questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The importance of teamwork among teammates."
},
"options": [
"The stories of three famous basketball superstars.",
"A famous basketball team named the Boston Celtics.",
"The importance of teamwork among teammates.",
"Ma... | When an NBA player is young he thinks he can win the championship by himself. It is only later when he has aged and been through many battles that he learns an important lesson: there is no "I " in "team".
There is no better example of the value of teamwork than the Boston Celtics. Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett were all superstars on three different teams. Yet, none of them had any titles to show for it. Then, last season, they decided to sacrifice money and individual statistics to play together. Garnett and Allen joined Pierce on the Celtics and changed the NBA in the process.
It started in simple ways. Garnett and Allen are two of the most intense athletes in the world. They treat every second of every practice like it is the NBA championship. If you want to play alongside them then you will have to do the same. So, the young guys on the Celtics started giving their full effort too.
Pierce had been the star of the Celtics for many years. He used to shoot the ball many times a game. But with the addition of Allen and Garnett he shot less and focused on defense. His selflessness showed the young players that doing what made the team better was the only thing that mattered.
When the Celtics were winning and the game was almost over, Garnett, Pierce and Allen would come out of the game. But they wouldn't just sit on the bench. Instead, they stood and cheered and screamed for their teammates. They wanted to support their friends and teammates.
Now, the guys who don't play know they can still affect the game by cheering so they scream and cheer when Garnett, Allen and Pierce are playing. The Celtics have developed a strong relationship. They are more than just teammates. They are brothers.
The result: the Boston Celtics won the championship and are considered the favorites to win the Eastern Conference championship again this year.
There is a saying that goes, "A successful team beats with one heart." If that is the case, the Celtics may have the biggest heart in the NBA. | high3206.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "really has no signal"
},
"options": [
"really has no signal",
"can't get the text",
"has a battery failure",
"answers the call"
],
"question": "Whether the person being called has pushed the \"ignore\" button or... | Britain's most popular lie has been disclosed, with one in four people admitting using "Sorry I had no signal" when returning a missed mobile phone call, a survey found.
Researchers found the average Briton tells on average four lies every day or almost 1500 every year. Almost one in six men admitted they were most likely to lie to their wife or girlfriend, on average at least twice a day. The most popular lie was saying you had no mobile phone signal, with one in four people admitting regularly using the little white lie. It usually came after they hit the "ignore" button when their mobile rang.
Three quarters of people think women are better liars. The research found 46 per cent of girls have been caught lying, compared to 58 of men.
The second most common fib is "I haven't got any cash on me" when asked for money by tramps , beggars and Big Issue sellers. "Nothing's wrong - I'm fine" came third followed by "You look lovely" and "Nice to see you".
Modern technology turned out to have contributed to many lies with "I didn't get your text" in 18th, "Our server was down" in 20th and "My battery died" in 26th place.
Other lies to make the top ten included "I'll give you a ring", "We're just good friends" and "We'll have to meet up soon". "I'm on my way" and "No, your bum doesn't look big in that" completed the top ten.
Men tell the most fibs, coming out with five every day compared to women who lie just three times.
In many cases perhaps it is better to flatter with a fib than destroy someone with the truth, according to a spokesman for OnePoll, which carried out the research of 4,300 adults. | high21682.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because he didn't put his heart into study."
},
"options": [
"Because the teachers didn't treat him well enough.",
"Because the subjects were becoming more difficult.",
"Because he hated the life in the new school.",
"B... | Five years ago, I was sent to a better middle school. For me, everything there was new and strange. After I had been there for two months, there was an important test in the middle of the term. It covered all my courses. In that test, I didn't get a good grade, but most of my classmates got an A.
It made me upset for a long time. I felt everything in the world was changing. I thought my classmates were all better than me. During those days I was very unhappy.
One day, my aunt, after talking with my teachers, talked to me. She told me to think about what I had done in the past and what I should do in the future. I was shocked by her words. I thought about what I had done during the past months, and I found I had done nothing to improve my grades. I thought I should work harder.
After that, I paid more attention to the teachers' talking in the classes, and I asked my teachers or my classmates when I didn't understand something. I studied very late at night when I met with difficult problems. Most of all, I came to understand the importance of taking notes in class. As a result, I did better in some tests.
About three months later, the most important test came at the end of the term. _ From then on, I have tried to do my best when I do something because I know if I want something, I should work hard for it. | high4569.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "family background"
},
"options": [
"family background",
"age group",
"personality",
"popularity"
],
"question": "The children in the two programs are different in_.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
... | In a nation with a one-child family planning policy, it's understandable for parents to worry over whether they are petting their children. Are the children truly as fragile as sometimes made out to be?
The concern has been brought into focus with the popularity of a hit reality TV series, Hunan TV's Dad! Where Are We Going? and Zhejiang TV's First Time In Life. In both, children as young as three have become new public figures. In the show First Time In Life, children chosen from ordinary families are given small tasks to complete by themselves;the ongoing Dad! show centers on five celebrity fathers and their children who are forced to live a simple life in rural areas, far outside their comfort zone.
Regardless of their family background, the children's reactions to new environments have struck the public.
In one episode of Dad! , the five-year-old daughter of former Olympic diving champion Tian Liang cries and hides behind her father when they arrive at a rural village. In an episode of the other series, a young girl in Tianjin breaks down into a tearful fit after being asked by her father to go out alone to buy eggs and a pancake.
In the eyes of some observers, these kids show no sense of independence, and the reason is put down to parents who are overly sheltering. But television viewers and parents were heartened when the sobbing Tianjin girl finally wiped away her tears as she returned holding the pancake. In the case of Tian's daughter, she eventually began to take care of her younger companions and learned to seek help from people she didn't know.
The father of the Tianjin girl felt "delightfully shocked" and said. "She used to have to be accompanied by her mother or grandmother. Now she has the courage to do it all by herself. "
The shows have led many parents to change how they raise their children. Shanghai mother Liang Jing said she would try to "give some training" to her shy son, asking him to tidy up his toys. Lin Yi, a parenting expert in Beijing, said giving kids a chance to do things for themselves helps to raise their sense of achievement, which carries benefits throughout their lives. " | high17330.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "introduce"
},
"options": [
"comment",
"persuade",
"introduce",
"scold"
],
"question": "The passage is written mainly to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_inde... | Over the years, Americans have become used to salt. Most people have no idea how much salt they consume --on average, about 9 to 12 gram per person per day, according to the American Heart Association. That's twice the amount recommended by the government.
A new study last week showed eating even a little less salt could greatly help the heart. The scientists said the results would be thirteen percent fewer heart attacks, eight percent fewer strokes , four percent fewer deaths and eleven percent fewer new cases of heart disease.
Researchers also found that the benefits would be greatest for African Americans and women. As a group, African Americans tend to have higher blood pressure than the general population, and "many studies suggest that they may be more sensitive to salt," says Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Francisco. Her analysis found that a reduction of 3 gram of salt per day would reduce heart attacks 8% on average; among African Americans, that rate would drop 10%. A similar result was found in women, whose stroke risk dropped 8% with a 3-g reduction in salt intake; in men, the risk fell 5%.
They and public health professionals in the United States are interested in a national campaign to persuade people to eat less salt.
However, other scientists say such a campaign is an experiment with the health of millions of people. Michael Alderman, a high blood pressure expert and professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, says that eating less salt results in lower blood pressure. But he says studies have not clearly shown that lowering salt means fewer heart attacks or strokes. "Salt has other biological effects. Calling for reductions in the national diet could have good effects, as well as harmful results. There is not enough evidence either way." | high18003.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Her mother."
},
"options": [
"Her mother.",
"Her father.",
"Sabina herself",
"An unknown tourist."
],
"question": "Who came up with the idea of having a father-daughter trip when Sabina was 3 years old?",
"q... | Photography has been my interest ever since I was old enough to pick up a camera, but today I want to share with you the 15 most treasured photos of mine, and I didn't take any of them. There were no art directors, no stylists, no chance for reshoots, not even any regard for lighting. In fact, most of them were taken by random tourists.
My story begins when I was in New York City for a speech, and my wife took a picture of me holding my daughter on her first birthday. We're on the corner of the 57thand 5thavenue. We happened to be back in New York exactly a year later, so we decided to take the same picture.
Well you can see where this is going. Approaching my daughter's third birthday, my wife said, "Hey, why don't you take Sabina back to New York and make it a father-daughter trip, and continue the ceremony?" This is when we started asking passing tourists to take the picture.
So these photos are far more than representatives for a single moment, or even a specific trip. They're also ways for us to freeze time for one week in October and reflect on our times and how we change from year to year, and nor just physically, but in every way. Because while we take the same photo, our viewpoints change, and she reaches new milestones and I get to see life through her eyes, and how she communicates with and sees everything. This very focused time we get to spend together is something we value and expect the entire year. | high11999.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "She was strong-willed and considerate."
},
"options": [
"Her husband was cured of his cancer.",
"She was strong-willed and considerate.",
"She was in despair and pretended to forget what she said.",
"Her daughter comple... | She had been shopping with her Mom in Wal-Mart.She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful brown haired, freckle-faced image of innocence.Outside, it was pouring so heavily.
We all stood there just inside the door of the Wal-Mart.We waited, some patiently, others annoyed because nature messed up their hurried day.I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world.
Her voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in."Mom, let's run through the rain," she said.
