something about hospitals at the end of the party when he slipped on a piece of ice and broke his left leg. | high9739.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "science fiction writer"
},
"options": [
"science fiction writer",
"science fiction publisher",
"high school student",
"science fiction fan"
],
"question": "We learn from the passage that the writer is probably a... | It was when I was attending high school that I first read Asimov's stories. At the time, a few science fiction magazines began to introduce this author, and to translate a few pieces from his "Robot Series". Of Asimov's works, the one that left the deepest impression on me was Pebble in the Sky. This novel directly influenced my early science fiction writing. Asimov was one of the leading writers of western science fiction's Golden Age, so although his writing may not have a direct influence on writers of today, his underlying influence on many levels is undeniable -- the famous Three Laws of Robotics, and many classic writing techniques, for example. Asimov's novels are marked by a fully integrated logical system, and his stories are a pleasure to read. This is the reason his novels still attract readers today. Naturally, western science fiction has few people these days who follow Asimov's creative methods. But still the majority of Chinese science fiction readers would rather read the classic works of Asimov. Compared with the "Robot Series", Asimov's "Foundation Series" is a little less well-known in China. In fact, the "Foundation Series" creates an entire world, even grander than that of the "Robot Series"; this science fiction had a direct influence on later western science fiction, the most famous example being Star Wars. | high69.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "punishing those who sell cigarettes to teens more severely"
},
"options": [
"punishing those who sell cigarettes to teens more severely",
"punishing teens caught with tobacco more severely",
"educating those who sell cigarett... | Stopping teens from smoking is a big challenge many communities face today. Many communities can only watch without being able to act while local businesses continue to sell tobacco products to children, even under the risk of punishment by law.
Recent studies show that a large percentage of teens today are getting their cigarettes from stores, mostly gas stations or convenience stores. As teens continue to be able to buy their own cigarettes, more and more communities begin to punish those who sell cigarettes to the teens.
One community has experienced success in their attempts to stop the sale of tobacco products to children. Woodridge, Illinois, started a program seven years ago which forbade and strictly punished the sale of tobacco products to children. The entire program includes local licensing of vendors , repeated undercover inspections to see if the sale to children has stopped, and education programs in schools. Woodridge has become a model community as other communities are moving to stop teen tobacco use.
A recent national study showed that 36.5% of females, and 40.8% of males buy their cigarettes from stores, whether it is a gas station or a supermarket. Hopefully, as more and more sellers see the trouble they face if caught selling to children, they will stop selling.
True, tightening down on stores that sell tobacco to children isn't going to completely stop the problem of teen tobacco use. Teens continue to get them from other sources. But it definitely does prevent their efforts. With more education in schools, and perhaps stronger punishments for teens caught with tobacco, more and more teens will see the problems with the tobacco usage, and will stop the habit. | high15247.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To encourage children to participate in outdoor activities."
},
"options": [
"To make children read more books.",
"To help children distinguish the natural world.",
"To encourage children to participate in outdoor activities... | A campaign is being launched to encourage children to _ 30 minutes of screen time a day to head for the great outdoors.
The newly formed Wild Network--a collaboration of nearly 400 organizations--is attempting to attract youngsters away from television and computer screen and to fields, woods and parks. Members of the network include the National Trust, RSPB, Play England and the NHS. Organizers say it is the UK's biggest ever campaign to reconnect children with nature and outdoor play, and claim it could help improve fitness, mental alertness and general wellbeing.
A documentary film, Project Wild Thing, will forecast the launch at more than 50 cinemas across the UK from Friday. It looks at the increasing link between children and nature.
Andy Simpson, chairman of the Wild Network, said, "The tragic truth is that kids have lost touch with nature and the outdoors in just one generation. Time spent outdoors is down, roaming ranges have fallen largely, activity levels are declining and the ability to identify common species has been lost."
Suggestions of how to get more time in nature include collecting conkers , camping or snail racing, and observing autumn colour on trees.
From January, the network will aim to make suggestions to politicians on how government can do more to get children muddy and bright-eyed.
This is not the first time the message of less screen, more play has been brought up. Children in the 1980s were requested to do the same by the BBC TV series Why Don't You, which somewhat confusingly called on its viewers to "switch off your TV set and go to do something less boring instead". | high8433.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "lower than those in 1923"
},
"options": [
"the lowest in history",
"the highest in history",
"higher than those in 1923",
"lower than those in 1923"
],
"question": "According to the passage, in Germany the price... | There is a story of a country where the rate of inflation is so high that clever people pay for a taxi ride before, instead of after the trip. The story may or may not be true. But inflation was up so fast that by the end of 1923, they were 50 billion percent higher-- a rise of almost 2500% a month.
There was so much paper money, and it had so little value that people carried bags full of money around to pay for things. One woman tells the story of standing outside a shop with a basket full of 500, 000 mark notes . She wanted to buy just one piece of meat, and she hoped she had enough money. But when she was looking, a thief robbed her. He didn't take her money; however, he threw it away and took the basket instead.
At first workers demanded to be paid every day. But as the situation became worse, they had to be paid twice a day. but they had to run out and spend the money at once, or it would lose its value. People bought anything that was for sale but food was almost impossible to find. Farm workers refused to take money. They wanted to be paid in potatoes instead.
New policies ended the inflation in 1923 when the government introduced a new money. But about half of the German people lost everything in those three and a half years. | high7700.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "shaping children's character"
},
"options": [
"preparing children academically",
"shaping children's character",
"teaching children mathematics",
"developing children's artistic interests"
],
"question": "In Jap... | Many Americans are turning to Japan, they think, a country of high academic achievement and economic success, for possible answers. However, the answers provided by Japanese preschools are not the ones Americans expected to find. In most Japanese preschools, surprisingly little emphasis is put on academic instruction. In one survey, 300 Japanese and 210 American preschool teachers, child development specialists, and parents were asked about various aspects of early childhood education. Only 2 percent of the Japanese respondents listed "to give children a good start academically" as one of their top three reasons for a society to have preschools. In contrast, over half the American respondents chose this as one of their top three choices. To prepare children for successful careers in first grade and beyond, Japanese schools do not teach reading, writing, and mathematics, but rather skills such as determination, concentration, and the ability to work as a member of a group. The huge majority of young Japanese children are taught to read at home by their parents.
Like in America, there is diversity in Japanese early childhood education. Some Japanese kindergartens have specific aims, such as early musical training or potential development. In large cities, some kindergartens are attached to universities that have elementary and secondary schools. Some Japanese parents believe that if their young children attend a university-based program, it will increase the children's chances of eventually being admitted to top-rated schools and universities. Several more progressive programs have introduced free play as a way out for the heavy intellectualizing in some Japanese kindergartens. | high12528.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "all the above"
},
"options": [
"their moods",
"their feelings",
"their interests",
"all the above"
],
"question": "Through jazz, people can express _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"an... | Music comes in many forms; most countries have a style of their own. The US is well known for jazz , which has gained world-wide popularity.
In contrast to classical music, which follows formal European traditions, jazz is natural and free-form. It is full of energy, expressing the moods, interests, and feelings of the people. It has a modern sound that makes people very excited. In the 1920s jazz sounded like America. And So it does today.
The origins of this music are as interesting as the music itself. Jazz was produced by American blacks, who were brought to the Southern States as slaves. They were sold to plantation owners and forced to work long hours in the cotton and tobacco fields. This work was hard and life was short. When a Negro died, his friends and relatives formed a group to carry the body to the cemetery.
A band often went with them. On the way to the cemetery the band played slow and sad music. But on the way home the mood changed. _ Everybody was happy. Death had removed one of their members, but the living were glad to be alive. The band played happy music, which made everyone want to dance. It was an early form of jazz.
Music has always been important in their lives. Coming mainly from West Africa, the black men who were brought to America already possessed a rich musical tradition. This music centered on religious ceremonies in which dancing, singing, clapping and stamping to the beat of a drum were important forms of musical expression. As these people settled in to their fields, they made up work songs. Singing made the hard work go faster.
Another musical form that helped to develop jazz was the blues. Blues songs always describe something sad -- an unhappy love affair, a money problem, bad luck. To this day, the expression "feeling blue" means being sad. | high1371.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "He went to get a car to pick the author up."
},
"options": [
"He hurried to buy a ticket for the author.",
"He went to get a car to pick the author up.",
"The author didn't behave in a friendly way.",
"The author found ... | My decision to travel around China lay merely with my curiosity about the place. Before coming here, China seemed _ to me ----a place that expected to be hugely dissimilar from my own British culture.
After travelling from Beijing up to Xi'an, I wanted to challenge myself by choosing a smaller town----Xiahe in Gansu Province. I arrived in Lanzhou at around 5 am, but there were no buses to Xiahe. I managed to spot a policeman and attempted to explain my destination to him in simple English, praying that he would understand. I wasn't sure that he did but I just followed him anyway as I had no choice. He took me on a bus and I didn't know where I was going. Luckily, I met a student who explained to me in English that the policeman was taking me to another bus station where I could take a bus to Xiahe. During this conversation a third man said he was also a policeman and would help me buy tickets. But as he was not in uniform, I was a little doubtful. The uniformed policeman told me it was OK to go with the third man, so I got off the bus with the so-called policeman who at this point, disappeared and I was left in the middle of nowhere. I stood panicking. Around one minute later a police car came and stopped right by me. It was the un-uniformed policeman. I got into the car and he dropped me directly at the bus station, and helped me buy the ticket.
This is one of many experiences that I have had in China. I realized that however different this culture was, there was one thing that would always stand out--kindness. In the west we seem to lack the foundation of trust, yet in China it seems that there will always be someone to answer your questions and lead you the right way. | high13636.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Playing cards with a lonely old man."
},
"options": [
"Visiting the sick children.",
"Picking up the donated food.",
"Helping with the gift cart.",
"Playing cards with a lonely old man."
],
"question": "Accordin... | For many people,volunteering is a way of life.Holidays are the time of the year that more people are in a giving mood.Homeless shelters,children's hospitals,and nursing homes are excellent places to give of one's time.
Volunteering in Homeless Shelters
There is a homeless directory online that anyone can easily access to find the closest homeless shelter to their home.According to the homeless shelter directory,currently there are 3,233 shelters in the US,so it is not difficult to find a shelter.Helping to serve food,picking up donations of food,preparing meals,and cleaning up are things that one can do to help at a homeless shelter.
Volunteering in Children's Hospitals
Every child needs comfort and joy,especially during the holiday seasons.By visiting sick children in hospitals,an individual provides helping hands by supplementing the services usually done by the hospital staff.Personalizing the hospital experience adds to the comfort and happiness of the children and their families.Volunteers provide help,and positive interactions which enhance the patient's quality of care.Help is needed almost everywhere in a hospital;from the lobby,parking lot,cafeteria,to admitting,helping with the gift cart,and even reading to children in the waiting rooms or their hospital rooms.
Volunteering in Nursing Homes
According to the National Center for Health Statistics,"Over 50% of those living in nursing homes do not have close relatives and 46% have no living children." Life in a nursing home is lonely,confusing,and frightening for many residents. Volunteering at a nursing home is a great opportunity to make a difference in someone else's life.Playing cards,sitting with and talking to a resident,taking a walk,or sharing a meal makes a huge difference,especially when they have no other sole on earth to visit them.
The three examples above are only a small fraction of institutions in which volunteers are needed.Giving of oneself,especially during the holidays blesses and cheers others. | high14159.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The Cleverest Animal"
},
"options": [
"The Elephant's Memory",
"The Cleverest Animal",
"Judging Intelligence",
"The Chimp's Brain"
],
"question": "Which is the best title?",
"question_type": null
},
{
... | Of all the animals in the animal kingdom, which one (aside from man) is the cleverest?
There are several ways of measuring the intelligence of animals. In one test a scientist sets three same cans on a table. While the animal watches, he puts food under one of the cans. Then he leads the animal away. Some time later, he brings it back to see if it remembers which can has the food. No smelling is allowed; the animal must go directly to the correct can or it fails.
This is called a delayed-response test. The idea is to find out how long an animal's memory can keep information. The scientists would try showing the cans to the animal one hour later, or two hours later, or even a full day later. They discovered that chimpanzees and elephants have the best memory, and were able to remember the correct can for at least twenty hours. No other animal is close. Dogs came next, but they only remember for nine hours.
To settle the matter, the scientists designed a huge maze and ran the chimps and elephants through it. The maze was very difficult, with many blind paths and dead ends. It took the chimps ten minutes to find their way out. The elephants needed half an hour. Even allowing for the elephants' slower rate of speed, the test shows that chimpanzees are the cleverest animals.
From this and other tests, the scientists drew the following conclusion: an animal's intelligence depends on the size of its brain in proportion to the size of its body. The elephant's brain weighs ten pounds. But this is only 1/600th of its 6,000 pounds body. A chimp's brain weighs about one pound, or 1/120th of its total body weight. So in proportion to its body size, the chimp has four times as much brain as the elephant----more brain for less body. The chimp is the champ! | high5117.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "You can have nice scores"
},
"options": [
"You may have better understanding of choosing friends.",
"You will have a good beginning of your university life",
"You can have nice scores",
"You may be more popular"
],
... | Fresher's Week at universities can be a nervous experience.
The prefix = st1 /UKhas a well-respected higher education system and some of the top universities and research institutions in the world. But to those who are new to it all, it can be confusing.
October is usually the busiest month in the academic calendar . Universities have something called Freshers' Week for their newcomers. It's a great opportunity to make new friends, join lots of clubs and settle into university life.
However, having just left the comfort of home and all your friends behind, the possibility of meeting lots of strangers in big halls can make you nervous. Where do you start? Who should you make friends with? Which clubs should you join?
Luckily, there will be thousands of others in the same boat as you are worrying about starting their university social life on the right foot. So just take it all in slowly. Don't rush into anything that you'll regret for the next three years.
Here are some top tips from past students on how to survive Freshers' Week:
---Blend in. Make sure you are aware of British social etiquette . Have a few wine glasses and snacks handy for your housemates and friends.
