questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "jobs related to academic professions like lawyers and doctors"
},
"options": [
"jobs such as musicians, singers and dancers",
"jobs related to academic professions like lawyers and doctors",
"jobs in which they will not be en... | LONDON (Reuters Life!) ---- Forget about talking your children into considering life as a doctor or a teacher and start training them for the talent show.
A survey of British parents showed the aspirations of their children are greatly different from what they dreamed about when considering who they wanted to be when they grew up.
Although astronaut still remains fairly high on the list of careers kids dream about these days, others like doctor and teacher have been taken the place of by the desire to win good name and money as a sporting hero, pop star or actor.
The parents of children aged 5 to 11 said the choice of lawyer had dropped by only one place on a top 10 list to sixth, while teacher had dropped to ninth from top in the last 25 or more years.
The survey for British TV channel "Watch" found a great difference between the genders of today's young people when compared with their parents' dreams 25 years or more ago.
Playing professional football, being an astronaut and joining the firefighting service topped the boys' choices, while girls are more likely to be dreaming of taking to the stage as a pop star or actress or joining the medical profession.
When asked what they would like their children to do for a living, today's parents still like the academic professions , with law and medicine scoring highly, while being a boss came third.
Parents also praised job happiness above wealth when it comes to their hopes for their children.
Nearly 70 percent of the parents surveyed thought that they failed to follow their dreams when it came to their career, with 37 percent thinking it was caused by a lack of aspiration and not having the necessary conditions. | high16404.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "$123"
},
"options": [
"$114",
"$123",
"$177",
"$189"
],
"question": "If a couple and their 14-year-old son want to have a half-day tour of Canyon de Chelly on Oct. 13, 2009, they should pay _ .",
"questio... | Thunderbird Lodge in Canyon de Chelly
A one-night stay at the historic lodge starts at $59 for a single room and the lodge offers half-day tours of Canyon de Chelly ( $41 for adults and $32 for children aged 12 and under).
Time: May 31, 2009 ~ Nov. 1, 2009
Details: Hotel taxes are an additional 17.1 percent
Contact: 800/679-2473, tbirdlodge.com
CALIFORNIA
Zephyr Cove Resort at Lake Tahoe
A three-night stay in a lakeside cabin for two people, an Emerald Bay sightseeing for two, free breakfast and lunch. Rates are $299 per couple - saving of up to $400.
Details: Hotel taxes are included
Time: Through Dec. 15, 2009
Contact: 800/234-8946, zephyrcove.com
NEVADA
Montelago Village at Lake Las Vegas
A one-night stay at the mediterranean-style Montelago Village, 17 miles from Las Vegas. Rates start at $65 per person including ice-skating fees and skate rentals.
Details: Hotel taxes are an additional 12 percent
Time: Nov. 17, 2009~Jan. 15, 2010
Contact: 866/399-2753, montelagovillage.com
YELLOWSTONE
Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel
A two-night stay, breakfast daily, full day ski rental, unlimited ice-skating and skates and a book of Yellowstone photos. Rates start at $119 per person. A one-night stay at the hotel starts at $65.
Details: Hotel taxes are an additional 8 percent
Time: Jan .1, 2010~May 2, 2010
Contact: 866/439-2473, travelyellowstone.com | high15125.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "They stole e-mail addresses of the Internet users."
},
"options": [
"They stole e-mail addresses of the Internet users.",
"They destroyed the websites of some big companies.",
"They attacked American companies in southern Rus... | A group of Russian criminals have stolen l.2 billion username and password combinations for more than 500 millione-mail addresses. It's the largest known theft on the Internet, according to a report of The New York Times.
Cyber security firm Hold Security discovered the security breach( ). The firm found that the group of criminals collected personal information from 420,000 websites, including household names and small Internet sites. The criminals were based in a small city in south central Russia. They hacked websites inside Russia as well as big companies in the U.S. and other countries ,The New Times reports.
The criminals found hundreds of thousands of weak websites and attacked their coding,Hold Security said. Alex Holden is chief information security officer of Hold Security. "The hackers did not just target U.S. companies;they targeted any website they could get," Holden said. "And most of these sites are still easy to attack".
According to Hold Security, the criminals have been using the stolen information to send junk mail through e-mail and on social networks like Twitter. They can also use the 500 million stolen e-mail -addresses to plan other crimes. They could use information from bank e-mails to steal your identity or sell the e-mail address to other criminals to make quick cash.
The reported break-ins are the latest events to raise doubts about security at big and small companies. Last winter, hackers stole 40 million credit card numbers and 70 million addresses, phone numbers and other personal information from the retailer Target Corp. The brand is still working to regain its shoppers' trust.
John Prisco is a CEO of a security firm. He says security hacks are more common than many people and companies realize. " _ ," Prisco said in an e-mailed statement. So many cyber breaches today are not actually reported, because companies are losing information and they are not even aware of it. "
Security experts believe hackers will continue breaking into computer networks unless companies become more protective of personal information. | high8751.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Tally never left him when times were hard for him."
},
"options": [
"Tally brought the doctor to him after the accident.",
"Tally saved his life in this car accident.",
"Tally never left him when times were hard for him.",
... | John had an accident while driving to town one day. He had his three ribs broken and Tally, his best friend, had one leg broken. With their car damaged and no one coming to their help, they had to foot for ten miles to the town hospital.
"How have you got here all by yourself?" said the doctor when he saw John in hospital. "You have to stay in hospital at once," he said, "but the dog can't. It must leave the hospital. Dogs are not allowed here."
"Please help my dog, doctor, she was hurt and she also needs a doctor!" John said eagerly, "or I'll leave with my dog." He added. He took up his coat and was ready to leave.
"You must be mad!" the doctor shouted, "You are too ill to go out!" "Then you must take my dog." John said, touching the dog's nose, and went on. "This old dog has followed me through good times and bad times. Mostly bad times - watched me over for weeks when I was seriously ill, and once saved me from a burning house and another time she saved me from flood ...How can I leave her alone?"
John said and fainted . When he came to, he looked around, "Where's my dog?" he asked eagerly. "Don't worry," the nurse answered, "It's in the yard. We have done something to help it." | high22789.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "together with other facial expressions"
},
"options": [
"especially anger and disappointment",
"together with the arms folded across",
"together with other facial expressions",
"depending on others' facial expressions"
... | Even if you are saying and doing the right things at your job and in your personal life, you could be making a bad impression on everyone with what you don't say. That's because much of our reactions to others are based on body language. If your body language is communicating a negative message, that's the message you could be sending, regardless of what actual words come out of your mouth.
What are negative messages sent via body language? Things like having arms folded across your chest can show hostility . Lack of eye contact can indicate shiftiness . An unsmiling face could communicate a variety of things, like anger, disappointment, or sadness, depending upon what other facial expressions are included.
Want to know what body language communicates? Watch a TV show or a movie with the sound off, and see how much you can figure out of the plot, or at least you can get a sense of what is going on.
However, many of the clues that indicate negativity could also be the result of nervousness or other issues. For example, somebody who doesn't make eye contact could simply be nervous. The same goes with a not-so-warm hand-shake. Or, someone folding his arms could simply be more comfortable with the arms that way, not realizing what the arms' position sends. Someone who doesn't smile could be self-conscious about her teeth. At any rate, the person who sends off bad body language may not even realize that they're doing it.
Unfortunately, some people who do recognize what body language communicates are scam artists. They may have the firmest handshake, the shiniest smile, and make the greatest eye contact to convince others of their sincerity, because they know how much this nonverbal communications plays a part in communicating sincerity. Yet people _ it, because their body language seems sincere.
But what if you're in the opposite situation? If you're not sure what your body language is communicating, ask a trusted friend for help. You can also concentrate on standing up straight and sitting up straight, if posture is a problem. Practicing in front of a mirror can help you get rid of bad habits. Remember to smile and nod if needed. And try to learn how to relax. Before you know it, you will be sending more positive messages with your body language. | high13554.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "their parents put much pressure on them"
},
"options": [
"the school work is too much",
"their teachers are too strict with them",
"their parents put much pressure on them",
"they can't get on well with their friends"
... | Japanese students work very hard but many are very unhappy. They feel great pressure from their parents to do well in school and in college. Most students are always being told by their parents to study harder so that they can have successful future. Although this may be good advice for those who are very bright, it can have very bad results for many students who are not quick enough at learning.
Unfortunately, a number of students actually kill themselves. Others are after comfort in using drugs. Some students, however, do bad things with groups of bad people and turn to crime. Many of them have tried very hard at school but, in spite of all their tries, have failed in certain examinations and have disappointed their parents. Such students feel that they are less important than everyone else they meet and leave school before they finish their study.
It is surprising that although most Japanese parents are anxious for their children to do well at school, they do not help them in any way. Many parents feel that they are unable to help their children with their lessons and that it is the teachers' job to help their children.
To make matter worse, a lot of parents send their children to special schools called juku-cram schools. These schools are open during the evenings and on weekends, and their only purpose is to prepare students to pass exams; they do not try to educate students in any real sense of the world. Thus comes a shock to realize that almost three quarters of the junior high school students attend these cram schools.
Ordinary Japanese schools usually have rules about everything from the length of students' hair to their clothes and things in their school bags. Child psychologists now think that such strict rules often lead to a feeling of being unsafe and being unable to fit into society. They believe that no sense of moral values is developed and that students are given neither guidance nor training in becoming good citizens. | high587.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Energy users of Eastern Energy."
},
"options": [
"People applying for energy supply.",
"People moving home.",
"Persons in need of help.",
"Energy users of Eastern Energy."
],
"question": "Who is the passage most... | Our company, Eastern Energy, is here to help and provide you with personal advice on any matters connected with your bill or any other questions about your gas and electricity supply.
Moving Home
Please give us as much notice as possible if you are moving home, but at least 48 hours required for us to make the necessary arrangements for your gas and electricity supply. Please telephone our 24-hour line at 0131 6753 219 with details of your move. In most cases we are happy to accept your meter reading on the day you move.
Meter Reading
Eastern Energy uses various types of meter ranging from the traditional dial meters to new technology digital display meters. Always read the meter from left to right, ignoring any red dials. If you require assistance, contact our 24-hour line at 0600 7310 310.
Energy Efficiency Line
If you would like advice on the efficient use of energy, please call our Energy Efficiency Line at 0995 7625 513. Please do not use this number for any other enquiries .
Special Services
Passwords-you can choose a password so that, whenever we visit you at home, you will know it is us. If you want more information, please ring our helpline at 0995 7290 290.
If you need help or advice with any issues, please contact us at 0131 6440 188.
Complaints
We hope you will never have a problem or cause to complain, but, if you do, please contact our complaints handling team at PO Box, Stanfield, ST55 6GF or telephone us at 0131 6753 270.
Supply Failure
If you experience any problems with your electricity supply, please call free at 0600 7838 836, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. | high22951.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "covert coping may result in certain heart trouble"
},
"options": [
"women are less likely to suffer a heart attack than men",
"most people die of heart disease caused by stress",
"covert coping may result in certain heart tro... | Everyone experiences stress at work, but how we cope with it varies. Feeling that you've been unfairly treated can be particularly stressful. Researchers believe that failure to express feelings about unfair treatment at work could have serious consequences on your health, especially men, who bottle up their anger at being unfairly treated at work, are up to 5 times more likely to suffer a heart attack, or even die from one, than those who let their frustration show, a Swedish study has found.
The study by the Stress Research Institute of Stockholm University followed 2,755 employed men who had not suffered any heart attacks. At the end of the study, 47 participants had either suffered an attack, or died from heart disease, and many of those had been found to be covertly coping with unfair treatment at work.
"After adjustment for age, socioeconomic factors, risk behaviors, job strain and biological risk factors at baseline, there was a close-response relationship between covert coping and the risk of incident death," the study's authors wrote.
Covert coping was listed as "letting thing pass without saying anything" and "going away" despite feelings of being hard done by colleagues or bosses. Men who often used these coping techniques had a two to five times higher risk of developing heart disease than those who were more confrontational at work, the study showed.
The researchers said they could not answer the question of what might be a particularly healthy coping strategy at work, but listed open coping behavior when experiencing unfair treatment or facing a conflict as "protesting directly," "talking to the person right away," "yelling at the person right away" or "speaking to the person later when things have calmed down." The study was published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. | high1013.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Busy schedules leave people no time for formality"
},
"options": [
"Busy schedules leave people no time for formality",
"Family members need more time to relax.",
"People prefer to live a comfortable life.",
"Young peop... | When families gather for Christmas dinner, some will stick to formal traditions dating back to grandma's generation. Their tables will be set with the good dishes and silver, and the dress code will be Sunday best.
But in many other homes, this china-and-silver elegance has given way to a stoneware and stainless informality, with dresses assuming an equally casual-Friday look. For hosts and guests, the change means greater simplicity and comfort. For makers of fine china in Britain, it spells economic hard times. Last week _ , the largest employer in Stoke-on-Trent, announced that it is eliminating 1,000 jobs -- one-fifth of its total workforce. That brings to more than 4, 000 the number of positions lost in 18 months in the pottery region. Wedgwood and other pottery factories made cuts earlier.
Although a strong pound and weak markets in Asia play a role in the downsizing, the layoffs in Stoke have their roots in earthshaking social shifts. A spokesman for Royal Doulton admitted that the company "has been somewhat slow in catching up with the trend" toward casual dining. Families eat together less often, he explained, and more people eat alone, either because they are single or they eat in front of television. Even dinner parties, if they happen at all, have gone casual. In a time of long work hours and demanding family schedules, busy hosts insist, rightly, that it's better to share a takeout pizza on paper plates in the family room than to wait for the perfect moment or a "real" dinner party.
Too often, the perfect moment never comes. Iron a fine-patterned tablecloth? Forget it. Polish the silver? Who has time? Yet the loss of formality has its down side. The fine points of etiquette that children might once have learned at the table by observation or instruction from parents and grandparents (" Chew with your mouth closed." "Keep your elbows off the table. ") must be picked up else-where. Some companies now offer etiquette seminars for employees who may be able professionally but inexperienced socially. | high12892.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "let people know more about the US"
},
"options": [
"make his own hometown , state of Michiganfamous",
"make everyone know Michigan",
"let people know more about the US",
"let people learn to sing"
],
"question":... | Most people know that theprefix = st1 /United Statesis made up of fifty states . However , few people know a lot about all fifty of them , Sufjan Stevens is a young American musician . He wants to change this situation
Sufjan Stevens plans to make an album about each of the fifty American states . During college he played in several musical groups and recorded an album of his own music . However , he wanted to be a writer , not a musician . So after college he moved toNew York Cityto study writing.
In New York , Stevens had trouble writing stories , He discovered that he missed music , He also discovered that most of the stories he did write were about his home state ofMichigan. So , Sufjan Stevens decided to make an album of songs aboutMichigan
" Greetings fromMichigan: The Great Lakes State " was released three years ago . Here is the song " Say Yes toMichigan"
( music )
The album was a big success . Many young people and music critics liked it . Before long , Stevens announced that he wanted to make an album for every state . He called it his " fifty states project "
Stevens choseIllinoisas his next state . He read many books aboutIllinois. He studied police documents and old newspapers . He talked to people who lived in the state . The CD "Illinois" was released last year . Critics loved the album , It won many awards awards . " Illinois " became popular at colleges throughout theUnited States. People said the CD sounded different form anything else they had ever heard . Here is a song called "Chicago" .
(music)
sufjan Stevens is keeping his next state a secret from reporters . People have said that he is writing about Oregon , Rhode Island , orMinnesota. However , no one but Stevens knows for sure . We leave you with the song " Decatur " or " Round of Applause For Your Stepmother ," from the CD "Illinois"
(music) | high17732.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "What to do about being bullied."
},
"options": [
"What to do about being bullied.",
"How to be a good student at school.",
"What to write well in a diary.",
"How to give suggestions to teenagers."
],
"question":... | James is a good student and he has lots of friends,but he also has a problem.Some older boys are bullying him at school.James is very unhappy and he doesn't know what to do about it.Here are some suggestions to him and other teenagers in this situation.
Don't feel worried.It's not your fault ! Being bullied can make you feel very lonely and angry,but you are not alone.Don't feel that you have to hide the problem.You should find a person you can trust,and tell them.It might be your teacher,your parents,or even your friend's parents.After you tell someone,you will get some support and feel some relief .
Speaking to an adult might make you nervous,but here are other things you can do.Some people express their feelings more easily on paper.Write a letter to someone or keep a diary.Include all the details about what the bullies do, as well as when and where the bullying happens.You can use it as proof to show what is going on.And it is a wonderful idea to show your letter or diary to a teacher or another responsible adult.Then the bullies will feel very afraid if their names appear in a letter!
Also,don't show you are sad and don't try and fight with the bullies. You could get in trouble yourself. Ignore them and just walk away. The bullies will soon stop. | high3604.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "his egg is cracked at both ends"
},
"options": [
"the pointy end of his egg is cracked",
"the round end of his egg is cracked",
"his egg slides out of the hand",
"his egg is cracked at both ends"
],
"question": ... | Greeks play a special game at Easter and it's good fun! The rules of the game are as follows: 1.Everyone picks out a hard-boiled Waster Egg.2.Each player finds a partner.One person will be a "holder", and the other will be a "tapper".Holders should hold the egg with either the pointy end or the round end facing up.Tappers should hold the egg with that same end facing down.Tapping must be done pointy-end-to-pointy-end or round-end-to-round-end.3.With one good tap, the tapper tries to crack the holder's egg.One player will end up with a cracked egg.4.Each player finds another partner and repeats steps 2 and 3.(After one end of the egg is cracked, players may continue to play using the uncracked end).5.A player loses when both ends of his egg have been cracked.The winner is the person who still has an uncracked egg.6.Enjoy eating the eggs!
Dye your Easter eggs.With an adult's help, dye hard-boiled eggs red using food coloring or egg dye.For a nice sheen, use a paper towel to rub some oil on each egg.But don't use too much oil---you wouldn't want your egg to slide out of your hand when you play the egg-cracking game!
Why dye eggs red? Eggs represent new life and the red dye symbolizes the pain and suffering in the past.
