questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To offer advice on college life."
},
"options": [
"To describe the importance of college life.",
"To explain why college life is exciting.",
"To offer advice on college life.",
"To persuade you to go to college."
],... | Beginning college is exciting: new ideas to explore, new challenges to meet and many decisions to make.Your future begins here.
However, you will find college life is different from your previous school environment. Many of us can be easily overwhelmed by the details of running a well-balanced life.While some of us may have the _ , I guess there are more of us who can benefit from learning about the experiences of others who have walked the college halls before you.
The following you may find of use about life on campus.
* Plan well.There are so many new things to do at a new college or university.Give yourself time to make new friends and become familiar with the campus, but don't forget why you are there.Give some time for social activities and manage your time wisely.
* If you don't have a "system" for planning your time now(like a day timer, a computer data book), get one.Most of all, don't depend on your memory.
* Don't miss the guidelines.The restrictions, rules and regulations of all kinds can usually be found in your student handbook.Consider them well-balanced food for thought.What dates are important? What pieces of paper need to be handed in? What can/ can't you do in class? What can/ can't you do in your student residence? Who has right for what? What do you need to complete to graduate?
* Write the word "STUDY" on the walls of our bedroom and bathroom, and maybe it will help to write it on a piece of paper and stick it on the telephone, TV and the kitchen table.Consider this--you are paying thousands of dollars for your courses. You pay every time you have to repeat or replace a course.
* Build your identity.This is the time for you to decide what to do and what not to do.Take as much time as you need to explore new ideas.Do not be afraid of the beyond.This is learning to make good choices. | high1955.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "she brought him love and comfort"
},
"options": [
"she made him smile joyfully",
"she brought him love and comfort",
"she knew she must play it well",
"she believed she could play it many times for him"
],
"ques... | I miss my father. My father died more than twenty years ago. I was fifteen. He was kind, strong, fair, and very funny. When I was a young musician, he was my biggest fan. I played my violin for him when he visited, and he loved everything, but each time he had one request. "Could you play 'Amazing Grace'?" he asked, full of hope and with a twinkle in his eyes, because he knew my answer was always, "I don't know that one!" We went through this routine at every major holiday, and I always figured I'd have time to learn it for him later.
About the time I entered high school and started guitar, Dad got cancer. The last time I saw him alive was Thanksgiving weekend in 1985. My mom warned us that Dad didn't look the same anymore and that we should prepare ourselves. For a moment I didn't recognize him. He looked so small among all the white sheets. We had all gathered in Ohio for the holiday, and I'm sure we all knew we were there to say good-bye. I can see now that Dad held on long enough to see us each one more time. I remember how we ate in the dining room and laughed and talked while Dad rested in his hospital bed. I wonder if it was sad for him to be alone with our voices and laughter. Knowing Dad, he was probably content.
The next morning I found my moment alone with him. I pulled out my guitar, tuned to his appreciative gaze, and finally played for him "Amazing Grace." I had worked on it for weeks, knowing it never mattered whether I actually played it well and choosing not to believe as I played that it was my last concert for my biggest fan. The cancer had stolen his smile, but I saw joy in his eyes. He held my hand afterwards, and I knew I had done something important.
I argued with people all through college about my music major. I was told by strangers that music wouldn't make me any money and it wasn't useful like being a doctor. But I know firsthand that with music I was able to give my Dad something at a point when no one else could. | high19081.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "go fishing in the lake"
},
"options": [
"enjoy the scene of the lake",
"seek adventure at the lake",
"go fishing in the lake",
"take a walk by the lake"
],
"question": "Dave got up early in the morning to _ .... | At a few minutes past five, Dave noted that the blanket of darkness was lifting. He was just able to make out the heavier masses that eventually appeared as the familiar trees that lined the road at the base of the hill. The upper reaches of the sky showed lighter shades of gray.
Dave got out of bed quietly and dressed quickly. He mixed a spoonful of instant chocolate into a glass of cold water, and his impatience forced him to finish the drink in gulps.
As he walked down toward the lake, Dave paused to reach for the fishing pole and gear box on the bench where he had left them the night before.
By the time he reached the small boat, a thick white mist had spread over the surface of the water. He stepped into the boat, sat down, and rowed out of the weed beds that lined the edge of the shore.
The outer fringe of the lake disappeared as the boat moved forward noiselessly. All he could see was the enveloping whiteness. He could not tell where the boat and the surrounding air met the surface of the lake.
Dave rowed steadily ahead, relying on a mental picture of the surroundings. Then the mist began to rise, slowly. _ soon rested inches above the still surface of the lake. The heavy silence was now being broken by the fish breaking through the surface as they leaped out of the water for low-flying insects.
The magic time had arrived. Dave raised his pole. Dawn was broken. He was excited with expectancy. | high2284.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Wikipedia"
},
"options": [
"Wikipedia",
"SparkNotes",
"Amazon.com",
"Facebook"
],
"question": "While you are taking great pains to write a research report, _ can most probably be a help.",
"question_type... | When you're having a hard time with your homework or when you're preparing for your term paper, these student-focused websites can help you with just about anything you need. The key to getting the most out of these online resources is to know how they can best be used to your advantage.
Facebook
Although Facebook can be one of your biggest time-wasters and distractions when you are supposed to getting work done, it can also be one of your most valuable resources. Most of your classmates will probably have a Facebook account, so anyone you need to connect with about a class you missed or about a problem is usually just a few clicks away.
SparkNotes
With a free library of history, philosophy study guides and summaries, SparkNotes has covered just about any reading-related tasks you have to finish. Just search for the book, play, or short summary of the material you are supposed to read.
Amazon.com
Do you finish every term with many expensive textbooks you will never open again? Instead of letting the money spent go to waste, get back some of your cash by selling your books on Amazon.
RateMyProfessors.com
Choosing new classes can sometimes be like trying to pick out your clothes in the dark, a total guessing game. Which teacher gives out the hardest problem? How much homework will that history professor give you every week? At RateMyProfessors.com, students all over the country rate their professors on quality, helpfulness, and how hard their classes are.
Wikipedia
While Wikipedia isn't aimed specially at students, it is difficult to think of another website that does more to reduce the pain of paper writing and researching. Wikipedia gives you a quick way to find sources and get the details of almost any topic you need research - all without walking to the library. | high19095.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "The use of the English language has not changed much in the previous century."
},
"options": [
"The use of the English language has not changed much in the previous century.",
"BBC announcers speak standard English.",
"Englis... | Just as the English language has changed quickly in the previous century, so has the use of it.
After the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was founded in 1927, the particular style of speech of the BBC announcers was recognized as standard English or Received Pronunciation (RP) English. Now, most people still consider that the pronunciation and delivery of BBC announcers is the clearest and most understandable spoken English.
English has had a strong relationship with classes and social positions. However, since the Second World War there has been a clear change of attitude towards speech snobbery , and marks of class distinction such as styles of speech have been gradually diminishing, especially in the younger generation.
By the end of the 1960s, it had become clear that it was not necessary to speak standard English or even correct grammar to become popular, successful and rich. The fashionable speech of the day was no longer the special right of a special class but rather a defiant expression of classlessness.
The greatest single influence of the shaping of the English language in modern times is the American English. Over the last 25 years the English used by many people, particularly by those in the media, advertising and show business, has become more and more mid-Atlantic in style, delivery and accent.
In the 1970s, fashion favored careless pronunciation and a language full of jargon, slang and "in" words, a great quantity of which couldn't be understood by the outside world. What is considered modern and fashionable in Britain today is often not the kind of English taught in schools and colleges. | high2290.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "she was staying at the local store"
},
"options": [
"she was helping a slave run away",
"she was playing with a young boy",
"she was staying at the local store",
"she was running for the door of the store"
],
"q... | One day, a slave owner entered a local store and threatened a young boy who was his slave. At first, the slave refused to move and ran for the door. The slave owner reached for a heavy weight. He threw it at his slave. Instead, it hit Harriet on the head. Harriet almost died. For the rest of her life, she carried the mark of a deep wound on her head.
Miser Brodas felt he never needed Harriet. He decided to sell her. Harriet thought of a way to prevent this. Each time she was shown to someone who might buy her, she acted as if she were falling asleep. After a while, Mister Brodas gave up the hope of selling Harriet. He sent her back to the fields. At 24 she married a free black man, John Tubman. By then, Harriet was sure she should escape.
In 1849, Mister Brodas died. His slaves probably would be sold to further South. John Tubman tried to make Harriet forget about running away. Harriet decided she must end her marriage and that she needed to tell her family that she was leaving.
Harriet escaped for Pennsylvania where slavery was banned there. Once she hid under hay that had been cut from the fields. Another time, she wore men's clothing. Finally, she arrived in Pennsylvania.
Now that Harriet was free, she didn't forget other slaves in Maryland. During the next ten years, she freed her parents and other family members. She traveled back and forth eighteen times, helping about 300 slaves escape. She became an expert at hiding from slave hunters. At one time, anyone finding Harriet was promised 40,000dollars for catching her--dead or alive. The people she helped called her Moses. She had rescued them from slavery just as the biblical Moses rescued the Jews.
After the Civil War began, Harriet started to spy for the North. She also served as a nurse. After four years of bloody fighting, the North won the war. Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves in 1863. There was no longer any need for Harriet to be Moses. | high20614.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "both parents and teenagers don't pay attention to each other's feeling much"
},
"options": [
"teenagers don't like to take family demands",
"parents want to keep their family under control",
"parents feel unhappy that their c... | It is Saturday afternoon.You and your friends are planning to go to the movies and then spend the night together. Just as you start to get ready, your dad reminds you it is your aunt's birthday and the whole family is going out to dinner to celebrate.How can this possibly end without a huge argument?
One of the greatest sources of tension between teenagers and their families is the struggle to balance personal desires with family expectations.As you are getting older,you are becoming more independent and more interested in being with your friends.
However,at the same time,your family is trying to figure out how to deal with these changes. While you once spent most of your free time with your family,you are now often absent from home.Parents may get their feelings hurt.Or they might feel that they are losing control of their family during this period.You might feel angry that so many family demands are placed on you.
There are a few things you can try to make it a little easier to ease the tension.
* Make your plans in advance.Ask your parents if there is anything else planned at that time.
* When something with your friends interferes(;)with a family event,try to figure out if there is any way you can do both.
* Suggest something you would really like to do with your family.Sometimes parents feel better just knowing their teenager wants to spend time with them.
Some of the time you won't be happy with the outcome .You might either have to disappoint your parents or have to miss out being with your friends.However,if you show consideration for the feelings of both your family and your friends,you can solve the problem in a tender way. | high15877.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "after he went fishing with his boss, Ric Horst on the Shoshone"
},
"options": [
"when he was reading \"The pearl\" by John Steinbeck",
"when he went fishing with his grandfather at Lake Mitchell",
"after he had spent 16 years... | John Steinbeck once said, "All Americans believe they are born fishermen. For a man to admit to a distaste in fishing would be like denouncing mother - love or hating moonlight."
I can't say that I'm the biggest John Steinbeck fan. Actually, the only thing I can ever remember reading by him was "The pearl" when I was in middle school, but I couldn't agree more with the man when it comes to fishing. Whether I am on a boat in the middle of the Lay Lake, fishing off the shores of the Florida Keys for tarpon or catching rainbow trout in the Shoshone River of Wyoming, fishing is my life.
According to the American Sports Fishing Association, the fishing industry brings in more than $ 116 billion per year from fishermen across the country.
Though a beautiful picture to imagine, fishing is much more than that. Fishing is a way of life for many people and a way to escape everyday stress. Being a fisherman makes me a member of a wonderful group of people extending to all walks of life. Even President Obama can be found fishing on his farm in Texas with his good friend Roland Martin when the job gets too stressful.
I can remember fishing with my grandfather when I was 5 years old on his boat at Lake Mitchell. Although I didn't understand what I was doing, I did know that my grandfather was happy and that made me happy. Since then I've spent the past 16 years on the rivers and lakes of Alabama.
After days of practice, before and after work, I slowly developed an understanding of fishing. My boss, Ric Horst, took me back to the Shoshone, and I managed to bring in a 19-inch cutthroat trout. Fishing with Ric was a life-changing experience for me. He not only showed me how to fish correctly, but also told me how fishing could be a way to escape your problems.
Since then, prime-time season seems to take forever to arrive.
Now, with the ending of February and beginning of March in sight, the excitement of heading out Lake Tuscaloosa or Lake Lurleen before classes and catching something has finally returned. | high1799.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Anger at the practice of demanding dowries."
},
"options": [
"Women's rights'being seriously abused.",
"Anger at the practice of demanding dowries.",
"The bride's giving a great many dowries.",
"The popularity of Angry ... | Anger at the practice of demanding dowries , which can lead to violence against brides , has prompted a takeoff of "Angry Birds" called "Angry Brides" that aims to highlight the illegal practice still common in many South Asian countries.
Dowries-such as jewelry, clothes, cars and money-are traditionally given by the bride's family to the groom and his parents to ensure she is taken care of in her new home.
The custom was outlawed more than five decades ago. But it is still widely practiced, with the groom's family demanding even more money after marriage, leading to mental and physical annoyance that can drive the woman to suicide.
"The Angry Brides game is our way of throwing a spotlight on the nuisance of dowry." said Ram Bhamidi, senior vice president and head of online marketing for Shaadi.com, a matrimonial website with two million members.
"According to a 2007 study, there is a dowry-related death every four hours in India, We condemn this and have consistently run campaigns on social media to help create awareness of the issue".
The name of the app, available on the group's home page, is a _ from the globally popular "Angry Birds" game, Its home page shows a red-clad, eight-armed woman resembling a powerful female Hindu goddess. Underneath, there is a caption: "A woman will give you strength, care and all the love you need ......NOT dowry!"
To play the game, users have to try and hit three dodging grooms--a pilot, a builder and a doctor. There are a variety of weapons to choose from, including a frying pan, broomstick, tomato and loafer.
Each groom has a price tag, starting at 1.5 million rupees($29,165). Every time the player hits a groom, his value decreases and money is added to the player's Anti-Dowry Fund, which is saved posted on their Facebook page.
"Since we launched the game last week, more than 270,000 people have liked the app. Both men and women seem to be playing it", said Bhamidi. | high22765.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "(412)396--6752"
},
"options": [
"(412)396--6752",
"(412)396--6648",
"(412)396--6876",
"(412)396--6706"
],
"question": ".If you want to experience a new activity in the countryside in the mornings,you may fax _... | Riding School:
You can start horse--riding at any age.Choose private or group lessons any weekday between 9 a.m.and 8:30 P.m.(3:30 p.m.on Saturdays).There are 10 kilometers of tracks and paths for leisurely rides across farmland and open country.You will need a riding hat.
Opening Hours:Monday through Friday:9:00 a.m.--8:30 p.m.
Phone:(412)396--6754 Fax :(412)396--6752
Sailing Club:
Our Young Sailor's Course leads to the Stage 1 Sailing qualification .You'll learn how to sail safely and the course also covers sailing theory and first aid.Have fun with other course members , afterwards in the clubroom.There are 10 weekly two-hour 1essons (Tuesdays 6 p.m.~8 p.m.).
Opening Hours:Tuesdays:6:00 p.m.--8:00 p.m. Phone:(412)396--6644 Fax:(412)396--6644
Diving Centre: Our experienced instructors offer one-month courses in deep-sea diving for beginners.There are two evening lessons a week,in which you learn to breathe underwater and use the equipment safely.You only need swimming costume and towel.Reduced rates for couples.
Opening Hours:Monday and Friday:6:30 p.m.--8:30 p.m.
Phone:(412)396--6312 Fax:(412)396--6706
Medical Center:
The staff of the Medical Center aim to provide convenient and comprehensive medical care to students and staff of the university.The center is well equipped and the staff here are trained to deal with a broad range of medical problems.Both female and male doctors as well as nursing staff are available for consultation .Also,all kinds of medicines are sold here and are cheaper for students than other drugstores.
Opening Hours:24 hours from Monday to Sunday
Phone:(412)396--6649 Fax:(412)396--6648
Water sports Club:
We use a two-kilometer length of river for speedboat racing,and water-skiing,A beginners' course consists of ten 20-minute lessons.You will learn to handle boats safely and confidently,but must be able to swim.The club is in a convenient central position and is open daily from 9 a.m to 4 p.m,with lessons all through the day.
Opening Hours:Monday through Friday:9:00 a.m.--4:00 p.m. | high6948.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "they both depend on more than one factor"
},
"options": [
"they are both something beautiful",
"they both make people feel pleased",
"they both depend on more than one factor",
"they are both hard to achieve"
],
... | Happiness pays off, studies show.
Psychologists seeking the real secrets of happiness report that very happy people tend to be more _ and agreeable than less happy people.
"Our findings suggest that very happy people have rich and satisfying social relationships and spend little time alone compared to average people," write psychologists Ed Diener and Martin E. P. Seligman in the journal Psychological Science.
Solid social relationships do not promise happiness, but they are an important contributing factor. The very happy people whom the authors studied all said they had good quality social relationships. However, the authors write, there is no single key to high happiness. "High happiness seems to be like beautiful symphonic music--including many instruments, without any one being enough for the beautiful quality."
Diener regards happiness as "subjective wellbeing"--in other words, the person evaluates his or her own quality of life. The question to ask is, "Is my life going well, according to the standards I choose to use?" If the answer is "yes", then that person is judged to be happy.
Because people evaluate their lives based on happiness, subjective wellbeing is very important. Though necessary, it is not enough for having a good life. "Subjective wellbeing seems quite necessary for the 'good society', although it is not enough for that society because there are other things we also value and would want in such a place." says Diener.
Can subjective wellbeing be measured scientificall? Diener points out three parts contributing to happiness: pleasant emotions and moods, lack of negative emotions and moods, and satisfaction judgment, to which other factors including cheerfulness and feelings of fulfillment may be added.
There is no magic formula for happiness. Diener suggests steps you can take to ensure you are as happy as you can be. Surrounding yourself with good friends and family--people who care about you and whom you care about--is a start. Joining in activities you enjoy and value is also important; whether it's work or play, keeping busy in an environment enjoyable to you will contribute much to your subjective wellbeing. In addition, a healthy outlook is necessary. | high8965.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "By giving some basic information."
},
"options": [
"By analyzing the data of fitness tests.",
"By giving some basic information.",
"By completing some questionnaires.",
"By offering a certain amount of Money."
],
... | FRIDAY, Aug. 3 (Health Day News) -- Middle school students who are physically fit are likely to score higher on standardized tests measuring reading and math abilities, a new study has found. And, the average scores went up in connection with levels of fitness, the findings showed.
"The more physically fit kids were, the higher their scores," said the study's lead author, Trent Petrie, director of the Center for Sport Psychology at the University of North Texas in Denton. "Parents should encourage their kids to be physically active. There are some real cognitive and academic benefits that come from physical fitness", Petrie said.
Results of the study are scheduled to be presented Friday at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in Orlando, Fla. The study included more than 1,200 middle school students from five schools in a suburban area of Texas, with 561 boys and 650 girls. About 57 percent of the children were white, and nearly one-quarter were Mexican American. Nine percent were black and about 2 percent were of Asian descent.
The school district provided the researchers with information on the children's race, age, grade level and whether they qualified for the free school lunch program, which was an indicator of the family's socioeconomic status. The schools also provided scores to the tests, which were given between one and four months after the researchers had assessed the children's levels of fitness. Fitness tests were administered during physical education classes to determine the youngsters' heart and lung health (cardiorespiratory fitness), as well as their body mass index (BMI), an indicator of how much body fat a person has. The children also filled out questionnaires that helped the researchers determine factors such as self-esteem and social support.