--- Be _ . Sometimes cups of tea or even slices of bread can give you a nice start in making friends.
---Be sociable. The more active you are, the more likely you'll be to meet new people than if you're someone who never leaves their room.
---Bring a doorstop. Keep your door open when you're in and that sends positive messages to your neighbours that you're friendly.
So with a bit of clever planning, Freshers' Week can give you a great start to your university life and soon you'll be passing on your wisdom to next year's newcomers. | high16996.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Social problem connected with drugs and lack of jobs."
},
"options": [
"Too many Puerto Ricans live in the USA",
"Few people in Puerto Rico can speak English",
"Puerto Rico's GDP is lower than that of the USA",
"Social ... | Puerto Rico may be part of the USA but its music and dance is a mixture of both Spanish and African rhythms. The country, as a result, is a mixture of very new and very old. It exhibits the open American way of yet _ the more formal Spanish influences. This is reflected in the architecture, not just the contrast between the colonial and the modern in urban areas but also in the countryside, where older buildings sit side by side with concrete schools and buildings.
However, if you do not wander beyond the tourist areas on the coast, you will not experience the real Puerto Rico. Old volcanic mountains, long inactive, occupy a large part of the interior , with the highest peak, Cerro de Punta, at 1,338m in the Cordillera Central. North of the Cordillera is the karst country where the limestone has been acted upon by water to produce a series of small steep hills and deep holes. The mountains are surrounded by a coastal plain with the Atlantic shore beaches cooled all the year round by trade winds.
The population is 3.8 million, of which about 1.5 million live in _ although about another two million Puerto Ricans live in the USA Average life expectancy is 73.8 years and GDP per capita is US $12,212, the highest in Latin America, although not up to the level of mainland USA. Most Puerto Ricans do not speak English and less than 30% speak it fluently. Second generation Puerto Ricans who were born in New York but who have returned to the island, are called _ . The people are very friendly and hospitable but there is crime, liked to drugs and unemployment. | high2678.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "a popular way to help the poor"
},
"options": [
"a special use of bed nets in Africa",
"the use of assistance-related products",
"the importance of social programs for the poor",
"a popular way to help the poor"
],
... | If you give something to someone for free, will that person value it and use it? Development experts have debated this question for decades. Some think the act of paying causes people to value something and use it more.
Selling necessary health treatments, others argue, may deny them to the people who need them the most.
Consider, for example, chemically treated bed nets, which kill mosquitoes anti protect people against malaria while they are sleeping. William Easterly, an economist at New York University, believes this is one example of development having gone wrong. In a recent book, Professor Easterly suggests bed nets given free in Africa are often used for the wrong purpose. Yet, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends bed nets be given out free and used by whole communities. The success of a large free bed net campaign in Kenya led the WHO to announce this recommendation
This debate will likely influence social programs in the developing world. Many non-governmental organizations support the creation of self-supporting programs in poor countries. Goods and services are sold for a price to help these programs survive.
According to Rachel Glenerster, who runs a research lab doing development and poverty studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, her several studies have proven that small price changes have a big influence on the number of people who use a product. A price change will reduce the total amount of use of the product as well, she says. She has also found no evidence that the very act of paying for something changes how people use it.
As for a particular product among special populations, some development experts argue that pricing is useful. When it comes to bed nets, Miss Glenerster says research shows no evidence of this. People are just as likely to use a bed net whether they paid for it or not. | high11021.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The traffic."
},
"options": [
"The weather.",
"The mountains.",
"The air.",
"The traffic."
],
"question": "Which of the following is not mentioned about San Jose?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer... | Two magazines recently listed the best cities to live in. Here are two of the cities listed as "the world's best."
SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA The city has comfortable weather all year round (15degC to 26degC ). Housing is not very expensive in San Jose. Also, many of the city's older neighborhoods are very beautiful and have small hotels and cafes . Beautiful mountains are around the city. You can visit them easily from San Jose. So lots of people go sightseeing there every year. But air pollution is a problem in the city center.
HONG KONG, CHINA This lively city--once a small fishing village--is today an international business center. It is an interesting mixof East and West, old and new. Modern tall buildings are next to small temples . Popular nightclubs are close to traditional teahouses. Busy people fill the streets at all hours of the day. But outside the city, there are parks for walking or relaxing. Hong Kong is famous for its wonderful native dishes. There's also food from Europe, North America, and other parts of Asia. However, this small city has a large population. Nearly 7 million people live in Hong Kong! That's why housing is often very expensive. Traffic and air pollution are also a problem. | high3566.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "watched things going on , unable to do anything"
},
"options": [
"reported the disaster to Sky News television",
"was watching a drama play on TV in the hotel",
"tried to find his son lost in the waters",
"watched thing... | SYDNEY 2005-01-01 08:33--Mother of two, Jillian Searle, had to choose between her children when she made a life-or-death decision.
Swept up by mountainous tsunami waves at a Thai resort ( ), she could not hold on to both her young sons and survive . Fighting to stay above the waters , she had to choose which one would have to take his chances in the swirling torrent .
"I knew I had to let go of one of them and I just thought I'd better let go of the one that's the older," she told Sky News television in a report broadcast on Thursday. She said she was accompanied by the two boys, Lachie, 5, and two-year-old Blake, and their father, Brad, who had watched the drama helplessly from their first-floor hotel room, when the waves struck. "And I was screaming, trying to find _ , and we thought he was dead," she told reporters on arrival back in Australia. Lachie was found alive about 2 hours later clinging to a door and, looked uninjured as his mother spoke to reporters.
British surfer Martin Markwell is also a lucky man. He had always dreamed of catching that perfect wave -but when it finally came along, it was a nightmare. He was on his surfboard when he was swept up by a tsunami wave.
"It was really terrible because I was surfing, I was really surfing on a wave I wasn't supposed to be on," he said. "As an experienced surfer, when I saw the wave come I realized something was wrong, but I couldn't escape because my surfboard was tied to my ankle."
His wife Vicki and son Jake looked on in horror from a hotel balcony as he crashed towards the shore. Luckily , he stayed on top of his board until he reached the hotel , jumped off and got to safety as the ocean rolled back to feed a much larger tsunami wave on its way . The family regrouped and ran to safety just minutes before a giant tsunami wave 10 meters high. | high4209.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "listening,speaking,reading and writing"
},
"options": [
"understanding and speaking",
"listening,speaking,reading and writing",
"writing and understanding",
"memorizing and listening"
],
"question": "the most im... | in order to know a foreign language thoroughly , four things are necessary. Firstly, we must understand the language when we hear it spoken. secondly, we must be able to speak it ourselves, with confidence and without hesitation . Thirdly, we must do much reading. Finally, we must be able to write it. We must be able to make sentences that are correct in grammar.
There are no shortcuts to succeed in language learning. A good memory is a great help, but it is not enough only to memorize the rules from a grammar book. it is not much learning by heart long lists ( ) of words and their meanings, studying the dictionary and so on. We must learn by using the language. If we are pleased with a few rules we have memorized, we are not really learning the language. We must "learn through use". Practice is important. We must practice speaking and writing the language whenever we can. | high3200.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "It will cause damage to the development of teens' intelligence."
},
"options": [
"It is convenient for teens to communicate with others.",
"It is likely to cause trouble in understanding each other.",
"It is convenient for te... | I have always known my kids use digital communications equipment a lot. But my cellphone bill last month really grabbed my attention. My son had come up to nearly 2,000 incoming text messages, and had sent nearly as many. Of course, he was out of school for the summer and communicating more with friends from a distance. Nevertheless, he found time to keep a summer job and complete a college course in between all that typing with thumb.
I was even more surprised to learn that my son is normal. "Teenagers with cellphones each send and receive 2,272 text messages a month on average, " Nielsen Mobile said.
Some experts regret that all that keyboard jabber is making our kids stupid, unable to read non-verbal cues such as facial expressions, gestures, posture and other silent signals of mood and attitude. Unlike phones, text messaging doesn't even allow transmission of tone of voice or pauses, says Mark Bauerlein, author called The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future.
Beyond that, though, I'm not sure I see as much harm as critics of this trend. I' ve posted before on how I initially tried to control my kids' texting. But over time, I have seen my son suffer no apparent ill effects, and he gains a big benefit, continuing contact with others.
I don't think texting make kids stupid. It may make them annoying, when they try to text and talk to you at the same time. And it may make them _ when buzzing text message interrupt efforts to noodle out a math problem or finish reading for school.
But I don't see texting harming teens' ability to communicate. My son is as accustomed to nonverbal cues as any older members of our family. I have found him more engaged and easier to communicate with from a great distance. because he is constantly available by means of text message and responds with faithfulness and speed. | high5671.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "twins communicate with each other in an unusual way"
},
"options": [
"twins communicate with each other in an unusual way",
"twins are more likely to suffer from speaking problems",
"most twins have exceptional abilities to i... | It is well-known that twins are closer to each other than most brothers and sisters ---- after all, they probably spend more time with each other. Parents of twins often notice that they develop special ways of communicating: they invent their own words and one can often finish the other's sentence. In exceptional circumstances, this closeness becomes more extreme: they invent a whole language of their own, as in the case of Grace and Virginia Kennedy from Georgia in the USA, who communicated so successfully in their own special language that they did not speak any English at all until after they started school.
However, these special relationships are the result of lives spent almost entirely in each other's company. What happens when twins do not grow up together, when they are separated at birth for some reason? Are they just like any other strangers, or are there still special similarities between them? Professor Tom Bouchard, of the University of Minnesota, set out to find the answer to this question. He traced sixteen pairs of twins, who were adopted by different families when they were babies, and often brought up in very different circumstances. Each twin was then interviewed about every small detail of their life.
The results of this research make a surprising reading. Many of the twins were found to have the same hobbies, many have suffered the same illnesses, and some have even had the same type of accident at the same point in their lives. One pair of middle-aged women arrived for their first meeting in similar dresses, another pair were wearing similar jewellery. The most incredible similarities are to be found in the case of Jim Springer and Jim Lewis from Ohio in the USA. The story of the 'Jim Twins' made headline news across USA. Born to an immigrant woman in 1939, and adopted by different families at birth, both babies were named Jim by their new parents.
But what can be the explanation for these remarkable similarities? Is it all pure coincidence, or is the explanation in some way genetic? Research into the lives of twins is forcing some experts to admit that our personalities may be at least partly due to 'nature'. On the other hand, analysts are also anxious to emphasise that incredible coincidences do happen all the time, not just in the lives of twins. | high18005.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "works for a programme called ASSE"
},
"options": [
"works for a programme called LEC",
"works for a programme called ASSE",
"is 25 years old",
"hosts foreign students"
],
"question": "Viekie Weiner is the person... | WASHINGTON-Laura Straub is a very worried woman . Her job is to find families for French teenagers who expect to live with American families in the summer .
It's not easy , even desperate .
"We have many children left to place :40 out of 75," said Straub , who works for a Paris-based foreign - exchange programme called LEC. When exchange programmes started 50 years ago , family life was more accommodating . For one thing , more mothers stayed home .
But now , increasing numbers of women work outside the home . Exchange-student programmes have struggled in recent years to sign up host families for the 30,000 teenagers who annually come from abroad to spend academic year in the prefix = st1 /United States, as well as the thousands more who participate in summer programmes .
School systems in many parts of the US, unhappy about accepting non-taxpaying students , have also strictly limited the number of exchange students they accept . At the same time , the idea of hosting foreign students is becoming less _ .
In searching for host families , who usually receive no pay , exchange programmes are increasingly broadening their appeals to include everyone from young couples to retirees .
"We are open to many different types of families," said Vickie Weiner , eastern regional director for ASSE, a 25- year -old programme that sends about 30,000 teen-agers on academic -year exchange programmes worldwide .
For elderly people , exchange students "keep us young -they really do ," said Jean Foster , who is hosting 16-year -old Nina Porst from Denmark. | high17336.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Tui Na can bring back not only physical health but also emotional health."
},
"options": [
"Tui Na is a whole-body treatment and can't be divided into different parts.",
"Tui Na can be used to balance the diseases before they can d... | In traditional Chinese medicine, the body, mind and spirit cannot be divided and so the unique whole-body treatment in Tui Na can also be a useful treatment correcting any imbalances in the body's energy before symptoms and disease can develop. It also works to bring back emotional peace as well as physical health. This is why after a Tui Na treatment many people "feel good". Many people in China use Tui Na regularly to keep healthy and to deal with some specific illnesses.
Tui Na is performed on the clothed body and the patient is either lying on a couch or sitting on a chair. Therapists , by using a variety of movements, will control the intensity and direction of pressure in an exact way. The unique rolling movement in Tui Na is one of the most difficult movements to learn and students have to practice sometimes for many months on a rice bag before they are allowed to practice on the human body.
Stress Tui Na is of course very useful for treating stress.
It spreads the energy around the whole body. It is believed that Tui Na moves the strong energy in the tight muscles to the weaker areas, thus making a more balanced body. When your energy flowing inside your body is balanced, you feel relaxed and comfortable. Tui Na is especially useful for _ shoulders and tight neck muscles.
Emotions In Traditional Chinese Medicine each major organ is linked to an emotion. By balancing the energy in the organ, the related emotion will be calmed. When your emotions are out of control, you would usually turn to your doctor or perhaps a psychotherapist . But perhaps some people would not like to be seeing a psychotherapist or feel nervous about discussing their problems with others. With Tui Na, one does not need to tell the therapist anything one does not want to. The treatment of Tui Na can deal with the problem itself. But if one does need to pour out his/her worries or troubles, an active dialogue between the psychotherapist and the patient will help to get a better effect.
Organs & Emotions Each major organ -- the heart, the stomach, the liver , the lungs, and etc.--are linked to a relevant emotion.
The heart is linked to joy, excitement and sadness. If the heart is out of balance, the patient may dream a lot at night and often forget something important in the day.
The stomach is connected with too much thinking or worrying about anxiety. When the stomach is out of balance there is often a lack of energy. The patient often feels very tired and has no interest in doing anything at all.
