questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "November 7\nth."
},
"options": [
"February 6\nth.",
"March 6\nth.",
"November 7\nth.",
"December 5th."
],
"question": "When is the talk on James Brindley?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
... | Monthly Talks at London Canal Museum
Our monthly talks start at 19:30 on the first Thursday of each month except August. Admission is at normal charges and you don't need to book. They end around 21:00.
_ th
The Canal Pioneers, by Chris Lewis. James Brindley is recognized as one of the leading early canal engineers. He was also a major player in training others in the art of canal planning and building. Chris Lewis will explain how Brindley made such a positive contribution to the education of that group of early "civil engineers".
_ th
Ice for the Metropolis, by Malcolm Tucker. Well before the arrival of freezers, there was a demand for ice for food preservation and catering, Malcolm will explain the history of importing natural ice and the technology of building ice wells, and how London's ice trade grew.
_ th
An Update on the Cotsword Canals, by Liz Payne. The Stroudwater Canal is moving towards reopening. The Thames and Severn Canal will take a little longer. We will have a report on the present state of play.
_ th
Eyots and Aits- Thames Islands, by Miranda Vickers. The Thames had many islands. Miranda has undertaken a review of all of them. She will tell us about those of greatest interest.
Online bookings:www.canalmuseum.org.uk/book
More into:www.canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson
London Canal Museum
12-13 New Wharf Road, London NI 9RT
www.canalmuseum.org.ukwww.canalmuseum.mobi
Tel:020 77130836 | high10258.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "did not like asking people for help"
},
"options": [
"was tried of living alone",
"was not liked by her daughter",
"did not like asking people for help",
"did not want to be visited by her daughter"
],
"question... | "Yes, I'll be ready at nine in the morning. Goodbye, dear, and thanks again." It had not been an easy telephone call for Mrs. Robson to make. Her daughter had been very kind, of course, and had immediately agreed to pick her up and drive her to the station, but Mrs. Robson hated to admit that she needed help. Since her husband had died ten years before, she had prided herself on her independence. She had continued to live in their little house, alone.
On the evening, however, she was standing at her living room window, staring out at the SOLD notice in the small front garden. Her feelings were mixed. Of course, she was sad at the thought of leaving the house, as it was full of so many memories. But at the same time she was looking forward to spending her last years near the sea, back in the little seaside town where she had been born. With the money from the sale of the house, she had bought a little flat there. She turned from the living room window, and looked round at the walls. There was a small fish tank, with two goldfish in it. When asked why, here husband used to say, "It's nice to have something alive in the room." Since he had passed away, she had always kept some goldfish, had always had "something alive in the room".
The next morning, as her train was pulling out of the station, Mrs. Robson called to her daughter, "Kate, you won't forget to collect the goldfish, will you? The children will love them. It's ..."
"I know," Kate interrupted gently. "It's nice to have something alive in the room." | high18604.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The author hadn't been a mother until she removed from her marriage."
},
"options": [
"The author had suffered from an unfortunate marriage for a long time.",
"All the things the author did were to protect her daughter",
"The... | The day I became a mom was not the day my daughter was born, but seven years later. Up until that day, I had been too busy trying to survive my abusive marriage. I had spent all my energy trying to run a "perfect" home that would pass inspection each evening, and I didn't see that my baby girl had become a toddler. I'd tried endlessly to please someone who could never be pleased and suddenly realized that the years had slipped by and could never return.
Oh, I had done the normal "motherly" things, like making sure my daughter got to ballet and gym lessons. I went to all of her recitals and school concerts, parent-teacher conferences and open houses alone. We suffered from my husband's rages when something was spilled at the dinner table, telling her, "It will be okay, Honey. Daddy's not really mad at you." I did all I could to protect her from hearing the awful shouting and complaints after he returned from a night of drinking. Finally I did the best thing I could do for my daughter and myself: I removed us from the home that wasn't really a home at all.
That day I became a mom was the day when my daughter and I were sitting in our new home having a calm, quiet dinner just as I had always wanted for her. We were talking about what she had done in school and suddenly her little hand knocked over the full glass of chocolate milk by her plate. As I watched the white tablecloth and freshly painted white wall become dark brown, I looked at her small face. It was filled with fear, knowing what the consequence of the event would have meant only a week before in her father's presence. When I saw that look on her face and looked at the chocolate milk running down the wall, I simply started laughing. I am sure she thought I was crazy, but then she must have realized that I was thinking, "It's a good thing your father isn't here!" She started laughing with me, and we laughed until we cried. They were tears of joy and peace and were the first of many tears that we cried together. That was the day we knew that we were going to be okay.
Whenever either of us spills something, even now, seventeen years later, she says, "Remember the day I spilled the chocolate milk? I knew you had done _ for us." That was the day I really became a mom. I discovered that being a mom isn't only going to ballet or gym, recitals, and attending every school concert and open house. It isn't keeping a tidy house and preparing perfect meals. It certainly isn't pretending things are normal when they are not. For me, being a mom started when I could laugh over spilled milk. | high5070.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "is most important"
},
"options": [
"is most important",
"is considered",
"is included",
"is numbered"
],
"question": "The last word of the passage \"counts\" more probably means _ .",
"question_type": "cl... | No one knows exactly how many disabled people there are in the world, but estimates suggest the figure is over 450 million. The number of disabled people in India alone is probably more than double the total population of Canada.
In the United Kingdom, about one in ten people have some disability. Disability is not just something that happens to other people: as we get older, many of us will become less mobile, hard of hearing or have failing eyesight.
Disablement can take many forms and occur at any time of life. Some people are born with disabilities. Many others become disabled as they get older. There are many progressive disabling diseases. The longer time goes on, the worse they become. Some people are disabled in accidents. Many others may have a period of disability in the form of a mental illness. All are affected by people's attitude towards them.
Disabled people face many physical barriers. Next time you go shopping or to work or visit friends, imagine how you would manage if you could not get up steps, or on to buses and trains. How would you cope if you could not see where you were going or could not hear the traffic? But there are other barriers: prejudice can be even harder to break down and ignorance inevitably represents by far the greatest barrier of all. It is almost impossible for the able-bodied to fully appreciate what the severely disabled go through, so it is important to draw attention to these barriers and show that it is the individual person and their ability, not their disability, which counts. | high17537.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He was from England."
},
"options": [
"He was from America.",
"He was from France.",
"He was from England.",
"He was from China."
],
"question": "Where was the writer from?",
"question_type": "factiod_questi... | When I was 16 years old,I made my first visit to the United States.It wasn't the first time I had been abroad.Like most English children I also learned French at school.And I had often been to France,so I was used to speaking a foreign language to people who didn't understand English.But when I went to America I was really looking forward to having a nice easy holiday without any language problems.
How wrong I was! The misunderstanding began at the airport.I was looking for a public telephone to give my friend Danny a call and tell her that I had arrived.A friendly old man saw me looking lost and asked if he could help me.
"Yes,"I said."I want to give my friend a ring."
"Well,that's nice,"he said."Are you getting married? But aren't you a bit young?"
"Who is talking about marriage?"I replied."I only want to give my friend a ring to tell her I've arrived.Can you tell me where there's a phone box?"
"Oh!"he said,"there's a phone downstairs."
When at last we met,Danny explained the misunderstanding to me.
"Don't worry,"she said to me,"I had so many difficulties at first.There are lots of words Which the Americans use differently in meaning from British.You will soon get used to all! How funny things they say.Most of the time British and American people understand each other!'' | high16629.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "how the belief \"lead your life\" made Lee's life different"
},
"options": [
"how the belief \"lead your life\" made Lee's life different",
"how Lee kept changing his jobs to become successful",
"how talented Lee is in hi-tec... | Kai-Fu Lee is one of the most successful Chinese professional managers. He worked for big companies such as Apple, Microsoft and Google. Now he works for himself and he also writes some books. Behind each of his choices is his belief that you should "lead your life" rather than "live your life".
He made his first big decision in 1990. He was then the youngest associate professor of Carnegie Mellon University. If he had stayed a little longer, he would have become a tenured professor. But he decided to join Apple. There, he led his team to many hi-tech miracles , such as the iPod and iPhone which changed the world using hi-tech. In 1996, he went to work in SGI. In 1998, he joined Microsoft and started up Microsoft Research China which is now called Microsoft Research Asia. Because of his effort, it becomes one of the best labs in the world. In 2005, he moved on again, to Google. In his four years there, Google's market share in China jumped from 16% to 30%.
Now, he has started his own company "Innovation Works". He aims to help new Chinese companies in mobile computing and e-commerce and also help China's young people start up their own business. Young people can send their business ideas to the company. If Lee likes an idea he receives, his company will help to turn the idea into a business.
Lee has written several books. His Be Your Personal Bestis a bestseller. His autobiographyMaking a World of Difference: the Kai-Fu Lee Storytells the story of Lee's many successes but also setbacks on the way to becoming a technology and business giant. | high21085.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The word \"koala\" is an original English word"
},
"options": [
"The name was given by the native in Australia",
"The word \"koala\" is an original English word",
"The name describes one of its living habits",
"The name... | The koala is possibly one of the best known Australian animals, and is found in four states: Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. The word "koala" comes from an Australian aboriginal word meaning "no drink".
Sometimes people call them "koala bears" but koala is not a bear. It belongs to a special group of Australian mammals, called marsupial . Female marsupials have a _ where the baby animals live after they are born.
Koalas have soft, thick, grey or brown fur on their backs. The fur on the stomach is white. Koala that live in the south have thicker fur than those in the north because of the cold winters, whereas the koalas in the northern part of the country live in warm to hot weather most of the year so have thinner fur. A koala has a large hairless nose and round ears. Koalas don't have tails. Adult koalas measure between 7 and 14 kilograms.
Koalas spend nearly all their time in the trees using their sharp, curved claws and long toes to climb about and to hold on to the tree branches. They sleep most of the day, and feed and move from tree to tree mainly at night.
The reason koala sleep for much of the day is because their food eucalyptus leaves are very tough so they use a lot of energy to digest. Sleeping saves energy. Eucalyptus leaves are poisonous to almost every other animal. Koalas rarely drink water; they get water from the leaves they eat.
Each koala has a home range made up of several trees that they visit regularly. They normally do not visit another koala's home trees except that a male is looking for a female to mate with. | high3401.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Chuck Berry can be said to have formed rock and roll's basic structure."
},
"options": [
"Chuck Berry was the first to invent rock and roll on his own.",
"Chuck Berry was put into prison for leaving school in 1943.",
"Chuck B... | This week Faith Lapidus and Doug Johnson will tell you about Chuck Berry.Chuck Berry,born on October 18,1926,is often called the father of rock and roll.He is one of the most popular and influential performers of rhythm-and-blues and rock'n'roll music during the 1950s,1960s and 1970s.
He started singing in church when he was six years old.His interest in music stuck with him.A lot of Chuck Berry's material is about teenage life,especially school.Chuck Berry left school when he was 17.He headed west with two friends,but they did not get far.They were arrested after they used a gun to steal a car in Kansas City,Missouri.He was set free after four years.
Chuck Berry signed his first recording contract in 1955,with the company Chess Records.Because one of his early hits,"Rock&Roll Music", _ in the United States then,which was greeted with enthusiastic reviews.Many other famous bands copied it again and again.
Filmmaker Taylor Hackford made a documentary called"Hail! Hail! Rock'n'Roll", named for a Chuck Berry song.It centered on the making of a concert to honor the musician on his 60th birthday in 1986.Guitarist Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones organized the concert.Listening to Chuck Berry songs got him interested in music.In Keith Richards'words,"I didn't dream I could make a living at it but that's what I wanted to do."More than 75 artists and bands have done their own versions of Chuck Berry songs.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland,Ohio,included Chuck Berry in its first year of honors in 1986.The Hall of Fame had this to say:"While no individual can be said to have invented rock and roll,Chuck Berry comes the closest of any single figure to being the one who put all the essential pieces together."
Thank you for your listening.Faith Lapidus and Doug Johnson were your announcers. | high5064.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "7:30"
},
"options": [
"8:00",
"7:30",
"2:30",
"8:30"
],
"question": "According to the passage the car accident happened at _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_i... | It's eight o'clock and the time for Morning New Highlights . One person was killed and two were injured in a car accident just thirty minutes ago. Cause of the accident is not yet found out. A great fire swept through a storehouse next to the Fulton River early this morning, causing about $3,000,000 in damage. The fire which broke out at about 2:30 was finally put out at 5: 30. That was the Morning News Highlights, Dan Verne reporting. | high18610.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "His willingness to help the needy"
},
"options": [
"His work in the church",
"Being a student of medicine",
"His willingness to help the needy",
"Being a star in the NBA"
],
"question": "What was Mutombo praised... | Heroes of Our Time
A good heart
Dikembe Mutombo grew up in Africa among great poverty and disease. He came to Georgetown University on a scholarship to study medicine--but Coach John Thompson got a look at Dikembe and had a different idea. Dikembe became a star in the NBA, and a citizen of the United States. But he never forgot the land of his birth, or the duty to share his fortune with others. He built a new hospital in his old hometown in the Congo. A friend has said of this goodhearted man: " Mutombo believes that God has given him this chance to do great things."
Success and kindness
After her daughter was born, Julie Aigner-Clark searched for ways to share her love of music and art with her child. So she borrowed some equipment, and began filming children's videos in her own house. The Baby Einstein Company was born, and in just five years her business grew to more than $20 million in sales. And she is using her success to help others--producing child safety videos with John Walsh of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Julie says of her new program: " I believe it's the most important thing that I have ever done. I believe that children have the right to live in a world that is safe."
Bravery and courage
A few weeks ago, Wesley Autrey was waiting at a Harlen subway station with his two little girls when he saw a man fall into the path of a train. With seconds to act, Wesley jumped onto the tracks, pulled the man into the space between the rails, and held him as the train passed right above their heads. He insists he's not a hero. He says: " We have got to show each other some love." | high17523.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "a little soft outside and sweet inside"
},
"options": [
"green outside and sweet inside",
"good-looking outside and soft inside",
"yellowy-gold outside and hard inside",
"a little soft outside and sweet inside"
],
... | More than 10 years ago, it was difficult to buy a tasty pineapple . The fruits that made it to the UK were green on the outside and, more often than not, hard with an unpleasant taste within. Then in 1966, the Del Monte Gold pineapple produced in Hawaii first hit our shelves.
The new type of pineapple looked more yellowy-gold than green. It was slightly softer on the outside and had a lot of juice inside. But the most important thing about this new type of pineapple was that it was twice as sweet as the hit-and-miss pineapples we had known. In no time, the Del Monte Gold took the market by storm, rapidly becoming the world's best-selling pineapple variety, and delivering natural levels of sweetness in the mouth, up until then only found in tinned pineapple.
In nutrition it was all good news too. This nice tasting pineapple contained four times more vitamin C(C) than the old green variety. Nutritionists said that it was not only full of vitamins, but also good against some diseases. People were understandably eager to be able to buy this wonderful fruit. The new type of pineapple was selling fast, and the Del Monte Gold pineapple rapidly became a _ in the shopping basket of the healthy eater.
Seeing the growing market for its winning pineapple, Del Monte tried to keep market to itself. But other fruit companies developed similar pineapples. Del Monte turned to law for help, but failed. Those companies argued successfully that Del Monte's attempts to keep the golden pineapple for itself were just a way to knock them out the market. | high21091.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "The frightening ends of past fairy tales."
},
"options": [
"The frightening ends of past fairy tales.",
"His daughter's strong interest in fairy tales.",
"His desire to let his daughter know more stories.",
"His attempt... | When my daughter Sally was five, I bought Grimm's Fairy Tales and read Snow White to her one night. At the end of the original Grimm tale, Snow White's stepmother is made to put on red-hot iron shoes and dance until she falls down dead.
This came as something of a shock. I always thought fairytales had happy endings. And I didn't want my five-year-old daughter going to sleep thinking: "Thank goodness they tortured that old woman to death." That's when I decided to write fairy tales.
In the years that followed, I wrote tales non-stop and read them to Sally at bedtime. The Corn Dolly was based on a child who was always complaining; The Silly King was just a silly story Sally loved; I wrote The Witch and the Rainbow Cat for Sally because of her enormous appetite for stories about witches while Dr Bonocolus's Devil is a new version of the Faust legend.
Nifobobinus, however, was different. I wrote this book when Sally was older and took up all things girls have to do -- who's friends with who, who stuck a sticker on the back of whose boyfriend, or whatever thing she felt funny.
Nicobobinus, the boy who could do anything, came out of my desire for a more innocent world. He lived a 1ong time ago, in a city called Venice. Only his best friend, Rosie, knew he could, and nobody took any notice of anything Rosie said, because she was always having wild ideas anyway.
Nicobobinus was so different that it turned out to be an instant hit. The Times called me "an author setting out to _ the classic fairytales". I asked Sally what she thought of Nicobobinus. She said it was her favourite. | high11152.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Doctors can tell us something about our health by looking at our nails."
},
"options": [
"Doctors can tell us something about our health by looking at our nails.",
"We should see a doctor if we find nails in bad condition.",
... | When most of us look at our hands, we might notice that we need to clean, or stop biting our fingernails, and that's about it. But if you ask a doctor, he can see a whole lot more. Everything from poor diet and stress to serious kidney problems can be revealed by a glance at your fingernails.
There are about 30 different nail signs that can be associated with medical issues, though may indicate more than one problem, according to Dr.Amy Derick, a clinical instructor of dermatology at Northwestern University.
Here are five of the things a doctor can tell about your health based on your fingernails.
1. People who aren't eating well and lack vitamin or dietary may have thinner than normal nails, which are more likely to break.
2.Horizontal lines are associated with serious physical stress. They frequently occur in people who have gone through chemotherapy .They can also occur after some illnesses, injuries, or with severe malnourishment .Interestingly, there may be an altitude connection too. They've also been found in people who dove 1,000 feet and others who participated in an Everest exploration.
3. Vertical lines, however, are generally not such a big deal. Some people are more genetically prone to them than others, but they're commonly associated with aging.
4. When people lack iron, their nails can turn spoon-like. Instead of curving down and covering the finger normally, they 'll start to rise up on the sides and front, like the part of a spoon that holds liquid.
5. Kidney and liver problems can create "half-and-half nails", where one part of the nail is white and the other part dark or pink, according to Derick.
Doctors note that because disease diagnosis is complex and some symptoms can be associated with different diseases, you should always see a medical professional if you are concerned about something you notice. | high9886.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "unconscious actions"
},
"options": [
"conscious selection of sounds",
"imitation of those around him",
"a drive to make noises",
"unconscious actions"
],
"question": "For an adult, the process of speaking usuall... | Speech--the act of uttering sounds to convey meaning--is a kind of human action. Like any other
constantly repeated action, speaking has to be learned, but once it is learned, it becomes a generally
unconscious and apparently automatic process.
As far as we can determine, human beings do not need to be forced to speak; most babies seem to possess a
sort of instinctive drive to produce speech like noises. How to speak and what to say are another matter
altogetner. There actions are learned from the particular society into which the baby is born; so that, like all
conduct that is learned from a society--from the people around us--speech is a patterned activity.