After accounting for factors such as age, sex, family income and self-esteem, the researchers found that for both boys and girls, higher levels of heart and lung health predicted better scores on both the math and reading tests.
For boys, perceived social support also seemed to increase their reading scores, the investigators found. In girls, while being physically fit predicted higher reading scores, so too did a higher BMI-- which indicates more body fat. "We were a little surprised by this finding," Petrie said.
"It was not as strong an association as the one with physical fitness," he added. The authors suspect it may have something to do with girls this age entering adolescence, which may be related to a higher BMI and slightly higher brain development. He said he plans to make great effort to look for this relationship again in larger studies to see if it was a chance finding, or if the association holds up.
"While we can't say 100 percent that physical fitness causes better academic performance, we can say that there is a strong and predictive relationship between physical fitness and academic performance," Petrie said.
"It's hard to tease apart the exact reason for this association," said Becky Hashim, an attending clinical psychologist and assistant professor in the departments of psychiatry and pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of Montefiore, in New York City.
"It may be that the children are getting more oxygen. When the heart and lungs are working at a higher capacity, it may allow the brain to work at peak performance. Children who are less fit may be sleepier during school," she noted. "I personally feel that there's probably a strong relationship between the confidence you get from being able to do something physical well and academic performance."
Whatever the reason behind this association may be, "there's certainly no harm in pushing physical fitness," Hashim added. "Physical fitness may make you feel better, give you more confidence and improve your performance across the board," she said.
Petrie agreed. "Physically fit kids are happier, have higher self-esteem and, tend to have better relationships, and now we're beginning to see that there also seem to be benefits cognitively and academically. Our study sends a strong warning to policymakers to reconsider the service program of physical education classes for kids," he said. | high3830.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "a lot, such as a dream, and aspiration or a wish in our life"
},
"options": [
"something static and easy to get if we complete our short-term goals",
"something easy to reach if we complete a short-term goal in time",
"noth... | There are three kinds of goals: short-term, intermediate and long-term goals. Short-term goals are those that usually deal with present activities. Such goals can be achieved in a week or two, or possible months. It should be remembered that just as a building is no stronger than its foundation , our long-term goals cannot be achieved without the achievement of solid short-term goals. Upon completing our short-term goals, we should date the time and then add new short-term goals that will build on those that have been completed.
The intermediate goals build on the foundation of the short-term goals. They might deal with just one term of school or the entire school years, or they could extend for several years. Any time you move a step at a time, you never allow yourself to become discouraged. As you complete each step, you will have more belief in your ability to grow and succeed.
Long-term goals may be related to our dreams of future. They might cover five years or more. Life is not a static thing. We should never allow a long-term goal to limit us or our course of action. | high20172.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "increase attention spans"
},
"options": [
"clean the air",
"make the house beautiful",
"increase attention spans",
"have the joy of caring"
],
"question": "The study shows that growing houseplants can_.",
"q... | Houseplants clean the air and brighten a room. Occasionally, they drive us mad as we wonder how exactly we managed to kill yet another "unkillable" houseplant. (In that way, they provide great lessons in perseverance as well!) But it looks like there's one more great reason to grow houseplants: their presence in your workspace might actually make you smarter.
According to a recent study published in The Journal of Environmental Psychology, just having plants in your work space is enough to increase your attention span. An increase in attention span means that we're able to remember more of what we read. To test the hypotheses, the study's authors gave subjects a Reading Span Task, which requires reading sentences aloud, then remembering the last word in each sentence. This requires reading, memorization, and recall abilities, and switching between the three.
The researchers had their entire test pool complete Reading Span Tasks to get a baseline reading. Then they moved some of the people to a room with no plants, and others to a room that had four plants around the desk. They were all asked to repeat the Reading Span Tasks, and the people who worked near a plant improved overall, while those without plants stayed roughly the same.
Beauty, fresh air, the joy of caring for another living thing -- all great reasons to have a few houseplants around. If they help increase attention spans, all the better! | high17906.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Three"
},
"options": [
"Two",
"Three",
"Four",
"Five"
],
"question": "How many examples of being tricked by time are mentioned in the article?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | We often find that weekends and holidays feel so short while classes and work feel so long. In reality, though, we know that this is not true. But we still wonder where that strange feeling comes from.
In fact, this is one of the ways that we're tricked by time, according to the website All That Is Interesting. The website lists several wrong impressions we often have about time. Let's have a look.
First of all, emotions affect our time-keeping abilities: Negative emotions, especially anxiety and boredom, make time seem longer because they make us concentrate more on the passage of time. However, when we are enjoying ourselves, we pay more attention to what we are doing and are likely to lose track of(...) time.
Here is another example. In 2007, a group of scientists carried out a test. In the test, people fell 50 meters into a safety net and were then asked about their experience. Although the experience took shorter than 3 seconds, the people thought it was much longer than it actually was.
This is because of the way our bodies reply to danger, according to the scientists. Our bodies produce a chemical called adrenaline when we are faced with danger. It allows us to concentrate better so that we can stay alive. As a result, we are able to remember far more details over a short period of time, which makes it seem like time is going more slowly.
Another occasion when we make mistakes about time is when we take afternoon naps . Have you ever had trouble telling what time it is after a long nap? That's because the best amount of time for a nap is 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, you enter a new stage of sleep called slow-wave sleep. If you wake up mid-way in this stage, it will take a while before you can correctly perceive time again.
Yes, time can be mysterious and there is no way to control it So, perhaps the best thing to do is to make good use of every minute. | high8795.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "unhappy"
},
"options": [
"confident",
"angry",
"excited",
"unhappy"
],
"question": "How did the author feel after he refused the job offer?",
"question_type": null
}
] | Many young people tell me that they want to be writers. I always encourage such people, but I also explain that there is a big difference between being a writer and writing. In most cases these people are dreaming of wealth and being famous, not the long hours alone at the typewriter.
When I became a writer, I had no future. What I had was a friend called George. He found me a home. It was cold and had no bathroom. I could only afford a used typewriter. A year later, however, I still hadn't received a break and began to doubt myself. But I knew I wanted to write. I would keep putting my dream to the test--even though it meant living with fear of failure. This is the shadow land of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there. Then one day I got a call from a friend who asked me to be an assistant for $6,000 a year. As the dollars were dancing in my head, _ brought me to my sense. "Thanks, but no," I heard myself saying. After that, I walked around my little room and started to feel like a fool. I felt a little low.
Later, I gradually began to sell my articles. It was after 17 years of being a writer that Roots was published. At once I had the kind of fame and success that few writers ever experienced. The shadows had turned into great sunlight. Before that, it was a long and slow climb out of the shadows. | high6960.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "face-to-face"
},
"options": [
"voice-to-voice",
"face-to-face",
"letter-to-letter",
"signal-to-signal"
],
"question": "According to the author, good relationship mainly relies on communicating _ .",
"ques... | Relationships in general have gone downhill because of two factors:technology and our demanding drive for excitement.
Body language, especially eye contact, is very important to a relationship. With one glance we can tell the mood of a close friend, if they are happy or sad. Thus, visual contact has a major impact on the amount of understanding we have with another person and the amount of connection that can be achieved. However, when the telephone, email and message come into play, all of that human interaction is lost. We have increasingly less human contact and start lacking social skills because of a lack of communication.
Technology greatly influences our standpoint on how fast we think everything needs to be done. If you put a dollar in the soda machine, you expect the bottle to move forward and fall down to the bottom. You can' t count how many times you' ve _ the machine if it went too slow for your expectations. You wanted instant results, immediate fulfillment.
Another shot against healthy relationships is everyone ' s demanding need for excitement. Society in general has increased its expectations for excitement. Little kids spending time playing outside together now replace that with hours of playing video games alone at home. On the weekends we seize every minute with " exciting" activities, rushing from one to the next. The effect on relationships from all these activities is that they take on more concern and that we have no patience for each other. Gradually we distance ourselves from our loved ones. | high22995.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "a planet which has an orbit around the sun"
},
"options": [
"a planet which has a clear neighborhood around its orbit",
"a satellite of Neptune which was discovered in 1930",
"the smallest planet in the solar system",
"... | It is always hard for a small fish to live in a big pond. Pluto's recent departure from the classical planet family clearly proves that size really matters.
Astronomers voted on August 24 to create the first scientific definition of the word planet, and Pluto obviously didn't make the cut. It turned out to be only a "dwarf planet" . After weeks of heated debate, over 2,500 astronomers from 73 countries voted on the definition of a "planet" at a conference of the international Astronomical Union (IAU). According to the definition, a planet must have a clear neighborhood around its orbit. Pluto has widely been considered a planet since its discovery in 1930. Unfortunately, it has a special orbit which overlaps with Neptune's. It is all because, compared with Neptune, Pluto is very small. It is attracted by Neptune's gravity when the two planets get closer.
According to IAU, a "dwarf planet" should have an orbit around the Sun. It will not have a clear neighborhood around its orbit, and must not be a satellite. The new classification means that the science textbooks will have to be updated. The solar system is now made up of the eight "classical planets," together with a number of dwarf planets. The classical planets are: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The debate over Pluto's status started in 1992. After an advanced telescope was sent into space, astronomers started find a belt of objects, which lies beyond Neptune. The belt contains nearly 1,000 objects, including Pluto. As they continued the exploration, scientists recently discovered at least 41 dwarf planets at the edges of the solar system. There are at least two objects of a similar size to Pluto.
It seems that even if the IAU had kept Pluto's status as a planet, the classical theory of nine planets in the solar system would have had to be changed, but the other way around. More dwarf, planets of a similar size to Pluto would join the family of planets. Scientists will probably find many more dwarf planets. | high543.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "More should be done to make girls do sports."
},
"options": [
"Those taking part in the sport are always failures.",
"More should be done to make girls do sports.",
"Girls are less confident than boys.",
"Boys are born ... | Girls should take part in competitive sport to build confidence, the leader of a group of girls' schools will argue this week. Helen Fraser, director of the Girls Day School Trust (GDST), will tell the group that sport can help girls cope with failure.
"All girls and not just the sporty ones should take physical exercise", Ms Fraser will say. Research that girls are far less active than boys is worrying, she argues. Ms Fraser will tell the group that she backs "sport for all". "That's why I love it when our schools have A, B ,C and D teams and beyond", she will say.
The GDST draws on research from the Women's Sport and Fitness Foundation which suggests only a quarter of girls in England meet basic levels ( )of activity each week. One in five girls do no activity at all, twice the proportion of boys, the research suggests.
Ms Fraser says other research suggests that more than 80% of women business leaders played sports while growing up. She uses the examples of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, once a skater and tennis player, while the head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, was in the French national swimming team. Ms Fraser says Olympic medallists like Jessica Ennis, Katherine Grainger and Nicola Adams are excellent role models for young women but says women's sport needs more money and more news reports..
Valerie Dunsford, head of Sheffield High School, part of GDST, said it was important to offer a large number of sports to attract different types of girls. "Not everyone wants to be out playing the hockey ", said Ms Dunsford. | high12856.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Beach Park."
},
"options": [
"Siam Park.",
"Aquaventure.",
"Aquatica.",
"Beach Park."
],
"question": "Which can satisfy you if you want to take a bath in hot spring?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
... | Siam Park -- Lagoa, Portugal
Slide and Splash is Portugal's largest water park and at 16,000 acres, it is widely considered to be one of the best in Europe. In this beautiful water park you can find attractions for everyone. Whether you love to relax and enjoy, or search for excitement, you can find everything for everyone there. Their best attractions are the Dragon and the Tower of Power.
Beach Park -- Aquiraz, Brazil
Beach Park in Aquiraz is a place which will make you a child again and again. The Beach Park has a resort, a beach leisure area with hot spring besides the water park itself. The place has over 18 unforgettable attractions, which they separate in 3 different parts: family, moderate and insane attractions. The last one is only for the brave visitors, as you can tell by the name.
Aquatica -- Orlando, Florida
Aquatica water park is placed directly across from Sea World Orlando and is an excellent way to cool off from the hot sun. The park has a huge variety of attractions. Once you are there, don't miss some of the greatest park attractions: The Dolphin Plunge, The HooRoo Run, The Omaka Rocka. Before you go, you should know that the park do not permit personal cameras while using their water slides or tube attractions.
Aquaventure -- Dubai, United Arab Emirates
This Dubai water park is a water world oasis at the tip of Palm Island. It is a perfect place to cool off, whatever your age. At this huge 42-acre water park at Atlantis the Palm you can speed down the world's largest water slide tube (30 feet wide), or brave the twists and turns of the world's first double slide within a slide. | high19903.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "unpopular"
},
"options": [
"warmly welcomed",
"unpopular",
"greatly praised",
"very polite"
],
"question": "In 1863, Abraham Lincoln was _ in Gettysburg.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | On November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln went to Gettysburg to speak at the National Soldiers Cemetery . The Civil War was still going on. There was much criticism of President Lincoln at the time. He had been invited to speak at Gettysburg only out of politeness. The other speaker was to be Edward Everett, a famous statesman and speaker of the day. Everett was a handsome man and very popular everywhere.
It is said that Lincoln prepared his speech on the train while going to Gettysburg. Later that night, alone in his hotel room and tired out, he again worked briefly on the speech. The next day Everett spoke first. His speech lasted an hour and 57 minutes and it was a perfect example of the day. Then Lincoln rose. The crowd of 15,000 people at first paid little attention to him. He spoke for only nine minutes. At the end there was little applause . Lincoln turned to a friend and said, "I have failed again."
Some newspapers at first criticized the speech. But little by little, as people read the speech, they began to like its simplicity and its deep meaning. It was a speech which only Abraham Lincoln could have made.
Now everyone thinks of it as one of the greatest speeches ever given in American history. | high11387.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Internet."
},
"options": [
"Internet.",
"Information.",
"Computers.",
"E-mails."
],
"question": "What is the passage mainly about?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
... | Perhaps you have heard a lot about the Internet, but what is it, do you know? The Internet is a network. It uses the telephone to join millions of computers together around the world.
Maybe that doesn't sound very interesting. But when you're joined to the Internet, there are lots and lots of things you can do. You can send E-mails to your friends, and they can get them in a few seconds. You can also do with all kinds of information on the World Wide Web (www).
There are many different kinds of computers now. They all can be joined to the Internet. Most of them are small machines sitting on people's desks at home, but there are still many others in schools, offices or large companies. These computers are owned by people and companies, but no one really owns the Internet itself.
There are lots of places for you to go into the Internet. For example, your school may have the Internet. You can use it during lessons or free time. Libraries often have computers joined to the Internet. You are welcome to use it at any time.
Thanks to the Internet, the world is becoming smaller and smaller. It is possible for you to work at home with a computer in front, getting and sending the information you need. You can buy or sell whatever you want on the Internet. But do you know 98% of the information on the Internet is in English? So what will English be like tomorrow? | high21522.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "would be tested in dangerous situations"
},
"options": [
"could have any help from others",
"would be successful in saving both of them",
"might be killed",
"would be tested in dangerous situations"
],
"question... | Kristy,28,a cook in La Gross, often wondered what she'd do in a life threatening situation. On August 29, she got her answer. While she was driving on a road,a big truck hit its head on a pickup car. _ .Kristy rushed out and ran to the pickup.Two farmers,Dean Bernhard,51, and his brother,Donald,44,were inside.
When she got close,Kristy could see the unconscious driver.The other man was under the passenger seat. "The smells were sicking.I was afraid the truck would blow up and kill us all," said kristy.
The driver of the big truck was struggling to open the passenger door,so Kristy rushed to the driver's side.Finally they opened the door.She reached in,seized the driver and, to her horror,felt her hands sink into his chest.She quickly dragged the man to safety on the roadside,then hurried back.As Kristy started down the ditch with the passenger,the pickup exploded..She jumped on top of him and they both rolled to safety.
Today,the two farmers,each the farmer of two children,are good friends with Kristy.To show their deep appreciation,they bought her a ring with nine diamonds---one for each member of their immediate families,and the ninth for her. | high10927.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "go to the Box Office on Sundays"
},
"options": [
"go to the Box Office on Sundays",
"use the Internet",
"ring the booking number and pay the tickets by credit card",
"complete a booking form and post it to the Box Offic... | The booking notes of the play "The Age of Innocence".
Price: $10
BOOKING
There are four easy ways to book seats for performance:
-----in person
The Box Office is open from Money to Saturday, 10 a.m.----8 p.m.
-----by telephone
Ring 01324976 to reserve your tickets or to pay by credit card (Visa, Master Card and Amex accepted).
-----on-line/online
Simply complete the booking form and return it to Global Theatre Box Office.
-----online/on-line
Complete the on-line booking form at www. Satanfiedtheatre. com.
DISCOUNT
Saver: $2 off any seat booked any time in advance for performances from Monday to Thursday. Savers are available for children up to 16 years old, those over 60 and full-time students.
Supersavers: half-price seats are available for people with disabilities and one companion. It is advisable to book in advance. There is a maximum of eight wheelchair spaces available and one wheelchair space will be held until an hour before the show.
Standby: best available seats are on sale for $6 from one hour before the performance for people eligible for Saver and Supersaver discounts and thirty minutes before for all other customers.
Group booking: there is a ten percent discount for parties of twelve or more.
School: school parties of ten or more can book $6 standby tickets in advance and will get every tenth ticket free.
PLEASE NOTE: we are unable to exchange tickets for refund money unless a performance is cancelled due to unpredicted circumstances. | high4811.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Joy."
},
"options": [
"Love.",
"Politeness.",
"Joy.",
"Thankfulness"
],
"question": "What does the smile usually mean in the U.S.?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answe... | Facial expressions carry meaning that is determined by situations and relationships. For example, in American culture the smile is in general an expression of pleasure. Yet it also has
other uses. A woman's smile at a police officer does not carry the same meaning as the smile she gives to a young child. A smile may show love or politeness. It can also hide true feelings. It often causes confusion across cultures. For example, many people in Russia smiling at strangers in public to be unusual and even improper. Yet many Americans smile freely at strangers in public places (although this is less common in big cities). Some Russians believe that Americans smile in the wrong places; some Americans believe that Russians don't smile enough. In Southeast Asian culture, a smile is frequently used to cover painful feelings. Vietnamese people may tell a sad story but end the story with a smile.
Our faces show emotions, but we should not attempt to "read" people from another culture as we would "read" someone from our own culture. The fact that members of one culture do not
express their emotions as openly as do members of another does not mean that they do not experience emotions. Rather, there are cultural differences in the amount of facial expressions
permitted. For example, in public and in formal situations many Japanese do not show their emotions as freely as Americans do. When with friends, Japanese and Americans seem to show
their emotions similarly.
It is difficult to generalize about Americans and facial expressiveness because of personal and cultural differences in the United States. People from certain cultural backgrounds in the United States seem to be more facially expressive than others. The key is to try not to judge people whose ways of showing emotion are different. If we judge according to our own cultural habits, we may make the mistake of "reading" the other person incorrectly. | high14599.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "They gave her a memory book of friendship."
},
"options": [
"They took her on a trip across the country.",
"They gave her a memory book of friendship.",
"They invited all her friends to her birthday party.",
"They asked... | Two years ago my grandmother was going to turn 75. My family discussed what was the best way to celebrate. Should we throw her a party ? Should we take her on a trip ? We remembered that she had touched so many people's lives, and there were so many people for her to consider. Then someone got the idea that we should include everyone in the celebration by turning it into a tribute to my grandmother.
We secretly sent out letters to the people in Grandmother's address book and asked them to send a letter with a memory that they had shared with her. People sent us letters with poems, stories and pictures. The deep feeling that was shared through the response surprised us. We compiled these letters into a memory book and amazed her with it on the morning of her birthday.
The unusual thing about my grandmother's friends was not the number that she had, but the connection they shared. In many ways this book of friendship was the greatest achievement of my grandmother's life.