The liver is linked to anger. In Chinese medicine, the eyes are connected with the liver, and many people who suffer from anger often suffer from eye problems. The lung rules decision-making and too much energy here can lead to rashness , while if there is too little, it can bring about indecision. When there is a history of depression with a patient, it may have effect on the liver. ks5u
Tui Na can help release most of the discomfort and it is used in almost all the hospitals in China and very popular among Chinese people. It is a useful and valuable method for the balance of your energy flowing, when emotional and physical health is out of balance. Tui Na is one of the remaining secrets of Chinese medicine. | high23093.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "my scar was still painful"
},
"options": [
"I began to feel better",
"my scar was still painful",
"I could hardly stretch my arm",
"I got tired of operation"
],
"question": "After I got my first chemotherapy tre... | It was only a few weeks after my surgery, and I went to Dr. Belt's office for a checkup. It was just after my first chemotherapy treatment.
My scar was still very tender. My arm was numb underneath. As usual, I was taken to an examination room to have my blood drawn, again --a terrifying process for me, since I'm so frightened of needles.
I lay down on the examining table. Ramona entered the room. Her warm smile was familiar, and stood out in contrast to my fears. She knew about my fear of needles, and she kindly hid the equipment under a magazine. As we opened the blouse, the fresh scar on my chest could be seen.
She said, "How is your scar healing?"
I said, "I think pretty well. I wash around it gently each day." The memory of the shower water hitting my numb chest flashed across my face.
She gently reached over and ran her hand across the scar, examining the smoothness of the healing skin and looking for any irregularities. I began to cry gently and quietly. She brought her warm eyes to mine and said, "You haven't touched it yet, have you?" And I said, "No."
So this wonderful, warm woman laid the hand on my chest and she gently held it there. For a long time, I continued to cry quietly. In soft tones she said, "This is part of your body. This is you. It's okay to touch it." But I couldn't. So she touched it for me. The scar. The healing wound. And beneath it, she touched my heart. Then Ramona said, "I'll hold your hand while you touch it." So she placed her hand next to mine, and we both were quiet. That was the gift that Ramona gave me. | high6378.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Sleep."
},
"options": [
"Sleep.",
"Good Health",
"Dreams",
"Work and Rest"
],
"question": "A good title for this passage is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_... | After a day of work and play, the body needs to rest. Sleep is necessary for good health. During this time, the body recovers from the activities of the previous day. The rest that you get while sleeping enables your body to prepare itself for the next day.
There are four levels of sleep, each being a little deeper than the one before. As you sleep, your muscles relax little by little. Your heart beats more slowly, and your brain slows down. After you reach the fourth level, your body shifts back and forth from one level of sleep to the other.
Although your mind slows down, from time to time you will dream. Scientists who study sleep state that when dreaming occurs your eyeballs begin to move quickly (although your eyelids are closed). This stage of sleep is called REM, which stands for rapid eye movement.
If you have trouble falling asleep, some people recommend breathing very slowly and very deeply. Other people believe that drinking warm milk will help make you drowsy. There is also an old suggestion that counting sheep will put you to sleep. | high183.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "How to be a healthy and beautiful girl."
},
"options": [
"How to choose clothes and shoes.",
"What is the real beauty for girls.",
"What are the ways to keep fit for girls.",
"How to be a healthy and beautiful girl."
... | Almost every girl wants to be healthy and beautiful. They try every means to make themselves look smarter. "What are the best ways?" Many girls may have this question in mind.
Here is some advice that is very important for girls to follow.
Keep fit. Check with your doctor for your proper weight range and work to get and stay within it. Exercise, eat properly, and drink plenty of water to achieve that weight and be as healthy as you can be. As long as you're in your healthy range, you'll look great.
Mind your style, from top to bottom. There are two things that can make or break your look: your hair and your shoes. Look through hair magazines and talk with your hairstylist about what will look good with your face structure. Always keep your hair clean and styled. Wear clean, feminine shoes. That doesn't mean you always have to wear high heels. Make sure you can walk comfortably in them.
Be fashionable. Learn about your body type, height, skin and preferences. Discover yourself, and fashion will come to you. You don't have to wear designer clothes, especially if you can't afford them. You can look through fashion magazines, pick your favourites and then find the similar ones that you can afford.
Smile, and do it like you mean it. Smile, be merry and people will notice that. It will help you in many ways.
Be nice to others. Looking pretty doesn't give you the right to look down on others or treat them badly. Only having good appearance doesn't mean you are beautiful.
However, in order to get slim and beautiful, some girls can easily be absorbed in losing weight, resulting in eating disorders. Keep in mind that being healthy is more important than being thin. So try to eat healthy food, take regular exercise and keep a good mood. | high1417.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "To get a good education"
},
"options": [
"To make friends",
"To get everything",
"To study by themselves",
"To get a good education"
],
"question": "What do many people go to school for?",
"question_type": "... | Many people go to school for a good education. They learn languages, history, maths and other lessons. School education is very important and useful. Yet no one can learn everything from school. No matter how much a teacher knows, he cannot teach his students everything they want to know. His work is to show his students how to learn. He teaches them how to read and how to think. So, much more is to be learned outside school by the students themselves. It is always more important to know how to study by oneself. It is quite easy to learn something in a language or a formula in maths,but it is difficult to use a formula in finding the answer to a maths problem . Great inventors do not get everything from school but they can invent many things and change the world a lot. Though Thomas Edison invented many things he didn't have much school education. How do they do all these? Because they know how to study. A lot of things are not taught in the classroom. They get knowledge from books outside school. They work hard all their lives, and the most important thing is that they know how to use their head. | high13150.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "show their respect to Jackson"
},
"options": [
"satisfy their curiosity",
"show their respect to Jackson",
"enjoy the splendid Egyptian culture",
"learn about the history of Egyptian"
],
"question": "Many people... | Michael Jackson fans are coming a Chicago museum to see a 3,000 year old Egyptian statue which looks remarkably like the late king of pop. Staff have been
since Jackson's death as thousands of mourners visit the exhibition to pay tribute to the star.
The statue has skinny cheeks and - most strikingly - a tipless nose. It is on display at the Ancient Egypt exhibition at The Field Museum in the United States. The bust was bought in Cairo in 1889 and has been on display at the museum for 21 years.
But its popularity has risen rapidly since Michael Jackson's death after fans started writing about the ancient statue on internet blogs. The bust was carved during the New Kingdom Period, which ran between 1550 BC to 1050 BC. This was around the same time as famous Egyptians Ramesses and King Tut.
The museum's 4,500 daily visitors are banned from touching or kissing the statue, which is protected behind a glass screen. Astonished fans stand admiring the statue and discussing its likeness with others who have travelled to see it.
Darnell Williams, the director of guest relations, said some fans were treating a visit to the museum like a pilgrimage . He said: "The statue has been here for years but interest has been raised since Michael Jackson's death. People are coming from all over the country to see the statue and compare its likeness to the king of pop.
"They want to touch and kiss the model like it is some sort of God but it is behind a screen to protect it from damage. Once people see it they are astounded and can't stop talking about its likeness. It really is remarkable."
James Phillips, manager of near east and north African exhibits, said little was known about the origins of the model.
He said: "The likeness is astonishing but I think it is probably a coincidence. We do not believe Michael Jackson ever visited the museum or saw the exhibit and there is therefore little chance he based his image on it. We believe the model is missing a nose because early Christians or Muslims removed noses from paintings and models to make them non-human. | high15521.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "calculated people's life satisfaction within five years"
},
"options": [
"collected 13 years of nationwide data",
"calculated people's life satisfaction within five years",
"interviewed 40,000 people from 18 to 65 years old",... | Older people who have low expectations for a satisfying future may be more likely to live longer, healthier lives than those who see brighter days ahead, according to new research
"Our findings showed that being overly optimistic in predicting a better future was associated with a greater risk of disability and death within the following decade," said Frieder R. Lang, the leading researcher of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany." Pessimism about the future may encourage people to live more carefully, taking health and safety measures."
Lang and colleagues examined data collected from 1993 to 2003 for the national German Socio-Economic Panel, an annual survey on approximately 40,000 people from 18 to 96 years old. The researchers divided the data according to age groups: 18 to 39 years old, 40 to 64 years old and 65 years old and above. Through mostly in-person interviews, the participants were asked to rate how satisfied they were with their lives and how satisfied they thought they would be in five years.
Five years after the first interview, 43 percent of the oldest group had underestimated their future life satisfaction, 25 percent had predicted accurately and 32 percent had overestimated , according to the study. The researchers calculated that each increase in overestimating future life satisfaction was related to a 9.5 -percent increase in reporting disabilities and a 10- percent increase in risk of death.
Because a darker outlook on the future is often more realistic, older adults' predictions of their future satisfaction may be more accurate, according to the study. In contrast, the youngest group had the sunniest outlook.
"We argue, though, that the analysis may depend on age and available resources. These findings shed new light on how our perspectives can either help us take action or prevent us from taking action that can help improve our chances of a long, healthy life," Lang said. | high8355.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He feared for the safety of his son and computer."
},
"options": [
"His son was threatened by some online strangers.",
"His computer had been attacked by some viruses.",
"He feared for the safety of his son and computer.",
... | As kids spend more time online chatting with friends or researching homework, parents are questioning how the Internet is affecting children's lives, a recent study shows.
From 2006 to 2007, the number of parents who think the Internet beneficial to their children declined, according to the study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. But parents don' t see it as a bad influence, either.
Amanda Lenhart, a senior researcher said, "Technology is not so magic as to make your child get straight A and improve all aspects of your life. As you grow to know it, you realize its power and disadvantages."
But as with the emergence of television in American homes in the 1950s and 1960s, the Internet continues to cause strong reactions from parents.
"There's too much garbage online for kids," said Patrick Thomas as he picked up his 15-year-old son from school. "It's like a kid walking down the street. He's got to watch out. He never knows who he might come across."
Thomas used to have Internet service at home but got rid of it a year ago because he was worried about viruses infecting his computer and strangers taking advantage of his son Zachary. He has purchased a series of educational software to help him with his schoolwork.
"It was a great place to explore, and the information you gathered was great," Zachary said. "Now it's dangerous." But Zachary Thomas still sees benefits from going online and says he can do it at the library or at school. "It can be a good thing for kids," Zachary said. But he wasn't upset when his father pulled the plug .
Zachary's attitude to the Internet is in line with the study's findings, confirming that teens, who have never known a world without online access, generally have a more positive view of the Internet than their parents.
More parents are getting online themselves, making them know about their children's online activities, Lenhart said.
But that doesn't mean they understand everything. It also doesn't mean they needn't monitor the websites their children visit or set limits on the amount of time they spend online.
"I'm still trying to figure out the role of it," said John Horgan, whose daughters are 11, 12 and 15. "If their grades were to go down, that would be it."
The majority of parents surveyed by the Pew Internet & American Life Project said the Internet is a positive influence in their children's lives. | high22212.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Encourage children to eat with them."
},
"options": [
"Let children have their meals separately.",
"Offer children plates from kids' menu.",
"Order some food for children but in small amounts.",
"Encourage children to e... | Food for Italians isn't a trend; it's a way of life. Italians live to eat, and the importance of food in family life is absolutely important and deep-rooted in everyday routines.
In Italy, kids are encouraged to be part of every social occasion that revolves around food -- it's not about dividing the children from the adults, giving them separate meals or putting them to bed early. In Britain, by contrast, my sister and I often see children eating separate meals from their parents.
Letting children experience food like an Italian will develop not just their palate but also their social skills, manners, teaching them new and mature ways to interact. Here are some food customs that are part of every Italian child's upbringing.
One of the most celebrated Italian food customs is the morning coffee. Coffee shops and bars have customers streaming in and out of them each morning as the Italians get their daily dose-and this habit is just as much about the social setting as it is about the coffee.
While the morning is all about coffee, pre-lunch or dinner, it's all about the local snacks. Most often, Italian city centres and squares are jam packed with locals who come out with their kids to enjoy this pre-dinner treat, and children are encouraged to enjoy snacks available. This is a brilliant way to get kids to try new tastes without the pressures of meal times. It's important to note that "kids' menus" do not exist in Italian restaurants--children are treated like adults and are offered plates from the main menu -- in smaller amounts, if they're young.
Post-lunch, most cities can seem quite deserted. But by 4 p.m. onwards, the crowds start to re-emerge. One by one, families spill out and the streets liven up. Everyone begins their afternoon stroll, enjoying the afternoon snacks, like ice-cream, which turns over a huge trade in Italy. | high14978.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "attracts parents' attention"
},
"options": [
"is not reasonable at all",
"is funny and interesting",
"attracts parents' attention",
"can cost a company much money"
],
"question": "In the author's opinion, holdin... | It must be something in the air as every company that possibly can is having a baby contest. Of course, babies are wonderful , and many parents would be the first to agree. Companies really bring in much money.
Walgreens Baby Contest
If you play the new Baby Milestones Challenge Contest by BabyCenter & Walgreens, you could be entered to win $1,000 in Walgreens & Beauty.com Gift Cards and Certificates. You can play the instant win to see if you get a $25 Walgreen's gift card, but you have to plug in your email address and receive all their sales and other information for the contest.
Kids and Babies
Kids and Babies are accepting entries for May 2012 Free Photo Contest. Baby Photo Gallery with theme albums and age group albums is moved to the new website Cute Baby Gallery. Check KidsandBibs.com for their Baby Photo Contest blog's latest update. Grand prize is $25,000. The catch: Winners are decided by the visitors coming to the site and voting for their favorite babies, so you have to advertise their site for them.
Parents.com
Perents.com has a website only for their members, but if you are into "baby" photos, it is well worth surfing. You could receive offers on free samples, money- saving coupons , and chances to win the latest contests.
Avon
Avon is another company that has a baby photo contest this spring. Avon is advertising their newest collection. It is Avon's only collection for the photos of babies. Babies' age: newborn to 2 years. Just go to TinyTillia.com and upload your recent baby's photos. First place Baby will be featured in a Tiny Tillia Storybook and win a $5,000 U.S. Savings Bond. The Cuties will win $300 in Tiny Tillia products.