"No, honey.We'll wait until it slows down a bit," Mom replied.
This young child waited about another minute and repeated: "Mom, let's run through the rain."
" We'll get wet totally if we do," Mom said.
"No, we won't, Mom.That's not what you said this morning," the young girl said as she tore at her Mom's arm.
"This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?"
"Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, If God can get us through this, he can get us through anything!"
The entire crowd stopped dead silent.I dare say you couldn't hear anything but the rain.We all stood silently. No one came or left in. the next few minutes,Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say.
Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly.Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of _ in a young child's lifetime when innocent trust can be developed so that it will bloom into faith."Honey, you are absolutely right.Let's run through the rain.If get wet, well maybe we just need washing," Mom said.Then off they ran.
We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they rushed past the cars and they held their shopping bags over their heads just in case.They got soaked.But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars.And yes, I did.I ran.I got wet.I needed washing.
You may lose your material possessions, your money and even your health, but no one can ever take away your precious memories.So don't forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories. | high2118.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "you lack humor"
},
"options": [
"you are humorous",
"you are blue",
"you lack humor",
"you are funny"
],
"question": "If you've ever been told to \"lighten up\" or \"chill out\", it means _ .",
"question_... | Nobody likes an old poop . Developing a sense of humor is part of becoming a mature, emotionally healthy individual. Laughter is good for the soul, builds friendships and relieves stress. It serves as the glue for social situations and as an ice-breaker for sadness and boredom. If you've ever been told to "lighten up" or "chill out", you should save the blue attitude for serious situations and develop your sense of humor.
Forgive the accidental. A sudden fall is humorous not because we like to see people fall, but because it surprises. From a spilled water glass in a meeting to Aunt Rae's teeth coming off in the Thanksgiving turkey, the embarrassment of accidents can be relieved by humor and a helping hand. After making sure that nobody's hurt, forgive accidents with a chuckle rather than a scolding.
Look for the unexpected. The kid who used to look at you with his eyes closed during a test had the idea. Parents who serve green eggs and ham to their children on graduation day get the idea. Unexpected actions lighten an atmosphere and relax people.
Learn to laugh with your kids. Most of what children say and do is funny. Help them learn that accidents are sometimes funny and sometimes occasions for joining in and helping another human being. By sharing laughs and attempting to explain humor, you develop your sense of humor, as well as help kids develop their own sense of humor. | high13156.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "has little sense about where he is"
},
"options": [
"finds himself in a different world",
"finds his brain apart from his body",
"finds himself in Hong Kong the following morning",
"has little sense about where he is"
... | Air travel is such an everyday experience these days that we are not surprised when we read about a politician having talks with the Japanese Prime Minister one day, attending a meeting in Australia the following morning and having to be off at midday to sign a trade agreement in Hong Kong. But frequent long-distance flying can be so tiring that the traveler begins to feel his brain is in one country, his digestion in another and his powers of concentration nowhere---in short, he hardly knows where he is.
Air travel is so quick nowadays that we can leave London after breakfast and be in New York in eight hours, yet what really disturbs us most is that when we arrive it is lunch time while we have already had lunch on the plane and are expecting dinner.
Doctors say that air travelers are in no condition to work after crossing a number of time zones. Airline pilots, however, often live by their own watches. | high185.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Europe, the US and Australia."
},
"options": [
"The US, Australia and Russia.",
"Japan, Britain and China.",
"China, Russia and Japan.",
"Europe, the US and Australia."
],
"question": "Which areas are involved i... | Regularly staying late at the office significantly increases the risk of having a stroke or heart attack, researchers have found, working just an hour extra each day pushes up stroke risk by 10 per cent, according to a huge review of working patterns. And people who work an extra three hours a day--or 55 hours a week--are 33 per cent more likely to have a stroke, the scientists found.
The research, published in the Lancet medical journal, is based on health records of more than 500, 000 people across Europe, the US and Australia.
Scientists led by University College London warned that people who work longer hours tend to do less exercise, sit at a computer for hours at a time and drink more than people with a better work-life balance. Repeated stress may also be to blame for greater health problems, the scientists think.
They looked at the combined result of 17 previous studies, in which 529, 000 people were tracked over an average of seven years.
Experts stressed that the study had only found a link between hours worked and heart problems---it had not proved what had actually caused each death. But they warned people to take note of the findings.
Dr Tim Chico, consultant cardiologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, said "For many people, reducing their working hours would be difficult or impossible, and this study does not show that it would reduce the risk of stroke." Most of us could reduce the amount of time we spend sitting down, increase our physical activity and improve our diet while working and this might be more important the more time we spend at work. | high14639.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "offers price advantages to users"
},
"options": [
"offers price advantages to users",
"requires little usage fees",
"is more efficient than traditional banking",
"is environmentally-conscious"
],
"question": "Ac... | The Internet began in the 1960s as a small network of academic and government computers primarily involved in research for the prefix = st1 /U.S.army. Originally limited to researchers at a handful of universities and government departments, the Internet has quickly become a worldwide network providing users with information on a range of subjects and allowing them to purchase goods directly from companies via computer. By 1999, 84 millionU.S.citizens had access to the Internet at home or work. More and more Americans arc paying bills, shopping, ordering airline tickets, and purchasing stocks via computer over the Internet.
Internet banking is also becoming increasingly popular. With lower overhead costs in terms of staffing and office space, Internet banks are able to offer higher interest rates on deposits and charge lower rates on loans than traditional banks. "Brick and mortar" banks are increasingly offering online banking services via some special websites to enlarge their traditional services. At present, 14 percent of Internet households conduct their banking by means of the Internet, and the figure is expected to double during the next two or three years.
Increasing commercial use of the Internet has heightened security and privacy concerns. With a credit card, an Internet user can order almost anything from an Internet site and have it delivered to their home or office. Companies doing business over the Internet need many security measures to protect credit card, bank account, and social security numbers from unauthorized access as they pass across the Internet. Any organization that connects its networks to the global Internet must carefully control the access point to ensure that out-siders cannot disturb the organization's internal networks or gain unauthorized access to the organization's computer systems and data. | high23095.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Climate change."
},
"options": [
"Aliens.",
"The human race.",
"Climate change.",
"A killer disease."
],
"question": "What led to the end of the world according to the film 2012?",
"question_type": "factiod_... | It's not the first movie to show the end of the world. But in the latest box office hit 2012 it is neither aliens nor a killer disease that threaten the human race, but climate change.
Some say the film lacks good dialogue and its science is questionable, others believe German director Roland Emmerich makes up for these flaws in special effects. An earthquake destroys the White House and Yellow stone National Park ends up in flames.
Emmerich borrows from the old Mayan story which says, that the world will end in 2012.He is being criticized for
Internet rumors about doomsday
"There is no factual basis for these claims,'' NASA said on its website. "Credible scientists worldwide know of no threat connected with 2012,'' it insisted. "After all, our planet has been getting along just fine for more than 4 billion years, " they added.
According to the UK's Daily Telegraph, it was first thought that the disaster would happen in May 2003. When the world continued, supporters picked the last day of the Mayan calendar.
"Every culture has a myth of destruction , just as they have a myth of creation. These myths |of destruction tend to surface during times of crisis , " Michael A. Ryan, an assistant profess of history,speaking to Purdue University News. Ryan studies apocalyptic themes from the Middle Ages at the US university. "Today's current economic climate is a state of crisis for many people who are worried whether they can afford to feed themselves,"he added. | high15527.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "its disadvantages"
},
"options": [
"its disadvantages",
"its characteristics.",
"its uses",
"its growing environment"
],
"question": "Which of the following about lavender does the text NOT mention?",
"quest... | Lavender is a beautiful yet tough plant that grows in heat and dust. It has narrow, hairy leaves and a plentiful supply of oils to protect it from drying out. It has been cherished by all cultures alike, not only for its fine smell but also its valuable medicinal properties , since 3000 B.C.
Lavenders are a small plant group containing about 50 different species Today, "true" lavender can be found growing wild in Italy, France, on the eastern coast of Spain and right into North Africa. It is also commonly found in cultivated form throughout the rest of Europe, as well as in India, China, Australia, the U.S.A. and other countries. Most lavender is cultivated at the latitudes of 40-45 degrees north and south of the equator.
Lavenders is popular in part because it is so useful.
Its essential oil is a very safe oil which can be used for first-aid as well as for a wide variety of common problems such as skin complaints, muscular pain and childhood illnesses. It is recognized for its antiseptic qualities, its ability to drive insects away, and its usefulness in washing. It is also one of the most popular oils for cosmetics and perfumes.
Lavender is also known for flavouring teas, cocktails, desserts and cakes, and is often added to salt and pepper to create the very famous Herbes de Provence spice mixture. Its colour and smell have also made lavender a garden favourite for centuries, Finally, dried lavender has long been used as a spice to scent homes and closets. | high8353.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "destroyed American dream of that time"
},
"options": [
"informed readers of American value",
"destroyed American dream of that time",
"described the life of American upper class",
"had complicated relationships of the r... | The Great Gatsby was not well received when it was published in 1926. F. Scott Fitzgerald appeared to destroy the American Dream, where in anyone, with enough hard work, could get rich and have whatever they wanted from life. He exposed the truth about such myths in this classic book. Basically, the plot could be described as follows:
Poor boy goes East in search of wealth, bored and dissatisfied with inactive Mid West country life.
