questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the Summer Palace"
},
"options": [
"the Olympic Park",
"the Summer Palace",
"Beihai Park",
"Zhong Shan Park"
],
"question": "The Rubber Duck went to _ after it left the International Garden Expo Park.",
... | The 18-meter-tall Rubber Duck arrived in Beijing on Friday. It was placed on waters in the International Garden Expo Park, where the Yongding River passes through.
The Rubber Duck exhibition was designed by Dutch artist, Florentijn Hofman. It was part of the activities of Beijing Design Week, which ran from September 26 to October 3 in 2013.
The Rubber Duck stayed in the park until September 23, then moved to the Summer Palace, a famous Beijing tourist spot, where it was on display until October 26.
The duck is made of over 200 pieces of rubber. It was guarded not only by staff, but also by 10 volunteers wearing yellow T-shirts and hats with a rubber duck logo.
Sun Yidong, a volunteer who guided visitors to the duck, said the art brought energy to the traditional Chinese park.
"Seeing the giant Rubber Duck makes me feel like I'm a kid again." Sun said.
Because of the rain on Friday, there were not too many people coming to see it. The Expo workers said they expected more people to come and visit the duck on weekends.
Zhao Yan said she had been following news about the duck since 2007, when the duck began its journey.
"I even considered going to Hong Kong to see it. It's great that the duck is in Beijing," Zhao said.
Before arriving in Beijing, the Rubber Duck traveled to 13 cities in nine countries. "The aim of the Rubber Duck is simply to bring everyone back to their childhood again," said Zeng Hui, a leader of the Beijing Design Week Organizing Committee Office. "It can be a toy for adults."
,. | middle2909.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "he doesn't make good use of his memory"
},
"options": [
"he can't read or write",
"his parents haven't a good memory",
"he doesn't make good use of his memory",
"he doesn't use his arms or legs for some time"
],
... | If you do not use your arms or your legs for some time, they will become weak, and when you start using them again, they slowly become strong again. Everybody knows that. Yet many people do not seem to know that memory works in the same way.
When someone says that he has a good memory, he really means that he keeps his memory in practice by using it. When someone else says that his memory is poor, he really means that he does not give it enough chance to become strong.
If a friend says that his arms and legs are weak, we know that it is his own fault. But if he tells us that he has a poor memory, many of us think that his parents may be blamed, and few of us know that it is just his own fault . Have you ever found that some people can't read or write but usually they have better memories? This is because they cannot read or write and when they have to remember things, they cannot write them down in a small notebook. As a result, they have to remember days, names, songs and stories, so their memory is being exercised the whole time.
So if you want to have a good memory, learn from the people: practice remembering things in a way as other people do. | middle994.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "there were always many people to see him"
},
"options": [
"there were always many people to see him",
"everyone went home in a hurry",
"some people would take photos of him",
"no one would like to talk to him"
],
... | Once upon a time in Greece, there lived a young man called Narcissus. He lived in a small village on the sea and was famous in the land because he was quite handsome. Villagers would turn up on the streets to stare at the beautiful child .
When he grew up , people always said "How handsome Narcissus is!" Villagers thought that Narcissus could not be any more handsome than he already was. But as years passed Narcissus became a teenager. His beauty grew and became so great that he was known all over country of Greece.
As he grew ,Narcissus was very proud of his good-looking face.
"Oh! You are so handsome ,Narcissus!" Narcissus said one day as he looked into a pool."There's nobody more handsome in the whole world ! I'd love to kiss you . And that's just what I'll do!"
He leaned closer to the water . Suddenly he lost his balance and fell into the pool .
Narcissus tried to reach the bank of the pool, but he could not swim and he drowned. | middle7871.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "England"
},
"options": [
"China",
"America",
"England",
"Canada"
],
"question": "Where do I come from?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_t... | Boys and girls, let's begin our English class now. This time I want to talk about my family. Then I want you to say something about your families.
There are seven people in my family. They are my parents, my two sisters, my brother, his wife and I. In England, a family like this is a big one. My father has a factory . It isn't very big. It makes all kinds of boats. My brother is a doctor. He works in a hospital . His wife works in a hospital, too. She is a nurse. My two sisters are students. One wants to be a teacher. She studies hard and well. The other likes singing very much and can sing very well. So she wants to be a singer . I'm now in China teaching English and learning Chinese. My mother stays at home. Can you guess what she does at home? Yes, she does housework. She is a housewife. | middle980.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "to have a good meal"
},
"options": [
"to meet the boy",
"to buy a newspaper",
"to eat an ice cream",
"to have a good meal"
],
"question": "The man comes to the restaurant _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_que... | A man goes into a restaurant one day. His clothes are very nice. He sits down at a table near the window.
A waiter comes to him and says, "Can I help you, sir?" The man says, "Yes, please. Can I see the menu ?"
"Sure," answers the waiter. The man wants a good meal and he wants a lot of nice dishes. After a moment, the waiter brings them to him. The man has his meal happily. At this time, a boy comes in and sits down besides the man. He asks the waiter to give him ice cream. The man says, "I will be back in 5 minutes." Then he goes out. After the boy eats his ice cream, he stands up and goes to the door. "Excuse me, your father doesn't give the money for the meal and your ice cream," the waiter stops him and says.
"Father? You are wrong. He is not my father. I do not know him. I meet him in the street. He says he'll give me ice cream when I come here at twelve o'clock." | middle7865.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "A documentary."
},
"options": [
"A cartoon.",
"A documentary.",
"A comedy.",
"A chat show"
],
"question": "What type of TV programme is A Bite of China Season Two?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},... | As an old Chinese saying goes, food is what matters most to people. A Bite of China Season Two, all about the history and culture of eating and cooking in China, broadcast on CCTV-1 from April 18 to June 6. Food plays an important role in our daily life. It is also one of the most important parts of Chinese culture. Besides the rich food culture in China, A Bite of China Season Two also wants to show the joys and sadnesses of ordinary Chinese in changing times through food.
The documentary makes viewers long for home and the tastes of childhood. One Weibo user wrote, "A Bite of China Season Two makes me have so many words to say. It makes me think of my parents and grandmother. I remember my father taught me how to fish when I was a kid. I haven't been home for a long time, so I've decided to go back in a few days."
The documentary uses food as a window to introduce China to the world. Viewers can see how Chinese people love life by loving food. The new season is not just an introduction to food. It also explores the relationship between Chinese people and their food. Anyone who wants to know more about Chinese food culture and Chinese society should have a bite of the programme. | middle3395.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "sea animals"
},
"options": [
"fishes",
"plants",
"science",
"sea animals"
],
"question": "The passage mainly tells us about _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_... | A science book gives facts. Some science books tell us about animals. Some tell us about plants. Some tell us about outer space. This page tells us about animals.
Do you know that not only the fish but also some animals live in the sea? For example, the whale is not a fish. It can't breathe in the water. It swims in the water. But it comes up for air.
The blue whale is the world's biggest animal. There are other sea animals, too. One is called the dolphin. Dolphins need air to live. They breathe air, as whales do. Dolphins are very clever. They sometimes seem to speak to each other.
Many other animals live near the sea. Seals and otters love the sea. They swim and play there. They eat fish and sea plants. Seals and otters have thick fur. The fur keeps them warm. | middle1582.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "A dog."
},
"options": [
"A dog.",
"A child.",
"A dog's owner.",
"A dog trainer"
],
"question": "Who tells this story?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_t... | When I was a baby, I interested you and made you laugh. Whenever I was "bad", you'd shake your finger at me and ask: "How could you?"--but then you'd give up, and roll me over for a belly scratch and I believed that life could not be any more perfect.
My housetraining was a long process, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. We went for long walks, runs in the park and car rides. We stopped for ice cream. I took long sleeps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day.
Step by step, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human friend. Finally, you fell in love. She, now your wife, is not a dog person, but I still welcomed her into our home. I was happy because you were happy. Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement, I was attracted by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them too. Your wife was afraid I would bite them. However, as they began to grow, I became their friend.
Now, you have a new job in another city and you and they will be moving to a flat that does not allow pets. You've made the right decision for your "family", but there was a time when I was your only family.
I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the dog pound . It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You filled out the paperwork and said: "I know you will find a good home for her." They shrugged and gave you a pained look.The children were in tears as they waved me goodbye. And "How could you?" were the only three words that swept over my mind.
Is it better to live with hope or without hope? At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping it was you, that you had changed your mind and that this was all a bad dream.
My beloved master, I will think of you and wait for you forever. I hope you receive more faithfulness from your family than you showed to me. | middle7695.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "students"
},
"options": [
"nurses",
"policemen",
"businessmen",
"students"
],
"question": "Sunny English Club is for _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index":... | Sunny English Club
For students
16:00 - 18:00 Every Saturday
200 Yuan a month
9 Zhou Yu Street
Tel: 3785290
Foreign teachers, English songs and films and more!
Ocean Museum
9:00--17:00 From Thursday to Sunday
Ticket: 50 yuan
132 Xue Yuan Street
Tel: 5439871
Show you a full picture of sea lives!
Health Centre
9:00--17:30
16 Yong Le Street
Tel: 3801451
Free examinations for those over 70
Give you good advice to keep healthy!
, | middle5082.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Because her school was far away from home."
},
"options": [
"Because she hated doing housework",
"Because she was busy with her work.",
"Because her school was far away from home.",
"Because she disliked her family."
... | "Tammy! Come here, please! Mother needs your help in the kitchen." Her father called out to her.
Tammy was in her room, getting ready to do her homework. "Yes, Daddy!" she replied. "I'll be right there."
She hurried out of her bedroom and down the hallway. She was only nine years old. Her elder sister, Ella, had just moved away to go to a performing arts high school in another city. Her brother, Harry, was in middle school and always got home late. With Ella leaving home, Tammy was expected to do a lot more than she had ever done before, especially now, because her mother was ill.
Her father was in the kitchen. "Tammy, I know you usually do your homework right now, but with things being different, we all have to change a little bit. I'll help you and Harry with your homework later on, OK?"
Her father had an apron on over his clothes, and he looked kind of funny. He was doing the dishes and he always splashed water all over when he did that. After helping her father with the dishes, Tammy helped set the table.
After supper, her father helped her and Harry with their homework, and then they played a board game so that their mother could lie down for a while.
The next morning, Tammy got up early on her own because she wanted to help her mother with breakfast. She made orange juice and even put bread in the toaster and got out the butter so that her mother could sleep for a few more minutes.
When her mother got up half an hour later, she was very surprised and moved to see the breakfast on the dining table. She gave Tammy a big hug.
"Thank you, Tammy. You really are mother's little helper now, aren't you?" | middle2935.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "They both needed a way to make money."
},
"options": [
"Haixia needed someone to help him.",
"They both needed a way to make money.",
"They wanted to improve the environment.",
"They were required to do so by local offc... | This is a tale of two friends --- one is blind, the other has no arms. On their own, the two are "disabled". But together, they are a powerful team that has changed part of their village in North China's Hebei Province into a rich, green forest. Meet 53-year-old Jia Haixia and Jia Wenqi!
Their story began in 2000, when Haixia, who was already blind in his right eye, lost his left one after an illness. Wenqi lost his arms in an accident when he was just three. Neither
could find a job, so the two decided to team up. They rented some poor land and began to plant trees. In return, the local officials paid them a small fee. Haixia and Wenqi never imagined that they would end up creating an environmental paradise. Their forest now has over 10,000 trees, hundreds of birds and many other wild animals. In addition, it saves the village from river flooding during the rainy season. When the friends work together, they focus on their strengths not their disabilities. Their day begins at 7 a.m. when the sightless Haixia carries Wenqi across the river to get to their worksite. Since they cannot afford to buy young trees to plant, the two use branches from existing trees. Haixia climbs to the tree-top and with Wenqi's direction, selects the perfect branch. He then digs a hole and carefully plants it. Finally Wenqi waters the area.
Though hard-working, the men don't make much money. But as Wenqi puts it, " _ ."
Neither Haixia nor Wenqi cares about money. Together, they already have everything they need --- a perfect pair of eyes, two strong hands, and the best friendship in the world! | middle5096.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "March 8"
},
"options": [
"March 8",
"March 9",
"March ll",
"April 8"
],
"question": "When did MH370 go missing?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
... | In the past month,we've been holding our breath for news about a Boeing 777 plane,MH 370.
It took off from Kuala Lumpur ,Malaysia.On March 8.It was heading to Beijing.But about two hours into the flight, the plane went missing.
There were 239 people on the flight,including 154 Chinese.
A total of 12 countries including China and the US have joined the search for the plane.
Did it crash? We know that the weather was clear that day.The pilots didn't make any distress calls .And as of March l3,experts have not found any broken parts of the plane.