The meandering babble and chatter of a young child are eventually channeled by
imitation into a few orderly grooves that represent the pattern accepted as meaningful by the people around
him. Similarly, a child's indiscriminate practice of putting things into his mouth becomes limited to putting food into his mouth in a certain way.
The sounds that a child can make are more varied and numerous than the sounds that any particular language uses. However, a child born into a society with a pattem of language is encouraged to make a small selection of sounds and to make these few sounds over and over until it is natural for him to make these
sounds and not others. | high15334.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "118 islands"
},
"options": [
"400 bridges",
"150 canals",
"118 islands",
"a lagoon"
],
"question": "The city is made up of _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_i... | Venice is a city of the sea. It is built on islands which are in the middle of lagoon . Today, the city covers 118 islands. These islands are connected by bridges. There are about 400 bridges which cross 150 canals . It is difficult to forget the sea when you are in the city.
Many people of Venice have always been fishermen, because the lagoon is full of fish. They also build ships, and travel to Dalmatia and Greece.
Venice is the "Queen " of the Adriatic Sea. Every month thousands of people visit the city, which is very beautiful. But Venice is going down. It is going down and the water is going up. In 2040 Venice will be under water. The Adriatic will cover the city. The Venetians love their city and they want to stay there. They want to save Venice. They do not want to leave. How can they succeed ? They can put some big gates in the sea, which will close, so Venice will not go down. | high22598.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "gets us to recall something from our memories"
},
"options": [
"slows down the process of losing our memories",
"helps us understand our memory system better",
"gets us to recall something from our memories",
"helps us ... | Most episodes of absent- mindedness- forgetting where you left something or wondering why you just entered a room-are caused by a simple lack of attention, says Schacter."You're supposed to remember something, but you haven't encoded it deeply."
Encoding, Schacter explains, is a special way of paying attention to an event that has a major impact on recalling it later.Failure to encode properly can create annoying situations.If you put your mobile phone in a pocket, for example, and don't pay attention to what you did because you're involved in a conversation, you'll probably forget that the phone is in the jacket now hanging in your wardrobe ."Your memory itself isn't failing you,"says Schacter."Rather, you didn't give your memory system the information it needed."
Lack of interest can also lead to absent-mindedness."A man who can recite sports statistics from 30 years ago,"says Zelinski,"may not remember to drop a letter in the mailbox."Women have slightly better memories than men, possibly because they pay more attention to their environment, and memory depends on just that.
"Visual cues can help prevent absent -mindedness",says Schacter."But be sure the cue is clear and available,"he cautions.If you want to remember to take a medication with lunch, put the pill bottle on the kitchen table-don't leave it in the medicine chest and write yourself a note that you keep in a pocket.
Another common episode of absent-mindedness: walking into a room and wondering why you're there.Most likely, you were thinking about something else."Everyone does this from time to time,"says Zelinski.The best thing to do is to return to where you were before entering the room, and you'll likely remember. | high7673.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "someone had invaded his \"space\""
},
"options": [
"he had no place to sit",
"someone had invaded his \"space\"",
"too many people shared a section with him",
"some other people talked about things he didn't know about"... | People often say that the Englishman's home is his castle. They mean that the home is very important and personal to him. Most people in Britain live in houses rather than flats, and many people own their homes. This means that they can make them individual; they can paint them, and change them in any way they like. Most houses have a garden, even if it is a very small one, and the garden is usually loved. The house and the garden are the private space of the individual.
People usually like to mark their space. Are you sitting now in your home or on a train? Have you marked the space around yourself as yours ? If you are on the train you may put your coat or small bag on the seat beside you. If you share a flat you may have one corner or chair which is your own.
Once I was traveling on a train to London. I was in a section for four people and there was a table between us .The man on the space on my side of the table at all. I was angry. Maybe he thought that he owned the whole table .I had read a book about non-verbal communication, so I took various papers out of my bag and put them on his briefcase! When I did this he stiffened and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. I had invaded his space! A few minutes later I took my papers off his case in order to read them. He immediately moved his case to his side of the table. Of course, it is possible that he just wanted to be helpful to me!
If you are visiting another country you may feel that you don't have any private space. Hotel rooms look much the same in every country in the world. All day long ,you share public spaces with other people. You see the local people in their private spaces and _ . Local people can create their private spaces by talking about things you don't know about .And you even feel that they like you to be outside _ so that they will enjoy being inside even more! This is one of the difficulties of being a traveler !But if you understand it then it helps you .Haven't you enjoyed being part of a group and "owning" a bit of space? | high1202.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "they wanted to make their kids understand the pleasure of giving"
},
"options": [
"they wanted to make their kids understand the pleasure of giving",
"their kids could receive presents from their other family members",
"the s... | Earlier this month, blogger Lisa Henderson announced that she and her husband John had decided not to have Christmas. The family, who lives in Utah, will still put up decorations, but presents from Santa are a no-go this year.
"John and I feel like we are fighting a very hard uphill battle with our kids when it comes to their rights," Henderson wrote on her blog. "It is one of the biggest struggles as a parent these days in middle class America. Our kids have been acting so ungrateful lately. ... John said, "We shouldn't just celebrate Christmas. And, so that's what we did."
Instead, the Hendersons are putting the money they would have spent on gifts toward service projects in order to teach their three sons the "pleasure of giving." The children will still receive gifts from grandparents and other family members, but this year, she said, their letters to Santa will be asking him to find someone who needs presents more than they do.
In an interview with ABC News, 11-year-old Caleb Henderson admitted that he and his brothers had been behaving badly. "We would hit each other. We were fighting and crying," he admitted, and Lisa said that _
But so far, Henderson told Fox News last week, the family is having a sudden turning this into a different kind of gift. They have already held a clothing drive and sent boxes of clothes and candy to a village in the Philippines that was hit hard last year by Typhoon Haiyan.
"The children were excited and kept wanting to give more and more," she reported on her blog.
Many readers responded positively to Henderson's post. Some sharing their own stories of limiting Christmas in order to teach their children to be charitable or grateful. "As parents you're giving your kids something so much more special than a bunch of gifts on Christmas," one wrote.
But Henderson received negative follow-ups as well on her blog. Responding to critics, she updated her blog with a statement that reads, in part:
I just wanted to explain a couple of things. First, my kids are in no way hurt for things.... They have reacted by making gifts for each other and packing them into each other's stockings stealthily . They are learning exactly what we wanted them to learn, because they are not moving around feeling sorry for themselves. They are thinking of others.
The second thing I wanted to explain is why I wrote this post. Some people seem to think I wrote this for attention. Ummm, the attention you get from posts like this is not good and actually extremely difficult to deal with.... The reason I wrote this post is I want to empower parents to feel like it's okay to take a stand. ... I wanted to share what we are doing, so any parents that feel they are struggling with the same issues in their home can see what others are doing and get ideas for their family. My intention is to help support other parents and to raise amazing kids. | high13745.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Suggestions on How to Build a More Meaningful Career"
},
"options": [
"Suggestions on How to Build a More Meaningful Career",
"Steps on How to Live Happily and Comfortably",
"Do not Hate Your Job Any Longer.",
"Find Out... | Many people go to work each day to a job they hate. The harmful feelings influence their entire life, putting a negative cloud over the home, their friends and many of their other activities. There is a better way to live your life. Meaningful purpose is a driving force that adds enthusiasm to your days. Here are a few steps to get the new career rolling:
Do some self-analysis. Ask yourself -- What really matters to me? What problem or wrong would I like to fix? What do I enjoy? Where are my interests and hobbies? What are my priorities? What is my secret passion? What do I want to do with the rest of my life? Reviewing these questions can give you new insight to where you want to go.
Use your unique genius and talents. Every person is born with a unique set of natural abilities. Talents, such as managing, creating, researching, training others, drawing, can all seem like easy work because you have a natural flair for them. True happiness comes from combining your natural talents, developing and excelling in them, and working in a field, job, industry that you have a passionate interest in.
Make a decision. Only action can change your life. Read a book. Take vocational tests. Use a good career-management professional. Do some career exploration and gather all the information you need. Then make a decision and go forward. Outline the action steps to reach your career goal. Finding meaning, passion and purpose every day you go to work is the wonderful reward, so don't wait any longer. Begin right now and set in motion your own plan to live a happier, more satisfying life. | high1564.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "In Kruger National Park."
},
"options": [
"In the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic.",
"In Kruger National Park.",
"In the Piazza San Marco.",
"At the Nelson Mandela Museum."
],
"question": "Where can you see a v... | Wonderful places can he visited at a low price. You call visit the following places with hotel rates and services that are down the average.
SOUTH AFRICA
Nelson Mandela's hotel rate is 8 percent down compared to the previous years. You can enjoy safari or just hang out with the free-walking penguins on Boulders Beach, Cape Town. Let's take the case of Kruger National Park. The entrance fee is 20 USD(14.51 EUR). In the Park, you will discover wild animals of Africa such as buffalo, weaver, elephant shrew, leopard tortoise, ant lion, and rhino beetle. They are gathered in one place just to make visitor's pleasures. And this is mostly the case in all sites and attractions in South Africa. In Johannesburg holiday makers are free to pay a visit at the Nelson Mandela Museum.
VENIC (favorite destination and yet low-cost)
Although Venice is known as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, hotel rates and services are low-cost compared to other destinations. With Venetian atmosphere, you can buy commodities of world-famous brands easily. One night 3-Stars hotel only costs around 14 Euros or 19. 3 USD ill minimum
ATLANTIC CANADA
Seafood and a rich history await holidaymakers at affordable prices. Special deals and discounts can be seen in almost all hotels in Atlantic Canada. With 48.24 USD (35 Euros), you can spend one night in Country Hearth Inn Atlantic City. Of course, with more than that, all attractions, services and commodities are available. You can also buy a ticket at 10 OUSD to enter the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic and its wharves . | high13023.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "The musical environment in which he was brought up"
},
"options": [
"The musical environment in which he was brought up",
"His father's musical instruments",
"The church music he listened to",
"The recordings of jazz gr... | John Coltrane was born in North Carolina in 1926 and raised in the small farm town of High Point. As a young boy, he spent a great deal of time listening to the music of the black Southern church. Coltrane's father sewed clothes and could also play several musical instruments for his own enjoyment. The young Coltrane grew up in such a musical environment. And he discovered jazz by listening to the recordings of such jazz greats as Count Basie and Lester Young.
When John was thirteen, he asked his mother to buy him a saxophone. People realized almost immediately that the young man could play the instrument very well. John learned by listening to the recordings of the great jazz saxophone players, Johnny Hodges and Charlie Parker.
In 1943 John and his family moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He studied music for a short time at the Granoff Studios and at the Ornstein School of Music. He served for a year in a Navy band in Hawaii. When he returned, he began playing the saxophone in several small bands.
In 1948, Coltrane joined trumpet player Dizzy Gillespie's band. Seven years later, Coltrane joined the jazz group of another trumpet player, Miles Davis.Then he began experimenting with new ways to write and perform jazz music, and explored many new ways of playing the saxophone.Some people did not like this new sound, while others said it was an expression of modern soul and represented an important change. By 1965, Coltrane became one of the most famous jazz musicians in the world. He was famous in Europe and Japan, as well as in the United States. He was always trying to produce a sound that no one had produced before. Some of the sounds he made were beautiful. Others were like loud screams. Miles Davis said Coltrane was the loudest, fastest saxophone player that ever rived.
Many people could not understand his music. But they listened anyway. Coltrane never made his music simpler to become more popular. He continued to perform and record even as he suffered from liver cancer. He died in 1967 at the age of forty in Long Island, New York. | high8226.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "They have the same ending sound."
},
"options": [
"They have the same ending sound.",
"They have different ending sounds.",
"They must have the same meaning.",
"They must have different meanings."
],
"question":... | Two words rhyme with each other when they have the same ending word, like "think," "pink". The last word in each of the lines of a poem does not have to have a rhyming sound, many of them do. Two lines of poetry that rhyme with each other at the end are call rhyming couplet.
Writing rhyming poetry can be difficult because you need to choose words that not only rhyme but have meaning, too. Even though some poems are short, you have to think extra long at which words to choose. Here is an example of a short poem:
He was only a bug, but he was the king.
She smiled at him when he gave her a ring.
He forgot to be careful of one little thing.
His queen was a bee, and she could sting. | high7115.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Message in a Gift"
},
"options": [
"Ways of Choosing Gifts",
"An Important Tradition",
"Exchanging Presents",
"Message in a Gift"
],
"question": "The best possible title for this passage is \" _ \".",
"que... | Have you ever received a gift that was so dearly, not your taste that you wondered if perhaps it had been handed to you by mistake? Worse, have you ever given a present and watched your friend look as though she had opened the wrong box? Maybe she responded with a polite "Why, thank you," but you knew _ . Why do presents sometimes go wrong? And what do your choices (good and bad) reflect about your personal qualities?
Choosing the right gift is an art, I believe. It calls for empathy -- the ability to put yourself into someone else's head and heart. We're all able to do this; in fact, we're born with a kind of natural empathy. After the earliest period of childhood, however, it needs to be reinforced -- by our parents, teachers, friends. When it isn't, we're not able to understand other people's feelings as sharply. This can show in the gifts we select, and so can many other emotional qualities.
Think back to the presents you've given over the past year, the time and effort you put into your selection, how much you spent, your thoughts while you were shopping, and your feelings when the receiver opened the package. Keep in mind that what you choose displays your inner world. (Of course, you may express yourself differently with different friends, relatives, and other people you know.)
We live in a society where exchanging presents is an important part of communication. Ignoring the tradition won't make it go away. If you really dislike such a tradition, tell your friends ahead of time. | high14994.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Children's study can be badly influenced if they watch too much TV."
},
"options": [
"Family time has been destroyed.",
"Children who watch too much TV are often overweight.",
"Children spend less time sleeping because of wat... | Children lie on couches or sit on floors, nearly hypnotized by all kinds of messages coming from the television. This scene has become all too familiar. Increasingly, young children are adopting a watching-TV lifestyle, at s stage in life when activity is important to their growth. Furthermore, family time is being destroyed by too much TV time. Here are some facts you need to know:
*Research shows that children spend between five and six hours per day watching TV, and they go to bed before having any communication with other family members.
*Time spent in front of a screen is reducing the amount of time children spend sleeping.
*The more time a youth spends in front of a screen, the more likely he or she is to be overweight.
Experts offer the following advice to parents on how to stop their children from becoming addicted to television:
*Do not put a TV in a child's bedroom.
*Make meal time, family time -----turn off the TV during a family meal time. Better yet, remove the TV from the eating area.
*Make TV time active time by doing simple exercise during advertisement breaks.
*Help your kids be clever TV watchers by teaching them to recognize a sales trick in advertisements .
*Create family memories by planning fun activities instead of always watching TV with your family.
* _ . Limit your own TV watching to less than two hours per day. The best way to learn is to follow; this is especially true for children. | high11634.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "drive"
},
"options": [
"make money",
"drive",
"climb in through the window",
"meet a lot of people"
],
"question": "The driver always worked at night because it was easier to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze... | This is a talk by a London taxi driver.
"I've been a taxi driver for nearly ten years. Most London taxi drivers have their own taxis."
"It's a nice job most of time. You meet a lot of people. I always work at night, because there is too much traffic during the day. I live twenty miles outside London and I go to work at 5:30 in the afternoon."
"I usually go home between 2 and 3 in the morning."
"Some very strange things happened late at night .The other day I was taking a woman home from a party .She had her little dog with her. When we got to her house, she found that she had lost her key. So I waited in the car with the dog while she climbed in through the windows."
"I waited and waited. After half an hour of ringing the bell I decided to find out what was going on .I tied the dog to a tree and started to climb in through the window. The next thing I knew was that the police came. They thought I was a thief.
Luckily the woman came downstairs.She must have gone to sleep and forgotten about me and the dog!" | high3373.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "A 14yearold girl."
},
"options": [
"A 4yearold boy.",
"A 6yearold girl.",
"An 8yearold girl.",
"A 14yearold girl."
],
"question": "Which of the following persons is suitable for Dam Release Whitewater Rafting?",... | Welcome to Pocono Whitewater
There's something fun here at Pocono Whitewater for every level of adventurer! We have mild to wild whitewater rafting , family trips, and birdwatching boating. Choose one adventure now. It's up to you! We have trips available daily. Give us a call today!
Dam Release Whitewater Rafting
Experience the best whitewater on the Lehigh River! Surrounded by forests and mountains, you will enjoy 12 miles and 5 hours of Class III whitewater rafting and outstanding scenery. This is a fun and thrilling trip that everyone over the age of 12 can make. While paddling in the swift water, you'll shout and laugh.
Dam Release Whitewater Rafting Rates:
Individual (over the age of 12) : $61.00
Group (at least 8 persons) : $31.00
Rates Include: all necessary rafting equipment, life jackets, free parking, bus service to/from the river and professional river guides.
Family Style Whitewater Rafting
Bring along the whole family this summer and enjoy 8 miles and 5 hours of Class I whitewater rafting. Mild water of the Lehigh River is simply perfect for beginners, school groups, and kids aged 4 and older. This is just perfect for enjoying the passing scenery, kicking your feet over the edge of the raft, or taking a swim in the river!
One of the most unique things about this trip is a free riverside barbeque ! Our workers will cook and serve you a picnic lunch -- hotdogs, potato salad, fruit, etc. The classic family picnic!
Family Style Whitewater Rafting Rates:
Adult: $39.00
Child (aged 4--14) : $33.00
Group (at least 8 persons) : $30.00
Rates Include: all necessary rafting equipment, life jackets, free parking, bus service to/from the river, and a barbeque lunch, river guides not included. | high19268.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the newly-designed \"atmospheric satellites\""
},
"options": [
"the development of aircraft industry.",
"a new kind of orbital satellite",
"a company called \"Tian Aerospace\"",
"the newly-designed \"atmospheric satelli... | While very young unmanned aircraft industry looks at ways to improve small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for specific tasks such facility security, infrastructure inspection, or precision agriculture, a New Mexico-based aerospace founder is thinking bigger and longer-term ones. Titan Aerospace, a one-year-old aircraft designer, last week unveiled its Solara 50 and Solara 60 unmanned aircraft. These are two large solar-powered>> high-altitude vehicles the company plans to send up into space for weeks,months>> and eventually years at a time without ever having to land.
Titan doesn't refer to these concept aircraft as "drones " or "unmanned aircraft system," but instead calls them "atmospheric satellites" for their ability to remain in the sky for extended periods of time just as orbital satellites do. The company hopes to provide a platform of less than $2 million that governments, private industry, and research institutions can put high into the atmosphere for extended periods of time for a little part of the cost of a space satellite.