He meets the super-rich there, attends parties and makes friends with one man in particular, a lonely millionaire of uncertain origins, Jay Gatsby.
He becomes involved with these rich but immoral people, the worst of whom are his own cousin Daisy Buchanan, and her husband Tom.
He observes, with dawning recognition, the corruption in their lives, how lacking in human values or ethical beliefs they seem to be.
He watches tragedy unfold, brought about by the handlings of the wealthy, and visited on the poorer characters.
He remains the only friend of Gatsby, arranging his funeral and mourning his death, and possibly the death of his own American Dream.
He wakes up to the reality of what is important in life, and decides to choose what is of value to him.
He returns to his origins, having recognized the worth of his up-bringing and the moral values it instilled. He sees that money is not everything.
But let us look at this in a little more depth, because the novel is much more complicated than those simple outlines above suggest.
The young man, Nick Caraway, aged 29, lived in a cottage on Long Island. He was an apprentice Wall Street trader, and in 1920s, when the novel is set, this job represented a way to get rich, the core value of the American Dream.
Gatsby was a millionaire, who chased a dream too, one of rekindling love with Daisy, Nick's cousin, a bored, rich, totally unfeeling and spoilt woman. Her rich husband, Tom Buchanan, a businessman, was also less than moral, flattering his mistress, Myrtle Wilson, the wife of a garage owner. It was George Wilson's love for Myrtle that brought about the tragedy contained in the Gatsby plot.
Gatsby wanted to recapture his dream of love. So he began an affair with Daisy; she was flattered and bored. This action helped to erode Nick's illusions, and show what wealth can do to people. Gatsby suffered from the realization that Daisy was not the wonderful person he dreamed of, but a shallow and materialistic person.
Eventually, Tom Buchanan suspected what was happening between Gatsby and Daisy, and confronted Gatsby. It was soon after this that Daisy ran Myrtle Wilson down, while driving Gatsby's yellow automobile.
The tragedy was begun, when Tom Buchanan put the idea into head of George Wilson, that Gatsby had killed Myrtle. In fact, Daisy was secure in the belief that superior status and wealth made her immune, and also, her character was such that she cared little for another human being. Tom Buchanan was the catalyst that sent the emotionally disturbed George to shoot Gatsby for killing Myrtle, then committing suicide. Two dreams turned to dust:George's of love and the chance to pursue the dream of capitalist endeavor and success, Gatsby's of recapturing romantic love and the more innocent past, when, in his mind, Daisy was golden and true.
The complete destruction was symbolically expressed when none of Gatsby's rich "friends" were touched by his death. It was left to Nick, a relative stranger, to make the funeral arrangements. This highlighted the total shallowness of that wealthy, corrupt society, and showed what a worthless person Daisy herself was.
At the end, Nick returned to the beliefs of his Mid Western upbringing. After one last meeting with Tom Buchanan, one last look at Gatsby's mansion, having buried his friend, he left for home. As Gatsby lost his dream and his life, Fitzgerald drew a portrait of the death of the American Dream. | high12248.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "at a post office"
},
"options": [
"on the website",
"at an Oyster Ticket stop",
"at a post office",
"at a Tube station"
],
"question": "You can get an Oyster card at the following places EXCEPT _ .",
"que... | Oyster
What is an Oyster card?
Oyster is the easiest way to pay for journeys on the bus,Tube,tram,Docklands Light Railway (DLR), London Overground and National Rail journeys in London You can store your travel cards, Bus & Tram Pass, season tickets and credit to pay for journeys as you go.
Where to get an Oyster card?
There are a number of ways for you to get an Oyster card:
* At over 3,900 Oyster Ticket stops
* At Tube and London Overground station ticket offices
* At some National Rail stations
* At London Travel information Centres
* Online at tfl. gov. uk/oyster
How to use an Oyster card?
To pay the correct fare on the Tube , DLR, London Overground and National Rail services, you must always touch in on the yellow Oyster card reader at the start of your journey, and touch out at the end. If you don't, a maximum cash Oyster fare will be charged. When using the bus or tram, you must only touch in at the start, but not at the end of your journey.
What happens if I don't visit London very often?
Don't worry. Any pay as you go credit on your card will not expire ,so you can keep it for your next visit or lend it to a friend.
Fares
Traveling by Tube from Central London (Zone l)to Heathrow (Zone 6)
Adult Oyster single fare
PS 4. 20 Monday to Friday 06:30 - 09:30 and 16:00 - 19:00
PS 2. 70 at all other times including public holidays
Adult single cash fare PS 5.00
For further information,visit tfl.gov. uk /fares. | high13142.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "They can't easily enjoy the fun."
},
"options": [
"There is no equipment for them.",
"They can't interact with each other.",
"They can't easily enjoy the fun.",
"They have to watch their kids."
],
"question": "W... | Going to the park with your family is a time-honored tradition during the warmer months whether you live in the city or in a rural area. The most common thing for kids to do at the park is to play on the playground equipment. This is great for kids. For parents, however, playground time is something not quite as exciting. It's nice to socialize with other parents and enjoy watching the little ones at play, but grown-ups can't easily participate in the playground fun. In order to make the most of spring and summer park trips parents might want to consider trying a few new activities.
Soft Frisbees and balls are great things to bring to the park and enjoy with kids. Parents can participate in playing catch. They can enjoy the fresh air and physical activity together. Other lawn games and toys like badminton can easily be taken to the park for an afternoon of fun.
If it is a breezy day, it might be just perfect for flying a kite. Kite flying is a wonderful family fun activity. Children who are too small to fly a kite themselves can have fun chasing it and helping older siblings hold the string. Slightly older children can enjoy learning to fly kites. Teens and parents can enjoy the challenge of making kites. Best of all, kites are inexpensive and can be used in almost any open space on a breezy day.
After these, the first thought might be to head home for a meal or a snack. However, bringing a snack or having a picnic can add an exciting element to the day out and can allow the family to enjoy more park time together. Everyday foods like sandwiches and apples can be very _ If you decide to pack a picnic, just remember to bring bags for any garbage you might produce! | high191.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "strengthen the US-Japan military alliance"
},
"options": [
"show Japan's greater,military capability",
"strengthen the US-Japan military alliance",
"get rid of the dated marine weapon",
"set up a kind of base in Japan"
... | Nuclear-powered aircraft carriers are considered one of the most important marine weapons in the 20th century. So far, only two countries in the world--the prefix = st1 /USAandFrance--have ever produced them. But these frightful fighting machines are about to enter Asia.
The US Navy said last month that one of its nine nuclear-powered aircraft carriers will be sent to Japanto replace the diesel-powered carrier Kitty Hawk in 2009 in an agreement on October 30th. The two countries also planned to level up their military cooperation and theUSAcalled forJapanto take a large role in alliance military moves.
It will be the first time that a nuclear-powered carrier is based in Japan. Bombed byUSforces in World War II at Hiroshima and Nagasaki,Japanis the only world country to have been attacked by a nuclear weapon. Therefore, the citizens are highly sensitive to where nuclear-powered weapons are based. "A radiation leak at Yokosuka would kill 100,000 people as far away as Tokyo, and could cause billions of dollars in damage," said Masahiko Go to, leader of a protest group inYokosuka. His group has collected more than 300,000 signatures of people acrossJapanopposed to the nuclear carrier.
The 44-year-old Kitty Hawk, the USnavy's oldest active ship, has been based in Yokosuda since 1998. The new carrier, yet to be _ , will travel faster, be capable of supporting longer operations and carry with it the Navy's most modern technology.
Experts pointed that this change is not only to strengthen the US-Japan military alliance but also to keep the military power of ChinaandNorth Koreawithin limits. However, Japanese experts don't believe that the countries are threats to the region.
"There is no need for Japanto have a nuclear carrier as defense," said Tetsuo Maeda, an international relations professor atTokyoInternationalUniversity. He said that the change of ship indicates an increased military capacity, in the region, much more than what is needed. | high23081.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "they are both suitable for a family vacation"
},
"options": [
"they are both suitable for a family vacation",
"they both take place in the city",
"they both allow people to have brunch",
"they both provide water rides"
... | Dude Ranch
If you have little cowboys and cowgirls at home, thrill them by visiting a dude ranch on your next vacation. Your children can learn about nature, enjoy horseback riding, and gain an entirely new perspective. You can choose between programs that have you spending quality time with your kids, and programs that are for children only. This summer, enjoy the great outdoors -- at a dude ranch!
For more information, visit: www.ranchweb.com/categorydisplay.htm
Six Flags Great Adventure
Have a classic vacation by visiting one of the most famous theme park chains. With locations all over the U.S., there's sure to be a Six Flags near you. Take the whole family and be back at work on Monday. Escape the summer heat with countless water rides. Take your kids to have brunch with Bugs Bunny, or check out the new Safari Park, where you can interact with real animals.
For more information, visit: www.sixflags.com/national/index.aspx
Roswell UFO Festival
Do you have science fiction fans in your household? Encourage their interests and experience a special vacation at the annual Roswell UFO Festival. Come in costume if you wish, and join the parade . Attend lectures by famous authors and researchers, or watch up-and-coming bands perform. Even if you're not a believer, you can still enjoy the artwork, music, and great celebration.