Was it hijacked ? Two Iranians used stolen passports to get into the flight.But now they do not appear to be linked to any possible hijacking of the plane,international police agency Interpol official said on March 11.
The search is still going on.It could take months or even years to find out what happened
to the flight. | middle2921.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "A picture"
},
"options": [
"An eraser",
"A ruler",
"A picture",
"Three pencils"
],
"question": "_ is (are) NOT on Kevin's desk.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_i... | Miss Han: You bring many things to school, Kevin. Can you tell me what are on your desk?
Kevin: Yes, I can. There is an eraser, a ruler, three pencils and a pencil box on my desk.
Miss Han: What is in your drawer ?
Kevin: In my drawer, there are two books and a notebook.
Miss Han: What is that on the floor?
Kevin: It is my school bag.
Miss Han: Do you bring your lunch box to school?
Kevin: Yes, I do.
Miss Han: Where do you put it?
Kevin: I put it under my desk. | middle4388.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "paid over the money"
},
"options": [
"tried to forget it",
"paid over the money",
"felt it was unimportant",
"gave back the short weight"
],
"question": "When young Abe found he made a wrong calculation, he _ ... | When Abraham Lincoln was young, he worked in a store. One day a woman came into the store and bought some things. They added up to two dollars and six and a quarter cents.
The bill was paid, and the woman was satisfied. But the young storekeeper, not feeling quite sure about his calculations , added up the things again. To his surprise he found that it should have been but two dollars.
"I've made her pay six and a quarter cents more," said young Abe, upset.
It was an unimportant thing, and many salespersons would forget it, but Abe was too careful for that.
"The money must be paid back," he decided.
At night, he closed the store and walked to the home of his customer. He explained the matter, paid over the six and a quarter cents, and returned satisfied.
Here is another story of young Lincoln's strict honesty. A woman entered the store and asked for half a pound of tea. The young man weighed it out. This was the last sale of the day.
The next morning, when beginning his duties, Abe discovered a four-ounce weight on the scales . It flashed upon him at once that he had used this in the sale last night, and so, of course, given his customer short weight. Many people would not have been much worried by this discovery. But Abe weighed out the balance of the half pound, shut up the store, and carried it to the customer. I think that the name, so often given in late times to President Lincoln, of "Honest Old Abe", was well deserved . | middle7681.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "In the street."
},
"options": [
"In the park.",
"In the field.",
"In the street.",
"On the playground."
],
"question": "Where can't you fly your kites?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"an... | Spring is a good season to fly kites. You can fly your kites in the park, in the field or on the play ground. There are many different kinds of kites. Some look like birds; Some look like planes and some look like butterflies. People often fly kites on a sunny and windy day. And the best month for flying kites is March. How can we fly our kites in the sky. First, we run with our kites _ the wind. Then when the kite can fly in the sky, you can just stay there with your string reel in your hand. When the kite doesn't fly in the sky, just adjust the string reel. The string on the reel must be very strong. If you want to fly kites very well, you should practice it more with your friends. Maybe you feel a little difficult at first, but if you fly kites often you will find it very easy and interesting. Flying kites is a very good activity in spring, and a lot of people like it. | middle764.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the United States"
},
"options": [
"China",
"France",
"Canada",
"the United States"
],
"question": "The nine-year-old Marc Yu is from _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | The nine-year-old Marc Yu is called Little Mozart. He is too short to reach the pedals of a piano. Marc, from California, USA, says, "The problem is that my legs aren't straight enough, so I have to get very close to the piano."
Marc's 34-year-old mother played Beethoven's CDs to him when she was pregnant . Marc started playing the piano at a birthday party when he was only two. While the other children were singing "twinkle, twinkle, little star ...", he walked over to the piano and started playing the song. It _ his mother, because that was the first time he'd been near a piano. Marc gave his first public performance, playing Beethoven, at six, the same age as Mozart. After that concert, Marc won a PS225,000 university scholarship.
At present he practices the piano eight hours a day. He also studies part-time at the famous Colbum Music School in Los Angeles, and flies once a month to China for lessons at Shanghai Music School. Marc says, "I like playing the piano because it makes me have a lot of different feelings --sadness, excitement, happiness and so on. I like playing difficult pieces, especially those that my teacher says I shouldn't." | middle1596.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The year 1100."
},
"options": [
"The year 1500.",
"The year 1400.",
"The year 1200.",
"The year 1100."
],
"question": "When was paper made in Europe?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answ... | Paper was not made in southern Europe until the year of 1100.Thouth Scandinavia now makes a great deal of the world's paper, it had not begun to make it until 1500. It was a German named Schaeffer who found out that one could make paper from wood. After that, forest countries, such as Canada, Sweden, Norway, Finland and the United States, became important in paper making. Today in Finland, for example, no industry is bigger than the forest industry. And the paper industry is the most important part of it.
Modern paper-making machines are very big, and they make paper very fast. The biggest machines can make a piece of paper 750 meters long and six meters wide in one minute.
When we think of paper, we think of newspapers, books, letters, envelopes , and writing paper. But there are many other uses. Each year, more and more things are made of paper. We have had paper cups, plates, and dishes for a long time. But now we hear that chairs, a tables and even beds can be made of paper. The newest thing made of paper in the world may be a paper house. It is not a small house for children to play in, but a real, big house for people to live in. it is not expensive. You can put up a paper house yourself in a few hours, and you can use it for about 5 years.
,. | middle3381.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Lots of people"
},
"options": [
"Few people",
"Lots of people",
"Only students",
"Only swimmers"
],
"question": "_ like swimming in summer.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Swimming is very popular in the world. Many people like swimming in summer, even in the other three seasons. Water makes people feel cool and swimming makes people keep fit.
If you swim in a wrong place, it may not be safe. A lot of people died when they were enjoying themselves in water, and most of them were students. Now some people are not careful enough in swimming. They often think they can swim so well that nothing will happen to them in water. If you go swimming in summer, don't forget that a lot of good swimmers have died in water. They died not because they couldn't swim, but because of their carelessness . Don't get into water when you are alone. If there is a " No Swimming" sign, don't swim there. If you remember these, swimming will be safe and enjoyable . | middle5928.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Twice a week."
},
"options": [
"Once a week.",
"Twice a week.",
"Three times a week.",
"Four times a month."
],
"question": "How often do they clean the stairs?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
... | We all want to live comfortably and safely here, so here are some rules. we hope that all residents can follow.
Cleaning The main stairs are cleaned twice a week by the Association, so please try to keep them tidy and clean and do not leave furniture or bags on the stairs or in the hallways.
Rubbish Rubbish collection is on Tuesdays. Please do not leave rubbish bags out before Tuesday.
Noise Try to make less noise. Loud music can disturb others and we will get in touch with you if you make too much noise.
Safety Make sure the main outside door is always locked and do not let anyone get into the main building unless you know who they are.
Problems . If you have any problems or questions, please call Mr. Wu at 13662687439. You can also chat with him by QQ 34567890 | middle4405.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "14"
},
"options": [
"12",
"13",
"14",
"15"
],
"question": "_ people are in the family.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Gina"
... | This is a family tree. It's a very big family. Tim and Gina are very old . They have a son, David and a daughter, Sally. David and his wife Jenny have the twins , Jack and Bob.
Jack is single , but Bob is married . His wife is Lucy. They have a cute son, Sam. They love Sam very much.
Sally's husband is Paul. They are the parents of Peter and Lily. Peter is married .His wife is Jane. They have a daughter. Her name is Kate. Lily has a dog. It's very cute . She loves it very much. | middle6212.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "get angry easily"
},
"options": [
"care about others' feeling",
"always say\"ladies first\"",
"do the heavy work",
"get angry easily"
],
"question": "A gentleman doesn't _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_ques... | Do your parents ever say,"Act like a lady."or"Be a gentleman."to you? But in the eyes of today's teenagers, what should a lady or a gentleman be like? Let's take a look.
What is a gentleman? The girls have their ideas:
Huang Xiaoyu of Guizhou: A gentleman doesn't often get angry. He wants others to be well and happy. He is always ready to help. There is a boy in my class and I think he is a gentleman. If I don't do well in the English test, he will say,"You will do better next time."That makes me feel happy.
Chen Tingting of Shenzhen: A gentleman always says,"Ladies first." When students clean up the classroom, he does the heavy work. He lets girls go into rooms first. There are no gentlemen in my class. When there is something to eat, the boys in my class always get them before girls!
What is a lady?Boys tell us what they think a lady is:
Wu Yifan of Dalian: A lady is quiet and kind, but she's not shy and she can talk about her ideas in front of others. To me, Jiang Yiyan, a film star, is a lady. She is pretty and kind. She does a lot for others.
Wang Lichao of Tianjin: A lady is not just beautiful but clever. She never says bad words. She is quiet and kind to others. I don't think there is a lady in my class. Most of the girls are _ I think. | middle6574.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "sports"
},
"options": [
"books",
"sports",
"music",
"art"
],
"question": "Hemingway's father was a fan of _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"... | Hemingway was one of the famous writers. He was born in America in 1899. His father was a doctor and loved sports very much, and his mother taught music. Among the six children in the family, Hemingway was the second oldest.
Hemingway had written many books in his life. The Old Man and the Sea is one of the most famous and also my favourite. It came out in 1952. The main character in the book is a fisherman. He is an old man and fishes alone. People think he is a man with bad luck, because he doesn't get a fish in eighty-four days. Every evening, he comes home with his empty boat. But the old man believes himself. Then on the eighty-fifth day the man takes a big fish. Although he meets a lot of trouble, the old man never gives up .
,. | middle957.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Jenny"
},
"options": [
"Jenny",
"Ben",
"Mr. Chen",
"Miss Jones"
],
"question": "_ is not at school this week.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"a... | Dear Jenny,
I'm sorry you're sick and can't come to school this week. Let me tell you what you have on Monday next week.
We have math at 8:00. How boring! Then we have English. That's interesting. I know you love English. Next is P.E.. The fourth lesson is art. That's my favorite subject! In the afternoon, we have history with Mr. Chen. He is fun but history isn't. Then at 2:00 we have science with Miss Jones. You know how strict she is. I don't like her. Our last class of the day is math.
Yours,
Ben | middle4377.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "English"
},
"options": [
"Math",
"English",
"Music",
"History"
],
"question": "What subject did the teacher teach the students?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_i... | It was a Monday morning. As the teacher walked into the classroom, he heard a low voice , "Here's the teacher. I'm sure this boring fellow is going to talk about how to use commas ."It was a boy's voice and the teacher knew who he was.
However, the teacher didn't get angry. He said nothing about it, but really began to talk about how to use commas And then he wrote the following sentence on the blackboard, "Nick says the teacher is a boring fellow."
The class laughed and Nick's face turned red.
"Now," said the teacher, "I'11 tell you the importance of commas." He put two commas in the sentence, and then read, "Nick, says the teacher, is a boring fellow."
The whole class laughed again. Nick felt very surprised first, then his face much redder. Finally he couldn't help laughing with the other students, too. | middle6560.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "America"
},
"options": [
"English",
"America",
"Australia",
"China"
],
"question": "Helen Keller was an author in _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,... | Helen Keller was a US author and public speaker who became blind and deaf at the age of 19 months. Anne Sullivan became her teacher in 1887 and taught her to read, write, use sign language and speak. Keller received degree from Radcliffe College in 1904 and spent the rest of her life encouraging others with difficulties like hers to overcome them. Her books include The story of My Life (1902) and Out of the Dark(1913). Her life was the subject of the play The Miracle Worker | middle943.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "next to the woman"
},
"options": [
"very far from the woman",
"on the floor",
"behind the woman",
"next to the woman"
],
"question": "The man is sitting _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | A woman is at the movies ,and she is enjoying the movie very much. A man in the next seat begins to look for something on the floor under him. The woman is angry and says, "What are you doing there? What are you looking for?"
"A piece of chocolate." A man answers.
" But it's dirty now ! Take this and be quiet, please .I am listening to the film!" She gives the man a big one.
"But," the man says, "my false tooth is in it on the floor!" | middle7118.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "do not need money to play"
},
"options": [
"do not need money to play",
"can play all kinds of ball games",
"don't like to go to school",
"don't like to do their homework"
],
"question": "Sports are very popular... | Do you want to know something about children in Africa? What to they do for fun every day? Find out here:
Education
School is expensive for many African children. Lots of families can't afford school uniforms or exercise books even though they don't have to pay for school.
For those lucky enough to go to school , they have a lot to learn. Some take two language classes: English or French, and their first language. There is also math, science, history, social studies and geography. _ take up much of children's time after school. They have to get water and firewood for the family every day. Also there's cleaning , washing and helping Mum with the meal.