The idea is that an atmospheric satellite can conduct most of the same operations as an orbital one: atmospheric observation and weather monitoring, communications relay, oceanographic research, and earth imaging. Other operations are impractical for space satellites, such as border security, maritime traffic monitoring and anti-piracy operations, disaster response, or agricultural observation. And with continuous flight time of up to five years, Solara's aircraft would have endurance on par with (......) many small satellites, making them a more attractive choice for a range of these applications. "If you have to go up to the orbital satellite and rent that service>> that's a lot of money," says Dustin Sanders, Titan's chief electrical engineer. "And launching a satellite, that can cost billions of dollars. We're trying to do a single-million-dollar-per-aircraft platform. And the operation cost is almost nothing--you're paying a little money and make sure the aircraft doesn't do anything stupid. " | high18176.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "equip new immigrants with the skills needed"
},
"options": [
"equip new immigrants with the skills needed",
"help new immigrants set up a home away from home",
"provide support for new immigrants in financial need",
"he... | The Andrew Romay Immigrant Support Program (ISP) at the International Center provides a welcoming place for immigrants where they can build the skills they need to fully participate in the professional and social life of their new country.
About the Program
The Andrew Romay Immigrant Support Program (ISP) at the International Center provides an integrated set of educational, cultural, and professional activities at ICNY to help immigrants:
*improve their English
*develop the networks they need to achieve their goals and fully participate in American life
*find a welcoming "home away from home"
Participants have access to a wide-range of programming, including:
*more than 40 weekly classes in English language and American culture
*practical and career-skills workshops
*opportunities to explore New York City and the nearby area through trips and tours[
ISP is particularly focused on helping newly arrived immigrants at a critical point in their lives. Recent arrivals in financial need receive one-year scholarships and low-cost meals. ISP is funded by Andrew Romay and a sum of money from the Open Society Institute.
If you are interested in applying for ISP, please fill out our online application or contact ISP Program Manager, Elaine Roberts at (212) 255-9555 or at eroberts@intlcenter. org.
Resources for Current ISP Members
RECOMMENDED CLASSES
*Intermediate level: Introduction to Writing & Interviewing Skills on Wednesday,
from 11 am - l2:l0pm.
*High Intermediate/Advanced: Tips for Success at Work and Beyond on Tuesday, from 2-3:25pm.
*Advanced: Career Skills Workshop on Wednesday, from 6-8pm. Sign-up required.
*For all levels: Interviewing Skills Workshop on Saturday, from 11 am. - 2 pm. Sign-up required.
UPCOMING EVENTS
To see a list of upcoming events, visit our News & Events page.
OTHER RESOURCES
If you would like helpful resources on topics such as ESOL, healthcare, housing, or finding a job, please visit our Member Resources page. | high17245.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The parrot imitated the fire alarm at Shanna's house."
},
"options": [
"Shanna Sexton was amazed to see a parrot in her garden.",
"Ledger loved her parrot very much and worried for his missing.",
"The parrot has been missing ... | According to the Daily Telegraph on February 10, a British woman who was "pushed to the edge" by a _ fire alarm that sounded non-stop for several days discovered that the sound was in fact made by a parrot in her garden.
Shanna Sexton, 25, from Devon, UK, even called in workmen to try and solve the problem. But she was amazed to see an African Grey Congo parrot stopped on a water bucket
The noisy parrot, called Sammi, had escaped from neighbor Louise Ledger's house a week earlier and spent seven days in the garden imitating a smoke alarm.
Ledger, 38, was worried and spent hours searching for her beloved pet and she even pasted the neighborhood with missing posters hoping for Sammi's return.
" _ . I am going to give Shanna a huge bunch of flowers. When I found out where he was I could not have got there any faster. He is always making funny noises from anywhere and everywhere. I think he must have heard me burning the toast once so he made the smoke alarm noise," said Ledger. | high20402.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Liu Junsheng"
},
"options": [
"Zhu Bo",
"Zeng Hao",
"Liu Junsheng",
"Wei Guihong"
],
"question": "From the text, we know that the real expert on employment is _",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{... | More college graduates in China are seeking for work experience instead of advanced degrees, a survey shows. The practical approach, coupled with a record number of students graduating from college, is expected to strengthen competition in the job market, analysts said.
More than 76 percent of university students said they wanted to work after earning their degrees this summer, up from 68.5 percent in 2012 and 73.6 percent last year, according to poll results from Zhaopin.com, a major online agency, Zhu Bo.
The annual survey also shows that about 20 percent university graduates chose to further education after graduation, while about 3 percent wanted to start their own businesses.
Zeng Hao ,a 25-year-old media major, managed to land a job in a publishing company in Zhongshan, Guangdong province, before he received his master's degree from the University of Macau in June. " Work experience really matters in the publishing industry" he said.
Wei Guihong , a program administrator at Nanjing University, said about 60 percent of the school's graduates entered the labor market every year. "More and more students majoring in a foreign language choose to go abroad to continue their studies to improve their language skills," she said continuously, "That's perhaps a bright future."
Liu Junsheng , a researcher at the Labor and Wage Institute of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, believes that economic conditions play a vital role in shaping college graduates' choices ."There were fewer job opportunities in the market. " he said. "Although academic degrees still matter, more and more employers value job seekers' work experience." he said.
The Zhaopin.com survey shows that each of the graduates sent resumes on average to about 28 potential employers and received five interview opportunities. | high11807.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "bad food"
},
"options": [
"an insect bite",
"bad food",
"bad water",
"cold weather"
],
"question": "What made Janet sick?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
}
] | Dr. Martinez put on a false smile as she entered Janet Eslin's hospital room. She couldn't let Janet see that she was worried. Yet she had been searching for the cause of Janet's illness and hadn't found a clue .
"How are you feeling today?" Dr. Martinez asked her patient. Janet replied that she felt about the same----terribly uncomfortable.
The doctor tried to get Janet's mind off her health by talking about Janet's vacation at Lake Winnow. But Dr. Martinez couldn't keep her own mind on the conversation. She kept wondering what could be wrong with her patient.
Suddenly Janet's words interrupted Dr. Martinez's thoughts: "... the vacation was really perfect, except for the food. The last meal I ate was especially terrible."
Dr. Martinez quickly snapped back into the conversation, "Janet, when did you eat that meal?" Janet said that it had been the day before yesterday.
"I think we've discovered your problem," Dr. Martinez said as she left. Several hours later, Dr. Martinez was back with the answer. "Janet, the food you ate made you ill. You're suffering from food poisoning. Now that we know what's wrong, we can take care of your problem." | high2086.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "introduce Internet dating to us"
},
"options": [
"persuade readers to go dating on the Internet",
"inform us how to date on the Internet",
"warn readers against web love",
"introduce Internet dating to us"
],
"q... | Internet dating has become one of the biggest and most successful business ventures on the Internet.Basically,Internet dating is a way to meet people for either friendship or dating without actually having to meet them in person first.
The first thing to do if you decide to try Internet dating is to build your profile which can include your hobbies,hopes for the future,and so on.A photograph is optional,but many sites claim that a photograph increases the number of people who look at your profile. Many Internet dating sites will charge a one-time registration fee to use their services.
Internet dating makes it possible to meet people from all over the world. You call even narrow the search down to your area by zip code.Another advantage is that you can communicate by email before you meet in person.Thousands of people have met,fallen in love,and married through Internet dating.It is an excellent way for shy people to meet.It is also a way for people with busy lives to connect with others,and an easy way to meet people who share your interests.
Just as in conventional dating and love,there are some pitfalls to be aware of in Internet dating.The person you have been talking to on the net may not be who they say they are. Be very aware that there are some people who misrepresent their appearance or private details,such as marital status,income,and so on,for their own reasons.It would not be the first time that someone has been taken in, and talk shows are full of cheating partners who have been caught dating over the Internet in their spare time.Nevertheless,taking a few simple precautions should help ensure that your Internet dating experience is fun. | high3398.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "comparing good books to good friends in life"
},
"options": [
"describing life experience of great writers",
"telling his own story of reading good books",
"presenting the best thoughts in good books",
"comparing good b... | A man may usually be known by the books he reads as well as by the company he keeps. One should always live in the best company, whether it be of books or of men.
A good book may be among the best of friends. It is the most patient and cheerful of companions. It always receives us with the same kindness; amusing and instructing us in youth, and comforting us in age.
Men often discover their similarity to each other by the common love they have for a book just as two persons sometimes discover a friend by the admiration which both entertain for a third. There is an old proverb, "Love me, love my dog." But there is more wisdom in this: "Love my, love my book." The book is a truer and higher bond of union. Men can think, feel, and sympathize with each other through their favorite author. _
A good book is often the best container of a life preserving the best that life could think out; for the world of a man's life is, for the most part, but the world of his thoughts. Thus the best books are treasuries of good words, the golden thoughts, which become our steady companions and comforters.
Books are by far the most lasting products of human effort. Temples and statues decay , but good books survive. Time is of no account with great thoughts, which are as fresh today as when they first passed through their author's minds, ages ago.
The great and good do not die, even in this world. Preserved in books, their spirits walked abroad. The book is a living voice. It is an intellect to which one still listens. | high5931.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "they were taken care of and cured"
},
"options": [
"they were warmly welcomed",
"they were taken care of and cured",
"they were to be trained",
"they would live with human beings"
],
"question": "The dolphins st... | Rescue workers and volunteers in prefix = st1 /Floridaworked non-stop to help as many dolphins as they could to return to deep water. Some dolphins made it. About 24 died.
For 35 dolphins in danger there was only one chance for survival--to be sent to the Marine Mammals Care Centre.
The dolphins were placed in a water pool where they have been given care _ by hundreds of volunteers who signed up for four-hour shifts . By the second week in April, only 11 of the original 35 were still alive.
Each year thousands of dolphins, the lovely marine mammals, are found beached or stranded along coastlines around the world. They can't get back to the sea and will die if they don't get help, according to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society's website.
Nobody knows what caused the dolphins to strand themselves, but the US Navy and marine wildlife experts are investigating whether the dolphin stranding was caused by sonar exercises of ships. And some scientists suggest disease, or human interference . The reason for stranding isn't completely understood.
In the pool, volunteers hold the dolphins and keep their blowholes out of the water so they can breathe. A vet injects the mammals with vitamin E to help with muscle cramping . Unable to eat on their own, they are fitted with a feeding tube to get them the needed nutrition.
"Today we made the first steps in getting them to eat dead fish and to eat them out of our hands," Banick said. It's a race against time and feeding times must be strictly kept to. | high19283.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "people were in a hurry"
},
"options": [
"people were in a hurry",
"they were not interested in music",
"it was too cold in the subway",
"the performance was not good enough"
],
"question": "Few people stopped to... | A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, 1,100 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
Three minutes went by, and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace, and stopped for a few seconds, and then hurried up to meet his schedule.
A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the money box without stopping, and continued to walk.
A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.
The one who paid the most attention was a 3-year-old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried, but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally, the mother pushed hard, and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.
In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money, but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the most talented musicians in the world. He had just played one of the most beautiful pieces ever written, on a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.
Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
This is a real story. Joshua Bell's playing in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment.
The outlines were: in a common environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we enjoy beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected situation?
One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?" | high6586.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "nanometer<micrometer<millimeter<meter"
},
"options": [
"nanometer<millimeter<micrometer<meter",
"nanometer<micrometer<millimeter<meter",
"micrometer<millimeter<nanometer<meter",
"millimeter<micrometer<nanometer<meter"
... | Though "nanometer" is now a fashionable term all over the world,few people know exactly what it is.It has become a new favorite of manufacturers and sellers in recent years.Many "high-tech" products bearing the name "nano" have entered the market,bringing more mysterious feeling to surprised consumers.
Nanometer is a very small length unit of measure,and is very small.One millimeter is 1000 micrometers,and one micrometer is 1000 nanometers.That is,one nanometer is one billionth of a meter.Nano materials are solid materials composed of particles or crystallites of less than 100 nanometer in size.Then,is a cup made of nano material really any different from an ordinary cup in function as far as how it works?
Are nano cups really so wonderful?A reporter went to the Institute of Nanomedicine,which is the first such institute of such a sort in the world and the only one in China,specializing in researching the investigation of the application of nano technology into medicine.
Ji(director Institute of Nanomedicine):
A water molecule is composed of 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom.It can be alterchanged only by special manipulation of the atoms.The material constituting the cup can have a nanometer particles size of the nano level.But it cannot change the chemical and physical properties of the water contained in it.The water in the cup is still water.When people drink it,it will produce no special effect on human body.
Prof.Ji told the reporter,so far,the investigation of nano materials is still confined in the laboratory.No commercial micro products can be produced yet.With the present level of science and technology,the time of everyday goods age of daily use articles made of nanometer materials is still years away.
The commodities labeled with nano marks in the market now are only traditional products coated with a thin layer of nanometer material,which makes them _ .
Prof.Ji explained that nano cup is a real cup.It can also be included in the list of nano products in a certain sense.But the nano cup has not changed its property and function as a cup.It is not a magical medicine for curing and health care. | high7840.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Flower festival"
},
"options": [
"Russian dances",
"Kite show",
"Folk music",
"Flower festival"
],
"question": "Suppose you are too far away from Beijingor you can't spare time to go there in person, which of th... | Russian dances: The famous "Little White Birth" Dance Troupe will travel from prefix = st1 /Russiato present performances inBeijing.
The troupe, founded in 1948, is famous for their combination of Russian folk dances and classical dancing art.
It has been invited by the Beijing Foreign Culture Exchange Co to give four performances in Beijing.
Tickets are available through ticket hotlines and website such as www. paio. com. cn, www. chinaticket, com and www. ticket, elong. com.
Time: 7: 30 pm, January 18 - 21
Place: Beizhan Theatre, 135, Xiwai Dajie, Xicbeng District
Tel: 6606-4258
EXHIBITIONS
Kite show: All together 81 kites collected by the ChinaNational Art Museum is on show in theYanhuangArt Museum.
Kong Xiangze, an expert on Chinese kites, published a book on kites, explaining the origins of the Kite-making process. The exhibited kites arc made in a traditional Chinese style.
Time: 9 am-5 pm until February 11
Place: 9 Huizhong Lu
Tel: 6491-2902 CONCERTS
Folk music: A concert of classics of Chinese folk music will greet audiences on the first day of the Year of Snake at the Beijing Concert Hall.
The China Song and Dance Ensemble will perform dozens of traditional instrumental pieces, such as "Full of Joy", "Colourful Cloud Chasing the Moon." and "Spring Festival Suite."
Time: 7: 30 pm, January 24
Place: 1, Beixinhuajie, Xicheng District
Tel: 6559-8285
EVENTS
Flower festival: The Beijing Botanical Garden is bringing people a blooming festival with the beautiful flowers in its tropical plants greenhouse.
The garden has introduced nearly 80 kinds of flowers abroad for the exhibition.
There is also an exhibition of potted narcissus landscapes. More than 300 mini landscapes involving imported narcissus will be displayed, people can get a preview of the show by visiting www. beijingbd, com, the garden's website.
Time: 8:30 am-5 pm until January 28
Place: Wofosi Lu near the Fragant Hills
Tel: 8259-5547 | high24102.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "that they lose their position of authority in their families"
},
"options": [
"that they can't understand the English language",
"that they lose their position of authority in their families",
"that their children have lost s... | Many immigrants to the United States find the decision to seek better lives for their families in America can have an unexpected and tragic consequence . Deep differences with their children develop over language and culture.
"Many immigrants arrive here without much education. Their kids soon gain language skills and also street marts on how to live in America, leaving the parents at a disadvantage," Ileana , Roses, pastor of a Methodist church group operating in Virginia, said.
"Not only that but they find they cannot relate to children who quickly absorb American culture," she said.
According to the US Census Bureau , the number of foreign born or first generation Americans reached 55 million last year, a record one in five of the total population.
A government survey of 922 immigrants in 2000 found that nearly 40 percent of those who had been in the United States for more than 15 years would still like to take English classes if they had the time.
Two thirds of low income households depended on their children for translation.
Psychologists and sociologists say parents can lose their position of authority in a family as a result and the effects of that can be far-reaching.
Children exposed to American pop culture that glorifies youth and sexuality often rebel when their parents try to impose the conservative values they brought with them.
"Americanization erodes all important aspects of parenting," said Richard Weissbourd, who teaches education at Harvard University.
"I feel a part of me is dying with my children. They don't listen to my music. I have to play it on Sunday morning when they are not around," said an immigrant. | high7698.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "God sent him $100 in cash."
},
"options": [
"God sent him $100 in cash.",
"the post office employees sent him $100 in cash",
"he would not die with getting $100",
"the post office employees kept $90"
],
"questio... | An old man decided to write a letter to God:
Dear God,
I am nearing the end of my life. The doctors tell me I am dying of cancer and have a few months to live. In fact, as You know, throughout my entire life I've had nothing but bad luck. But no matter what You have inflicted on me, I have never lost my faith in You.
In return for this loyalty , I ask just one thing of you. Please prove Your existence to me by sending me $100 in cash, and I will die a happy man.
Yours insignificantly,
An Old Man
The letter arrived at the local post office where the employees noticed it was addressed To God: Heaven. They all knew the old man and, after reading the letter with tears in their eyes, took pity on him, ninety dollars was raised and posted to him. The old man was _ and immediately wrote a "thank you" letter to God. The post office received the letter and all gathered around to read it.
Dear God,
I thank You with all my heart for taking time from Your busy schedule and answering my request...I am now a happy man.
Yours (in the very near future),
An Old Man
P.S. I only received $90 of the $100 I asked for. I bet those thieving bastards down at the post office pinched the rest. | high22573.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the gene that determines skin colour"
},
"options": [
"people living in northern latitudes need more sunlight",
"the reason why people change their skin colour",
"the reason why people get skin cancer",
"the gene that d... | Can people change their skin colour without suffering like pop king Michael Jackson? Perhaps yes. Scientists have found the gene that determines skin colour. The gene comes in two versions, one of which is found in 99 per cent of Europeans. The other is found in 93 to 100 per cent of Africans, researchers at Pennsylvania State University report in the latest issue of Science.
Scientists have changed the colour of a dark-striped zebra fish to uniform gold by inserting a version of the pigment gene into a young fish. As with humans, zebra fish skin colour is determined by pigment cells, which contain melanosomes . The number, size and darkness of melanosomes per pigment cell determines skin colour.
It appears that, like the golden zebra fish, light-skinned Europeans also have a mutation in the gene for melanosome production. This results in less pigmented skin. However, Keith Cheng, leader of the research team, points out that the mutation is different in human and zebra fish genes.
Humans acquired dark skin in Africa about 1.5 million years ago to protect bodies from ultra-violet rays of the sun, which can cause skin cancer. But when modern humans leave Africa to live in northern latitudes, they need more sunlight on their skin to produce vitamin D. So the related gene changes, according to Cheng. Asians have the same version of the gene as Africans, so they probably acquired their light skin through the action of some other gene that affects skin colours, said Cheng.
The new discovery could lead to medical treatments for skin cancer. It also could lead to research into ways to change skin colour without damaging it like chemical treatment done on Michael Jackson. | high4391.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "didn't refuse the old woman's request"
},
"options": [
"was the only child of the king",
"was fond of magic",
"didn't refuse the old woman's request",
"didn't live in the palace"
],
"question": "We know from the... | Once upon a time there lived the daughter of a king. Her name was Safia. Her father and mother loved her very much, and would deny her nothing in the world.
One day, a magician came to the palace and asked for sanctuary , saying that he was a professor who was being persecuted by his enemies and had nowhere to write an important book. "Good professor," said the king, "you shall have a room and everything that you desire, on condition that you may finish your great work."