For more information, visit: www.roswellufofestival.com
Earthplace
It's not easy being green, but it can be fun if you visit the exhibits at Earthplace in Westport, Connecticut. This 62-acre wildlife reserve is committed to educating the public about the environment and promoting positive action to preserve nature. The exhibits provide hands-on features that make learning fun for your kids. After touring the exhibits, visit the garden and the playground, and enjoy the summer weather.
For more information, visit: www.earthplace.org/index.html | high9059.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "are more willing to try cooking all kinds of new foods"
},
"options": [
"cook less at home than the French every day",
"no longer eat roast beef and over-cooked vegetables",
"are more willing to try cooking all kinds of new f... | Over the centuries the French have lost a number of famous battles with the British. However, they've always felt superior in the kitchen. France has for centuries had a reputation for cooking excellence, and Britain for some of the worst cooking in the world. But according to a recent survey, _
In the survey, 71% of the Britons said they cook at home every day, while only 59% of the French said they cook daily. British home cooks spend more time cooking each week and also produce a greater variety of dishes than French home cooks.
The reaction in London was predictably enthusiastic. British food has greatly improved since the 1990s. Once upon a time, the menu for many family meals would have been roast beef, potatoes and over-cooked vegetables, but not now. Home cooks are experimenting with the huge range of ingredients now available in British supermarkets and are preparing all kinds of new dishes, using the cookbooks that sell millions of copies every year. As a result, there's much more diversity in British food now, compared to French food, which tends to be very traditional.
Some French people say that the survey did not show the whole picture. They agree that during the week French women don't cook as much as they used to because most of them work and don't have much time. They tend to buy ready-made or frozen dishes, but many of them make up for it on the weekend. There's also a difference between Paris and the country-side. It's true that people in Paris don't cook much, but elsewhere, cooking is still at the heart of daily life.
For many French people, opinions about British food have not changed. When Bernard Blier, the food editor at a magazine, was asked about British food, he replied: "I don't go out of my way to try it. It is not very refined. You can say that I'm not a fan at all." | high8347.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "unimportant player"
},
"options": [
"member of the audience",
"unimportant player",
"team captain",
"fan of a sports star"
],
"question": "In the World Cup in 2003, Han Duan was a(n) _ .",
"question_typ... | When Han Duan started her professional career at 16, China's national women's football team was defeated in the final of the World Cup by the US. While she was asked to play in her first World Cup in 2003, she largely remained on the bench after the first match.
But things have changed. Now, Han is one of the most important players in China's team. "
," Han always says like that.
Han wants every possible honor that a football player can get -- an Asian Cup, a World Cup and an Olympic medal. She has always been good at sports, especially swimming and horizontal bars. At school, she was the fastest in the 60m and 100m.
But the reason she picked football was that she wanted to get more compliments . "Football is for boys. But I feel more fulfilled when I can do better than them and win more compliments," she said. Later, when she entered a football school, the coach always asked Han to show others what to do.
However, nobody can be good at everything. Han described her singing as "howling" and the only school subject she was good at was Chinese. "I was very happy every time my essay was posted on the wall for my schoolmates to read." But Han still has some regrets about her school years. Her handwriting was terrible at school. She ever wanted to improve her handwriting but didn't achieve much.
"My fans ask for my signature , so I'd better practice and practice. It's not too late," she says. | high15533.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Mona Lisa is typical of Renaissance painting."
},
"options": [
"Mona Lisa is typical of Renaissance painting.",
"Mona Lisa is painted by a Canadian.",
"Light space in the background is used in Mona Lisa.",
"All the abov... | The Louvre Museum is one of the largest, oldest, most important and famous museum in the world. It is famous for holding several of the world's most valuable works of art. Its collections' number is over 380,000 objects, though not one of the world's largest collections, arguably one of the finest. The art treasures of the Louvre Museum cover 5,000 years and are displayed in over 10 kilometers of galleries. The oldest artifact in the museum is 9,000 years old. Mona Lisa(1503-1506), painted by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. The artist's use of very deep space in the background with a half-length portrait is typical of Renaissance painting style. This painting hangs in the Louvre, Paris. It is one of the most famous collections in the Louvre.
On November 8th, 1793, the Louvre was opened as a public museum.
It is open from 9 am to 6 pm all days except Tuesdays. The entrance fee is 7.5 before 3 pm. It is free under 18 years old. The Louvre Museum in Paris had a record number of visitors in 2005. About 7.3 million people visited the art museum in 2005. | high3212.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "carelessness"
},
"options": [
"laziness",
"carelessness",
"unhappiness",
"poor-quality glasses"
],
"question": "The daughter thought her mother didn't clean the kitchen sink well because of her_.",
"question... | Has anyone noticed how, with the passage of time, one's relationship with one's grown-up daughters and sons becomes changed? I've been aware of this for some time but I'm not quite sure how to deal with it.
Take the kitchen sink for example.
Following a family get-together at my place, I walked into the kitchen to find Kate, my daughter carefully cleaning the sink.
"Don't do that; what are you doing that for?" I said, unhappy about the hidden criticism.
"Mum," she said, "you really ought to put your glasses on when you clean the sink. Behind the tap here was black!"
But it's not just things like kitchen sinks. Another time Kate arrived to pick me up to lunch. She looked at me and then asked, "Mum, why do you use brown eyebrow pencil when your hair is grey?"
A sudden memory of her, aged 14, going to her first mixed party flooded back. She had come in to say goodbye. For a moment I thought she'd been an accident. Both eyes were black. I remember suggesting that perhaps a little less eye make-up might be more effective.
Now I told her, "My hair used to be brown."
"It looks absurd."
"Mrs. Menzies had dark eyebrows with grey hair."
"Yes, but you're not Mrs. Menzies, are you?" she said triumphantly, as if that proved her point.
But a recent event made me realize that something really must be done.
She had returned some for a few weeks before getting married. One evening I went out on a dinner date. By the time my companion left me at the front door, it was about 2am. As I stepped in, an angry figure in a white nightgown stopped me.
"Well, what time of night is this to be coming home?" she shouted. "Where have you been? I've been worried sick!"
Shades of the past come back to disturb me. But what should I do about all this? Nothing, probably. Maybe, after all, it's only a stage young people are going through. | high11755.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Public bookshelves spread across Germany."
},
"options": [
"Germans like reading outside.",
"Everyone has a chance to read in Germany.",
"Public bookshelves spread across Germany.",
"Germany is the first country to have... | Take a book, leave a book. Public bookshelves are appearing across Germany on street corners, city squares and supermarkets.
In these free-for-all libraries, people can take whatever they want to read, and leave behind anything they want for others. There is no need to register , no exact date to return books and you can take or give as many as you want.
"It is aimed at everyone who likes to read--whatever age or education. It is open for everybody," said Michael Aubermann, a 44-year-old who works in IT management.
"We put up our other outdoor shelves last year and it's been working really well," added Aubermann.
The public book shelves, which are run with the money given by and cared for by local volunteer groups, have appeared independently of each other in many cities across Germany including Berlin, Hannover and Bonn, and also in suburbs and villages.
Each shelf holds around 200 books and it takes about six weeks for a complete turnover, with new books taking the place of all the old ones, he said.
While most of the shelves have so far been put up in rich neighborhoods, Aubermann and the 20 volunteers who help look after the project are planning to put up future shelves in poor neighborhoods, where people often don't have such chances to read.
So far, the Cologne book group has had few problems. For example, a used-book seller once emptied every copy on a shelf to sell at a market. Besides, book stores and online book sellers have their own ideas about free book exchanges. | high21696.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "children would not like to stop playing Game Boy once they start"
},
"options": [
"video games are designed only for boys",
"girls are usually not interested in video games",
"both Anthony and Michaely are good at playing Pla... | Left unfettered , Anthony Konieczka, 9 years old, would happily play his Game Boy Advance or PlayStation 2 from the minute he gets up to the moment he goes to bed, 14 bleary-eyed hours later.
Anthony's box is stocked with traditional toys--board games, puzzles, art supplies--and as far as he is concerned, they are relics of Christmases past. His sister Michaely, 6 years old, still likes dressing her Barbies. But once she starts playing Game Boy, it's hard to get her away.
Play patterns like this could take up another Christmas for the toy department. Through September, toy sales were down 5% compared with the first nine months of last year, according to the NDP Group. Meanwhile, the video-game industry is heading for another record year. Thanks to hot new games like Halo 2 for the Xbox, the industry is light-years ahead of the toy business when it comes out.
While some new toys emerge every holiday season, toymakers are heading into this one without a monster hit . Indeed, there has not been a Furby-style frenzy in years. Of 10 toy segments only two, arts and crafts and dolls, have generated sales growth over a recent 12-month period. Some of the weakest categories like construction sets and action figures are the ones aimed at boys, who suffer the most from the video games. Analysts expect one of the top stocking stuffers this season to be not a traditional toy but the new generation of Nintendo's Game Boy, the DS, which hit stores last week.
The deeper issue is that shifts in play patterns are forcing toymakers to fight for shelf space in a tightening market. Boys in particular seem to be abandoning traditional toys at earlier ages in favor of consumer electronics, video games, PC software and the Internet. The fact that kids are growing more tech-savvy , a trend called "age compression ", has troubled toy companies for at least a decade. Action figures, for instance, used to be considered healthy for boys up to age 12. Now the items are mainly marketed to boys 4 to 6. A recent study found that nearly half of the US children start on video games at 4 to 5 years old--and 20% at age 3 or younger.