Daily fun
It's not all work and no play. Sports are very popular. Children can make goals with twigs ( )and their own footballs with plastic and bits of string ( ). They play in the country and the streets of old towns. There're many football teams for teenagers in Africa.
Internet
It's really expensive to get on the Internet. To surf the net for 20 hours costs over 600yuan. This is more than the average monthly pay per person.
Egypt and South Africa are the top two users of the Internet in Africa. All of the capital cities there can get on the Internet.
Some schools offer computer lessons but few students can enjoy computer fun at home. | middle2060.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "much more people"
},
"options": [
"much more people",
"fewer people",
"less vegetables",
"less people"
],
"question": "In the future there will be _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"an... | Life in the future will be different from life today.Between then and now many changes will happen.But what will the changes be?
The population is growing fast.There will be many people in the world and most of them will live longer than people live now.
Computers will be much smaller and more useful,and there will be at least one in every home.And computer studies will be one of the important subjects in schools then.People will work fewer hours than they do now and they will have more free time for sports,watching TV and traveling.Traveling will be much cheaper and easier.And many more people will go to other countries for holidays.
There will be changes in our food,too.More land will be used for building new towns and houses for all the people.Then there will be less room for cows and sheep,so meat will be more expensive.Maybe no one will eat it every day.Instead,they will eat more fruits and vegetables.Maybe people will be healthier.Work in the future will be different,too.Robots will do dangerous and hard work.Because of this,many people will not have enough work to do.This will be a problem. | middle4411.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "It was awful."
},
"options": [
"It was very delicious.",
"It was awful.",
"It \nwas cheap and tasted nice.",
"It looked like a carrot."
],
"question": "What did the man think of the red, long fruit?",
"quest... | A man walked to India from far away. When he got there, he saw a lot of fruit. Among them there was a big basket of very red, long fruit. And it was the cheapest in the shop. "I'd like a kilogram of this kind of fruit, please," he said to the shop keeper. After the keeper gave him the fruit, he began to eat some of it. "Oh, my God!" he shouted. His eyes watered, his mouth watered; his eyes were burning, his head was burning; and his face became red. As he coughed, he jumped up and down, saying, "Ah! Ah! Ah!"
But he still kept eating the fruit! Some people looking at him and said, "You're crazy, man. Those are chilies ! You can't eat so many; they're not good for you! People use them as a _ , but only a little bit to put into food for taste. You can't just eat them like that; they're not fruit!"
But the man said, "No, I can't stop! I paid money for them. It's my money!"
Sometimes we do a lot of things like that. We still continue just because we've put money, time, effort and love into it. Just like the man who ate the chilies and felt so bad but couldn't stop because he didn't want to waste the money he had paid. | middle7130.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "get angry easily"
},
"options": [
"think about others",
"always say \"ladies first\"",
"do the heavy work",
"get angry easily"
],
"question": "A gentleman doesn't _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions... | Do your parents ever say, "act like a lady" or "be a gentleman" to you? But in the eyes of today's teenagers , what should a lady or a gentleman be like? Let's take a look.
What is a gentleman? The girls have their ideas:
Huang Xiaoyu of Guizhou: A gentleman doesn't always get angry . He wants others to be well and happy. He is always ready to help. There is a boy in my class and I think he is a gentleman. If I don't do well in the English exam, he will say, "You will do better next time." That makes me feel happy.
Chen Tingting of Shenzhen: A gentleman always says, "Ladies first" When students clean up the classroom, he does the heavy work. He lets girls go into rooms first. There are no gentlemen in my class. When there is something to eat, the boys in my class always get them before girls!
What is a lady? Boys tell us what they think a lady is:
Wu Yifan of Dalian: A lady is quiet and kind, but she's not shy and she can talk about her ideas in front of others. To me, Dong Jie, a film star, is a lady. She is pretty and kind. She does a lot for others.
Wang Lichao of Tianjin: A lady is not just beautiful but clever. She never says bad words. She is quiet and kind to others. I don't think there is a lady in my class. Most of the girls are "
", I think. | middle8203.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Her father told her about it."
},
"options": [
"She read it in the newspaper.",
"She learned it from a sign.",
"She was told by other volunteers.",
"Her father told her about it."
],
"question": "How did Elena k... | Elena jogged with her dad in some empty lots . These out-of-the-way lots were good places to jog. But the lots were full of rocks and rubbish.
One day, Elena saw a sign on the lots. It said, "New City Park". Elena was excited. Maybe the park would have a jogging trail ! Elena told her parents about the sign.
"I read about the park in the newspaper," said Elena's father. "The city wants volunteers to help clean the area. Then the city will build a soccer field and a playground. But the paper didn't mention a jogging trail."
"Well, perhaps if I help clean up the lots, they'll put in a jogging trail," said Elena.
On Saturday Elena went to the lots. Many adults were working there. Some were picking up rubbish. Some were moving rocks. Elena looked around. She could carry rubbish, and she could move rocks. So she went to the area every week to do volunteer work. She told everyone she was glad to help build the park. She explained that she hoped the park would have a jogging trail. Then everyone knew her and her jogging trail.
Soon the volunteers cleared the lots. The city could start building. The mayor gave a speech. He showed a drawing of the new park. He told them about the soccer field. There would be picnic tables. There would be a playground. The park would even have basketball courts. But there was no sign of a jogging trail.
The mayor thanked the volunteers. Then he asked if they had any suggestions. The volunteers said they wanted to build a jogging trail around the park. They told the mayor how helpful Elena had been and how she wanted a jogging trail. The mayor then said, "A jogging trail won't be hard to build. Let's do it!"
Everyone clapped and cheered. | middle1541.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Sing songs."
},
"options": [
"Play games.",
"Read books.",
"Sing songs.",
"Paint pictures."
],
"question": "What do the three children often do together?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"... | Look at these two photos. They are John and Ann. They're my good friends. All of us like music and we often sing together . John lives near my house and we are in the same class. John is 15 years old and 1.68 metres tall. He has blond hair and blue eyes. John's English is very good and sometimes he helps me with my homework. He often wears a T-shirt and shorts. But in the photo, he is wearing a yellow shirt and black pants. Ann is in another school. She is short with brown hair and brown eyes. She looks very pretty. She has dance classes every Saturday afternoon and Ann can dance very well. Her favourite clothes are blouses and skirts. In the photo, she is wearing a dress and a hat. | middle5727.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Paula"
},
"options": [
"David",
"Paula",
"Paula's classmate",
"Paula's teacher"
],
"question": "The letter is from _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": ... | Dear David,
How are you ? I'm fine. I'm in London, at the International School of English. I'm in Class 3 with eight students . They are from different countries---Spain, Japan, Argentina, Switzerland and Thailand. Our teacher's name is Henry . He's very nice. He's a very good teacher.
I'm living with an English family. Mr and Mrs Brown have three children. Thomas is fourteen, Catharine is twelve, and Andrew is seven. They are all very friendly, but it isn't easy to understand them !
London is very big and very interesting. The weather is cold but sunny and the parks are beautiful! Hyde Park , Green Park and ST.Jame's Park are all in the city centre .
English food is OK, but the coffee is horrible!
Write to me soon .
Love,
Paula | middle2048.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The fourth grade."
},
"options": [
"Ms Cipriano.",
"The fourth grade.",
"The fifth grade.",
"The third grade."
],
"question": ". Who wanted the theme to be \"Under the Sea\" at the beginning?",
"question_typ... | Our school doesn't have many parties, but this year Ms Cipriano said we could have one. The fourth grade wanted the theme to be "Under the Sea", but the fifth grade wanted it to be "Outer Space". After a long discussion, it was decided to be the former one.
Everyone had to be on a team, and everyone had to help do something. My team was in charge of special effects. Gary came up with a great idea. He got two big, old fishing nets which were once used by his father when he went fishing on the sea. Gary, Jemma, and I used ropes to tie the nets to the ceiling of the dining hall, and it looked really great. Then we cut out fish shapes from colored paper and stuck _ on the nets.
Everyone seemed to go to the party in one of three costumes: some kind of fish, a mermaid, or Neptune -- the "King of the Sea".
The dining hall looked great. Jemma's father had put up colored lights for us. We were feeling proud of our work when the disaster happened. The nets fell down. We were all caught in the fish nets. We were laughing so hard that we couldn't stand up. We truly felt as if we were "under the sea". This wasn't the effect we imagined, but it was special!
,. | middle3356.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "the moon"
},
"options": [
"the moon",
"the earth",
"the sun",
"the mars"
],
"question": "The satellite sent by China will move around _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | News 1
Yuan Longping, the father of hybrid rice, won the World Food Prize on Monday. Yuan developed the world's first popular and widely known hybrid rice. Hybrid rice plants can make more rice than regular ones.
News 2
Have you ever got angry at books that are full of mistakes? Don't worry, things will get better soon. Last week, China started checking textbooks, dictionaries and children's books all over the country. The government said the results of the check would come out at the end of June.
News 3
People will see a new "star" in the sky soon. China plants to send a satellite into space by December 2006.It will stay in space for one year. It will go around the moon and take pictures. It must be very expensive, right? That's for sure; 1.4 billion yuan!
News 4
Have you ever thought of being able to fly around the world in a few hours? One day, maybe you can. Last Saturday, the American X-43A airplane made its first flight. It reached a speed of 8,000 kilometers per hour. This makes it the fastest plane in the world.X-43A is only three to four meters long, but it's very heavy. It weighs 1,270 kilograms. | middle3430.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "mother"
},
"options": [
"father",
"teacher",
"mother",
"friends"
],
"question": "Obama learns a lot from his _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
... | President Obama is very busy, but he has time to go to the school to visit students. He tells them about his life. He says that he learns a lot from his mother. He also asks students to study hard at school.
To help students to be better, President Obama has some good ideas for them. First, go to school on time every day. Second, listen to teachers carefully in class. Third, do their homework every day. Fourth, don't watch too much TV.
Please do as President Obama says and you will be successful one day. | middle5041.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Wang Lei and Wang Fang's"
},
"options": [
"your",
"my",
"our",
"Wang Lei and Wang Fang's"
],
"question": "This is _ bedroom.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_ind... | This is the twin's bedroom. The two beds looks the same . This bed is Wang Lei's. It is near the window. That one is Wang Fang's. It's behind the door. The twins have one desk and two chairs. Their clock, books and pencils are on the desk. Their schoolbags are on the chairs. Wang Lei's shirt is on his bed. On Wang Fang's bed there is her skirt. It's yellow. The room isn't big, but nice. | middle6548.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Celebrating a special day."
},
"options": [
"Eating cake.",
"Celebrating a special day.",
"Forgetting a birthday.",
"Having fun at a friend's party"
],
"question": "What is this story about?",
"question_type... | It's Charlie's birthday today, but he isn't feeling happy. No one wishes him a happy birthday. Mother says nothing about his birthday. She just tells Charlie to play outside. At lunchtime, his mother calls, "Come in for lunch, Charlie!" Charlie slowly walks into his house. But the living room looks different. Charlie sees a big "Happy Birthday" banner . Then, he sees a birthday cake, balloons , presents, and all of his friends. "Happy birthday!" everyone shouts. Charlie's face _ . He is happy and surprised . No one forgets his birthday after all! | middle1227.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "embarrassed"
},
"options": [
"pleased",
"embarrassed",
"disappointed",
"proud"
],
"question": "When her father came to her school and walked past the classroom door, the writer might feel _ .",
"question_... | My dad was a plumber for the public works department in our town, so from time to time he came into my school. Can you imagine sitting in class and seeing your dad walk past the door of your classroom and wave his hand at you? In junior high?
One girl in our class always made fun of me because my dad was a plumber and hers was a lawyer , and she would say things like, "Ew, that's gross !" I must admit I was sometimes embarrassed by what my dad did, especially in my early teens, when the only thing I really cared about was what the other girls thought.
The girl lived a few streets away from us, and one winter day---the day her elder sister was getting married---the toilet in their main upstairs bathroom broke and there was water everywhere. Her father, the lawyer called every plumber in the Yellow Page, but nobody would come and because we were having a major snowstorm. Her daughter told him that my father was a plumber, and he called, and my dad went right over---and took me with him.(Maybe he was hoping that the lawyer's daughter would be nicer to me.) My father fixed the toilet, help them clean up everything, and didn't take much time for his trouble. But as we were leaving, he told the girl, "If I ever need a lawyer, I'll be happy to call your dad."
As we walked to our car, he said to me, "Do you believe he didn't know where the main shut-off valve was? What a dumb ass!"
From that point on, her dad was known in school as Lawyer Dumb Ass.
When my husband and I bought our house, the first thing my dad showed him was the main shut-off valve.