Why crack eggs? Some say that the cracking of the eggs symbolizes a wish to break away from human misery and enter the new life. | high11343.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "on Wednesday and Saturday"
},
"options": [
"from Monday to Sunday",
"on Wednesday and Saturday",
"from Monday to Friday",
"on Saturday and Sunday"
],
"question": "If you choose the UNDERSTANDING COMPUTERS course... | This course is for those who want to learn to type , as well as those who want to improve their typing . The course is not common . You are tested in the first class and begin practicing at one of the eight different skill levels . This allows you to learn at your own speed. Each program lasts 20 hours . Bring your own paper .
Course fee : $ 125 Materials : $ 25
Two hours each evening for two weeks . New classes begin every two weeks .
This course is taught by a number of qualified business education teachers who have successfully taught typing courses before .
UNDERSTANDING COMPUTERS
This twelve-hour course is for people who do not know very much about computers, but who need to learn about them . You will learn what computers are , what they can and can't do and how to use them .
Course fee : $ 75 Equipment fee : $ 10
Jan. 4 , 7, 11 , 14 , 18 Wed. and Sat. 9 ~ 11:30 a.m.
The teacher , Joseph Saunders is a professor of Computer Science at New Urban University . He has over twenty years of experience in the computer field .
STOP SMOKING
Do you want to stop smoking ? Have you already tried to stop and failed ? Now is the time to stop smoking using the latest methods . You can stop smoking , and this twelve-hour course will help you do it .
Course fee : $ 30
Jan. 2 , 9 , 16 , 23 Mon. 2 p.m. ~ 5 p.m. ks#5@u
Dr. John Good is a practicing psychologist who had helped hundreds of people stop smoking . | high21280.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "he was thought to be a stupid boy"
},
"options": [
"he was thought to be a stupid boy",
"his thoughts and words were jumbled",
"he was good at maths besides other subjects",
"he couldn't finish his homework"
],
... | School and Einstein did not mix well. His teachers thought that he was stupid and that Einstein's thoughts and words were jumbled . His schoolwork was poor. Playing the violin was all he was good at as a child.
When he was ten, he met Dr. Max Talmy. Talmy talked with the boy and tried to help him. They discussed books and Einstein showed an interest in maths. He understood difficult problems and ideas. Inside this "stupid" boy was a genius.
Schoolwork never became easy for Einstein. He could not learn things by heart. Paying attention was hard for him. He even did not passed his first test to enter college.
Because of his learning problems, Einstein made few friends. He was shy in groups of people. Yet he overcame his shortcomings. He became a well-known scientist in the field of physics. He was one of the most important thinkers of the modern age. | high19079.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "1909."
},
"options": [
"In 2003.",
"1999.",
"1909.",
"2002."
],
"question": "When did Aggie Bonfire come into being?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
... | Aggie Bonfire was a long-standing tradition at Texas A&M University as part of the college rivalry with the University of Texas at Austin. For 90 years, Texas A&M students--known as Aggies--built and burned a bonfire on campus each autumn. Known to the Aggie community simply as "Bonfire", the annual autumn event symbolized Aggie students' "burning desires". The bonfire was traditionally lit around Thanksgiving in connection with festivities surrounding the annual college football game.
Although early Bonfires were little more than piles of trash, as time passed, the annual event became more organized. Over the years the bonfire grew bigger, setting the world record in 1969. Bonfire remained a university tradition for decades until, in 1999, a collapse during construction killed twelve people--eleven students and one former student--and injured twenty-seven others.
The accident led Texas A&M to declare a pause on an official Bonfire. However, in 2002, a student-sponsored-and-off-campus "Student Bonfire" came up.
In 2003, the event became known as Student Bonfire. In a design approved by a professional engineer, Student Bonfire uses a wedding cake design, but, in a departure from tradition, every log in the stack touches the ground. For added support, four 24 feet poles are spaced evenly around the stack and then bolted to the 45 feet center pole with a steel pipe. Since the group does not receive funding, Student Bonfire charges a fee to each attendee to cover expenses. Attendance for Student Bonfire ranges from 8,000-15,000 people and the event is held in Brazos County or one of the surrounding counties. | high3162.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "famous stars"
},
"options": [
"famous stars",
"story tellers",
"film companies",
"music fans"
],
"question": "From Outlook, you can get a great deal of information about _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_ques... | Outlook
Outlook is back with a new series of reports to keep you up to date with all that's new in the world of entertainment. Stories go all the way from the technical to the romantic, from stage to screen. There will be reports of the stars of the moment, the stars of the future and the stars of the past. The director with his new film, the designer with the latest fashion, and the musician with the popular song are part of the new Outlook. The program is introduced by Fran Levine.
9:00 PM
Discovery
When a 10 -year -old boy gets a first class degree in mathematics or an 8-year- old plays chess like a future grand master, they are considered as geniuses. Where does the quality of genius come from? Is it all in the genes or can any child be turned into a genius? And if parents do have a child who might become a genius in the future, what should they do ? In this 30-minute film, Barry Johnson, the professor at School of Medicine, New York University will help you discover the answer.
10:00 PM
Science/Health
Is it possible to beat high blood pressure without drugs? The answer is "yes", according to the researchers at Johns Hopkins and three other medical centers. After a study of 800 persons with high blood pressure, they found that after 6 months, those devoted to weight-loss exercise and eating a low-salt, low-fat food lost about 13 pounds and became fitter. Plus, 35% of them dropped into the "normal" category. This week, Dr. Alan Duckworth will tell you how these people reduce their blood pressure to a level similar to what's achieved with Hypertension drugs. | high11425.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "clothes will be able to change their pattern"
},
"options": [
".people will never get old",
"everyone will look the same",
". red will be the most popular color1",
"clothes will be able to change their pattern"
],
... | Welcome to your future life!
You get up in the morning and look into the mirror. Your face is firm and young-looking. In 2035, medical technology is better than ever. Many people your age could live to be 150, so at 40, you're not old at all. And your parents just had an anti-aging treatment. Now, all three of you look the same age !
You say to your shirt , "Turn red." It changes from blue to red. In 2035, "smart clothes" contain particles much smaller than the cells in your body. The particles can be programmed to change clothes' color1 or pattern.
You walk into the kitchen . You pick up the milk ,but a voice says ," You shouldn't drink that!" Your fridge has read the chip that contains information about the milk , and it knows the milk is old . In 2035, every article of food in the grocery store has such a chip .
It's time to go to work . In 2035, cars drive themselves. Just tell your "smart car" where to go. On the way , you can call a friend using your jacket sleeve . Such "smart technology" is all around you.
So will all these things come true? "For new technology to succeed," says scientist Andrew Zolli ,"it has to be so much better that it replaces what we have already." The Internet is one example---- what will be the next? | high17054.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "To advocate eating more raw and whole foods"
},
"options": [
"To advocate eating more raw and whole foods",
"To tell the differences between raw and processed foods",
"To inform people of the harm of processed foods",
"... | Why are people interested in eating raw foods or whole foods? One reason is that eating these types of food reduces the risk of acid accumulation in your body.
Raw and whole foods are usually digested more efficiently than cooked and refined foods. When we cook foods, we destroy the natural enzymes that are part of the food in its raw form. These enzymes were intended by nature to help us digest the food. When we consume food without these natural enzymes, our bodies either digest the food improperly or allow too many nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream. In both instances, the result is obesity. When too many nutrients are absorbed at once, the body grows fat. Improperly digested food moves slowly through the digestive tract, where it becomes increasingly acidic . To protect its vital organs from this acidic waste, the body changes the acid into fat and stores it safely away from the organs.
Processed foods contain chemical elements, which might confuse the appetite mechanism that tells us when we've had enough to eat; as a result, people often overeat . Processed foods also upset the digestive cycle. The body will either identify these foods as allergens and then store them safely away from the organs as fat, or the remains of undigested food will become acidic and enter the bloodstream as acid waste, which will stick to the blood vessel walls and block the passage of vital oxygen and nutrients heading for the body's cells. The body's metabolism becomes inactive, and then result is weight gain and obesity.
The accumulation of acid in the digestive tract makes digestion increasingly inefficient. When that happens, even healthy foods can become acidic and the food allergies will become more common.
To stop this vicious circle in its tracks, people need to consume food and supplements that will neutralize (...)the acid already accumulated in body. Eating the right types of raw and whole foods can help. it's also important to restore your enzyme balance. You need to identify and avoid the foods that cause acid accumulation and consume the foods that increase enzyme production. If you truly want to change and help your body heal itself , you need to take an active approach.. | high5513.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The results from the research is not satisfactory."
},
"options": [
"If a child is hungry at childhood, he will be disabled in the future.",
"Criticism is the best medicine for hunger.",
"The results from the research is not ... | New research says 35 percent of the deaths of children worldwide are caused by hunger. The research is from poor to middle-income countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Robert Black from the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University in prefix = st1 /Marylandwas the leading writer of the research. He says more than 3.5 million mothers and children under five die in poor countries each year because of hunger.
He says more than two million children die from underdevelopment, either before or after birth. Millions of others who survive face a lifetime of disabilities or early death. And the effects are not just physical. Poor brain development can limit economic success as children become adults. Then the cycle of poverty and hunger often repeats for their children.
Doctor Black says hungry children are also more likely to have conditions like high blood pressure and heart disease as adults. He says the studies show that food programs need to place the greatest importance on the first two years of life. Hungry children can suffer the whole life damage from age two.
So it is high time to improve their diets. Diets should include foods rich in vitamin A and other useful things. The researchers say early help like these could reduce child deaths by 25%.
The research has faced some criticism . A medical aid group says the researchers underestimate the number of child deaths from hunger. The researchers say there are findings that support this treatment but more studies are needed to compare it to hospital care. | high18367.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Think twice about the adoption."
},
"options": [
"Think twice about the adoption.",
"Get detailed information about the pets.",
"Make full preparations for the coming pet.",
"Try to make the pet your family member."
... | If your family is thinking of getting a pet, consider adopting from an animal shelter. Animal shelters are full of dogs, cats, rabbits, and more animals, all in need of loving homes. Some may come with emotional or behavioral issues, but most are happy, healthy, and ready for a loving home. Here are some tips for you to find great animals.
Make some decision.
Think about what you want in a pet and remember that all pets have different personalities. Cats tend to be more independent and need less affection, but kittens need lots of attention. Cats don't need to be walked, but you need to clip their nails and play with them. Dogs need to be walked at the very least twice a day. However, they are usually great companions and love to spend time with their family.
Visit the shelter.
Set aside at least a few hours to visit shelters in your area--remember that you may need to visit more than one visit. Try to bring along everyone who will be living with a new pet. Ask the shelter staff lots of questions. And never adopt an animal because you feel sorry for it--be patient so you find a pet who is truly a good match for your family.
Get everything ready.
Buy all necessary supplies and food well before the animal comes home. Make sure that the entire household is in agreement about rules and responsibilities--will the dog be allowed on the couch? Who will clean the litter box? Put it in writing before the pet arrives.
Bring your new friend home!
You'll probably be excited when your new pet arrives, but be sure to give them space and time to get adjusted to a new home and a new family. The pet may act differently once they leave the shelter. Interact with your pet a lot and get them used to a routine, and soon you'll be one big happy family ! | high9329.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "there was no fish"
},
"options": [
"there was a big storm",
"the Prime Minister did not bring him any food",
"there was no fish",
"his servants didn't know how to cook well"
],
"question": "The king didn't have ... | Once there was a king who never ate a meal unless there was a dish of fish with it, but one day there was a big storm and the fishermen were not able to go out to catch fish, so the king had no breakfast and no lunch. Then he ordered his servants to tell everybody in his capital that if anyone brought him a fish, he would give him anything that he asked for.
At last, a fisherman caught a big fish late in the afternoon and hurried to the king's palace with it. But the king's Prime Minister would not let him in until he promised to give him half of whatever the king gave him for the fish.
The king was very happy when he saw the fish. He asked the fisherman what he wanted for his fish. To his surprise, the fisherman said, "I want you to beat me two dozen times with a stick." When the king began to beat him a dozen times, the fisherman jumped away and said, "That is enough for me. I promised the other dozen to your Prime Minister." Then he told the king what had happened between the Prime Minister and himself. The king was very angry. He not only gave the Prime Minister the dozen hits, but also said, "Because you have been dishonest, you will not be my Prime Minister any more. The fisherman will take your place." | high1775.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "6:45 p.m."
},
"options": [
"10:20 a.m.",
"6:30 a.m.",
"6:45 p.m.",
"4:40 p.m."
],
"question": "What time does a bus leave New York for Brennan every Thursday?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
... | BUS SERVICE
New York City -- Brennan, New Jersey
(Trip time: 30 minutes each way )
Timetable
*Buses leave the Railway Station, New York 7:00 a.m. and every half-hour thereafter until 11:30 p.m. (7 days a week).
*Buses leave Brennan Station 20 minutes before and after every hour from 6:20 a.m. to 10:40 p.m. (7 days a week ).
*Evening rush hours(5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.) buses leave the Railway Station, New York every 15 minutes (Monday -- Friday).
*Holidays: buses leave every hour on the hour time, each direction.
All tickets must be bought at Window 12, the Railway Station, New York, or at the Brennan Station Window before boarding buses. | high15643.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "to classify your emails to your preference"
},
"options": [
"to clear your mail box when it is full",
"to scan your inbox faster than others",
"to classify your emails to your preference",
"to gather all the odds and en... | Making email easier is a task that several applications and email customers have tried and failed at SaneBox, like many _ , aims to make your digital life easier without forcing you to change your email platform.
To be sure, you can apply various priority classes and groupings using SaneBox. What really makes SaneBox worth checking out is its ability to ensure unimportant and low-priority emails don't take up even a second of your day.
When you apply SaneBox to your email client , it spends a good deal of time scanning your entire inbox, including ones you've already read. This helps the add-on determine which emails are most important to you. From then on you'll only see emails that SaneBox determines are must-reads, with all others falling into a "Later" folder which you can read at your spare time.
Each day --- or however often you want it --- SaneBox will produce a report of all the low-priority emails it has collected for you, like a secretary gathering all the odds and ends for a short daily report. If you find an important email has been flagged as low-priority, you can adjust the settings so it never happens again.
SaneBox works with all IMAP, WebDAV and OWA email customers including Yahoo, Gmail, AOL, MS Exchange and others. The program also supports OS X's Mail customers, though it requires a bit of adjusting POP-only email services are not supported.
You can try out SaneBox for two weeks with no charge and after that point 3 options of subscriptions are available, ranging from US$2 to $20 per month. | high8037.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Choose the holiday in Devon."
},
"options": [
"Choose the holiday in Devon.",
"Go to the Snowdonia Centre.",
"Join the World Sea Trip of 2008.",
"Visit Acapulco and Hawaii."
],
"question": "What can you do if yo... | Holidays
Holiday News
Vacations now and in the school holidays at a country hotel in Devon. This comfortable, friendly home-from-home lies near the beautiful quiet countryside, but just a drive away from the sea. The food is simple but good. Children and pets are welcome. Reduced prices for low season.
The Snowdonia Centre
The Snowdonia Centre for young mountain climbers has a mountain climbing Lesson. The beginners' costs are 57 for a week, including food and rooms. Equipment is included except walking shoes, which can be hired at a low cost.
You must be in good health and prepared to go through a period of body exercises. This could be the beginning of a lifetime of mountain climbing adventure.
The World Sea Trip of a Lifetime
Our World Sea Trip of 2008 will be unlike any holiday you have ever been on before.
Instead of one hotel after another, with all its packing and unpacking, waiting and travelling, you just go to bed in one country and wake up in another.
On board the ship, you will be well taken care of. Every meal will be first-class and every cabin like your home.
During the trip, you can rest on desk ,enjoy yourself in the games rooms and in the evening dance to our musical team and watch our wonderful play.
You will visit all the places most people only dream about--from Acapulco and Hawaii to Tokyo and Hong Kong.
For a few thousand, all you've ever hoped for can be yours. | high14549.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "systems of reducing carbon emissions"
},
"options": [
"programs of collecting taxes",
"systems of reducing carbon emissions",
"reasons for reducing carbon emissions",
"contradictions between the two systems"
],
... | Everyone agrees that it's necessary to reduce carbon emissions around the world. There is less agreement over exactly how nations should go about achieving a more carbon - free planet. Thus, the environmental equivalent: cap - and - trade carbon emissions, or place a carbon tax on all users?
With cap - and - trade programs, governments limit the level of carbon produced by an industry. Companies that hold their emissions below the _ can sell their remaining allowance on a carbon market, while companies that go beyond their limit must purchase credits on that market. Carbon taxes are more straightforward: a set tax rate is placed on the consumption of carbon with the idea that raising the price will encourage industries and individuals to consume less. At the moment, cap-and-trade has the upper hand, but doesn't defeat the tax just yet.
Supporters of the tax argue that a cap - and - trade system would be too difficult to administer - and too easily gamed by industries looking to sidestep emissions caps. Cap-and-trade advocates contradict that like all other flat taxes, a carbon collection would relatively burden lower - income families, who spend a greater percentage of their income on energy than rich households.
So which system will have a larger effect on carbon consumption? A 10% carbon tax might reduce the demand for carbon about 5 % or less, according to an analysis by the Carbon Tax Center, an environmental advocacy group. That may not be enough. Businesses and governments haven't figured out how the two competing systems can work together, but in the end, the world may need both. | high13226.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Clay"
},
"options": [
"Sand",
"Clay",
"Water",
"Salt"
],
"question": "Which ingredient of the quicksand make someone trapped in it stuck and stuck fast?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"a... | Analysis of the composition of quicksand shows that there are four key ingredients--sand, obviously water, clay and salt. Together these materials form a structure resembling a house of cards, with large water-filled gaps between the sand particles, which are loosely glued in place by the clay. As long as it's left alone, the structure remains stable. But as soon as it's disturbed, by stepping on it, the clay changes from a jelly-like consistency to a runny liquid. The effect is the same as stirring a pot of yoghurt. Liquefying the clay makes the quicksand about one million times runnier, and the whole house of cards comes tumbling down, with you inside it.
Very quickly, the sand sinks to the bottom and the water floats to the top. This is where the salt comes in. When there's enough salt present, as soon as the clay particles liquefy, electrical charges make them begin to stick together to form bigger particles and these also settle with the sand. Quicksand is a mixture which looks like solid, but behaves more like a liquid.
Despite its murderous reputation, quicksand does not such people under and swallow them, although it can hold a person in firm grip. The human body is more buoyant in quicksand than in water, and sooner or later anyone trapped in it will float.