I believe that developing true friendships is one of the most important things that anyone can do in one's lifetime. It is not a matter of the number of friends one has, but the quality of the bonds. If one has had at least one true friendship before dying, then one can say one has lived a successful life. I have made many friends and I believe I have begun to develop the same types of friendships my grandmother kept up over her lifetime. I only hope that I will be as successful as she has been. | high225.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Because he made up his mind to stick to his dream."
},
"options": [
"Because he made up his mind to stick to his dream.",
"Because his father stopped him from rewriting it.",
"Because he was angry about his teacher's words.",... | I have a friend named Monty Roberts. He has let me use his horse ranch to put on events to raise money for youth at risk programs.
Last time I was there he introduced me by saying, "I want to tell you why I let you use my house. It all goes back to a story about a young man who was the son of an itinerant horse trainer. When he was a senior, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be when he grew up."
"That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of owning a horse ranch someday. He put all his heart into the project and wrote about his dream in great detail. He even drew a diagram of a 200-acre ranch, showing the location of the buildings, stables and the track, and even a detailed floor plan for a 4000-square-foot house on it."
"The next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later ,he received a large red "F" on his paper with a note, 'See me after class.' The boy went to see the teacher and asked why. The teacher told him there was no way for a young boy like him to do that because owning a horse ranch required much money and resources, and then added 'If you'll rewrite his paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your grade.'"
"The boy went home and thought about it long and hard. He asked his father what to do. His father said, 'Look, son, you have to make up your own mind on this. However, I think it's a very important decision for you.'"
"Finally, a week later, the boy turned in the same paper without any change and stated, 'You can keep the F and I'll keep my dream.'"
"I tell you this story because you are sitting in my 4000-square-foot house in the middle of my 200-acre horse ranch. I still have that school paper framed over the fireplace."
Don't let anyone steal your dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what. | high1969.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Students."
},
"options": [
"Athletes.",
"Teachers.",
"Officials.",
"Students."
],
"question": "What may the readers be according to the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer... | One of the biggest accomplishments in sports in the last hundred years was the 4-minute mile. Running a mile in under 4 minutes was a huge barrier in sports. Once it was broken by one person, lots of athletes tried to break it too.
For years, people thought that running a mile in less than 4 minutes was just _ impossible. It was common knowledge that nobody on earth could physically run a mile in under 4 minutes. Professional runners had been trying for years, training to beat that time, but had failed every time.
In 1952, a British man by the name of Roger Bannister set a goal for himself: to be the first person to run a mile in under 4 minutes. He trained intensely, and 2 years later, Bannister finally broke 4-minute barrier. And you know what? Soon after that, more and more people began to run the mile in under 4 minutes. New world records were set almost every year following Bannister's sub-4-minute-mile. Nowadays, even a high school student can reasonably run a 4-minute mile. In about 50 years, the 4-minute mile went from impossible to professional to amateur.
But I guess I'm not really answering the question here: what on earth does this have to do with learning Japanese?
When you have a goal in mind, mental barriers can be huge obstacles to overcome, and learning Japanese is no different. But if you're devoted enough and make your goal your top priority , you might be surprised at what you can do. Put everything else aside for a while, just go for it and see what you can achieve. After all, if somebody can accomplish something that people thought was physically impossible, then maybe learning Japanese isn't so hard after all. | high23321.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "we haven't got enough fresh water"
},
"options": [
"man hasn't got enough food to eat",
"we haven't got enough fresh water",
"only 70% of the earth's surface is water",
"little water is sent into sewer systems"
],
... | The world is not only hungry, but it is also thirsty for water. This may seem strange to you , since nearly 70% of the earth's surface is covered with water . But about 97% of that is sea water, or salt water. Man can only drink and use the other 3% -- the fresh water from rivers , lakes , underground , and other sources . And we can not even use all of that. Even worse, some of it has been made dirty.
However, as things stand today, this fresh water is still enough for us . But our need for water is becoming larger and larger quickly -- almost day by day . We should take steps to do with this problem now and in this way we can get away from a serious world-wide water shortage later on .
We all have to learn how to stop wasting our valuable water. One of the first steps is to develop ways of reusing it .Today in most large cities , water is used only once and then sent out into a sewer system . From there it returns to sea or runs into underground places.
But even if every large city reused its water, we still would not have enough. All we'd have to do to make use of sea water in the world is to remove the salt . If we take these steps we'll be in no danger of drying up. | high21536.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "tell how western high school students usually celebrate graduation"
},
"options": [
"tell an interesting experience of high school students",
"tell how the western students spend the last days of high school",
"introduce seve... | When you put down your pens at the end of the college entrance exam, 12 hard years of study will have come to an end. Forget your studies for a while. It's time to enjoy yourselves!
There are many ways to celebrate this special month of graduation. You can have photos taken with your classmates and teachers, or dine out together and exchange gifts.
High school students in western countries such as the United States and Canada usually have party to _ their graduation. It's to mark the time when kids turn into young men and women. After the party, teenagers either go to college or find a job. It means they will no longer depend on their parents as before.
As the party, boys usually dress in dinner jackets and bow ties, though many different types of formal clothes are worn. Girls traditionally wear formal dresses, or dress to shock or be noticed, in shiny or brightly colored materials.
Common party activities include dining, dancing, the crowing of a ball king and queen, and just talking to friends. In some cases, high school students collect funds for their class party through the four years of their high school.
High schools in or near large cities may rent big rooms at expensive hotels or,to be unusual, on a pleasure boat.But often costs are out by simply using the school gym.Students make a lot of effort to decorate the gym to make the event special.The music played at the party will be the most popular kinds,like rock and hip-hop.
Sometimes teachers and parents also go to the party,but others like to go with friends,to whom they are soon going to say goodbye. | high10933.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Fifty-one Impressionists' paintings are now on display in Beijingas part of the Year of France."
},
"options": [
"Monet is the leading figure in the creation of Impressionism.",
"The show of fifty-one Impressionists' paintings will... | Having crossed mountains and plains, rivers and lakes, some of prefix = st1 /France's greatest works of art are now on display atChina's National Museum of fine Arts. Fifty-one Impressionist paintings are forming part of an exhibition inBeijingto kick off the Year of France.
The show is being held in the capital between October 10 and November 27. Then it will move on to Shanghai and Hong Kong.
"It is such a good opportunity to see the masters' works up close," said Feng Jiajia, a Senior student form the High School Affiliated to theAcademyofArtand Design. Although Feng is very busy with his studies at the moment he says he will definitely make time to see the exhibition. "I hope it will inspire me and help me with my own work," he said.
Worth a total of US $600 million, the paintings ate by French Impressionist masters, including Monet, Cezanne, Renoir and Degas.
As an art style, Impressionism was developed inFranceduring the late 19thand early 20thcenturies. Their work was a fresh and original way of painting. It seems that the artists painted a scene after just a quick look at it.
Often painting outside, rather than in a studio, the artists observed nature more directly and tried to capture individual moments in time especially the changing light of the sun. They avoided black and earth color1s and as a result their work is often very bright and can also look like that it is shining.
When they first appeared, the artists were criticized for not finishing their paintings and for being lazy. Critics said the Impressionists were satisfied with just a few inexact brushstrokes instead of completing a real painting. It was an art critic who first used the term "Impressionist" in a review of Monet's work "Impression, Sunrise"(1873) to satirize his loose, inexact manner of painting.
"Everyone discusses my art and pretends to understand, as if it were necessary to understand, when it is simply necessary to love," said Monet.
Monet is the leading figure in the creation of Impressionism. He painted sunlit rivers and gardens with forceful brushstrokes and bright color1s, in which objects lose their shape in the light. Monet's painting reached its height in his later life with his paintings of water lilies. | high17084.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the cake stuck to the end of his nose according to his wife's wish."
},
"options": [
"he always enjoyed eating",
"his wife hoped that he asked for a house",
"he didn't want anything except cakes",
"the cake stuck to the... | Three wishes
A man and his wife were very poor. They kept hoping for new clothes and good food. The man enjoyed eating, and he especially liked cakes. One night an old woman came to their house and told them she would let them have three wishes. They could wish for anything they wanted.
The man had just finished eating a piece of bread for his dinner, but he was still hungry. He said, "I wish I had a big cake!"
Suddenly a cake appeared on his plate.
"You fool!" His wife cried. "You could have wished for a house full of wonderful food, but you wished for a cake. I wish that cake was on the end of your foolish nose! "
Immediately the cake stuck to the end of his nose.
Then the man and his wife started blaming each other. "It's your fault!" the man cried. "No, it's your fault!" she answered. What could they do? The cake was still stuck to the husband's nose.
"Oh!" the wife cried. "I wish none of this had ever happened!"
Immediately the cake was gone, and the man was saying, "I'm still hungry. How I wish I had
some cakes! "
But of course nothing happened. | high20628.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "bright stars"
},
"options": [
"Michael Jackson",
"Mohammed Ali",
"pop music and boxing",
"bright stars"
],
"question": "What does this passage mainly talk about?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer"... | A star usually is someone who has become famous in sports, film, or pop music, someone like singer Michael Jackson. In the middle nineteen eighties, Michael Jackson successfully made a famous record, which quickly became the most popular recording in the history of music. This made Michael Jackson a bright star.
One of the famous sports bright stars in the United States is Mohammed Ali. When he was a young man, he won a gold medal in the Olympic Games as a boxer. Then, he won first place in the world heavy weight boxing match. Before long, he was known as one of the greatest and most famous boxers in sports history. Everyone knows his name.
Like the stars in the sky, a bright star will lose his brightness as time passes. He is loved by millions of people today, but will be forgotten tomorrow. | high11393.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "A special beggar and his unusual life"
},
"options": [
"The richest beggar in history",
"A special beggar and his unusual life",
"The most knowledgeable beggar in history",
"Strange beggar, poor life"
],
"questi... | Recently, a young man saw a beggar at a street in Chongqing. "I know you. Let me take a picture of you." With the words, the young man took a picture and then gave him ten yuan.
The beggar is named Xia Haibo, born in Hubei Province. Being 25 years old, he is quite a special beggar in some ways---he doesn't beg on his knees, as other beggars do when begging. Rather, he often stands in a crowded street , either reading a book or thinking over something. As a beggar, he has opened his blog on the Internet and his blog has been clicked more than 500,000 times now. He likes reading---he has read a lot of poems written by Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore. He has also read many old Chinese poems. He has kept writing and recently, he planned to publicize his writings.
As a beggar, he is so special that many people call him "the greatest beggar in history". In 1998,Xia was enrolled by Tianmen Middle School as the best student in town. However , a year before he took the national college entrance exam ,he was diagnosed as having rheumatoid arthritis . In order to cure his disease, his father borrowed 60,000 yuan. However, with this money , he didn't recover from the disease. He did not want to become a burden for his family any more. So he went to Wuhan , making a living by begging.
So far Haibo has been to Beijing, Guangzhou, Haikou, Fuzhou, Xiamen ,Changsha and Kunming. "Begging has become a job. I earn about 2,000 yuan every month," Xia said.
However, he doesn't plan to go on living like this . "By July 24 in 2009, when I have been begging for two years, I will stop my begging life. I promise ,"he said. | high21250.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Passengers don't have to pay again when boarding other HOP-ON HOP-OFF buses\nduring the time of their tickets' validity."
},
"options": [
"The bus service is free of charge for foreign tourists.",
"The customer service officers can... | Visitor's Guide
KL HOP-ON HOP-OFF gives you an easy city tour that has 22 stops, which cover more than 40 attractions. All buses are equipped with 9 different languages to choose from and a friendly customer service officer will help you on the bus. KL HOP-ON HOP-OFF City Tour offers you a convenient way to discover Kuala Lumpur where tourists can either stay on the bus for the full tour circuit , or get on or get off at any of the attractions.
2. The interval between buses is around 20 to 30 minutes.
3. We operate 365 days per year including school holidays and public holidays.
4. Tickets can be bought from the bus itself, authorized agents, authorized hotels and KL Hop-On Hop-Off counters.
5. Our counters are located at Jalan Bukit Bintang (main counter at stop number 6), Malaysian Tourism Centre at Jalan Ampang, at KL Sentral (arrival hall) and at Central Market.
6. We have 24-hour and 48-hour tickets to choose from.
7. Children below 5 years old do not have to pay any fees.
8. A child below the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
9. The Do's & Don'ts:
* No littering on the bus
* No food and drink allowed inside the bus
* Visitors are not allowed to exchange tickets
* Visitors are welcome to take pictures
* Please use electronic devices with care
* No smoking allowed
10. Advice:
* Please avoid changing from one bus to another on during peak hours usually from 4 PM to 6 PM. During that time you could take a rest and walk around the attractions.
* The weather is unpredictable in Kuala Lumpur. Delays may occur because of bad weather.
* Please buy _ only from authorized agents.
Ticket
Ticket Type: STANDARD ADULT TICKET
Price: RM45.00 Validity: 24 Hours
Price: RM79.00 Validity: 48 Hours
Ticket Type: CHILD, STUDENT & DISABLE TICKET
Price: RM24.00 Validity: 24 Hours
Price: RM43.00 Validity: 48 Hours
For 5 to 12 years old | high8781.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "in the early morning"
},
"options": [
"in the early morning",
"at noon",
"in the afternoon",
"at night"
],
"question": "The earthquake took place _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answ... | China Earthquake Leaves 5,000 Homeless
Beijing--An earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale left 5,000 people homeless, killed at least one person and injured 39 others in southwest China on Thursday, with more accidents expected.
By late Thursday, 4,900 people were declared homeless after the quake destroyed their homes in a mountainous area lying on the border between Yunnan and Sichuan provinces. The dawn quake left one dead and 39 injured, destroyed 268 houses and damaged 1,132 other buildings so seriously that they were considered uninhabitable .
Another 2,400 houses suffered less serious damage. The center of the earthquake was near the scenic Lugu Lake, a tourist place, where the local school was badly damaged.
In the beginning people thought that the economic losses would add up to about 180 million yuan (22 million dollars).
Governments in Yanyuan and the neighboring Yunnan country of Ninglang have joined forces in the rescue efforts and tents, clothes and medicine are badly in need of for the earthquake victims.
The mountainous place, heavy rain and several aftershocks all prevented rescue efforts on Thursday. The rain could cause more badly damaged homes to fall down.
More dead and injured are expected" as rescuers have yet to reach many faraway areas". It is very hard for rescue workers because most houses are scattered around the mountains, which are inhabited by Yi and other ethnic minority groups .
The quake hit the area at 5:10 a.m. Beijing time (2,110 Wednesday GMT).Earthquakes regularly affect _ , with two quakes measuring 5.0 and 6.2 on the Richter scale killing at least three people and injuring more than 1,500 in Ninglang in November 1998.
The area is about 100 kilometers from the historic Yunnan town of Lijiang, which was struck in 1996 by an earthquake that killed more than 250 people and injured 14,000.
(Reports from China Daily,May 25,2001) | high22759.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "You'll learn something about the history of bananas."
},
"options": [
"You'll see some examples of awful art.",
"This museum includes an exhibit from the 18th century.",
"You'll learn something about the history of bananas.",... | Here's the travel plan for some museums on our "Museums of the World" tour.
The Museum of Bad Art (Boston, USA) shows what it describes as "art too bad to be ignored". The museum hopes to bring the worst of art to the widest possible audience and has even published a book of its most "important" works. As part of the visit, we'll be shown some truly awful portraits, landscapes and sculptures.
The Washington Banana Museum (Auburn, Washington, USA) contains 4,000 objects related to the history of what the museum describes as "the world's most perfect fruit". We'll be given a guided tour around the museum, during which we'll learn all sorts of interesting things, such as the fact that bananas were introduced to the USA in 1878 in the same exhibition as Alexander Graham Bell's telephone, and that the banana is now the US' number-one selling fruit.
The Hair Museum (Avanos, Turkey) is located in a cave in Cappadocia, in Central Anatolia. It contains 160,000 samples of people's hair. You'll be offered a chance to add your own hair to the collection. Later in the year, the museum curator selects 10 donors to attend a pottery workshop. If you're one of them, you'll be invited to stay in his guest house.
The museum du Slip (Brussels, Belgium) is devoted to underwear. The idea behind the museum is that everyone is equal in their underwear. You'll be fascinated to know that it has collected samples from all sorts of people, including artists, politicians and pop stars.
The Museum de Carrosses Funebres (Barcelona, Spain) is a museum of funeral hearses . It takes a look at how local people have been transported to their funerals since the 19th century. During the tour, we'll be provided with a fascinating insight into how the people of Barcelona viewed death. Among the 1,000 or so exhibits, pride of place goes to a "flap-coffin", which is a reusable coffin from the 18th century. | high6974.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Mr. Rochester is sympathetic"
},
"options": [
"women have a low social status",
"Mr. Rochester is sympathetic",
"Mr. Rochester is irresponsible",
"girls are often abandoned by their parents"
],
"question": "The ... | Jane arrives at Thornfield, having been met at the George Inn. Mrs. Fairfax confuses her a little at first, because _ is so informal and welcoming. But in due course Jane discovers that Mrs. Fairfax is the housekeeper.
Jane's pupil, Adele Varens, is the eight-year-old French child under the legal protection of Mr. Edward Rochester, the owner of the house. (We learn later that her mother had claimed she was his illegitimate daughter. Mr. Rochester is not convinced by this claim, but felt he could not leave the little girl poor when her mother died.)
Adele is a pleasant little girl, even if she is not a particularly eager student. Life goes on very peacefully for three months, until the return of Mr. Rochester. Jane first meets him on his horse, and her description of him is quite fanciful. He takes a fall and Jane helps him, although she does not know who he is until they are both back at Thornfield.
It is obvious to the reader, although not to Jane, that the reason why Mr. Rochester stays at Thornfield much longer than usual is that he finds her company enjoyable. Jane, unknowingly at first, falls in love with him. Their closeness is very apparent. There is something about Thornfield that is mysterious. Jane is encouraged to focus her attention on the servant Grace Poole, who is Mr. Rochester's mad wife Bertha Mason's keeper at Thornfield, and whose drunken carelessness frequently allows Bertha to escape and do something violent.
It is clear to the reader, though, that Mr. Rochester's emotional engagement is immense. When his bed is set on fire, Jane rescues him, but does not understand why the matter is not pursued, despite Mr. Rochester assuring her the criminal is Grace. The next morning Grace behaves as though she has done nothing wrong.
Eventually, Mr. Rochester leaves, to go to a house party. He brings everyone at the party back with him, transforming the atmosphere in the house, and delighting Adele. One of the guests is Blanche Ingram, whom Mr. Rochester is confidently expected to marry. However, it is clear from the way she is portrayed in the book that she is too proud; our sympathies are not with her.
Mr. Rochester is called away from the house, and when he returns he chooses to play the role of a fortune teller. It is clear to the reader that one of his motives is to try to turn Blanche against the idea of marriage to him. While he has clearly bothered her, he is unsuccessful.
One afternoon, Jane hears that her cousin John Reed is dead and Mrs. Reed, who is probably on her deathbed, has been asking for her. With strict instructions from Mr. Rochester to return quickly, she sets off to Gateshead. On arrival, she realizes she no longer hates her cousins. However, Mrs. Reed is still bitter towards her, owing to the fact that Jane's mother was Mr Reed's favourite sister and this resulted in him apparently favouring Jane over his own children.
A short time later, Mrs. Reed gives Jane a letter from her uncle, John Eyre, that was written three years earlier. It explains how he planned to adopt Jane and allow her to inherit his fortune. Mrs. Reed never handed the letter over because of her bitterness. Jane tries once more to seek reconciliation , but without success; her aunt dies that night. | high13584.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Doyle's words brought him comfort"
},
"options": [
"Cruitt totally relied on his father",
"Doyle's words brought him comfort",
"Cruitt didn't go to school regularly",
"Doyle asked his classmates to help him"
],
... | ohn Cruitt, 62, spent decades tracking down his third- grade teacher.