The tip is to run a search engine for all the latest contests going on and start entering them today. You could be lucky and win enough to put "Baby" through college! Have fun! | high5936.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "When his wife bought him a bagpipe."
},
"options": [
"When he first began to smoke in his life.",
"When he was diagnosed with a lung disease.",
"When his wife bought him a bagpipe.",
"On a stressful day."
],
"qu... | As his quitting date comes near, Matt McDonnell, 51, has been thinking about his life as a smoker. "It has such power over me," he admits, "but this is something I don't want to continue doing."
Diagnosed with a lung disease two years ago, the private investigator who has smoked 36 years is well aware of the damage cigarettes have done to his health.
When his wife Laurel bought him a bagpipe as a birthday gift a few years ago, McDonnell didn't have the lung ability to play the instrument. "I could tell it was smoking-related and I couldn't believe that my health was being stolen away."
So he quit... for a while. "In four months, my skin tone improved and I noticed that I wasn't getting chest pains." But after a stressful day, McDonnell went out and bought cigarettes. " _ "
Now working with non-smoking coach Angela Forfia, McDonnell says, "I find that it takes the average person seven attempts to actually quit and the big trip wires are emotional. Lesson learned: I will now follow this program-- and it had better work!" | high19284.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "present the result of a survey"
},
"options": [
"praise some travelers",
"criticize some travelers",
"present the result of a survey",
"encourage people to travel"
],
"question": "The writer presents the passage... | In a survey of 1,500 European hotel managers, Americans were ranked second, behind the Japanese, as the world's best tourists. In the survey, conducted in April by the online travel site Expedia's German branch, Americans were seen as the most likely to try to speak a foreign language and the most interested in tasting local food.
Americans came in third, behind the Japanese and British, as the "most polite" tourists, and third, behind the Japanese and Germans, as "best behaved". And ---- Americans were ranked far and away as the world's most generous tippers and biggest spenders.
On the other hand, Americans were seen as the shabbiest dressers, the most likely to complain and the second noisiest. Who is louder? Only the Italians.
Some of the other findings: Russians were as the least polite travelers, followed by the Israelis and French. The stingiest tippers: the Germans, followed by the French and Israelis.
Italians, by far, were ranked as the best dressers, followed by the French and Spanish. In terms of bad dressing, the British were a distant second to Americans, followed by the Germans.
Who's the most unwilling to try speaking in a foreign language? The French, the British and the Italians, in that order.
The Chinese are the most reluctant to taste foreign food, followed closely by ---- this is strange ---- the British, whose home _ is probably the world's most seriously laughed at ( a little unfairly, perhaps).
And, finally, the overall award for "worst tourist in the world" goes to the French, with the Indians and Chinese. | high20405.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "In March 2007."
},
"options": [
"In October 2005.",
"In March 2006.",
"In May 2007.",
"In March 2007."
],
"question": "According to the passage, when did Ruthie get together with her family?",
"question_type... | It's a too long story -- 17 months to be exact -- with an ending that's short and sweet. Ruthie has, finally and happily, been reunited with her family.
The story goes back to October, 2005. Ruthie, 8 months old, was sitting on the back seat of the family car when her owner walked hurriedly into a Long Island store. When Nancy Noel returned a few minutes later, Ruthie was nowhere in sight.
Nancy Noel and her husband, Lincoln Werden, got in touch with Nassau County police, put up flyers around their Manhasset neighborhood. But no sightings of Ruthie were reported. Until last week, that is, someone sent Ruthie to a Manhattan shelter after finding her walking slowly around the Bronx -- 25 miles from where she was taken on that fateful October day.
And then, shelter workers searched Ruthie for a possible microchip -- she had one fixed under her skin. It showed her family's name and address. Ruthie was immediately reunited with Nancy Noel and her daughter, Sara Werden.
"We never thought we would see her again," said Sara Werden. "We were just amazed."
She's no longer the tiny pup they last saw. In fact, Ruthie gained 10 pounds during her months away from home. She's on a diet now, and has already lost one and a half pounds. Ruthie also has a new friend to play with. The family had got another dog, named Holly, after losing the hope of ever finding their beloved Ruthie. | high11800.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "were too heavy"
},
"options": [
"contained enough",
"were worth a lot of pounds",
"were too heavy",
"were too large"
],
"question": "Jane Salder would\"look for their purse and pick it up\"in order to see whethe... | With big handbags becoming a key fashion accessory for working women, health experts are warning they can also become a key health concern.
Bags for women have become bigger and heavier as designers combine briefcases with handbags and straps have become longer, resulting in many users complaining of neck, shoulder and back problems.
"I see so many women with neck pains and headaches and what I usually do is look for their purse and pick it up,"said Jane Sadler, a family practice physician at Baylor Medical Center in Garland, Texas."We take it over to the scale and weigh it and usually they're anywhere from 7 to 10 pounds. We're really going to see women with more and more problems later on if we continue the big purse craze."
William Case, a physical therapist in private practice in Houston, Texas, urged designers"to place a cute, educational caution tag on all bags to inform buyers of potential neck and shoulder dangers."Above all, he suggested correct posture while carrying big purses, keeping the head and shoulders upright. Patients should also often change the size and weight of purses carried.
"The extra-large purses are quite extraordinary. They look beautiful when the women wear them, but I don't know how aware they are of the potential problems,"Case said.
Placing objects on one shoulder was one of the least efficient ways of carrying a load, according to a professor from Cornell University in New York State."This causes a great imbalance,"he said."If a big bag is a fashion accessory, then occasional and symbolic use is fine. If not, then keep it light." | high2081.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The writer hopes that more people can do something for charity."
},
"options": [
"Only Yao Ming, Ruth and Edna try their best to do things for charity.",
"Ruth has given a lot of support to charity although she is not very rich.",
... | Difficult times often bring out the best in people. And this was the case for basketball star Yao Ming, who hosted a television show in Shanghai that raised US $ 300, 000 to help researchers find a cure for SARS. Fund-raising, or charity, is an act of goodwill towards others.
Charities in the West have more ways. Look at a typical day for Ruth, a wealthy woman in the UK, for example. Ruth wakes up in the morning and collects her post. There's a letter addressed to her with a picture of a half-dead, beaten horse. It's from a charity asking Ruth to donate money to save the animals. The door bell rings and there, on Ruth's doorstep, is an old woman asking for money to help the aged. She turns on the television, hears sad music and sees a picture of a wide-eyed child dying of hunger in Africa with an appeal for money to help the child. Ruth then goes shopping for a dress to wear to that evening's large party for the rich and famous. The tickets for charity shows often cost her a large sum of money, but she doesn't mind because most of the money is going to a charity that fights AIDS. She feels good about going because she's helping the sick.
Edna, a little old lady, looks after an old secondhand shop. Any profit it has made goes to a cancer charity. Now that she has retired, she has plenty of spare time to offer her services for free. www.ks5u.com
For people like Yao Ming, Ruth and Edna, charity is a virtue that holds the same importance in life as faith and hope. "As you look back on your life, the moments that stand out are the moments when you have done things for others," said Scottish author Henry Drummond. | high16809.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "information products available on the Internet"
},
"options": [
"the most popular products on the Internet",
"not yet available on the Internet",
"free to download",
"information products available on the Internet"
... | Internet shopping is a new way of shopping. You no longer need to walk around hundreds of shops looking for the items you need. Nowadays, you can shop for just about anything from your armchair. All you need is a computer which is linked to the Internet. Shopping on the Internet is becoming increasingly popular. In the United States, 50 percent of families have computers at home and almost one third are linked to the Internet. Americans spent over $2.5 billion in Internet shopping in 1998. This figure is expected to reach $11 billion by the year 2004.
People can shop for a variety of products on the Internet. _ include items such as books, CDs, clothes and food. These types of products are the most common purchases through the Internet. You can also buy information products such as on-line news or magazine stories, or you can download computer software through the Internet. Services such as booking airline tickets, reserving hotels or renting cars are also available on the Internet. You can also go shopping on the Internet for entertainment services and take part in on-line games or E-mail "chats".
To find something on the Internet, people often use powerful computer tools called "search engines". You can search for a type of product, such as sports shoes, or a brand name, such as Nike. The search engine will give you a list of websites where you can find these products. These websites may be specialist shops such as a Nike shop, or they may be general stores, called malls, which sell a variety of goods.
Internet shopping offers a number of benefits for the shoppers. The most important advantage is convenience. You can shop when you like as the on-line shops are open 24 hours a day, and you do not have to queue with other shoppers at the check-out counters. Secondly, it is easy to find what you are looking for on line. Finally, it is often cheaper to buy goods through the Internet, and you can tell the shop exactly what you want.
The main disadvantage of Internet shopping is that you cannot actually see the products you are buying or check their quality. Also, many people enjoy shopping in the city and miss the opportunity to talk to friends. Some people are worried about paying for goods using credit cards, so Internet companies are now finding ways to make on-line payment safe.
Internet shopping is sure to become more and more popular in the years ahead. It promises to change the way we buy all kinds of things---- from tonight's dinner to a new car. | high20363.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "W Taipei"
},
"options": [
"W Taipei",
"Grand Hotel",
"Dandy Hotel",
"Homey Hostel"
],
"question": "May is fan of Lady Gaga, and she may probably stay in _ when in Taipei.",
"question_type": "cloze_questio... | W Taipei
The W Hotel is among the city's big-name luxury hotels. Futuristic and fancy, the W Taipei's setting is reminding you of a Lady Gaga video; perhaps that explains why the singer insisted on staying here on a recent visit. There are eight room types to choose from, with names such as Fabulous and Extreme Wow. They vary wildly in style.
10 Zhongxiao E. Road, Sect. 5, Xin Yi Area Taipei City Hall MRT; +886 2 7703 8888; from NT$8,900 (US$299); www.wtaipei.com
Grand Hotel
If sleeping in landmarks is your thing, the Taipei Grand Hotel is a must. The Grand is an expression of classical Chinese art mixed with Western construction principles. The Grand Hotel is attractive and full of history, but rooms are aging, so don't expect the inside to be as "grand" as the outside. You can enjoy yourself at a driving range of golf, year-round pools and no fewer than eight restaurants.
No. 1, Lane 1, Zhongshan N. Road, Section 4 shuttle from Yuan Shan MRT; +886 2 2886 8888; from NT$4,800 (US$165); www.grand-hotel.org
Dandy Hotel
From free drinks and snacks in the lobby to seasonally themed decorations, this hotel takes care of the small _ . But what places the Dandy Hotel above others in the same price category are views over Da-An Park; they're reminders of those of New York's Central Park. Rooms with views are worth the extra money paid, but book early -- there are only two on each floor.
No. 33, Xin Yi Road, Sect. 3, Dongmen MRT; +886 2 2707 6899; from NT$2,340 (US$80); www.dandyhotel.com.tw
Homey Hostel
Taiwanese brother and sister Josh and Kelly make guests feel right at home at this bargain Hostel. According to them, their motive in starting the hostel was to make friends, which is why they can often be found in the public area chatting with guests. There's a small kitchen, public computer, free coffee and tea, and luggage storage.
1/F, No. 7, Lane 180, Tonghua Street,) Liuzhangli MRT; +886 91900 2116; dorms from NT$500 (US$17); www.homeyhostel.com | high5088.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "it conveys a new idea for the future"
},
"options": [
"it looks like an ant",
"it is beautifully designed",
"it is exhibited as a top model",
"it conveys a new idea for the future"
],
"question": "The concept ca... | Beautiful cars surrounded by even more beautiful models--it's no secret why the 2012 Beijing Auto Show was popular.
The exhibition was held between April 23 and May 2.Although renowned companies showed off their top models,it wasn't just their expensive sports cars that grabbed people's attention.
Concept cars are a way for designers to test out their ideas on the public with complete freedom.They can try out cars with special features that could not be massively produced easily.
Designers don't have to follow industry rules;they don't even need to worry about whether their cars would be followed on the roads.
At the Beijing Auto Show,the@Ant by Chery was one concept car to draw a lot of attention.China Daily called it''the very definition of a concept car".
The vehicle is powered by electricity and is capable of driving itself.But the magic doesn't end there.
The@Ant was inspired by actual ants.According to Car News China,with the help of automated telemetric systems,@Ants are able to"see" other@Ants and compare destination information. If two are heading the same way for a while, the vehicles connect, with one car's rear wheels matching up with the front wheels of another car.Up to 10@Ants can be put together and will automatically connect to form a"train".This will help save energy while traveling, as well reducing traffic jams.
The car sounds like a great idea.Further research will be needed to turn this concept car into something for the market,but concepts like Cherry's show how carmakers are working for cleaner and greener vehicles.It's like what the@Ant motto says,"Exploring future human beings'lifestyles". | high4396.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "benefiting the learning process of blind children"
},
"options": [
"helping the blind to see and learn as well as others",
"benefiting the learning process of blind children",
"solving blind children's psychological problems"... | A blind baby is doubly handicapped. Not only is it unable to see, but because it cannot receive the visual stimulus from its environment that a sighted child does, it is likely to be slow in intellectual development. Now the ten-month old son of Dr. and Mrs. Dennis Daughters is the subject of an unusual psychological experiment designed to prevent a lag in the learning process. With the aid of a sonar-type electronic that he wears on his head, infant Dennis is learning to identify the people and objects in the world around him by means of echoes .
The device is an improvement of the "Sonicguide", an instrument produced by Telesensory Systems, Inc., of Palo Alto, Calif, and used by blind adults in addition to a smart or guide dog. As adapted for Dennis, it consists of a battery-powered system about the size of a half dollar that is on a headgear. A transmitter sends out an ultrasonic pulse that creates an 80 degree cone of sound at 6 feet. Echoes from objects within the cone are perceived (felt) as sounds that vary in pitch and volume with the size and distance of the object.