I have always been proud to say that I'm a plumber's daughter. | middle7642.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "who pays for the meal"
},
"options": [
"how to eat out",
"where to eat out",
"what to eat out",
"who pays for the meal"
],
"question": "The passage tells us _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
... | An important question about eating out is who pays for the meal. If a friend of yours asks you to have lunch with him, you may say something like this, " I'm afraid it'll have to be somewhere cheap, as I have little money." The other person may say, "OK, I'll meet you at McDonald' s."
This means that the two agree to go Dutch, that is, each person pays for himself. He may also say, "Oh, no, I want to take you to lunch at Smith's." or " I want you to try the Chinese dumplings there. They are great." This means the person wants to pay for both of you. If you feel friendly towards the person, you can go with him and you needn't pay for the meal. You may just say, " Thank you. That would be very nice."
American custom about who pays for dates is much the same as in other parts of the world. In the old days, American women wanted men to pay for all the meals. But, today, a university girl or a woman in business world will usually pay for her own. | middle3424.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because they hardly express their love."
},
"options": [
"Because they hardly meet each other.",
"Because they hardly speak to each other.",
"Because they often argue with each other.",
"Because they hardly express thei... | Sometimes I really doubt whether there is love between my parents. Every day they are busy trying to earn money in order to pay the high tuition for my brother and me. They don't act in the romantic way that I read in books or I see on TV. In their opinion. "I love you" is too luxurious for them to say. Sending flowers to each other on Valentine's Day is even more _ . Finally my father has a bad temper when he's very tired from the hard work, it is easy for him to lose his temper.
One day, my mother was sewing a quilt. I silently sat down beside her and looked at her.
"Mom. I have a question to ask you." I said after a while.
"What?" She replied, still doing her work.
"Is there love between you and Dad?" I asked her in a very low voice.
My mother stopped her work and raised her head with surprise in her eyes, She didn't answer immediately. Then she bowed her head and continued to sew the quilt.
I was very worried because I thought I had hurt her. I was in a great embarrassment and I didn't know what to do. But at last I heard my mother say the following words:
"Susan," she said thoughtfully. "Look at this thread. Sometimes it appears, but most of it disappears in the quilt. The thread really makes the quilt strong and durable . If life is a quilt then love should be a thread. It can hardly be seen anywhere or any time, but it's really there. Love is inside." | middle5055.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "twenty-one times."
},
"options": [
"Just once.",
"twenty-one times.",
"Ten times.",
"It's a secret."
],
"question": "How many times do Sandy's friends pull on his ear this year?",
"question_type": "factiod_q... | Everyone has his own birthday. People in different countries celebrate their birthdays in different ways. Here are four people from different countries. They will tell us how they celebrate their birthdays in their countries.
Sandy Morrison comes from Madrid . He says happily, "My twenty-first birthday is on a Saturday, and I'm going to go out with some friends. To wish me a happy birthday, they are going to pull(,)on my ear, once for each year. It is an old custom . Some people pull on the ear just once, but my friends are very traditional ."
Mr. and Mrs. Sato are from Tokyo. Mr. Sato is going to be sixty tomorrow. In Japan, the sixtieth birthday is called Kanreki---it's the beginning of a new life. The colour red is for a new life, so they always give something red for a sixtieth birthday. Mrs Sato says, "What am I going to give my husband? I can't say. It's a surprise ."
Li Xiaomei from Beijing feels very excited and tells us. "Tomorrow is my sixteenth birthday. It's a special birthday. So we're going to have a family party. I'm probably going to get some money in 'lucky' envelopes from my relatives. My mother is going to cook noodles --- noodles are for a long life."
Phillip Evans, from Paris, smiles to us, "I'm going to be thirty next week, so I'm going to invite three very good friends out to dinner. In France, when you have birthday, you often invite people out. In some countries, I know it's the opposite---- people take you out." | middle5733.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "keep your words"
},
"options": [
"keep your words",
"be funny",
"be kind to them",
"be helpful for them"
],
"question": "If you want to make friends, it is very important to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_... | Do you want to make friends with others? Please remember to _ all the time. In this way, people around you will get along well with you.
To make friends and keep them, you have to keep your words. If you agree to meet someone at a certain time, you should arrive at the place on time or a little earlier. If you agree to help others, you must do it. Of course if there is something unexpected happening and you can't do what you have agreed to do, your friends will understand this.
He is always lying or making excuses for breaking his words. Would you like to have him as one of your best friends? You wouldn't. And your own friends feel the same way.
So, be more careful when you have to agree to do something for your friends. Don't have "Maybe"in your mind when you say something about what you are going to do.
,. | middle3342.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "breaking the school rules"
},
"options": [
"bad etiquettes",
"breaking the school rules",
"arguing with others",
"refusing to do homework"
],
"question": "For a school student, freedom means .",
"question_ty... | Damini Bansal (14 years old)
Freedom is something different in everybody's way of thinking--a student would probably like to raise a revolt against all the obnoxious rules of his or her school and as a grown up one might want to have less responsibilities .
Freedom according to me is the power in me to make some of my life's decisions on my own. And this Independence Day will be a lot more different than our first one in 1947 when people actually came to know what it was like to be free, for them it was the dawn of a new day, it was a day when they could do what they felt was right.
We have come far from all of this. We now no longer see the Independence Day as a day of very great importance for the students of my class (and most of the children of my age), and the most important value is that it is a holiday.
Arihant Jain (12 years old)
We can do anything we want like not going to school.
Everything should be free. We should not pay money to buy anything.
Can go anywhere I want...to the playground when exams are on.
Chatting on phone as long as I want.
To eat dinner outside everyday.
In school being able to play sports and not study.
Flying Kites. | middle7124.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "different foods or nothing"
},
"options": [
"no breakfast at all",
"different foods or nothing",
"very rich breakfast",
"little food for breakfast"
],
"question": "During the test, the people were given _ .... | Will it matter if you don't take your breakfast? A short time ago, a test was given in the United States. People of different ages, from 12 to 83, were asked to have a test. During the test, these people were given all kinds of breakfasts, and sometimes they got no breakfast at all. Scientists wanted to see how well their bodies worked when they had eaten different kinds of breakfasts.
The results show that if a person eats a right breakfast, he or she will work better than if he or she has no breakfast. If a student has fruit, egg, bread and milk before going to school, he will learn more quickly and listen more carefully.
The result is opposite to what some people think. Having no breakfast will not help you lose weight. This is because people become so hungry at noon that they eat too much for lunch. They will gain weight instead of losing it. You will lose more weight if you
your other meals. | middle8217.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "there were so many hungry people in the world"
},
"options": [
"the food was delicious",
"it was hard to get food",
"there were so many hungry people in the world",
"the food was little to eat"
],
"question": "L... | A young mother thought that it was very wrong to waste any food when there were so many hungry people in the world. One evening, she was giving her small daughter her tea before putting her to bed. First she gave her a piece of bread and butter, but the child said that she did not want it like that. She asked for some jam on her bread as well.
Her mother looked at her for a few seconds and then said, "When I was a small girl like you. I was always given either bread and butter, or bread and jam, but never bread with butter and jam."
Lucy looked at her mother for a few moments with pity in her eyes and said to her kindly, "Aren't you pleased to live a happy life this now?" | middle228.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "ring"
},
"options": [
"ring",
"card",
"garden",
"watch"
],
"question": "The underli ned word \"circle\" can be replaced by \" _ \".",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"an... | You may know May Day, but do you know Lei Day? Like May Day, Lei Day is also celebrated on May 1st. People wear leis on this day. A lei is a big circle usually made of flowers . On Lei Day, people give leis to each other. Where do you know this holiday is celebrated? Hawaii, of course! People give leis on birthdays, weddings and as a way to say "I love you". In 1928, a writer, Don Blanding, wrote an article saying that this tradition should become a holiday. Another writer, Grace Tower Warren, thought of the idea of celebrating this day on May 1st and said, "May Day is Lei Day."On this day in 1928, people wore leis and celebrated with music, dancing and a lei-making competition. The next year, Lei Day became a public holiday. Today, people still celebrate Lei Day in Hawaii. We hope they all have a happy May Day and a happy Lei Day! | middle1970.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "well-dressed man goes"
},
"options": [
"rich man goes",
"well-dressed man goes",
"well-dressed man and his son go",
"a boy goes"
],
"question": "One day a _ into a restaurant.",
"question_type": "cloze_q... | A well-dressed man goes into a restaurant one day. He sits down at a table near the window. A waiter comes up to him and says, 'Can I help you, sir?' The man says, 'Can I see the menu? ' 'Of course.'
The man wants a good meal and he orders a lot of nice food. The waiter gets them for him. The man is having his meal. At this time, a boy comes in and sits beside the man. He asks the man to give him an ice cream. The man does so. Now the boy is eating his ice cream. The man says, 'I go out for a newspaper.' The man goes out. After the boy eats his ice cream up, he stands up and goes to the door.
'Excuse me, but your father doesn't give the money for the meal and your ice cream.' the waiter stops him and says. 'Father? You are wrong. He isn't my father. I don't know him. I meet him in the street. He says he will give me an ice cream if I come here at 12 o'clock.' | middle4808.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Qian Xuesen and Norman Bethune"
},
"options": [
"Qian Xuesen and Norman Bethune",
"Qian Xuesen and Nelson Mandela",
"Gandhi and Norman Bethune",
"Nelson Mandela and Gandhi"
],
"question": "Of the four persons, o... | Qian Xuesen (1911-2009), China
Famous as the "Father of Chinese Rocketry", he worked hard and made important contributions to the missile and space programs of China.
Gandhi (1869- 1948), India
He gave up his rich life for his ideas and fought for his country to be free from the UK in a peaceful way. Indians called him the "Father of the nation".
Nelson Mandela (1918--), South Africa
He fought for the black people and was in the prison for 30 years. He helped the black people to get the same rights as white people. In 1993, he was given Noble Peace for his devotion to his country.
Norman Bethune (1890-1939), Canada
He fought against the German Nazis and Japanese invaders during the World WarII. He worked in China as a doctor and saved many Chinese soldiers. | middle3801.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "A teacher"
},
"options": [
"A parent",
"A teacher",
"Either a teacher or a parent",
"Neither a teacher nor a parent"
],
"question": "_ might see a trip to a big city as a valuable experience, according to the ... | Parents can be very important teachers in our lives. However, they are not always the best teachers. Parents may be too close to their children emotionally . Sometimes they can only see their children through the eyes of a protector. For example, a teacher might see a trip to a big city as a valuable experience. However, it might seem too dangerous to a parent.
Another problem is that parents may expect their children's interests to be similar to their own. If they love science, they may try to force their child to love science too. But what if (......) their child's true love is art, or writing, or car repair?
Parents usually want to _ their values to their children. But should children always believe what their parents do? When children are young, they believe that their parents are always right. But when they get older, they will have different ways of thinking.
The most important thing to realize is that we all have many teachers in our lives. Our parents teach us, our teachers teach us, and our friends teach us. Books and newspapers and televisions also teach us. All of them are valuable. | middle5280.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "more than two years"
},
"options": [
"one and a half years",
"two years",
"more than two years",
"more than three years"
],
"question": "Peter is at school for _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
}... | Little Peter is a boy of nine. He began to go to school the year before last and now he's in Grade Three. He lives not far from the school but he is often late for class. He likes watching TV in the evening and goes to bed late, so he can't get up on time in the morning.
This term, Mrs. Black, Peter's aunt, works in Peter's school. She teaches Grade Three math. She's strict with Peter and often tells the boy to obey the school rules and come to school on time. Yesterday morning Peter got up late. When he hurried to school, it was half past eight. His aunt was waiting for him at the school gate.
"You're ten minutes late for the first class, Peter," Mrs. Black said angrily. "Why are you often late for class?"
"Every time I get to the street corner, I see a guidepost . It says: "SCHOOL--GO SLOW!'" | middle3829.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "because science is developing"
},
"options": [
"because the earth is being polluted day and night",
"because science is developing",
"because of the rise in population",
"because the earth is blown away by the wind ever... | The world itself is becoming much smaller by using modern traffic and modern communication means . Life today is much easier than it was hundreds of years ago, but it has brought new problems. One of the biggest is pollution. To pollute means to make things dirty. Pollution comes in many ways. We see it, smell it, drink it and even hear it.
Man has been polluting the earth. The more people, the more pollution. Many years ago, the problem was not so serious because there were not so many people. When the land was used up or the river was dirty in a place, men moved to another place. But this is no longer true. Man is now slowly polluting the whole world.
Air pollution is still the most serious. It's bad to all living things in the world, but it is not only one kind of pollution. Water pollution kills fish and pollutes drinking water. Noise pollution makes us become angry more easily.
Many countries are making rules to fight against pollution. They stop the people from burning coal in houses and factories in the city, and from blowing dirty smoke into the air.