So the magician went on with his spells and magic formulas, pretending to be absorbed in scholarly matters. Every Friday, which was the day of rest in that far land, the magician paid his respects to the king and his court, but secretly he desired to take away the king's throne.
One day he disguised himself as an old woman and walked under the trees in the palace gardens till he met Safia. "Princess," he said, "let me be your laundress, for I can wash linens and silks as finely as anyone in the world, and I would do it for almost nothing if I could serve Your Highness." "Good woman," said Princess Safia, "I can see that you are a poor creature and grieve for your condition. Come to my private quarters and I shall give you some of my linen to wash."
So the disguised magician followed the princess into the palace, and before the girl could see what was happening he bundled her into a laundry bag and ran away as fast as his legs would carry him. He took the princess into his private room. Muttering a magic spell, he made her as small as a doll, and put her in a cupboard.
The next Friday he went to the court as usual, and found the whole palace _ "Princess Safia has vanished, and His Majesty is nearly out of his mind. All the soothsayers have tried to find out through their magical powers where she can be, but none of them have managed it," said the Grand Vizier. The wicked magician smiled, for he knew that his spell was so strong that it would defy all the soothsayers in the land until the day of his death. | high20364.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Susan had changed something without his permission"
},
"options": [
"he was feeling unwell",
"Susan had failed to keep his office clean",
"he felt Susan changed too much about the papers",
"Susan had changed something w... | One day, Jack threw some papers on my desk. "What's wrong?" I asked. "Next time you want to change anything, ask me first," he said, and left. I had made just one small change. But it's not that I hadn't been warned. My colleagues had said he was responsible for the resignations of the two previous secretaries. As the weeks went by, I came to look down on Jack.
After another of his episodes had left me in tears I stormed into his office. "what?" he said suddenly. "Jack, the way you've been treating me is wrong. I've never had anyone speak to me that way. As a professional, it's wrong for me to allow it to continue," I said. Jack smiled nervously, "Susan, I make you a promise that I will be a friend. I will treat you as you deserve to be treated, with respect and kindness."
Jack avoided me the rest of the week, and never questioned my work again. I brought cookies to the office one day and left some on his desk. Another day I left a note: "Hope your day is going great. " Over the next few weeks, there were no more Jack episodes. One year later
I discovered I had breast cancer, and was scared. The statistics were not great for my long-term survival.
One day, however, Jack visited me in the hospital and silently handed me a bundle with several bulbs inside. "Tulips ," he said. I smiled, not understanding. "If you plant them when you get home, they'll come up next spring. I think you will be there to see them when they come up. Next spring you will see the colours I picked out for you." Tears clouded my eyes and he left. I have seen those red and white striped tulips push through the soil every spring for over ten years now. This past September the doctor declared me cured. At a moment when I was praying for just the right word, a man with very few words said all the right things. After all, that's what friends do. | high4385.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Steve's boss trusted him very much."
},
"options": [
"Steve's boss trusted him very much.",
"Steve doesn't like to play jokes on his family.",
"Steve could log on his boss' home because he had been given the key.",
"It'... | Before leaving work, Steve Lee likes to use his cell phone to turn on his heat and air condition system at home. So by the time he gets through traffic into his front door, the temperature inside is perfect. You may wonder what a so-called smart home can do inside.
Lee works for a company called Smarthome. com, testing and living with many of his company's home automation gadgets , like this multifunction touch screen that controls devices around the house and even connects to the Internet traffic cameras.
"I have cameras, and they follow all the way down the freeway to work, "said Lee with pride, "What's going on at home when you are away? No problem, install some wireless cameras and controllers and from any computer in the world with an Internet connection, you can watch your house. "
"You can check on the house, and I can look at the temperature. Believe it or not, if I want to turn on lights ahead of time, I can, "added Lee.
We sat in Steve's California kitchen and with the right password, turned on the kitchen counter lights at his boss' house in Wisconsin. Steve did have permission to log on .
"If you do know the password and you want to play a trick on your wife, you could turn lights on and off remotely. "
This new technology, which can automatically turn on water sprinklers when humidity is low, or turn off a pool pump when it is not in use, is no longer expensive. Several hundred dollars for a basic system is enough and it is not hard to install.
Sure the convenience is nice but many people who like the security advantages like making sure kids are safe with the help of camera monitors and bedside alerts.
"I can notice that maybe one of my children wakes up in the middle of the night once the light switch is turned on. "
What a smart home can't do is get you a snack and you have to leave the couch for that. | high18837.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "An article on notes taken from chteens@weeklyreader.com."
},
"options": [
"An article on hair.",
"An article on how to improve personality and maintain mental health.",
"An article on how to start and develop a conversation."... | This is our last issue of the 2010-11 school year.Our cover story, on hair, may be more useful to your students than you suspect.They're in the process of building their identities and testing independence, so some big questions --should I shave, or wait? Will I go bald like my dad? --are front and center to them.We hope the article helps them think through their options
We round out the year with some other interesting topics.You and your class may not know much about borderline personality disorder; hopefully, our piece on this mental health issue will change that.Also look for stories about making small talk and medical decisions, as well as an up-to-date piece on the _ of mixing alcohol with energy drinks or caffeine, which is becoming popular among some teens but may be life-taking.
And we hope you've found our blog equally helpful.Have you checked it out yet?Visit us at www.weeklyreader.com/chblog.We are constantly on the lookout for resources you can use for bringing health news into your classroom, links to contests and cool health sites, and comments from other subscribers.Please let us know what you think! Don't forget that you can now access every Current Health Teens page in a digital format.Teachers and students can read articles on computers at home or school, as well as on interactive whiteboards.You can log in to this feature here.You'll need your account number, which is listed next to your name on the mailing label printed on the blue and yellow back cover of your Teacher's Guide.
We're always eager to hear from our readers--drop us a note at chteens@weeklyreader.com and let us know what you think.Thanks for choosing Current Health! Enjoy your summer, and we'll meet you right back here, next school year!
Cordially,
Meredith Matthews
Senior Editor
Current Health Teens | high20370.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "are familiar with the names"
},
"options": [
"will learn from the two writers",
"have ignored the two writers",
"are familiar with the names",
"know a lot about the two"
],
"question": "The author states that \"... | Sure. you know their names, possibly better than you know the name of the street you live on.
When the need comes, these names roll off our tongues like they were our own brothers. I am writing about the famous Webster s Dictionary and Roget s Thesaurus.
Webster s Dictionary. Many people can respond immediately: Noah Webster. We are aware that he is the father of the dictionary. But who was he? What did he do for a living? When did he live?
Noah was born in 1758, graduated from Yale University in 1778. and later graduated from law school He produced the first American dictionary in 1806 and published his influential work An American Dictionary of the English Language in l828. His interests led him to be a lexicographer . textbook editor, author, Bible translator and spelling reformer. He also produced a large number of writings in medicine, mythology , and the relationship of European and Asian languages. In addition, he .founded the first New York daily newspaper in 1793. He died in 1843.
Roget's Thesaurus. And it gives us The chance to learn about Roget, the man-Peter Mark Roget, And who? What? When?
Englishman Peter Roget, MD, was born in 1779. He studied medicine and mathematics at the University of Edinburgh. He is considered as the creator of the first-ever thesaurus . It has been called one of the three most important books ever printed. along with the Bible and Webster s Dictionary. He began his work Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases in I 805 but did not publish it until 1852-47 years later. In his lifetime. he became a noted lecturer and writer on anatomy( ). geology .bees,and more . When Roget died in 1869 at age 90. his son, John . took over the Thesaurus arid he gradually expanded it.
So now you know the two famous books. Not enough information? As well-known humourist James Thurber suggested in the title of his 1941 magazine short story about baseball, You Could Look It Up! | high6592.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "to learn how to give others love and care"
},
"options": [
"how to be accepted by society",
"to be given enough love and care",
"to learn how to give others love and care",
"how to be taught to believe in others"
],... | Several years ago, I taught teenagers with feeling troubles in a group home. These very tough kids often came directly from prison to my classroom. They often wanted to escape from the group home. They were society's "throwaway" kids--youngsters without families to love and care for them. They desperately needed to receive love.
Then I found one thing more important for them. So, when a friend suggested an idea, I thought it would be a great program for my students. The plan was simple. We arranged that every Wednesday morning, I'd bring over my little crew, and they were supposed to clean the runs, wash dog and cat bowls, and feed the animals at our local animal shelter.
Then came the risky part of the program. After doing their chores, the youngsters would earn the freedom to walk one of the dogs in the wooded area behind the shelter, where I couldn't even see them.
We began the project. Each week, I carefully went over the list of students who had met the requirements. All that week, students worked hard to control their tempers and be cooperative. I emphasized how much the animals needed their love and care. As they served the animals, the youngsters were transforming before our eyes. Never before had they been considered contributing members of society. Yet now these kids begged to volunteer at the shelter.
As we had planned, my students walked the dogs, unwatched, in the woods for up to half an hour. I impressed on each of them my trust and respect that they'd bring back the animal in their care safely and on time.
Remarkably, I never lost a student or an animal.
The world might not have needed or might have forgotten about my kids, but the animals didn't. these shining animals showed some very needy kids the way back home from heartbreak and abuse. | high23679.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "to support George W. Bush in the presidential campaign"
},
"options": [
"to support George W. Bush in the presidential campaign",
"to be a volunteer in the presidential campaign",
"to show his gift in the presidential campaig... | In the world of fairy tales, great and powerful men are often helped to victory by the small and weak. But in the prefix = st1 /USit has happened for real.
Nine - year - old Noah McCullough from Texas, has taken on the role of speaking to the public in support of President George W. Bush's social security reforms.
On February 25 he signed an agreement with the American Congress to work for the White House as a volunteer. "What I want to tell people about social security is not to be afraid of the new plan," Noah said. "It may be a change, but it's a good change."
Besides this task, he already has a higher goal. He plans to run for the White House in 2032. So far, Noah seems to have a very bright future.
Despite his age, Noah already has his firm opinion on running the US. "I firmly believe that the combination of large business and small governments creates a peaceful and present society because industry can stimulate economic growth," he said.
Noah's politics do not come from his parents. "He is very patriotic and very republican," said Noah's mother, Donna McCullough. "It's the way he was born."
Noah's interest began after a mock election in the kindergarten when he was five years old. Now he has read more than 3,000 books on presidential history. He can recite the names of all 43 American presidents. He can also describe the achievements and events that took place during a president's term of office.
His unusual experiences in the presidential campaign last year made him a famous figure. He was a member of Bush's presidential campaign team. He gave speeches at the Republican convention and followed Bush around on his tour of 27 states. President Bush thinks highly of the boy, saying that he is "the miracle kid of the White House". | high24116.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "she couldn't get along well with her classmates"
},
"options": [
"she looked stupid when asking questions",
"she didn't look like the coolest girl in her class",
"she was not ready for change at all",
"she couldn't get ... | About five years ago I started at a new school when my family moved to Iowa. I was just a little ex-cited, but I worried I would never fit in with the other sixth graders.
Lucy, a girl in my class, who I thought was not ready for change, didn't like me from the start. In fact, I was pretty sure she hated me. I would ask her a question, and I could tell she thought I was a total fool.
My teacher made us sit by each other for the last term. Lucy was horrified . I didn't wear make-up , and I didn't wear those terrible bell-bottom pants. I didn't exactly look like the coolest girl. But, I kept smiling at her, though she rolled her eyes, and I kept telling her she looked beautiful, even when she was angry.
Finally, Lucy let me talk to her, even in sight of her "cool" friends. She started telling me how beautiful I looked. I still remember that first time when she smiled at me saying that, and I smiled right back, telling her thanks. Lucy invited me over to her house for a party, and talked to me all the time instead of her other friends. Lucy, the girl who hated me, called me her best friend. After that, we still were good friends a whole year later.
I may have moved to Arizona after that, but I will never forget Lucy. It's funny -- I still remember her birthday. She was a great friend. And to think, she considered me her enemy at first. Though it was hard, and it felt like I was wasting my time, and losing my dignity , I still smiled at Lucy when she made fun of me. I'm not stupid, I didn't think she was right in doing those things, but I still put up with it. And we became great friends.
About two weeks ago, I read a sentence by Abraham Lincoln: "Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?" Immediately, I smiled, thinking of Lucy. That sentence just reminded me how great it was for me to change Lucy into my friend in that state of Iowa five years ago. | high7854.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Watching TV can make children violent."
},
"options": [
"Children should choose positive programs.",
"Children should keep away from TV.",
"Watching TV can make children violent.",
"Parents should watch less TV."
],... | Watching television makes it easier for toddlers to kick and scream, according to a U.S. study. Children under two should not watch any TV. The longer they sit in front of the box, the worse their behavior becomes.
Just having the TV on in the background, even if the child wasn't watching it, was also connected to troublemaking behavior although the relationship wasn't as strong, said the researchers.
"Parents should be smart about TV use," researcher Jennifer Manganello from the University at Albany, New York, said.
"They should limit the time that children use TV, pay attention to the content of TV programs, and consider how TV is used throughout the home."
The study looked at 3,128 women from 20 U.S. cities who had a child between 2005 and 2008.
While there was some diversity of education among the women, one-third hadn't graduated from high school.
Two-thirds of the mothers said their three-year-old watched more than two hours of TV a day, and the average viewing time for children was around three hours. On average, the TV was on for about five additional hours on a common day.
After accounting for factors such as living in a violent neighborhood, scientists also found watching TV was strongly connected to behavior such as hitting others, having angry moods, being disobedient , and screaming a lot.
The researchers thought that children may see violence on TV, and spend less time on positive development tasks such as reading or playing.
The American Academy of Paediatrics suggests no TV at all for children at two and younger, and two hours a day or less for older kids. | high769.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "she worried about being laughed at"
},
"options": [
"she worried about their shabby Chinese Christmas",
"she worried about their Chinese relatives lacking American manners",
"she worried about being laughed at",
"she wo... | I fell in love with the minister's son the winter I turned fourteen. He was not Chinese. For Christmas I prayed for the boy, Robert. When I found out that my parents had invited the minister's family over for Christmas Eve dinner, I cried in panic. What would Robert think of our shabby Chinese Christmas? What would he think of our noisy Chinese relatives who lacked proper American manners?
On Christmas Eve, my mother created abundant Chinese food. And then they arrived--the minister's family and all my relatives. Robert greeted hello, and I pretended he was not worthy of existence.
Dinner threw me deeper into disappointment. My relatives licked the ends of their chopsticks and reached across the table. Robert and his family waited patiently for a large plate to be passed to them. My relatives murmured with pleasure when my mother brought out the whole steamed fish. Robert made a face. Then my father reached his chopsticks just below the fish eye and picked out the soft meat. "Amy, your favorite," he said, offering me the tender fish cheek. I wanted to disappear.
At the end of the meal, my father leaned back and burped loudly, thanking my mother for her fine cooking. "It's a polite Chinese custom to show you are satisfied," explained my father to our astonished guests. Robert was looking down at his plate with a reddish face. The minister managed to bring up a quiet burp. I was shocked into silence for the rest of the night.
After everyone had gone, my mother said to me, "You want to be the same as American girls on the outside." She handed me an early gift. It was a miniskirt. "But inside you must always be Chinese. You must be proud that you are different. Your only shame is to have shame."
It was not until years later that I was able to fully appreciate her lesson and the purpose behind her particular menu. For Christmas Eve that year, she had chosen excellent Chinese food. | high9879.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The author didn't get worried until they started to drive through the deserted wild."
},
"options": [
"The author was confident as she was driving in the deserted wilderness.",
"The author didn't get worried until they started to d... | The morning for our snowmobiling adventure finally arrived, and we set off on the hour-and-a-half drive to the resort . A fresh powder had fallen the night before, and everything was frosted white. We couldn't have asked for more perfect conditions. The sun sparkled on the snow, and the trails were completely empty - not another person or snowmobile in sight. We were thrilled at being the only people for miles around until we got going.
As we drove through the deserted wilderness, my excitement became stone-cold fear. I had no idea what I was afraid of, or why I was afraid, but suddenly every turn, every hill, every steep side of the mountain frightened me to death. I kept imagine us crashing headlong into a tree or falling off the side of a drop.
But after lunch things changed. We were the only humans who had been there since the snowfall. The peaceful place, the incredible beauty of the landscape, and the almost sacred experience of sharing a mountain with the wildlife touched my very core . My mind cleared and quieted and my muscles relaxed.
As we drove the last leg of the run, I began to _ being afraid to drive. Deep down, I wanted to be in charge of the thing that scared me. It made me angry that fear was keeping me from something I really wanted to do. The day was coming to an end, and the resort was only a few miles away. I knew that if I didn't take my chance now, I would regret it.
I signaled for my husband to pull over. I wanted to drive, although my heart pounded . I started off slowly and felt the wind in my face. I smiled and sped up a little. With a "Yee-haw!" I went full out, taking my husband on the best ride of the day.
We ended the day on that breathless, carefree note, and I felt proud of myself - proud of overcoming my fear. | high13962.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He set a new record for \"Fastest 100 m running on all fours\"."
},
"options": [
"He set a good example to all Japanese.",
"He made record attempts in 15 different countries.",
"He set a new record for \"Fastest 100 m running... | Below is a selection about some Guinness World Records.
Top 6 Unusual Guinness World Records
Fastest 100 m running on all fours
The 2008 Guinness World Records Day was, according to CWR, their biggest day of record-breaking ever, with more than 290,000 people taking part in record attempts in 15 different countries. Kenichi Ito's record attempt was part of this special day. He is just another example of Japanese with "super powers". His "super power" is to run with great speed on all fours. Kenichi Ito ran 100 m on all fours in 18.58 seconds. The Japanese set this record at Setagaya Kuritsu Sogo Undojyo, Tokyo, in 2008.
Most people inside a soap bubble
The Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana, California celebrated this year the 15th anniversary of the Bubble Festival. A bubble's math principles and science were presented and demonstrated at the three-week-long exhibition. The intriguing Bubble Show was also part of the program. Fan Yang and Deni Yang impressed the audience with their awesome skills for bubble making. The Yang family cooperated with the Discovery Science Center to set a new Guinness World Record for most people inside a soap bubble and they succeeded.
The family that has been working with soap bubbles for 27 years created a huge soap bubble and got 118 people inside it. The record was set on April 4, 2011
Longest ears on a dog
A bloodhound from Illinois has the longest ears ever measured a dog. The right ear is 13.75 inches long and the left one 13.5 inches. The dog named Tigger earned this title in 2004 and is owned by Christina and Bryan Flessner.
Mr. Jeffries is the previous record holder of this title. Each of his ears measured approximately 11.5 inches long. His grandfather used to hold this amazing world record, but when he died Mr.Jeffries took over.
Most living generations
Did you ever wonder what is the Guinness World Record for most living generations in one family? Seven is the answer.
The ultimate authority on record-breaking mentions on the website that the youngest great-great- great-great grandparent of this family was Augusta Bung "aged 109 years 97 days, followed by her daughter aged 89, her granddaughter aged 70, her great grand-daughter aged 52, her great-great grand-daughter aged 33 and her great-great-great granddaughter aged 15 on the birth of her great-great-great-great grandson on January 21, 1989".