The closer an object is, the lower the pitch, and the larger the object, the louder the signal. Hard surfaces produce a sharp ping, while soft ones send back signals with a slightly fuzzy quality. An object slightly to the right of Denny's sends back a louder sound to his right ear than to the left. Thus , by simply moving his head right and left and up and down, he can not only locate an object but also get some notion of its shape and size, thanks to the varying qualities of sounds reaching his ears as the cone of ultrasound passes _ . Dennis likes to use the device to play a kind of peek-a-boo with his mother. Standing on her knee and facing her directly, he receives a strong signal in both ears. By turning his head away, he makes her seem to disappear. "From the first time he wore it," says Mrs. Daughters, "it was like a light going on in his head."
What remains to be determined is how well the device will help Dennis cope with his surroundings as he begins to walk and venture further into his environment.
Meanwhile, Telesensory, Inc, is working on the development of sonar device with somewhat the same sensitivity as Dennis's for use by school-age children. | high6581.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "To smoke fish, you have to salt the fish first."
},
"options": [
"To smoke fish, you have to salt the fish first.",
"Smoked fish can only be kept in a basket.",
"You'd better use dried wood to smoke fish.",
"Smoked fish... | Today we have the second report explaining how to prepare fish by drying or smoking them. We talked last week about the first steps of cleaning and salting freshly caught fish.
To dry fish, you will need either a drying table or a place to hang them. If a table is used, it should have a top made of wire screen or thin pieces of wood with space between each piece.
Lay the cleaned, wet salted fish on top of the table. Do not let them touch each other. Be sure that air can reach the fish from all sides.
_ Turn the fish over every other day. Small fish will dry in about three days if the air is dry. Large fish will take a week or ten days to dry.
After the fish have dried, place them in a basket. Cover them with clean paper or large leaves. Then put the basket in a cool, dry place off the ground.
Make sure as much of the saltwater as possible is removed before you smoke the fish.
The smoking can be done in a large, round metal container. Remove the top of the drum and cut a small opening on one side at the bottom.
Cover the top with a strong wire screen, where you put the fish. Build a small fire in the drum by reaching in through the opening at the bottom.
Wood from fruit trees makes good fuel for your fire. _ will give the smoked fish good color1 and taste. One way to get a lot of smoke is to use green wood, not dried wood.
You should smoke the fish for five days or longer if you plan to keep them for a long time. After that, wrap them in clean paper, put the fish in baskets and keep them in a cool, dry place off the ground. | high24105.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the production process of cars"
},
"options": [
"the development of the science",
"the way to make the cream tea",
"the production process of cars",
"the secret to run a car company"
],
"question": "A visitor to... | Morgan Motor Company Factory Tour and Cream Tea for Two
Descriptions
The Morgan Motor Company Factory is based in Malvern but is famous all over the world for their cars' character and charisma .Not only will you enjoy a guided tour of the only car maker in the world to still be run by the founding family after a century, you can also make the day complete with a cream tea for two.
Activities
During this fascinating tour you will see how the cars are made from start to finish using a mixture of modern technology and traditional methods, as you visit the workshops. After the tour you will be able to view the museum at your leisure, take your time to discover the wonderful history of this automobile. You will also enjoy a cream tea in the Morgan Cafe to make it just a little bit more special for free.
Participant guidelines
Minimum age: 5 (under 16s must be accompanied by an adult).
Availability
Available on weekdays only. The factory closes for one week at Easter, during July and at Christmas, please check with the factory for their closure dates.
We advise booking at least four weeks in advance but during the summer months this increases to six weeks to ensure that dates are available. This is only a guideline and we advise you to book as early as possible to ensure that dates are available before the expiry date listed on your voucher. All bookings are subject to availability.
Additional information
The Visitor Centre Cafe is open daily and can cater for gluten-free diets.
The Morgan gift shop is open daily.
The Morgan museum is open daily and free of charge to visit.
There is a large visitor car park.
All areas are wheelchairs friendly.
Packaging and Delivery
For information on our packaging and delivery, please click here. | high13965.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "do not consider overweight a main cause for low cognitive ability"
},
"options": [
"believe overweight only affects our body",
"have focused on ways to sharpen people's mind",
"do not consider overweight a main cause for low ... | Losing weight comes with a lot of health benefits--including making your brain sharper.
Yes, it turns out that overweight may damage cognitive functions such as memory and attention. There have been few studies of overweight and cognitive functioning, possibly because it is generally believed that it is not a primary risk cause for poor cognitive performance. Losing weight, therefore, may help improve these mental functions, according to a new research led by John Gunstad, assistant professor of psychology at Kent State University.
Growing evidence suggests that being fat is linked to cognitive deficits . So Gunstad and his team guessed that losing weight might improve mental function. For their study, they measured memory and attention in a group of 150 overweight participants, some of whom had some kind of operation for weight loss and some did not. All of the volunteers completed mental skills tests to assess their abilities of memory and attention at the beginning of the study, and again 12 weeks later. To begin with, about 24% of the patients showed damaged learning and 23% showed signs of poor memory when tested. At the end of the study, those who had lost weight after operation improved their scores into the average or above average range for cognitive functions. Scores for the volunteers who didn't lose weight dropped even further.
The study helped Gunstad to find out whether losing weight had any effect on mental function. Now that he's seen the positive effect that weight loss can have on memory and attention, he says he will next study those who choose to lose weight by the traditional way--eating healthier and getting more active. He expects that losing weight in this way will have a similarly positive effect on the brain. "If we can improve the condition with operations, then we can probably produce the same change with behavioral weight loss as well," he says. | high6595.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Her great-grandmother's words gave her the strength to defend herself."
},
"options": [
"Her great-grandmother came and helped.",
"She used all her strength to pull him off her.",
"Her loud scream scared the attacker and peop... | One day I was walking home along the street with my iPod on, when suddenly my headphones were knocked off my head and a man threw his arm around my neck, saying "Just be quiet." I was being attacked, and this man's arm was gripping onto me! I started screaming and tried to pull him off me, but failed. He was forcing me to walk towards the back of an auto repair shop and he just kept saying: "Be quiet."
My mind froze with fear. Then I heard my great-grandmother's voice in my head. She was saying: "Come on now, I know you are stronger than that!" She was the rock in our family until she died four years ago.
I have never had any self-defense training, but I went for it--I let out a loud scream as I kicked my leg back into his shin ! He let go of me and I ran off. When I looked back to see if he was running after me, I saw he was running in the opposite direction. Then I ran like crazy to a nearby drugstore.
I asked the girl at the counter for the phone and called my mom. She picked me up five minutes later and I explained what happened through sobs. "I am calling the police!" She exclaimed. When we got home, two officers were waiting for us and I told them what had happened.
After my experience, I was afraid to do anything. Things slowly got better, but I still don't like anyone going near my neck.
The fear isn't totally gone--after all, the guy is still out there somewhere. But I had a new understanding of my own strength. I never expected to be able to fight off an attacker. I am stronger than I realized. | high7853.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "They see the gaining of skills as their employees' own business."
},
"options": [
"They hire people at the lowest cost with ly best skills.",
"They see the gaining of skills as their employees' own business.",
"They attach m... | If sustainable competitive advantage depends on workforce skills, American firms have a problem. Human-resource management is not traditionally seen as central to the competitive survival of the firm in the United States. Skill acquisition is considered an individual responsibility. Labour is simply another factor of production to be hired--rented at the lowest possible cost--much as one buys materials or equipment.
The lack of importance attached to human-resource management can be seen in the corporate management. In an American firm the chief financial officer is almost always second in command. The post of head of human-resource management is usually a specialized job, off at the edge of the corporate hierarchy. The executive who holds it is never consulted on major strategic decisions and has no chance to move up to Chief Executive Officer(CEO). By way of contrast, in Japan the head of human-resource management is central--usually the second most important executive, after the CEO, in the firm's hierarchy.
While American firms often talk about the vast amounts spent on training their work force, in fact they invest less in the skills of their employees than do either Japanese or German firms. The money they do invest is also more highly concentrated on professional and managerial employees. And the limited investments that are made in training workers are also much more narrowly focused on the specific skills necessary to do the next job rather than on the basic background skills that make it possible to absorb new technologies.
As a result, problems arise when new breakthrough technologies arrive. If American workers, for example, take much longer to learn how to operate new flexible manufacturing stations than workers on Germany (as they do), the effective cost of those stations is lower in Germany than it is in the United States. More time is required before equipment is up and running in production, and the need for extensive retraining generates costs and creates bottlenecks that limit the speed with which new equipment can be used. The result is a slower pace of technological change, and in the end the skills of the bottom half of the population affect the wages of the top half. If the bottom half can't effectively make the processes that have to be operated, the management and professional jobs that go with these processes will disappear. | high20377.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The traditional classrooms become outdated because of the Internet."
},
"options": [
"The Internet offers schools abundant learning materials.",
"Online learning changes the traditional learning way.",
"The traditional classr... | Education plays a very important role in everybody's life. We go to school because we want to know more about the world around us. The typical classroom used to be the place where teachers and students were working and exploring the wonderful world of knowledge together, but now everything has changed.
The Internet is one of those approaches. Learning via the Internet is a new style that seems to become successful than the traditional teaching. The Internet provides schools with a large amount of learning material that is accessible to students online. Owing to the choices of courses online, completing a program becomes much easier.
We used to go to the library when we needed information and spend hours searching for the right sources. Today there is a "library" in our house and it is available 24 hours a day. From my personal experience, being a first time mother, I find that using information online is very helpful. While I am at home with my baby, I can still search for the material I need and exchange thoughts and information with my classmates without leaving my house.
The Internet is not only a big information provider but also a money and time saver. People predict that education will be much cheaper in the future because of Internet access to information. The cost of land, building and wages for teachers are continuously increasing. In addition, regular courses (offline) depend heavily on books and other paper-based materials, while online education posts lectures, and assignments electronically, which saves thousands of dollars every year.
With no physical restrictions, the Internet classes and courses are also very convenient. In classroom-based education there is a limitation on the number of students while Internet education is available to everyone. Students don't have to struggle in order to register for classes they like.
Students will have more choices to take their courses and classes online. The Internet offers a wonderful opportunity to obtain knowledge in a more convenient and less expensive way. In my opinion, online life in the future is simply inescapable. | high21069.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Monica"
},
"options": [
"Monica",
"Kayla",
"Michelle",
"Clare"
],
"question": "_ might become a firefighter in the future.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index":... | Most summer camps for teens center around sports, or music and arts, or just for having fun. But some girls in the Washington suburb of Arlington County, Virginia, went to camp to get a taste of what its like to be a firefighter.
This is not a typical summer camp. But Michelle Pawlaw is glad she signed up for it."Getting to experience the fires hands-on is really cool and something that most people don't get to do," she said.
Michelle and eight other teenage girls are participating in the three-day camp offered by the Arlington County Fire Department located just outside of Washington.
"The purpose is to try to get young women interested in considering the fire service as a career" said firefighter Clare Burley, who is in charge of the program.
The free of charge, overnight camp is designed to let the girls experience what firefighters do in the line of duty to protect the community.
They take classes and learn how to climb the ladder on a fire truck, operate emergency tools and rescue on injured person. They also do their share of cleaning the firehouse and the equipment Firefighting is still a male-dominated service. Clare joined the department seven years ago, saying "We do everything that the guys do to the same standarD.We are tested to the same standarD.We are expected to operate at the same standard."
Most of the girls say they had never thought about becoming a firefighter, but the camp was a great learning experience.
"I think it is definitely not a job that only men can do. Women can do it just as well as men can," said Michelle Pawlaw.
'I think I can help other people if they need help and know what to do in case I am at a fire myself," said Kayla Ehrlich.
"I think it's fantastic; I could consider taking it as a career some day." said Monica Bartorsh.
And, the girls say, by spending three days together, they also made new friends and had a lot of fun. | high4382.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Changes in our memory processes serve as an adaptation to new technology."
},
"options": [
"Transactive memory is essential to the development of mankind.",
"Search engines make us more curious and enthusiastic about new informatio... | In a development that would have seemed hardly possible just over a decade ago, many of us have gained constant access to information. If we need to find out the score of a ballgame, learn how to perform a complicated mathematical task, or simply remember the name of the actress in the movie we are viewing, we need only turn to our laptops or smart phones and we can find the answers immediately. It has become such an ordinary practice to look up the answer to any question the moment it occurs. It can feel like going through withdrawal when we can't find out something immediately. We are seldom offline unless by choice and the Internet, with its search engines like Baidu and Google and the information stored there, has become an external memory source that we can access at any time.
Storing information externally is nothing particularly new, even before the invention of computers. In any group relationship, people typically develop a transactive memory, which is a combination of memory stores held directly by individuals and the memory stores they can access because they are in touch with someone who knows that information. Like linked computers that can address each other's memories, people in groups form transactive memory systems.
In a recent research led by Besty Sparrow of Columbia University, researchers have explored whether having online access to search engines has become a primary transactive memory source in itself. If asked the question whether there are any countries with only one color1 in their flag, for example,do we think about flagsor immediately think to go online to find out the answer?
In one experiment,the participants were asked to read 40 memorable unimportant statements of the type that they could look up online (e. g.,an ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain). Then they were asked to type the statements into computer to assure memory. Half the participants believed the computer would save what was typed and the other half believed the item would be erased. After the reading and typing task, participants wrote down as many of the statements as they could remember.
It turned out that participants who believed the computer would erase what they had typed had better recall than those who regarded the computer as the memory source.
The Internet has become a primary form of transactive memory , and processes of human memory are adapting to the new computing and communication technology. Just as we learn through transactive memory who knows what in our families and offices, we are learning what the computer "knows" and when we should attend to where we have stored information in our computer-based memories. The importance of the information from the Internet is almost equal to that of all the knowledge we gain from our friends and coworkers--and lose if they are out of touch. The experience of losing our Internet connection becomes more and more like losing a friend. We must always remain plugged in to know what the Internet knows. | high18830.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Three."
},
"options": [
"Two.",
"Three.",
"Four.",
"Five."
],
"question": "How many factors are mentioned which can account for the popularity of breakfast clubs?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
... | Many children would start school hungry without breakfast clubs, teachers have claimed. A new survey suggests these clubs are the only way many students can get a meal before lessons.