The pollution of SO2 is now the most dangerous problem of air pollution. It is mostly caused by heavy traffic. It is certain that if there are fewer people driving, there will be less air pollution.
The earth is our home. We must take care of it. That means keeping the land, water and air clean. And we must try to control the growth of population at the same time. | middle572.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "radio station"
},
"options": [
"train station",
"bus station",
"radio station",
"police station"
],
"question": "Where does Scott work?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"... | This is Scott. He has an interesting job. He works at a radio station. His radio show is from twelve o'clock at night to six o'clock in the morning. He sings well. He usually gets up at seven thirty at night. He brushes his teeth and takes a shower at ten past eight. Then he eats breakfast at nine. That's a funny time for breakfast! After that , he usually exercise at about ten twenty. He goes to work by car at eleven o'clock. It takes ten minutes to get the radio station. So he is never late for work. | middle6789.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "making a loud sound"
},
"options": [
"making a loud sound",
"flying high over its back",
"moving from side to side",
"saying \"follow me\""
],
"question": "When an enemy is nearby, an older jackdaw warns others ... | If your mother wants to tell you something, she uses words. Birds can not talk as we do. But some birds can make sounds to warn their young of danger. They have their own way to make the young birds know or do certain things.
The jackdaw is a kind of blackbird that lives in Europe. Jackdaws live together in groups. Young jackdaws do not know their enemies. When the older jackdaw sees a dog, it makes a loud rattling sound. The younger birds know this sound means an enemy is nearby. The sound warns them to know their enemies.
If a young jackdaw is in a dangerous place, a jackdaw parent flies over him from behind. The parent bird flies low over the younger bird's back. The parent's tail feathers move quickly from side to side. It is trying to say, "Follow me." At the same time, the parent calls out, "Key-aw, Key-aw." The parent means, "Fly home with me."
Young jackdaws do not have to learn what certain sounds mean. They know the meanings of these sounds from the time they are _ . | middle6951.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "In 1833."
},
"options": [
"In 1938.",
"In 1833.",
"In 1896.",
"In 1906.["
],
"question": "When was Alfred Nobel born?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
... | A Nobel Prize is considered by most people one of the highest international honours a person can receive. As you know, the prizes were started by a Swede called Alfred Nobel. He was born in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. Alfred Nobel was a great scientist. He made two important inventions, and so he became very rich. Although he was rich, Nobel was not a happy man. He never married or had children. Also, he was a sick man during his large part of life. When he died at the age of 63, he left a fund of $9,000,000. The money was to be used in giving prizes to those who made great achievements in physics, chemistry , medicine and literature , and for world peace.
The first Nobel Prizes were given on December 10, 1901, five years after Nobel's death. Since then many famous people from all over the world have been given Nobel Prizes for their achievements.
Each prize has three parts. The first part is a gold medal. Second, a winner of a Nobel Prize is given a certificate saying that he has been given the prize. The third part of the prize is a large amount of money-about $40,000.
Often a prize is given to just one person, but not always. Sometimes a prize is shared. It may be given to two or more people who have worked together. It is also sometimes true that a prize is not given at all if there is no great achievement. In 1972, for example, no Nobel Peace Prize was given. | middle1958.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "most of the public beaches"
},
"options": [
"all the public beaches",
"a few public beaches",
"many public beaches",
"most of the public beaches"
],
"question": "We can get to _ by bus.",
"question_type"... | Hong Kong has about 40 public beaches. Some of the beaches are among the best in the world. People can go there for a swim. You can go to most of them by bus. To go to some beaches, you must take a boat. There are toilets, changing rooms and places to buy food and drink on most of the beaches.
You will swim there without danger if you remember these instructions: 1. Never swim alone. 2. Never swim after a meal or when feel hungry or tired. 3. Do not stay in the water too long. 4. Never go out in a boat if you cannot swim.
Remember: A red flag means that it is dangerous for anybody to go into the water. A blue flag means that it is dangerous for children. | middle214.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "He didn't think a lot and went on walking"
},
"options": [
"He didn't think a lot and went on walking",
"He asked the old man why he was following him",
"He was shocked and asked his colleague to come.",
"He gave him mo... | When Mark first arrived in Thailand, he saw an old man selling something cheap in the street of Chiang Mai. The old man was one of the poor people in Chiang Mai and there was no difference from beggars . Most of them were some lonely old people. Their life had no support.
Mark was a kind man, so he gave some changes to him without thinking. The old man told him to pick something he liked. Mark didn't choose anything and left.
But the old man followed him closely. AT first, Mark didn't think a lot, just supposing he wanted to go home. But when he went out very far saw the old man still following him, he was a bit tired, thinking the old man must feel he was kind and wanted to beg more money from him.
Mark turned back and told him not to follow him because he hadn't much money. But the old man seemed not to understand what he meant, still following him. The bag on his back made him sweat all over.
Mark happened to meet his Thai colleague in the street and his colleague heard this. The colleague turned to ask why the old man was following his friend.
The old man said out of breath, "My son, you gave me money, but didn't want my things, so I have to give you something. I see you are a foreigner, likely not to familiar with here. I just want to follow you and show you the way. All I can do for you is this."
Mark was shocked. He said he didn't know why, when he felt the old man was just like his father. | middle1780.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "She could stay away from war."
},
"options": [
"She was born there.",
"The schools were better there.",
"She could stay away from war.",
"Her parents wanted her to study ballet there."
],
"question": "Why did Au... | Audrey Hepburn won an Academy Award as Best Actress for her first major American movie, Roman Holiday, which was showed in 1953. But she is remembered as much for her help as for her acting.
Born in Belgium in 1929, Audrey's father was British and her mother was Dutch. Audrey was sent to live at a British school for part of her childhood. During World war II, she lived and studied in the Netherlands. Her mother thought it would be safe from German attacks. Audrey studied dance as a teenager and during college. But when she returned to London after the war she realized she wasn't going to be a ballet dancer. So she began taking acting parts in stage shows. Later she began to get small parts in movies.
But it was Audrey Hepburn's move to America that made her truly famous. In 1951 she played the character "Gigi" in the Broadway play Gigi and won popular praise. Two years later, Roman Holiday made her a star at the age of 24.
Audrey made more than 25 movies. Among her most popular roles was "Hoolly Golinghtly" in Breakfast at Tiffany's in 1961. Three years later she played "Eliza Doolittle" in My Fair Lady. She was married twice. In 1989, the UN Children's Fund named Audrey a goodwill ambassador. She travelled all over the world in support of UNICEF projects. The UN agency said she was a tireless worker. She often gave 15 interviews a day to raise money and get support for UNICEF projects.
Audrey Hepburn often said her love to UNICEF was the result of her experiences as a child during World War II. She said she knew what it was like to be hungry and to be saved by international help. She was a goodwill ambassador until her death in 1993 from cancer. | middle4820.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "cultures"
},
"options": [
"languages",
"friends",
"cultures",
"countries"
],
"question": "Misunderstanding of body languages always happens because of the _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{... | Body language is quiet, secret and most powerful language of all. It speaks louder than words.
According to specialists, our bodies send out more messages than we realize. In fact, non-verbal communication takes up about fifty percent of what we usually mean. And body language is especially important, when we try to communicate across cultures.
Indeed, what is called body language is so much a part of us that it's actually often unnoticed. And misunderstandings happen as a result of it. For example, different cultures treat the distance between people differently. Northern Europeans usually do not like having bodily contact ,even with friends. And certainly not with strangers. People from the Latin American countries, on the other hand, touch each other quite a lot. So it's possible that in conversation it may look like a Latino is following a Norwegian all over the room. The Latino, trying to express friendship, will keep moving closer. The Norwegian, very probably seeing _ as rude behavior, will keep backing away, which the Latino will in return regarded as coldness.
Obviously, a great deal is going on when people talk. And only a part of it is in the words themselves. And when parties are from different cultures, there's a strong possibility of misunderstanding. But whatever the situation is, the best advice is to obey the golden rule: Treat others as you would like to be treated. | middle3197.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "all of the above"
},
"options": [
"he found it difficult to make friends with his classmates",
"he had to walk a long distance to the evening school",
"he could not put his heart into reading books after he was caught in the ... | Although I had left school against the advice of my teacher, I had, without telling anyone, tried to continue my studies in literature at evening classes. It was a tiresome walk from one end of the city to another and to sit among adults was uninteresting. I was the youngest in the class, so the friendship I knew at school was absent, I put up with it for a short period. It was too long a walk on cold winter's nights and it was hard to put my heart into Shakespeare with wet shoes and trousers. So I continued reading books and started writing poetry at home.
By chance, I won some prizes and rewards for literature. A young woman from a TV company came to the college one day. She wanted to make a short film about me, to which I said, "No, I couldn't do that." Not that I had any real excuse, I was just frightened. In the end she persuaded me that I should do it the following day.
So I did. They made a short film of me reading one of my poems and I became more interested in literature than ever. I wondered what I should do after this, and decided some weeks later that I could not imagine myself spending the rest of my days dealing with machines. So one evening, I hesitatingly told my parents that I wanted to return to school. They wanted to know if I was sure, if I knew what it meant and whether I realized that if I gave up my job training, it would be very difficult to get a good job. But nothing could stop me, and they asked about the matter on future. | middle4834.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "best friends"
},
"options": [
"best friends",
"cousins",
"sisters",
"brother and sister"
],
"question": "Nancy and Betty are _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer... | Betty and I are best friends. Our birthdays are on the same day, so every year we have a birthday party together. But this year we had a costume party instead.
While we were writing the invitations, my mom came in and asked, "Nancy, what about inviting John?" John had been in our class for only a few months, but he was already getting better grades in math than anyone else in our class. "Mom, he wears the same pants to school every day. How could he even afford a costume?" Mom said nothing.
The next day, mom gave me an envelope with a shopping card in it. "I thought it would be nice for you to give this to John." Mom said. But how? We didn't want to make John embarrassed. We discussed it for a long time. Finally, Betty and I had a good idea.
On the day of our party, John arrived, in an old sheet ,but still in the same brown pants as usual. Before eating the birthday cake, Betty said in a loud voice, "Now it's time for the great prize game." It was a math game. None of us were surprised when John gave the right answer first and walked off with the envelope.
Everything went well as we planned. John wore a new pair of pants and a new shirt the next week. He felt happy. So did we. | middle3183.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The rickshaw is still a part of public transport in Kolkata."
},
"options": [
"The rickshaws in Kolkata have loud horns.",
"The rickshaw is still a part of public transport in Kolkata.",
"The local government offer many other... | When I crossed a small road on my first day in Kolkata, I was surprised because I heard a bell-not a horn , It was a tiny man pulling a rickshaw, He stopped and picked up two children from the front door of their house and pulled them to school. For many people, the rickshaw in Kolkata has many advantages, When the traffic is bad, rickshaws find a way through the traffic. If your miss your bus and there aren't any taxis, you can always find a rickshaw in Kolkata. Rickshaws are from your house to the market and waits for you. Then he loads all your things, drops you off outside your home and helps you unload, No other type of public transport offers this kind of service.
From June to September, Kolkata gets heavy rain. Sometimes it rains for 48 hours without a break. In some parts of the city, the roads flood , and anything with an engine is useless, But the rickshaw drivers never stop working, even with water all around them.
But not everyone thinks rickshaws are a good thing. The local government want to ban rickshaws. They believe it is wrong for one man to pull another person when there is modern transport in the city. However, there is a problem with this plan. Many of the rickshaw drivers come from the countryside. The only job they can find in Kolkata is pulling a rickshaw, If the city bans rickshaws, these men won't have a job. So for the moment, the people of Kolkata still go by rickshaw. | middle1794.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To follow the basic rules."
},
"options": [
"To act as a team leader.",
"To follow the basic rules.",
"To train how to move fast.",
"To practice rope-jumping."
],
"question": "What are children expected to learn... | Why play games? Because they are fun, and we can learn even more while playing. Following the rules, planning your next move, acting as a team member -- these are all "game" ideas that you will come across all through your life. They can help you in different ways.
Think about some of the games you played as a young child, such as rope-jumping and hide-and-seek. Such games are very interesting. But perhaps more importantly, they translate part of life into exciting games that teach children some of the basic rules they will be expected to follow the rest of their lives, such as taking turns and cooperating .
Many children's games have a practical side. Children around the world play games that prepare them for work they will do as grown-ups. For example, some Saudi Arabian children play a game called bones, which improves the hand-eye coordination needed in fishing.
The most famous games of all, the Olympic Games, bring athletes from around the world together to take part in friendly competitions. People who watch the event know that a gold medal is a win for the whole country, not just the athlete who got it. For countries experiencing natural disasters or wars, an Olympic win can mean so much.