He wanted to talk with Cecile Doyle about 1958--- the year his mother, who was seriously ill, passed away.
Her death came just days before Christmas. Cruitt had been expecting to go home from school and decorate the Christmas tree.
"When I found out she died, I could certainly relate to that, because when I was 11, my own father died," Doyle tells Cruitt at StoryCorps in Monroe, N.Y. "And you just don't know how you're going to go on without that person."
When Cruitt returned to school, Doyle waited until all of the other children left the room at the end of the day, and told him that she was there if he needed her.
"Then you kissed me on the head," Cruitt says. "And I felt that things really would be OK."
"Well, Cruitt, I'm so glad that I could be there with you for that time," says Doyle, 82.
Decades after his mother's death, Cruitt began to think more and more of Doyle. He finally wrote a letter:
Dear Mrs. Doyle,
If you are not the Cecile Doyle who taught English at Emerson School in Kearny, N.J., then I'm embarrassed, and you can disregard the letter.
My name is John Cruitt, and I was in your third- grade class during the 1958-1959 school year. Two days before Christmas, my mother passed away, and you told me that you were there if I needed you. I hope life has been as kind to you as you were to me.
God bless you.
John Cruitt
Doyle says his letter, which arrived in February, could not have come at a better time. Her husband, who passed away this August, was struggling with Parkinson's disease.
"And I had just come home from the hospital, and I read this beautiful letter, and I just was overwhelmed," she says.
"Well the funny thing is, when I finally wrote to you again after 54 years, I typed the letter--- I was afraid my penmanship wasn't going to meet your standards," Cruitt says as Doyle laughs.
"John, what can I say--- I'm just glad that we made a difference in each other's life." | high8959.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "didn't do well at school"
},
"options": [
"often went to school late",
"failed in all the exams",
"did a good job at school",
"didn't do well at school"
],
"question": "According to the first report card, Karl ... | My teenage son Karl became _ after his father died. As a single parent, I tried to do my best to talk to him. But the more I tried, the more he pulled away. When his report card arrived during his junior year, it said that he had been absent 95 times from classes and had six failing grades for the year. In this way he would never graduate. I sent him to the school adviser, and I even begged him. Nothing worked.
One night I was at work when I got a phone call. A man introduced himself as the headmaster. "I want to talk to you about Karl's absences." Before he could say another word I choked up and said sadly, "I love my son. I've tried everything to get Karl to go back to school and nothing has worked. It's out of my hands." For a moment there was silence on the other end of the line. The headmaster seriously said, "Thank you for your time." and hung up.
Karl's next report card showed a marked improvement in his grades. He was even on the list of the best students at school. In his fourth year, I attended a parent-teacher meeting. I noticed that his teachers were surprised at the way he had turned himself around. On our way home, he said, "Mum, remember that call from the headmaster last year?" I nodded. "That was me. I thought I'd play a joke but when I heard what you said, it really hit me how much I was hurting you. That's when I knew I had to make you proud. | high22981.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "they both give a signal"
},
"options": [
"they work all the time",
"they both give a signal",
"they work in the same way",
"they both produce a sound"
],
"question": "Our body's stress response is compared to a ... | While I will explain a bit about the science of stress and relaxation a little later simple way to think about it is that our body 's stress response works like a car alarm. Keep us safe by warning us of the presence of danger in our immediate environment.
But instead of warning us with a loud and annoying sound,our body alarm system lets us know that something is wrong by creating changes in our neurochemistry .If you've ever experienced pain in your stomach,periods of extreme anger, inability to focus or even insomnia ,chances are your body was paying the price in those moments for the brain chemistry of stress.
So if it's so uncomfortable,why not just get rid of stress altogether?
This is not only impractical,it would be dangerous. Let's go back to the metaphor of the car alarm. If the alarm is turned off altogether,the car is exposed to continual danger without there being any way of your knowing about it until it is too late. It would be like walking through the jungle without any fear signal in the presence of a poisonous snake or other dangerous animals -- while it might feel "nice" to be so relaxed,your body actually needs the stress response not only to remind you of danger but also to offer extra adrenaline for your heart and extra blood and oxygen for your arms and legs.
However,if the car alarm goes off at any time,someone just looks at the car with a bit of an attitude,and it becomes equally useless. Not only do we stop paying attention to it,but it begins to drive us and everyone around us becomes a little bit crazy. In the case of our bodies,walking around in a constant state of alarm also has some pretty alarming health consequences,which we will explore in greater depth in the next chapter. | high12842.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "different places have different ways to give directions"
},
"options": [
"people in Greece have no sense of direction",
"people don't have to carry a map when travelling",
"there are few landmarks in the American Midwest",
... | I have a rule of travel: never carry a map. I prefer to ask for directions. Foreign visitors are often puzzled in Japan because most streets there don't have names. In Japan, people tell landmarks in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, " Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and pass a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop."
In the countryside of the American Midwest, usually there are not many landmarks. There are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distance. In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say, " Go north two miles, turn west, and then go another mile."
People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map. They measure distance by means of time, not miles. "How far away is the post office?" you ask. "Oh," they answer, "it's about five minutes from here." You say, " Yes, but how many miles away is it?" They don' t know.
People in Greece sometimes do not even try to give directions because visitors seldom understand the Greek language. Instead of giving you the direction, a Greek often says, " Follow me." Then he will lead you through the streets of the city to the post office.
Sometimes a person doesn't know the answer to your question. What happens then? A New Yorker might say, " Sorry, I have no idea." But in Yuchatan, Mexico, no one answers " I don't know." People in Yucatan think that " I don't know" is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A visitor can get very lost in Yucatan.
However, one thing will help you everywhere---- in Japan, in the United States, in Greece, in Mexico, or in any other places. You might not understand a person's words, but maybe you can understand his body language. He or she will usually turn and then point in the correct direction. Go in that direction and you may find the post office. | high23447.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "It sends heat away right into space."
},
"options": [
"It takes in the heat and cools it down.",
"It uses a mirror to reflect the sunlight.",
"It sends heat away right into space.",
"It has a window to let out the heat.... | Researchers at Stanford University have developed a new material that can move heat out of buildings and into space. The researchers say the material can cool buildings even on hot days. The cooling material is a very thin sheet with many layers that could be placed on a roof like solar panels . However, instead of turning sunlight into energy as solar panels do, the material turns heat into radiation.
Shanhui Fan is an electrical engineering professor at Stanford University. He says that the panels have a layer of material that is like sand. The panels act like a mirror. They take heat out of buildings and reflect the light from the sun. And he says both the heat and sunlight are sent 100 kilometers into outer space. "It's a structure that cools itself without electricity input, even under the sun. So, what it does is basically radiate heat to outer space and also reflect the sunlight so it doesn't get heated up by the sun. Mr. Fan says it is like having a window into space. The heat is sent directly into space without warming the air."
He says buildings in developing countries that do not have electricity or air conditioning could use the panels. "In areas where electricity is out of reach for many people, there is a potential benefit for storing medicine or even food. In many of these situations, being able to reduce the temperature is important. And this would provide a way to do it."
The researchers say the main problem is creating actual cooling systems using the high-tech panels. They say it may be possible to develop a cooling spray that could be used on present solid structures. They believe the cooling spray technology could be developed in the next three to five years. They say as much as 15 percent of the energy used in the United States is spent providing power to air conditioning systems. | high14764.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "date on which they occurred"
},
"options": [
"date on which they occurred",
"place where they began",
"amount of destruction they did",
"particular feature they have"
],
"question": "Hurricanes were first named ... | The first people who gave names to hurricanes were those who knew them best -- the people of Puerto Rico. The small island of Puerto Rico is in the West Indies, off the coast of Florida. This is where all the hurricanes begin that strike the east coast of the United States. Often they pass near Puerto Rico or cross it on their way north. The people of Puerto Rico expect some of these unwelcome visitors every year. Each one is named after the Saint's Day on which it arrives. Two of the most destructive storms were the Santo Ana in 1840 and the San Ciriaco in 1899.
Giving girls' names to hurricanes is a fairly new idea. It all began with a story called "Storm", written by George Stewart in 1941. In it a weatherman amused himself by naming storms after girls he knew. He named one Maria. The story describes how she Maria grew and developed, and how she changed the lives of people when she struck the United States.
Weathermen of the U.S. Army and Navy used the same system during World WarII. They were studying weather conditions over the Pacific Ocean. One of their duties was to warn American ships and planes when a storm was coming. Whenever they spotted one, they gave it a girl's name. The first one of the year was given a name beginning with [A]. The second one got a name beginning with [B]. They used all the letters from A to W, and still the storms kept coming. They had to use three lists from A to W to have enough names to go around. This was the first list of hurricane names that followed the alphabet. It served as a model for the system the Weather Bureau introduced in 1942.
Before 1950 the Weather Bureau had no special system for naming hurricanes. When a hurricane was born down in the West Indies, the Weather Bureau simply collected information about it. It reported how fast the storm was moving and where it would go next. Weather reports warned people in the path of the hurricane, so that they could do whatever was necessary to protect themselves.
This system worked out fine as long as weather reports talked about only one hurricane at a time. But one week in September 1950 there were three hurricanes at the same time. The things began to get confused. Some people got the hurricanes mixed up and didn't know which was which. This convinced the Weather Bureau that it needed a code for naming the storms in order to avoid confusion in the future. | high16173.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "he looked very strange"
},
"options": [
"he looked very strange",
"the police called her",
"he came to the hotel with little luggage",
"he came to the hotel the day before New Year's Eve"
],
"question": "Vicki b... | One of Britain's bravest women told yesterday how she helped to catch suspected police killer David Bieber --- and was thanked with flowers by the police. It was also said that she could be in line for a share of up to PS30,000 reward money .
Vicki Brown , 30 , played a very important role in ending the nationwide manhunt . Vicki , who has worked at the Royal Hotel for four years , told of her terrible experience when she had to steal into Bieber's bedroom and to watch him secretly. Then she waited alone for three hours while armed police prepared to storm the building.
She said : " I was very nervous . But when I opened the hotel door and saw 20 armed policemen lined up in the car park I was so glad they were there."
The alarm had been raised because Vicki became suspicious of the guest who checked in at 8 pm the day before New Year's Eve with little luggage and wearing sunglasses and a hat pulled down over his face. She said : " He didn't seem to want to talk too much and make any eye contact." Vicki, the only employee on duty , called her boss Margaret , 64 , and husband Stan McKale, 65 , who phoned the police at 11 pm.
Officers from Northumbria Police called Vicki at the hotel in Dunston , Gateshead , at about 11:30 pm to make sure that this was the wanted man . Then they kept in touch by phoning Vicki every 15 minutes.
" It was about ten to two in the morning when the phone went again and a policeman said ' Would you go and make yourself known to the armed officers outside ?' My heart missed a beat ."
Vicki quietly showed eight armed officers through passages and staircases to the top floor room and handed over the key.
" I realized that my bedroom window overlooks that part of the hotel , so I went to watch . I could not see into the man's room , but I could see the passage . The police kept shouting at the man to come out with his hands showing . Then suddenly he must have come out because they shouted for him to lie down while he was handcuffed ." | high4434.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Druridge Bay, Northumberland"
},
"options": [
"Bantham Beach, Devon",
"Camber Sands, East Sussex",
"Aberdour Silver Sands, Fife",
"Druridge Bay, Northumberland"
],
"question": "If you want to watch wild life dis... | Bantham Beach, Devon
The South Devon coast is knee deep in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Bantham is a golden bank of sand. There are rock pools for younger children and for their elders. This is one of the county's favourite surfing beaches.
The 14th-century Sloop Inn (01548 560489, sloopatbantham.co.uk) has summer doubles from PS145 per night (and it's only a couple of hundred yards to the beach).
Camber Sands, East Sussex
Head to the western end of the overflow car park and then it ,s a pleasant walk through dunes to your own private area on the endless sands.
If you haven't bought a picnic, the village's Rye Bay Cafe is good for lunch and the nearby Rye Bay Nature Reserve provides walking, cycling and bird watching options.
Charming double rooms at The Galivant (01797 225057, thegalivant.co.uk) start at PS115 per night.
Aberdour Silver Sands, Fife
This small, rural, sandy beach is beside woodland and offers dreamy views out to the islands of Inchmickery and Inchcolm.
The Fife coastal path passes through and there's a good walking road following the cliff top to Hawkcraig with views across the river Forth to Edinburgh.
Lunch at Sands beachfront cafe and book a room at Forth View Hotel (01383 860402,forthviewhotel.co.uk), where doubles cost from PS85 per night.
Druridge Bay, Northumberland
Druridge Bay has 99 acres of golden, sweeping sands. The kids can explore the towering grassland dunes that shelter the bay, and just 300 yards from the beach is the Druridge Bay County Park and Visitor Centre with wildlife displays and play areas.
Food can be had at the Widdrington Inn (eight miles away) while Eshott Hall (01670 787 454, eshotthall.co.uk) has doubles from PS120 per night. | high19240.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Beth's grandfather."
},
"options": [
"Beth's mother.",
"Beth's father.",
"Beth's grandmother.",
"Beth's grandfather."
],
"question": "Who do you think is telling this story?",
"question_type": "factiod_quest... | How do you feel about watching other people work?
Nothing is more refreshing on a warm summer day than watching someone else work.
Right now,I'm sitting on my porch and watching young Beth baling the big field on top of the hill.She's been haying that field for over ten years.I know:I put her on the tractor when she was just twelve years old.
She picked a great day for baling.It's not too hot,and there's a nice breeze.On Monday,when she cut the field,it was so hot I thought the corn would start popping in the field.Didn't stop her,though.She just stuck that big hat on her head,wrapped a wet handkerchief around her neck,and set to work.I remember when I would have done the same thing.
While I'm here sucking a lemonade,Beth is driving the "hay train",a tractor pulling a baler and an old wagon.You'd think someone her size would never be able to see over the tractor.But somehow she manages.When she's finished,her tracks are very straight.
The whole time she's haying,that dog of hers is working just as hard,running along beside her like he's afraid she'll drive away without him.Beth sure knew what she was doing when she trained him.
The way the machine works is pure poetry.Each row is pushed into shape.When just enough hay is in a bale,it is wrapped up and fastened together.A second or so later,the bale comes flying out and into the old wagon.The person who invented that machine sure was some kind of genius.
That's not to say it works perfectly.Every once in a while a bale misses the mark,especially when you are turning the machine at the end of a row.That means,of course,that you have to go back and pick up those bales and throw them into the wagon.
I can remember when Beth's mother was her age.She looked an awful lot like Beth does now.Makes a man proud to see his daughter and granddaughter taking such good care of themselves.
Well,I suppose I should get up and fill this glass again.Not much fun sitting here with an empty glass. | high21907.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The result of one report about education system ."
},
"options": [
"The two different education superpowers",
"The result of one report about education system .",
"The UK's education system is worst.",
"Finland and Sout... | The UK's education system is ranked sixth best in the developed world, according to a global league table published by education firm Pearson in October,2012.
The first and second places are taken by Finland and South Korea.The rankings combine international test results and data such as graduation rates between 2006 and 2010.
Sir Michael Barber, Pearson's chief education adviser, says successful countries give teachers a high status and have a "culture" of education.
International comparisons in education have become increasingly significant - and this latest league table is based upon a series of global test results combined with measures of education systems, such as how many people go on to university.
The two education superpowers - Finland and South Korea - are followed by three other high-performing Asian education systems - Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore.
The UK is then only ranked at the head of an above-average group including the Netherlands, New Zealand, Canada and Ireland.
These are ahead of a middle-ranking group including the United States, Germany and France. At the lowest end are Mexico, Brazil and Indonesia.
These _ draw upon tests that are taken every three or four years, in areas such as maths, science and literacy - and so present a picture lagging by several years.
Looking at education systems that succeed, the study concludes that spending is important, but not as much as having a culture that is supportive of learning.
It says that spending is easier to measure, but the more complex impact of a society's attitude to education can make a big difference.
The success of Asian countries in these rankings reflects the high value attached to education and the expectations of parents. This can continue to be a factor when families migrate to other countries, says the report.
Looking at the two top countries - Finland and South Korea - the report says that there are many big differences, but the common factor is a shared social belief in the importance of education and its "underlying moral purpose". | high2045.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Those who travel in New York."
},
"options": [
"Those who work in New York.",
"Those who travel in New York.",
"Those who live in New York.",
"Those who go there for further study."
],
"question": "Who can't app... | Apply for a Library Card
Any person who lives, works, attends school or pays property taxes in New York State is eligible to receive a New York Public Library card free of charge. Adult and teen users may either apply online or in person at any New York Public Library location. Applications for children ages 11 and under must be completed in person, and require the signature of a parent. When you apply for a card online, you will receive a 7-digit temporary barcode . This allows you to set a secret code. After you receive your permanent barcode, which is required to borrow materials, search Library databases, or reserve a computer, you must renew your card.
Renew or Validate Your Card
All adult, teen and child library cards for cardholders must be renewed every three years. New library card applicants who applied for a card online must renew their card before full cardholder privileges can be extended. Cardholders can visit any New York Public Library location to present the required forms of identification in order to renew or validate their card. Cardholders may also email copies of the required forms of identification to patronaccounts@nypl.org. Alternatively, this information may be faxed to 212.621.0278.
Forget Your Secret Code?
If you forget your secret code, you can provide the library with a valid email address, and click on the link ---"Forgot Your secret code?" A link with instructions on changing your secret code will be sent to the email address on your account, giving you a brief period of time to update your information. You must select a 4 digit numeric secret code, with no repeating or obvious numbers (e.g. 1234 or 2222). If you have not provided us with a valid email address, you may visit a library location to reset your secret code.
Replace a Lost or Stolen Card
Cardholders are responsible for all items on a card, all use made of the card and all charges made against it until it is reported lost or stolen. If your card is lost or stolen, inform the library immediately. Call 917.ASK.NYPL (917.275.6975), email Ask NYPL, or visit to your nearest library to report the card lost. | high10502.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "(718)735-4400"
},
"options": [
"(521)472-2499",
"(718)735-4400",
"(408)298-5437",
"(317)334-3322"
],
"question": "If you want to know more information about \"The Mystery of Things\", you'd better ring _ .",
... | Austin Children's Museum
This 7,000-square-foot museum aims to entertain and educate children up to age 9. In its Global City exhibit, they can go grocery shopping, order lunch at a diner, pretend that they are doctors, or construction workers, and more. In other fun exhibits, they learn about Austin's history, explore the world of water, experience life on a large prefix = st1 /Texasfarm.(Tues-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun noon-5pm)
Address: 210 Colorado St,Austin,Texas78701
Phone:(512)472-2499
Brooklyn Children's Museum
Founded in 1899, this is the world's oldest children's museum, featuring interactive exhibits, workshops, and special events. "The Mystery of Things" teaches children about cultural and scientific objects, and "Music Mix" welcomes young people.(Wed-Fri-2-5pm, Sat-Sun 10am-5pm)
Address: 145 Brooklyn Ave,Brooklyn,New York11213
Phone:(718)735-4400
Children's Discovery Museum
This museum's hand-on exhibits explore the relationships between the natural and the created worlds, and among people of different cultures and times. Exhibits include "Streets", a 5/8-scale copy of an actual city, with street lights, and "waterworks" which allows an operation of pumps to move water through a reservoir system.(Mon-Sat 10 am-5 pm; closed on holidays)
Address: 180 Woz Way, Guadalupe River Park,San Jose,California95110
Phone:(408)298-5437
Children's Museum of Indianapolis
This museum is the largest of its kind. Exhibits cover science, culture, space, history and exploration. Among them are the Space Quest Planetarium(additional fee), the 33-foot-high Water Clock, the Playscape gallery for preschoolers, and the Dinosphere exhibit, along with hands-on science exhibits. The largest gallery, the Center for Exploration, is designed for ages 12 and up.(Tues-Sun 10 am-5 pm; closed on Thanksgiving, Dec25)
Address: 3000N Meridian St,Indianapolis,Indiana46208
Phone:(317)334-3322 | high18638.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "some jewellery"
},
"options": [
"some money",
"some jewellery",
"some receipts",
"some cards"
],
"question": "The lost wallet contained all the following EXCEPT _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
... | Two classic car collectors from the US state of Idaho found the wallet after it fell out of the back of a vintage car they were planning to restore. After an Internet search they found and contacted the owner, Glenn Goodlove. Mr. Goodlove said he probably lost the wallet in the back seat of his 1946 prefix = st1 /Hudsoncar while kissing a girl when he was home on leave from the US Navy.