Unlike most liquids, quicksand's viscosity, or "runniness" can suddenly change if it comes under pressure, for example under a human foot. The surface gives way and the victim quickly sinks in up to the knees, surrounded by an area of dirty things that turns semi-solid around its victim. Escaping from the quicksand's grip requires a large amount of force. Without something solid to pull at, people often find they are stuck fast. Pulling at one leg simply makes the other one sink further.
So how do you escape from quicksand's control? Stay still and call for help. Staying still stops you sinking any further, until--with luck--help arrives on the scene. If no one appears and you need to draw yourself out, gently lie down on your back until your body is floating on the sand. Next, roll over onto your stomach and pull yourself forwards with your hands, so that you gradually "swim" towards firmer ground. It is a slow and dirty business, but it works.
This technique has one barrier: it goes against a very powerful human nature. Faced with danger in the open, nine out of ten stay on their feet so that they can run away, in which case it can worsen the situation. | high12138.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Mass media persuade us into buying what we don't need at all."
},
"options": [
"Mass media have an effect on our speech and thoughts.",
"Mass media keep us informed and connected.",
"Mass media persuade us into buying what we... | Mass media are tools of communication. They allow us to record and pass information rapidly to a large, scattered audience. They extend our ability to each other by helping us overcome limits caused by time and space. Mass media can be divided into two groups: print media and electronic media. By print media, we mean books, newspapers and magazines. Electronic media include television, radio and movie.
There are a number of ways in which mass media make daily life easier for us. First, they inform and help us keep a watch on our world. They gather and pass on information we would be unlikely or unable to gain on our own.
Second, mass media help us to arrange our time and life. What we talk about and what we think about are greatly influenced by the media. When people get together, they tend to talk about certain happenings on the newspapers or on TV. Because we are provided with differing points of view through different kinds of media every day, we are able to comment on all sides of a certain issue.
Third, mass media help us to connect with various groups in society. Through mass media, we are able to keep in contact with politicians in the world; with famous actors and actresses, and with our beloved singers.
Fourth, the media help to socialize us. We learn about the preferred behavior and values from the people we meet as well as from the media. Through portrayals of people, the media tell us what proper behaviors are. By doing so, they teach us standards of behavior and values, and help us in our daily life.
Fifth, the media are used to persuade people. A good example is advertisements through the media. Newspapers, magazines and TV are filled with all kinds of colorful, persuasive advertisements. Though many advertisements may not say openly that they want you to buy a certain product, they describe their products in such a way that you may want to but them.
Sixth, the media entertain. All of the media make some effort trying to entertain their audience. For example, even though the newspaper is a main medium of information, it also contains entertainment features. Many newspapers offer their readers at least some of the following: comics, fiction books and puzzle games, televisions and magazines are devoted mainly to entertainment. It is guessed that in the future, the entertainment function of mass media will become even more important than it is now. | high7310.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Students who failed the college entrance exam may suffer from some mental problems."
},
"options": [
"After the college entrance exam, more attention is paid to students who failed the exam.",
"Students who failed the college entra... | Statistics show that every year, about 4 million students fail to pass the national college entrance exam. However, as China recently publicized students' scores for this year's college entrance exam, it seems that schools, parents and society at large give more attention to students who succeed in the exam, few people care about those who fail, the China Education Daily reported.
Some students, after failing the exam, cannot get a timely support from their parents or teachers and begin to display some serious mental problems. How to help these students to get rid of the shadow on their mind has become a problem to be taken seriously.
First, students' friends, parents and relatives should offer their sympathy and care to them in order to comfort their heart. At this time, parents should not blame students for their failure, otherwise they might bear more psychological burden.
Secondly, teachers and the whole society should also offer more support to students who fail the exam.
Lastly, students themselves should also try to overcome their depressions and adjust their mood.
The newspaper urges the general public to offer their care, trust and support to these students. It also expects that students can face their failure bravely and try to start a new life happily. | high8023.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "16"
},
"options": [
"42",
"58",
"16",
"18"
],
"question": "How many websites were shut down before mid-March in the latest crackdown on online rumors?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"ans... | Authorities will continue to take a hard line on Internet-based rumors and punish those creating fake information, a senior official said on Thursday.
Authorities have removed more than 210,000 online posts and shut down 42 websites since mid-March in their latest crackdown on online rumors, said Liu Zhengrong, a senior official with the State Internet Information Office.
Fake information or rumors spread through the Internet, especially on micro blogs, have harmed social order and residents' daily lives, he said at a news briefing in Beijing.
Before the crackdown, six people who allegedly fabricated rumors about "military vehicles entering Beijing" had been detained and 16 websites closed for
fake online information, according to police authorities.
"What we've done and will do is to make sure residents can know what they want to know, say what they think and supervise our management in a reliable and useful network environment," Liu said.
Liu disagreed that the Internet can police itself against rumors, and told China Daily that some netizens can't distinguish truth from fiction, "requiring government departments and website companies to take measures".
On Monday, the Internet Society of China posted a proposal calling on Internet companies and websites to strengthen self-discipline and prevent the spread of online rumors.
In response, three main Internet companies in the country - Sina, Baidu and Tencent - said they will target fake information with advanced technology and invest in manpower to supervise online information.
Zhao Zhiguo, deputy director of the Telecommunications Administration under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said stricter self-management of websites will help banish online rumors.
"Internet companies should take legal responsibility when operating their websites. They should not become a hotbed for rumors and provide opportunities for fake information," Zhao said, adding they will launch similar crackdowns to close illegal website companies and punish those responsible.
Currently, people who make or spread rumors related to terrorism and securities trading, or information affecting State security and companies' commercial reputations, will face criminal punishment.
Liu Honghui, a Beijing lawyer specializing in online cases, said he welcomed the government's action to curb online rumors.
"Residents used online banks to shop or book flights, which needs a safe platform without fake information," he said.
Yu Guofu, another lawyer from Sheng Feng Law Firm, said the key to reducing rumors is netizens themselves.
"If micro-bloggers think twice before forwarding information, rumors will decrease." | high15657.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "to help him control his bad temper"
},
"options": [
"to stop his anger from breaking out",
"to help him control his bad temper",
"to remember how many times he lost his temper",
"to keep a record of his bad temper"
... | There was a little boy with a bad temper . His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail in the back fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Then _ began to become less. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.
Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.
The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there.
A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one. Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us. Show your friends how much you care. Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND. | high20834.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "about 19.1 million"
},
"options": [
"about 23,1 million",
"about 21.7 million",
"about 2.6 million",
"about 19.1 million"
],
"question": "According to the passage, how many people went to Thailand for a trip exc... | Thai authorities have been urged to see to it that condominiums , apartment houses and other lodgings available to tourists throughout the country will be of higher quality than today, a leading tourism businesswoman has said.
Piyaman Techapaibul, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand, called on the Ministry of Tourism & Sports as well as other government agencies concerned to have those places and accommodations for tourists improved and upgraded to meet international standards because, she said, today's tourists from around the world have more money to spend and prefer quality lodgings as well as quality services and accommodations at those places.
"Added by condos and apartment houses currently opening for daily rent, the number of lodgings for tourists throughout the country has increased over the years, but not the qualities. Many of today's tourists are so _ and selective that they'd prefer quality places where personnel should be very responsible and experienced in taking care of them while security should be constantly and effectually maintained," she said.
Employees and staff in charge of providing accommodations to tourists should be expert in communicating with the foreigners, service-minded and speak fluent English, according to the council leader.
Thailand is seen to receive up to 23.1 million tourists from other countries around the world next year, compared to about 21.7 million, who have reportedly visited the country throughout this year, about 2.6 million of whom from China, while as much as two trillion baht (US$66.6 billion) is expected to be earned from tourist industry by 2015, compared to about one trillion baht (US$33.3 billion) this year.
Thailand's most favorite destinations for tourists include the world-famous beach resorts of Pattaya and Phuket, the Andaman Sea archipelagos of Krabi and Surat Thani and the capital city of Bangkok.
The council leader made her comments in response to news reports that the government might deregulate businesses of running condominiums and apartment houses to the extent that they might not only serve as a place which collects monthly rent from the tenants but as a hotel where guests pay the room rates on a daily basis.
No parking lots or hotel-operating licenses might be legally required at such places nationwide only if they were practically turned into daily hotels or guesthouses. | high3176.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "It was built during the hard times."
},
"options": [
"It was completed recently.",
"It was built during the hard times.",
"It has the longest arch.",
"It's the seventh highest dam in the world."
],
"question": "... | America's greatest technological achievement, the Hoover Dam, now has a companion piece, a bridge held up by the longest arch in the Western Hemisphere . The Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, which opened this month and connects the U.S. states of Arizona and Nevada, crosses the vast chasm 890 feet above the Colorado River that is controlled by the dam.
The striking 1,900-foot-long structure will improve traffic in the region and help protect the dam from being destroyed. It is the seventh highest bridge in the world, behind four in China, one in Papua New Guinea and one in the US state of Colorado.
"The Hoover Dam is the greatest civil engineering achievement in America's history," said the bridge project manager Dave Zanatell. "Our goal was not to outdo or outshine it. Our goal was to, in a respectful way, do something that would be great for our generation and that would stand besides Hoover Dam in a respectful and quality way that would become a part of Hoover's legacy ."
Just as the Hoover Dam was built in the heart of the Great Depression and was seen as an example of the nation's can-do spirit, some hope this project can also provide some _ .
The bridge is surprising: at 1,050 feet, its support arch holds up a roadway that lies on 300-foot-long concrete pillars , some of the tallest in the world. It contains 16 million pounds of steel.
The idea of the bridge came into being in the 1960s because the top of the Hoover Dam has been a narrow two-lane road that is the fastest route from Arizona to Las Vegas and then the Pacific Northwest and Canada.
Access to the dam from each direction is a dangerously winding route, but massive trucks and passenger vehicles shared it for decades. During the day, when thousands of tourists travel to the dam from Las Vegas three times as many accidents as on a normal road will happen.
The bridge has a sidewalk on the side facing the dam. The wall on both sides is 54 inches high, so walkers can take photos there. | high11431.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "future man will look quite different from us."
},
"options": [
"man's life will be different in the future.",
"future man will look quite different from us.",
"man is growing taller and uglier as time passes.",
"human's... | What will man be like in the future--in 5000 or even 50, 000 years from now? We can only make guesses, of course, but we can be sure that he will be different from what he is today, for man is slowly changing all the time.
Let us take an obvious example. Man, even five hundred years ago , was shorter than he is today. Now, on average, men are about three inches taller. Five hundred years is a relatively short period of time, so we may assume that man will continue to grow taller. Again, in the modem world we use our brains a great deal. Even so, we still make use of only about 20% of the brain' s capacity . As time goes on , however , we shall have to use our brains more and more, and eventually we shall need larger ones! This is likely to bring about a physical change too: the head, in particular the forehead, will grow larger. Nowadays our eyes are in constant use. In fact , we use them so much that very often they become weaker and we have to wear glasses. But over a very long period of time it is likely that man' s eyes will grow stronger.
On the other hand, we tend to make less use of our arms and legs. These, as a result, are likely to grow weaker. At the same time, however , our fingers will grow more sensitive because they are used a great deal in modern life.
But what about hair? This will probably disappear from the body altogether in course of time because it does not serve a useful purpose any longer. In the future, then, both sexes are likely to be bald.
Perhaps all this gives the impression that future man will not be a very attractive creature to look at! This may well be true. All the same, in spite of all these changes, future man will still have a lot in common with us. He will still be a human being, with thoughts and emotions similar to our own. ... | high2268.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "similar to Venice in certain aspects"
},
"options": [
"as big as Venice",
"similar to Venice in certain aspects",
"the largest city in Europe",
"a big inland city"
],
"question": "We can conclude from the passag... | Amsterdam is a city like Venice founded on and around water or waterways. However, unlike Venice, Holland's largest city isn't only a museum. Amsterdam is a real, living and large city.
The Dutch capital has clearly come a long way since it was founded. A story goes that two fishermen and a seasick dog first came there. The dog jumped ship to pour out the con- tents of his stomach and the two fishermen became the founders of Amsterdam. The reality of its founding might have something to do with the River Amstel which was built in the 13th century. Settlement developed slowly there and it took its name.
Amsterdam is built on numberless canals, which neatly divide the city into easily navigable districts. There seems to be a canal around every corner in Amsterdam. This is not too surprising when you consider that the city is home to 165 canals, which are more than Venice.
During the summer, people come together in Vondel park, where locals and tourists alike relax in the. fine weather. Amsterdam might be one of Europe's wettest capitals, but as soon as the clouds are clear and the sun shines, its citizens go out into the streets to sit in cafes, go boating on a canal, or even ride bicycles; the number of bikes in the city is more than double that of the city's population.
Amsterdam's winters tend to be cold with plenty of rain, but this seldom seems to stop the tourists from gathering together in the city. Particularly cold winters also offer a good chance for visitors to watch the local people skating across the frozen canals. These days, with plenty of rail, bus and air connections to all over Europe, the Dutch capital is a year-round tourist destination as well as one of the world's key business centers. | high18373.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "wanted him to go hack to class"
},
"options": [
"tried to help with his business",
"were too suspicious to accept it",
"wanted him to go hack to class",
"encouraged him to compete with IBM"
],
"question": "When ... | When he was just 19, Michael Dell started the company that would _ the industry.
At the time, IBM personal computers sold in stores for about $3,000. After taking them apart and rebuilding them, Dell realized the components could be bought for one-fourth the price. Soon he was buying components to reduce the cost. A good business decision, but it meant his room was starting to look like a mechanic's shop.
"I was quite excited about the possibilities for personal computers and how they could change society. I had this idea to sell the products directly to the users over the phone", he said. College plans and his parents' expectations bothered him a lot. But Michael Dell was determined. He drove off to the University of Texas at Austin in August 1983 in a car he'd bought with earnings from selling newspapers. He was surprised that his mother wasn't suspicious about the three computers in the backseat. By November, news reached his parents that he wasn't attending classes. On a surprise visit to Austin, they caught their son on spot. Michael Dell told his dad that he wanted to compete with IBM.
Although Michael agreed to focus on his studies, the business chances and the timing couldn't have been better. The public was becoming more interested in computers, but no one was producing them. In early May, a week before his final exams, Michael started Dell computer Corporation with $1,000. He took his exams, and then dropped out of college at the end of his freshman year. It was time to try out his direct-to-customer business model.
"Three years later", Dell says, "we had already achieved annual sales of about $150 million, I was 22 years old then." | high5507.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "he used it to ask for a Christmas tip"
},
"options": [
"he wanted the couple to pay for the newspaper",
"he forgot to write a few words on it",
"he used it to ask for a Christmas tip",
"he was afraid of asking for a tip... | Several weeks ago, a mysterious Christmas card dropped through our mailbox. The envelope was addressed to a man named Raoul, who, I was ly certain, did not live with us. The envelope wasn't sealed, so I opened it. The inside of the card was blank. Ed, my husband, explained that the card was both from and to the newspaper deliveryman. His name was apparently Raoul, and Raoul wanted a holiday tip. We were meant to put a check inside the card and then drop the envelope in the mail. When your services are finished at 4 a.m., you can't simply hang around, like a hotel bellboy expecting a tip. You have to be direct.
So I wrote a nice holiday greeting to this man who, in my imagination, fires The New York Times from his bike aimed at our front door, causing more noise with mere newsprint than most people manage with sophisticated black market fireworks. With a start, I realized that perhaps the reason for the 4 a.m. wake-up noise was not ordinary rudeness but carefully executed spite : I had not tipped Raoul in Christmas past. I honestly hadn't realized I was supposed to. This was the first time he'd used the card tactic . So I got out my checkbook. Somewhere along the line, holiday tipping went from an optional thank-you for a year of services to a Mafia-style protection racket .
Several days later, I was bringing our garbage bins back when I noticed an envelope taped to one of the lids. The outside of the envelope said MICKEY. It had to be another tip request, this time from our garbage collector. Unlike Raoul, Mickey hadn't enclosed his own Christmas card from me. In a way, I appreciated the directness. "I know you don't care how merry my Christmas is, and that's fine," the gesture said. "I want $30, or I'll 'forget' to empty your garbage bin some hot summer day." I put a check in the envelope and taped it back to the bin. The next morning, Ed noticed that the envelope was gone, though the trash hadn't yet been picked up: "Someone stole Mickey's tip!" Ed was quite certain. He made me call the bank and cancel the check. But Ed had been wrong. Two weeks later, Mickey left a letter from the bank on our steps. The letter informed Mickey that the check, which he had tried to cash, had been cancelled.
The following Tuesday morning, when Ed saw a truck outside, he ran out with his wallet. "Are you Mickey?" The man looked at him with scorn . "Mickey is the garbageman. I am the recycling." Not only had Ed insulted this man by suggesting that he was a garbageman, but he had obviously neglected to tip him. Ed ran back inside for more funds. Then he noticed that the driver of the truck had been watching the whole incident. He peeled off another twenty and looked around, waving bills in the air. "Anyone else? "
Had we consulted the website of the Emily Post Institute, this embarrassing break of etiquette could have been avoided. Under "trash/recycling collectors" in the institute's Holiday Tipping Guidelines, it says: "$10 to $30 each." You may or may not wish to know that your hairdresser, mailman and UPS guy all expect a holiday tip. | high17726.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "temperature"
},
"options": [
"size",
"age",
"location",
"temperature"
],
"question": "Matter on the sun can exist only in the form of gas because of the sun's _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},... | The temperature of the sun is over 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit at the surface, but it rises to perhaps more than 16 million degrees at the center. The sun is so much hotter than the earth that matter can exist only as a gas, except at the core. In the core of the sun, the pressures are so great against the gases that, despite the high temperature, there may be a small solid core. However, no one really knows, since the center of the sun can never be directly observed.
Solar astronomers do know that the sun is divided into five layers or zones. Starting at the outside and going down into the sun, the zones are the corona, chromosphere, photosphere, convection zone and finally the core. The first three zones are regarded as the sun's atmosphere ends and the main body of the sun begins.
The sun's outermost layer begins about 10,000 miles above the visible surface and goes outward for millions of miles. This is the only part of the sun that can be seen during an eclipse such as the one in February 1979. At any other time, the corona can be seen only when special instruments are used on cameras and telescopes to shut out the glare of the sun's rays.