Sports games are also an event that unites people. Football is the most popular sport in the world. People all over the world play it -- some for fun and some for a living. Nicolette Iribarne, a Californian football player, has discovered a way to spread hope through football. He created a foundation to provide poor children with not only soccer balls but also a bright future.
Next time you play your favorite game or sport, think about why you enjoy it, what skills are needed, and whether these skills will help you in other parts of your life. | middle566.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a silk jacket"
},
"options": [
"a silk jacket",
"a T- shirt",
"a dress",
"a coat"
],
"question": "On special days,Chang-Yong wears _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"... | Friends around the word
The sun shines on new friends in new places. Some of the places are similar to the places where you live and some are not. But all of these friends love to sing and play.
A Friend in Korea
Hi, I'm Chang--Yong, and I'm 15 year old. My family lives in an apartment in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. The spring here is warm and beautiful. On special days, I dress in a silk jacket called Hanbok.
A Friend in Australia
Hi, John is my name. I'm an Aboriginal Australian, Aborigines have lived in Australia for many years. I live with our mother in the country. My favorite season is autumn. It's cool. We often wear T--shirts.
A Friend in Tanzania
Hello, my name is Manka, and I live in Tanzania. It's always hot here. Most of us live in wooden huts with grass roofs. My father takes care of the cattle. Cattle are very important for us.
A Friend in Canada
Hi, I am called Kipanik . We live in northern Canada .near the North Pole. It is snowy and cold most of the time here. So I often wear a heavy coat. My family often uses a dog sled to travel through areas covered with snow. | middle6945.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "She watched TV all day."
},
"options": [
"She watched TV all day.",
"She used to read a lot.",
"She did nothing but thinking.",
"She was always sleeping."
],
"question": "How would Sarah spend her days long ago?... | I didn't think I had a passion . I would sit in front of the TV all day, thinking about nothing but the next show. It was not long ago that I first learned how important having a passion is to life.
That day I went with my mum to drive my sister to the gym. I was bored. Then, as my mum stopped at a red light, someone on the side of the road caught my eye . It was a man dressed in rags . He was homeless. That didn't interest me, for I had seen many like him before.
But in some ways he was different. This man was not sitting down with a sad expression . He had a radio in his hand and was dancing happily to the music. The radio seemed to be the most precious thing he had.
"Mum, why does that man have a radio even thought he's homeless?" I asked.
"He bought it," she replied. I was still unable to understand.
"But if he's homeless, why doesn't he use the money to buy food or clothes? He wasted it on something he doesn't need."
"Well, Sarah, sometimes food and clothes aren't the most important things. We need happiness, too."
The man must care too much about music to buy a radio instead of food clothes. I soon realized that happiness is the key to life. Without it, there's nothing to look forward to.
Since then I've never gone a day without thinking of what's truly important. A home, a meal, clothes--these things are only part of the picture. What's often forgotten is that we all need a pleasure, a light in a dark day. We all need a passion. | middle2510.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "She was not willing to do so."
},
"options": [
"She felt glad to do so.",
"She was not willing to do so.",
"She went mad angrily.",
"She was afraid of the man and his wife."
],
"question": "How did Mary feel at ... | Mary was waiting for the airplane to take off. She was happy to get a seat by herself. Just then, an air hostess came up to her and asked. "Would you mind changing your seat? A man would like to sit with his wife." The only available seat was next to a girl with her arms broken, a black-and-blue face, and a sad expression . "I don't want to sit there," Mary thought at once. But then a soft voice inside spoke, "She needs help." Finally, Mary moved to that seat.
The girl was named Emily. She had been in a car accident and now was on her way for treatment.
When the snacks and juice arrived, Mary realized that Emily could not feed herself. Mary thought about offering to feed her but she hesitated , as it seemed too impolite to offer such a help to a stranger. But then Mary realized that Emily's need was more important. Mary offered to help her eat. Although Emily was uncomfortable to accept, _ . They became closer and closer in a short time. By the end of the five-hour trip, Mary's heart had warmed, and the time was really better spent than if she had just sat by herself.
Mary was very glad that she sat next to Emily and fed her. Love sometimes goes beyond human boundaries and removes the fears that keep people away. When we reach our hands to help another, we get to live in a larger and more pleasant world. | middle4161.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Many Young Pioneers."
},
"options": [
"Some students and teachers.",
"Many old people.",
"Some young women.",
"Many Young Pioneers."
],
"question": "Who are in the park? _",
"question_type": "cloze_question... | It is a fine Sunday morning. There're many Young Pioneers in the park. They are having a good time . Some are playing games under a tree. Some are singing and dancing near the river. Some are running up the hill. Others are boating on the river. Where's Li Lei? He's sitting on a chair by the river. What is he doing? He's reading. Where are Lucy and Lily? They're on the meadow .What are they doing? They are running after a butterfly .They want to catch it. | middle6776.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "a website"
},
"options": [
"a young businessman",
"a computer game",
"a millionaire",
"a website"
],
"question": "Football OK is the name of _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": ... | Bill is only fifteen years old,but he's already very rich.Two years ago,Bill began a football website for young people. "I became interested in computers when I was 8 years old because my father's job is with computers.As a little boy,I also loved football and so I decided to make a website,especially for people of my age."
Bill started the "Football OK!" website two years ago,and now more than 20,000 people visit it every day.
Bill is a schoolboy and a businessman as well.He usually gets up at six o'clock and looks at his e-mails.Then he goes to school from nine to four.In the evenings,he always works for about four hours on his website.
Bill's next plan is a new website." At the moment I am thinking about a new website on American football,maybe for next year."
And is Bill the same person that he was three years ago? "'No,I am very different now.I have met a lot of interesting people on the website and I have traveled all over the world." Bill doesn't know about the future."Maybe I will sell the websites. I really don't know.I'll just wait and see."
Some people say that when he is 21,Bill will be a millionaire . He always says, " _ "! | middle6010.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "She asks her friends to come to eat the fish with her"
},
"options": [
"She eats the fish before Tom comes back",
"She asks her friends to come to eat the fish with her",
"She puts the fish in the fridge and waits for her hus... | Tom likes fish very much. He often buys some fish in the shop and takes it home. But when his wife sees the fish, she says to herself,"Good ! I can ask my friends to have lunch, and we can eat the fish. They like fish very much." So when Tom comes home in the evening, the fish is not there and his wife always says, Oh, your cat eats it."And she gives Tom some bread for his supper. Tom is very angry. He takes the cat and his wife to the shop near his house and weighs the cat. Then he turns to his wife and says, My fish weigh one kilo .This cat weighs one, too. My fish is here, you see, then where is my cat?" | middle4607.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "won't do well in his work"
},
"options": [
"will become wise",
"won't do well in his work",
"will have to sleep in the daytime",
"can't go to school in time"
],
"question": "If a child doesn't have 10 hours' sle... | Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
This is an old English saying. Do you know it before? It says that we must go to bed early and get up early in the morning. Then we should be healthy. We should also be rich (wealthy) and clever (wise).
This is true. The body must have enough sleep to be healthy. Children of a young age should have ten hours' sleep every night. Children who don't have enough sleep can't do their work very well. They will not be wise and they may not become wealthy!
The body also needs exercise. Walking, running, jumping, swimming and playing games are all exercise. Exercise keeps the body strong.
Exercise also keeps the blood moving around inside the body. This is very important. Our blood takes food to all parts of our body. The head also needs blood. Exercise helps us to think better! | middle2276.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The coming \" Internet of things\""
},
"options": [
"Advantages of living with the Internet",
"Disadvantages of living with the Internet",
"The coming \" Internet of things\"",
"The imposslble \" Internet of things\""
... | Is your TV connected to the Internet? What about your chair,or your fridge? Probably they are not. But in the future, most things in your home may be connected, thanks to the so-called "Internet of things".
The Internet of things may be coming sooner than you think. Earlier this year, A Samsung CEO spent a lot of time talking about the Internet things. He said that five years from now,every Samsung product will be part of the Internet of things,no matter whether it's a remote control or a washing machine.
So, how do household objects that are part of the Internet of things work? Well,think of a common chair. When connected to the Internet, the chair warms up when it knows the user has just walked into the room and is feeling cold.
An Internet-connected camera could help people feel safer in their homes. It can know people's faces and has an infrared sensor ,so even if it's dark it can see when someone passes by and send you a message on your smartphone to let you know who's there. If the person is someone you don't know,it can tell you that ,too.
But according to MIT Technology Roview, whether companies are connecting dog food bowls or security systems to the Internet, there may be some problems. For example, many early connected-home objects don't have much built-in security, which means they could be hacked . Morever, it could be difficult to get these new machines to work together especially when they are made by different companies. To fight this ,many companies have joined the Open Interconnect Consortium, which had 45 menbers by late 2014.
So, picture this: you enter your home.The temperature changes to make you feel comfortable. Your favorite music starts playing for you. Do you think that this would be a good thing? I t may happen sooner than you think. | middle5519.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Four."
},
"options": [
"Five.",
"Three.",
"Four.",
"I don't know."
],
"question": "How many people are there in the passage ?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"... | This is Catherine. She is from England. Her family name is Cooper. She is nineteen. Her father is a doctor. His name is Henry Cooper. He works in a hospital in London. Mrs. Cooper works there, too. Catherine is now in China. She studies in Beijing. She studies Chinese. She lives in that building with another girl. Her name is Betty Brown. She is from the USA. She studies Chinese, too. The two girls are good friends now. | middle4613.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "by 2013"
},
"options": [
"at the end of this year",
"before the Spring Festival of 2008",
"by 2013",
"in about 5 years"
],
"question": "The express railway between Beijing and Shanghai will be finished _ .",
... | Traveling by train is usually not easy in China. It can be hard to get a ticket. When you're traveling to the railway station, you look at your watch, for you are afraid you will miss your train.
But there is good news for people traveling between Beijing and Shanghai. Construction on the express railway between the two cities started just before the Spring Festival of 2008. When it is finished by 2013, taking a train will be as easy as taking a bus.
"There will be trains every several minutes. Buying a ticket, getting through the checkpoint and taking your seat, will take just 10 minutes," said an engineer.
There may be high-speed trains running at 350 kilometers an hour. The travel time between the two cities will _ from 10 to about 5 hours. The trains will carry twice the present number of passengers.
The new line will be 1,318 kilometers long and go across specially built bridges. It will run along side the present line. There will be 21 stations in Hebei, Tianjin, Shandong, Anhui and Jiangsu.
"The cost of traveling by the express railway may be around 800 yuan. That will be more expensive than an ordinary train, but cheaper than by air." Said Zhang Xiaoling, a Jiangsu government official.
According to Zhang, the higher price is caused by the large cost of the railway project. At about 200 billion yuan, the project may be even more expensive than the Three Gorges Project . | middle2262.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "in his garden"
},
"options": [
"beside his garden",
"outside his garden",
"in his garden",
"near his garden"
],
"question": "The poor man had an orange tree _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
... | Long long ago there was a poor man. He had an orange tree in his garden. On the tree there were many oranges . One day he found one of his oranges was much bigger than the others . It was as big as a football . Nobody had seen such a big orange . The poor man took the orange to the King. The King was so happy that he gave the man a lot of money for it .
When a rich man heard of it . He said to himself, "It's only an orange. Why did the King give so much money for it ? I'll take my gold cup to the King. He'll give me more money ."
The next day when the King received the gold cup. He said to the rich man "What a beautiful cup ! I'll show you something wonderful ! Please take this great orange." | middle6004.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Go home alone late at night."
},
"options": [
"Go home alone late at night.",
"Make sure where the public phones are.",
"Your bag should be carried towards the front of your body.",
"Always notice the environment around... | Being safe in your everyday life needs knowledge. you remember the following information,your life will be much safer.
* Always notice the environment around you. You shouldn't walk alone outside late at night. Make sure where the public phones are. If anything dangerous happens,you can find them easily.
*Your bag should be carried towards the front of your body instead of putting it on your back. When a bus is full of people,it is easy enough for a thief to take away the things in the bag on your back.
*If you are followed by someone you don't know, cross the street and go to the other way, let the person understand that you know he or she is after you. Next,don't go home at once. You are safer in the street than you are alone in your home or in a lift.
*If you have to take a bus to a place far away, try to get to the stop a few minutes earlier before the bus leaves. On the bus,don't sit alone. Sit behind the driver or other people. Don't sleep. | middle599.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "15"
},
"options": [
"18",
"15",
"14",
"10"
],
"question": "How many trees does John cut down on the second day?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
... | John is a very strong man. He gets a job of cutting trees in a forest. His boss gives him an axe and showed him the area where he should work.
The first day, John cuts down 18 trees. "Good," the boss says, "keep it up!" happily, John tries harder the next day, but he only cuts down 15 trees. The third day he tries even harder, but he can only cut down 10 trees. Day after day he cuts down fewer and fewer trees.