About 54% of the 552 school staff questioned by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers(ATL)said their school provides a breakfast club for pupils. The biggest reason for them to attend these clubs is that their parents or carer goes to work early, cited by 76.8% of those questioned.
About 22.6% said children attended due to lack of money at home because parents or carers are unemployed and 15.2% said lack of money at home due to changes or cuts to benefits.
About 17.6% said pupils mainly attend breakfast clubs to socialize.
The survey found that teachers believe that offering breakfast to pupils often helps improve their concentration and ability to learn. One primary school teacher said: "Although there is a charge for our breakfast club, we have accessed funding for those pupils on free school meals and the breakfast club had an effect on their attendance, concentration and being in school for the start of lessons.
ATL general secretary Dr Roper said a nutritious meal at the start of the day has a huge impact on pupils' ability to learn. "Many schools do everything they can to ensure children eat well during school term-time. But there are many children living in poverty, who we fear won't be getting a decent meal a day in the holidays and this is something the government needs to address," she said.
A Department for Education spokesman said: "We know how important it is for children to
have a good breakfast. We want schools and local authorities to use their budgets to best meet the needs of their children. Many provide breakfast clubs which offer a free meal to children from poorer families. The Pupil Premium, which will double to PS 2.5 billion in 2014-2015, targets extra money to help schools to provide support such as this to the most disadvantaged children. The free school meal scheme also ensures that these children have access to a nutritious lunch every day. | high5922.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "By looking at a set of lights on the map in the control room."
},
"options": [
"By controlling the traffic lights.",
"By operating a computer in the control room.",
"By sending a truck to clear the roads.",
"By looking ... | "We don't have rush hours any more", said Mr. Charles Mac Lean, who runs the nation's busiest road. "We have rush periods, and they keep getting longer and longer."
Mac Lean was describing prefix = st1 /Chicago's 235 miles of expressway. But the same might be said about almost any of the expressways that have become an important part of American city life--and about the heavy traffic that often blocks them. In Chicago, a computerized system has been developed that controls traffic on the city's seven expressways. Now one man--a controller--can follow the movement of Chicago's traffic by looking at a set of lights. The system uses electronic sensors that are built into each expressway, half a mile apart. Several times a second, the computer receives information from each sensor and translates it into green, yellow, or red lights on a map in the control room. A green light means the traffic is moving forty-five miles an hour, yellow means thirty to forty-five miles an hour and red means heavy traffic--cars standing still or moving less than thirty miles an hour.
"See that red light near Austin Avenue?" the controller asked a visitor. "That's a repair truck fixing the road, and the traffic has to go around it".
At the Roosevelt Roadentrance to the expressway, the light kept changing from green to red and back to green again. "A lot of trucks get on the expressway there," the controller explained. "They can't speed up as fast as cars."
The sensors show immediately where an accident or a stopped car is blocking traffic, and a truck is sent by radio to clear the road. The system has lowered the number of accidents by 18 percent. There are now 1.4 deaths on Chicago's expressways for each one hundred million miles traveled, while in other parts of the country there are 2.6.
Traffic experts say that the Chicagosystem is the "coming thing". Systems like Chicago's are already in use on some expressways in Los Angeles andHouston. "Chicago has taken the lead," saysNew York City's traffic director; and he adds, "We are far behind..." | high19290.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "blog sites for young people"
},
"options": [
"school subjects",
"computer programs",
"school online BBS",
"blog sites for young people"
],
"question": "\"Face book\" and \"My Space\" are _ .",
"question_t... | Millions of young people are writing blogs . Millions of others are reading them. The word "blog" is a short way of saying Web log.
Many popular Web sites now offer free, easy ways to create personal Web pages and fill them with writings and pictures. Web sites called "Face book" and "My Space" are some of the most popular blog sites for young people.
Blogs offer young people a place to show their writings and feelings. They can also be helpful to connect young people with others. But blogs can become dangerous when they are read on the Internet by millions of people all over the world.
Recent studies show that young people often tell their names, age and where they live on the Internet. That may not be safe for them. This personal information puts them in danger when found out by dangerous people who want to hurt them. Students can also get into trouble when they put information about others on their blogs.
As a result, many schools don't allow using blogging web sites on school computers. Many schools have also begun teaching parents about the web sites. Parents should know what their children are doing online and should read their blogs to make sure they are not giving out personal information. One way to keep away from these problems is to use programs so that blogs can be read by "friends only." people can read the website only if they know a secret word chosen by the blogger. | high20411.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Some parts of it are being destroyed."
},
"options": [
"It is useless from now on.",
"It is too old to be used again.",
"It will be replaced by a new one.",
"Some parts of it are being destroyed."
],
"question":... | No one can believe that the over 6,300-kilometer Great Wall might disappear some day. Believe it or not, the Great Wall is being destroyed by people. Less than 20 percent of the Great Wall built in the Ming Dynasty ,is still perfect, but about 80 percent is in danger. The Great Wall can be called " great " mostly because of its amazing length. But we should realize that the length was made up of one brick at a time. If we do nothing to save the Great Wall,it will become a series of separate wasteland rather than a historic site.
The Great Wall is actually a series of walls built and rebuilt by different dynasties over the past 2,000 years. It began in the rule of China's first emperor, Qin Shihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221BC----206BC), and lasted into the Ming Dynasty. The parts built before the Ming Dynasty have nearly disappeared. People are familiar with sections such as Badaling in Beijing and Jiayuguan Pass in Gansu, because they have been open to tourists for many years. But _ have been almost forgotten.
Few local people knew the 3--meter--high walls made of earth and stones beside them are parts of the Great Wall. The lack of knowledge is considered as one of the main reasons behind human.
The bricks on the Great Wall are carried off by countryside people to build their houses,sheep corrals and pigsties. Some were taken away to build roads. Bricks carved with people's names are put away as remembrances. The rubbish is spread over the battlements. The brick can be sold 15 yuan per tractor load. Those who destroyed and are destroying the Wall know its name, but are not clear about its cultural meaning. It will take a long time to let them know this. The local farmers not only carried off the body of the Wall but also dug out the entire base.
It is necessary to protect the Great Wall. First of all, the officials should be aware of the importance of the Great Wall. Young Chinese should know more about the nation's great civilization and learn to love it. | high2095.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To advance Canada's honor and opportunities."
},
"options": [
"To enlarge the content of the Luminato festival.",
"To consider his own benefits from the prize.",
"To advance Canada's honor and opportunities.",
"To make ... | A new Canada Prize for the Arts and Creativity could be in place by 2010,with large cash prizes for emerging artists in dance,music,theatre and visual arts.
The prize is the idea of Tony Gagliano and David Pecaut,founders of the Luminato festival,wh0 were probably able to convince the federal government to back it.The federal budget has allocated$.25 million to support the awards open to emerging artists that have the prestige of a Nobel Prize.
"When you think about the major prizes of the world--the Nobel Prize.in Sweden,the Kyoto prizes in Japan or the Booker Prize in the U.K.the bring great,honor and opportunity to the countries that award them,'' Pecaut said."The.idea here is that every year,the Canada prizes will be awarded to the very.best promising emerging artists around the world in those four fields."
A jury of international experts would judge the 12 finalists,who would come to Canada and perform or show their work in public to win.the Canada prizes.The performances would be televised,allowing Canadians across the country.to see it.
The federal government liked the idea of such an international prize that would advance Canada's brand,draw tourists and arts professionals from around the world.For the Canadian arts people.one of the greatest challenges is connecting to that international arts world to come up with CO--productions and foreign investment and touring chances.
A group is working toward establishing the prize by 2010,with potential for semi-final rounds to take place:about the same time as the Vancouver Olympic Games."Thirty or forty years from now,the future outstanding dancers and performers will look back and say.'I broke out on the world scene in Toronto--that's where 1 was discovered'" | high23118.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "to call on us to use our time in a smart manner"
},
"options": [
"to explain the origin of the expression \"first things first\"",
"to call on us to use our time in a smart manner",
"to introduce a meaningful class given by a... | People say time is . But to what. I do know that sometimes time "seems" to be moving slower. Remember Christmas Eve when you were a child? It was the longest night of the year. It lasted forever! And now it seems like I just paid my bill yesterday... and it's due again!
People tell me all too frequently... I need more time! Oh, really?... Mother Teresa, Michelangelo, and Helen Keller all had 24 hours a day. Look what they did with their time!
Is it that we need to manage our time better... or our priorities ? You've heard the expression "first things first". The first step in understanding the power of time is to understand that it is limited. Why is it then that some people get a lot more done? We know the answer. They use their time smartly.
One day an expert on time management was speaking to a group of students and announced a quiz. He pulls out a wide-mouthed jar. Next,he places about a dozen fist-sized rocks, one at a time, into the jar, until no more will fit. "Is it full?" he asks. "Yes," responds the class. "Oh really?" he asks. So he takes out a bucket of gravel , which he manages to work down into the spaces between the larger rocks. "Is it full now?" he asks.
Wising up, one answered, "Probably not." Sure enough . He takes out a bucket of sand, which he pours into the empty spaces. "Is it full now?" he asks. "No" reply the students confidently. So he takes a glass of water and fills it in. Then he asks, "What is my point?''
One said, "No matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things into it!"
"No," the speaker replied, "It tells us if you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all."
What are the big rocks? The things you should put in to your jar first.
The rich don't get 25 hours and the poor don't get 23... we all get the same. Let's use them wisely! Invest your time wisely! | high21727.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "people from different countries can know each other ' s languages and cultures"
},
"options": [
".people from different countries can speak each other ' s languages",
"people from different countries can know each other ' s culture... | " Culture consists of all shared products of human society" ( Robertson, 1981). This means not only such material things as cities, organizations and schools, but also non-material things such as ideas, customs, family patterns, languages. Putting it simply, culture refers to the entire way of life of a society, "the ways of a people".
Language is a part of culture and plays a very important role in it. Some social scientists consider it the keystone of culture. Without language, the maintaining of culture would not be possible. On the other hand, language is influenced and shaped by culture, it reflects culture. In the broadest sense, language is the symbolic representation of a people, and it comprises their historical and cultural backgrounds, as well as their approach to life and their ways of living and thinking.
We should not go further into the relationship between language and culture. What needs to be stressed here is that the two interact, and that understanding of one requires understanding of the other.
Social scientists tell us that cultures differ from one another, that each culture is unique. As cultures are diverse, so languages are diverse. It is only natural then that with differences in cultures and differences in languages, difficulties often arise in communicating between cultures and across cultures. Understanding is not always easy.
Learning a foreign language well means more than merely mastering the pronunciation, grammar, words and idioms. It means learning also to see the world as native speakers of that language see it, learning the ways in which their language reflects the ideas, customs, and behaviors of their society, learning to understand their "language of the mind". Learning a language, in fact, is inseparable from learning its culture. | high17295.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Hawaii, the US"
},
"options": [
"Kenya, Africa",
"Hawaii, the US",
"Indonesia, Asia",
"an undnown city, in Latin America"
],
"question": "From the above passage we can know that Barack Obama was born in_.",
... | History Has Arrived
Nine-year-old Barack Obama was looking through magazines. But the African-American boy was shocked by a series of photos. The pictures were of a black man who destroyed his skin with chemicals that promised to make him white.
For the first time, the boy began to doubt who he was. "I stood in front of the mirror and wondered if something was wrong with me,"Obama said.
However, now the boy who used to struggle with his identity doesn't see it as a problem any more, but an advantage for his career. Obama made history by being elected as the first black president of US. He defeated John Ma Cain in a landslide victory.
Obama's story started in opposite corners of the world. His white mother was born in the heartland of the US. His black father grew up in a tiny village in Kenya. They met during in Hawaii, but his father left the family when Obama was just two years old and his mother moved to Indonesia.
At 10, Obama moved back to live with his white grandparents in Hawaii where his sense that he didn't belong grew. At his class a white boy asked Obama if his father ate people. Out of embarrassment ,Obama lied to his classmates that his father was a prince. "I kept asking who I was and I ended up trying drugs and drinking,"Obama recalled.
Things came to change after the young man made friends with those with a similar background at college. Their experiences back in Africa helped Obama to finally face up to his African origin. He worked hard to become a star at Harvard Law School and the third black senator in US history.
At the beginning of his campaign for the White House, few people viewed Obama favorably. Many doubted his unusual background, which left him neither black enough nor white enough.
But Obama turned his pain of growing up into a tool to make Americans believe:"There is not a black America, an Asian America. There's the United States of America."
Barack Obama's victory is"a historic vicotory that promised changes and overcame centuries of prejudice ."His success realised Martin Luther King's dream that a man should be judged not by the color1 of his skin, but by the content of his character. | high20439.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Mid-winter."
},
"options": [
"Late spring.",
"Mid-summer.",
"Early autumn.",
"Mid-winter."
],
"question": "In which of the following periods would the writer most probably advise us to visit Rome?",
"questio... | I have never understood why so many people visit Rome from late spring to early autumn, when traffic, heat and stressed shopkeepers and waiters lead to the lower tone of the city. Things improve a little in March, April, October and November.
But connoisseurs know that winter is the best time to go there. In winter, the low-flying sun turns Rome into a wonderful stage set. There are days in winter when the sky is kind of blue. And there are also days when you find that you have beautiful sights all to yourself.
Perhaps the only period you might want to avoid is the two weeks before Christmas. Italians often leave their shopping late, and traffic in the city is often heavy. But this can also be a good time to come if you are more interested in culture than in fashion shops; if you stay somewhere central, you can beat the traffic by walking everywhere.
Christmas in Rome is a low-key family event. One of the nice things is the way the city keeps going. Although museums and shops are closed, many bars and restaurants stay open, and public transport continues to run.