Most T shirts worn at once
Believe it or not, there is a record also for this category. Krunoslav Budiseli set a new world record on May 22,2010 for wearing 245 T-shirts at the same time. The man from Croatia was officially recognized as the new record er by Guinness World Records after he managed to put on 245 different T-shirts in 1ess than two hours.The T-shirts weighted 68 kg and Budiseli said he began struggling around T-shirt No. 120. He dethroned the Swedish Guinness record holder who wore 238 T-shirts.
Heaviest pumpkin
Guinness World Records confirmed on October 9, 2010 that a gigantic pumpkin grown in Wisconcin was officially the world's heaviest. It weighed 1,810 pounds 8 ounces and was unveiled by Chris Stevens at the Stillwater Harvest Festival in Minnesota. Stevens' pumpkin was 85 pounds Javier than the record, another huge pumpkin grown in Ohio. The proud farmer said his secret is a precise of rain, cow mature, good soil, sea grass and fish emulsion. Some of the world's heaviest pumpkins, including the record holder, were on public display at the Bronx Botanical Gardens in New York for a dozen days. | high22567.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Twelve Hours."
},
"options": [
"Twelve Hours.",
"A Truck Driver.",
"Medicine.",
"A Sick Wife."
],
"question": "Which of the following is the best title for the fourth movie?",
"question_type": null
},
{
... | v Happiness
Happiness tells the story of two people (acted by Lisa Turbot and Danny Roy) who work for different advertising companies. They talk on the phone all the time and don't like each other. But then they communicate by mail and fall in love. This movie will be very popular with teenagers and people who like romances. It also has beautiful music.
v I Scream
In the movie, Paul (acted by Colin Jacks) is a young man who joins a thriller club. Each of the members tries to frighten the others. Paul is told to stay in an old house for the night. Everyone who had tried to stay in the house before has died. This movie is very frightening but also quite silly. It doesn't make sense for Paul to stay in the house when things start to go wrong. Only for people who like thrillers.
v Paul's Heros
This is a very funny war movie set in World War Two. Six soldiers (including Sammy Turblow) have to get to Italy to take secret message to the American army there. During the movie, they dress up as women and fight with Italian workers. You can guess the ending, but it's great fun getting there.
v _
This is a very good drama with Jake Ross, who plays a hard-working truck driver. His wife becomes ill and he has to find a doctor who can help her. In his travels he meets Dr. Lioyd (acted by Phil Driver) who has found the cure for the illness, but Jack Ross has only twelve hours to get the medicine back to his wife on the other side of America. This is an excellent movie, which is very exciting and well worth seeing again. | high22201.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Students of the French language."
},
"options": [
"Students of the French language.",
"Language experts doing research into French.",
"Teachers who are eager to improve their students' French.",
"Parents who want their ... | Learn To Speak Rocket French!
Who Wants to Learn to Speak French in the Shortest Possible Time?
If you Answered " I DO" Then Please Read on to Try My Free-6-Day French Course.
Why do you want to learn to speak French?
Do you want to be a part of a French-speaking community?
Are you travelling to A French-speaking country with confidence?
Are you a home-student or a parent who wants their children to learn more quickly and
easily?
Are you keen to refresh your memory of this beautiful language?
Or, perhaps you just have an interest in learning the language for love!
I've designed Rocket French Premium to be the easiest to follow and the fastest system for learning how to speak French available. Rocket French Premium is an interactive course that makes you want to study. Also, it's practical. You are going to be able to speak at a restaurant, at an airport, and with new friends!
It's a great experience to be able to speak with others in a different language. You will be able to enter a different culture, a different world! Being bilingual is a very special ability, and it's a gift that we want to give to you.
So you are ready to get to know the secret of learning a new language? You're in the right place.
Try our free six-day course. If you don't, you'll be missing a valuable opportunity to see just how much Rocket French Premium can improve your language level. Thousands of people worldwide have used our unique multimedia to _ their French learning, while having piles of fun in the process. Will you be the next? | high20416.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "admire the sunset"
},
"options": [
"admire the sunset",
"cheer her up",
"offer some help",
"have a chat"
],
"question": "The author asked the woman to go outside to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions... | It was in October.I was aimlessly wandering down the street, heading into a most gloriously beautiful sunset.I had an urge to speak to someone on the street to share that beauty, but it seemed everyone was in a hurry.
I took the next-best action.Quickly I ducked into a department store and asked the lady behind the counter if she could come outside for just a minute.She looked at me as though I were from some other planet.She hesitated, and then seemingly against her better judgment, she moved toward the door.
When she got outside I said to her, "Just look at that sunset! Nobody out here was looking at it and I just had to share it with someone."
For a few seconds we just looked.Then I said, "God is in his heaven and all is right with the world." I thanked her for coming out to see it; she went back inside and I left.It felt good to share the beauty.
Four years later my situation changed greatly.I came to the end of a twenty-year marriage.I was alone and on my own for the first time in my life.I lived in a trailer park which, at the time, I considered a real come-down, and I had to do my wash in the community laundry room.
One day, while my clothes were going around, I picked up a magazine and read an article about a woman who had been in similar circumstances.She had come to the end of a marriage, moved to a strange community, and the only job she could find was one she disliked: clothing sales in a department store.
Then something that happened to her changed everything.She said a woman came into her department store and asked her to step outside to look at a sunset.The stranger had said, "God is in his heaven and all is right with the world," and she had realized the truth in that statement.From that moment on, she turned her life around. | high18189.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The rags to riches story is more fiction than reality."
},
"options": [
"Children from low-income families are unable to bootstrap their way to the top.",
"Hollywood actors and actresses are upwardly mobile from rags to riches.",
... | We are not who we think we are.
The American self-image is spread with the golden glow of opportunity. We think of the United States as a land of unlimited possibility, not so much a classless society but as a place where class is mutable--a place where brains, energy and ambition are what counts, not the circumstances of one's birth.
The Economic Mobility Project, an ambitious research led by Pew Charitable Trusts, looked at the economic fortunes of a large group of families over time, comparing the income of parents in the late 1960s with the income of their children in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Here is the finding: "The 'rags to riches' story is much more common in Hollywood than on Main Street. Only 6 percent of children born to parents with family income at the very bottom move to the top.
That is right, just 6 percent of children born to parents who ranked in the bottom of the study sample, in terms of income, were able to bootstrap their way into the top . Meanwhile, an incredible 42 percent of children born into that lowest are still stuck at the bottom, having been unable to climb a single rung of the income ladder.
It is noted that even in Britain---a nation we think of as burdened with a hidebound class system-children who are born poor have a better chance of moving up. When the studies were released, most reporters focused on the finding that African-Americans born to middle-class or upper middle-class families are earning slightly less, in inflation-adjusted dollars, than did their parents.
One of the studies indicates, in fact, that most of the financial gains white families have made in the past three decades can be attributed to the entry of white women into the labor force. This is much less true for African-Americans.
The picture that emerges from all the quintiles, correlations and percentages is of a nation in which, overall, "the current generation of adults is better off than the previous one", as one of the studies notes.
The median income of the families in the sample group was $55,600 in the late 1960s; their children's median family income was measured at $71,900. However, this rising tide has not lifted all boats equally. The rich have seen far greater income gains than have the poor.
Even more troubling is that our nation of America as the land of opportunity gets little support from the data. Americans move fairly easily up and down the middle rungs of the ladder, but there is "stickiness at the ends" --four out of ten children who are born poor will remain poor, and four out often who are born rich will stay rich. | high5925.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "school life"
},
"options": [
"city life",
"school life",
"her own life",
"her early childhood"
],
"question": "The second novel written by Zhao Yue is about _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
... | A 13-year-old Shenzhen girl has written a novel about life in junior high school, and the book is expected to hit the city's bookshelves in June, the Shenzhen Economic Dailyreported on Thursday.
"A Fresh Summer Day," a 180,000-character novel which Zhao Yue completed writing in three months, is in fact Zhao's second published book. Her first book, "A Better Present," is a collection of the articles she wrote when she was still a primary school student.
Zhao is a Junior One student of a middle school in Longgang District. She started writing the novel after her first book was published. "I was very much motivated to write a new book when I saw many of my schoolmates reading my first book," said Zhao.
She added that she wrote most of the novel at night, sometimes until the early hours of the morning. "I attended school as usual during the three months of writing. I felt all right every day even though I slept for only four hours a day," said the girl.
"A Fresh Summer Day" is about puppy love between two junior high school students, which is becoming very common among young children, the paper said. AShenzhen Economic Daily reporter who read the draft of Zhao's story said the plot develops smoothly and naturally, while the descriptions of the characters' feelings are true.
Zhao said the story was based on interviews she carried with some of her fellow students, "I myself don't have such a story to tell yet." Zhao has loved writing since early childhood. | high21708.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "himself"
},
"options": [
"Peljhan",
"Peljhan's assistant",
"one of his friends",
"himself"
],
"question": "The idea of photographing Luka in motion was from .",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
... | A lot of kids have dreams they'll never achieve due to the limitations of their little bodies. They want to fly, or to become a dinosaur, or to learn how to act like Spiderman.
Luka Tavcar, 12, has muscular dystrophy and is totally dependent on his wheelchair. Nevertheless, late last year, he had an inspired plan: to be photographed walking around and having fun.
He approached Matej Peljhan, an amateur photographer and a psychologist at CIRIUS rehabilitation center near Ljubljana, Slovenia, where Luka is a patient.
At first, Peljhan was perplexed. How could he photograph a boy who can not move or act in motion? "Luka wanted to see himself playing and having fun, but it seemed impossible," he says.
Then Peljhan had a brainstorm: Luka could lie down on a piece of cloth and, with the help of an assistant, Peljhan would pose the boy as if he were jumping, climbing stairs, moving downhill on a skateboard, and playing basketball. Then Peljhan would shoot these images from above. The photos took about a month to produce; all were shot early this year.
Peljhan, who lost his right arm and left eye as a child, says his own disabilities motivated him to make the photographs. "I understand people with limitations," he says.
He named the series "The Little Prince" after the French story by Antoine de Saint-Exupery in which a boy teaches a man about trust, hope, and friendship. Luka loves the photos.
Matej himself understands what it is like to live with limitations--he lost his right arm and left eye as a child."Luka wants to stay positive and his imagination helps him forget his physical limitation," says Peljhan. "He's fragile, but he can see the world differently." | high19297.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "love"
},
"options": [
"friendship",
"peace",
"love",
"blessing"
],
"question": "The Official Mascots of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games carry the following messages EXCEPT _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_ques... | Like the Five Olympic Rings from which they draw their color and inspiration, the Five Friendlies will serve as the Official Mascots of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, carrying a message of friendship and peace and blessings from China to children all over the world.
Designed to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate circle of friends, the Five Friendlies also embody the natural characteristics of four of China's most popular animals--the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow--and the Olympic Flame.
Each of the Friendlies has a rhyming two-syllable name--a traditional way of expressing affection for children in China. Beibei is the Fish, Jingjing is the Panda, Huanhuan is the Olympic Flame, Yingying is the Tibetan Antelope and Nini is the Swallow.
When you put their names together--Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni--they say "Welcome to Beijing," offering a warm invitation that reflects the mission of the Five Friendlies as young ambassadors for the Olympic Games.
The Five Friendlies also embody both the landscape and the dreams and aspirations of people from every part of the vast country of China. In their origins and their headpieces, you can see the five elements of nature--the sea, forest, fire, earth and sky--all stylistic rendered in ways that represent the deep traditional influences of Chinese folk art and ornamentation. | high15485.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "How a barefoot teen saved his neighbor."
},
"options": [
"How a family got saved from a fire.",
"How a fire happened.",
"How a teen became a hero.",
"How a barefoot teen saved his neighbor."
],
"question": "What... | One evening last fall, while Marcos Ugarte did his homework and his father, Eduardo, a teacher, prepared lesson plans, they heard shouting outside. Eduardo, 47, and Marcos, 15, stepped onto the balcony of their two-story home. Immediately, Marcos' s eye was caught by a flame from one of their neighbors' houses.
"Dad, the house is on fire!" Marcos cried. Dressed only in shorts, the barefoot teen
dashed towards the Mas' home with his dad. Grandmother Yim Ma, mother Suzanne Ma, and son Nathan Ma were gathered on the front grassland shouting for help. When the Ugartes got there, they saw through the open front door that father Alex Ma was falling down the stairs, coughing, his face black with dirt.
"Is anyone else in the house?" Eduardo asked.
"My son!" Alex managed to say, pointing to the second floor.
Eduardo started up the stairs, but thick, black smoke, swirling ash, and extreme heatforced him to his knees. He inched upstairs and down the hall where Alex said he would find Cody, eight, who had locked himself in a bedroom. "I'd never seen smoke like that," says Eduardo. "My glasses immediately turned black from the ash."
As the fire spread across the hall, Eduardo banged on the bedroom door and tried to turn the handle. But Cody didn't respond, and Eduardo made his way back downstairs. At the same time, Marcos saw Yim and Suzanne pulling an aluminum ladder out of the garage. "Cody was standing at the window, screaming for help," says Marcos.
"I knew I had to do something." He grabbed the ladder, positioned it near the window, and climbed towards the boy. When Marcos reached the window, he pushed the screen into the room and persuaded Cody out. "It's OK," Marcos told him. "I've got you." Holding Cody with one arm, Marcos moved down the ladder. Halfway down, he handed the boy to a neighbor.
The day after the fire, Alex visited Marcos. "Thank you for saving my son," Alex said. "You are his hero forever." | high14943.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the neuroimaging research"
},
"options": [
"how the brain works",
"why some memories fade away",
"the encoding variability hypothesis",
"the neuroimaging research"
],
"question": "The passage is mainly about _... | Faces that activate the same regions of the brain again and again are more likely to be remtembered. Practice makes perfect when it comes to remembering things, but exactly how that works has long been a mystery. A study published in Science recently indicates that reactivating neural patterns over and over again my store items into the memory.
People find it easier to recall things if material is presented repeatedly at well-spaced intervals rather than all at once. For example, you're more likely to remember a face that your've seen on some occasions over a few days than one that you've seen once in one long period. One reason that a face linked to many different contexts -such as school, work and home- is easier to recognize than one that is associated with just one setting, such as a party, could be that there are some ways to access the memory. This idea, called the encoding variability hypothesis ,was proposed by psychologists about 40 years ago.
Each different context or setting activates a clear set of brain regions; the hypothesis suggests that it is these differing neural responses that improve the memory. But neuroimaging research led by Russell Poldrack, a scientist at the University of Texas. Austin, now suggests that the opposite is true--items are better remembered when they activate the same neural patterns with each exposure.
Poldrack's team measured brain activity in 24 people using functional magnetic resonance imaging. The subjects saw 120 unfamiliar faces, and each one repeated four times at varying intervals during the scan. One hour later, they were shown the faces again, mixed with 120 new ones, and asked to rate the familiarity of each.
The researchers then looked at the brain responses that had been recorded when the subjects wee first shown the faces, focusing on 20 brain regions associated with visual perception and memory. Face that were later recognized evoked similar activation patterns at each repetition in nine of the regions, particularly those associated with object and face perception; faces that were later forgotten did not produce such pattern to the same extent in people's mind | high23137.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "after he designed the Kennedy library"
},
"options": [
"after he designed the Kennedy library",
"after he designed East Wing of the National Gallery of Art, in Washington DC",
"after the completion of Pei's glass pyramid at t... | The Chinese-born American architect Ieoh Ming Pei is one of the most creative architects of our times. He has incorporated both eastern and western ideas into his designs.
Ieoh Ming Pei was born in Guangzhou, China on April 26, 1917. His father was a famous banker. In 1935, at the age of 17, he came to the United States to study architecture at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1942, he entered the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
In 1964, Jacqueline Kennedy selected Pei to design the Kennedy library. After that he became well-known all over the world. People named it one of the Ten Best Buildings in the United States. In 1968, Pei started work on the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art, in Washington D.C. Over one million people visited the building during its first 50 days in existence.
Following the East Wing project Pei's fame has continued to grow widely. In 1983, French President commissioned Pei to help make the Louvre more modern. Ten years later, the completion of Pei's glass pyramid at the Louvre created a new historic landmark for Paris. Pei described it as, "the greatest challenge and greatest accomplishment of my career." At Fragrant Hill, a 300-room hotel in the Chinese capital, Pei has attempted to bring to his native China his often-quoted "third way of making buildings." Avoiding both a complete copying of traditional Chinese motifs as well as the modernism of the West, Pei has managed, at Fragrant Hill, to make one of his most eloquent statements.
Pei has designed nearly 50 projects in the United States and abroad. About half of these projects have won major awards. Pei has been awarded the highest honors from nations over the world. In 1990, Pei was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President George Bush for his contributions to world peace and service to the US government. | high17292.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "a man was trying to fill his car up with gas"
},
"options": [
"a little boy was doing some painting there",
"a man was trying to fill his car up with gas",
"the clerk was quarreling with a customer",
"a man was looking ... | A few months ago, while driving home from work, I stopped at a gas station to gas up my car before heading home. When I went in to pre-pay for my gas, I saw a man with his son ahead of me in the line. They were a little dirty from working & painting at a local job site and the man asked the clerk to help them patiently. The clerk behind the counter seemed annoyed and not interested in talking to them.
From their conversation, I knew that the man had lost his wallet, was almost out of gas and still had 1.5 hours drive to get himself and his son home. He couldn't write the clerk a check. Because he knew the money in his account wasn't available yet.
The clerk asked them to move aside and let me up to the register. I gave the clerk two 20 dollar bills and told him to put $20 on my pump and to pre-pay $20 on their pump also. When I went back out to fill my gas tank, the teenage son came towards me to express his appreciation. His father was too excited, so he stayed inside the store until I was gone.
They asked if I would accept a check from them for the money, but I refused. I told the teenager to "pay it forward" and help _ | high21720.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "No biggest cause of death beyond smoking can be avoided in EU."
},
"options": [
"There is no warnings against smoking on the packs of cigarettes now.",
"One country in Europe has used such photos on the packets of cigarettes.",
... | A NEW weapon is on the way in the fight against smoking in Europe. Soon when smokers buy cigarettes they might see a shocking photo of a blackened lung or a cancer patient staring back at them from the packet . Some boys may think of smoking as cool and sexy. Their friends won't agree when they see their packets of cigarettes lying on the table.
The European Union announced on October 22 that it had chosen 42 photos that showed the damage cigarettes could do to the body. It called on member nations to put these pictures on packets to discourage smokers. To catch the attention of teenagers, the special packets warn of long-term medical dangers, like cancer. Short-term effects, like bad skin, are also on the list. "The true face of smoking is disease, death and horror. That is the message we should send to the young," said David Byrne, an EU health official. "Hopefully these pictures will shock students out of their love for cigarettes." The EU head office hoped the pictures would work better than current written warnings on packs of cigarettes. The warnings included "smoking kills" and "smoking can lead to a slow and painful death." So far, Ireland and Belgium have shown interest in the photos. Canada has used similar pictures and warnings on cigarette packs since 2000. The country has recently seen a fall in the number of smokers. According to studies, smoking is the single biggest cause of avoidable death in EU. Every year more than 650,000 smokers die, more than one person a minute.(272) | high21046.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "newspaper"
},
"options": [
"academic journal",
"fashion journal",
"autobiography",
"newspaper"
],
"question": "You may read the article from a (an) _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"a... | It was not the first time for Shi Benliang, a senior physics major at Peking University, to feed cats. But the 22-year-old felt sad when he saw the scars and wounds on the bodies of the little creatures.