The corona is a brilliant, pearly white, filmy light, about as bright as the full moon. Its beautiful rays are a sensational sight during an eclipse. The corona's rays flash out in a brilliant fan that has wispy spikelike rays near the sun's north and south poles. The corona is thickest at the sun's equator.
The corona rays are made up of gases streaming outward at tremendous speeds and reaching a temperature of more than 2 million degrees Fahrenheit. The rays of gas thin out as they reach the space around the planets. By the time the sun's corona rays reach the earth, they are weak and invisible. | high10049.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the Web , better than the textbooks ,can give the latest and comprehensive information."
},
"options": [
"the Web could take them everywhere",
"the Web taught them a lot.",
"the Web is a good tool for information.",
"th... | Imagine a classroom missing the one thing that's long been considered a necessary part to reading and writing---paper. No notebooks, no textbooks, no test papers. Nor are there any pencils or pens, which always seems to _ . A "paperless classroom" is what more and more schools are trying to achieve .
Students don't do any handwriting in this class . Instead , they use palm size , or specially--designed computers. The teacher downloads texts from Internet libraries and sends them to every student's personal computer. Having computers also means that students use the Web. They can look up information on any subject they're studying from maths to social science.
High school teacher Judy Herrell in Florida, US, described how her class used the Web to learn about the war in Afghanistan over one year ago. We could touch every side of the country through different sites from the forest to refugee camps, she said ."Using a book that's three or four years old is impossible."And exams can go on line too. At a high school in Tennessee, US, students take tests on their own computers. The teacher records the grades on the network for everyone to see and then copies them to his own electronic grade book. A paperless classroom is a big step towards reducing the waste of paper. High school teacher Stephanie--Sorrell in Kentucky,US, said she used to give about 900 pieces of paper each week to each student.
"Think about the money and trees we could save with the computers,"she said .But, with all this technology, there is always the risk that the machines will break down. So , in case of a power failure or technical problems, paper textbooks are still widely available for these hi--tech students. | high3610.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "don't necessarily reflect her real self"
},
"options": [
"show that she is a top student",
"show how much time she has spent in learning",
"only mean that she knows how to learn, but she doesn't know how to socialize",
... | I used to think education was the most important thing in my life. Recently my attitude has begun to change, although I still hold that it is _ for everyone in the world today. As a top junior student in my college, I was asked to make a speech on how to learn English well. Standing in front of the audience and facing so many freshmen, I was trembling. I didn' t remember any word that I had prepared. I ran out of the conference room without finishing my speech, leaving everyone puzzled. I cried that night in my room, feeling that I was a loser. Studying takes up so much of my time that I feel unable to really develop myself. I am just storing knowledge, yet I fail to communicate with others. I have received many awards in school, but they don't necessarily reflect anything about me. I don't know how to socialize. When I leave school I fear I will be of no use to society.
I realize that everyone has his own way of living. I want to change my lifestyle. Of course I will keep studying. Yet I plan to look for a part-time job, which might turn out to be a good chance to get to know society. I still believe that working my hardest makes me happy. I will still stay on in college. But I will not allow it to shelter me from the real world. | high11357.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "may live longer than people who don't eat nuts"
},
"options": [
"are more likely to live longer than people who often eat fruits",
"don't need to go to hospital",
"may live longer than people who don't eat nuts",
"don't... | Eat nuts, live longer. Researchers have found that those who eat a handful of peanuts every day significantly decrease their risk of dying from all causes compared to those who do not eat nuts. A new study concludes that all types of nuts seem to be protective.
Researcher Ying Bao is with the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard University Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. She and her colleagues looked at the impact of nut consumption by analyzing two huge studies that began in 1980 - the Nurses' Health Study, which tracks the
of more than 76,000 women, and 42,000 men enrolled in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.
Among the questions asked at the beginning of the studies was, 'how frequently do you eat nuts?' The information was updated every two to four years. Bao says the participants were followed for three decades.
"What we observed is that people who eat more nuts are less likely to die over the next 30 years," said Bao. "So, for example, if a person eat(s) nuts once per day, that person has a 20 percent lower risk of dying."
Bao says eating a handful of nuts five or more times per week was associated with a 29 percent reduced risk of dying from heart disease and an 11 percent lower risk of cancer death. A serving size is 28 grams.
Nuts contain nutrients, including high quality proteins, vitamins and minerals, all of which have anti-cancer effects and may help protect the heart.
Bao says researchers are planning studies to find out how nuts are beneficial to human health.
The study on the health benefits of nuts was funded by the International Tree Nut Council Research and Education Foundation. | high16438.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "money"
},
"options": [
"gold",
"metal",
"money",
"silver"
],
"question": "People used different kinds of things as_.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
... | People use money to buy food, furniture, books, bicycles and hundreds of other things they need or want. Most of the money today is made of metal or paper. But people used to use all kinds of things as money. One of the first kinds of money was shells. Shells were not the only things used as money. In China, cloth and knives were used. In the Philippine Islands, rice was used as money for a long time. Elephant tusks, monkey tails, and salt were used as money in parts of Africa.
Some animals were used as money too. The first metal coins were made in China. They were round and had a square hole in the center. People _ them together and carried them from place to place. The first coins in England were made of tin . Sweden and Russia used copper to make their money. Later countries began to make coins of gold and silver.
Later the Chinese thought of a way to improve money. They began to use paper money. Money has had an interesting history from the days of shell money until today. | high7476.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "knee-length pants"
},
"options": [
"knee-length pants",
"shirts without sleeves",
"transparent T-shirts",
"jeans sticking to skin"
],
"question": "According to the new standardized dress code, students in the US... | The first day of school always goes wrong. For many students in the United States, however, this year it was even more so. It was all due to one extra school policy - they are now required to follow a new standardized dress code.
According to the handbooks of all high schools in Allentown, Pennsylvania, students must wear short- or long-sleeve polo shirts and khaki or black pants. Skinny jeans, leggings and open-toe shoes are not allowed.
Allentown schools are not alone. At Edgewater High School in Florida, shirts must have collars or sleeves, and pants must not sag and reach at least mid-thigh . No see-through shirts or T- shirts with references to sex on them are allowed.
Overall, more than half of US public schools now enforce dress codes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. About 57 percent of schools now have a "strict dress code", up from more than 47 percent a decade earlier, USA Today said.
Among young people, there are mixed emotions. Some don't mind wearing similar clothes every day while others aren't happy. Despite dress codes in many school districts, some students still come to school - even on their first day - in skirts that are too short, necklines that are too low and sagging pants that don't stay up on their hips.
But there are punishments. If they are out of dress code, students can be removed from the classroom until they fix the problem. In Florida, wearing sagging pants is illegal for youths according to a state law issued in 2011. Breaking the rule results in not being able to do after-school activities, and even being forbidden to attend class.
Some US schools go further and require students to wear uniforms. Many say that they simplify their jobs, saving teachers from having to punish students for wearing skirts or shorts that are too short, for instance. They can also prevent feelings of competition and envy among students.
"It takes away the daily fashion show and helps level the playing field a little bit with the haves and have-nots," longtime school safety consultant Ken Trump told USA Today.
Critics of uniforms say they rob students of individuality. But for some people, that's a lazy argument.
"Clothing isn't the only form of self-expression. Students should know that it's what they do that counts," commented a parent named Beth Kassab in The Orlando Sentinel in Florida. | high8745.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "he was shy and nervous"
},
"options": [
"her voice was very low",
"he was shy and nervous",
"he was attracted by her appearance",
"he wasn't interested in her topic"
],
"question": "The author didn't pay attenti... | Shyness equals losing opportunities, less pleasure and fewer social connections, but there are ways to make it a thing of the past.
When I was fifteen, I was shy. I remember an attractive girl trying to talk with me. My shyness made me focus on me instead of her. I heard my own voice but not hers and I thought about what I was trying to say instead of what she was trying to say.
To overcome shyness you need to learn to relax. This gives you the space to practice certain conversational skills. Relaxed socializing is so pleasurable. To start reducing your own shyness, I want you to absorb the following tips and ideas and start to put them into practice.
Focus your attention away from yourself. Notice what other people are wearing and make a mental note, listen to their conversation, imagine where they might live, and make a point of remembering names. Not only does this give you more to talk about, it also reduces social anxiety, leaving you feeling calmer.
Ask people open questions. Many people like to talk about themselves and will find you interesting if you find them interesting. Ask questions that require more than a "yes" or "no" response such as "What do you like about this place?' rather than "Do you like this place?" Once they have answered, you can use add-on questions connected with the first such as "What other places do you like in this city?" Next you can express your views. This is a great way to get the conversation going.
Now I love meeting new people and suspect that my current social confidence would be unrecognizable to my fifteen-year-old self. | high13540.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The advantage of spending time with one child at a time."
},
"options": [
"The basic needs of children.",
"The happy life of two families.",
"The experience of the only child being with mother.",
"The advantage of spend... | Our "Mommy and Me" time began two years ago.
My next-door neighbor and fellow mother, Christie, and I were our in our front yards, watching seven children of age six and under ride their bikes up and down. "I wish I could take one of my children out alone," said Christie. Then we worked out a plan. When Christie takes one of her children out alone, I'll watch her other three. And when she watched two of mine, I will take someone out.
The children were extremely quick to accept the idea of "Mommy and Me" time. Christie's daughter, McKenzie, went first. When she returned, the other children showered her with tons of questions. McKenzie was smiling broadly. Christie looked refreshed and happy. "She is like a different kid when there's no one else around," Christie shared with me quietly. With her mother all to herself, McKenzie didn't have to make any effort to gain attention.
Just as Christie had noticed changes in McKenzie, I also discovered something different in each of my children during our alone times. For example, I'm always surprised when my daughter, who is seldom close to me, holds my hand frequently. My stuttering son, Tom, doesn't stutter once during our activities since he doesn't have to struggle for a chance to speak. And the other son, Sam, who is always a follower when around other children, shines a leader during our times together.
The "Mommy and Me" time allows us to be simply alone and away with each child--talking, sharing and laughing, which has been the biggest gain. Every child deserves an only child at least once in a while. | high22945.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Maxie really wishes the author a good day."
},
"options": [
"Maxie shows her anxiety to the author.",
"Maxie really wishes the author a good day.",
"Maxie encourages the author to stay happy.",
"Maxie really worries abo... | "Have a nice day!" may be a pleasant gesture or a meaningless. When my friend Maxie says "Have a nice day" with a smile, I know she sincerely cares about what happens to me. I feel loved and secure since another person cares about me and wishes me well.
"Have a nice day. Next!"This version of the expression is spoken by a salesgirl at the supermarket who is rushing me and my groceries out the door. The words come out in the same tone with a fixed procedure. They are spoken at me, not to me. Obviously, the concern for my day and everyone else's is the management's attempt to increase business.
The expression is one of those behaviors that help people get along with each other. Sometimes it indicates the end of a meeting. As soon as you hear it, you know the meeting is at an end. Sometimes the expression saves us when we don't know what to say "oh, you may have a tooth out? I'm terribly sorry, but have a nice day."
The expression can be pleasant. If a stranger says "Have a nice day" to you, you may find it heart-warming because someone you don't know has tried to be nice to you.
Although the use of the expression is an insincere, meaningless social custom at times, there is nothing wrong with the sentence except that it is a little uninteresting. The salesgirl, the waitress, the teacher, and all the countless others who speak it without thinking may not really care about my day. But in a strange and comfortable way, it's nice to know they care enough to pretend they care when they really don't care all that much. While the expression may not often be sincere, it is always spoken. The point is that people say it all the time when they like. | high593.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "to distract victims"
},
"options": [
"to distract victims",
"to give themselves multiple tasks to do",
"to focus on the most important details",
"to use swift hand movements"
],
"question": "According to the BBC... | Many of us are used to hearing stories of people being pickpocketed in busy places. But most of us are aware of the dangers, so we are safe - at least, we think we are.
According to a BBC report, a growing number of thieves are trying to "hack our mind's weaknesses" to get their hands on our possessions.
"In fact, the key requirement for a successful pickpocket isn't having quick fingers," said the report. By using psychology, some pickpockets are taking advantage of the loopholes in our brains.
Our lack of ability to multitask is one of the most important loopholes used by pickpockets, the report explains. While this can often be a good trait , allowing us to focus on the most important details in our surroundings, "a good trickster can use it against you, " said neuroscientist Auzana Martinez-Conde.
"It's all about directing people's attention toward something else," said James Brown, who studies the tricks of pickpocketing. Confidence, the power of suggestion, and certain hand movements such as moving your hands in an arc are all said to be things that fool us.
Groups of pickpockets use a common trick designed to create a scene and confuse victims.
The first gang member, a "blocker", walks in front of the victim and suddenly bumps into them. A second member of the gang then bumps into both of them from behind and stages an argument with the "blocker". In the confusion, both men steal what they can and pass it to a third thief who quickly runs off with the stolen goods.
Some thieves go even further to exploit our psychology by hanging out near signs reading "beware of pickpockets". Since this is one of the last places people expect to be robbed, many check where their valuables are, giving away their location to thieves.
But according to Brown, as long as we don't daydream in public, we shouldn't be worried.
"A street thief will avoid like the plague " people who are demonstrating a very open awareness of their environment," he said. | high12886.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "To report on an accident."
},
"options": [
"To report on an accident.",
"To rescue the miners.",
"To film the praying of a minister.",
"To witness a disaster."
],
"question": "For what purpose did Donahue go to ... | Phil Donahue,the former television talk show host,had something of a reputation for giving clergy a hard time,and he has said the reason he's that way is that he has little respect for them.Most clergy will do anything for some media attention,he says.In his autobiography ,however, he tells about an encounter with a minister who was different.It happened while Donahue was a young television reporter in Ohio,and one day he was sent to West Virginia in the bitter cold winter to cover a mine disaster.He went by himself in a battered little car, carrying a mini camera to film the story.
It was so cold when he got there,however, the camera wouldn't work.So he put it inside his coat to warm it up enough to run.In the meantime,the families of the trapped miners were gathered around.The),were just simple mining people--women,old men,and children.Several of the trapped men were fathers.
Then the local minister arrived.He was tall and thin,and he didn't speak well at a11.But he gathered all the families around in a circle,and the held one another in their arms while he prayed for them.
As this was going on,Donahue was still trying to get his camera to work,and he was extremely disappointed because he couldn't film the scene.Finally,after the prayer was over,Donahue managed to get his camera operating.So he told the minister he had his camera working now and asked if the minister would please do the prayer again so he could film it for the evening news.
This simple West Virginia preacher, however,told Donahue,"Young man,we don't pray for the news.I'm sorry,but we've already prayed,and I will not pose."
To this day,Donahue remembers that minister with respect.You don't forget that kind of character,no matter who you are or what you believe. | high6768.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The author takes great care of the children in life."
},
"options": [
"The author's children always ignore her.",
"The author takes great care of the children in life.",
"The author's children always make wrong decisions.",
... | This morning as I was getting the children ready or school, I helped them prepare breakfast and pack their lunches. I reviewed spelling words with them and made sure that their homework was collected in their bags. I had seen the weather forecast for the day and knew it was going to remain cool all day. I suggested they wear sweaters for the walk to the us stop. My kids chose to _ my advice. My son decided that all he needed was a T-shirt, not a sweater.
I didn't force them to wear sweaters and we went to the bus stop. It is a full kilometer walk to the top of a treeless hill and the wind felt like a knife cutting through the skin. My children endured the cold until halfway, when I gave them with the sweaters I had quietly carried under my arm. Then took them without complaint, and I bit my tongue from saying, "I told you so."
What I was asking my children to do was to trust me. Trust Mom to have their best interests in mind. Trust Mom to know what she is talking about. Even though they didn't know that I had read the outdoor thermometer before they woke up and I had seen the day's weather forecast, I wanted them to trust me. By ignoring me, they were saying that they didn't believe I knew what was best for them. What they knew was that yesterday was a warm enough day for shorts. What they knew was that it was warm enough in the house to wear shorts. Therefore, they felt sure enough to make their own decision on what to wear outside.
Too many times we depend on what we know of yesterday, and how we feel today, and so we make decisions based on them. Too many times we think that we know better, so we can deal with things better. But we are wrong. | high3628.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "$546.8."
},
"options": [
"$2.80.",
"$544.",
"$550.",
"$546.8."
],
"question": "How much should Nicky Haywood pay according to the court?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Nicky Haywood, from Nottingham, was found guilty of travelling on an East Midlands train from Nottingham to Newstead without a ticket.
The 27-year-old, who did not appear for his hearing at Nottingham Magistrates Court , is now being made to pay the price --- which is almost 200 times the original price ---- for the 20 minute journey.
According to the Nottingham Post, Magistrates have ordered Haywood to pay a $ 220 fine, $ 302 in costs, a $ 22 government surcharge and the $ 2.80 fare.
Senior conductor, Yvonne Clay was working on the day of the incident, according to the Nottingham Post.
The newspaper reported that she said Haywood had got on the train without a ticket, though he had the chance to buy one from both vending machines and booking offices on the platform.
She said:"He offered a Solo Electron card but we could not take that on the train. I informed him with a notice to pay. He gave his name and address and had 21 days to pay the fare."
Even though he was given three weeks to pay the $ 2.80, a payment from Haywood was not received. | high19733.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "carries more messages"
},
"options": [
"is made of wood",
"needs more exchange",
"carries more messages",
"is much longer"
],
"question": "A cable is different from an overhead wire, because it _ .",
"que... | Ever since man began to use the telephone, there have been new problems arising from the carrying of messages. At first, each message was carried by a pair of overhead wires. As a result, telephone exchanges were soon surrounded by thousands of wires. The wires were then replaced by cables ,each containing many pairs of wires. Each cable is capable of carrying many messages. These cables, laid underground, replaced the overhead wires.
The more _ telephone services have become, the more demand for these services has increased, particularly the demand for long-distance services. In China, for example, this growth is now over 30% every year. Long-distance telephone exchanges are usually in crowded cities, where is not easy to lay new labels for expanding services.
The use of radio to send telephone message and to link all telephone exchanges makes it possible to get rid of overhead wires and some underground cables.