Toy companies, of course, have long seen this trend. Several of the toys expected to sell well this season are, in fact, those that involve video gaming and DVD technologies. Mattel's Fisher-Price introduced a game system called InteracTV this year, featuring DVDs with characters like Dora the explorer. Hasbro came out with a portable color1 video player called VideoNow and has been putting classic games like Battleship and Yahtzee into hand-held electronic format. | high19309.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "About 2,762."
},
"options": [
"About 3,033.",
"About 2,762.",
"About 4,007.",
"About 3,434."
],
"question": "According to the survey,how many respondents think that one should behave in a very determined way to ... | According to a joint survey by the Social Investigation Center of China Youth Daily and the news center of Tencent.com,76.9% of the 5,21l respondents ,all being youths in their 20s, believe the society needs chutouniao("leading birds")who dare to take risks to show their worth,although,as the Chinese, saying goes, "The leading bird gets shot first."or "One who takes the lead usually bears the brunt of an attack."
About 58.2%of the respondents think that one has to work hard at all times, and one must know how to show off when the chance comes.53%of them also believe that it is necessary to be aggressive ,sometimes.
"I wish my employees will let me know when they have achieved something."said LiuXueyuan,the president of a media company,as it is impossible for him to know all his employees well.However, showing off too much is of course no good, either."One who likes to show off one's achievement will also be the first to be noticed when one makes a mistake."said Liu.He suggested that the employees should do their jobs steadily and surely.
Although most respondents think chutouniao are necessary,not many of them like to hobnob with such persons.In fact, 65.9% of the respondents simply don't like them,while 7.1% of the respondents expressed their hatred of them.
Faced with the conflict between "needed by the society" and "disliked by fellow beings," quite a large number of people have let slip chances.59.6% of the respondents regret it. | high17324.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Early summer."
},
"options": [
"Early spring.",
"Early autumn.",
"Early summer.",
"Early winter."
],
"question": "What time of the year do the people in the passage pick strawberries?",
"question_type": null... | It is a beautiful day in June. The sun is hot. It's time to harvest strawberries ,and the strawberry fields are full of people. These people are picking strawberry. They are not farmers, and they are picking fruit for fun. They can buy strawberries in a supermarket but it is cheaper to pick their own fruit. Strawberries from the farm are also flesher . Most people also like to pick their own fruit because it is a pleasant way to spend the afternoon.
One little boy is walking between the rows of plants. He is picking the strawberries and eating them as fast as he can. Two young women in pretty dress and high-heeled shoes are getting out of their car. Now they are taking off their shoes. These women are taking a break from their work. They want to pick fruit and enjoy the sunshine. | high20588.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Students have the same right as staff in voting."
},
"options": [
"Students have the same right as staff in voting.",
"There are as many students as staff members.",
"The students are of the same age.",
"All staff membe... | Imagine a school where there are no academic requirements,no curriculum,and no tests.Children have total contro1 of their education and are free to do what they want all day,every day.Sudbury Valley School in Framingham,Massachusetts has been operating this way since 1968.More than 30 schools worldwide have imitated the Sudbury model,and over 200 schools identify similarly as "democratic schools."These schools are designed based on the belief that children have an innate curiosity to learn and do best when they direct their own learning.
Sudbury Vallev School admits anyone who wants to enroll between the ages of 4 and 18.Many parents send their kids from a young age because they believe that kids do best when they learn what they want to learn.Other students come to Sudbury because they had various issues in traditional school systems including rebellion,learning difficulties,and emotional problems.
Sudbury is administered through a democratic process where every student and staff member has an equal vote.In fact,students outnumber staff 20 to 1.There's no age segregation ;four-year-olds can hang out with teenagers.Many staff members are part time and have rich careers as historians,businessmen,psychologists,artists,among others.
Learning is self-directed and occurs informally through having conversations,starting projects.reading for enjoyment,and playing games.If students are interested in a particular topic,they work with staff and other students to organize courses and find resources.The requirement for getting a high school diploma is to write an essay about how they are prepared t0 be an adult.95%of students graduate.90%of graduates end up going to college,better than the national average of 66%.
Most graduates say that they benefited from a self-directed education because they were more motivated than their peers,lacked fear of authority figures,and got a head start in their field of interest.They work hard at doing the things they love to do. | high18017.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "got better grades than men"
},
"options": [
"did worse than men both at school and at university",
"got better grades than men",
"paid little attention to their courses",
"often missed classes"
],
"question": "T... | Women work harder than men at university and get better degrees as a result, according to a study at Brunel University.
The research, which followed 200 students for four years, found that women consistently outperformed men in their studies even though they had started their courses with almost identical A-level grades.
An analysis of the results showed that while 65 percent of female graduates were awarded, only 35 percent of male graduates did as well. Girls are known to outperform boys at school, but this research showed that trend continued at university.
Fiona Smith, who led the research, said, "The research shows that the difference has something to do with schools in general."
"It also shows something about the inequality for working women in terms of pay and promotion. Women work harder at school, harder at university, and do better at both, but they still receive less pay."
The research found that female students were more faithful, less likely to miss lectures, and more likely to believe that their marks reflected their abilities than male students. Female students were also more likely to ask for and receive support from their professors.
Women were also more likely to choose their universities because they liked the courses offered.
In contrast, men were more likely than women to miss lectures due to "other affairs" and "laziness", and to believe that playing sports was an important part of university life.
Generally, people think that women's success comes from more emphasis on coursework, but the research showed that female geographers at Brunel did better in their exams than in their coursework.
Dr Smith said, "Most women feel that getting good grades is the most important part of university life. They believe that they need to work harder in order to compete in the male-dominated environment they will encounter at work. Good grades are viewed as an 'insurance policy' for success. Men, on the other hand, prefer going out and playing sports to academic work."
"This research shows how important it is to get all young people working hard and teach them the value of higher education," he said. | high5663.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "introduce a new type of IP technology---VOIP."
},
"options": [
"ask readers to buy the new type of production.",
"tell us how fast the modern technology is developing.",
"introduce a new type of IP technology---VOIP.",
... | VOIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. It is also referred to as IP Telephony. It is another way of making phone calls, though the 'phone' part is not always present any more, as you can communicate without a telephone set. VOIP is especially popular with long distance calls. The main reason for which people are so massively turning to VOIP technology is the cost. VOIP is said to be cheap, but most people use it for free. Yes, if you have a computer with a microphone and speakers, and a good Internet connection, you can communicate using VOIP for free.
There are basically three ways of using VOIP. One is to have a PC on both communicating sides; another is to have a phone on one side and a PC on the other and the third is to have two phones.
VOIP is a ly new technology and it has already achieved wide acceptance and use. There is still a lot to improve and it is expected to have major technological advances in VOIP in the future. It has so far proved to be a good candidate for replacing the POTS (Plain Old Telephone System). It, of course, has drawbacks along with the numerous advantages it brings; and its increasing use worldwide is creating new considerations surrounding its regulations and security.
The growth of VOIP today can be compared to that of the Internet in the early 90's. The public is getting more and more conscious of the advantages they can get from VOIP at home or in their businesses. Advertising campaigns, which are present everywhere on the net, are contributing a lot towards the popularization of VOIP which not only gives facilities and allows people to save, but also producing huge income for those who dived early into the new phenomenon. | high16984.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "in two shakes of a lamb' s tail"
},
"options": [
"in seventh heaven",
"on cloud nine",
"at sixes and sevens",
"in two shakes of a lamb' s tail"
],
"question": "If you solve a problem without any difficulty , you... | Some problems are difficult to solve.But there are a lot of number expressions that can help.For example, if we put two and two together , we might com e up with the right answer.We know that two heads are better than one.It is always better to workwith another person to solve a problem.Some problems have only one solution.You cannot be of two minds over this.But with any luck , we can solve the problem in two shakes of a lamb' s tail.In other words, we could have our answers quickly and easily.
Sometimes we can kill two birds with one stone.That is , we can complete two goals with only one effort or action.But we must remember that two wrongs don' t make a right.If someone does something bad to you, you should not do the same to him.
If you are going out with your girlfriend , or boyfriend , but you don' t want another friend to go a long on your date, you can just say to your friend : two' s company , three' s a crowd.
When I was a young child in school , I had to learn the three R' s.These important skills are reading , writing and arithmetic.These three words do not all start with the letter " R".But they have the sound of " R".My teacher used to give three cheers when I did well in maths.They gave praise and approval for a job well done.
Some of my friends were confused and did not understand their school work.They were at sixes and sevens.In fact , they did not care if they finished high school.But they were happy when they completed their studies and graduated from high school.They were in seventh heaven.They were on cloud nine.Nine times out of ten students who do we'll in school find good jobs.Some work in an office doing the same things every day at nine-to-five jobs.You do not have to dress to the nines , or wear your best clothes , for this kind of work. | high18771.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "expect so"
},
"options": [
"keep silent",
"give up",
"expect so",
"be afraid"
],
"question": "By saying \"don't hold your breath\", the author advised the reader not to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_quest... | Still waiting for little green men to make contact? _ .
A leading astronomer has concluded there probably aren't any aliens out there - meaning we are absolutely alone in the universe.
Even though there may be tens of thousands of other distant planets similar in size to Earth, the conditions on them are likely to be too hard to support life-forms such as ET.