"I can imagine how they have suffered from being abandoned. They lead a harsh life wandering around," said the student..Shi is one of a dozen students at the university volunteering to feed the stray cats during the winter break.
Recruited by the Stray Cat Rescue Association at the university through a Bulletin Board System (BBS), he took turns with other students to care for the homeless animals. It is estimated that there are more than 100 stray cats on the campus of Peking University.
Jin Jing, 18, an economics freshman at the university, cared for the cats for two days. "At around 5 pm I cycled to the 22 feeding sites on campus marked on a special map," she said. "At each site I left some cat food and water."Jin was excited when the animals rushed to her feet. "Some are shy and timid, and others are more outgoing. Each of them has their own name such as 'Sweet Orange' or 'Karl Marx'," she said. "By feeding them I learned to respect life."
Liu Chenhao, a senior electronics and computer science major, who is in charge of the association, said that feeding was just one part of their responsibilities."Our aim is to keep the stray cats in check and maintain harmony between them and the students on campus," he said.
The organization also takes cats to the animal hospital to be treated for oral and skin disease. Another of its major tasks is to find new homes for the cats by uploading their photos and information online.
"We're very careful when selecting owners and ask them lots of questions to ensure that they won't desert their cat under any circumstances, such as when they move house or get married," Liu said. But he stressed that their acts of kindness shouldn't encourage anyone to abandon their cat. "A cat's normal life expectancy is more than 10 years, but a stray one may survive for only two or three." (365words) | high2904.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "read fast and understand key points"
},
"options": [
"understand all the words they have read",
"read fast and understand key points",
"read fast and learn many things at a time",
"read very a lowly and loudly"
],
... | Long ago, there was a time when parents told children to read slowly and loudly to understand everything they read. While, a lot of things have changed. Now, learning experts and teachers ask students to read faster and understand important points. Here are a few tips for students who have every little time, but a lot to learn.
Making a time table
Your timetable should have separate time for eating, playing games, exercise, reading the newspaper and studying You should not only make a timetable, but also do according to it.
Taking notes
Taking notes is an important part of learning . You need to take lecture notes and notes from your textbooks. Read the notes before going to bed. This helps you memorize the lessons clearly
prefix = st1 /Reading techniques
You need to read fast and learn more things. Here are some advice on fast reading. Take a quick look them cover to cover to find out the important units. Take a quick look over the units, and find the important points. Bedaubed the speed of reading, and pass your eyes through the top of the letters and not through the center. Don't go back to read a word or a sentence.
How to increase memory
Try to understand completely what you read or hear. Repeat what you hear or read in your mid. A single word can help you remember a whole idea.
How to increase concentration
Mental concentration is important to memory and better learning. You should separate a specific place and a specific time of the day for reading. Sit straight. It increases your concentration.
Good conditions for learning
A silent location that you don't use for sleeping, eating or entertainment purpose is the best place for reading. Taking exercise daily is good for students. It increases concentration. | high16832.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "pays special attention to the use of fountain pens ks5*u"
},
"options": [
"does not think highly of modern technology",
"values fountain pens more than anything else",
"pays special attention to the use of fountain pens ks5*u... | In this age of cell phones, text messages and computer keyboards, one Scottish school has returned to basics.It's teaching youngsters the ignored art of writing with a fountain pen.There is no clicking of keyboards in most classrooms at the Mary Erskine and Stewart's Melville Junior School, although there is a full range of facilities for computer lessons and technology isn't being ignored.The private school's headmaster believes the old-fashioned pens have helped strengthen the academic performance and self-esteem of his 1,200 pupils.
"The pens improve the quality of work because they force the children to take care, and better work improves self-esteem", headmaster Bryan Lewis said."Proper handwriting is as relevant today as it ever has been." Students as young as 7 have been instructed to give up their ball point pens and begin to deal with its more artful _ .By the time they reach grade five, at age 9, they are expected to write mainly with fountain pens.Lewis said the school's 7- and 8-year-olds use fountain pens for 80 percent to 90 percent of their work, returning to pencils for such subjects as math."I don't see fountain pens as old-fashioned or out of date.Modern fountain pens are beautiful to use? it's not like in the old days of broken metal points and dirtying writing paper," Lewis said."We have a particular writing style and we have developed it very carefully and found a way that allows left-and right-handed people to write without dirtying paper."
Some people in wealthy nations argue that handwriting is becoming less important because of the growing use of cell phone text messaging and typing on computers,but the school disagrees."We talk of the paperless office and the paperless world, but this is not true," Lewis said."You still need to have proper handwriting skills." | high20358.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "How Much Is Being Attractive Worth?"
},
"options": [
"How Much Does Being Attractive Cost?",
"How Much Is Being Attractive Worth?",
"How Can We Make Use of Our Beauty?",
"How Happy Do Attractive People Feel?"
],
... | Beautiful people are indeed happier,a new study says,but not always for the same reasons. For handsome men,the extra kicks are more likely to come from economic benefits,like increased wages, while women are more likely to find joy just looking in the mirror. "Women feel that beauty is naturally important," says Daniel Hamermesh,a University of Texas at Austin labor economist and the study's lead author. "They just feel bad if they're ugly."
Hamermesh is the acknowledged father of pulchronomics, or the economic study of beauty. It can be a dangerous job. He once made angry an audience of young Mormon women, many of whom wished to stay home with future children, by explaining that homemakers tend to be less attractive than their working-girl peers . "Since beautiful women tend to be paid more,they have more motivation to stay in the work force," he says.
The pursuit of good looks drives several huge industries--in 2010, Americans spent $845 million on face-lifts alone--but few economists focused on beauty's financial power until the mid-1990s,when Hamermesh and his colleague, Jeff Biddle of Michigan State University, became the first scholars to track the effect of appearance on earnings potential for a large sample of adults. Like many other desirable commodities , "beauty is rare," Hamermesh says, "and that rareness commands a price."
A handsome man is estimated to make 13 percent more during his career than a "looks-challenged" peer, according to calculations in Hamermesh's recent book, Beauty Pays. Interestingly, the net benefit is slightly less for pretty women, who may make up the difference by trading on their looks to marry men with higher earning potential. And some studies have shown that attractive people are more likely to be hired in a recession .
Hamermesh argues that "there's not much we can do to improve our pulchritude ". There are even studies suggesting that for every dollar spent on cosmetic products,only 4 cents returns as salary--making lipstick a truly awful investment.
_ . One 2006 study showed that the less beautiful may actually profit from their lack of looks. People tend to expect less from the unattractive, so when they go beyond those low expectations they are rewarded. And the beautiful ones are often primarily held to a higher standard-- "then hit with a 'beauty penalty' if they fail to deliver." Hamermesh says. | high23651.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the dump can be dealt with easily"
},
"options": [
"the dump error often happens to your PC",
"the dump can be dealt with easily",
"only the advanced computers suffers from the error",
"the dump error can cause the data... | The physical memory dump error is a big problem that affects even the most advanced computer systems.Although it's quite a rare error, it's one of the most stopping what you're doing and restarting your computer--making you lose all your unsaved data.This is a big problem, but there is actually a very easy way to fix it.
There are two reasons why the physical memory dump happens.The first is pretty simple and is to do with the "hardware", and if any of these pieces are not fit for your system, it will cause the physical memory dump.So, if you've recently added any hardware to your PC, then take that out and see if it works.
The other reason is your system, the "registry".The registry is a big database that operates in the background of Windows, storing all sorts of settings and information about your PC.The problem with the registry is that since it has so many important files inside, it's constantly got hundreds of files open every time you use your PC.And because there are so many files to open at once, Windows is constantly getting confused, leading it to save many of these files in the wrong way.These files go wrong when saved wrongly, making them difficult for your computer to read.However, if it can't read the files at all, it has no choice but to stop everything it's doing and restart your PC.This is why the physical memory dump error appears so easily--because when a registry file is so wrong that it can't be read, your computer needs to refresh itself immediately.
This latter reason for causing the physical memory dump is actually extremely common and the likelihood is that your PC is suffering from it, if you're seeing this error.Luckily, it's also incredibly easy to fix--you just need to use a software tool called a "registry cleaner" to go through the registry and fix all the problems in there. | high741.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "children whose parents are highly educated would attain high levels of education"
},
"options": [
"children whose family had a library would possibly attain high levels of education",
"children who were born in poor families studie... | Whether rich or poor, parents who have books in the home increase the level of education their children will attain, according to a 20-year study led by Mariah Evans.
For years, educators have thought the strongest predictor of attaining high levels of education was having parents who were highly educated. But, the study showed that the difference between being raised in a bookless home compared to being raised in a home with a 500-book library has as great an effect on the level of education a child will attain as the difference between having parents who are barely literate and having parents who have a university education.
Being a sociologist, Evans was particularly interested to find that children of lesser-educated parents benefit the most from having books in the home. What kinds of investments should we make to help these kids get ahead? The results of this study indicate that getting some books into their homes is an inexpensive way that we can help these children succeed. Evans said, "Even a little bit goes a long way. Having as few as 20 books in the home still has a significant impact on _ a child to a higher level of education, and the more books you add, the greater benefit the children get."
The researchers were struck by the strong effect having books in the home had on children's educational attainment even above and beyond such factors as education level of the parents, the father's occupation or the economic level of the country.
Having books in the home is twice as important as the father's education level, and more important than whether a child was brought up in a developing country or a developed country. Surprisingly, the difference in educational attainment for children born in developed country and children born in developing country was just 2 years, less than two-thirds of the effect that having 500 or more books in the home had on children. | high13792.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "All the classes don't allow the students to get credits in high school in some countries"
},
"options": [
"The grades in middle school are not important",
"All the classes don't allow the students to get credits in high school in s... | A teenager who is preparing to go to high school has probably heard all kinds of different things about high school freshmen from his parents , fiends , or old brothers and sisters. The change from middle school to high school can seem like a frightening experience for teens going into high school , but it is not always so hard as it may seem. Usually , middle school students can get used to high school life within a few months of their freshman year. A few tips for high school freshmen are as follows.
Grades are important . While it is important for a student to try to do his best in school , the grades that he gets in high school are even more important , since they are what colleges will look like when considering his application for their school .
Classes . The classes a freshman takes throughout his whole high school can help them a lot when he gets ready to go to college or look for a job . Some special classes allow students to get college credits while they are still in high school in some countries . Most high school classes will have more homework than middle school classes and this can be a hard adjustment at first .
Being prepared . Middle school classes might not request students to prepare very much before they attend them . But high school teachers will expect students to get everything ready before the class begins .It is also important for students to study for tests and do all homework that is required during class.
Making good choices. Most high school students have more freedom than middle school students, but what a student does with this freedom is very important to his future life for many years after high school is over. Peer pressure , while it can be good sometimes, is often a problem with younger teens .It is important for a teen to make good choices throughout his high school career so that he can be successful later on in his life .
High school is a memorable experience for teenagers .They should not be afraid of becoming a freshmen . After studying for a period of time , they will surely enjoy it. | high8597.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "offer you the best way to start the day"
},
"options": [
"tell you to get up early every day",
"offer you the best way to start the day",
"give you advice about how to arrange a day",
"advise you to prioritize your to-d... | Welcome every morning with a smile. Let your first hour set the theme of success and positive action that is certain to echo through your entire day. Today will never happen again. Don't waste it with a false start or no start at all. You were not born to fail.
Starting the day right can give good momentum for the rest of the day. Having a power morning is a key factor for a fruitful day. Here are some tips on getting the most out of the morning.
Wake up early. In theory, there's no difference in waking up early or late as long as you get the proper amount of sleep. However, there is a psychological advantage when you wake up earlier than the average person and then you'll have more time to do preparation before engaging in the real world.
Exercise. Good health is always a benefit with exercise, but studies have also shown that morning exercise helps you to sleep better at nights.
Eat breakfast. It's the most important meal of the day. According to the Mayo Clinic, we should choose three from the following four: fruits and vegetables, grains, dairy, and protein. Did you know that you can actually gain weight when you skip breakfast?
Take a shower. When you shower, do you do it in the morning or at night? I used to shower in the evenings, but I found that morning showers helped me to be more alert.
Prioritize your To-Do list. Leo _ the acronym MIT to mean "most important tasks." Our to-do list might be never ending, but put on top of the list a couple of urgent tasks that will define the day to be a successful one.
Check your emails. Only once. Getting a lot of emails can be very distractive. You actually are more productive when you check them only a few times at fixed time of the day. I only do them 2-3 times a day--once in the morning, once at lunch, and one more as it gets toward the end of the day. | high999.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Sympathy."
},
"options": [
"Sympathy.",
"Sorrow.",
"Regret.",
"Disappointment."
],
"question": "When seeing the old shoe seller, how did the author feel?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
... | Today, I felt terrible. My head was full of problems, burdens and confusion. I decided to take a walk even though I didn't know where I would go.
The most extraordinary thing happened when I was on this walk.
I saw an old man sitting on a chair. He was a seller of second-hand shoes. I thought he looked at least seventy years old. He seemed so tired and nobody was buying his shoes. I wanted to give him something but I had not brought anything with me.
Then, a little girl came toward him. I heard the child say, "Grandfather, may I polish your shoes?" That old man took pity on her and he gave her a shoe to polish.
The girl said, "I polish the shoe because I need money to buy my brother a new school uniform."
I heard this and tears came to my eyes. The old man answered, "Oh, little girl. Just stop doing this. Come with me and I will buy you a school uniform." Then they walked to a market and I followed them behind. There he bought her a school uniform.
The girl said, "Thank you so much for doing this. May God bless you." Then she left, leaving the old man smiling.
He walked away from the market, but I stopped him. I whispered in his ear, "You are a hero! Thank you for your kindness!" As I walked away, I glanced back and I could see him still smiling.
My own sadness disappeared and was chased away by the light of this kind act. I began realizing that I have a lot to be thankful for. I hope, some day, I can show my appreciation of what I have by following the example of the old man who only had a little, but shared it beautifully with someone who had nothing. | high7868.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "the Japanese were cruel during the war"
},
"options": [
"the Japanese were cruel during the war",
"the Japanese they meet are cruel",
"the Japanese don't want to communicate with Chinese people",
"they look too fashiona... | Having learned much about the War of Resistance against Japan, Mao Jingxin didn't like the Japanese when she was a child. "I thought they were cruel and rude," said the 18-year-old girl from Hebei Province.
But she began to change her mind after she met some Japanese teenagers in a history museum six years ago. These fashionable high school students looked seriously at the history displays and talked to Mao in a friendly way. "I found that they are not bad as I thought," she said.
Like Mao, many Chinese teenagers' are caught up in this confusion. A survey by 21st Century Teens shows about 51 per cent of Chinese teenagers say they dislike Japan. But most of them still want to have a Japanese friend. Also, Japan lies third on their list of Asian countries that they want to visit, following Singapore and South Korea.
Teens did a survey just before the 60th anniversary of the victory day of the War of Resistance against Japan, which fell on September 3. The survey aimed to encourage understanding and communication between young Chinese and Japanese.
Teens also wanted to understand Chinese teenagers' attitudes towards Japan, and how much they actually know about the country.
As Teens found, more than 60 per cent of Chinese teenagers learn about Japan through the media or books. Only 16 per cent have ever met a Japanese person.
"Most of my friends hate Japan for what it did to China during World War II. But people should not live in hatred. I think the best way to figure it out is to have contact with the Japanese people myself," Zhang Yuyuan, a Senior 2 girl, told us in the survey.
"Japan has done wrong to Asian countries including China and it has caused pain to everyone," said Hikaru, a 17-year-old girl in Kawasaki . Having visited China four times and learned much, she understands the importance of communication between the two peoples. She plans to join in an exchange programme with Chinese youth. "Welcome to Japan, my Chinese friends!" She says it with a smile. | high13786.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland"
},
"options": [
"Northern Ireland, Scotland and England",
"England, Wales and Scotland",
"Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland",
"Northern Ireland, Wales and England"
],
"qu... | The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the eleventh largest nation in Europe. England, Wales and Scotland make up the island of Great Britain, which takes up most of the Britain Isles. Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are mountainous. The highest mountain is Ben Nevis in Scotland. Plains and valleys cover much of England. The British climate is mild.
About 58 million people live in the United Kingdom. Few other countries are so crowded. Four out of five people live in cities such as Belfast, Glasgow, and London. London is the capital. Great Britain grows half of the food it needs. Its industries help to pay for the food that is bought from abroad. The United Kingdom manufactures a wide range of goods. Service industries, such as tourism, that provide services rather than producing goods, are increasing. Traditional industries, such as coal mining, are declining. | high9845.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To emphasize that Calment was born a long time ago."
},
"options": [
"To show that Calment had seen famous people and things.",
"To emphasize that Calment was born a long time ago.",
"To indicate that Calment is just as famou... | When Jeanne Calment entered the world in 1875, telephones and automobiles still lay in the future. Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso were not yet born. The Eiffel Tower was 14 years from being built. As a teenager, she met Vincent Van Gogh, near her home in Arles, in the south of France. He was "very ugly, ungracious , impolite, sick--I forgive him, they called him loco ", she recalled. When she died last week at age 122, she was the world's eldest person. (There are others who claimed to the title, but only Calment had the official documents to prove her age.)
Each February 21, her birthday, she would share the secrets of long life. Some years it was "a sense of humour", others it was "keeping busy". "God must have forgotten me," she once explained. The truth probably was that she had good genes: her mother reportedly lived to be 86 and her father 94.
Her life had its sadness: she outlived her husband, her only daughter and her grandson. According to a friend, she was _ . "If you can't do anything about it," she reportedly said, "don't worry about it."
In her last years she was nearly blind and deaf, but her health remained good. She ate a few bars of chocolate each week and continued smoking until a few years ago, when she could no longer light her own cigarettes. She never lost her sense of humour. On her 110thbirthday, she commented, "I've only ever had one wrinkle, and I'm sitting on it. "Her longevity made her famous; her spirit made her eternal . | high12498.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "frightened"
},
"options": [
"angry",
"pleased",
"frightened",
"defeated"
],
"question": "When a cat arches its back high in a rigid curve, it shows that it is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},... | Body language is a very powerful tool of communication, not only between people but in the animal world as well.
In many instances, we produce idioms (,)which are all understandable by borrowing examples from animal communication.
For example, we know that a frightened cat will arch its back high in rigid curve . From this starting-point we might hear the expression, "He gets my back up!" meaning "He makes me angry."
In the same manner, we know that many animals, if challenged by attackers, will not turn and run away because this will encourage the attacker to attack them more forcefully. Instead, they will move backwards slowly to get out of harm's way, always still facing their attacker.We call this action " _ " and it can be used just as well with humans as with animals.
In the case of humans, however, the back-off may not be physical but oral, as in using a kinder tone of voice and gentler words instead of fighting against the attackers. | high21052.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Company officials' reaction to works."