If you are lucky with the weather, it's in January and February that Rome is at its best. Late February can be especially attractive. One sometimes forgets what a difference that extra hour of daylight makes compared with mid-December. And there are always a few days of proper sunshine, when you can picnic in Villa Borghese and Pompeii. | high23130.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "how our thinking has effect on our senses happens"
},
"options": [
"how our thinking has effect on our senses happens",
"what it is the good time for students to have lunch",
"whether poorer children think coins are larger th... | Psychologists have known that what's going on inside our head affects our senses. For example, poorer children think coins are larger than they are, and hungry people think pictures of food are brighter. Professor Remi Radel wanted to investigate(look into) how this happens -- whether it's right away, as the brain receives signals from the eyes, or a little later, as the brain's higher-level thinking processes get involved.
Radel chose 42 students and each student was told to arrive at the lab at noon after three or four hours of not eating on the day of the test. Then they were told there was a delay. Some were told to come back in 10 minutes; others were given an hour to get lunch. So half the students were hungry when they did the experiment and the other half had just eaten.
For the experiment, the participant looked at a computer screen. One by one, 80 words flashed on the screen. A quarter of the words were food-related. After each word, the person was asked how bright the word was and asked to choose which of two words they'd seen -- a food-related word like gateau (cake) or a neutral word like bateau (boat).
Hungry people saw the food-related words as brighter and were better at identifying food-related words. Because the word appeared too quickly for them to be reliably seen, this means that the difference is in perception , Radel says--it's not because of some kind of processing happening in the brain after you've already figured out what you're looking at.
"This is something great to me, that humans can really realize what they need or what they hope for, to know that our brain can really arrange for our motives and needs," Radel says. "There is something inside us that selects information in the world to make life easier." | high15482.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "making an apology"
},
"options": [
"working hard",
"making an apology",
"doing good deeds",
"making mistakes"
],
"question": "The writer suggests that grown-ups should set a good example of _ .",
"questio... | Kids may need to apologize if they do something they know was wrong-like telling a lie or breaking a rule on purpose. When they do something their parents tell them not to do, or they don't do something they are supposed to do, they apologize, too.
Grown-ups can apologize,too,to other grown-ups or even to kids. After all,even grown-ups make mistakes sometimes. By apologizing when they're wrong,grown-ups can set a good example and show kids how to do the right thing and apologize when they need to.
Saying I'm sorry when you need to is the right thing to do. It does a lot of good. But by itself, _ might not be enough to make everything all better again. Sometimes along with an apology,a person needs to fix the mistake or promise to do better. Sometimes doing a nice thing for the person after you apologize helps show that you really are sorry and want to be friendly again.
Sometimes a heartfelt "I'm" sorry fixes everything right away. Other times,it might take a while for someone to feel friendly after you apologize. You might need to give the other person some time. Even after you say you're sorry,you might still feel bad about what you said or did-but you can feel good about apologizing and about making up your mind to do better.
When someone apologizes to you,you might not feel like being friendly again right away. Once in a while,if a person doesn't change,you might not want to be friends anymore. You might feel glad that the other person apologized and admitted being wrong. But if someone keeps behaving in mean ways or does something that keeps hurting,you might not feel the same way anymore. Just because someone apologizes to you doesn't mean you have to be friendly again. That part is up to you. | high14944.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "many people know the importance of protecting wildlife"
},
"options": [
"many people know the importance of protecting wildlife",
"many species die out because of human activities",
"making good use of natural resources benef... | Five times in the earth's history, some three-quarters of all living species disappeared forever-and within a short period of time. Those species losses stand for a major change in the planet's ecology . Clues to these changes can be seen in the fossils and rock layers.
Today, human activities are driving species to die out at a rate never seen before. And this loss of species really does matter, said Anita Narwani. She works at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. That's because the diversity of species in an ecosystem provides people with all types of services we can't do without.
Trees provide oxygen for us to breathe. At the same time, they remove carbon from the air which is a cause of global warming. Plants help clean air and water. Animals move seeds from one area to another. A broad range of living resources also provides people with food, shelter and medicine.
Narwani wanted to find out how important the diversity of species is for people. So she teamed up with other ecologists to review more than 1,700 studies. They found that more diverse parts of the earth tend to do well in things like removing carbon and providing us with wood and other natural resources. _ were also better at keeping fisheries large and healthy so that they could feed many people.
Unfortunately, the diversity of species is in steep drop. It is too soon to say that the earth is undergoing a sixth mass extinction, Narwani said. She said a mass extinction means the loss of 75 percent of species over 2 million years or less. We haven't lost that many - at least not yet. But according to her, if species losses continue so fast, such a mass extinction could occur in just 300 years.
The new findings highlight the potential for humans to use up many of the resources on which we now depend. As people learn more, however, they can take steps to lessen those risks. People should protect ecosystems so that they can continue to provide us with their services. | high9856.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "safe"
},
"options": [
"warm",
"clean",
"quiet",
"safe"
],
"question": "The police do many things for us. They help keep our things and us _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | The police do many things for us. They help keep our things and us safe. They help keep cars moving safely. They take care of people who are hurt. Then they see these people get to a doctor.
The police go around town to see that everything is all right. They get around town in many ways. Some of them walk or go by car. In some big cities,some of the police ride on horses. It is strange to see these animals in the street.
As they go around town,the police help people. Sometimes they find lost children. They take the children home. If the police see a fight,they put an end to it right away. Sometimes people will ask the police how to get to a place in town. The police can always tell the people which way to go. They know all the streets and roads well.
Some police stand at crossings. They tell the cars when to go and when to stop. They make sure that the cars do not go too fast. They help children cross the street. They also help people who can't walk too well.
Without the police,our streets would not be safe. Cars might go too fast and hurt people. Lost people might never be found. The police do a good job. We need them. And we should thank them for a job well done. | high8590.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Nicotine patches."
},
"options": [
"Zyban tablets.",
"Nicotine patches.",
"Nicotine inhalers.",
"Nicotine nasal spray."
],
"question": "Which of the following medicines can be bought without a prescription?",
... | There are some strong-minded people that are able to stop smoking today and be free from the addiction the next day. However, some smokers may have to seek help from medication in order to kick the habit.
What medication actually does is to reduce the wish to smoke. Some of the medication must be taken with a doctor's guidance. The five most common medications to stop smoking are Bupropion SR, nicotine gum, nicotine inhalers, nicotine nasal spray and nicotine patches. People can buy nicotine gum and nicotine patches in chemists. However, the other medications require a prescription.
Zyban tablets have been found to be highly effective in curing people of smoking addiction. The tablet needs to be taken whole, without crushing it, as crushing can lead to side effects. It can be bought on the prescription of a doctor.
Nicotine patches are filled with nicotine and they are applied to the skin. The skin takes in the nicotine and carries it to the blood stream. The amount of nicotine in these patches is quite limited, not enough to lead to addiction. But you shouldn't take them for dinner. In fact, millions of people have benefited from these nicotine patches.
Nicotine gum is supposed to be a safer choice. It is used in such a way that it comes into contact with the blood vessels in the mouth and then releases the nicotine. The nicotine should not go through the stomach; otherwise, it may cause certain side effects.
These different types of medications have to be taken quite carefully. Do ask your doctor before taking any of these. | high22548.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "one shouldn't trust everyone online"
},
"options": [
"one shouldn't trust everyone online",
"one shouldn't trust anyone online",
"there are many liars online",
"all people online pretend to be others"
],
"questi... | Targeting teens
Using the web makes teens a target. Posting too much personal information for those millions of cyber eyes to see can cause some big problems and can even invite a threat to your life.
As Mary learned, not everyone on the Internet is who he or she says they are. Adults will sometimes pose as other teens, posting fake photos and nice messages to gain trust. They use their fake identity to access the personal information of others, such as home address, phone number, or school name.
"That's not the most common scenario ," says David Finkelhor, a sociology professor at the University of New Hampshire. "Only 3 percent of teens aged 10 to 18 who use the Internet report being asked to meet offline. But the danger is real."
Safety measures
Mary's Myspace profile is set to "private", which means that only the people she adds under the "friend" category can access her page. She also doesn't have any pictures of herself on her site. The only self-identifying material she has posted is her name, grade, and a list of hobbies.
Stay safe and have fun online
Experts say almost 90 percent of U.S. teens are online. But not everyone knows how to surf the web in a smart way. With these tips, you can have fun, stay safe, and avoid embarrassment!
*Pick a safe password. Make sure your password is something that other people won't be able to guess.
*Pick a safe username. Make sure yours doesn't say too much about you, "Happy girl 13" is better than "Alice Waters 13". Don't include your name, age, or where you are from. Never tell a stranger your name, school, address, age, birthday, phone number, or friends' name. | high23656.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the writer's future job"
},
"options": [
"the writer's studies",
"wars around the world",
"dinner plans",
"the writer's future job"
],
"question": "Which of the following topics do the writer and his mother ofte... | It feels like every time my mother and I start to have a conversation, it turns into an argument. We talk about something as simple as dinner plans and suddenly, my mother will push the conversation into World War 3. She'll talk about my lack of bright future because I don't plan to be a doctor. And much to her disappointment, I don't want to do any job related to science, either. In fact, when I was pushed to say that I planned to major in English and communications, she nearly had a heart attack.
"Why can't you be like my co-worker's son?" she _ all the time. Her coworker's son received a four-year scholarship and is now earning 70,000 dollars a year as an engineer. I don't know what to answer except that I simply can't be like Mr. Perfect as I've called the unnamed co-worker's son. I can't be like him. I am the type of the person who loved to help out in the community, write until the sun goes down, and most of all, wants to achieve a career because I love it, not because of a fame or salary.
I understand why my mother is worried about my future major. I've seen my mother struggle to raise me on her small salary and work long hours. She leaves the house around 6:30 am and usually comes home around 5 pm or even 6pm. However, I want her to know that by becoming a doctor, it doesn't mean I'll be successful. I'd rather follow my dreams and create my own future. | high746.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "High schools should require more community service hours."
},
"options": [
"Every student should help the old in community service.",
"High schools shouldn't force students to volunteer.",
"10 community service hours are enou... | If you haven't played games with an 80-year-old couple, you're missing out. Each week, my best friend and I hang out with senior citizens. Volunteering at a retirement village provides us with a great opportunity to meet new people and enrich the lives of the people we meet. We have learned so much from talking with senior citizens, and we are blessed to have this opportunity to reach out to those in our community. Nothing is more rewarding than seeing the faces of the elderly light up when we walk into the room.
Though my school only requires 10 community service hours, I have continued to volunteer throughout high school. While our 10-hour requirement is a good start, schools should require more volunteer hours. Volunteering offers students an irreplaceable way to help their communities and expand their knowledge of the world.
Some believe that forcing students to volunteer is defeating the purpose of volunteering, because it's not volunteering if you are required to do it. However, sometimes students need an extra push to reach out to their communities. It's because some students don't know the benefits of volunteering. After they start volunteering, they'll realize that volunteering can benefit them a lot and they will want to volunteer more.
Through volunteering, I've learned many valuable life skills. Besides teaching valuable life skills, volunteering may lead to a part-time job opportunity as well. If students prove their reliability and hard work ethic while volunteering, employers may take that into consideration and offer them a job. My best friend got her summer job after volunteering several summers at the Boy Scout camp.
There are various other benefits of volunteering. Besides making a difference in people's lives, students develop communication skills and acceptance of others. What's more, reaching out to others who are less fortunate teaches us to be grateful for what we have.
All in all, volunteering is an extremely rewarding activity which should be required. | high13795.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "worried that the barista wouldn't do as he hoped"
},
"options": [
"left the coffee shop quickly with regret",
"doubted whether he had done the right thing",
"worried that the barista wouldn't do as he hoped",
"felt prou... | Every day I go into the same coffee shop on the way to work. It's part of a large chain here in the UK.
I am new to the anonymous act of kindness concept. I came across it recently. A few weeks ago I worked up the courage to ask the barista if I could pay for a coffee for someone later that day. He looked at me kind of strangely and said "okay" and then put the money into the drawer where some change was put. I walked out feeling doubtful whether this would happen and privately thinking he might just add the money to his tips.
This chain stamps a card every time you buy a coffee and when you get 9 stamps, the 10th coffee is free. I had just completed my card today and was due a free cup of coffee next time, so I cheered up as I headed out of the coffee shop. I believe that giving the card to people on the street is better than giving them cash so I forgot about the barista and passed the card on to a homeless guy I met later.
A week later I was in the same store and I ordered my usual coffee and a new barista said to me, "Your coffee is on us." I was surprised and asked why he would give me a free coffee. He said that the staff were allowed to give out one free coffee a day to anyone they chose. And that today I was the lucky one. He said they knew that I was a regular and that I was always so cheerful with the staff. By the way, I was not sure I had been the first lucky person in the morning! This put a big smile on my face but I decided to ask if I could choose to pay it forward to someone else instead. Finally, he gave me the power to make a decision. | high24139.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "\"for\"Jesse\""
},
"options": [
"he went to prefix = st1 /OhioStateUniversity",
"his teacher made fun of him",
"\"for\"Jesse\"",
"he won gold medals in the Big Ten meet"
],
"question": "Owens got his other name\... | James Cleveland Owens was the son of a farmer and the grandson of black slaves:His family moved to Cleveland when he was 9.There,a school teacher asked the youth his name.
"J.C."he replied.
She thought he had said"Jesse",and he had a new name.
Owens ran his first race at age 13.After high school,he went to Ohio State University.He had to work part time so as to pay for his education.As a second-year student, in the Big Ten games in 1935,he set even more records than he would in the Olympic Games a year later.
A week before the Big Ten meet, Owens accidentally fell down a flight of stairs.His back hurt so much that he could not exercise all week,and he had to be helped in and out of the car that drove him to the meet.He refused to listen to the suggestions that he give up and said he would try, event by event.He did try, and the results are in the record book .
The stage was set for Owens' victory at the Olympic Games in Berlin the next year, and his success would come to be regarded as not only athletic but also political.Hitler did not congratulate any of the African American winners.
"It was all right with me,"he said years later."I didn't go to Berlin to shake hands with him,anyway."
Having returned from Berlin,he received no telephone call from the president of his own country, either.In fact, he was not honored by the United States until 1976,four years before his death.
Owens'Olympic victories made little difference to him.He earned his living by looking after a school playground,and accepted money to race against cars,trucks,motorcycles,and dogs.