Jon Beck, 61, and Chuck Merrill, 72, bought the now-vintage vehicle in Idahoafter placing an ad in a local newspaper to buy a classic car in need of restoration. Driving the car home after buying it, the collectors stopped at a restaurant and saw something from below the back seat.
"Like a couple of kids, we thought we had a goldmine," Mr. Beck said. Instead, they found some small change -- the leather wallet held a $10 bill, Mr. Goodlove's military ID, his social security card, his driver's license and several jewellery receipts from 1952. But they were all in the name of Glenn Putnam.
After searching online, Mr. Beck discovered that Mr. Putnam had since changed his name to Glenn Goodlove and moved to San Diego,California. He called Mr. Goodlove, asking to speak to a man who used to drive a '46Hudson.
"There was a silence for about 15 seconds," Mr. Beck told the Twin Falls Times-News. "Then he said, 'Who is that?'" Mr. Goodlove, now 75, says he did not even remember losing the wallet, but the find has brought memories of his youth inEverett,Washington, flooding back. "I could see the house and the car and the town and all the good stuff from living there," he said. "They've been flowing ever since he talked to me." | high16615.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "there are no bike-parking stations nearby"
},
"options": [
"there are an increasing number of bike thefts there",
"there are no bike-parking stations nearby",
"roads to the Carnival area are closed to bikes",
"they will... | Must-Read about Notting Hill Carnival
Route
The carnival procession itself begins at 9am on both Sunday and Monday. It starts on Great Western Road, winding its way along Chepstow Road, then on to Westbourne Grove, and then down Ladbroke Grove. See our Notting Hill Carnival map for the full route.
Bus
While extra services will be in operation, no buses will enter the Carnival area from first thing Sunday morning until the first service on Tuesday morning. On both days bus services begin from Notting Hill Gate in the south and from Harrow Rd (close to Elgin Avenue) in the north.
Bike
Last year the nearest bike-parking stations - Chepstow Villas and Pembridge Road - were removed for Carnival, so don't rely on being able to park your bike nearby this year.
Safety
Avoid carrying expensive items, such as jewellery and digital cameras. Take a bag with a secure zip to keep your more valuable possessions in and avoid putting your valuables in your back pocket.
Do tell police if you see an incident. Officers will be stationed throughout the Carnival area. Don't try to walk against the flow of the crowd, as you won't get far. Drink plenty of water on the day too, especially if the sun makes an appearance.
Children
Children's Day on Sunday is recommended for families as the smaller crowds and kid-friendly floats create a fun atmosphere. Arrange meeting points in case you become separated. The smaller the buggy , the better. Ear defenders may be necessary for very young children. | high4352.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Shops with self-service machines."
},
"options": [
"Shops with 100 employees or less.",
"Shops with self-service machines.",
"Shops selling goods in airports.",
"Shops selling items on ships."
],
"question": "Wh... | From Monday 5 October shoppers in England will face a charge of at least 5 pounds for some of the carrier bags they use to take home their purchases. The move follows the introduction of similar charges in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The charge applies to"single-use"bags -- the thin plastic ones you typically get in the supermarket. The legislation says that for the charge to apply the bag must be unused, plastic, have handles and be 70 microns thick or less. Bags for life are thicker and larger, so retailers do not have to charge for them.
However, whether you get charged also depends on what gets put in the bag. Shops don't have to charge for bags used for unwrapped food, raw meat and fish, prescription medicines, uncovered knives, seeds, bulbs and flowers, or live fish. However, if other items are put in the same bag, the charge kicks in.
The government is hoping to persuade shoppers to reuse bags rather than take new single-use plastic bags home from each shopping trip.
In 2014, more than 7.6 billion bags were given out by the major supermarkets in England -- the equivalent of around 140 bags per person. The bags take a long time to degrade , cause litter and are dangerous to wildlife. By introducing a charge, the government hopes to reduce the number of these bags used in supermarkets by up to 80%.
Will all shops charge? They do not have to. The legislation applies to all types of shop -- from clothes shops to grocers, but only to retailers with 250 or more employees. However, some smaller shops have indicated that they will introduce a charge at the same time. Shops in airports and retailers selling on trains, aeroplanes or ships also do not have to charge.
Retailers have been told to charge at least 5 pounds for single-use bags. It looks like the major grocers will go for 5 pounds on the nose. The charge of self-service machines will still apply. You will be asked how many bags you have used, and charged accordingly.
What will happen to the money? Retailers are expected to give the money to good causes, but it is up to them to decide. They must report what they do to the government, which will publish the details each year.
Supermarkets report a fall of up to 90% in bag use since similar charges were introduced in other parts of the UK. Marks&Spencer said it had seen a 50% reduction in bags used for clothing and homeware since the charge came into effect in Wales and Scotland. England's scheme has more exemptions than others -- in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all stores are covered, not just large retailers, so the headline figures for the reduction in use could be lower. | high19526.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "They are against it."
},
"options": [
"They are against it.",
"They support it.",
"They welcome it.",
"They pay to attention to it."
],
"question": "What is the doctor's general attitude to cloning of humans acc... | Rome-Doctors and medical groups around the world last weekend reacted with strong opposition to the news that an Italian specialist is _ cloning the first human baby.
DL Severino Antinod,who is the head of a hospital in Rome,has been referred to in an Arab newspaper as claiming that one of his patients is eight weeks pregnant with a cloned baby.
Antinori refused to comment on the reports,but in March 2001 he said he hoped to produce a cloned embryo for implantation within two years.So far seven different kinds of mammals have already successfully cloned,including sheep,cats and most recently rabbits.
Doctors showed their doubt and were strongly opposed although they admit that human cloning would finally come true unless there was a world wide ban on the practice.
Professor Rudolf Jaenisch of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology says,"I find it astonishing that people do this where the result can be foretold that it will not be a normal baby.It is using humans as guinea pigs.It makes people feel sick."But Ronald Green,director of the Ethics institute at Darmouth College in the US,said it is unlikely that an eight-week-old pregnancy would lead to a birth.
So far all cloned animals have suffered from some different serious disorders,many of them dying soon after their births.
Doctors are opposed to human cloning because they are worried about the welfare of the cloned child if there is one.
"There are no benefits of cloned human begins,just harm."said Dr.Michael Wilks of the UK. | high23876.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "they want to keep healthy"
},
"options": [
"they want to keep healthy",
"they want to taste all kinds of foods",
"natural foods are more delicious than processed foods",
"they want to return to nature"
],
"quest... | Increasingly, over the past ten years, people--- especially young people -have become aware of the need to change their eating habits, because much of the food they eat, especially processed food , is not good for the health. As a result, there has been a growing interest in natural foods: foods which do not contain chemical additives and which have not been affected by chemical fertilizers , widely used in farming today.
Natural foods, for example, are vegetables, fruit and grain which have been grown in soil that is rich in organic matter. In simple words, this means that the soil has been nourished(...) by unused vegetable matter, which provides it with vitamins and minerals. This in itself is a natural process compared with the use of chemicals and fertilizers, the main purpose of which is to increase the amount--but not the quality--of foods grown in commercial farming area.
Natural foods also include animals which have been allowed to feed move freely in healthy pastures . Compare this with what happens in the mass production of poultry :there are battery farms, for example, where thousands of chickens live crowded together in one building and are fed on food which is little better than rubbish. Chickens kept in this way are not only tasteless as food; they also produce eggs which lack important vitamins.
There are other sides of healthy eating which are now receiving increasing attention from experts on diet. Take, for example, the question of sugar. This is actually unnecessary food. It is not that sugar is harmful in itself. But it does seem to be addictive: the quantity we use has grown steadily over the last two centuries and in Britain today each person consumes an average of 200 pounds a year! Yet all it does is provide us with energy, in the form of calories. There are no vitamins in it, no minerals, and no fibre. | high966.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "was willing to meet challenges"
},
"options": [
"was willing to meet challenges",
"was pushed to make a choice",
"failed to find an ideal school",
"wanted to study law"
],
"question": "When choosing her high sch... | Mrs. Obama spoke to the graduates of Martin Luther King Jr. High School on Saturday in her only high school commencement speech this year. The ceremony took place in the gymnasium of Tennessee State University.
The first lady told the 170 graduates that she spent too much of her time in college focusing on academe achievements. While her success in college and law school led to a good job, she said, she ended up focusing on public service. "My message to you today is that don't waste a minute living someone else's dream," she said. "It takes a lot of real work to discover what brings you joy and you won't find what you love simply by checking mailboxes or surfing the net."
She said MLK reminded her of her own high school experience in Chicago. "My No.1 goal was to go to a high school that would push me and challenge me," she said. "I wanted to go somewhere that would celebrate achievement. Unfortunately, schools like this don't exist for every kid." she said. "You are blessed."
The first lady told graduates that failure may be a part of their college lives and careers, and that how they respond determines what they will become. "That's when you find out what you're really made of in those hard times," she said. "But you can only do that if you're willing to put yourself in a position where you might fail." Overcoming difficulties has been the mark of many great people, she said, "Oprah was demoted from her first job as a news reporter, and now she doesn't even need a last name," she said of media giant Oprah Winfrey "And then there's this guy Barack Obama, I could take up a whole afternoon talking about his failures. He lost his first race for Congress", the first lady joked, "and now he gets to call himself my husband." | high8568.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because she felt she had too many troubles to overcome."
},
"options": [
"Because there were two gray bundles on her shoulders.",
"Because she always had bad dreams at night.",
"Because the keeper of the cave told her to do s... | Once, there was a woman who had so many problems, so many worries, so many troubles... that at times she felt she had more troubles than anyone else in the world!
She was depressed. She thought she could never overcome her troubles, so she decided to end her life. That night she went to sleep early and she planned to commit suicide the next morning. But that night she had a dream...
She found herself in a large cave, surrounded by gray bundles of all shapes and sizes. Walking toward her was a woman with flowing long white hair.
"Who are you?" asked the dreamer, "and what is this place?"
"This is the cave of bundles of troubles and I am the keeper of the cave."
"Bundles of troubles?"
"Yes," the keeper explained, "each person who walks on the earth carries a bundle of troubles on their left shoulder." The dreamer turned to look and there was a gray bundle on her left shoulder--it had been there all the time and she never noticed!
"If you wish," the keeper continued," you can take your bundle down and exchange it for another."
"Really?" The woman lowered the bundle from her left shoulder. Oh, it felt so good to put it down. Then she picked up a beautiful bundle.
The keeper said, "Why don't you open it and look inside?"
So the woman opened it and looked inside. "But these are the same troubles I brought here!"
The keeper of the cave smiled softly and nodded. "That's usually what happens, but do not despair, for there is another bundle on your right shoulder that should help lighten your load."
The woman turned and saw another bundle on her right shoulder. It had been there all the time and she never noticed! The woman took it down and opened it. Inside were her talents, her gifts, her hopes and opportunities. The woman felt her heart filled with joy and she looked up to thank the keeper of the cave, but she was gone; all were gone. And she found herself sitting up in her own bed with the morning sun streaming through the window, shining on her face. | high6545.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "After 11 at night"
},
"options": [
"During weekend hours .",
"After 5 in the evening",
"during working hours.",
"After 11 at night"
],
"question": "According go this passage, when is a dial telephone call cheape... | Are you thinking of writhing someone a letter? Call instead. It isn't that expensive, especially when you call during the evening, night, or weekend hours. In fact, you can made a ten-minute call anywhere in the continental United States for just $2.60.
For even greater saving, always dial direct ,that is ,without an operator's help .Rates on direct, that is ,without an operator's help. Rates on direct calls are lower after five o' clock in the evening and lowest after, and pay phone calls than direct calls.
Need to call out of the country? Now calls to many overseas places may be dialed direct. Check your telephone direction for overseas area codes.
Next time you have good news, or you just want to stay in touch, remember, a phone call means so much more than a letter. This has been a message from Southern Bell Telephone Company. | high9676.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "is isolated and cold"
},
"options": [
"is isolated and cold",
"was covered by glaciers",
"is hot and deserted",
"is a getaway for people"
],
"question": "Oymyakon was once used as a location for political prison... | Four most Extreme Travel Destinations in the World
Coldest Inhabited Place on Earth: Oymyakon, Russia
As the coldest inhabited place on earth, the small Russian town of Oymyakon was once only used as a location for political prisoners. Winter temperature average at about -58 degrees F, the ground is frozen all year long. Popular sports include skiing, ice hockey and ice fishing.
Closest Place to Outer Space: Mount Chimborazo, Ecuador
Mount Chimborazo stands at over 20,000 feet high. Standing on it will put you closest to outer space that man can ever reach on foot. Its peak is completely covered by glaciers, but this mountain has several routes for climbers.
Hottest Place on Earth: Lut Desert, Iran
Here, temperatures reach as high as 158 degrees F. Though tourists visit this desert land, it's a destination only for those willing to take on the challenge of surviving the heat and the dry climates.
Most Isolated Place on Earth: Tristan da Cunha, United Kingdom
Looking for a getaway from the everyday? This is about as far away from it as you can get. The island is home to fewer than 300 inhabitants and has no airport, Tristan da Cunha is accessible only by sea. | high7883.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the early1800s"
},
"options": [
"the early 1700s",
"the early1800s",
"the early 1900s",
"the summer of 1853"
],
"question": "The French fries were believed to be introduced to America in _ .",
"question_t... | It is not clear who first fried potatoes in hot oil. However, it is widely agreed that French fries were prepared as early as the 1700s in Europe. Most people believe that it was the Belgians , instead of the French, who invented "French"fries. They think that French fries got this name from the cooking word "to french" --- to cut green beans into long thin strips .
When Thomas Jefferson traveled to France, he enjoyed the deep-fried potatoes very much and brought them home with him. Ever since he served French fries to his guests at a Whitehouse dinner in 1802, the dish has become very popular in America.
In the summer of 1853, an American Indian called George Crum worked as a cook at Moon Lake Lodge, a hotel in Saratoga Springs, New York. He was good at making French fries. One evening, a dinner guest found Crum's French fries too thick and sent them back to the kitchen. Crum then cut and fried some thinner French fries, but _ . This time, the cook got angry. So he decided to play a trick on the guest. He finally made fries that were too thin to eat with a fork. To his surprise, the guest loved the browned, paper-thin chips. The browned chips, then called Saratoga Chips, became one of the most popular dishes of the hotel. Soon they were being sold, first in local restaurants, then throughout New England. | high12467.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the usual number of copies of the newspapers there is large"
},
"options": [
"there are so many kinds of local newspapers there",
"local papers should have a circulation of four million",
"the usual number of copies of the ne... | Visitors to Britain are sometimes surprised to learn that newspapers there have such a large circulation . For example, national newspapers, the "Daily Mirror " and the "Daily express" both sell about four million copies everyday. Most of British families buy a newspaper every morning and two or three on Sundays.
Besides the national papers, there is, however, another branch of the British newspapers, local newspapers. Local newspapers have a weekly circulation of 13 million. Almost every town and county area has one. Nearly all them hold their own and many of them are very profitable .
These papers are written almost entirely for readers interested in local events-births, weddings, deaths, council meetings and sports. Editors prefer to believe people who know the district well. A great deal of local news is regularly supplied by clubs and churches in the neighborhood.
The editors must never forget that the success of any newspaper depends on advertising. But if the newspaper is well written and the news items have been carefully chosen to draw local readers, the business men will thank for the chance to keep their products in the public eyes. | high23862.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "pets can never escape from death which makes people sad"
},
"options": [
"animals may change our belief structure",
"animals are so special for those who love them",
"pets can never escape from death which makes people sad",
... | Pets provide an unconditional love that requires very little on the part of the human.
Animals are so special to those of us who love them. We miss them when they are no longer with us. We grieve for them in ways which are just the same as grieving for a human loved one.
Whether the end comes through old age, illness, or sudden death, the death of a pet can cause enormous feelings of sorrow, guilt, and loneliness for children and adults alike, as the animal was considered a family member, a child's favoured playmate, or an older person's loyal and faithful companion.
Some people don't want a pet because they do die! It's understandable to be unwilling to expose yourself to death but, at the same time, _ . When we live with animals we're more in step with the rhythms of the planet from day to night and from season to season because our companions make us more aware of the changes around us. Our companion animals teach us about the simple gifts of a beautiful day, a good meal and a gentle touch.
The death of a pet can make us struggle with our belief structure-a natural part of the grieving period. Whether grieving an animal or human, we question our beliefs and many people find their belief structure becomes stronger when they ask themselves hard questions. Others find a new way of acceptance.
And we learn from our animals. Animals aren't afraid to die; they show us that the end of life can be faced without fear. They can teach us to accept death as an opening for love and wonder.
Allow yourself to grieve in whatever way is appropriate for you. The loss of a pet is real grief and causes us to travel through the stages of grief-denial, anger, depression, guilt, and acceptance. These stages must be lived through for the mourning to allow full healing. | high15308.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The cold reacting of the public to Qixi Festival."
},
"options": [
"The disappointment for both businessmen and lovers.",
"The cold reacting of the public to Qixi Festival.",
"The failure to make traditional Chinese festivals... | Qixi Festival, the Chinese equivalent of Valentine's Day that fell yesterday, was not only a disappointment for forgotten lovers, but also for businessmen left with empty pockets.
The cold reception has prompted cultural experts to seriously worry that the lovers' festival, marked for generations since the Han Dynasty(206 BC-AD 220),is dying out. Some have even called for legislation to make the festival a legal --Chinese Lovers' Day, which falls on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar year.
But the effectiveness of such a measure is in doubt, although efforts to preserve traditional festivals deserve highly praise.
A growing number of traditional Chinese festivals, such as the Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn
Festival, share the same fate of the Qixi Festival.
Young people are showing less interest in traditional culture as symbolized by these festivals.Even if all traditional festivals are finally made legal, the risk of them becoming purely formalized celebrations with little meaning is not removed.If the younger generation fails to identify with the cultural significance of these holidays, there is little that can be done.
While complaining about traditional festivals' fading appeal, decision-makers should reflect on cultural protection. Undeniably, our country has done a bad job of preserving culture and traditional festivals, compared to neighbouring Japan and the Republic of Korea(ROK).
The 2,500-year-old Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. The traditional customs and ceremonies of the occasion, which originated in China, have been better preserved in the ROK.
Only a few years ago did China begin to realize the significance of preserving intangible cultural heritage when the ROK planned to apply to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to list its version of the Dragon Boat Festival as an important example of intangible culture.
Concern about the traditional holidays also reminds people of the growing influence of foreign cultures as the country opens wider to the outside world. With traditional festivals becoming less important and imports such as Christmas and Valentine's Day gaining widespread popularity, the public including cultural professionals have tended to measure traditional Chinese festivals in economic terms.