Dr Howard Smith, a senior astrophysicist at Harvard University, believes there is very little hope of discovering aliens and, even if we did, it would be almost impossible to make contact.
So far astronomers have discovered a total of 500 planets in distant solar systems - known as extrasolar systems - although they believe billions of others exist.
But Dr Smith points out that many of these planets are either too close to the sun or too far away, meaning their surface temperatures are so bad that they could not support life. Others have unusual orbits which cause vast temperature variations, making it impossible for water to exist - the most important thing for life.
Dr Smith said, "We have found that most other planets and solar systems are wildly different from our own. It means it is highly unlikely there are any planets with intelligent life close enough for us to make contact." But his suggestions contradict other leading scientists who have claimed aliens almost certainly exist.
Only last month Professor Stephen Hawking said the fact that there are billions of galaxies out there made it reasonable to think there were other life-forms in the universe.
Researchers from the University of London have recently suggested that aliens could be living on as many as 40,000 other planets. But Dr Smith said: "Any hope of contact has to be limited to a relatively tiny space around the Earth, reaching maybe 1,250 light years out from our planet, where aliens might be able to pick up our signals or send us their own. But communicating would still take decades or centuries." | high3574.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "UCAS may approve the young student's application for Liberal Arts courses."
},
"options": [
"Applying for a university is the hardest thing even in the best times.",
"The young student will probably start to raise an owl for the ne... | Getting into university is hard enough at the best of times--but when your chosen institution is a work of fiction you're really up against. And that's why this young joker's Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) application to Hogwarts University was unsuccessful.
But the admissions services' response to the young man is still funny.
The unnamed A-Level student wrote a handwritten note to UCAS asking for a place studying ' _ ' at the Harry Potter school.
In the application, he was proud of his skills in "wearing a pointy hat" and "Watching Paul Daniels TV Specials".
UCAS replied, "We regret to inform you that your application to the stated university cannot be processed at this time for the fact that it does not exist.
"After consultation with our mystic advisors we have also determined that even if it did exist, the course 'Wandology' would be highly in demand and thus require at least two As and a B in any of the following subjects:
Advanced Spellcrafting
Mystimatics
Defence Against the Dark Arts
History of the Mysticism
Shaft Design
"Your handwritten grade sheet claiming top marks in 'Waving a stick about', 'Wearing a pointy hat' and 'Watching Paul Daniels TV Specials' sadly is not suitable for admission, however, by applying through clearing you may be suitable for a selection of Liberal Arts courses."
"Or, you may wish to resubmit next year by tying your letter to an owl and hoping for the best.
"On behalf of UCAS I wish you every success." | high11033.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "is examined by a series of standards"
},
"options": [
"means the color of food is green",
"mainly refers to green vegetables",
"doesn't need to be fertilized",
"is examined by a series of standards"
],
"question... | What is green food? Do you enjoy green food every day? The concept of "green food" was first suggested by the Department of the Ministry of Agriculture in 1990.
Green symbolizes life, health and energy. Nowadays, people demand healthy and fresh food. Having enough food to eat is only a basic requirement, and they need more than this. They want to enjoy unpolluted, safe and nutritious food and eat comfortably. So the government does this through a set of "from the land to the dinner table" quality controls. It requires to change China's traditional agricultural structures and ensure the food of high quality.
Safe vegetables refers to products without substances harmful to humans. Growing such vegetables requires no strong poisons, thus guaranteeing vegetables fresh and clean. There are strict regulations in place for even applying fertilizer . The examination of vegetables should reach the state food hygiene standard. The following conditions for green food are regulated by the China Green Food Development Center. Firstly, products or raw materials must reach the green ecological environment standard set by the Ministry of Agriculture. Secondly, crop planting, livestock raising, fish breeding and food processing must follow green food operating procedures set by the Ministry. Products must be up to the green food hygiene standard. External packing must be pasted with national standard universal labels, special green food packing decoration and tag regulations.
However, by now, our goal hasn't been completely realized. When you return home with a full basket, you are still worried about whether what you have bought is green and healthy. Indeed, for the sake of our health, we still have a long way to go. | high7712.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Handwriting Reader"
},
"options": [
"Police Science",
"Friends of Police",
"Handwriting Reader",
"Art of Handwriting"
],
"question": "The best title for the text would be _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_que... | Michele Langlois is a young Canadian who works for the police as a handwriting expert. She has helped catch many criminals by using her special skill.
When she was only fourteen, Michel was already so interested in the differences in her school friends' handwriting that she would spend hours studying them. After finishing college she went to prefix = st1 /Francefor a special two-year class to learn how to analyze handwriting at theSchoolofPolice Science. On her return, she began her work for theQuebecpolice.
Michele says that it is impossible for people to disguise their handwriting. She can discover most of what she needs to know simply by looking at the writing with her own eyes, but she also has machines that help her analyze different kinds of paper and ink. This knowledge is often of help to the police.
Michele also believes that handwriting is a good sign of the kind of person the writer is. "I wouldn't go out with a fellow if I didn't like his handwriting," she says. But she adds that she fell in love with her future husband, William Smith before she studied his handwriting. _ later proved to be all right, however. | high24088.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "She sang for religious activities."
},
"options": [
"She studied at a music school.",
"She sang for religious activities.",
"She sang at Town Hall in New York.",
"She studied voice in Europe."
],
"question": "Ac... | In the early part of the twentieth century, racism was widespread in the United States. Many African Americans were not given equal opportunities in education or employment. Marian Anderson (1897-1993) was an African American woman who gained fame as a concert singer in this climate of racism. She was born in Philadelphia and sang in church choirs during her childhood. When she applied for admission to a local music school in 1917, she was turned down because she was black. Unable to attend music school, she began her career as a singer for church gatherings. In 1929, she went to Europe to study voice and spent several years performing there. Her voice was widely praised throughout Europe. Then she returned to the US in 1935 and became a top concert singer after performing at Town Hall in New York City.
Racism again affected Anderson in 1939. When it was arranged for her to sing at Constitution Hall in Washington, DC, the Daughters of the American Revolution opposed it because of her color. She sang instead at the Lincoln Memorial for over 75 000 people. In 1955, Anderson became the first black soloist to sing win the Metropolitan Opera of New York City. The famous conductor Toscanini praised her voice as "heard only once in a hundred years". She was a US delegate to the United Nations in 1958 and won the UN peace prize in 1977. Anderson eventually triumphed over racism. | high1363.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "He played the violin to make some money."
},
"options": [
"He played the violin to make some money.",
"He waited for the train to Vienna. zxxk",
"He came to buy a train ticket to Vienna.",
"He walked around the New York... | On a Friday night, a poor young artist stood at the gate of the New York railway station, playing his violin. The music was so great that many people stopped to put some money into the hat of the young man.
The next day, the young artist came to the same place, and put his hat on the ground gracefully. Different from the day before, he took out a large piece of paper and laid it under his hat. Then he began to play the violin. It sounded more pleasant than ever.
Soon he was surrounded with people who were attracted by the words on that paper. It said, "Last night, a gentleman named George Sang put an important thing into my hat by mistake. Please come to claim it soon."
After about half an hour, a middle-aged man rushed through the crowd to the violinist and said, "Yes, it's you. I knew that you were an honest man and would certainly come here." The young violinist asked calmly, "Are you Mr. George Sang?" The man nodded. The violinist asked, "Did you lose something?" "It's a lottery ticket," said the man. The violinist took out a lottery ticket on which George Sang's name was seen. "Is it?" he asked. George nodded and took the lottery ticket and kissed it, then danced with the violinist.
The violinist was a student at an arts college and had planned to attend advanced studies in Vienna. Later his classmate asked the violinist, "At that time you needed money to pay the tuition and you had to play the violin in the railway station every day to make money. Why didn't you keep the lottery ticket for yourself?" The violinist said, "Although I don't have much money, I live happily. But if I lose honesty I won't be happy forever."
Through our lives, we can gain a lot and lose so much. But being honest should always be with us. | high2642.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Simple."
},
"options": [
"Simple.",
"Boring.",
"Magic.",
"Skillful."
],
"question": "Which of the following would be used to describe Alcott's book?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"an... | "I don't want to write a story about girls!I don't know anything about girls."Louisa May Alcott told her publisher,Mr Niles.But she was desperate for money.She seemed to be the only one in her family who could make some money.Niles had asked her to write something she knew,instead of the romantic adventure stories she had been writing."So I plod away,"Alcott wrote,"though I don't enjoy this sort of thing."It was 1867,and the horrible Civil War was over.Now Alcott could turn her energy to making money.
Alcott wrote a simple story of life in her family,their pillow fights on Saturday nights and the amateur plays they performed."Our experiences may prove interesting,though I doubt it."("Good joke."she wrote years later.)Her book described her days growing up with four sisters in a family that had no money.She sketched a loving mother who took time to be interested in each child,and she told of the death of a beloved sister.She portrayed her family and friends in her book Little Women.Finally,in July of 1868,she finished writing.With a sigh and a headache,she sent off all 102 handwritten pages of her book.
Niles thought the book was dull,and so did Alcott.But when she received her copies of the book,Alcott thought it seemed better than expected."Not a bit sensational,"she wrote,"but simple and true.We really loved most of it."Niles asked some girls to read Little Women,and they loved it.If girls liked it,Alcott was satisfied.