},
"options": [
"The convenience of high technology.",
"Company officials' reaction to works.",
"The change in the concept of management",
"Development of environmental awareness."... | It's hard to be the bearer of bad news,but most of IKEA's print and digital fascinating shots of picturesque rooms and products are fake.Those beautiful,"natural-looking" photos of gorgeous rooms and kitchens are mostly the work of computer magic,adjusted and corrected until they're picture-perfect.
Martin Enthed,IT manager for IKEA's in-house communications agency,revealed,"In 2012,12 per cent of its product and concept images was CGI-rendered,increasing to 25 per cent in 2013.Since then,that percentage of rendered images appearing in the company's catalogue and online has tripled.75 per cent of the furniture company's product images today are created by computers."
It's a move that first caught the attention of photographers and graphic designers a few years back when the furniture giant announced it would cancel photoshoots in favor of computer-generated imagery(CGI).
Enthed said IKEA began shifting equipment in 2009 when company officials called in his team and said they weren't pleased with some previous photos and CG images.
"So we looked at all the images they said weren't good and the two of three they said were great,and the ones they didn't like were photography and the good ones were all CG,"Enthed said."Now we only talk about a good or bad image - not what technique created it."
It's a not-so-secret strategy used by top companies specializing in home and furniture design,though many consumers remain oblivious.
The company claims the shift is another way to reduce its environmental footprint,saying constructing digital files produces less waste.It also helps the home furnishing empire's pocketbooks. | high11191.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "A mother's income."
},
"options": [
"Women's liberation movement.",
"A mother's income.",
"The kind of job fathers do.",
"The kind of job women do."
],
"question": "Which of the following explains a fathers' inc... | Today's dad spends more hours on childcare than a dad a generation ago.But he still lags behind the modem-day mom,even when her wages are equal,a new study reports.Researchers found that the number of hours a mother spent at work had no effect on the amount of time a father devoted to childcare during the week.Similarly, a mother's income had very little influence on fathers' involvement in childcare.On weekends,however,fathers spent more time with their children.Despite women's increasing role in the labor market, most mothers remain the main caregivers of young children on weekdays.
Researchers found that fathers spent all average of 2.5 hours on a weekday and about 6 hours on a weekend day with their children.T _ included time spent playing together or doing schoolwork,personal care such as bathing and feeding.On weekdays, children spent one-third less time with their fathers than with their mothers,but on weekends the time gap closed and kids spent only 13% more time with their mothers than with their fathers.Children of women who made more money spent more time with their fathers on weekends, however."The good news is that as women become equal contributing partners, the involvement of fathers does increase."one researcher said."The bad news is...that men still do less on traditional women's jobs--(taking care of)babies,dishes,etc."
In other findings,fathers with some college education spent 17 more minutes per weekday with their children than dads without any college education.Fathers who made more money spent less time with children on weekdays,but the amount of time was fairly small."Our findings suggest that although mothers still shoulder most parenting,fathers' involvement to that of mothers appears to be on the increase,"the researchers conclude."A new father' role is emerging on weekends in families." | high16826.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "are not as watchful as they could be"
},
"options": [
"are not ready to help the police",
"are not as watchful as they could be",
"don't look after their gardens well",
"don't tell their neighbors about their holidays"
... | Everyone is born with their own built-in burglar alarms, called the sense of sight and sound.Unluckily, many of us go around with the alarm turned off.
We don't see the stranger wandering outside the house next door.
We don't notice the sounds from the flat upstairs.
(Weren't they supposed to be on holiday?)
The police can only do so much to prevent crime. There never can be enough of them to guard every home in every town. So they need your help in fighting with the burglars,the vandals , and the car thieves.
Not, of course, by setting out to have a go every time you see something suspicious. It'll always be the job of the police to arrest criminals.
But by acting as a line of communication between them and your community, for instance, you probably know far more about your immediate neighborhoods than the police ever could.
A stranger in someone's garden would probably be far more obvious to you than it would to even the local police, if, of course, you were on the look-out.
That's the whole idea behind the Neighborhood Watch schemes, springing up around the country to create a spirit of watchfulness within a community, anything suspicious being reported to the police.
It's early days yet, but results so far are very encouraging. The crime figures are already dropping in many of the areas running the scheme. And all due to people like you. | high17286.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "52."
},
"options": [
"6.5.",
"13.",
"52.",
"65."
],
"question": "For 650 people with crime records, how many potential murderers would the software find?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"... | New crime prediction software should reduce not only the murder rate, but the rate of other crimes. Developed by Richard Berk, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, the software has already used in Baltimore and Philadelphia to predict which individuals on probation or parole are most likely to murder and to be murdered.
"When a person goes on probation or parole he is supervised by an officer. The question is 'what level of supervision is appropriate?'" said Berk. It used to be that parole officers used the person's criminal record, and their judgment to make decisions.
"This research replaces those _ ," he said.
Technology helps determine level of supervision. On average there is one murder for every 100,000 people. Even among high-risk groups the murder rate is one in 100. Predicting such a rare event is very difficult, but advances in computer technology works.
Years ago, the researchers made a dataset of more than 60,000 various crimes. Using the software they developed, they found some much more likely to commit murder when paroled or probated. They could identify eight future murderers out of 100.
Berk's software examines roughly two dozen variables , from criminal record to geographic location. The type of crimes, and more importantly, the age at which that crime was committed, were two of the most predictive variables.
"People assume that if someone murdered then they will murder in the future," said Berk. " What really matters is what that person did as a young individual. Predicting future crimes sounds well. But we aren't anywhere near being able to do that."
"Berk's scientific answer leaves policymakers with difficult questions. By labeling one group of people as high risk, and supervise them closely, there should be fewer murders, which the potential victims should be happy about. It also means that those high-risk individuals will be supervised more aggressively. For human rights advocates, that means punishing people who, most likely, will not commit a crime in the future," said Bushway. "It comes down to a question of whether you would rather make these errors or those errors." | high5919.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The age of the buildings"
},
"options": [
"The colour of the building",
"The length of the streets",
"The age of the buildings",
"The colour of the roofs"
],
"question": "What is the main difference between the ... | Valencia is in the east part of Spain. It has a port on the sea, two miles away on the coast. It is the capital of a province that is also named Valencia. The city is a market centre for what is produced by the land around the city. Most of the city's money is made from farming. It is also a busy business city, with ships, railways, clothes and machine factories. Valencia has an old part with white buildings, coloured roofs, and narrow streets. The modern part has long, wide streets and new buildings. Valencia is well known for its parks and gardens. It has many old churches and museums. The university in the centre of the city was built in the 13th century. The city of Valencia has been known since the 2nd century. In the 8th century it was the capital of Spain. There is also an important city in Venezuela named Valencia. | high16198.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "its more than 2,000 monkeys"
},
"options": [
"the people who love in the city",
"its more than 2,000 monkeys",
"the delicious food offered in a buffet",
"the parade held each year there"
],
"question": "Today L... | Lopburi is around 150 kilometers north of Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. What make Lopburi famous are its more than 2,000 monkeys who live in the middle of the city. They hang on phone line, cross streets, grab food from other locals and tourists, or even search your pockets. However, nobody blames the monkeys. As the locals say, they bring prosperity to the town.
The "Lopburi Monkey Festival" is held each year on the last weekend of November and is a major attraction for locals and foreign visitors alike. A local businessman started the tradition twenty years ago.
The monkeys attracted many foreign tourists to travel there. The businessman started the tradition in order to honor those monkeys. On the festival, they are offered a buffet of delicious fruits and sweets, ice cream, and more as a way of thanking them for the good fortune they bring to the town!
The monkeys were not always living in the city. They used to love outside the city limits, but the group divided and a new group formed and decided to live in the ruins of the temples. As time went by, the monkeys became more familiar and daring and started to go out of their homes. They are now part of LOpburi's local culture.
Last year, people had a great time celebrating the monkey festival. A parade was held through town, cultural shows were lined up and the streets were filled with locals and tourists as they watched the parade with monkeys. Sellers selling food and souvenirs can be seen everywhere. There were 20 chefs who "cooked up" a lot of food for the "monkey" buffet. It was reported that about two tons of fruits and vegetables, ice cream jelly and milk were prepared for the more than 2,000 monkeys. | high21734.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "healthy and able to work about 4--5 hours"
},
"options": [
"between the ages of 18-25",
"left-handed with normal hearing",
"healthy and able to work about 4--5 hours",
"a female native Canadian English speaker"
],
... | MALE Participants Needed for Social Communication Study
The Neuropragmatics and Emotion Lab is looking for healthy male volunteers to participate in an EEG experiment on social communication. You will hear stimuli and make decisions about stimuli that appear on a screen. With the EEG set-up, the entire participation will take about 4.5 hours and is conducted at 2001 McGill College Avenue. The compensation will be $10 per hour for your time and inconvenience. You are expected to be a MALE native Canadian English speaker, between 18-30 years old, right-handed and have normal hearing. If interested, please contact pell.lab.study@gmail.com.
Pell Lab: 514-398-4400
MALE Undergraduate Participants Needed
The CASC Lab in the Department of Psychology at McGill University (supervisor: Dr. Melanie Dirks) is looking for male McGill undergraduate students between the ages of 18-25 who are willing to complete an interview and a questionnaire about challenging friendship experiences. The interview will last approximately 2 hours. Participants will also be asked to complete a brief online questionnaire and to reach out to three of their friends who might also be willing to complete the same questionnaire. Participants will be compensated for their time ($20). If you are interested, please contact _
Thomas. Khullar: 514-398-3725
Participants Needed for Social Communication Study
The Pell Lab is seeking North American English speakers for a study on social communication. You will judge audio and video clips showing social interactions while wearing an EEG cap measuring brain activity. The session is about 2 hours and compensation is $30 for the experiment. If you are interested and meet all the following criteria, please email pellabtest.eeg@gmail.com. Please provide your name, email and telephone number.
Age between 18-35 years old
Native North American English speakers
Normal hearing and no history of mental and neurological disorder
Right-handedness
Kelly Hennegan: 514-398-4400 Ext.:00010 | high14957.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "2010: The year technology replaced talking."
},
"options": [
"2010: The year technology developed quickly.",
"2010: The year technology sped up our life pace.",
"2010: The year technology replaced talking.",
"2010: The ... | When Gretchen Baxter gets home from work as a New York City book editor, she checks her Blackberry at the door. 'I think we are attached to these devices in a way that is not always positive,' says Baxter,who'd rather focus at home on her husband and 12-year-old daughter. 'It's there and it beckons . That's human nature (but)...we kind of get crazy sometimes and we don't know where it should stop.'
Americans are connected at unprecedented levels93% now use cell phones or wireless devices;one third of those are 'smart phones' that allow users to browse the Web and check e-mail,among other things. The benefits are obvious: checking messages on the road,staying in touch with friends and family,efficiently using time once spent waiting around. The downside:often,we're effectively disconnecting from those in the same room.
That's why,despite all the technology that makes communicating easier than ever,2010 was the Year We Stopped Talking to One Another. From texting at dinner to posting on Facebook from work or checking e-mail while on a date,the connectivity revolution is creating a lot of divided attention,not to mention social anxiety. Many analysts say it's time to step back and reassess.
'What we're going to see in the future is new opportunities for people to be plugged in and connected like never before,' says Scott Campbell. 'It can be a good thing,but I also see new ways the traditional social fabric is getting somewhat torn apart.'
Our days are filled with beeps and pings*----many of which pull us away from tasks at hand or face-to-face conversations. We may feel that the distractions are too much,but we can't seem to stop posting,texting or surfing.
'We're going through a period of adjustment and rebalancing,' says Sherry Turkle and she wants to remind people that technology can be turned off.
'Our human purposes are to really have connections with people,' she says. 'We have to reclaim it. It's not going to take place by itself.' | high12261.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Three days before the report came out."
},
"options": [
"on Saturday afternoon",
"on Sunday night",
"Three days before the report came out.",
"Just before the report was written."
],
"question": "When did the te... | The events of Saturday night in Kunming are deeply engraved in the mind of Xie Qiming, who narrowly escaped death in the terrorist attack at the city's railway station.
The 48-year-old policeman intervened to stop the butchering of unarmed civilians, saving many from death and injury, but he was injured in the process.
Lying in a hospital bed, his head and nose marked by serious hacking wounds - one more than 20 centimeters long - Xie recounted his actions on the day he describes as a nightmare.
"I shot at them but fell to the ground during the fighting. After the shots, the terrorists turned their attention to the police and several of them surrounded me and stabbed me like crazy," he said. "There is no humanity in them."
Xie is from the Beijinglu Police Station, the closest to the attack, and four police officers from the station were the first to respond. He survived because he was wearing a bulletproof vest, which was damaged by the attackers.
When the officers arrived, the attackers were running out of the ticket hall, attacking people with long knives.
Xie and his colleagues tried to stop the attack, which is when Xie was injured. In addition to the deep cuts, his skull was fractured, and at the time of writing he was awaiting further surgery.
"A wave of fierce anger rose up in my mind, and we all forgot to think about the possible danger to us," said Hu Zhe, 23, a police officer trainee at the Beijinglu Police Station.
Having no firearm, he fought the terrorists with a wooden baton, but it got broken in the fighting. He sustained a 6-centimeter wound to his left eyebrow.
Wan Weiqing, a neurosurgeon from Beijing Tiantan Hospital, learned of the attack at 2 am on Sunday and took the first flight to Kunming, where he has been helping the victims.
He said that 71 victims are being treated at the Kunming First People's Hospital, most of them with severe multiple injuries.
"There is one victim whose rib, breastbone, lung and even heart were all injured in one chopping action. The attackers had obviously prepared and practiced for a long time," he said.
Zhou Hongmei, director of the Medical Reform Office at the Yunnan Health Department, said a team of medical experts including 29 doctors had arrived in Kunming by Monday night. They have been working at the five hospitals treating victims of the attack.
Chen Min, a Neurology Department nurse at Kunming First People's Hospital, said the department usually had seven nurses in the daytime and three at night. "But all the other nurses who were not on duty returned to the hospital voluntarily on Saturday night," she said.
In the past three days, none of them had more than 10 hours of rest.
"The crucial factor in saving lives in such incidents is treatment without delay," said Chai Wenzhao, associate director of the Intensive Care Unit in the Peking Union Medical College Hospital. Chai has participated in many emergency rescue efforts.
He said that the victims will need psychological counseling once their physical injuries have been dealt with, because the emotional impact of such an incident can be severe.
Four psychologists from Anding Hospital in Beijing have begun treating some of the victims. | high6357.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "others' mistakes"
},
"options": [
"the same buttons",
"others' mistakes",
"one's own mistakes",
"the monkey's brain"
],
"question": "In the experiment mentioned, those unresponsive cells are only sensitive to ... | If you saw another kid ride her bike too fast around a corner and fall down, you might ride your bike more slowly on that turn. Yes, we humans are very sensitive to others' mistakes. And the same is true for other animals. Animals mess up all the time. They might eat poisonous leaves, fall off a tree or let their prey slip away. By watching others fail, an animal can avoid making the same mistakes, thus improving its chance of survival.
Scientists suspected that one part of the brain helps animals process information about others' errors. Cells in that part appear to become more active when a person sees someone else making a mistake. But researchers didn't know whether individual cells in this part of the brain play different roles in _ errors.
To investigate the brain's response to errors in more detail, the researchers taught a game to two macaques, a type of monkey. One monkey could press a yellow or green button while the other watched. If the first monkey pressed the right button, the team gave both animals a treat. Every couple of rounds, the two monkeys switched roles. Meanwhile, the scientists monitored individual cells in the animal's brains.
When the first monkey messed up the game by pressing the wrong button, a group of cells in the second monkey's brain fired. But if the second monkey also made the wrong choice during its turn, some of the cells in that group didn't respond. Those unresponsive cells reacted specifically to mistakes made by others, not to the monkey's own mistakes.
Scientists believe other parts of the brain also might help people process information about another's errors. "You start to think about this other person and see things from his angle. " Ellen de Bruijn, told Science News. She studies the brain at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. | high9064.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To explore the meanings of two expressions."
},
"options": [
"To give some advice on office work.",
"To explore the meanings of two expressions.",
"To share Mister Smith's personal experience.",
"To tell about the devel... | Young Mister Smith had an idea for his employer. It was an idea for saving money for the company by increasing prices. At the same time, Smith suggested that the company sell goods of less value.
If his employer liked the idea, Smith might be given more pay. Perhaps he might even get a better job with the company.
Business had been very slow. So Mister Smith's employer thought a few minutes about the idea. But then she shook her head. "I am sorry, Smith," his employer said. "It just will not wash."
Now, the meaning of these English words should be, "It will not get clean." Yet, Smith's idea did not have anything to do with making something clean. So why did his employer say, "It will not wash?"
Most word experts agree that "it will not wash" means it will not work. In the nineteenth century in England, the expression came to mean an unde-pendable statement. It was used mainly to describe an idea. But sometimes it was used about a person.
Happily for the young employee Smith, his employer wanted him to do well in the company. So the employer "talked turkey" to him. She said, "Your idea would be unfair to our buyers. Think of another way to save money."
A century ago, to talk turkey meant to talk pleasantly. Turkeys in the barnyard were thought to be speaking pleasantly to one another. In recent years, the saying has come to mean an attempt to teach something important.
Mister Smith thought of a better idea after his employer talked turkey to him. He was given an increase in pay. So if your idea "will not wash," try "talking turkey" to yourself and come up with a better idea. | high21873.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "A site where dead people were placed or remembered."
},
"options": [
"A village where hundred of people once lived.",
"A place that regularly hosted large parties.",
"A church where local villagers would get married.",
... | The people who built Stonehenge in southern England thousands of years ago had wild parties, eating barbecued pigs and breaking pottery. This is according to recent work by archaeologists--history experts who investigate how human beings lived in the past.
Archaeologists digging near Stonehenge last year discovered the remains of a large prehistoric village where they think the builders of the mysterious stone circle used to live.
The village is about 4600 years old, the same age as Stonehenge and as old as the pyramids in Egypt. It is less than two miles from the famous ancient landmark and lies inside a massive manmade circular dirt wall, or "henge", known as the Durrington Walls.
Remains found at the site included jewellery, stone arrowheads, tools made of deer antlers, wooden spears and huge amounts of animal bones and broken pottery. "These finds suggest Stone Age people went to the village at special times of the year to feast and party", says Mike Parker Pearson from Sheffield University in England.
He said many of the pig bones they found had been thrown away halfeaten. He also said the partygoers appeared to have shot some of the farm pigs with arrows, possibly as a kind of sport before barbecuing them.
An ancient road which led from the village to the River Avon was also found. Here, the experts think, people came after their parties to throw dead relatives in the water so the bodies would be washed downstream to Stonehenge.
Parker Pearson believes Stonehenge was like a cemetery where ancient Britons buried the dead and remembered their ancestors. "The theory is that Stonehenge is a kind of spirit home to the ancestors."
The recent discovery of the village within the Durrington Walls shows that Stonehenge didn't stand alone but was part of a much bigger religious site, according to Parker Pearson.