"Sure,it bothered me," he said later."But at least it was an honest living.I had to eat."
In time,however, his gold medals changed his life."They have kept me alive over the years," he once said,"Time has stood still for me.That golden moment dies hard." | high16835.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The humanities and STEM subjects should be given equal importance."
},
"options": [
"Higher education should be adjusted to the practical needs of society.",
"The liberal arts in higher education help enrich students' spiritual lif... | Is there clear boundary between science and the liberal arts as a major for college students? The question of whether our government should promote science and technology or the liberal arts in higher education is not an either / or proposition , although the current emphasis on preparing young Americans for STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths) -related fields can make it seem that way.
The latest congressional report acknowledges the critical importance of technical training, but also stresses that the study of the humanities and social sciences must remain central elements of America's educational system at all levels. Both are critical to producing citizens who can participate effectively in our democratic society, become innovative leaders, and benefit from the spiritual enrichment that the reflection on the great ideas of mankind over time provides.
Parents and students who have invested heavily in higher education worry about graduates' job prospects as technological advances and changes in domestic and global markets transform professions in ways that reduce wages and cut jobs. Under this circumstances, it's natural to look for what may appear to be the most "practical" way out of the problem. "Major in a subject designed to get you a job" seems the obvious answer to some, though this ignores the fact that many disciplines in the humanities characterized as "soft" often, in fact, lead to employment and success in the long run. Indeed, according to surveys, employers have expressed a preference for students who have received a broadly-based education that has taught them to write well, think critically, research creatively, and communicate easily.
Moreover, students should be prepared not just for their first job, but for their 4th and 5th jobs, as there is little reason to doubt that people entering the workforce today will be called upon to play many different roles over the course of their careers. The ones who will do the best in this new environment will be those whose educations have prepared them to be flexible. The ability to draw upon every available tool and insight - picked up from science, arts, and technology - to solve the problems of the future, and take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves, will be helpful to them and the United States. | high11182.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "is beyond ordinary people's minds"
},
"options": [
"is a wonderful idea",
"can improve the relation between children and animals",
"is beyond ordinary people's minds",
"can make some teachers lose jobs"
],
"ques... | SOUTHPORT, ENGLAND--A British teaching union famous for strange ideas has supported proposal to employ dogs as classroom assistants.
At the annual conference of the Professional Association of teachers in Southport, northwest of prefix = st1 /England, one person suggested properly trained dogs be able to keep order in primary schools. They can round up lost children and protect those who experience unfortunate "accidents". Wendy Dyble, aSheetlandIslandswoman who teaches children up to age seven, made it clear to her fellow friends that she was not "barking mad". They obviously believed her, supporting her idea by 16 votes to 13, with a total of 63 abstentions .
He said big dogs could help round up children, keep them in line, lick up the milk they spill on the floor and provide the extra eyes that a teacher needs to keep order. "A big dog would also be helpful for breaking up fights and look for lost property, like gym shoes or dolls, " Dyble said at the conference. "The dog will also be useful in sniffing out smells that children do not own up to," she added. "It would be nice for the teacher not to have to go round sniffing each child to find the culprit ."
The idea was greeted by the Dog Defense League but less so by bigger teaching unions. A spokesman for Education Secretary David Blunkett, who is blind, said his guide dog was always popular with pupils when he visited schools. The Professional Association of Teachers, with around 35,000 members, is the smallest teaching union in Britain. It has an honour for occasional strange ideas.
Earlier this week, its annual conference here suggested stopping exams because they lead to stress and introducing selection at the age of 12 based on physical coordination and manual skill in the use of hand. | high18818.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the man's coming for help"
},
"options": [
"a letter to the family",
"the time when mother comforted me",
"the man's coming for help",
"the nicely dressed man's trouble"
],
"question": "The turning point in the ... | Seventy years ago I was quite a small little girl, the baby of the family, with an older brother and sister. My father was very ill at the time, and my mother took in sewing of any kind so we could live. She would sew far into the night with nothing but dim gas mantles and an old treadle sewing machine. She never complained even when the fire would be low and the food very scarce. She would sew until the early hours of morning.
Things were very bad that particular winter. Then a letter came from where her sewing machine was purchased, stating that they would have to pick up her machine the next day unless payments were brought up to date. I remember when she read the letter I became frightened; I could picture us starving to death and all sorts of things that could come to a child's mind. My mother did not appear to be worried, however, and seemed to be quite calm about the matter. I, on the other hand, cried myself to sleep, wondering what would become of our family. Mother said God would not fail her, that he never had. I couldn't see how God was going to help us keep this old sewing machine.
The day the men were to come for our only means of support, there was a knock at the kitchen door. I was frightened as a child would be, for I was sure it was those dreaded men. Instead, a nicely dressed man stood at our door with a darling baby in his arms.
He asked my mother if she was Mrs. Hill. When she said she was, he said, "I'm in trouble this morning and you have been recommended by the druggist and grocer down the street as an honest and wonderful woman. My wife was rushed to the hospital this morning, and since we have no relatives here, and I must open my dentist office, I have nowhere to leave my baby. Could you possibly take care of her for a few days?" He continued, "I will pay you in advance." With this he took out ten dollars and gave it to my mother.
Mother said, "Yes, yes, I will be glad to do so," and took the baby from his arms. When the man left, Mother turned to me with tears streaming down a face that looked as though a light was shining on it. She said, "I knew God would never let them take away my machine." | high10288.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "good vacation ideas for New Year"
},
"options": [
"good vacation ideas for New Year",
"traditional celebration of New Year",
"staying with family on New Year",
"having a distinguishing New Year"
],
"question": "... | Both children and grown-ups look forward to New Year vacation since it is that time of the year to pack up and set out on a trip with family and friends. New Year's Eve is the perfect time to travel and have holiday. Gone are the days when you had to depend on word of mouth to learn about vacation destinations. With the development of technology and the increase in the number of travel agencies, you can use all the information for the place you want to visit. However, New Year being peak season, planning well in advance will be a wise thing to do.
New Year cruises have been gaining popularity over the past few years, with the number of people booking for the first class increasing every year. Sailing to island destinations is a new experience for many who consider it a romantic way of celebrating the New Year. Warmer island destinations like the Hawaiian Islands are hot favorites with all their unique traditions and customs, fruits and food to delight in.
Cruise lines provide a wide range of choices about the destinations and travel packages for you to choose from. There are special packages offered for families with children that include many activities and games. There are packages offered for young people which involve a dance party followed by a New Year party. There are even special cruises for newly married couples or people who are in love and wish to spend their New Year's Eve in a comfortable and romantic destination.
Some people would also like to take this opportunity to spend some time alone and get beauty treatments done. On the other hand, there are other people who visit the unfortunate, old and poor people and orphans and try to make them happy. Planning ahead will make your New Year vacation better as you won't have to bother about booking tickets, hotels and making transfer arrangements at the last minute. | high16821.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "are all celebrated in Edinburgh"
},
"options": [
"are all about arts",
"all happen in 2008 only",
"are all celebrated in Edinburgh",
"are all mainly for children"
],
"question": "According to the passage, the fo... | Edinburgh Mela
Time: 25th - 31st August 2008
Tel / Fax: 0131 557 1400
E-mail: info@edinburgh-mela.co.uk
Website: www.edinburgh-mela.co.uk
Each year Edinburgh Mela is Scotland's biggest multicultural arts festival that celebrates in Scotland. Although Edinburgh Mela's roots are in South Asian cultures, this is a festival for everybody. Music, colour, dance, art, fashion, food, children's activities, the Mela bazaar and much more!
Edinburgh International Book Festival
Time: 9th - 25th August 2008
Tel: 0131 718 5666
Fax: 0131 226 5335
E-mail: admin@edbookfest.co.uk
Website: www.edbookfest.co.uk
Edinburgh International Book Festival is the world's biggest book festival. We present different programs for both adults and children including discussions, lectures, debates and workshops, all in one of Edinburgh's most beautiful spaces, Charlotte Square Gardens.
Edinburgh International Festival
Time: 8th - 31st August 2008
Tel: + 44 (0) 131 473 2000
Fax: +44 (0) 131 473 2002
E-mail: eif@eif.co.uk
Website: www.eif@eif.co.uk
Each year the Edinburgh International Festival stages one of the greatest celebrations of the arts, attracting audiences from around the world to the city's exciting atmosphere. The festivities offer a special opportunity to experience the excitement of live performance by internationally well-known artists as well as the joy of discovering new and unfamiliar works.
Edinburgh International Science Festival
Time: 25th March-5th April 2008
Tel: 0131 558 7666
Fax: 0131 557 9177
E-mail: esf@scifest.demon.co.uk
Website: www.sciencefestival.co.uk
The UK's largest Science Festival is back with one of the most exciting line-ups in the Festival's 16-year history. The Science Festival is an unbelievable place for everyone, with events at all levels, all ages and all purses. On offer are 10 days of non-stop shows workshops, presentations, hands-on activities, exhibitions and tours designed to amuse and entertain. Call our ticket hotline on 0131 557 5588. | high11196.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "After 7:30"
},
"options": [
"At 6:30",
"At 7:00",
"After 7:30",
"At 8:00"
],
"question": "When did Dr Berlin answer the phone from Mrs. Green?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | One evening in November, Berlin received a telephone call from Mrs. Green. "Please,
Dr Berlin, come to my house. I had 50,000 dollars on my desk and now it is gone."
Dr Berlin arrived at Mrs. Green's house at eight o'clock. First he asked Mrs. Green, "When did you see the money last?"
"At seven o'clock. I put it on my desk in my living room. Then I went to wash my hair. I came back at seven thirty and the money was gone."
"I see." Dr Berlin said. "Were you alone in the house?"
"No. My sister's son Jack is here, too." Then Dr Berlin and Mrs. Green went to Jack's room.
"Please, sit down," Jack said. Dr Berlin sat on the only chair in the room, and the chair was cold. He also saw some books on the ground near his feet.
"What have you been doing this evening?" Dr Berlin asked.
"I came home at six-thirty, and went right to my room. I've been sitting in that chair and reading all the evening. I never got up and I never left the room. Maybe somebody came into the house and took my aunt's money."
After hearing that, Dr Berlin was clear about who had taken the money. | high9842.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Playing in an 11-person team."
},
"options": [
"Playing in a 2-person team.",
"Playing in a 4-person team.",
"Playing in a 6-person team.",
"Playing in an 11-person team."
],
"question": "When playing beach voll... | Beach volleyball is one of those sports that can be an exciting game to play and watch. It's really easy, and all you need is sand, a net and a group of people, of any age or fitness level, who want to have fun.
Beach volleyball can be played with as few as two people in each team, making a total of four people. However, if you are less skilled and experienced in the game, it will be easier to play with a larger team. The more players you have, the less ground each person will be responsible for covering and the more time they will have to recover between shots. If you only have a few players, each of you will get a lot of running for the ball after each volley . If you are looking for a relaxing, fun, low-key experience, choose larger teams.
Beach volleyball is similar to regular volleyball in its rules. However, even experienced volleyball players do not realize how much more difficult it is to run and jump on sand. Since it is harder to move quickly on sand than a hard surface, play will be much slower than regular volleyball on a court. When an athlete trains for beach volleyball, he will focus on building lower body strength as well as upper body strength. Strengthening his legs is extremely important. This improves the player's ability to move quickly and accurately on sand despite the resistance. The ability to jump high and land without injury is necessary for beach volleyball players.
Whether you are in it for the competition, or just to have a great time with your friends, beach volleyball can be extremely exciting and fun. You may start out with friends and may soon fall in love with the sport. | high8584.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "it is no longer so important as it was in the past to supply all the basic essentials of life"
},
"options": [
"the basic essentials of life must be supplied",
"it is important to supply the basic essentials of life",
"it is ... | As civilization proceeds in the direction of technology, it passes the point of supplying all the basic essentials of life--food, shelter, clothes and warmth. Then we are faced with a choice between using technology to provide and fulfill needs which have now been regarded as unnecessary or, on the other hand, using technology to reduce the number of hours of work which a man must do in order to earn a given standard of living. In other words, we either raise our standard of living above that necessary for comfort and happiness or we leave it at this level and work shorter hours.
I shall take it for granted that mankind has, by that time, chosen the latter alternative. Men will be working shorter and shorter hours in their paid employment. It follows that the housewife will also expect to be able to have more leisure in her life without lowering her standard of living. It also follows that human domestic servants will have completely ceased to exist. Yet the great majority of the housewives will wish to be relieved completely from the routine operations of the home such as scrubbing the floors or the bath of the cooker, or washing the clothes or washing up, or dusting or sweeping, or making beds.
By far the most logical step to relieve the housewife of routine is to provide a robot which can be trained to the requirements of a particular home and can be programmed to carry out half a dozen or more standard operations, when switched by the housewife. | high23642.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "A sports announcer."
},
"options": [
"A sportsman.",
"A shop assistant.",
"A sports announcer.",
"A businessman."
],
"question": "What was the writer's ideal job?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},... | "Everything happens for the best," my mother said whenever I was disappointed. "Don't worry. One day your luck will change."
I didn't pay attention to her words. After finishing my college education, I decided to look for a job in a radio station. I wanted to host a sports programme. I went to Chicago and knocked on the door of every station. ButI got turned down every time.
In one station, a kind lady said to me that I hadn't got enough experience. "Get to a small station and work for some time," she said.
When I went back home, my dad told me that a businessman had opened a store and needed someone to help him. But again, I didn't get the job.
I felt really down. "Your luck will change," Mum said to me. Later, I tried another radio station in Iowa. But the owner, a nice man, told me he had already had someone to work for him. As I left his office, I asked, "How can someone be a sportsannouncer if he can't get a job in a radio station?"
I was waiting for the lift when I heard the man call, "What did you mean? Do you know anything about football?" He let me sit in front of a microphone and asked me to try to imagine that I was giving my opinion on a football game, and finally I succeeded.
On my way home, Mum's words came back to me, "One day your luck will change, Son." | high752.txt |
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