"I must be losing my strength ," John thinks. He goes to the boss to say sorry and says that he can not know what is going on. "When is the last time you sharpen your axe?" the boss asks. "I'm busy cutting trees, so I have no time to do _ . "
The moral of this story: While John is working hard, he doesn't work "smart". He doesn't think about the best way to do his job. | middle6762.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "the happiest thing for them"
},
"options": [
"the happiest thing for them",
"their thoughts",
"their God",
"the worst thing for them"
],
"question": "The phrase \"their idea of heaven\" means _ .",
"quest... | There is a saying that the British like a nice cup of tea in the morning and a nice cup of tea at night. And at half past seven, their idea of heaven is a nice cup of tea. They like a nice cup of tea with their dinner and a nice cup of tea time, and before they go to bed, there is a lot to be said about a nice cup of tea!
Sometime it seems that no one likes tea as much as the British does. But in fact, tea is liked in countries around the world. In China and Japan tea was first used as a medicine, many years later, people there drank tea as a beverage .
People in the world like to drink different kinds of tea -- green, black or red as some people call it. It is served in different ways. But they all know that drinking tea is good for one's health. | middle2504.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "her picture on a purse"
},
"options": [
"a Japanese story",
"a video game",
"her picture on a purse",
"a TV show"
],
"question": "Hello Kitty became popular because of _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questio... | We all know about this famous Kitty. She has no mouth,and she wasn't born out of a TV show or a video game. So how did this cute character become popular? How did she change the world?
Hello Kitty was created in Japan in 1974.Sanrio,a company in Japan,was working for a new character to put on their new purse. The first picture of Hello Kitty was introduced on November 1.She was so cute that it became popular soon in Japan and all over the world.
Hello Kitty is only a character,but she has a story of her own. Her full name is Kitty White,and she's even not a Japanese. She lives in the countryside outside London with her family--George White,Mary White and her twin sister Mimmy. Hello Kitty wears a red bow on her left ear while Mimmy wears a yellow bow on her right ear.
Kitty loves goldfish and baking cookies,but her favourite thing is to eat her mum's apple pie! She also loves stars and candies too.She is in the 3rd grade and she weighs as much as three apples but is five apples tall.She even had a blood (.) type,which is A.
Hello Kitty's appearance hasn't changed much,though she turned 40 on November 1,2014. | middle7454.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "near"
},
"options": [
"far from",
"near",
"nine meters to",
"behind"
],
"question": "The school was _ Tom's house.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
... | Tom was nine years old and he went to a school near his house. He went there on foot and came back home usually at 4 o'clock. But last Monday he was very late. His mother asked, "Why are you so late today, Tom?" "Because my teacher asked me to stay behind " Tom answered. "Why did the teacher make you stay behind?" the mother asked again. "Because no one could answer the teacher's question except me," Tom said. "What was the question?" his mother asked. "The question was 'Who broke the window of the classroom?'" Tom said. | middle1025.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "He had spider-like powers."
},
"options": [
"He could not see with his eyes.",
"He became a spider.",
"He was weaker than before.",
"He had spider-like powers."
],
"question": "What happened to Peter Parker afte... | Spiderman is one of the most famous comic book characters. He was created by Stan Lee in 1963 and was first introduced to the world in the page of Marvel comic books.
Spiderman's story is the story of Peter Parker, a child who lost his parents and lives with his aunt and uncle. Peter is a shy, quiet boy wearing glasses and has few friends. One day, on a high school class trip to a science lab, he was bitten by a special spider . Soon Peter realizes he has amazing powers: he is as strong and quick as a spider and also has a type of sixth sense. He no longer needs his glasses and he can use his super power to fly through the city streets! Remembering something his uncle Ben has told him, that "with great power, there must also come great responsibility ,"Peter decides to use his powers to fight enemies who do cruel things to people. And so, Spiderman is born.
Life is not easy for Peter even though he is a superhero. He is in love with Mary Jane but cannot tell her about his amazing powers. Besides, his best friend Harry hates Spiderman! Peter is also short of money and time. He has to sell photos of Spiderman (himself) to a newspaper and he keeps losing his jobs because he is so busy saving people! Yet he has to fight different kinds of cruel enemies.
,. | middle5243.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "have a rest and enjoy the shade."
},
"options": [
"keep off the rain",
"take care of it",
"have a rest and enjoy the shade.",
"talk with the big tree"
],
"question": "The traveller sat by the seed's side to _ ... | A long time ago, there was a seed and because he was only a seed, nobody noticed him. Thus, feeling inferior , the seed gave no importance to his existence .Then one day, a wind picked him up and threw him on an open field under the sun. Later, he was given rain.Years later he saw a traveler sitting by his side. "Thank God for this. I really need some rest," he heard the traveler say."What are you talking about?" the seed quickly asked. He thought the man was making fun of him. No one ever spoke to him like that.
"Who just spoke?" the shocked man asked."It is me. A seed." "A seed?" The man looked at the big tree. "Are you joking? You are not a seed. You are a big tree!"
"Really?"
"Yes! Why do you think people come here?"
What do they come here for?"
"To feel your shade ! Don't tell me you didn't know you had grown over time."
The traveler's words brought him pride.
The seed thought and smiled for the first time in his life. The years of torture by the sun and the rain finally helped him grow up.
"Oh! That means I'm not a little seed anymore! I was actually born to make people feel comfortable. Wow! That's great. | middle3632.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "gave himself up"
},
"options": [
"went gambling",
"talked in class",
"didn't answer",
"gave himself up"
],
"question": "Bill always failed in the exams at first because he _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_qu... | Bill was a boy of 15. His parents went to gambling day and night. Nobody cared about hi. He always failed in his exams. So his teachers didn't like him, nor did his classmates play with him.
Bill often slept in class because his heart was not in school. He almost gave himself up.
One day, Miss Jones, a new teacher, came to Bill's class. She was a smiling, beautiful woman. Bill was in love! For the first time in his young life, he couldn't take his eyes off his teachers; yet, still he failed.
It was Miss Jones' class. She was asking a question. "I'd like the smartest boy to answer my question." Then she said loudly, "Bill, please!"
Bill was surprised. And he stood up without a word.
"Just try it! I believe you can!"
After school, Miss Jones had a long talk with Bill. She told him that she cared about him and believed in him.
Bill thought a lot that evening. From then on he arrived at school on time every day. Miss Jones helped him with his homework in the afternoon. She even cooked delicious food for him. She told Bill, "Nothing is impossible if you put your heart in it."
Later, Miss Jones gave another exam. Bill did it with all his heart. He was very excited to find that he had passed the exam. Now Bill discovered that not only could he learn, but he could do it well. A changed took place in Bill's heart.
You see, one teacher saved one boy, it's simple , really. | middle3154.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "her nursing experience"
},
"options": [
"her flying experience",
"her university education",
"her nursing experience",
"her life attitudes"
],
"question": "The main reason for Boeing Air Transport offering Ellen... | In the 1920s and 30s the airlines were just beginning. It was unusual for people to travel by air because it was expensive and dangerous. In those days, there were no flight attendants to look after the passengers. Young men ,or "stewards" helped the passengers onto the airplane and carried the passengers' luggage but they did not provide food and drinks. _
Ellen Church was born in 1904 on a farm in Iowa. She was a different child. She didn't want to work on a farm or marry a farmer --she wanted a more adventurous life. Ellen studied to be a nurse at the University of Minnesota and then got a job in a hospital. For the next few years she stayed at the hospital but also took flying lessons and got her pilot's license.
Ellen was twenty-five years old when she first got in touch with Boeing Air Transport. She loved flying but she understood that airlines were a man's world. Although women like Emelia Earheart were becoming famous, she realized it was impossible for a woman to have a career as a pilot .But she had another idea. Most people were frightened of flying because. flying was still an unreliable way to travel. There were often delays ,many crashes and the bad weathers made many passengers sick. Ellen thought nurses could take care of passengers during flights and B.A.T. agreed.
The young woman from Iowa and seven other nurses became the first air stewardesses.
At first pilots were unhappy because they did not want stewardesses on airplanes, but passengers loved the stewardesses. In 1940 there were around 1000 of them working for different airlines. The early "stewardesses" had to be under twenty-five-year-old, single and slim. When a woman joined an airline, she had to promise not to get married or have children. It was hard job and not well paid. They worked long hours and earned $1 an hour.
In the 1970s, stewardesses were unhappy in their job and airlines had to make some changes. Since the 1970s, "stewardesses" have been called flight attendants. They are well paid and work fewer hours than in the past. | middle1743.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "three months"
},
"options": [
"one month",
"two months",
"three months",
"more than three months"
],
"question": "In America, summer vacation lasts _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"a... | Like schools in China, American schools begin in September after a long summer vacation. There are two terms in a school year. The first term is from September to January and the second is from February to June. Usually American children begin to go to school when they are five years old. Most students are seventeen or eighteen years old when they finish high school.
But unlike middle school students in China, high school students in America take only four or five subjects each term. They usually go to the same classes every day and have homework for every class. After class they do all kinds of interesting things.
After high school, many students go to college. They may go to a small or a large one. They usually have to pay a lot for their higher education. So lots of students work after school to make money for their studies.
,: | middle8001.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "in an office"
},
"options": [
"in a school",
"in a hospital",
"in an office",
"in a shop"
],
"question": "Mr. Smith work _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_in... | Mr. Smith works in an office. He's very busy and has no time to have a good rest . Every evening , when he comes back from his office , he's always tired and wants to go to bed early . But his wife, Mrs Smith, often has a lot of interesting things to tell him after dinner . She doesn't stop talking before she goes to sleep .
One day the man felt terrible and couldn't go to work . He decided to go to see a doctor . And Mrs. Smith went to the hospital with him . Before her husband asked the doctor what was wrong with him , the woman told the doctor all and the doctor understood why . He wrote out a prescription . And when Mrs. Smith brought the medicine to the doctor , the doctor said to her , " The bottle of medicine is for your husband and the sleeping pills are for you . " " For me ? " the woman said in surprise " I'm fine . I don't need any medicine ! " " I don't think so , madam " , said the doctor . " They are sleeping pills . Your husband will soon be all right if you take them . " | middle6038.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Few of the players could pay the fee."
},
"options": [
"Christian was a middle school student.",
"The students will have a sports meet.",
"Few of the players could pay the fee.",
"Christian's mother lost her job last mo... | GERALD Christian is in Grade 8 at Ridge Road Middle School in North Carolina, US. She is a member of her school basketball team. Late last month, the 14-year-old faced a big problem. Her mother lost her job. She thought she couldn't pay the $ 50 fee for the city's sports meet this year.
Christian was not the only one who had this problem. Some other middle school players in the city had the same problem.
That's why famous NBA player Michael Jordan gave $ 250, 000 to the city earlier this month. He wanted to help the poor students. Jordan said: "I know there are kids who get an education by playing sports. We need to keep sports alive for them."
Christian was _ . "Really? I can't believe Michael did that for us. These days, I go to bed thinking about it and I wake up thinking about it," she said. "Now the problem is over. "
Christian wanted to say "thanks" to Jordan. "Michael, thank you for giving me the chance to show myself. I will do my best at the meet. | middle1757.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "smart"
},
"options": [
"quiet",
"hard--working",
"brave",
"smart"
],
"question": "AS a teenager,Lee was very _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
... | Although he died almost 40 years ago,Bruce Lee is still considered the greatest and most influential kung fu performer of the 20th century.His films brought traditional Hong Kong kung fu movies to a new level of popularity,and introduced kung fu to millions of people in the West.
Bona in the USA in 1940,Lee returned to his native Hong Kong before his birthday.As a teenager,the highly intelligent boy was accepted into one of Hong Kong's most famous middle schools but he paid little attention to his studies. He was more interested in sport,especially kung fu,and hanging out with his street-gang friends. In 1959,Lee got into trouble with the police for fighting.His mother,fearing he would end up in prison,sent him to the USA. Two years later,he began studying at university there.
While still a student,Lee opened his own kung fu school,teaching a new fighting style he had developed.What made Lee's style different was that it used power,strength and,quick--action attacks.It also combined Japanese,Korean and South American fighting styles with traditional stow--moving Chinese kung fu.
Among Lee's students were several famous actors who,impressed by his good--looks and fighting skill,encouraged him to start acting.Over the next fire years Lee achieved some Success in America.But his dream of introducing his fighting style into American movies was not accepted by local film makers who thought western audiences were not interested in kung fu.