Now man has invented the microwave system ( ). In a microwave system messages from various places can be brought together, and then they are sent out and received by radio. After that, the messages are split into their original form. Finally, they are sent to the places where they are going to be sent. | high4147.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "got a doctor for her"
},
"options": [
"cured his wife",
"got a doctor for her",
"got some medicine for her illness",
"promised to pay$500 to the doctor"
],
"question": "One day a lawyer's wife fell ill, and the ... | One day a lawyer's wife fell ill, and he went to get a doctor. The doctor willingly came to see the woman and to do what he could for her, but before he went into the house, he made a short stop. He knew that the lawyer was famous for not paying his bills, even if they were due .He therefore said to the man."But if I save your wife, I am afraid you may not pay me."
"Sir,"replied the lawyer. "Here I have$500,,whether you cure my wife or you kill her. I'll give you all this."
The doctor was reassured and went into the house. When he reached the woman's bedside, it soon became clear to him that he could do little. She was seriously ill, and though he prescribed her medicine, she soon died.
He told the lawyer he was very sorry, and then asked for the money which he had promised. "Did you kill my wife?"asked the lawyer. "Of course I didn't," said the doctor. "Well! Did you cure my wife?" asked the man. "I'm afraid that was impossible," replied the doctor."Well, then since you neither killed my wife nor cured her, I have nothing to pay you." | high5259.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "They have no toe plug."
},
"options": [
"They have no brake",
"They lack a toe stop",
"They have no toe plug.",
"They have a unique, low-cut design."
],
"question": "Which of the following is NOT a feature of ja... | Artistic Skates
Artistic roller skates are made up of a leather boot, very strong sole plate, and a jump bar that adds extra force. The boot sits a few inches above the ankle, providing more support for the foot.
Jam Skates
Jam skates are the most different roller skates because of their special low-cut design and lack of toe stop. That's right: there is no brake. But the original jam skate design was different, resembling an artistic skate. Jam skating is more about personal expression rather than speed skating. The free-flowing movements of jam skating have been given many names. But regardless of its name, jam skating has always been about expression and passion.
Speed Skates
A speed skate resembles a shoe. The cut of the boot is lower. Speed skates typically offer lightweight plates to reduce exhaustion for skating long distances. Jam skates have preferred speed skates because they offer a similar design and freedom of movement. The most obvious difference is that a speed skate features a toe stop, unlike a jam skate that uses a toe plug.
Rhythm Skates
Rhythm skates are similar to jam skates. The difference between them lies in the boot design. In fact, the boot design looks very similar to an artistic skate, essentially providing you with the ankle support benefits of an artistic skate, but the freedom of movement of a jam skate. If you want a skate that allows you to move to the beat, which added ankle support, the rhythm skate is the ideal choice. | high2536.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "continued to fight for women's right"
},
"options": [
"felt depressed",
"was devoted to removing child labor",
"decided to stop her ambitions",
"continued to fight for women's right"
],
"question": "After recove... | Malala Yousafzai, the teen activist from Pakistan, has just become the youngest person ever to win a Nobel Prize. In 2012, Malala survived from being shot by terrorists for speaking out for a girl's right to be educated in her native country. She is being recognized today for her global activism on education for girls. Winning this award is a huge honor, especially for such a young person.
Malala's journey to the Nobel Prize has not been easy. She grew up in a dangerous district of Pakistan called the Swat Valley. This area was taken over by the Taliban. The Taliban ruled the district with an iron fist. They were especially cruel to women, not allowing them to go shopping, have jobs, or go to school.
In 2009, Malala began speaking out publicly for every girl's right to an education. She blogged about how the Taliban didn't want her to go to school. She also continued to attend her local school, despite the danger involved.
Then, in 2012, the Taliban tried to kill Malala to silence her. Two Taliban gunmen shot her and two other students while they were on a school bus. Malala was flown to the United Kingdom for immediate medical treatment.
Malala eventually recovered from her injuries. She now lives in Birmingham, England, and continues to work hard to support girls' and women's rights around the world.
"The terrorists thought that they would change my aims and stop my ambitions," she said, "but nothing changed in my life except this. Weakness, fear, and hopelessness died. Strength, power, and courage were born."
The 17-year-old girl from Pakistan is sharing the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize with a children's activist Kailash Satyarthi, who is from India Satyarthi leads many campaigns dedicated to removing child labor. | high13578.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "climate change is concerned with everyone"
},
"options": [
"climate change is concerned with everyone",
"the global warming is getting worse",
"saving energy is of great necessity",
"human is to destroy the environment"... | As we know, the earth's climate has changed over time.The present rate of climate change depends, in large part, on human activities.Today, people all over the world are making everyday choices that help the environment.Small actions matter.In other words, climate change is your business.
A woman in Nicaragua buys fluorescent light bulbs that are 80 percent more energysaving than traditional ones. Many governments are now _ energysaving lights to encourage people to turn to them.Consumers are discovering that the newgeneration bulbs help them save money in the long run.
Agriculture accounts for about 14 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions , and transporting the food around adds to the environmental cost.There is a team of young vegetable growers in the United Kingdom who want to encourage kids to start planting their own fruit and vegetables.
A young lawyer wearing business clothes rides her bicycle to work in a large U.S.city.She's been biking to work every day for the past two years and says it's a lot easier than many people think.A recent study shows that more Americans bike or walk to work today than before.
A university student from southeastern China carries a reusable shopping bag to cut back on disposable plastics.Some large shopkeepers have removed paper and plastic bags, and consumers are responding.
In Canberra, Australia, summers are hot and winters cold.To save electricity, Adam Wilson in Canberra uses an energysaving heating system, and he keeps the temperature lower than he did in years past.He still makes it through the summer without air conditioning. | high6750.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Meeting more new people."
},
"options": [
"Meeting more new people.",
"Participating in whatever events.",
"Having bicycles free of charge.",
"Enjoying discounts in a gym."
],
"question": "What's the advantage o... | Discounts at various bicycle shops.
Why Cycle with a Group? Getting to work by bicycle has never been more popular. Governments and nations are transforming their cities and highways to meet the needs of this new generation of cycling enthusiasts,and in a world where green choices are the new must-have, average citizens are eagerly seizing their chance to help make their bodies cleaner than ever before.
Become an EBTC Member. Year round, organized by members like you!
The Edmonton Bicycle and Touring Club(EBTC)is a recreational not-for-profit volunteer-run group devoted to promoting its members to cooperatively run bicycling trips during the spring, summer and fall, cross-country skiing trips in the winter, and social events all the year round. We welcome both road bike and mountain bike riders!
Benefits of Joining EBTC:
Opportunity to create the kinds of events you like:enjoy dozens of events.
Participation in the local cycling community.
Use of club bicycle tools on tour and library materials.
It's more FUN!
It encourages you to come out often and get healthy exercise without going to a gym.
Develop skills and gain through the experience of others.
Meet new and interesting people with a common interest in cycling.
Meet a fun-loving,energetic and different group of individuals who enjoy a healthy lifestyle.
Enjoy the outdoor experience with the companionship and security of a group.
For more information on the EBTC:
Phone the Club Hotline at 780-424-2453
E-mail:jprineau@edmontonbicycle.com
Mail us at:
Edmonton Bicycle & Touring Club
P.O.Box 52017
Garneau Postal Stn.
Edmonton,AB T6G 2T5 Canada | high14217.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Some of them have to read at least 100 e-mails every day."
},
"options": [
"They spend 51% of their work time on meetings.",
"Only half of the information they receive is useful.",
"Over 60% of them prefer to use the telephon... | Employees are being flooded with too much information that has little to do with their work, according to a new survey.
On average, white-collar workers spend 51 percent of their work time receiving and processing information. Only one third of it was relevant to their work, the survey found. Information overload for white collar workers has become a global issue. The huge amount of information has already affected their efficiency in management as well as their performance at work.
Buried with e-mails
Every morning, a secretary at the human resources department of an auto parts company opens her e-mail box, only to find it crammed with at least 50 unread mails. For her, even scanning through these e-mails every day takes at least half an hour. Some of her colleagues are not so lucky -- they have to read at least 100.
Bothered with calls
Telephone calls are also causing a problem. More than 40 percent white-collar workers chose mobile phones as the preferred way to communicate important and urgent business matters.
Talking saves time and energy over the clicking, reading and replying to e-mails, but phone calls are also more distracting . While answering a call, a clerk is likely to put away a much more important task at hand and start the business being talked about on the phone.
Solution? Not yet.
Many companies start with providing staff with better computers, better Internet access and more advanced gadgets . For example, staff members above a certain level in one company will be provided with a blackberry phone for easier access to their e-mails. The company has also organized many lectures on efficient ways of e-mail management. Yet most white-collar workers think their companies can do more. | high15109.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "cultural background and personal experiences"
},
"options": [
"the abilities of one's auditory and visual sensors",
"cultural background and personal experiences",
"experiences one learns from others",
"critical measu... | When several different people look at the same person,it's not unusual for each of them to see different things;when you alone observe one behavior or one person at two different times,you may see different things.The following are but some of the factors that lead to these changing perceptions .
(1)Each person's perceptions of others are formed by his or her own cultural conditioning education,and personal experiences.
(2)Sometimes perceptions differ because of what we choose to observe and how we deal with what we've observed.It is not necessarily true that person's perception is based on observations of a particular person.Your observations may be totally controlled by what others have told you about this person;or you may focus primarily on the situation or role relationship.Most people do not use the same yardstick to measure their parents,their friends and strangers.
(3)Sometimes we see only what we want to see or don't see what may be obvious to others because of our own needs,desires,or temporary emotional states.This is a process known as selective perception.Selective perception is obviously more difficult when contradictory information is particularly obvious,but it can be done.We can ignore the " _ ".He's basically a good boy so what I saw was not shoplifting.
We can reduce the importance of the contradictory information--All kids get into mischief .Taking a book from the bookstore isn't such a big deal."We can change the meaning of the contradictory information." It wasn't shoplifting because he was going to pay for it later. | high6988.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Its special gift ideas. ."
},
"options": [
"It gives people a good reason to celebrate",
"Its endless new gifts.",
"It is organized according to personal taste.",
"Its special gift ideas. ."
],
"question": "What... | Gifts.com provides more than just ideas. Sure, our unique and unforgettable gift suggestions are a big part of why people love us, but we also offer endless ideas and tools to make every day a reason to celebrate. Here are our Great Christmas Gift Ideas:
Christmas Gifts for Parents
You love your parents like no one else, and you want to give them something special for Christmas. But what would make their holiday bright?Finding them the perfect Christmas gift will be easy this year, with all our top picks in one place.
Christmas Gifts for parents Under $45.
Holiday Gift Baskets
The gift basket is a great way to give a gift to a group. Our gift basket ideas come from all the top stores online, so you can easily find everything from fruit gift baskets to wine gift baskets in one place.
Gift Baskets Under $50.
Ideas for Teens
Trying to find the right gift for a teen? Teens can be a challenge. What do they want? What could they use? They are all unique, but we think we've got something for them, even though they are a special group that are hard to deal with.
Top Picks for Teens Under $20.
The secret Santa Exchange
The secret Santa is a great way to exchange gifts in the office, when it's often impossible to give everyone a present. We've got an office guide right here to help you find proper gifts for the workplace. And then there's always the gift basket, with things that are sure to please everyone in the office.
Business Gifts Under $25. | high12666.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because he thought the ship he was on was in danger."
},
"options": [
"Because he had quarrels with the crew members.",
"Because the captain ordered him to get fresh water.",
"Because he wanted to go on an adventure there.",
... | Robinson Crusoe is a famous novel written by Daniel Defoe. The book tells the story of a man who is shipwrecked . He spends 28 years on an island near Venezuela. The book tells the story of everything that happens to Robinson Crusoe. He hopes someone will rescue him, but he has been there for so long on his own that he also begins to fear being rescued.
Robinson Crusoe was published in 1719. Most experts believe the story is based on the life of Alexander Selkirk, who was a Scottish sailor. On an expedition in 1704, Selkirk had an argument with his ship's captain. Selkirk thought the ship was not safe and was about to fall apart.
When the ship stopped at a remote island to get fresh water, Selkirk got off. He tried to get the other crew members to leave with him, but nobody would. The shop then sailed away without him. Selkirk spent four years and four months on his own on the island, known as Aguas Buenas.
Selkirk was finally rescued by a ship that visited the island in 1709. The ship's captain was grateful to Selkirk because he provided food for the crew when they arrived.
Now archaeologists think they have found the remains of Selkirk's camp on Aguas Buenas. They found two deep holes that would have held wooden posts. The archaeologists say this is evidence that Selkirk built a shelter there. The post holes are near a fresh water stream. They are located quite high up, which would have meant that Selkirk was able to watch out for the ships coming close to the island.
The most interesting evidence, the archaeologists say, is part of a piece of equipment used by sailors to navigate . Historians believe Selkirk was a navigator, so the instrument could have belonged to him.
Robinson Crusoe was published ten years after Selkirk was rescued. Most experts think Daniel Defoe heard and read stories about Selkirk, which inspired him to write the book. | high12100.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "runners are worn out as if they are breaking down"
},
"options": [
"runners begin to enjoy running the marathon race",
"runners are worn out as if they are breaking down",
"the rest part is just the preparation for the race",... | They say that the real marathon begins at 35 kilometers -- the rest is just a warm up. And sure enough, in 2009, at around the 36 kilometer point of the Beijing Marathon I experienced what runners call "hitting the wall". I had been doing well until that point, but suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my leg. My pace slowed down dramatically and every brain cell in my head seemed to be screaming "stop!!!"
The last 5 kilometers were not fun; in fact, they were really hard work. Keeping motivated to run those last few kilometers was one of the hardest things I had ever done. But that is what makes running a marathon such a rewarding experience -- if it were easy everyone would do it.
I have to admit it is sometimes not even easy to find the motivation to get out of bed, pull on your running shoes and head out into the morning to go for another run. These last two weeks of training for the Muztagata climb have been a little tough. I have been following my training plan for about three months but now I find that my original enthusiasm has all been used up. Day after day of going to the gym is beginning to wear me down and there still seems so much longer to keep this up. I have begun to doubt that I am actually making any progress or getting any fitter and even thought that I might be going backwards!
These are all very common experiences for people who are working towards challenging, longer term goals and I have learned to recognize these "highs" and "lows" in my energy and enthusiasm. Over the years I have learned a number of tricks that help me to deal with the days when my early motivation seems to have abandoned me for good. | high6036.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "the Industrial Revolution"
},
"options": [
"the Industrial Revolution",
"the invention of the printing press.",
"the European discovery of America.",
"a reawakening of science and the Protestant Reformation."
],
... | The Knowledge Society
According to American economist Peter Drucker, every few hundred years in Western history a sharp transformation takes place in which society rearranges itself. One such period happened between 1455 and 1517, beginning with the invention of the printing press, and included the Renaissance, the European discovery of America, a reawakening of science, and the Protestant Reformation. All these events had significant effects on the development of Western society. The next period lasted from the American Revolution and the Perfection of the steam engine in 1776 until Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo in 1815. During this time, the Industrial Revolution took place, public schools systems were established on a large scale, the first modern university was founded in Berlin in 1809, and both capitalism and communism emerged as economic and political ideologies. Again, society had been altered.Drucker suggested that another services to them. | high9305.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Students should make good use of their time."
},
"options": [
"Teachers are quite strict.",
"Students often stay up at night.",
"Teachers provide little care for students.",
"Students should make good use of their time.... | Sharon,Aged 22
The most important thing to keep in mind when going into high school is to be yourself.Besides, I don't know what your middle school was like, but high school teachers will not care about things such as how much homework you already have in one night.It's best to just learn to deal with things and manage your time wisely so you can achieve everything you need to.
Frank, Aged 21
I think almost every kid feels both nervous and excited before their first day.You will probably love it.I know I did.You should join some sports or activities that will make your high school experience more enjoyable.Good luck!
Eddie,Aged 20
When I started high school I was really nervous too,especially since I had been homeschooled all through middle school and didn't really know anyone.I suppose the best advice would be to just relax.The first couple of days can be a little bit hard,but things will become easier before you know it.
David,Aged 19
I'm not going to lie.The first day is kind of frightening .But you'll get used to it.Don't be afraid of anyone;upperclassmen will pick on you more if you let them know you're afraid.Just take it easy.Making some friends and staying with them will greatly help you get used to high school quickly.After the first week it's really not bad at all.Don't worry. | high14571.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "creating technology without really understanding the basic science"
},
"options": [
"our lack of technological understanding of the process involved",
"our lack of technological capability",
"creating technology without reall... | Technology: Taking the good without the bad?
Very soon, unimaginably powerful technologies will remake our lives.This could have dangerous consequences, especially because we may not even understand the basic science underlyi ng them.There's a growing gap between our technological capability and our basic scientific understanding.We can do very clever things with the technology of the future without necessarily understanding some of the science underneath, and that is very dangerous.
The technologies that are particularly dangerous over the next hundred years are nanotechnology , artificial intelligence and biotechnology.The benefits that they will bring are beyond doubt.But they are going to be very, very dangerous.I'm working in the field of artificial intelligence.I have a model design for something that might be 50,000 million times smarter than the human brain.Target date is 2010.The only thing that's not possible in the film Terminator is that the people win.If you're fighting against technology w hich is 50,000 million times smarter than you, you probably will not win.
Nanotechnology.We've all heard of the grey glue problem, that self-replicating nanotech devices might keep on copying until the world has become sticky glue.And certainly in biotechnology, we've really got a big problem because it's converging with nanotechnology and IT.Once you start mixing nanotech with organisms and you start feeding nanotech-enabled bacteria, we can really go an awful lot further than the Borg in Star Trek .And those superhuman organisms might not like us very much.
Eventually these technologies will become routine.That's a threat to humanity.I don't think it's possible to slow it down.So what we need to do is accelerate the scientific research and try to get some extra tools.The problems facing us in the future are getting bigger and bigger.I think if we don't get some proper science done, the future is hopeless indeed. | high1759.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "how the telegraph network contributed to the expansion of railroads"
},
"options": [
"the history of journalism",
"the origin of the national telegraph",
"how the telegraph network contributed to the expansion of railroads",
... | The invention of the electric telegraph gave birth to the communications industry.Although Samuel B.Morse succeeded in making the invention useful in 1837,it was not until 1843 that the first important telegraph line was constructed.By 1860 more than 50,000 miles of lines connected people east of the Rockies.The following year,San Francisco was added to the network.