Business rather than culture has begun to play a dominant role. More and more people are preoccupied with how much money can be made during the holidays.
In fact what makes traditional festivals unique and what keeps them alive is their cultural elements. After all, it is unique culture that contributes to the world's diversity with globalization. | high9662.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To explain 3-D film-making technology."
},
"options": [
"To compare their different styles.",
"To explain 3-D film-making technology.",
"To attract more readers to watch3-Dfilm.",
"To describe the origin of 3-D film ind... | Movie fans know that their action hero Superman does not really fly.And, in the movie Superman Returns, another visual trick is played on viewers.The man they see flying is not real.He is what is called a virtual actor.The first step in creating this digital actor is to have a real person stand in a room called a light stage.A computer then captures the outlines and shapes of his face and records how they throw off light .Paul Debevec is with the Institute for Creative Technologies at the University of Southern California.
"We can light them with very specially computer-controlled illumination and take photos of them from seven different viewpoints with high quality digital still cameras."
Mr.Debevec is part of a team working to create computerized images of people, objects and environments that look and act real.The light stage permits actors to be turned into digital versions of themselves much like the blue creatures in the movie Avatar.The real world could soon be using a similar technology.Computer experts at the Institute are developing a 3-D video teleconferencing system.It would send a video image of a person into a meeting room.That image would be able to work with the people in the room, who would see it in 3-D without special eyeglasses.Paul Debevec says:
"The person who is being transmitted to a remote location can actually look around at the people in the room and everybody in that room knows who they're looking at .And that's such a fundamental part of human communication."
He believes the business world will begin to use3-D video teleconferencing in the next five years." It's also a medium with which young people today are particularly comfortable," he said.A demonstration of an interaction between an earthquake survivor and students may be possible in a year.In 10 years, we may be able to play 3-D video games without special glasses. | high13779.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "came to the north Scotland from England to make war on Scotland"
},
"options": [
"came from the north through England to make war on Scotland",
"came to the north Scotland from England to make war on Scotland",
"came from the... | Hundreds of years ago, a Roman army came north from England to make war on Scotland. The Scots, a brave people, love their country. They fought hard to drive the enemy out of Scotland. But there were too many of the Romans. It looked as if the Romans would win.
One night, the leader of the Scots marched his soldiers to the top of a hill. "We will rest here tonight, my men," he said, "Tomorrow we will fight one more battle. We must win, or we will die."
They were all very tired. So they ate their supper quickly and fell asleep. There were four guards on duty, but they were very tired, too, and one by one, they fell asleep.
The Romans were not asleep. Quickly they gathered at the foot of the hill. Slowly they went up the hill. Closer they came to the sleeping Scots. They were almost at the top. A few minutes more the war would be over. Suddenly, one of them put his foot on a thistle . He cried out and his sudden cry woke the Scots. In a minute they were on their feet and ready for a battle. The fighting was hard, but it did not last long. The Scots wiped out the Romans and saved Scotland.
The thistle is not a beautiful plant. It has sharp needles all over it. Few people liked it. But the people of Scotland liked it so much that they made it their national flower. | high7897.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "a good characteristic"
},
"options": [
"harmful to people",
"a weak point of shy people",
"the cause of unhappiness",
"a good characteristic"
],
"question": "According to the wirter, self-awareness is _ .",
... | Shyness is the cause of much unhappiness for a great many people. Shy people are anxious and self-conscious; that is, they are over concerned with their own appearance and actions. Worrisome thoughts are constantly occurring in their minds: what kind of impression am I making? Do they like me? Do I sound stupid? Am I wearing unattractive clothes?
It is obvious that such uncomfortable feelings must affect people unfavorably. Adperson's self concept is reflected in the way he or she behaves and the way a person behaves affects other people's reactions. In general, the way people think about themselves has a deep effect on all areas of their lives. Shy people ,have low self-esteem , are likely to be passive and easily influenced by others. They need reassurance(,) that they are doing "the right thing". Shy people are very sensitive to criticism. It makes them feel inferior .They also find it difficult to be pleased by praises because they believe they are unworthy of praise . A shy person may respond to a praise with a statement like this one:" You're just saying that to make me feel good .I know it's not true." It is clear that, while self-awareness is a healthy quality, overdoing it is harmful. Can shyness be completely got rid of ,or at least reduced? Fortunately, people can overcome shyness with determination. It is important for people to accept their weaknesses as well as their strengths, for example, not fair for them to label themselves inferior because they have to be realistic. Living on the impossible leads to absence of inferiority. Each one of us has his or her own characteristics. We are interested in our own personal ways. The better we understand ourselves. the easier it becomes to live up to our chances for a rich and fulfilling life. | high2737.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "had just got involved in a traffic accident"
},
"options": [
"knew the detective would harm them",
"were afraid to meet a stranger at night",
"thought the detective would search them",
"had just got involved in a traffi... | Ogilvie the detective arrived. Both the Duke and Duchess were extremely nervous.
The Duchess went to the door herself. The detective's piggy eyes surveyed her. His gaze moved on to sweep the spacious, well-decorated room, and the Duke.
"Pretty neat set-up you've got."Ogilvie said slowly.
The Duchess said sharply, "Imagine you didn't come here to discuss the decoration."
"No, Madame. I like nice things, though. Like that expensive car of yours. The one you keep here in the hotel."
"In what way does our car concern you?"The Duchess had sat in a straight-backed chair.
"Now," he said."You two were in the hit-and-run."
She met his eyes directly. "What are you talking about?"
"Don't play games, lady. You saw the newspapers. There's been plenty on radio, too." Ogilvie's words spat forth with sudden strength. "You listen to me. This city's mad -- everybody. When they find who killed that kid and her mother, and run away, what will they do? Now I know what I know, and if I do what by rights I should, there'll be police here. But I come to you first, so you could tell your side of it to me." The piggy eyes blinked, then hardened. "If you want it the other way, just say so."
The Duchess--three centuries and a half of in-born pride behind her--did not give in easily. Springing to her feet with great anger, gray-green eyes burning, she faced the detective straightly. Her tone would have frightened anyone who knew her well. "You unspeakable blackguard! How dare you!"
Ogilvie said nothing. But the Duke cut in, "It's no go, old girl, I'm afraid. It was a good try." Facing Ogilvie, he said, "What you accuse us of is true. I was driving the car and killed the little girl."
"That's more like it," Ogilvie said, "now we're getting somewhere."
The Duchess sank back into her chair. She asked, "What is it you know?"
"I'll tell you, I got a curious nature. You and your wife drove home, you were driving, after a drink. Last night I saw you come in--through the basement, looking shaken, the pair of you. I got wondering why. Like I said, I got a curious nature."
The Duchess breathed, "Go on."
"Late last night the word was out about the hit-and-run. I went over the garage and took a quiet look at your car. On your car you got a damaged headlight. There's plenty of blood."
"Oh, my God!"A hand to her face, the Duchess turned away.
Her husband asked, "What do you suggest?"
The fat man rubbed his hands together, "Like I said, I come to hear your side of it."
The Duke said desperately, "What can I possibly say? You know what happened. You'd better call the police."
"There's no way bringing back the kid nor her mother. Besides, what they'd do to you, Duke, you wouldn't like it at all. I was hoping," Ogilvie said, "that you could suggest something."
The Duke said uncertainly, "I don't understand."
"I understand," the Duchess said. "You want money. You came here to blackmail us."
The house detective shrugged . "Whatever names you call things, they don't matter to me. All I come for is to help you people out of trouble. But I've got to live too."
"You'd accept money to keep silent about what you know?"
"I think so."
"How much do you want?"
The piggy eyes blinked."Ten thousand dollars."
"What would we receive in return?"
The fat man seemed puzzled. "Like I said, I keep quiet about what I know."
"No." The statement was clear. "We will not pay you."
Ogilvie's round face reddened, "Now listen, lady...."
She cut him off. "I won't listen. Instead, you will listen to me. We won't pay you $10,000. But we will pay you $25,000. In return, you will drive our car north."
"$25,000," she repeated. "$10,000 now. $15,000 more when you meet us in Chicago."
The fat man's piggy eyes were focused upon hers. The silence hung. Then, he gave the slightest of nods. | high10270.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "many freshers are worried about how to fit university life"
},
"options": [
"Freshers' Week usually comes in September in UK",
"all the students are required to join certain clubs in UK",
"many freshers are worried about how ... | The UK has a well-respected higher education system and some of the top universities and research institutions in the world. But to those who are new to it all, sometimes it can be confusing.
October is usually the busiest month in the college calendar. Universities have something called Freshers' Week for their newcomers. It's a great opportunity to make new friends, join lots of clubs and settle into university life.
However, having just left the comfort of home and all your friends behind, the prospect of meeting lots of strangers in big halls can be nerve-wracking . Where do you start? Who should you make friends with? Which clubs should you join?
Luckily, there will be thousands of others in the same boat as you worrying about starting their university social life on the right foot. So just take it all in slowly. Don't rush into anything that you'll regret for the next three years.
Here are some top advice from past students on how to survive Freshers' Week:
* Learn rules. Make sure you know British social etiquette . Have a few wine glasses and snacks handy for your housemates and friends.
* Be kind. Sometimes cups of tea or even slices of toast can give you a head start in making friends.
* Be sociable. The more active you are, the more likely you'll be to meet new people than if you're someone who never leaves his room.
* Bring a doorstop. Keep your door open when you're in and that sends positive messages to your neighbors that you're friendly.
So with a bit of clever planning and effort, Freshers' Week can give you a great start to your university life and soon you'll be passing on your experience to next year's freshers. | high5058.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "his company was in financial trouble"
},
"options": [
"he couldn't sleep well for many days",
"his company was in financial trouble",
"his manager was about to fire him",
"he lost his interest in his business"
],
... | My husband, Michael, a manager of an ordinary company, came home from work one day saying, "It's not looking good." At midnight,I woke up seeing him sitting in a chair,his hand on his forehead. I was worried.I had to cheer him up and help ourselves financially.
As an advisor for top companies and a teacher in creative thinking at the college of New Jersey for years, I thought of a good plan. What if we undertake an adventure while making money from it? As a family, we'd always talked about traveling more, but we'd been tied to routines. Now I saw no point in sitting around worrying when we could see the country. We'd take our three young kids, teach them on the road. It was the perfect time before they reached high school. We'd rent out our house.
Michael disagreed at first but realized that with his cell phone, and computer, he could work anywhere.
We listed our house for rent and created a brand strategy, logo, and website for us---familyofftrack.com---and persuade five companies to support us. Their ads on our site would help pay travel costs, and we'd promote their brands on our trip in exchange for their support.
With everything done, we took off on April 3. All spring and summer, we visited national landmarks and treasured lands. By August when we returned home, Michael's company continued to slide and now may have to close down. But we've made the travel a permanent part of our lives. What's more, with a Chicago-based production company I've developed the Family Off Track brand by creating videos, educational programs and exhibits. And Michael has new ideas for management businesses. It's great to see the spark in his eyes again.
Now I feel it even more. Together we taught our kids a lesson: Nobody ever made history by living 100 percent by the book in times of recession . | high16601.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Wear gym shoes."
},
"options": [
"Put on thick clothes.",
"Prepare a big bag.",
"Wear gym shoes.",
"Rent a tractor."
],
"question": "What should you do when traveling at County Line Orchard?",
"question_type... | The end of summer doesn't necessarily mean the end of adventures. In the Midwest, it's easy to find fun every kid in the family will enjoy in autumn.
Celebrate everything by picking apples
At County Line Orchard in Hobart, Ind., hop a tractor to the orchards and fields to get apples right off the trees, and gather pumpkins and other fall harvests.
TIP: Wear gym shoes that you don't mind getting muddy. Children two and under are free.
Kick off the football season with a stadium tour
You may not be able to get tickets to the big game, but most NFL teams offer stadium tours. Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisc., offers the popular Champion Stadium Tour.
TIP: Children five and under are free.
Gather around a toasty campfire
On Saturdays in October, Starved Rock State Park in Oglesby, Ill., offers free campfire stories under the stars. Storytime begins at 7 p.m. and lasts about an hour.
TIP: Campfires are free and open to the public.
Celebrate the harvest at local fall festivals
Scarecrow-loving families should visit Emma Krumbee's Scarecrow Festival in Belle Plaine, Minn. You and your family can walk down the Scarecrow Patch lined with about 100 handmade friendly scarecrows.
TIP: This festival is ideal for kids nine and under. | high19532.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "By gaining aid from a friend."
},
"options": [
"By taking an indirect way.",
"By gaining aid from a friend.",
"By taking forbidden drugs.",
"By selling fake products."
],
"question": "According to the passage, i... | Everybody cheats. Whether it's the taxi driver who tricks a visitor and takes them the long way round, or the shop assistant who doesn't give the correct change, or the police officer who accepts a bribe - everybody's at it. Cheats in the nest include the scientist whose research was based on fake data, the game show competitors who worked with a friend in the audience or win a million pounds, and the doctor who made up his qualifications and wasn't really a doctor at all. Everybody cheats; nobody's playing the game.
Is cheating acceptable, a natural way of surviving and being successful? Or is it something that should _ , and young people discouraged from doing? If it's the latter how can we explain to children why so many bend the rules?
Take sport for example. The Word Cup was filled with cheating. Whether diving, pretending to be hurt or denying a handball, footballers will do anything for a free - kick or a penalty shot. France striker Henry denied cheating to win the free - kick which led to his side's second goal in their 3 - 1 victory over Spain. Many footballers, however, are often putting it on. Whatever the nationality there's one common ploy: the player rolls over holding their leg, ankle or head seeming to be in great pain. As a result a yellow card and / or free - kick is given for the foul and then, a few seconds later, the player is up and about as if nothing had happened ! The ref may be taken in by it but youngsters watching the game aren't. they also see their heroes getting away with it.
Of course it's not just football. In 1998 the Tour de France, the world's greatest cycling event, was hit by a drug - taking scandal . The 40 bottles of forbidden drugs found with the Fustian team caused a massive investigation that almost caused the Tour to be abandoned. One rider, Veronique, was banned for 9 months. He claimed: "You have cheats in sport, just as you do in business - there will always be people trying to take a short cut. At least we're not turning a blind eye to the problem, which other sports are."
Is it all unavoidable? There's huge pressure on all athletes to perform for their fans and for their sponsors. It's success, money and power that rule professional sport rather than an honest at tempt to do the best one can.
Meanwhile companies around the world are losing billions of dollars to fake products. From cut price CDs and DVDs to sportswear, cheap fake products are everywhere. It has become socially acceptable to buy fake Gucci bags and illegal copies of films. If parents are doing this, their children will follow.
So perhaps it's not surprising that around the world more pupils than ever are caught cheating during exams. In one case missing exam papers were put up for sale on the Internet. In another, widespread cheating took place by pupils using their mobile phones to receive tested answers. They blame the pressure put on them to do well in exams. It doesn't help that their role models are also cheats. Surely we can't complain when we're setting such a bad example. | high4346.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "a disease"
},
"options": [
"tiredness",
"a disease",
"an attack",
"an accident"
],
"question": "Politkovskaya's father died of _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answ... | Saturday, October 7th, was a marathon of sad tasks for Anna Politkovskaya. Two weeks earlier, her father, a retired official in the department of foreign affairs, had died of a heart attack as he _ from the Moscow Metro while on his way to visit Politkovskaya's mother, Raisa Mazepa, in the hospital. She had just been diagnosed with cancer and was too weak even to attend her husband's funeral. "Your father will forgive me, because he knows that I have always loved him," she told Anna and her sister, Elena Kudimova, the day he was buried. A week later, she had an operation and since then Anna and Elena had been taking turns helping her deal with her grief.
Politkovskaya was supposed to spend the day at the hospital, but her twenty-six-year-old daughter, who was pregnant, had just moved into Politkovskaya's apartment, on Lesnaya Street, while her own place was being prepared for the baby. "Anna had so much on her mind," Elena Kudimova told me when we met in London, before Christmas. "And she was trying to finish her article." Politkovskaya was a special reporter for the small newspaperNovaya Gazeta, and, like most of her work, the piece focused on the terror that can be seen all over the southern republic of Chechnya. This time, she had been trying to report repeated cruel acts done by people faithful to the Prime Minister, Ramzan Kadyrov, who are in favour of Russia. In the past seven years, Politkovskaya had written dozens of accounts of life during wartime; many had been collected in her book "A Small Corner of Hell: reports from Chechnya." Politkovskaya was far more likely to spend time in a hospital than on a battlefield, and her writing bore frequent witness to robbery, and the uncontrolled cruelty of life in a place that few other Russians--and almost no other reporters--cared to think about. | high11608.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Good communication is one of the qualities that women possess."
},
"options": [
"Male labor force participation has declined by 80% since 1954.",
"More men than women take time off to raise children now.",
"Good communication... | You're probably aware of the basic trends. The financial rewards to education have increased over the past few decades, but men fail to benefit.
In elementary and high school, male academic performance is lagging. Boys earn three-quarters of the D's and F's. By college, men are clearly behind. Only 40 percent of bachelor's degree go to men, along with 40 percent of master's degree.
Thanks to their lower skills, men are dropping out of the labor force. In 1954, 96 percent of the American men between the ages of 25 and 54 worked. Today, that number is down to 80 percent. In Friday's jobs report, male labor force participation reached an all-time low.
Millions of men are collecting disability benefits. Even many of those who do have a job are doing poorly. According to Michael Greenstone of the Hamilton Project, annual earnings for average prime-age males have dropped by 28 percent over the past 40 years.
Men still dominate the top of the corporate ladder because many women take time off to raise children, but women lead or are gaining nearly everywhere else. Women in their 20s outearn men in their 20s. Twelve out of the 15 fastest-growing professions are dominated by women.
Over the years, many of us have employed a certain theory to explain men's economic decline. It is that the information-age economy rewards qualities that women are more likely to possess.
To succeed today, you have to be able to sit still and focus attention in school at an early age. You have to be emotionally sensitive and aware of context. You have to communicate smoothly. For genetic and cultural reasons, many men are not good at these.
But, in her fascinating new book, The End of Men, Hanna Rosin suggests a different theory. It has to do with adaptability. Women, Rosin argues, are like immigrants who have moved to a new country. They see a new social context, and they flexibly adapt to .new circumstances. Men are like immigrants who have physically moved to a new country but who have kept their minds in the old one. They speak the old language. They follow the old customs. Men are more likely to be rigid; women are more fluid.
This theory has less to do with born qualities and more to do with social position. When there's big social change, the people who were on the top of the old order are bound to stick to the old ways. The people who were on the bottom are bound to experience a burst of energy. They are going to explore their new surroundings more enthusiastically.
Rosin reports from working-class Alabama. The women she meets are flooding into new jobs and new opportunities -- going back to college, pursuing new careers. The men are waiting around for the jobs left and are never coming back. They are strangely immune to new options. In the Auburn-Opelika region, the average female income is 140 percent of the average male income.
Rosin is not saying that women are winners in a global gender war or that they are doing super simply because men are doing worse. She's just saying women are adapting to today's economy more flexibly than men. There's a lot of evidence to support her case.
A study by the National Federation of Independent Business found that small businesses owned by women outperformed male-owned small business during the last recession . In finance, women who switch firms are more likely to see their performance improve, whereas men are likely to see theirs decline. There's even evidence that women are better able to adjust to divorce. Today, more women than men see their incomes rise by 25 percent after a marital breakup.
Forty years ago, men and women stuck to certain theory, what it meant to be a man or a woman. Young women today, Rosin argues, have abandoned both feminist and prefeminist preconceptions. Men still stick to the masculinity rules, which limit their vision and their movement.