Determined to prove them wrong,Lee returned to Hong Kong in 1970.There he made two films
(1971)and
(1972),using his kung fu ideas and techniques.The movies were huge hits world--wide,making Lee an international star and symbol of kung fu.These were followed by what is widely considered the greatest kung fu movie of all time,
(1973).Tragically however,Lee suddenly and mysteriously died while making his next movie
. He was only 33 years old. | middle8015.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "in the morning"
},
"options": [
"in the morning",
"in the afternoon",
"in the evening",
"at night"
],
"question": "Alice and Bob meet _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Alice: Good morning, Bob.
Bob: Good morning, Alice.
Alice: Bob, this is Grace.
Bob: Hi, Grace.
Grace: Hi, Bob.
Alice: Oh, what is that?
Bob: It's my green key.
Alice: What's this?
Bob: It is a ruler.
Alice: Is it your ruler?
Bob: No. My ruler is red. This ruler is blue.
Alice: Grace, is it your ruler?
Grace: Oh no. It is Frank's ruler.
Alice:40 . | middle7326.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "8"
},
"options": [
"6",
"7",
"8",
"9"
],
"question": "How many suggestions does the writer give us?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text... | Most people think talking is the most important communication skill.They care little about listening.A research about our waking day communicating time shows that 9% is spent writing, 16% reading, 30% talking and 45% listening.
Many of us can remember only 50% immediately after hearing something.But within two to eight weeks, we can only remember 25% or less of the message.Sometimes it will make us fail if we really forget something important.
Here are some suggestions to be a good listener.
Stop talking -- you can't listen well when you speak.
Ask questions -- when you don't understand, when you want to catch their attention or when you want to be liked.
Be polite -- give them time to say what they have to say.
Listen carefully and actively to what they are saying -- pay attention to their words, their ideas and their feelings as those things relate to the subjects.
Understand the main points.
Look at each other -- you will feel confident by looking.
Don't argue with other people when you are trying to understand them, especially when they are speaking.
Try not to bring your worries and problems -- when you listen, they will stop you from listening well.
Learn to listen and you'll achieve a great success in your life. | middle5531.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "how your body feels"
},
"options": [
"what the fitness experts say",
"whether you have the best shoes",
"how your body feels",
"why you start running"
],
"question": "Increases in distance or speed depend on _... | We all know that exercise is good for your health. But some kinds of exercise may be better than others. Running, for example, may help to protect against heart disease and other health problems. Running may also help you live longer.
Recently, researchers studied more than 55,000 adults. About a quarter of the adults have a good habit of running. The study found these runners were much healthier than non-runners. In fact, the runners lived, on average , three years longer than the non-runners.
Running may be good exercise, but it can be difficult on the body. Here are commonly shared ideas among fitness experts to lower the risk of injury for people who are new to running.
[?]Take it easy.
Do not run too much, too soon or too fast. Most people get running injuries when they push themselves too hard. The body needs time to get used to increases in distance or speed.
[?] Get good running shoes.
There is no single best shoe for every runner. You should find the shoe that offers the best fit and support for your feet. More importantly, you should have a new pair of shoes every 500 to 800 kilometers.
[?]Take good notes.
Take time after each run to write down notes about what you did and how you felt. Look for things that happen again and again. For example, you may find that your knees hurt when you run sometimes. But perhaps you feel great when you have a rest between running days. These notes will help you make the best plan for running. | middle5257.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "go to school"
},
"options": [
"look after their children well",
"work in many different fields",
"go to school",
"work harder"
],
"question": "The adults have to _ on Back-to-Front Day.",
"question_type"... | Have you ever heard of Back-to-Front Day? It is a festival in Britain. On that day, the adults have to go to school. And the children? They are the policemen and firemen; they sit in the offices and call New York and Paris; they are doctors and nurses.
"Stand in the corner, Mr. Bass!" said Mary. Mary was six and had a class of twenty-three men and fifteen women. They were making too much noise.
John was a policeman. Though his uniform was too big, he walked down the street with pride. "Hm, why are you not at school?" "Oh, I ... I have something important to do," said the man. "Fiddlesticks !" said John angrily. He took out his notebook. "Name?" he asked. "Mr. Green." John wrote it down and blew his whistle and a police car appeared. "I have a _ here," said John. "Drive him to school!"
At the hospital a small doctor climbed on one chair in order to examine Mrs. Brown's throat, and Nurse Jenny took Granny Lisa's temperature.
The best part of Back-to-Front Day is in the evening. The children put the adults to bed, very early. They tell them a story, too -- after the adults wash their faces and brush their teeth.
How interesting Back-to-Front Day is! | middle2538.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "very early"
},
"options": [
"very late",
"very early",
"by bus",
"on foot"
],
"question": "More than half of the students usually come to school _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answ... | There are forty-eight students in our class. There are twenty-three boys and twenty-five girls. Some students live near the school, and some others live very far from the school. About half of the students come to school by bike . They often get to school at a quarter to seven. About ten students often come to school by bus. They often go to school very early, too. Another ten students come to school on foot. Their homes are near the school, but they are often late for school, because they get up very late. | middle4149.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "living-history"
},
"options": [
"living-history",
"toy",
"candle",
"clothing"
],
"question": "Fort Delaware in New York is a _ museum.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"a... | Alice spends her summer vacations walking back into history. Alice is 15 and she is a guide who shows visitors around the Fort Delaware Museum in New York. "This year, I spun wool on a spinning wheel. Last year, I was a candle maker. My first year, I cared for the garden and looked after the animals. All the jobs I've had at the fort have been really fun."
Fort Delaware is a living-history museum that shows how life was in frontier America in the mid-1700s. "Reading about history can't compare to experiencing it for yourself," says Alice.
The experience begins as soon as visitors enter the fort. The smell of wood smoke fills the air. Women in petticoats (long skirts) and men in knee breeches(knee-length shorts) are busy with their chores. The guides show visitors how the settles would have carried out everyday work. "Kids are surprised when I tell them that one of their jobs would have been to make candles," says another guide, 16-year-old Jane. "They don't realize that kids back then had to work hard." She also shows visitors how to play with toys and games.
They are playing historical parts, so the guides can't wear shorts or T-shirts when the weather is hot. But the clothes of the past can easily change modern kids into people from 18th century. "The clothing felt strange at first, but it does make it easier to get into characters," says Jane.
Working at the fort has helped Jane to appreciate her life even more. Alice agrees, "The fort has taught me how hard life was and how much work there was every day. We are so lucky with everything we have now. Life wasn't always this easy."
,. (5,2,10) | middle7440.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "the cats"
},
"options": [
"the cats",
"the cleaners",
"the light",
"the workers"
],
"question": "There are few pests in the park because of _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": ... | The Secret World of Disneyland
The cat
It is not easy to keep the park clean. Every night after the closing time, about 200 cats will come into the park. Because of them, there are few pests in the park. They are nice workers in the park.
The light
In the 1950s, Walt Disney had an apartment in the park. When the light in the house was on, people would know that the owner of the park was in. Today, the light always stays on in honor of him.
The Hidden Mickey
At Disneyland, Mickey Mouse logos are everywhere. However, there are hundreds of "Hidden Mickeys" in the park. They are often different to find. No one knows how many "Hidden Mickeys" there are in the park. | middle6986.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "to be healthy"
},
"options": [
"to be healthy",
"to study well",
"to enjoy learning",
"to have a happy life"
],
"question": "Everyone needs to eat well because it can help people _ .",
"question_type": "c... | Food is very important.Everyone needs to eat well if he wants to have a strong body.Our minds also need a kind of food.This kind of food is knowledge .
When we are very young,we start getting knowledge.Kids like watching and listening.Color pictures especially interest them.When kids are older,they enjoy reading.When something interests them,they love to ask questions.
Our minds,like our bodies,always need the best food.Studying on our own brings the most knowledge.
If someone is always telling us answers,we never learn well.When we study correctly and get knowledge on our own,we learn more and understand better. | middle8003.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Four."
},
"options": [
"Two.",
"Three.",
"Four.",
"Five."
],
"question": "How many advantages of texting are mentioned in the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2... | Text messaging, or simply "texting", which allows people to send and receive messages on mobile phones, becomes very popular today.
The advantages of texting are obvious. Texting helps to save money. If you have a few words to greet your families and friends on their birthdays or on some important festivals, sending messages can be cheaper than phone calling. Texting helps to save time. Even if you want to send a message to 100 people, you can do it one second. Texting helps you to "talk" to someone when he is too busy to answer the phone. Texting can also help you to "talk" to someone secretly if you don't want others to hear what you are talking on the phone. These advantages are so amazing that many people are crazy about it. They hold mobile phones in hands all day long, send dozens of messages each day, and even text while driving or walking.
However, texting has its disadvantages. Junk messages may come into your mobile phone box now and then. When your phone box gets too full, you can't receive any more messages. You may therefore miss some important information.
What's more, if you don't do texting properly, for example texting while driving or walking, it can be dangerous. It can cause injuries and even death. It was reported that about 6,000 people were killed and half a million were injured for this reason each year. In Fort Lee, a small town in New Jersey, USA, three people died because they walked into traffic while texting in 2011. Two researchers at Stony Brook University, New York found that texters are 60% more probably to have an accident than others. When people are texting, they don't notice other people or things around them. To reduce traffic accidents, all drivers of the UN are now not allowed to text while driving. About 32 countries have passed laws _ the use of mobile phones while driving.
Texting is a wonderful way of communication. However, only when we use it properly, can we fully enjoy the fun it brings. | middle1999.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "has some helpful first-aid advice"
},
"options": [
"is a policeman",
"works in Beijing First Hospital",
"has some helpful first-aid advice",
"helps the writer out of danger"
],
"question": "Mr. Zhang _ .",
... | If you or someone near you is in danger, how will you do the first aid? Mr. Zhang, a doctor in Beijing First Aid Center has some useful suggestions.
Check the environment. Watch the situation carefully. Is there anything that might do harm to you? Will you or the victim be hurt by fire, harmful smoke, a broken building, electrical wires or other dangerous situations? Do not rush into a place where you could be a victim yourself.
If being close to the victim will put your life in danger, search for skilled help at once. Skilled people have received special training and know how to deal with these situations. First aid isn't helpful if you do it but hurt yourself.
Call for help. Call the police or some other first-aid services immediately if you believe someone is seriously injured. If you are the only person on the scene, try to restart the patient's breath before calling for help. Do not leave the victim alone.
Care for the person. Care for someone who has just gone through serious hardness. Remember to stay calm, encourage him (her) and you should be _ . Let the person know that help is on its way and that everything will be all right. | middle7330.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "In the police station."
},
"options": [
"In the police station.",
"In the hospital.",
"At school.",
"In the office."
],
"question": "Where does Nancy want to work?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},... | Dear Dr. Know
I am unhappy these days. I am a student in Grade 3 of a middle school. I want to be a policewoman in the future . But my mother doesn't like the job. She always says it is too dangerous for a girl to work as a policewoman. She thinks girls should work in the office. She hopes that I can work as a doctor. But I really dislike being a doctor. It's terrible for me to work in the hospital. When I talk with her about it, she is often angry. She always thinks she is right. I don't know what to do. Can you help me?
Nancy, Chongqing | middle5527.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "mild"
},
"options": [
"mild",
"hot",
"cold",
"cool"
],
"question": "The weather in Shanghai is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text... | Shanghai is a nice city. The weather here is mild , that is, it is neither too hot nor too cold. It changes from season to season. Now many tall buildings have been set up one after another. But at the same time, the city is full of people. As a result, the traffic is terrible. Traffic jams happen during the rush hours. If you want to go to a place far away, the fastest way is neither driving, nor riding a bike. It is often walking! The policemen in Shanghai are very helpful. Visitors can ask them for help if they lose their way or lose something. But when you disobey the traffic rules, they will be very strict with you. A lot of people in Shanghai can speak English. Travellers from English speaking countries feel at home here. Welcome to Shanghai. | middle2248.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "who adapted the book into a movie"
},
"options": [
"who wrote the book",
"when the book was published",
"what is the book about",
"who adapted the book into a movie"
],
"question": "After reading the passage, we... | The Little Prince was written by a French pilot and writer Antoine de Saint--Exupery. It is one of the most famous books around the world. It was published in 1943. This story has been translated into 42 languages and was adapted into a movie.
The little prince lives on a small planet alone. He leads a happy life. One day the winds brings him a seed. The seed then turns into the loveliest flower he has ever seen. He takes good care of the flower, but finally he decides to leave it and his planet in search for a secret--the most important thing in his life.
During his journey in space, the little prince meets a king, a businessman, a lamplighter and a geographer. They all live alone on different planets. At last he finds out the secret from a fox of the Earth. Before he returns to his planet, he tells his secret to the writer of the book, whom he meets in the desert. The secret is: the power of love.
When you read this _ and sincere story of the little prince, you can't help smiling and feeling the beauty of life and love in your heart. | middle3156.txt |
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