The national telegraph network strengthened the ties between East and West and contributed to the rapid expansion of the railroads by providing an efficient means to monitor schedules and routes.Furthermore,the extension of the telegraph,combined with the invention of the steam-driven rotary printing press by Richard
M.Hoe in 1846,revolutionized the world of journalism.Where the business of news gathering had been dependent upon the mail and on hand-operated presses,the telegraph expanded the amount of information a newspaper could supply and allowed for more timely reporting.The creating of the Associated Press as a central wire service in 1846 marked the arrival of a new era in journalism. | high2250.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "is curious about what's on your mind"
},
"options": [
"wants to ask you for advice",
"considers your thoughts unique",
"is curious about what's on your mind",
"will pay for what you're thinking about"
],
"questi... | The saying "a penny for your thoughts" is an English idiom simply asking people to volunteer their opinions on an issue being discussed. In modern usage, it is often stated as an indirect way of asking what someone is thinking about.
This phrase is basically a proposal , and the speaker is offering to pay to hear the listener's thoughts. It is an idiom, of course, and not meant literally so no real payment generally takes place.
When the saying originated, a penny was worth a lot more than it is in the 21st century. Therefore, "a penny for your thoughts" likely indicated the thoughts were more valuable to those asking the listener for them than they are by today's standards. This loss of value can be used ironically , however, through tone of voice; it can be used to indicate that someone's idea is bad or worth a penny in modern value.
The phrase is generally credited to a man by the name of John Heywood, who was born sometime just before the 16th century. During his life, he was a writer who penned many plays and a book in 1546, later known as The Proverbs of John Heywood. It is likely Heywood did not actually come up with the phrase "a penny for your thoughts". Rather, he was simply the first person to have set the phrase down in written form. The actual origins of the term are unknown, and since his book was simply a collection of common idioms and expressions, it was probably familiar to people in the mid 1500s.
Another phrase similar to "a penny for your thoughts" is offering "your two cents" after making a statement. Someone might give his or her opinion and then say, "that's my two cents," to indicate the value of his or her idea. While, much like a penny, "two cents" is relatively low in value now, it would have been more valuable at one time and the expression is used in much the same way. | high10717.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "foods of different colors will have different benefits"
},
"options": [
"colors mean a lot to people and their health",
"foods of different colors will have different benefits",
"eating foods with a color must prevent disease... | Eating different colored foods can keep you healthy, as well as change your mood and behavior. Here is a list of colors, which can change your life.
Blue/Purple
Blue is considered to be peaceful and calming and it has the same effect on our health. The blue / purple color in food is due primarily to their anthocyanins which are antioxidants that are particularly heart healthy and may help support healthy blood pressure. Out of all the blue and purple foods available, blueberries are considered to have the highest antioxidant level. An analysis of the latest data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study found that people who eat purple and blue fruits and vegetables are at a reduced risk for high blood pressure and are less likely to be overweight.
A food and health expert says that blue and purple color foods can prevent blood mass formation, and they also lower the risk of cancer.
Foods that contain blue and purple colors are: reddish eggplant (especially the skin), blueberries, blackberries, purple grapes, etc.
Green
We all know that we should eat green as green symbolizes nature. The green foods are rich in isothiocyanates, which help resist cancer.
Dr. Ashok Agarwal, a food and nutrition specialist, explains, "They are excellent sources of folic acid, vitamin K, as well as carotene . Diets high in those above are associated with lowered blood pressure."
Foods that contain the green color are: broccoli, cabbage, cucumbers, etc.
Red
Lycopene in reddish fruits and vegetables is a powerful antioxidant that has been associated with a reduced risk of some cancers, and also provides protection against heart attacks.
Dr. Smiths says, "Cooked tomato sauces are associated with greater health benefits as compared with the uncooked version as the heating process allows lycopene to be more easily absorbed by the body. Obtaining the most benefit from food depends on proper selection, storage and cooking of the produce."
Foods that contain red color are: Tomatoes and tomato products, watermelon, guava, red onions, red chili, red apples, red grapes, cherries, etc.
Orange
The orange foods are also rich in carotene, which are particularly good antioxidants. These foods are commonly considered eyesight foods because they contain vitamin A.
"Orange fruits and vegetables also play a part in preventing cancer, particularly of the lungs and stomach. Foods that contain the color orange are: Carrots, mangoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, etc. | high16366.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "public caring for the environment"
},
"options": [
"public caring for the environment",
"companies' desire for bigger sales",
"new ways of doing business",
"rapid growth of supermarkets"
],
"question": "It becom... | Many cities around the world today are heavily polluted. Careless methods of production and lack of consumer demand for environment friendly products have contributed to the pollution problem. One result is that millions of tons of glass, paper, plastic and metal container are produced, and these are difficult to get rid of.
However, today, more and more consumers are choosing "green" and demanding that the products they buy should be safe for the environment. Before they buy a product, they ask questions like these, "Will this shampoo damage the environment?" "Can this metal container be reused or can it only be used once?"
A recent study showed that two out of five adults now consider the environment safety of a product before they buy it. This means that companies must now change the way they make and sell their products to make sure that they are "green", that is, friendly to the environment.
Only a few years ago, it was impossible to find green products in supermarkets, but now there are hundreds. Some supermarkets' products carry labels to show that the product is green. Some companies have made producing of clean and safe products their main selling points and emphasize it in their advertising.
The concern for a safer and cleaner environment is making companies rethink how they do business. No longer will the public accept the old attitude of "Buy it, use it, throw it away, and forget it." The public pressure is on, and gradually business is cleaning up its act. | high19055.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "want to improve their interpersonal relationship"
},
"options": [
"want to do more businesses",
"often take instead of giving",
"have poor communication and interpersonal skills",
"want to improve their interpersonal re... | If you're networking and nothing is happening, you might need to evaluate how you're doing it. Maybe you show up at each event and still feel challenged by the process. You aggressively talk to people, give out your cards, call endlessly to schedule an appointment but have no real success from your efforts. To help you gain a different future, here are ten habits you should avoid.
Ineffective networkers:
1. Lack patience. They expect immediate results and want business now, not tomorrow.
2. Constantly "selling" something. They see dollar signs every time they shake hands with someone.
3. Too many choices. If they offer a variety of products, they might try too hard to tell about all of them. Offering too much information sends a confusing message making it difficult for people to send referral . Opportunities are all around us but when you're networking, only focus on one.
4. Change positions too often. If they move from company to company or do something totally different, it might be difficult for people to keep up with them.
5. Lack manners and respect. They interrupt others, talk with food in their mouth, aren't very polite and appear unprofessional. They call people during dinner or on the weekends without thinking whether the occasion is suitable.
6. Distribute too many cards and sales literature. They come while loading with brochures, flyers , catalogues and samples.
7. Focus on themselves. Too much self promotion can leave the other person to feel unappreciated. Every sentence begins with "I" and is all about their business.
8. "Talking" instead of "giving". They don't realize what other people sense when they are being very selfish. Others may think that they are being taken advantage of.
9. Lack authenticity and personal values. They may create unrealistic expectations and not deliver on their promises. Sometimes doing things without integrity possibly twists the truth.
10. Poor communication and interpersonal skills. They have trouble speaking effectively, building relationships and following up.
Networking is a process that is an investment of time and money. If you find you're doing any of these habits, consider learning how to improve on these and maximize your results while networking. You'll start to get better at connecting with people and obtain more referrals. | high4621.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "share their great interest in the sport of motorcycling"
},
"options": [
"allow women to take up motorcycling",
"offer help to national health organizations",
"share their great interest in the sport of motorcycling",
"... | For many years, women could only be seen on the seat behind the men operating the two-wheeled motorcycle. Now more and more women are taking the front seat. More than twenty million people in the United States ride motorcycles.
Since 1998 the number of female bikers has risen sharply. Lady Sport Riders began in 1999 in Washington. The women formed the organization to share their love of motorcycle riding. But later it wanted to be more than just an organization for women to gather and ride motorcycles, so it started to organize events that help national health organizations and women's shelters. It also permits women to share a strong sisterhood, and gives financial awards to poor students. Like other motorcycle clubs, the members of Lady Sport Riders also help their community.
Different from male riders, female riders ride for more than fun. This sport gives women a sense of freedom and control. Female riders have helped change motorcycle culture. More than five years ago manufacturers began making equipment especially for women. Some bikes now have smaller, softer seats and controls that are easier to reach. Modern clothes for riding now look good and still provide protection. In the past, women rode motorcycles that traveled at a moderate speed. Now theirs are as powerful as the ones men ride. Safety is very important when riding because the risk of injury is high. So the women wear protective clothing and equipment at all times, especially for the head.
Lady Sport Riders believes women have earned their place in the sport of motorcycle riding. When speaking of male motorcyclists, the members of the club say, "They Made the Game. We Came to Play!" | high11409.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "shot and killed Mr. Ward by accident"
},
"options": [
"shot and killed Mr. Ward by accident",
"shot and killed Mr. Ward deliberately",
"fired a bullet that killed Ward from the sky",
"were experienced professional murde... | Michael froze as he heard the voice on the radio saying that a man had been murdered by a bullet that had come from the sky. Thinking that the shot they had fired possibly was the shot that killed Mr. Ward, he immediately drove off. For the next two months, Michael and Joe hid the secret that the bullet had actually shot Mr. Ward.
During this time, Jenna Ward started to realize life without her father. While Jenna mourned the death of her father, a strange boy started to appear at the front steps of the church. After many nights of watching this boy, she finally recognized that it was Michael who was sitting on the steps every night.
After months of finding out where the shot came, the police arrived at Michael's house. His dad mentioned the gun that Michael had received from his grandpa at his birthday party. Michael told the police that Joe had borrowed the gun. Upon this, Joe said that the gun had been stolen out of his car along with his CD player. After the police were gone, Michael met Joe and told Joe the gun was under the wood pile in his backyard.
One day , Michael came home to find the police searching his backyard with metal detectors .When the Sergeant went into the woods behind the house , he came out with a bullet that Joe and he had shot off on his birthday .The bullet matched the one that they had recovered from Mr Ward , but without the gun , the police could not place Michael as the killer.
With the pressure increasing .Michael finally broke down and realized he had to give up .On a Saturday morning , he went to Jenna's house to confess to her and her mother and then turned himself in . | high4635.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Text message language."
},
"options": [
"A variety of Americanisms.",
"Overuse of exclamation marks.",
"Names of famous TV stars.",
"Text message language."
],
"question": "Which of the following was NOT frequen... | The future of written English will owe more to Hollywood films than Dickens or Shakespeare, if the findings of a study into children's writing are anything to go by. Researchers who looked at the entries to a national competition found they were increasingly using Americanisms such as garbage, trash can, sidewalk, candy, sneakers, soda, and flashlight.
The stories, written by pupils aged 7 to 13, show how fairy cakes are referred to as cupcakes and a dinner jacket has become a tuxedo. "Smart" is now often used for "clever" and "cranky" for "irritable".
Television also has a powerful influence on children's work, with Lady Gaga and Argentinean footballer Lionel Messi among the famous names from TV cropping up repeatedly.
But pupils are let down by basic spelling, punctuation and grammar, according to the study by Oxford University Press (OUP), which looked at the entries to BBC Radio Two's "500 Words" competition.
Children struggled to correctly spell simple words such as "does" and "clothes" and often failed to use the past tense correctly, frequently writing "rised" instead of "rose" or "thinked" instead of "thought".
Researchers also found that punctuation was underused, especially semi-colons and speech marks. Some did not know how to use capital letters. However, exclamation marks were overused. Researchers found 35,171 examples in total, with some young writers using five at a time!
Popular US fiction such as the Twilight novels and films is thought to be fueling the increasing use of American vocabulary and spelling. Meanwhile, fears that texting was spoiling children's written work were unfounded, they said, with youngsters only using text language when they were referring to a text message.
Samantha Armstrong from OUP said: "Perhaps we are catching a glimpse of the language of the future." Chris Evans, whose radio show runs the competition, said the results were "fascinating", adding: "Who'd have thought that Messi and Gaga would be some of the most used names?" | high19041.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "People can buy all kinds of camping things there."
},
"options": [
"People can buy all kinds of camping things there.",
"The products there are cheaper.",
"There are many branch shops all over the country.",
"The shop a... | If you are into camping, then Camping World is a store that you would be familiar with. People from all over the US have reported that once they have been to one of the Camping World stores. They usually do not have to go anywhere else as the store meets all their shopping requirements for camping.
Camping World opened for business in 1966 and it was an instant success. Today the store has a huge presence both online and offline and has also become one of America's biggest supplier of camping equipment. If you would like to make your purchase online, take a quick cyber visit to their website. You will find every product related to camping each listed under their respective category.
Everybody that loves camping has his or her own individual story to tell. Choosing camping equipment is also a somewhat personal exercise and no matter what you have planned, you can probably do with all the suggestions and help from the friendly staff at Camping World to make your camping experience even more special. Even if you were planning your very first camping trip, the wealth of camping knowledge from everyone at Camping World would surely be of great help to any novice .
If any item is camping based or to be used outdoors, then Camping World will have it. If you are planning to build a campfire, then Camping World has got the items to make that happen for you. If you were worried that you will be bitten by insects, then you would be able to choose from a wide range of insect repellents . You name it, and they stock it. It also goes without saying that you will find your multitude of tents to choose from, countless shades of all shapes and sizes, first aid kits and even wireless weather stations. All you need to do is find a perfect camping spot and pay a visit to Camping World and let one of their friendly staff assist you. | high20818.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "In 2010"
},
"options": [
"In 2012",
"In 2010",
"In 2009",
"In 2011"
],
"question": "According to the text, in which year did Dekker begin her journey of 50,004 kilometers at sea?",
"question_type": "factiod_... | Wild weather, unexpected coral reefs and dangerous sea creatures... these are the nightmares you can imagine a teenager on a solo voyage around the world might suffer from. But for Laura Dekker, sailing around the globe seems less a price to be paid than a prize to be treasured.
As the 19-year-old Dutch sailor said in Maidentrip, a documentary released last year about her experience of becoming the youngest person to sail around the world alone in 2012, "I was born on a boat. I lived my first five years at sea. And ever since, all I have wanted is to return to that life."
With her yacht Guppy, Dekker began her journey at 14 and sailed 50,004 kilometers in 519 days.
The flying fish keeping her company, the dolphins following in her wake and the warm days spent on deck playing the flute as she watched another unforgettable sunset were enough to make others jealous.
But these didn't always go well. There were terrible moments in which Dekker feared death. On one occasion, a whale almost turned Guppy over. Another time, she battled extreme winds and Guppy surfed down 8-meter-high waves.
Out on the open sea alone, she also got used to living without a fridge, a flushing toilet, and a hot shower.
"As a human being you don't need much," she told Stuff.co.nz. " They might make life more comfortable, but you really don't need them to be happy."
In fact, her outlook on life was shaped by the trip. "I wanted the storms. I wanted the calms. I wanted to feel loneliness," she told The New York Times. "And now I know all these things. It's the end of the dream I had as a child, and it's the beginning of my life as a sailor." | high12114.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "to tell people how to build self-confidence"
},
"options": [
"to explain the definition of self-confidence",
"to explain the secret of self-confidence",
"to tell people how important self-confidence is",
"to tell people... | People who show confidence really seem to have it made. They seize more rewarding careers, keep good relationships, and just seem to do everything with more styles than the rest of us.
So what is the secret? There isn't one. Self-confidence is a skill and habit that anyone can learn to develop. And although people who are raised in an encouraging environment with confident role models have a hard start in self-confidence development, we all can learn to become more confident at any age.
Try these simple tips for practising and increasing your self-confidence levels:
Dare to fail. Anybody who's out there bravely performing is going to fail repeatedly. If you are not failing, you are not trying. So don't take failure too hard or too personally. Just learn to deal with it and use its lessons to keep improving.
When in doubt, pretend you know what you are doing. Because, if you are confident of your abilities, by the time you have done it, you will be experienced.
Dress for success. You don't have to be beautiful to be confident. Make the most of your own unique physical characters and weaken your disadvantages.
Listen to yourself. You are the only person who knows what's right for you. Don't put others' opinions above your own inner voice.
Build a confident vocabulary. Stop putting yourself down and give up continually blaming your tiny weaknesses. Learn to show up your strong points and the world will learn to see and celebrate them with you.
Pass on the praise. Praise others for their virtues and strengths. This practice will not decrease your confidence, but help increase it. | high6022.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Because she enjoyed the scenery along the road."
},
"options": [
"Because she made a way for a horse-drawn carriage.",
"Because she enjoyed the scenery along the road.",
"Because she needed a break after the long drive.",
... | We took a rare family road trip to the Adirondacks in late August,and it was as refreshing and exhausting as family vacations tend to be.Toward the end of our long drive home, even the kids were leaning forward in their seats urging my lead foot on.At that point in a road trip,even sixty-five miles per hour feels slow. We have become numb to our speed and numb to the road signs flashing by.
My family lives on the edge of Lancaster County. Only thirty miles from home,I hit the brakes,and we began to roll,slowly,behind a horse-drawn carriage. We began to open our eyes again.We saw familiar green hills and the farm with the best watermelons. I rolled down the windows, and we breathed again.Just-cut hay and a barn full of dairy cattle.
At five miles per hour,you remember what you forget at sixty-five.You are thinking about a place,even when you are moving from place to place.
I am a placemaker. A homemaker, too. I am a mother of a young kid at home,and also a writer and a gardener.But,for me,those roles are wrapped up with the one big thing I want to do with the rest of my life:I want to cultivate a place and share it with others.
The place I make with my family is a red-brick farmhouse built in l880. It has quite a few nineteenth-century bedrooms and a few acres of land,and we love nothing more than to fill them with neighbors and friends. We grow vegetables and flowers,keep a baker's dozen of egg--laying chickens,and,since we moved in three years ago,we have planted many,many trees.
Living with my life's purpose does not allow for much travel. I need to be here,feeding the chickens and watering the tomatoes. Any extra in the budget,and we spend it on trees.
But I learned something at the end of our family road trip.Travel can help me in the task of caring for my own place.When I slow down and pay attention to the road between here and there,travel tells me the connections between my place and all the other places. | high14565.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the challenge e-commerce causes to traditional sales"
},
"options": [
"the challenge online owners are faced with",
"the difference between online sales and traditional sales",
"the challenge e-commerce causes to traditional ... | Nowadays it is common that people are buying more products and services than ever before through the Internet, so do Americans. And experts say the popularity of online sales is likely to spread to other countries. Online sales now represent as much as 10% of all retail sales in the United States. This has led traditional stores to seek new ways to keep their customers loyal.