If she's right, then men will have to acknowledge that they are strangers in a strange land. | high19254.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "were exposed to drive-by hacking"
},
"options": [
"had most of their company data stolen",
"depended on wireless computer networks",
"were exposed to drive-by hacking",
"were unaware of the risk of wireless hacking"
... | They may be just passing your office, computer bag slung over one shoulder. Or they may be sitting in a car outside it, causally tapping away at a laptop. They look like innocent passers-by. In fact, they are stealing your corporate secrets.
Drive-by hacking is the trendy term given to the practice of breaking into wireless computer networks from outside the buildings that house them. A recent study in the UK, sponsored by RSA Data Security, found that two-thirds of organizations with wireless networks were risking their data in this way. Security experts patrolled several streets in the City of London seeking evidence of wireless networks in operation.
Of 124 that they identified, 83 were sending data without encrypting them. Such data could readily be picked up by a passer-by armed only with a portable computer, a wireless modem and a few pieces of software that can be freely downloaded from the Internet.
The data could include sensitive company documents containing valuable information. Or they could be e-mail identities and passwords that could be used by hackers to log into corporate networks as if they were legal users.
Most companies using wireless networking technology do not take even the simplest of measures to protect their data. Nearly all wireless network technology comes with some basic security features that need only to be activated in order to give a minimum level of security, for example, by encrypting the data being passed over the network.
Raymon Kruck, business development manager at Check Point Software, a security technology specialist, believes this could be partly a psychological problem. People see the solid walls of their building as safeguards and forget that wireless networks can extend up to 200 meters beyond physical walls.
Companies without any security at all on their wireless networks make it ridiculously easy for hackers to break in. Switching on the security that comes with the network technology should be automatic. Then there are other basic steps a company can take, says Mr. Kruck, such as changing the passwords on the network from the default setting.
Companies can also install firewalls, which form a barrier between the internal network and the public Internet. They should also check their computer records regularly to spot any abnormal activity, which might betray the presence of a hacker. | high2051.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "they like to reply briefly"
},
"options": [
"they answer quickly",
"they choose words carefully",
"they like to reply briefly",
"they are impolite to others"
],
"question": "The fact that Americans do not waste ... | One observation made by visitors is that Americans frequently prefer to answer with a brief "Yes", "No", "Sure", or the very popular "Yeah" rather than a longer reply. But brief replies do not mean Americans are impolite, rude or limited mentally. Very often, Americans are rushed and may greet you with a hurried "Hi". Indeed, this is a greeting you will hear again and again during your stay in the United States. It is used by everyone. However, those accustomed to longer, beautifully worded phrases may need a little more time before they feel comfortable with American" plain talk".
Americans sometimes use plain talk when they are embarrassed. If people praise them or
thank them in an especially courteous way, they may be embarrassed and not know
what to say in reply. They do not want to be impolite or rude; you can be sure that they liked
what was said about them. Except for certain holidays, such as Christmas, Americans do not usually give gifts. Thus, you will find Americans embarrassed as they accept gifts, especially if
they have nothing to give in return. They are generally a warm but informal people! | high21913.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "To urge awareness on mental health of the young."
},
"options": [
"To urge awareness on mental health of the young.",
"To give the details of the problems the Chinese youth are facing today.",
"To recommend that schools shoul... | The Ministry of Health has called for more awareness from the public on the mental health of the young,as part of efforts to mark World Mental Health Day.
More than 15 percent of the Chinese youth have been found with mental problems,and about 30 million young people under 17 are suffering from depression,the Shanghai-based Wenhui Daily reported.
The World Health Organization estimated that before 2020,the rate of children with mental problems will increase to 50 percent,and mental problems will become a major factor behind death and illness in the young worldwide.
Deng Xiaohong,the spokesperson for the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau,said rapid social change is one of the reasons behind the rising number of youngsters with psychological problems.
If these mental diseases are not _ on time,occurrence of crime,drugtaking and other dangerous behavior are expected to rise.
Experts said mental disease could be caused by many factors,such as the inability to handle interpersonal relations well,unstable emotions and pressure from the overload of study. A number of experts have also said the one-child policy is another reason leading to poor mental health in the young.
Children were said to be too "spoiled" and "selfish" in one-child families. Schools in many cities were reported to roll out measures to help students maintain their mental well-being. Yin Jingmiao,a teacher of the Beijing No. 105 Middle School,told China Daily that the school invites psychologists to provide counseling to students three times a month. "Students can be arranged to have 40-minute counseling sessions," Yin said. The school also gives lectures on mental health to senior grade students before they take the national college entrance exams,to help ease any anxiety arising from the tests. | high10516.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "People who always have negative feelings may have a higher risk of getting dementia."
},
"options": [
"It is impossible for people to avoid dementia.",
"People who always have negative feelings may have a higher risk of getting dem... | Pessimistic,anxious and depressed people may have a higher risk of dementia ,US researchers reported on Thursday.
A study of a group of 3,500 people showed that those who scored high for pessimism on a standardized personality test had a 30 percent increased risk of developing dementia 30 to 40 years later.
Those scoring very high on both anxiety and pessimism scales had a 40 percent higher risk,the study showed.
"There appears to be a doseresponse pattern.That is,the higher the scores,the higher the risk of dementia,"Dr Yonas Geda,a neuropsychiatrist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester,Minnesota who led the study,said in a statement.
Geda and his colleagues looked at the medical records of 3,500 men and women who lived near the clinic between 1962 and 1965.
They all took the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory,a standard personality and life experience test,Geda's team told a meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Miami.
In 2004,the team interviewed the participants or family members.
Those who scored higher for anxiety and pessimism on the test were more likely,as a group,to have developed dementia by 2004,including Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.
This did not mean a person who is pessimistic could assume he or she has a higher risk of developing dementia.
"One has to be cautious in interpreting a study like this,"Geda said.
"One cannot make a leap from group level data to the individual.Certainly the last thing you want to do is to say,'Well,I am a pessimist;thus,I am doomed to develop dementia 20 or 30 years later,'because this may end up becoming a selffulfilling prophecy ."
And there is NOT any specific way to prevent dementia,although many studies have shown that a healthy diet,exercise,keeping active in other ways,doing puzzles and other activities lower the risk. | high6237.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "It can sense how users brush their teeth."
},
"options": [
"It can sense how users brush their teeth.",
"It can track users' school performance.",
"It can check users' fear of seeing a dentist.",
"It can help users find... | How fit are your teeth? Are you lazy about brushing them? Never fear: An inventor is on the case. An electric toothbrush senses how long and how well you brush, and it lets you track your performance on your phone.
The Kolibree toothbrush was exhibited at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week. It senses how it is moved and can send the information to an Android phone or iPhone via a Bluetooth wireless connection.
The toothbrush will be able to teach you to brush right (don't forget the insides of the teeth!) and make sure you're brushing long enough. "It's kind of like having a dentist actually watch your brushing on a day-to-day basis," says Thomas Serval, the French inventor.
The toothbrush will also be able to talk to other applications on your phone, so developers could, for example, create a game controlled by your toothbrush. You could score points for beating monsters among your teeth. "We try to make it smart and fun," Serval says.
Serval says he was inspired by his experience as a father. He would come home from work and ask his kids if they had brushed their teeth. They said "yes," but Serval would find their toothbrush heads dry. He decided he needed a brush that really told him how well his children brushed.
The company says the Kolibree will go on sale this summer, from $99 to $199, and the U.S. is the first target market. ( ) | high9104.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "People's characters."
},
"options": [
"People's characters.",
"Talents that people possessed.",
"People's occupations.",
"Places where people lived."
],
"question": "Which of the following aspects do the surname... | As is often the case, when your teacher asks a question, there is only one correct answer. But there is one question that has millions of current answers. That question is "What's your name?" Everyone gives a different answer, but everyone is correct.
Have you ever thought about people's names? Where do they come from? What do they mean?
People's first names, or given names, are chosen by their parents. Sometimes the name of a grandparent or other member of the family is used. Some parents choose the name of a well-known person. A boy could be named George Washington Smith; a girl could be named Helen Keller Jones.
Some people give their children names that mean good things. Clara means "bright"; Beatrice means "one who gives happiness"; Donald means "world ruler"; Leonard means "as brave as a lion".
The earliest last names, or surnames, were taken from place names. A family with the name Brook or Brooks probably lived near brook ; someone who was called Longstreet probably lived on a long, paved road. The Greenwood family lived in or near a leafy forest.
Other early surnames came from people's occupations. The most common occupational name is Smith, which means a person who makes things with iron or other metals. In the past, smiths were very important workers in every town and village. Some other occupational names are: Carter -- a person who owned or drove a cart; Potter -- a person who made pots and pans.
The ancestors of the Baker family probably baked bread for their neighbors in their native village. The Carpenter's great-great-great-grandfather probably built houses and furniture.
Sometimes people were known for the color of their hair or skin, or their size, or their special abilities. When there were two men who were named John in the same village, the John with the gray hair probably became John Gray. Or the John was very tall could call himself John Tallman. John Fish was probably an excellent swimmer and John Lightfoot was probably a fast runner or a good dancer.
Some family names were made by adding something to the father's name. English-speaking people added -s or -son. The Johnsons are descendants of John; the Roberts family's ancestor was Robert. Irish and Scottish people added Mac or Mc or O. Perhaps all of the MacDonnell's and the McDonnell's and the O'Donnell's are _ of the same Donnell. | high14770.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The book was Adam Auerbach's first picture book."
},
"options": [
"Edda found it easy to apply herself to the life on earth.",
"The book was Adam Auerbach's first picture book.",
"The book was illustrated by Shane Prigmore.",... | Edda, a Little Valkyrie's First Day of School
Written and illustrated by Adam Auerbach.
32 pp. Christy Ottaviano/Holt. $15.50.
Edda's home is in Asgard, "a land full of magic and adventure." But Edda, the littlest Valkyrie, doesn't have quite enough to do, until her father flies her "all the way to Earth for the first day of school."
The contrast between home and school is hard to get used to (in one, she can ride reindeer; in the other she gazes guinea pig through glass at the classroom). In his first picture book, Auerbach mixes the two worlds perfectly. Children are likely to appreciate the joke.
Planet Kindergarten
By Sue Ganz-Schmitt. Illustrated by Shane Prigmore.
32 pp. Chronicle. $14.99.
After careful preparations and a successful blastoff, a boy finds himself in a very unfamiliar environment. "We're aliens from many galaxies on Planet Kindergarten," he reflects as he sees his very varied classmates for the first time.
Prigmore, who designs for the movie industry, uses black backgrounds and bright colors to give this space adventure visual excitement and humor.
The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade
By Justin Roberts. Illustrated by Christian Robinson.
42 pp. Putnam. $18.99.
It makes sense that the author of the long, rhyming lines in "The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade" is a children's music performer. The story is about the power of one small person to fight prejudice.
Sally, whom no one ever seems to notice, is "paying super extra special attention" to the "terrible stuff" happening around her. When she decides to take action, she's not alone for long.
And Two Boys Booed
By Judith Viorst.
32 pp. Margaret Ferguson/Farrar, Straus & Giroux. $16.59.
Ever felt quietly confident one minute, and a shaking mess the next? In Viorst's story about determination, a little boy wakes up thinking about singing his song in the class talent show. | high12301.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "It's developing Pakistan's capital city"
},
"options": [
"It's Lahore Stock Exchange",
"It's one of the largest exchanges in Pakistan.",
"It's developing Pakistan's capital city",
"It's located in Khayaban- e- Aiwan -e-... | Chief Executive Office
Lahore Stock Exchange
Lahore Stock Exchange (LSE) is the 2ndlargest exchange of the country with a workforce of almost 150 employees. The Exchanges of Pakistan are currently undergoing a major reform program involving shareholding in order to develop the capital markets further.
We seek a dynamic , forward-thinking Chief Executive with ability to provide strong leadership and effective management to deliver its organization goals and strategic plan. The successful candidate should have the business both pre and post shareholding with a proven record.
The candidate should have minimum of 7 years of experience along with a business related degree or other professional qualifications. However, a strong record of achievement, excellent communication and team building skill are equally important. International qualifications or experience will be an added advantage together with the knowledge of the local corporate environment.
_ package will be highly attractive and match the position. If you are interested in a strategic leadership role and be part of an organization to make a difference, please write to:
Head of Human Resources, Lahore Stock Exchange (Guarantee)Ltd,
19thKhayaban- e- Aiwan -e- Iqbal, Lahore, Pakistan, together with your Curriculum Vitae and latest passport sized photograph. | high11620.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "when she was a child"
},
"options": [
"after Mother died",
"after she wrote the letter",
"when she was a child",
"when Mother gave it to her"
],
"question": "The writer began to love her mother's desk _ .",
... | I've loved my mother's desk since I was just tall enough to sit above the top of it. Mother sat writing letters. Standing by her chair, looking at the ink bottle, pens, and white paper, I decided that the act of writing must be a most wonderful thing in the world.
Years later, during her final illness, Mother kept different things for my sister and brother. "But the desk," she said again, "is for Elizabeth."
I never saw her angry, never saw her cry. I knew she loved me; she showed in action. But as a young girl. I wanted to have heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter.
They never happened. And a gulf opened between us. I was "too emotional ". But she lived "on the surface ".
As years passed and I had my own family. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she did forgive me.
My hope turned to disappointment, then little interest and, finally, peace - it seemed that nothing happened. I couldn't be sure that the letter had even got to Mother. I only knew that I had written it, and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not.
But the present of her desk told me, as she'd never been able to, that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work. I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside - a photo of my father and a one-paper letter, folded and refolded many times. It was my letter.
"In any way you choose, Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words." | high3367.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "a primary school student"
},
"options": [
"a middle school teacher",
"a college student",
"a senior high student",
"a primary school student"
],
"question": "The grammar book mentioned in this passage is not sui... | Preface to the fourth edition
A practical English Grammar is intended for intermediate and post-intermediate students. We hope that more advanced learners and teachers will also find it useful.
The book is a comprehensive survey of structures and forms, written in clear modern English and illustrated with numerous examples. Areas of particular difficulty have been given special attention. Differences between conversational usage and strict grammatical forms are shown but the emphasis is on conversational forms.
1. Explanation and examples have been brought up to date.
2. There is now more information on countable and uncountable nouns, attributive and predicative adjectives, adverbs of places, sentence adverbs, cleft sentences, prepositions, conjunctives, modal verbs, perfect tenses, infinitive constructions, the passive, purpose clauses and nouns.
In the fourth edition the main changes are as follows.
3. Some material has been rearranged to make comparisons easier. For example, parts of chapters on can, may, must etc. are now grouped by functions; verbs of liking and preference have a chapter to themselves; suggestions and invitations have joined the chapter on commands, requests and advice.
4. The contents list now summaries every edition heading, and there is a new index containing many more entries references.
In this edition the sign "~" is frequently used to show a change of speaker in examples of dialogue. Note also that although the sign "="sometimes connects two words or expressions with the same meaning, it is often used more freely, e.g. to indicate a transformation from active to passive or direct to indirect speech.
We wish to thank all at Oxford University Press who have assisted in the preparation of the fourth edition. We would also like to thank Professor Egawa of Nihon University, Japan, Professor Rene Dirven of Duisburg University, West Germany and other colleagues for their friendly and helpful suggestions.
London, November 1985 A.J.T., A.VM | high4408.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "make the center of the rope pass through a certain length nearer to their side"
},
"options": [
"pull the rope to their side farther",
"make the center near to their own side",
"succeed in pulling the center of the rope in th... | Tug-of-war is not only popular in China, but in many other countries. Their tug-of-war match is a little different from ours. They have eight players for each team, while we may have the match between two sides with equal men or women players. Of course, they are usually tall, strong and heavy.
For a tug-of-war match, we need a long thick rope. Each team stands at one end of the rope, holding it. Then they try to pull the center of the rope, marked in the ground towards each of their own sides. The team which succeeds in pulling the center of the rope away through a certain distance is the winner.
Many foreign sport experts think we don't have to be tall, heavy and strong to play tug-of-war. We needn't have endless energy, for a match lasts only a few minutes. The secret is good hands. The players must have big, strong and hard hands. Before they start the match, they put a mixture of oil and petrol on their hands so they can hold the rope better.
Many foreign experts say the best hands for tug-of-war belong to the sons of farmers. This is because they have to work hard when they are still very young. Farming is a good practice for this sport! | high18162.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "only after closely contacting a sick bird can they be infected"
},
"options": [
"they are strong enough to resist the infection",
"only after closely contacting a sick bird can they be infected",
"bird flu does not happen ver... | We humans love to scare ourselves. Newspapers and TV news are full of shock-horror stories about the killer flu virus but are there things we can do to cut our risk of catching it?
Every year, people in Britain catch the flu virus and some of those who are already ill, or are very young, may die. It is very sad, but modern treatment means that many deaths can be avoided.
Experts tell us that the world is another flu epidemic and that the latest bird-flu virus would be the most likely cause. Humans can catch the disease only after closely contacting with a sick bird. However, if someone who had normal flu was to come into contact with bird flu, this could be very dangerous. The bird flu virus could attach itself to the human flu virus, _ and then start to spread from person to person.
Coughs and sneezes always have spread diseases, especially colds and flu, and they still do. If bird flu does begin to infect humans, it will spread through coughs and sneezes.
If you want to stay free of flu and someone coughs or sneezes at you, what should you do?
First, keep your hands away from your face and wash them and your face as soon as you can. If a cough or a sneeze spray misses your face and you accidentally touch a droplet with your hands and then touch your face, the flu or cold bug could creep into your system. | high5716.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Monday"
},
"options": [
"another day",
"Tuesday",
"13th",
"Monday"
],
"question": "According to the report we know Discovery planned to land on _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answ... | NASA postpones Discovery landing
After orbiting the earth for nearly two weeks, astronauts aboard space shuttle Discovery were told to circle the planet for another day as bad weather inprefix = st1 /Floridaforced NASA to delay Monday's scheduled landing.
The astronauts had powered up their space-craft and were awaiting word from Mission Control to fire their breaking rockets and head for home when controllers announced early Monday that low clouds over Cape Canaveral would postpone the landing.
When cloud cover still threatened after the second of two landing opportunities, NASA officials rescheduled the landing for Tuesday, when they would consider two alternative landing sites in addition to Florida'sKennedySpaceCenter.
Before the weather _ , Discovery had been set to land before dawn. Its return to the earth would have concluded the first shuttle flight sinceColumbiadisintegrated while re-entering the earth's atmosphere 21/2 years ago.
Discovery's 13-day flight to the international space station may be the last one for a long while. NASA grounded the shuttle fleet after a slab of insulating foam broke off Discovery's external fuel tank during liftoff---the very thing that doomed(...) Columbia and was supposed to have been corrected. Discovery was the first shuttle to visit the station since 2002.
As a result ofColumbia, Discovery's crew inspected their ship for damage on five different days and also tested repair techniques developed since the tragedy. | high17251.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a terrible animal that is not popular"
},
"options": [
"a terrible animal that is not popular",
"a cultural and spiritual symbol of good luck",
"a reflection of China's national characteristics",
"an animal that can cre... | When many people in the west think of China, the animal that they think of is the dragon. For them, the dragon is an aggressive monster that breathes fire. Many popular legends tell how dragons have killed brave knights and eaten beautiful young girls.
For Chinese people, however, the dragon is not an evil monster. It's a cultural and spiritual symbol for prosperity and good luck. The dragon's main task is to create harmony and bring rain. Dragons are celebrated in art and architecture, and of course the dragon dance is a very popular ritual .
China isn't the only country to have the dragon as its symbol. Wales in the UK, has a red dragon proudly displayed on its flag. Another country in the world with a dragon on its flag is Bhutan, a tiny country between China and India.