In three months,all the copies of Little Women had been sold out.It was already time to print more books!Niles thought she could sell three or four hundred more copies."An honest publisher and a lucky author made a dull book into a golden egg for ugly ducking,"Alcott wrote in 1885.Later,with a great sign of relief,she was able to write,"Paid off all the debts!Now I feel that I could die in peace.If my head holds out,I'll do all I hoped to do." | high18759.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "They shared the same interest."
},
"options": [
"They helped each other.",
"They felt pity for each other.",
"They shared the same interest.",
"They had to depend on each other."
],
"question": "Why did Roman an... | Empathy is a quality that is essential to most people's lives and yet the modern world makes it easy to lose sight of the feelings of others. But almost everyone can learn to develop this crucial personality trait , says Roman Krznaric. Roman Krznaric used to regularly walk past a homeless man around the corner from where he lived in Oxford and took almost no notice of him. One day he stopped to speak to him.
It turned out his name was Alan Human and he had a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford. They afterwards developed a friendship based on their common interest in Aristotle's ethics .
This unexpected meeting taught Roman that having conversations with strangers opens up our empathic minds. We can not only meet amazing people but also challenge the prejudices that we have about others based on their appearance, accents or backgrounds.
Furthermore, it's about recovering the curiosity everyone had as children. Respect the advice of oral historian Studs Terkel, who always spoke to people on the bus, "Don't be an examiner, be the interested inquirer ."
The world's first Empathy Museum, which is starting in the UK in late 2015 and will then be travelling to Australia and other countries. Amongst the unusual exhibitions will be a human library, where instead of borrowing a book you borrow a person for conversation-maybe an unhappy investment banker or a gay father. In other words, the kind of people you may not get to meet in everyday life.
As the psychologist and inventor of emotional intelligence Daniel Goleman puts it, without empathy a person is "emotionally tone deaf". It's clear that with a little effort nearly everyone can put more of their empathic potential to use. So try putting on your empathy shoes and make an adventure of looking at the world through the eyes of others. | high19447.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The elderly are in greater danger of tumor growth."
},
"options": [
"It is believed to contribute to long life.",
"It is part of their health care package.",
"The elderly are more sensitive about their health.",
"The el... | Our risk of cancer rises dramatically as we age. So it makes sense that the elderly should be routinely screened for new tumors -- or doesn't it?
While such vigilant tracking of cancer is a good thing in general, researchers are increasingly questioning whether all of this testing is necessary for the elderly. With the percentage of people over age 65 expected to nearly double by 2050, it's important to weigh the health benefits of screening against the risks and costs of routine testing.
In many cases, screening can lead to additional biopsies and surgeries to remove cancer, which can cause side effects, while the cancers themselves may be slow-growing and may not pose serious health problems in patients' remaining years. But the message that everyone must screen for cancer has become so ingrained that when health care experts recommended that women under 50 and over 74 stop screening for breast cancer, it caused a riotous reaction among doctors, patients and advocacy groups.
It's hard to uproot deeply held beliefs about cancer screening with scientific data. Certainly, there are people over age 75 who have had cancers detected by routine screening, and gained several extra years of life because of treatment. And clearly, people over age 75 who have other risk factors for cancer, such as a family history or prior personal experience with the disease, should continue to get screened regularly. But for the remainder, the risk of cancer, while increased at the end of life, must be balanced with other factors like remaining life expectancy .
A recent study suggests that doctors start to make more objective decisions about who will truly benefit from screening- especially considering the explosion of the elderly that will soon swell our population.
It's not an easy calculation to make, but one that make sense for the whole patient. Dr. Otis Brawley said, "Many doctors are ordering these tests purely to cover themselves. We need to think about the rational use of health care and stop talking about the rationing of health care."
That means making some difficult decisions with elderly patients, and going against the misguided belief that when it comes to health care, more is always better. | high4233.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Waste Disposal Problem"
},
"options": [
"Places for Disposing Waste",
"Waste Disposal Problem",
"Ways of Getting Rid of Waste",
"Waste Pollution Dangers"
],
"question": "The most suitable title for this passage ... | How to deal with waste has been a problem since humans started producing it. As more and more people choose to live close together in cities, the waste-disposal problem becomes increasingly difficult.
During the eighteenth century, it was usual for several neighboring towns to get together to select a faraway spot as a dump site. Residents or trash haulers would transport household rubbish, rotted wood, and old possessions to the site. Periodically some of the trash was burned and the rest was buried. The unpleasant sights and smells caused no problem because nobody lived close by.
Factories, mills, and other industrial sites also had waste to be disposed of. Those located on rivers often just dumped the unwanted remains into the water. Others built huge burners with chimneys to deal with the problem.
Several facts make these choices unacceptable to modern society. The first problem is space. Dumps, which are now called landfills, are most needed in heavily populated areas. Such areas rarely have empty land suitable for this purpose. Property is either too expensive or too close to residential neighborhoods. Long-distance trash hauling has been a common practice, but once farm areas are refusing to accept rubbish from elsewhere, cheap land within trucking distance of major city areas is almost nonexistent.
Awareness of pollution dangers has led to more strict rules of waste disposal. Pollution of rivers, ground water, land and air is a price people can no longer pay to get rid of waste. The amount of waste, however, continues to grow.
Recycling efforts have become commonplace, and many towns require their people to take part. Even the most efficient recycling programs, however, can hope to deal with only about 50 per cent of a city's reusable waste. | high18981.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "avoid doing wrong things"
},
"options": [
"work harder",
"do the wrong things more rapidly",
"avoid doing wrong things",
"get nowhere faster"
],
"question": "With a plan of action, you can _ .",
"question... | In my thirty years as a time management speaker, I have observed a lot of what we can not and should not do to increase our daily results. Time management is not necessarily working harder, but rather smarter.
A lot of our time management has to do more with what we are not doing rather than what we are doing. Sometimes our mistakes will keep us from running at a full pace. Here are some time management mistakes we should all avoid to help us increase our daily efficiency:
Start your day without a plan of action. Without a plan, you will have worked hard but may not have done enough right things. Time management is not doing the wrong things more rapidly. That just gets us nowhere faster. Time management is doing the right things.
Work with a messy desk or work area. Studies have shown that the person who works with a messy desk spends, on average, one and a half hours per day in looking for things. That's seven and a half hours per week. If you have ever visited the office of a top manager, you can easily find that he or she is working with a clean desk environment.
Don't take a lunch break. Many people do not take a lunch break. They work through that time period in the hope that it will give them more time to finish the task. Studies have shown that it may work just the opposite. After doing what we do for several hours, our mind will become boring. A lunch break, even a fifteen-minute break, gives us a chance to get our batteries all charged up again. | high12512.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "social problems"
},
"options": [
"popular science",
"historical events",
"social problems",
"political systems"
],
"question": "The text is most likely to be found in a book about _ .",
"question_type": "c... | Combining families with kids can be tough and offers even more unexpected problems. You just don't know how things will shake out until everyone is under one roof, trying on new roles with name that start with "step". This is what happened to Sheila and Will, and Sheila's 8-year-old daughter Ashley. After the couple got married, and Will became the member of the new family, things got worse than expected. How did they make it work? Read the full version of the story here.
Shelia's Turn: When Shelia and Will were dating, he seemed like kids, especially Ashley. He'd bring her presents, play games with her. But after the wedding, things took a turn. Will suddenly became a super strict stepfather, scolding Ashley for watching too much cartoons, constantly picking fights and punishing her for offenses as small as spilling milk. Shelia's thought about leaving Will, but soon after they married, they had a son, Billy. Will adores his well-behaved boy, but Ashley hates him. Shelia doesn't know what to do--- her daughter is miserable, but leaving her husband might mean losing her son.
Will's turn: Will was so excited to be a male role model in Ashley's life. He didn't just want to be a guy living in her house; he wanted to treat her like his own daughter, which, to Will, meant giving Ashley more rules and help her learn responsibility. He'd always felt that Shelia let Ashley loose on everything. But after the wedding, Will was surprised that Shelia didn't want him to do that. If Will takes away Ashley's TV privileges or tells her to clean up her room, Shelia just lets Ashley do what she likes and does it herself. Will was tired of this and he'd rather take his son and go.
The advisor's turn: The counselor quickly recognized their conflict as a classic case of unspoken, hidden expectations. Before the wedding, when it was just Shelia and Will, everything was easy. But now, everyone in their big family is competing for attention, and the couple never sat down and discussed the biggest issue---their child-upbringing philosophies . The counselor suggested Shelia allow Will to give some rules on Ashley but Will's punishments couldn't be extreme. Once Ashley saw that her mom and stepdad had become a united front, she cooperated more. | high807.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "England"
},
"options": [
"America",
"France",
"England",
"China"
],
"question": "Where was the writer from? _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
... | 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 learnt 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 American friend Danny a ring and tell her that I had arrived. A friendly old man saw me looking like being lost and asked if he could help me.
"Yes,"I said."I want to give my friend a ring."
"Well, that's nice,"he exclaimed ."Are you getting married? But aren't you a bit young?"
"Who is talking about marriage?" I replied. "I just 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 did meet up, Danny explained the misunderstanding to me."Don't worry," she said to me."I had many difficulties at first. There are lots of words which the Americans use differently in meaning from us British. You'll soon get used to all the funny things they say. But most of the time British and American people can understand each other!" | high8409.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the nearest doctor is sometimes very far away from them"
},
"options": [
"there are few doctors there",
"the nearest doctor is sometimes very far away from them",
"there is always heavy traffic on the road",
"they don't... | Most people go to a doctor in their own town or suburb . But people in the Australian _ can't get to a doctor quickly. The nearest doctor is sometimes hundreds of kilometers away so they have to call him on a two-way radio. This special doctor is called the "flying doctor". He visits sick people by plane.