People still come to worship and celebrate at Stonehenge today. They meet there when the sun sets on the shortest day of winter and when it rises on the longest day of summer. But the days of barbecuing whole pigs there and throwing family members into the river are a thing of the past. | high10476.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "That adults are driven by age-discrimination against kids."
},
"options": [
"That kids like being called that way.",
"That adults are more irresponsible than kids.",
"That kids often make irrational demands.",
"That adu... | Now, I want to start with a question: When was the last time you were called childish? For kids like me, being called childish can be a frequent occurrence. Every time we make irrational demands, exhibit irresponsible behavior, or display any other signs of being normal American citizens, we are called childish. _ A _ . After all, take a look at these events: imperialism and colonization , world wars, George W. Bush. Ask yourself: Who's responsible? Adults.
Now, what have kids done? _ B _ . Well, Anne Frank touched millions with her powerful account of the Holocaust , Ruby Bridges helped end segregation in the United States, and, most recently, Charlie Simpson helped to raise 120,000 pounds for Haiti on his little bike. So, as you can see evidenced by such examples, age has ly nothing to do with it. We are called childish so often by adults that we should abolish this age-discrimination when it comes to criticizing behavior associated with irresponsibility and irrational thinking.
Then again, who's to say that certain types of irrational thinking aren't exactly what the world needs? Maybe you've had grand plans before, but stopped yourself, thinking: That's impossible or that costs too much or that won't benefit me. For better or worse, we kids aren't hampered as much when it comes to thinking about reasons why not to do things. _ C _ . Kids can be full of inspiring aspirations and hopeful thinking, like my wish that no one went hungry or that everything were free kind of utopia . How many of you still dream like that and believe in the possibilities? Sometimes a knowledge of history and the past failures of utopian ideals can be a burden. On the other hand, we kids still dream about perfection. _ D _ . And that's a good thing because in order to make anything a reality, you have to dream about it first.
Now, our inborn wisdom doesn't have to be insiders' knowledge. Kids already do a lot of learning from adults, and we have a lot to share. I think that adults should start learning from kids. Now, I do most of my speaking in front of an education crowd, teachers and students, and I like this analogy. It shouldn't just be a teacher at the head of the classroom telling students to do this, do that. The students should teach their teachers. Learning between grown ups and kids should be reciprocal. The reality, unfortunately, is a little different, and it has a lot to do with trust, or a lack of it. Now, if you don't trust someone, you place restrictions on them, right. If I doubt my older sister's ability to pay back the 10 percent interest I established on her last loan, I'm going to withhold her ability to get more money from me until she pays it back.
True story, by the way. Now, adults seem to have a prevalently restrictive attitude towards kids from every "don't do that," "don't do this" in the school handbook, to restrictions on school internet use. Kids have no, or very little, say in making the rules, when really the attitude should be reciprocal , meaning that the adult population should learn and take into account the wishes of the younger population.
Adults, you need to listen and learn from kids. The world needs opportunities for new leaders and new ideas. Kids need opportunities to lead and succeed. Are you ready to make the match? | high17319.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "met the increased demand of the public for higher education"
},
"options": [
"replaced the dominance of Oxford and Cambridge",
"provided further education for all the people who need it",
"met the increased demand of the publ... | Further education is officially described as the"post-secondary stage of education, comprising all vocational and non-vocational provision made for young people who have left school, or for adults". Further education thus embraces the vast range of university, technical, commercial, and art education and the wide field of adult education. It is this sector of education, which is concerned with education beyond the normal school-leaving ages of 16 or 18, that has experienced the most astonishing growth in the number of students.
In the 19th century the dominance of Oxford and Cambridge was challenged by the rise of the civic universities, such as London, Manchester, and Birmingham. Following the lead of the 18th century German universities and responding to a public demand for increased opportunity for higher education, Britain's new civic universities quickly acquired recognition--not only in technological fields but also in the fine and liberal arts.
Many new post-school technical colleges were founded in the early 20th century. The Fisher Act of 1918 empowered the local authorities to levy a rate (tax) to finance such colleges. The universities, on the other hand, received funds from the central government through the University Grants Committee, established in 1911 and recognized in 1920, after World War I.
A new type of technical college was established in the 1960s--the polytechnic, which provides mainly technological courses of university level as well as courses of a general kind in the arts and sciences. Polytechnics are chartered to award degrees validated by a Council for National Academic Awards.
Thus, the third level in the United Kingdom is made up of colleges of further education, technical colleges, polytechnics, and universities. The colleges offer full-time and part-time courses beyond compulsory-school level. Polytechnics and universities are mainly responsible for degrees and research. The innovative Open University, with its flexible admission policy and study arrangements, opened in 1971. It uses various media to provide highly accessible and flexible higher education for working adults and other part-time students. It serves as an organizational model and provides course-materials for similar institutions in other countries.
Changes in British education in the second half of the 20th century have, without changing the basic values in the system, extended education by population, level, and content. New areas for expansion include immigrant cultural groups and multicultural content, the accommodation of special needs, and the development of tools and content in the expanding fields of microelectronics. | high16007.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "most of the criminals in prefix = st1 /Americaare armed"
},
"options": [
"they have to defend themselves from possible violence",
"their wives are in fear that their husband might be shot down",
"they often experience the car... | American TV and movies once gave a tough and cruel picture of the American police, though now there are TV series which have _ as heroes and defenders of society. The police are grateful for the good publicity and their new image, especially in cities where there are black Jews, who live under poverty line. White policemen are now careful of how they speak and act towards their fellow black citizens.
The cop is a city or a State employee. He cannot arrest anyone outside his city or his State. He cannot even cross the border into a neighbor State in search of a criminal. If he does, he can be charged with breaking the law of that State. The police who have to be really tough are those who operate in big cities, like New York,Chicago and Detroit, which have large ghettos and organized crimes.
Since the majority of criminals are armed, American cops have to use their guns more often than most policemen in other places and the car chases through the crowded streets of Manhattan, which are a favorite feature of gangster movie, are not so exaggerated . American cops get shot down, run over, stabbed, beaten up, and their wives are in constant fear that one day their men will not come home.
Many policemen do a lot to help children whose parents are criminals. They understand better than most citizens the terrible misery of the Jews. They feel sorry for the drug addicts, but often treat roughly the "pushers" who sell the drugs--when they can catch them. They have been accused of making no serious attempt to break up the various drug rings. They say that such task would be never-ending. | high19334.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Advertisement One."
},
"options": [
"Advertisement One.",
"Advertisement Two.",
"Advertisement Three.",
"Advertisement Four."
],
"question": "Which advertisement pays special attention to housing location and pr... | 1. Need a room close to the US
Embassy for a week in early January
I need a room close to the US embassy for a week in early January. My parents are going to the US embassy for visa interview on January 7th. I am looking for a place for them to stay around this date. Hotels are too expensive for them since they have been retired long ago. They speak Chinese only. Rent can be made through Paypal in USD or cash in CNY, if the price is right.
Reply to: house-510574487@craigslist.org
2. House wanted May 17-24
Looking for 5 bedrooms from May 17-24. Can be one large apartment or 2 smaller ones, but they must be close to each other. Please email me at jcshap@sina.com if you have a nice place with air conditioning, high speed Internet.
3. Home swap or share
I have a beautiful 3-bedroom home with pool and spa in Las Vegas, the USA, 10 minutes from the strip . I am willing to share or swap my house for yours (home or apartment) during the holiday. I need a place for 2 or 3 people in Shanghai from May 19-25. in exchange, you can have my house for any week either during the holiday, or any other time as long as I have a one-month advance notice to set up for you so you can have my house all to yourselves. If interested, please email me at sdiem@cox.net and I will send photos for my home.
4. Apartment or house wanted May 8-28, 2013
My daughter is working in Shanghai and my family wants to be there to stay with her for some time. We are looking for a 2-3 room apartment or house to rent from May 28 in the Pudong District. Need air conditioning.
Thanks
Reply to: wcondon7@msn.com | high4540.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "In 1935."
},
"options": [
"In 1955.",
"In 1935.",
"In 1936.",
"In 1934."
],
"question": "When did Qian xuesen begin to study in Massachusetts Institute of Technology?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
... | Qian Xuesen is one of the pioneers of China's space science. As a world-famous expert on aerospace rockets and aerodynamics, he obtained great achievements in the areas of applied mechanics, engineering cybernetics and system engineering and made distinguished contributions to the foundation and development of Chinese aerospace undertaking .
He graduated from Shanghai Jiaotong University in 1934, and Qian Xuesen went to the United States to study in MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one year later. After receiving master's degree in MIT, he went to study in California Institute of Technology and received PhD degrees in both aerospace and mathematics.
In 1955, six years after the founding of People's Republic of China, Qian Xuesen returned to his motherland. His return brought China the hope of developing space science and its own missiles. In 1956, Qian Xuesen put forward "Proposal on the Development of China's Aviation Industry for National Defense". With the support from Zhou Enlai, the premier, and marshal Nie Rongzheng, Qian Xuesen began to prepare for the establishment of China's first missile and rocket research and development structure, the Fifth Research Institute of State Ministry of Defense. Henceforth , he has long been in charge of the chief technological research and development of China's missile, rocket and spacecraft.
Due to research and development led by Qian Xuesen, China successfully exploded its first atom bomb in 1964. Later, China launched its first man-made satellite, Dong Fang Hong I, to the earth orbit on April 24, 1970, becoming the fifth country in the world to independently launch satellite following the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the USA, France and Japan. The satellite floated around the earth, blaring the song Dong Fang Hong, which has the same name as the satellite.
As a _ leading the development of China's aerospace science and technology, Qian Xuesen also provided chances for young scientists. Wang Yongzhi, former chief designer of China's manned-space project, has benefited a lot from Qian Xuesen. "He suggested that rocket of the second generation should be developed by our second generation scientists. This suggestion gave us chances to be general designers." Recalling the experience working with Qian Xuesen, Sun Jiadong, general designer of China's lunar orbiter project, is very grateful. "He put great expectation on us and trusted us a lot. Whenever we made mistakes, he seldom blamed us, but helped us to find out the reason so we could avoid it in the future."
Honored as Father of China's Missile and King of Rockets, Qian Xuesen never stopped his work on scientific research after he retired. He said he had no time to review the past, but looked forward to the future. | high11768.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "They both show the author's great talent."
},
"options": [
"They are both intended for children.",
"They both show the author's great talent.",
"Their characters both have magical power.",
"Both of them won't be read on... | J.K. Rowling set children's imaginations on fire. Can the creator of Harry Potter do the same for a grown-up audience? The British author will find out on September 27, when more than 2 million hardcover copies of her first novel for adults hit bookstores in the UK and the US, along with the digital edition. Set in a little English town, The Casual Vacancy is about an election held after an unexpected death.
Michael Pietsch, Rowling's US publisher, says the novel reminded him of Dickens "because of the humanity, the humor, the social concerns, the intensely real characters". No magic though, apparently: "This book isn't Harry Potter", says Pietsch. "It is a completely different concern". As with Harry Potter, there are no advance copies for the media, no early reviews. To date, the seven-book series has sold more than 450 million copies worldwide, and it became one of the most successful movie franchises in July 21, 2007.
Back then, fans could buy books at midnight parties hosted by bookstores. But recent years have seen a great challenge for brick-and-mortar bookstores. People are still buying books, indeed more books than in 2007, according to figures released by the Association of American Publishers. But they are reading them in a new format --the e-book. The Harry Potter series just became available digitally for the first time in April. It will be different for The Casual Vacancy, with the publisher _ releasing an e-book. For Rowling fans who once queued up for Harry Potter, this means that instant satisfaction is now only a click away.
Moving from children's books to adult literature is a big transition. Will Rowling's new book be successful? Arthur Levine, the US co-editor of the Harry Potter books, seems confident: "If you read or re-read the Harry Potter books, you can see that Rowling has all the strengths she needs for great success as a fiction writer -you have great characters, an involving plot, a sense of humor and great empathy". | high5886.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Windsurfing insects have real direction."
},
"options": [
"Insects migrate with the seasons.",
"The wind helps insects greatly in migrating.",
"Windsurfing insects have real direction.",
"Scientists have trouble in obse... | As they migrate, butterflies and moths choose the winds they want to fly with, and they change their body positions if they start floating in the wrong direction. This new finding suggests that insects may use some of the same methods that birds use for traveling long distances. Scientists have long thought that insects were simply at the mercy of the wind.
Fascinating as their skills of flight are, migrating behavior has been difficult to study in insects because many long distant trips happen thousands of feet above ground. Only recently have scientists developed technologies that can detect such little creatures at such great heights.
To their surprise, though, the insects weren't passive travelers on the winds. In autumn, for example, most light winds blew from the east, but the insects somehow sought out ones that carried them south and they positioned themselves to navigate directly to their wintering homes.
Even in the spring, when most winds flowed northward, the insects didn't always go with the flow. If breezes weren't blowing in the exact direction they wanted to go, the insects changed their body positions to compensate(, ). Many migrating birds do the same thing.
The study also found that butterflies and moths actively flew within the air streams that pushed them along. By adding flight speeds to wind speeds, the scientists calculated that butterflies and moths can travel as fast as 100 kilometers an hour. The findings may have real-world applications. With climate warming, migrating insects are growing in number. Knowing how and when these pests move could help farmers decide when to spray their crops. | high3549.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "a web page"
},
"options": [
"a travel guide",
"a web page",
"a science magazine",
"a collection of stories"
],
"question": "The passage is likely to appear in_.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | E-Cooking Games
Thanks for visiting E-Cooking Games!We offer many different types of free online food games for kids. You can find games where you can bake your own cakes, make your own hot dogs, pies and a lot more .You will also find more than just food games. You will find games where you can play makeup games, car games, adventure games and more.
All of the games on our website can be played for free. We are constantly adding new games, so you should keep checking back daily. We take pride in all of the cooking games and other food games we add to our website and make sure that we have games that will interest everyone, either boys or girls who enjoy baking up delicious treats.
Here on our site, we have great online games with many different recipes that any little baker will love. These games will keep you playing for hours at a time. You can click each game to get a brief description. You can also sort the games by using the menu on the left side of the page. The menu has the games sorted by categories and from there you can choose the free cooking game you want to play, or if you don't want to play a cooking game, you can choose another type of game.
If you are looking for games that will let you decorate your own cakes, we have those for you. If you are feeling a bit competitive and want to race, we can help you with that also. Do you want to cook sushi? Well, let us get you started with that. We have many free cooking games you can play. Get something to drink, kick back and get in that kitchen and cook some food! | high18994.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "To warn people of emergencies via message."
},
"options": [
"To warn people of emergencies via message.",
"To popularize the use of cell phone.",
"To estimate the monthly number of messages.",
"To promote the wireless i... | Federal regulators Wednesday approved a plan to create a nationwide emergency alert system using text messages delivered to cell phones.
Text messages have exploded in popularity in recent years, particularly among young people. The wireless industry's trade association, CTIA, estimates more than 48 billions text messages are sent each month.
The plan comes from the Warning alert and Response Network Act, a 2006 federal law that requires improvement to the nation's emergency alter system. The act tasked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with coming up with new ways to alert the public about emergencies.
"The ability to deliver accurate and timely warning and alert alters through cell phone and other mobile services is an important next step in our efforts to help ensure that the American public has the information they need to take action to protect themselves and their families before, and during, disasters and other emergencies," FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said following approval of the plan.
Participation in the alert system by carriers -- telecommunication companies -- is voluntary, but it has received solid support from the wireless industry.
The program would be optional for cell phone users. They also may not be charged for receiving alerts.
There would be three types of messages, according to the rules.
The first would be a national alter from the president, likely involving a terrorists attack or natural disaster. The second would involve "approaching threats," which could include natural disasters like hurricanes or storms or even university shootings. The third would be reserved for child abduction emergencies, or so-called Amber Alerts.
The service could be in place by 2010. | high16761.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "be likely to eat less"
},
"options": [
"be likely to eat less",
"be happy to take in food",
"enjoy the sound of it",
"consume more food"
],
"question": "When people hear themselves eating, they can _ .",
... | The sounds you make while chewing have a significant effect on the amount of food you eat, a new study has found. The results suggest that people are likely to consume less if they can hear themselves eating.
Researchers at Brigham Young University and Colorado State University have found that your TV, radio, and computer are making you fat. Not by bombarding you with food ads (though they totally are) but by blocking the sounds of your chewing. In a recent study, they found that the noise your food makes while you're eating can have a significant effect on how much food you eat. "Sound is typically labeled as the forgotten food sense," adds Ryan Elder, assistant professor of marketing at BYU's Marriott School of Management. "But if people are more focused on the sound the food makes, it could reduce consumption." "For the most part, consumers and researchers have overlooked food sound as an important sensory cue in the eating experience." said study coauthor Gina Mohr, an assistant professor of marketing at CSU.
The team carried out three separate experiments to quantify the effects of "food sound salience" on quantity of food consumed during a meal. In one experiment, participants were given snacks to eat while they wore headphones playing either loud or quiet noises. The ones loud enough to mask the sound of chewing made subjects eat more -- 4 pretzels compared to 2.75 pretzels for the "quiet" group. In another of their experiments they found that just having people hear chewing sounds through an advertisement can decrease the amount they eat.
Elder and Morh call this the "Crunch Effect." The main takeaway of their work should be the idea of mindfulness, they said. Being more mindful of not just the taste and physical appearance of food, but also of the sound it makes can help consumers to eat less. "When you mask the sound of consumption, like when you watch TV while eating, you take away one of those senses and it may cause you to eat more than you would normally," Elder said.
"The effects may not seem huge --one less pretzel-- but over the course of a week, month, or year, it could really add up." So next time you sit down for a meal, take your headphones off and mute the TV or find a movie where there's a lot of very audible chewing. | high19452.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "want to show their existence by creating a culture of their own"
},
"options": [
"want to show their existence by creating a culture of their own",
"have a strong desire to be leaders in style and taste",
"have no other way t... | It is natural for young people to be critical of their parents at times and to blame them for most of the misunderstandings between them. They have always complained, more or less justly, that their parents are out of touch with modern ways; that they are possessive and dominant; that they do not trust their children to deal with problems; that they talk too much about certain problems--and that they have no sense of humor, at least in parent--child relationships. I think it is true that parents often underestimate their teenage children and also forget how they themselves felt when young.
Young people often make their parents angry at their choices in clothes and hairstyles, in entertainers and music. This is not their motive. They feel cut off from the adult world into which they have not yet been accepted. So they create a culture and society of their own. Then, if it turns out that their music or entertainers or vocabulary or clothes or hairstyles make their parents angry, this gives them extra enjoyment. They feel they are superior, at least in a small way, and that they are leaders in style and taste.
Sometimes you are resistant, and proud because you do not want your parents to agree what you do. If they agree, it looks as if you are betraying your own age group. But in that case, you are supposing that you are the underdog; you cannot win but at least you keep your honor. This is a passive way of looking at things. It is natural enough after long years of childhood, when you were completely under your parents' contro1. But it ignores the fact that you are now beginning to be responsible for yourself. If you plan to control your life, cooperation can be part of that plan. You can attract others, especially your parents, into doing things the way you want. You can impress others with your sense of responsibility, so that they will let you choose what you want to do. | high4226.txt |
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