Almost all countries in the world have an animal symbol representing their countries. This is particularly obvious during sports. The English think lions to be brave and proud animal and the English football teams have three lions on their football shirts.
Australia is famous for kangaroos, of course. The national rugby team is more commonly known as the Wallabies, a type of small kangaroo.The South African team is known as the Springboks, a type of African antelope. Likewise the New Zealanders, whether playing sports or not, are commonly known as kiwis. A kiwi is a native New Zealand bird that can't fly.
All countries are proud of their symbols, which they feel reflect national characteristics or the beauty and variety of their natural environments. Recently, a Shang hai professor claimed that using the dragon as a national symbol could make western countries have a negative view of China. But in an Internet survey 90% of Chinese people wanted to keep the dragon. | high2079.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "get some proof to show his sleeplessness was not really true"
},
"options": [
"treat him for his illness",
"find the reason why some old people didn't need any sleep",
"get some proof to show his sleeplessness was not really ... | It doesn't matter when or how much a person sleeps, but everyone needs some rest to stay alive. That's what all doctors thought, until they heard about Al Herpin. Al Herpin, it was said, never slept. Could this be true? The doctors decided to see this strange man themselves.
Al Herpin was 90 years old when the doctors came to his home in New Jersey. They thought for sure that he got some sleep of some kind. So they stayed with him and watched every movement he made. But they were surprised. Though they watched him hour after hour and day after day, they never saw Herpin sleeping. In fact, he did not even own a bed. He never needed one.
The only rest that Herpin sometimes got was sitting in a comfortable chair and reading newspapers. The doctors were _ by this strange continuous sleeplessness. They asked him many questions, hoping to find an answer. They found only one answer that might explain his condition. Herpin remembered some talk about his mother having been injured several days before he was born. But that was all. Was this the real reason? No one could be sure.
Herpin died at the age of 94. | high1570.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "make paper by ourselves"
},
"options": [
"make paper by ourselves",
"renew the old envelopes",
"make various colored paper",
"create our own newspaper"
],
"question": "It is suggested that we \"should choose pap... | Today, paper-making is a big business. But it is still possible to make paper by hand, since the steps are the same as using big machines.
You should use paper with small amounts of printing. Old envelopes are good for this reason. Colored paper also can be used, as well as small amounts of newspaper. Small pieces of rags or cloth can be added. These should be cut into pieces about five centimeters by five centimeters.
Everything is placed in a container, covered with water and brought to a boil. It is mixed for about two hours with some common chemicals and then allowed to cool. Then it is left until most of the water dries up. The substance left, called pulp , can be stored until you are ready to make paper.
When you are ready, the pulp is mixed with water again. Then the pulp is poured into a mold. The mold is made of small squares of wire that hold the shape and thickness of the paper. To help dry the paper, the mold lets the water flow through the small wire squares.
After several more drying steps, the paper is carefully lifted back from the mold. It is now strong enough to be touched.
The paper is smoothed and pressed to remove trapped air. You can use a common electric iron used for pressing clothes. | high13037.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a flexible pay to the future assistant professor"
},
"options": [
"a part time and assistant professor job",
"a job people can work for many years",
"a flexible pay to the future assistant professor",
"work that require... | Assistant Professor, Musical Theatre Dance
Wichita State University seeks to hire a full-time, 9-month, assistant professor, beginning August, 2016. Applicants are required to have a degree in dance, teaching experience at the professional or college level, ability to direct and ability to teach stage movement. Salary depends on qualifications and experience.
For complete information see http://finearts.wichita.edu.
Associate/Full Professor in Theatre and Dance
The Department of Theatre & Dance at the University of California at San Diego (http://www-theatre.ucsd.edu/) is seeking an experienced theatre artist in lighting design. Significant professional experience is required.
A review of applications will start on June 1, 2016. Application deadline: September 1, 2016.
Technical Director in Performing and Fine Arts
DeSales University's Performing and Fine Arts Department seeks a highly skilled, professional technical director. The position is a 10-month, staff position with the possibility for summer employment with the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival. BA degree or equivalent professional experience is required; MFA is preferred.
Please email materials to john.bell@desales.edu. Screening of applications begins immediately and will continue until the position is filled.
Assistant Director of Media Resources Center
Maryland Institute College of Art is seeking an Assistant Director of Media Resources Center in the Academic Affairs Division.
Position qualifications include a degree in Art History or related field with knowledge of art and design history, library experience, excellent interpersonal and communication skills and familiarity with Photoshop and scanning.
A review of applications will begin immediately. Applicants may email a letter of interest to jobs@mica.edu. Salary differs depending on your experience. Please include desired salary in your letter of interest.
Application
Interested persons should electronically submit a cover letter highlighting their experience and qualifications, and names of three professional references with phone and email contact information using the Apply Now link above. | high14758.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "it is believed to be boring and repetitive"
},
"options": [
"it is believed to be boring and repetitive",
"it is too difficult for people to learn to jump",
"it benefits the cardiovascular system",
"it requires little e... | What was your favorite sport during your childhood? Maybe running around the playground or jumping rope for hours would bring you pleasure. At that time you weren't thinking of health, you were just thinking of entertainment . But in this age of high-tech home equipment, the simple joy of jumping rope has been forgotten. I think rediscovering it probably will give you a total-body exercise.
Although considered an excellent form of exercise, jumping rope has never been widely accepted because of two reasons. First, most people consider jumping rope to be an excellent form of cardiovascular exercise, but they also believe that it is simply too difficult. In other words, they don't think they'll be able to continue jumping for the near 20 minutes in order to achieve a beneficial physical effect. Second, many people regard it as a little boring and overly repetitive --not as something fun or enjoyable.
_ . Instead of doing the usual two-foot bounce over and over again, players good at rope-jumping often change their pattern every 10 or 20 jumps. A single bounce, a double -bounce, a skip, a knee-up, side swings, as well as a variety of other easy-to-learn free-style rope-jumping .
Nowadays researchers are discovering that jumping rope also prepares the brain for learning. It is an exercise allowing both brain hemispheres to perform equally to each other . In a word, jumping rope can be a life-long activity requiring little equipment, time and space, yet leading to a much healthier life. | high8232.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "does nothing when a member of his family is badly treated"
},
"options": [
"does not succeed in business",
"needs to ask for help from his brothers",
"does nothing when a member of his family is badly treated",
"does no... | The Bedouin people think most highly of people who show loyalty. To them loyalty does not mean that one is devoted to a country, a place, or a leader. Loyalty means being faithful to one's family and tribe .
The Bedouin people take pride in their ancestors . They do not admire a hero from an ordinary or poor family as much as one who comes from an honored family. They particularly respect those who have received a good name from their ancestors and then have passed it on to their children.
A man's position among the black-tent people depends upon his ancestors, relatives, and fellow tribesmen. If they are honored, he is also honored. If they are disgraced, he too is disgraced. Therefore one carefully guards the honor of his family, his lineage ,and his tribe.
A man can protect his family's honor by being brave and generous and by giving protection to those who ask for it. He also guards it by carefully watching the women of his family.
A Bedouin woman cannot bring honor to her family, but she can bring disgrace. Even if a woman only looks as if she has done wrong, she may be killed. The honor of her family depends upon her virtue . | high15446.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Chores should be given to children at an early age."
},
"options": [
"Children will not achieve academic and career success with few chores.",
"It makes little difference when children begin chores.",
"Chores should be given ... | Today's demands for measuring childhood success have chased household chores from the to-do lists of many young people. In a survey of 1,001 US adults released by Braun Research, 82% reported having regular chores growing up, but only 28% said that they require their own children to do them. "Parents today want their kids spending time on things that can bring them success, but ironically, we've stopped doing one thing that's actually been a proven predictor of success--and that's household chores." says Richard Rende, a developmental psychologist.
Giving children household chores at an early age helps to build a lasting sense of mastery, responsibility and independence, according to research by Marty Rossmann, professor at the University of Minnesota. In 2002, Dr. Rossmann analyzed data from a longitudinal study that followed 84 children across four periods. She found that young adults who began chores at ages 3 and 4 were more likely to have good relationships with family and friends and to achieve academic and early career success, as compared with those who didn't have chores or who started them as teens.
Chores also teach children how to be empathetic and responsive to others' needs, notes psychologist Richard Weissbourd. In research, his team surveyed 10,000 high-school students and asked them to rank what they treasured more: achievement, happiness or caring for others. Almost 80% chose either achievement or happiness over caring for others. As he points out, however, research suggests that personal happiness comes most reliably not from high achievement but from strong relationships. "We're out of balance," says Dr. Weissbourd. A good way to start re-adjusting priorities , he suggests, is by learning to be kind and helpful at home.
The next time that your child asks to skip chores to do homework, resist the urge to let him or her off the hook. Being slack about chores when they compete with school sends your child the message that grades and achievement are more important than caring about others. What may seem like small messages in the moment but add up to big ones over time. | high14980.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "his unusual ability and skeleton key"
},
"options": [
"his magic tricks and inhuman powers",
"his special tricks and a skeleton key",
"his unusual ability and skeleton key",
"his inhuman talents and magic tricks"
],... | The Man of Many Secrets
Harry Houdini was one of the greatest American entertainers in the theater this century.He was a man famous for his escapes--from prison cells,from wooden boxes floating in rivers,from locked tanks full of water.He appeared in theaters all over Europe and America.Crowds came to see the great Houdini and his "magic"tricks.
0f course,his secret was not magic,or supernatural powers.It was simply strength.He had ability to move his toes as well as to move his fingers.He could move his body into almost any position he wanted.
Houdini started working in the entertainment world when he was 17,in 1891.He and his brother Theo performed card tricks in a New York club.They called themselves the Houdini brothers.When Harry married in 1894,he and his wife Bess worked together as magician and assistant,but for a long time they were not successful.Then Harty performed his first prison escape,in Chicago in 1898.Harry persuaded a detective to let him try to escape from the prison,and he invited the local newspaperman to watch.It was the publicity that came from this that started Harry Houdini's success.
Harry had fingers trained to escape from handcuffs and toes trained to escape from ankle chains,but his biggest secret was how he unlocked the prison doors.Every time he went into the prison cell,Bess gave him a kiss for good luck--and a small skeleton key,which is a key that fits many locks passed quickly from her mouth to his.
Harry used these prison escapes to build his fame.He arranged to escape from the local jail of every town he visited.In the afternoon the people of the town would read about it in their local newspapers.and in the evening every seat in the local theater would be full.What was the result? Worldwide fame,and a name remembered today. | high12329.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Steve had ever doubted whether Katie could survive"
},
"options": [
"Steve hated being a lawyer",
"Katie's bruise caused leukemia",
"Katie suffered from leukemia at four",
"Steve had ever doubted whether Katie could sur... | Steve Sparks was a young successful lawyer when a bruise on one of the legs of his 3-year-old daughter changed his life. The bruise led to a doctor's visit. The doctor said his daughter was suffering from leukemia .
Steve said that in a moment his life changed from what restaurant he was going to take his clients to lunch to whether his daughter Katie was ever going to see her fourth birthday.
For three years Katie received a lot of treatment at the Nemours Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware and with the help of wonderful doctors, kind nurses, whom Steve and his wife Michelle called heroes, Katie's leukemia was cured .
Forever changed by the experience and encouraged by the heroes at Nemours who saved his daughter's life, Steve felt he couldn't go back to business as usual. He felt there was something else he was meant to do and that something else led him to join the Nemours Foundation at the age of 28. The job change came with a 65% pay cut from what he was making as a lawyer, but Steve thought he was right and it was more important to help those who need help. Steve is glad to have made such a choice.
Katie is now a healthy 20-year-old college student and Steve is one of the leaders of the Nemours Foundation. In three weeks Steve will have a party for Katie's 21st birthday, and give big thanks to the Nemours by riding his bicycle from Nemours in Jack-sonville, Florida to Wilmington, Delaware. He'll ride 900 miles in 9 days and raise $100,000 for the Nemours Foundation with the hope of saving more children's lives. | high9892.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "\" Don't be a dog in a manger."
},
"options": [
"\" You can't get blood out a stone.\"",
"\" Don't be a dog in a manger.",
"\" The early bird gets the worm.\"",
"\" To pour oil on troubled waters.\""
],
"questio... | Sayings are quite common in spoken English. We don't normally put them in a composition or a letter. Sometimes it is helpful if you know what common proverbs mean. Here are a few examples.
" Once bitten, twice shy." If a dog bites me, I shall be twice as careful in future when I see it. This proverb is also used to apply to many things and not only to dogs. For example, if you have been cheated at a shop, you will not go to the same shop again.
"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." If I am a hunter, trying to catch birds, it is better to catch one than to see two birds in a bush but not able to catch them. Thus this means that what you have already got is better than the chance of being able to get something bigger in future.
" Don't be a dog in a manger " means " Don't be selfish." In a stable ,the manger is the place where the horse's food is put. Sometimes a dog will sleep in the manger and bark when a horse comes to get its food. The dog doesn't want to eat the horse's food in the manger but it will not let the horse eat it.
" He who pays the piper calls the tune ." A piper is a musician. The man who pays a musician can say what tunes the man will play. Thus this means that if a man provides the money for a plan, he can say how it will be carried out.
"To pour oil on troubled waters" is to try to calm things down. Oil is lighter than water. If a ship is in trouble at sea, another ship may come to help it. The second ship can send small boats to rescue people. However, it may first pour oil on the sea to make the sea less rough. | high8554.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The power of nature"
},
"options": [
"Wind, water, fire and ice",
"Volcano's beauty and danger",
"The power of nature",
"Natural force shape beautiful land of America"
],
"question": "Choose the best title for t... | Wind , water, fire and ice-these powerful natural forces have shaped the land of America in the past. They are still changing it today.
The Colorado River slowly cut down through stone to make the Grand Canyon .
Long ago, ice sheets cut Yosemite Valley and the Great Lakes, and glaciers are still on the move in Alaska.
Wind and rain storm hit the land from time to time. Fires sometimes burn down forests and destroy the homes of wild animals. This happened in Yellowstone Park in 1988.
Dead volcanic mountains such as Haleakala on Maui and Carter Lakein Oregon are beautiful to look at. But there are several active volcanoes in the US, especially along the Pacific Coast. There are also many earthquakes in this area. Scientists can do nothing to control earthquakes or volcanoes. This was shown clearly on May 18, 1980. At 8:32 that morning, Mount St Helens in Washington state broke out. The top of the mountain was blown off.
Over 60 people -campers, scientists, journalists, forest workers--were killed. Hundreds of square miles of forests were knocked down. In towns over 100 miles away, day suddenly became night. An ash cloud hid the sun for many hours. Towns and fields in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho were covered with dirty gray ash.
Scientists knew that Mt St Helens might erupt soon. But no one could say when. And no one expected the terrible strength of the eruption. Many people were surprised and unready. Harry R. Truman, 84, owned a small hotel in Mt St Helens. Scientists had asked people to move away because the volcano was becoming dangerous.
But Harry Truman would not leave his home. Now _ is covered with many feet of dirty ash. A small cross stands above the place where Harry probably died. Perhaps it is better that he did not see the destruction of Mt St Helens, the once beautiful lake, and the forests.
But slowly, life is returning to the dead area around the mountain. Grass and small plants are beginning to grow again. Deer and birds have been seen. The land will never be the same as it once was. Perhaps Mt St Helens will erupt again. But this is all part of nature's pattern of change, and man has little power to control it. | high15320.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Around 1980."
},
"options": [
"In 1975.",
"Around 1980.",
"Four years ago.",
"In 1965."
],
"question": "When was the letter most probably written?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer"... | To Whom It May Concern,
My husband Jim and I got married in 1965. For the first ten years of our marriage, I was very happy to stay home and raise our three children. Then about four years ago, our youngest child went to school, and I thought I might go back to work.
Jim was very supportive and helped me to make my decision. He started to do all the things I used to do around the house, and said he thought I could be a great success in business.
After several weeks of job hunting, I found my present job, which is working for a small public relation firm. At first, my husband was proud of me and would tell his friends, "My clever little wife can run that company she's working for."
But, as his joking words were becoming reality, Jim stopped talking to me about my job. I have received several promotions and pay increases, and I am now making more money than he is. I can buy my own clothes and a new car. Because of our combined incomes, Jim can do things that we had always dreamed of doing, but we don't do these things because he is unhappy.
We fought about little things, and Jim is very critical of me in front of our friends. For the first time in our marriage, I think there is a possibility that our marriage may come to an end.
I love Jim very much, and I don't want him to feel inferior , but I also love my job. I think I can be a good wife and a working woman, but I don't know how. Can you give me some advice? Will I have to choose one or the other or can I keep both my husband and my new career?
Please help.
Yours,
Mary | high13989.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "governments to make right policieshave made efforts"
},
"options": [
"governments to make right policieshave made efforts",
"students to meet their teachers' requirements",
"teachers to understand if their students",
"p... | No one wants to be tested. We would all like to get a driver's license without answering questionsabout rights of way or showing that we can parallel park a car. Many future lawyers and doctors probablywish they could join their profession without taking an exam.
But tests and standards are a necessary fact of life. They protect us from unskilled drivers, harmful products and dishonest professionals. In schools too exams play a. constructive role. They tell public officials whether new school programs are making a difference and where new investments are likely to pay off.
They tell teachers what their students have learned--and have not. They tell parents how their children are doing compared with others their age. They encourage students to make more effort.
It is important to recall that for most of century, educators used intelligence tests to decide whichchildren should get a high-quality education. The point of IQ testing was to find out how much children were capable of learning rather than to test what they had actually learned. Based on IQ scores, millions of children
were assigned to _ instead of solid courses in science, math, history, literature andforeign language.
This history reminds us that tests should be used to improve education. Every child should have access to a high-quality education. Students should have full opportunity to learn what will be tested; otherwise theirscores will merely reflect whether they come from an educated family.
In the past few years, we have seen the enormous benefits that flow to disadvantaged students because of the information provided by state tests. Those who fall behind are now getting extra instruction inafter-school classes and summer programs. In their efforts to improve student performance, states are
increasing teachers salaries, testing new teachers and insisting on better teacher education.
Performance in education means the mastery of both knowledge and skills. This is why it is reasonable totest teachers to make sure they know their subject matter, as well as how to teach it to young children. And this is why it is reasonable to assess whether students are ready to advance to the next grade or graduate
from high school. | high6579.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Considerate and enthusiastic."
},
"options": [
"Reliable and determined.",
"Considerate and enthusiastic.",
"Cautious and friendly.",
"Unusual and optimistic."
],
"question": "Which of the following best describ... | When I was about twelve, I headed to a restaurant for dinner with my family. It was winter, and on that particular night, the wind was really blowing. As my mom and I headed towards the restaurant from our car, a girl about my age and her mother came up to us. They asked if we had any spare change. My mom immediately asked where they kept their things. They pointed to an old car in a parking across the street. The girl said there were six of them living in that car, which was the same size as my own family.
My mom said she had something to do after handing the people a few dollars. She sent me inside the restaurant with my dad and my three siblings. But she didn't come.
Later, I found out she had gone home and practically emptied our cupboards into a few bags. Then, she brought that food over to the car and handed the bags to the family. I wasn't there when that part happened, but I can only imagine the joy it brought to their faces.
A few days later, when I actually found out about what she had done, I asked her why she helped those people. She told me that they were not lucky. I remember the face of that girl who had asked us for change, she was the same age as me, yet we looked so different.
Here I stood, dressed in almost new clothes, headed to dine in a restaurant and then back home to the bedroom I shared with my younger sister. I remember thinking that the other girl didn't have any food to eat. and she was heading back to a cold car shared with five other people.
After painting this picture in my mind, I understood why my mom had done what she did. I will never forget what she did that night, and how she taught me one of the best lessons I ever learned. | high13751.txt |
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