Taking Lynne for example, she made good use of the Internet. she used the Internet to buy everything she needed for her Wedding and holiday gifts for her husband and stepdaughter. Other than food, 90% of her purchases were made on her home computer. "I find that, by being able to go online, choose the things that I need, and have them delivered to me right at my doorstep, I _ all the driving, all the crowds, all the noise of that, and I usually get a better selection."
There are a lot of people like her. Experts say American online shopping hit records in both November and December. 57% of Americans have bought something electronically. Store owners worry that this growing amount of online sales will hurt their business. Cornell University marketing professor Ed Melaughlin says they can keep their customers by selling goods like clothing, which buyers may want to see and try on before purchasing. The stores could also offer things that are difficult to ship. Besides, some stores can please customers by offering to repair electronic products.
Bill Martin is the founder of Shopper Trak. His business helps stores learn about their customers. He said, "There is still a lot of emotion in the buying decision, you know, that takes place. Often you need that last sense of "Boy, this is exactly what I want before you are ready to part with money, and you can't always get that online. It's a rather cold process."
While e-commerce worries some business owners, the only worry for delivery services is keeping up with the number of packages. UPS manager Dana Kline says her company is very busy at this time of the year.
UPS is so busy that it has filled 55,000 temporary work positions during the holiday season. | high9311.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "national parks in England"
},
"options": [
"national parks in England",
"most parts of Scotland",
"crowded lowland Britain",
"most parts of England"
],
"question": "You needn't ask for permission when camping in... | Camping wild is a wonderful way to experience the natural world and, at its best, it makes little environmental influence. But with increasing numbers of people wanting to escape into the wilderness, it is becoming more and more important to camp unobtrusively and leave no mark.
Wild camping is not permitted in many places, particularly in crowded lowland Britain. Wherever you are, find out about organizations responsible for managing wild spaces, and contact them to find out their policy on camping and shelter building. For example, it is fine to camp wild in remote parts of Scotland, but in England you must ask the landowner's permission except in national parks. Camping is about having relaxation, sleeping outdoors, experiencing bad weather, and making do without modern conveniences. A busy, fully equipped camping seems to go against this, so seek out smaller, more remote places with easy access to open spaces and beaches. Better still, find a campsite with no road access: walking in makes a real adventure.
Finding the right spot to camp is the first step to guaranteeing a good night's sleep. Choose a campsite with privacy and minimum influence on others and the environment. Try to use an area where people have obviously camped before rather than creating a new spot. When camping in woodland, avoid standing dead trees, which may fall on a windy night. Avoid animal runs and caves, and possible homes of biting insects. Make sure you have most protection on the wind ware side. If you make a fire, do so downwind of your shelter. Always consider what influence you might have on the natural world. Avoid damaging plants. A good campsite is found, not made-- changing it should be unnecessary. | high22969.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "teach us how to concentrate while studying"
},
"options": [
"encourage us to try to concentrate",
"teach us how to concentrate while studying",
"give us the reasons for a lack of concentration",
"list the benefits we ca... | "I can't concentrate." "My mind wanders when I try to study." Lack of concentration is one of the most common complaints heard at school.
We all have the ability to concentrate. Think of the times when you were attracted to a super novel or the times when you were playing your guitar or piano. But at other times your mind races from one thing to another. Here are some tips.
Rest from time to time. Remember to take short breaks. Lectures are usually 50 minutes long, and that's about the length of time most people can direct their attention to one task. But that's just an average. Your concentration time might be shorter (20-35 minutes) or longer (perhaps 90 minutes).When you take a break, you get more oxygen to your brain! When we sit for long periods, blood tends to be pooled in our lower body and legs. Get up and walk around the room for a couple of minutes. As a result, more oxygen is carried to the brain and you can concentrate better.
_ If you study one subject for a long time, you may find it hard to concentrate. Many students improve their concentration by changing one subject to another every one to two hours. In this way you can pay more attention to something that's different.
Reward yourself. Give yourself a reward when you've completed a task. The task might be small, such as staying with a difficult paper until you've finished. But giving yourself a reward can help you be more interested in doing other tasks.
Increase your activity level. Your concentration wanders more easily if you just read an article straight through. Instead, take the heading for each part and turn it into a question. For this part, that would be, "How can I increase my activity level while studying?" Then study that part to answer that question. Do this routinely. The questions give us a focus for each part and increase our involvement . | high6744.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "wrapping"
},
"options": [
"bag",
"sack",
"number",
"wrapping"
],
"question": "An outside cover is a _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer... | Have you ever noticed how much the number twelve is used? A ruler that is a foot long has twelve inches. A yardstick has three times twelves inches, or thirty-six inches.
On a canlender you will see twelve months in each year. A clock face is numbered from one to twelve for the hours. The time span from noon to midnight is twelve hours; from midnight to noon there are twelve more hours. Each day is two times twelve, or twenty-four hours long.
We buy eggs by the dozen, which means twelve at once. Sometimes we buy other things by the dozen. The stores sell different things by the dozen. In a store you may have seen a dozen pencils held together by a paper wrapping or a dozen oranges in a sack. Stores also buy things in lots of twelve dozens, or by the gross(,12 ) . One gross consists of twelve dozens, or one hundred and forty-four items. | high14203.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "between neighbors"
},
"options": [
"between family members",
"between strangers",
"between friends",
"between neighbors"
],
"question": "The story happened _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{... | Yesterday my old neighbor knocked on my door angrily. Obviously, my cat, Rocco, had left a turd in his perfect flower beds.
Fortunately, I wasn't home when this happened, so he angrily complained to my friend and neighbor Kate about this. She was kind enough to listen to him and to go down into the garden with him to have a look. She even took a picture.
When I got home later, Kate had left a message on my answering machine about the incident. Hearing it was about my cat again, my stomach turned. Several weeks before, he'd gotten so upset that he threatened to put rat traps on the ground, hoping that would frighten me into keeping my cat indoors. So, I was a little _ this time.
But I couldn't help but laugh when Kate told me the whole story. I understood what gardening meant to him. Since my old neighbor retired ten years ago, he had spent all of his time on his garden. So when I saw him in the garden later on, I went to talk to him. To my surprise, it turned out quite nice. I was really surprised to find that I had the grace not to respond to his bad words. Instead, I engaged him in a conversation on the beautiful flowers he'd planted, the color combinations and the care he took to create such a sense of order. I tried to convey my understanding and appreciation without complimenting or talking down to him. I was really amazed by how that turned out. We hadn't had a conversation like that for over a year! | high9477.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "From September 19."
},
"options": [
"After December 31.",
"From September 19.",
"After September 9.",
"At the moment."
],
"question": "If you are a customer, when can you buy an iPhone6?",
"question_type": "... | iPhone 6, which many people have been thirsty for, will be unveiled on September 9. It could go on sale to the public from Friday, September 19.
Apple has launched a new iPhone every year since it unveiled the range in 2007, selling more than 500 million units since then, and has traditionally launched key products in September.
The iPhone 6, Apple's ninth iPhone model, is expected to be released in two different sizes:4.7-inches and 5.5-inches. The smaller of the two will be available first. Like iPhone5, the new model will come in silver , gold and space grey.
The iPhone 6 will be powered by new operating system iOS 8. Through iOS8, users will be able to monitor their health and fitness via HealthKit. HealthKit puts together numerous healthcare and fitness apps, such as blood pressure and heart rate monitors through partners including Nike, and allows them to communicate with each other.
Users will be able to control home appliances and other connected devices through HomeKit, Apple's connected home framework. Similar to HealthKit, this app will organize your smart devices to control them in one place. One method of control will be via Siri-for example, you could tell Siri you were "going to bed", and it could dim the lights, lock your doors, close the garage door and set the room temperature.
With the introduction of both of these key features, it's likely the iPhone 6 will take on even more of a lifestyle device role. It is designed to organize our lives and make everyday tasks easier and more efficiently completed.
Suppliers are believed to be preparing to produce up to 80m of the new handsets by the end of December, according to the Wall Street Journal. In July, Apple announced strong financial results for its third quarter, with significant sales growth in China and profits ahead of expectations at $7.7bn. | high8769.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "just laugh it away"
},
"options": [
"believe the story",
"just laugh it away",
"wonder why",
"report it to the police"
],
"question": "According to Chris French, if someone told you an alien experience again, yo... | Do you have memories of being kidnapped by aliens and taken away rapidly in a spaceship? You wouldn't be alone. Several thousand people worldwide reported to have had such experiences, researchers say. But in a new study, a psychology expert at London's Goldsmiths College says these experiences are proof of the weakness of the human memory, rather than evidence of life in outer space.
"Maybe what we're dealing with here is false memories, and not that people are actually being kidnapped and taken aboard spaceships," says Professor Chris French, who surveyed 19 so-called victims.
Several of the victims reported being taken away from their beds or cars by alien creatures around four feet high, with long and lean arms and legs and oversized heads, French said. Some men said they were forced to take painful medical examinations by the aliens.
Many of the alien experiences could be explained by sleep paralysis, a condition in which a person is awake and aware of the surroundings but is unable to move. Sleep paralysis often leads to hallucinations --the experience of seeing or feeling something that is not really there and 40 percent of people experience the state at least once in their lives, French said. A rich imagination was also at play. Several of the alien victims were more likely to _ and reported to have seen ghosts and have unnatural abilities.
"People have very rich fantasy lives," said French, who is due to present his findings at a public seminar at London's Science Museum on Wednesday. "So much that they often mix up what's happening in their heads with what is going on in the real world." | high12672.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Five years old ."
},
"options": [
"Six months old .",
"Five years old .",
"Two years old .",
"Six years old ."
],
"question": "How old is the horse now ?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"... | A huge shire horse in Australia has been declared the biggest horse in the world by its owner , beating the current Guinness World Record by several inches .
The huge five-year-old , from Pakenham , S. E Australia , measures an amazing 20.1 hands , or 2.057m tall . He weighs over 1.3 tons ( 1,300kg) -- about the same as a small car -- and is still growing . His owner , horse trainer Jane Greenman , 47 , says the only time the horse runs is when there is food on offer . " He eats an unbelievable amount . I would hate to run a team of eight horses his size--it would send you broke . " she says .
The massive horse , whose name is Noddy , was born in Australia with its parents imported from England . Noddy's grandfather , Ladbrooke Edward (UK) was the world's tallest horse during the 1980's .But Jane had no idea that the horse she raised from the age of six months would grow this big . Noddy immediately began to rocket and soon overtook both his parents in size .
Although she says that she is not interested in the Guiness Book of World Records , nevertheless Jane has carried out her own research and is sure that Noddy comes top . " The nearest is a horse in Texas , at 20 hands ," says Jane . " Noddy is already an inch taller than that . The frightening thing is he still hasn't finished--shire horses aren't fully grown until they're about six or seven ."
Jane has said that Noddy could be sold overseas , possibly even fetching a record price to match his height . She is unwilling to sell , but to fund the high cost of keeping him she needs to put him to work . " He needs a job . It's very hard to find jobs for such a big horse in Australia . I wish he could stay here but I've tried everywhere , " she says regretfully . " I just want people to enjoy this beautiful animal as much as I do ." | high16414.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "perform and earn some money there"
},
"options": [
"take care of the dying gorilla",
"beg some money from the zoo keeper",
"ask for a job there",
"perform and earn some money there"
],
"question": "The mimic vis... | One day an out of work mimic is visiting the zoo and attempts to earn some money as a street performer. As soon as he starts to draw the crowd,a zoo keeper grabs him and drags him into his office. The zoo keeper explains to the mimic that the zoo's most popular attraction,a gorilla ,has died suddenly and the keeper fears that attendance at the zoo will fall off. He offers the mimic a job to dress up as the gorilla until they can get another one. The mimic accepts.
So the next morning the mimic puts on the gorilla suit and enters the cage before the crowd comes. He discovers that it's a great job. He can sleep all he wants,play and make fun of people and he draws bigger crowds than he ever did as a mimic. However,eventually the crowds tire of him and he tires of just swinging on wires. He begins to notice that the people are paying more attention to the lion in the cage next to his. Not wanting to lose the attention of his audience,he climbs to the top of his cage,crawls across a partition ,and dangles from the top to the lion's cage. Of course,this makes the lion very angry,but the crowd loves it.
At the end of the day the zoo keeper comes and gives the mimic a raise for being such a good attraction. Well,this goes on for some time-the mimic keeps taunting the lion,the crowds grow larger,and his salary keeps going up. Then one terrible day when he is dangling over the angry lion he slips and falls. The mimic is terrified.
The lion gathers itself and prepares to attack. The mimic is so scared that he begins to run round and round the cage with the lion close behind. Finally,the mimic starts screaming and yelling,"Help me,help me!"But the lion is quick and attacks. The mimic soon finds himself flat on his back looking up at the angry lion and the lion says,"Shut up,you idiot!Do you want to get us both fired?" | high4153.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "are less likely to have asthma"
},
"options": [
"will be more caring",
"will grow up more happily",
"are less likely to have asthma",
"are probably behave better in school"
],
"question": "According to the passa... | Children who are raised in households with dogs during their first year of life may have a lower risk of asthma a few years later, a new study suggests.
In the study, the researchers looked at early exposure to dogs and farm animals and the rate of asthma among about 276,000 school-age children in Sweden. Among the school-age kids in the study, those who had been exposed to dogs during their first year of life were 13 percent less likely to have asthma at age 6.
The researchers said they don't know for sure what exactly may explain the relationship between early exposure to animals and a reduced risk of asthma."It might be due to a single factor, or more likely, a combination of several factors related to a dog ownership lifestyle or dog owners' attitudes, such as kids' exposure to household dirt and pet dust, time spent outdoors or being physically active,"Fall told LiveScience."As a parent in a dog-and-baby household, it is nearly impossible to keep everything clean, and maybe this is a good thing for your baby's future health."
Currently, one of the main hypotheses that aim to explain the link between a lower risk of asthma and early exposure to pets is that"kids in animal environments breathe air that contains more bacteria and bacterial fragments, which actually could lower their risk of asthma,"she said. Previous research on having pets and the risk of asthma in kids has mixed results. For example, the results of a 2001 review of previous studies suggested that exposure to pets was linked to an increased risk of asthma in children. But a 2012 review suggested that exposure to pets, especially dogs, was tied to a decreased risk of asthma and allergies in childhood.
"My take-home message from this study is that parents at this point do not need to worry about keeping their dog when expecting a baby for fear of asthmatic disease,"Fall said."I do want to be clear that this recommendation is valid only for families without a child already having allergies. If they already have a furred-animal-allergic child, we do not recommend them to get a furred pet."
According to this hypothesis, being exposed to bacteria early in life is crucial for shaping a healthy immune system, and may play a role in modifying a person's risk of developing asthma and allergies."As to allergies and asthma, it is partially genetic, but studies like this do show us that your environment does play a key role in the development of your immune system, and the development of allergies and asthma,"Parikh told LiveScience. | high19727.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Grades should be taken away at once."
},
"options": [
"Grades should not be used to measure a person's success.",
"Students may give up the chance to learn music and sports for grades.",
"Students' creativity may not be devel... | The following are letters to the editor of a school newspaper.
Dear editor,
I'd like to express my opinion about grades. Students should be allowed to study without worrying about grades. Fortunately, most educators are becoming aware of the fact that students have different interests and abilities. I understand that grades are useful, but grades often limit creativity. Competing for better grades causes many students to turn down opportunities to pursue music, dramatics and sports. Grades force an arbitrary standard of success on everyone. I do not demand as some extremists do, that grades be removed immediately. However, I do believe that less emphasis should be placed on grades. I hope that someday grades will become optional at Village High School.
Magdalena Smith
Drama Club
Dear editor,
I'd like to say something about grades. Let's face the facts about grades. Grades perform three basic functions. First, grades motivate students to work at their highest level of competence . Second, they act as a reward for hardworking students and as a punishment to students who do not work hard. Finally, grades are used as an effective standard by which to measure students' achievement. Good grades help students to get jobs and to get into university. I've spoken with a number of students who have jobs, and most of them say that they were hired primarily on the basis of their grades. My grades helped me land a part-time job and will help me get into university next year. I think grades are extremely important at Village High School.
Simon Harper
Science Club | high18439.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "The advantages of hugs."
},
"options": [
"The advantages of hugs.",
"How should we hug",
"The tips on giving others hugs",
"The facts of hugs"
],
"question": "What is the best title of the passage?",
"questi... | A hug is a wonderful thing and it is a great gift to share with people. For some people, a hug is considered to be a great way to say "I care." A hug communicates support, affection , unity and belonging. A hug shows a strong feeling of sympathy. A hug brings happiness. A hug also touches the soul.
Hugs are healthy. Hugs can ease pain, reduce stress, cure depression and refresh the heart, yet they have no side effects...No wonder, it is a true miracle medicine.
A hug can say "I love you"...A hug can say "I hate to see you go". A hug can say " It's good to have you back". A hug can say "It's great to see you'. A hug can say "I feel your pain". A hug can also say "Let me share your burden".
No matter whether you're the giver or the receiver, hugs touch the inner being. From friends, to families, to loved ones, to those in need, a hug warms the heart.
A hug is truly amazing. It brings generosity to the giver and happiness to the receiver. It brings blessings to those who give and joy to those who receive.
Hugs are one of the reasons why God gave us arms. So, stretch out your arms to someone today. Reach out to those you love. It will warm the heart of the giver and give light to the soul of the receiver.
Reach out to your neighbor. It will show that you care. Reach out to one in need. It will show that you are responsible. Reach out to the world. It will show God that you care for his creation. | high2522.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "At least 2 years of working experience."
},
"options": [
"A graduate degree taught in English.",
"Demonstrated leadership.",
"At least 2 years of working experience.",
"Communicative ability."
],
"question": "Wh... | The Singapore Management University (SMU) MBA programme was launched with the aim to develop the next generation of business leaders in Asia.We seek candidates with certain conditions and qualities.
achievements and demonstrated leadership potential.Participants in current and past classes have an average of 5 -6 years of working experience.We are looking for candidates who can benefit from - and contribute to - our seminar style of teaching and who can successfully lead teams and organizations coming out the programme.The programme has a strict minimum work experience requirement of 2 years (more experience preferred).Younger applicants can apply but must demonstrate outstanding leadership potential and maturity through their professional and personal experiences.
As our Full-time MBA and Part-time MBA are accelerated and strict, we are looking for candidates with strong academic certificates, as evidenced by their past academic performance.The GMAT is required as it gives us a base to compare candidates from diverse national, educational and professional backgrounds.While we have no minimum GMAT score, we consider candidates who have stronger than average marks in the verbal , quantitative and writing sections to be more competitive.We also require TOEFL or IELTS scores from those whose undergraduate or graduate degrees were not taught in English.
Our business school's aim is to train sharp minds who lead organizations and serve society.To this end, we look to build a dynamic and diverse student body who will actively contribute to the learning experience both inside and outside the classroom, and who desire to make a difference in their greater communities.We are also looking for candidates with strong interpersonal skills and an international outlook who can work in diverse groups, a necessary condition for being a leader in today's globalized world. | high8999.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "The Living Statues of Barcelona"
},
"options": [
"The Living Statues of Barcelona",
"Street Artists at Las Ramblas",
"A Shopping Center in Barcelona",
"Special Performances at Las Ramblas"
],
"question": "The be... | In a living statue, just as the name implies, somebody transforms himself or herself into a statue. Last year, I came across an article in a magazine describing living statues in the streets of some Australian cities. The article was vividly written, except that there was not even a single picture; one could only imagine what a scene it would have been! All the harder, then, to believe that I ran into the "wonder" in prefix = st1 /Barcelonathis year. The performers - the living statues - were street artists at Las Ramblas.
Las Ramblas is the most famous street in Barcelona. Especially in summer, thousands of tourists go to the seaside by passing through this street, making it a center of shops and bazaars. Not only can you find tourists there, but also thieves, cheats, cops...among whom the living statue artists are the most special group.
They were covered with greasepaint in different color1s, wearing season - disproportional clothes, standing on a pedestal for several hours without making even a single move. Are they real or _ , the guests were wondering...and then suddenly the statues came to life, just for a few seconds to shift positions. But the movement of the statues seemed like someone just had breathed life into them. They really do look like statues, and that's how they got their name.
Usually there is a jar or a hat in front of them. They would change to another pose whenever some tourist puts a coin in the hat. You may take photos after giving a Euro, or even less, but be careful not to touch the statues, unless you want yourself to be covered in paint. It's a really special experience, don't you think? | high22941.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "In Switzerland"
},
"options": [
"In England",
"In Italy",
"In Switzerland",
"In France"
],
"question": "Where was Mary Shelley when she wrote the story Frankenstein?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
... | Frankensteinis one of the world's most famous horror stories. It's about a doctor who creates a new man from the body parts of dead people and brings it to life. But the experiment goes wrong and the monster kills the doctor and many others. The story has been read by millions since it was first published and in the last hundred years it has been made into dozens of movies. Many people are surprised to learn its writer was a 19-year-old woman, called Mary Shelley.
Mary was born into a rich London family in August 1797. She was educated by her parents and when she was 13 she decided to become a writer. In 1812, she met the famous writer Percy Shelley and they soon got married. Sadly for Mary, their first child died soon after birth in Italy. In her diary, Mary wrote about a dream:"I dreamt that my little baby came to life again---that it had only been cold and that we rubbed it before the fire and it lived."
In 1816, Percy Shelley and 19-year-old Mary visited the poet Lord Byron at his home in Switzerland. Because of the bad weather they stayed indoors reading horror stories. On night, Byron asked everyone to write their own story. Mary thought of her dream and wrote the story ofFrankenstein
Frankensteinwas published when Mary was 21, and became a huge success. Many people didn't think a 19-year-old woman could write so well and believed her husband was the real writer.
Although famous, Shelley's life was full of sadness. Only one of her four children lived and in 1822 her husband died in a swimming accident. Mary was broken-hearted and decided not to marry again. She devoted herself to her child and continued to write until her death in 1851. | high1003.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Actions for Preserving Anti-Bacterial Medications in the US"
},
"options": [
"Drug Resistance Developing Quickly in the US",
"Drug--Resistant Bacterial Infections Growing in the US",
"Actions for Preserving Anti-Bacterial Med... | A new U.S.government report says more than two million Americans fall ill each year with drug--resistant bacterial infections ,and 23,000 of them are dying as a result.The head of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention[CDC]said that the number probably will grow.Officials warn that steps must be taken now to preserve the effectiveness of antibiotic drugs.
Without urgent action to stop that trend,warned Tom Frieden whose agency wrote the report,the miracle drugs to fight them won't be available in the future.
"If we are not careful,the medicine chest will be empty when we go there to look for a lifesaving antibiotic for someone with a deadly infection.But if we act now,we can preserve these medications while we continue to work on development of new medicines."The report names a drug--resistant abuse of gonorrhea ,which causes about one quarter of a million hospitalizations in the United States annually.Of the number at least 1 4,000 result in death.
Drug resistance develops through the overuse and inappropriate use of anti--bacterial agents.These can be:doctors prescribing them to patients who have viral infections that are not affected by medicine meant to fight bacteria;patients not taking all of their medicine as prescribed,so the bacteria making them sick are only weakened,not killed;antibiotic use in healthy farm animals to prevent illness and promote growth.Antibiotic remainders left in meat and animal products can then lead to drug resistance in humans.
To limit the spread of resistant infections,experts recommend wider use of routine immunizations ,as well as hand--washing in hospitals and other health care facilities.Also,the report urges hand--washing by food handlers.
Michael Bell,deputy director of the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at CDC,said Patients also can play a role in preserving the effectiveness of antibiotics by asking health care providers a few simple questions. | high13544.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "correct short-sightedness"
},
"options": [
"prevent short-sightedness",
"correct short-sightedness",
"protect their eyes from sunlight",
"decorate their eyes"
],
"question": "We can infer people use contact lens... | You could have poor eyesight because you didn't spend enough time outdoors as a child, according to the conclusion of some studies on short-sightedness published in the Optometry and Vision Science.
Although short-sightedness can easily be corrected with glasses or contact lenses , it's much better to prevent it altogether. This means we should allow the eyes to develop the way they should in childhood.
Children need to spend more time outdoors, focusing on distant objects, say the Australian researchers. This gives the eyeballs a chance to develop as they should.
According to one study on short-sightedness, the risk of developing short-sightedness is great -- about 60 percent -- in children who get five hours or less per week of outdoor activities. But if they do outdoor activities for 14 hours or more a week, the risk drops to 20 percent.
Spending time outdoors can even help people overcome a genetic predisposition to short-sightedness. Children with parents who are short-sighted can bring down their risk by spending a few hours a day outdoors, suggest the findings from another of the studies presented at the conference.
It's being in an outdoor environment that seems to be important, not the type of activity. Studies show that both active and passive outdoor activities have the same protective effect. So encourage children to balance the time they spend reading and studying with time outside. Two to three hours a day outside of school hours is the suggested amount by scientists. If it's hard to find that time, then cut the amount of television and reduce the time they spend on computer games and get kids to take frequent breaks outdoors when reading and studying. | high23487.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "It is more encouraging to talk to oneself using the second-person."
},
"options": [
"Giving oneself advice and encouragement is very useful.",
"It is more encouraging to talk to oneself using the second-person.",
"First-perso... | You can do it!
That's a better way to motivate yourself than saying "I can do it, " according to a new study that shows giving yourself advice and encouragement in the second-person before an upcoming task may actually improve your performance more than first-person self-talk.
"People are used to receiving and giving advice in the second-person, and they seem to prefer using the second-person pronoun to encourage themselves," says study co-author, Dr. Sanda Dolcos, a researcher at the University of Illinois. "Self-advice expressed using 'You' probably enables people to have a broader perspective , consider how others might view the event, and reproduce the kind of encouragements previously received from others."
For the study, Dr. Dolcos and her colleague, Dr. Dolores, asked 143 undergraduate students to write down advice to themselves before completing a series of puzzles. Half of the students were asked to use the first-person, while the others wrote in the second-person.
What did the researchers find? The students who wrote in the second-person managed to complete more puzzles and appeared to have a more positive attitude.
The researchers also asked the students to write down advice to themselves in relation to exercising more often in the next two weeks. Those who wrote in the second-person, again, reported a more positive attitude toward the task and even planned to do more exercise than the students who referred to themselves in the first-person.
"We were not surprised and had previous research showing that people _ use 'You' in situations that require high levels of self-control and action," Dolcos said.
But why did the researchers ask students to write down their self-talk instead of saying it out loud? " Writing as a tool of conversing with oneself has long been used as a therapeutical approach," Dolcos explained. "However, further research is needed to determine which form of self-advice, written or spoken, is more beneficial." | high12882.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "He felt strongly that the wealthy should use their fortunes for the benefit of society."
},
"options": [
"He felt strongly that the wealthy should use their fortunes for the benefit of society.",
"He opposed charity.",
"The w... | Andrew Carneigie, known as the King of Steel, built the steel industry in the United States, and, in the process, became one of the wealthiest men in America. His success resulted partly from his ability to sell the product and partly from his policy of expanding during periods of economic decline, when most of his competitors were reducing their investments. Carnegie believed that individuals should progress through hard work, but he also felt strongly that the wealthy should use their fortunes for the benefit of society. He opposed charity, preferring instead to provide educational opportunities that would allow others to help themselves. "He who dies rich, dies disgraced", he often said. Among his more noteworthy contributions to society are those that bear his name, including the Carnegie Institute of Pittsburgh, which has a library, a museum of fine arts, and a museum of national history. He also founded a school of technology that is now part of Carnegie-Mellon University. Other philanthropic gifts are the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace to promote understanding between nations, the Carnegie Institute of Washington to fund scientific research, and Carnegie Hall to provide a center for the arts. _ . His contributions of more than five million dollars established 2,500 libraries in small communities throughout the country and formed the nucleus of the public library system that we all enjoy today. | high15135.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "write more notes"
},
"options": [
"write more notes",
"digest concepts better",
"get higher scores",
"understand lectures better"
],
"question": "More and more students favor laptops for note-taking because they... | A new study shows students who write notes by hand during lectures perform better on exams than those who use laptops .
Students are increasingly using laptops for note-taking because of speed and legibility . But the research has found laptop users are less able to remember and apply the concepts they have been taught.
Researchers performed experiments that aimed to find out whether using a laptop increased the tendency to make notes "mindlessly" by taking down word for word what the professors said.
In the first experiment, students were given either a laptop or pen and paper. They listened to the same lectures and were told to use their usual note-taking skills. Thirty minutes after the talk, they were examined on their ability to remember facts and on how well they understood concepts.
The researchers found that laptop users took twice as many notes as those who wrote by hand. However, the typists performed worse at remembering and applying the concepts. Both groups scored similarly when it came to memorizing facts.
The researchers' report said, "While more notes are beneficial, if the notes are taken mindlessly, as is more likely the case on a laptop, the benefit disappears."
In another experiment aimed at testing long-term memory, students took notes as before but were tested a week after the lecture. This time, the students who wrote notes by hand performed significantly better on the exam.
These two experiments suggest that handwritten notes are not only better for immediate learning and understanding, but that they also lead to superior revision in the future. | high8741.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "bestseller"
},
"options": [
"fashionable clothing",
"bestseller",
"TV sets",
"bookcases"
],
"question": "In the sales, people can buy, at a very low price, all of the following except _ .",
"question_type... | For shopoholics, the post-Christmas period means only one thing ---- sales! Across the country, prices are reducing sharply on clothing, electronics and home furniture, but London is the place for serious shopping, and you can certainly pick up some amazing bargains.
The sales start on Boxing Day -- 26th December, and continue for the month of January, but the keenest bargain hunters get there early to be first through the doors. In Oxford Street queues formed outside shops ahead of before-dawn openings for the start of their sales. At Brent Cross, in north London, more than 1,000 people were queuing at 3.30 am for the 'Next' clothing store's sale which began at 4 am. Some eager individuals even camped outside the shops to be first in the line.
Consumers who _ were rewarded with discounts of as much as 80% as department stores joined the bargain sales. The shops are very crowded as the sales reached the boiling-point, with more than half a million people gathering on London's West End.
Famous sales include the biggest, most popular shops such as Harrods, Selfridges, Liberty and John Lewis. Department stores are always a good bet -- you're likely to find everything you need under one roof, including much-needed food and drinks!
It's a good time to stock up on cheap small tools, and there's no better time to invest in some designer clothes.
Some people are taking their partners shopping with them, and buying their Christmas presents in the sale----a practical but unromantic way of making sure you get the gift you really want. For a less exciting but less stressful shopping experience, online sellers are also getting in on the act with January sales of their own.
The most organized of all are those who are already doing their present shopping for next Christmas, in the January sales! | high11353.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "a task"
},
"options": [
"a social event",
"a task",
"a TV game",
"entertainment"
],
"question": "Compared to women , men usually treat shopping as _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"an... | "Regardless of social class, race, age, men say they hate to shop," says Zukin, City University of New York sociology professor. " Yet when you ask them deeper questions, it turns out that they like to shop. Men generally like to shop for books , music and hardware. But if you ask them about the shopping they do for books or music, they'll say, ' Well , that's not shopping. That's research .'"
In other words, what men and women call "buying things" and how they approach that task are different.
Women will wander through several 1,000-square-meter stores in search of the perfect party dress. Men will wander through 100 Internet sites in search of the perfect digital camcorder.
Women see shopping as a social event. Men see it as a special task or a game to be won.
"Men are frequently shopping to win," says Ann, a marketing professor at Loyola University of Chicago. "They want to get the best deal. They want to get the best one, the latest one and if they manage to do that it makes them happy."
"When women shop, they're doing it in a way that they want everybody to be very happy," says Ann. "They're kind of shopping for love."
"Teenage girls learn to shop from their moms and older sisters, but they also learn to shop by examining articles in magazines like Seventeen." Zukin says.
"And although men's magazines such as GQand Esquire have long had shopping articles, it's TV that has the eye of young male shoppers," says Ann and Zukin.
"Of course, there are men who love to shop and are proud of it," Loyola's Ann says.
And that is important no matter whether you buy a car or a frying pan. All men love to buy but they don't want to be cheated.
Ann adds, "There actually are men who are interested, for example, in cooking or shopping or chinaware or things around their homes--they become kind of girl magnets. Women like it. " | high21290.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "They may still miss the country they studied in."
},
"options": [
"They may still miss the country they studied in.",
"They feel ashamed of the American way of wasting.",
"They don't talk much about their overseas experience.... | Colleges may try to do a lot to prepare students for study abroad -- telling about culture shock, warning about homesickness, and recommending books about the country. But when it comes to adjusting to campus life when they return, schools haven't done as much, even though the transition is sometimes almost as difficult.
"They can feel disoriented and depressed. They find things are not exactly the way they were when they left," said Antonio Jimenez, director of the Center for International Affairs at California State University Channel Islands in Camarillo, California, US. "They find that people don't care much about their experiences."
Some colleges are now rethinking their approach to studying abroad, recognizing that students might need almost as much help adjusting to life back home as they did getting ready to leave: students experience a sort of reverse culture shock when they return to the US. They might be troubled by the wealth and waste they see back home or they might feel homesick for their new country and its customs. And when they try to talk about their experiences, people quickly lose interest, especially if they haven't lived abroad themselves.
Down the road, they also might find it difficult to translate their time abroad into experience that an employer finds attractive.
Some California universities have organized conferences to help students make the most of their time abroad. During a one-day event, students learn how to adjust after living abroad, talk about their experiences and incorporate (,) them into their lives and future careers.
Blythe Cheney, 22, a senior who has studied in Thailand and Britain, found the workshops helpful. "Any experience abroad does have an effect on you," Cheney said. "When you come back, it's important to talk about it, especially with people who know what you've been through." Yet most universities focus more on preparation than reorientation . | high18411.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because it made the writer feel happy, lively and warm."
},
"options": [
"Because the writer's old school was far away.",
"Because the writer didn't know who the boy was.",
"Because the smile didn't mean anything to the boy."... | When I was 16 years old, a boy gave me an important gift. It was a smile.
It was the early autumn of my first year at a junior high school, and my old school was far away. As a result, no one knew who I was. I was very lonely, and afraid to make friends with anyone.
Every time I heard the other students talking and laughing, I felt my heart break. I couldn't talk about anyone with my problems. And I didn't want my parents to worry about me. Then one day, my classmates talked happily with their friends, but I sat at my desk unhappily as usual. At that moment, a boy entered the classroom. I didn't know who he was. He passed me and then turned back. He looked at me, without a word, a smile.
Suddenly, I felt the touch of something bright and friendly. It made me feel happy, lively and warm. That smile changed my life. I started to talk with other students and made friends. Day by day, I became closer to everyone in my class. The boy with the lucky smile has become my best friend now.
One day I asked him why he smiled, but he couldn't remember smiling at me!It doesn't matter because all the dark days have gone. I believe that the world is what you think it is. If you think it lonely, you might always be alone. So smile at world and it will smile back. | high17722.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "English as a World Language"
},
"options": [
"The Difficulties of Learning English",
"International Communications",
"The Standard Varieties of English",
"English as a World Language"
],
"question": "What would ... | The number of speakers of English in Shakespeare's time is estimated to have been about five million. Today it is estimated that some 260 million people speak it as a native language, mainly in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In addition to the standard varieties of English found in these areas, there are a great many regional and social varieties of the language as well as various levels of usage that are employed both in its spoken and written forms.
In fact, it is impossible to estimate the number of people in the world who have acquired an adequate working knowledge of English in addition to their own languages. The purpose for English learning and the situations in which such learning takes place are so varied that it is difficult to explain and still more difficult to judge what forms an adequate working knowledge for each situation.
The main reason for the widespread demand for English is its present-day importance as a world language. Besides serving the indefinite needs of its native speakers, English is a language in which some of important works in science, technology, and other fields are being produced, and not always by native speakers. It is widely used for such purposes as meteorological and airport communications, international conferences, and the spread of information over the radio and television networks of many nations. It is a language of wider communication for a number of developing countries, especially former British colonies. Many of these countries have multilingual populations and need a language for internal communication in such matters as government, commerce, industry, law and education as well as for international communication and for entrance to the scientific and technological developments in the West. | high5503.txt |
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