When someone is very sick, the doctor has to fly to the person's home. His plane lands on a flat piece of ground near the person's house. Sometimes the doctor has to take the patient to hospital. Flying doctors take about 8,600 people to hospital each year.
However, most of the time the person isn't very sick, and the doctor doesn't have to visit. He can give advice on the radio from the office at the flying doctor center. He can tell the patient to use some medicine from a special medicine chest . There is one of these chests in every home in the outback. Each bottle, tube and packet in the chest has a number. The doctor often says something like this," take two tablets from bottle 5 every four hours." | high9717.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The middle age and the older."
},
"options": [
"The young.",
"The middle age and the older.",
"The man.",
"The woman."
],
"question": "Who will fail cancer from the study of the researchers?",
"question_type... | There are various reasons why cancers appear to be on the increase. For one thing, though their sufferers are to be found in all age groups, cancers are particularly likely to attack persons in their middle and advanced years. Naturally, since people live longer these years, there are more cancer sufferers than before. Again, with better methods of diagnosis , doctors can more easily recognize cancerous growths that would formerly have passed unnoticed or that would have been wrongly diagnosed. It is also believed that certain habits and conditions of modern living, including heavy smoking and the pollution of the air, may leave people living in more cancer-causing conditions than before.
We all look forward to the day when a simple medical test can find cancer while it is still small. Researchers around the world are working on _ . Most of their work deals with the examination of the blood.
Researchers in Boston have found something in the blood of cancer patients that does not appear in healthy persons. The test showed which persons had cancer and which did not. It was correct more than 90 percent of the time.
The researchers believe the test may be able to show cancer very clearly in its development. Cancers discovered early usually can be treated successfully.
The test examines very small bits of fat in the blood called lipids . Cancers seem to change lipids although doctors do not know why. The test showed differences between the lipids of the persons with cancer and the lipids of those without cancer.
The researchers say the new test could be a step to develop a simple way to check patients for cancer before the disease shows on an X-ray. | high14163.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "He likes it"
},
"options": [
"He thinks it puzzling",
"He likes it",
"He is interested in it",
"He doesn't accept it as part of his life"
],
"question": "What is the author's attitude toward dreaming?",
"que... | Now and again I have had horrible dreams, but not enough of them to make me lose my delight in dreams. To begin with. I like the idea of dreaming, of going to bed and lying still and then, by some queer magic, wandering into another kind of existence. As a child, I could never understand why grown-ups took dreaming so calmly when they could make such a fuss about any holiday, this still puzzles me. I am puzzled by people who say they never dream and appear to have no interest in the subject. It is much more astonishing than it would be if they said they never went out for a walk. Most people do not seem to accept dreaming as part of their lives. They appear to see it as an irritating little habit, like sneezing or yawning I can never understand this. My dream life does not seem as important as my waking life because there is far less of it, but to me it is important. | high47.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "He is wild and full of spirit."
},
"options": [
"He is quiet and lazy.",
"He is wild and full of spirit.",
"He makes friends with everyone.",
"He only lets Else's father ride him."
],
"question": "What is Fiery ... | "Tell me again how you learned to ride a horse," I would ask my father when I was a little girl in Denmark. I was no more than four years old--too little to learn to ride a horse by myself. But I liked to hear my father tell his story. And then he would begin.
"When I was a little boy, as little as you are now," he would say, "I wanted to ride the horses. But I was too small to mount a horse. So I would slip into my father's stables to be with the horses and admire them. Such big, powerful animals they were!
"The gentle workhorses stood quietly in their stalls, eating their hay. I would climb up the side of one of the stalls and slide over onto the horse's back.
"Then I would hold its mane and imagine us running quickly over the grasslands, down to the shore, and even into the sea.
"When I grew tall enough to mount a horse," he said, "my wish came true."
"You swim with the horses now," I said. "You even swim with Fiery. And he has spirit!"
Everybody knew about Fiery, the great black male horse with the fierce temper, and how he behaved when he first came to the stables. He raised itself on its back legs with the front legs in the air. He snorted and kicked. He rolled his eyes. And everyone was afraid of him. Everyone, except my father.
I wanted to hear more. "Now tell me how you made Fiery your friend," I begged. This was my favorite story.
"Well, little Else," my father went on, "I just talked to him. I talked as a friend. You must talk to a horse like Fiery.
"I'd say, 'No, little horse. No, my friend. You can't run free. You must learn to let me ride you.'
"And soon Fiery began to listen. He knew from my voice that I would be his friend."
So Fiery let my father teach him to carry a rider. Then Fiery would take my father across the soft green grasslands or even into the lively waters of the northern sea. I loved to see Father riding Fiery without a saddle into the sea. There they swam, Father and Fiery, out in the cold, clear water.
Often I would watch them from the shore, holding tight to my mother's hand. They swam so bravely. I was so proud of them!
Then Father and Fiery would come splashing out of the water and run along the shore toward us. They made a fine stop--just in time!
Fiery towered over us. He tossed his head and shook sea water from his shining black coat.
Father was laughing and patting Fiery's neck.
And I was making a wish.
I wished that someday I could have a horse, too . . . but a smaller one! | high6424.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Mahjong"
},
"options": [
"football",
"badminton",
"swimming",
"Mahjong"
],
"question": "Which of the following games belongs to board games?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_ind... | A board game is a game played on a pre-marked surface or "board" according to a set of rules. Board games have been played in most cultures and societies throughout history. Do you think of yourself as a bit of an expert at board games like chess or Go?
Maybe you're not quite as good as you think. New research from the University of Manchester and Oxford suggests complex games like these are impossible to learn fully. They may even be too complex for the human mind to understand.
Researchers studied two-player games, to try and understand the strategies which people use to make decisions during the game. Some games with two players are simple, with only a small number of possible moves. Players can quickly work out the best strategy but that means the game soon becomes boring.
It gets more interesting when there are many possible moves. That's why people are so fascinated by complex board games like chess or Go, or some card games. But what the researchers found was that with difficult games, players find it hard to work out the best strategy and their actions become less reasonable.
This research is part of the field called game theory: the study of human strategic decision-making. Much thinking on how people play complex games is based on something called "the balance point", which is when players have a perfect knowledge of what they are going to do and of what their rivals are going to do.
When you add more than two players then of course the game becomes even harder to understand. Trading on the stock market is an example of a complex multi-player game. | high6342.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "September 4."
},
"options": [
"September 4.",
"July 19.",
"August 24.",
"June 15."
],
"question": "If you want to enjoy a \"Grotto Concert\", which date suits you best?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"... | Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival
Where: Becket, Massachusetts
When: Jun.15---Aug.24
Each summer, this influential dance center presents a number of classes and performances by more than 50 companies from around the world. Highlights in this season include the Dance Theater of Harlem's production of Alvin Ailey's "The Lark Ascending", which opens the festival.
Many events are free. Ticketed performances start at $22. Jacobspillow.org.
Moab Music Festival
Where: Moab, Utah
When: Aug.29---Sept.9
This area is better known for mountain biking than for music . But since 1992, it has hosted a private festival that brings classical, jazz, Latin and other types of music to the land. This year there will be 16 concerts, including three "Grotto Concerts", where guests take a 45-minute boat ride down the Colorado River to performances.
Events start at $25. Moabmusicfest.org.
Cheyenne Frontier Days
Where: Cheyenne, Wyoming
When: July19---28
There is something for everyone at this 117-year-old festival, from an "Indian village" and Old West museum to country concerts. But the competition is still the main attraction, with cowboys and cowgirls competing for major money in the world's largest outdoor stage.
Competition tickets start at $18, and concert tickets at $23. Cfdrodeo.com.
The Glimmerglass Festival
Where: Cooperstown, New York
When: July6---Aug.24
Each summer, opera lovers from around the country (and the world) travel to upstate New York to watch productions that include stars like Nathan Gunn and Ginger Costa-Jackson. This year's performances include Wagner's "The Flying Dutchman" and Verdi's "King for a Day", in honor of the 200th birthdays of both composers.
Tickets start at $26. Glimmerglass.org. | high12274.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "victims suffered a lot"
},
"options": [
"bullying is rare",
"victims suffered a lot",
"schools are to blame",
"personalities are related"
],
"question": "From the case of Tina, we can know that _ .",
"ques... | An old problem is getting new attention in the United States--bullying.Recent cases included the tragic case of a fifteen-year-old girl whose family moved from Ireland.She hanged herself in Massachusetts in January following months of bullying.Her parents criticized her school for failing to protect her.Officials have brought criminal charges against several teenagers.
Judy Kaczynski is president of an anti-bullying group called Bully Police USA.Her daughter Tina was the victim of severe bullying starting in middle school in the state of Minnesota.She said, "Our daughter was a very outgoing child.She was a bubbly personality, very involved in all kinds of things, had lots of friends.And over a period of time her grades fell completely.She started having health issues.She couldn't sleep.She wasn't eating.She had terrible stomach pains.She started clenching her jaw and grinding her teeth at night.She didn't want to go to school."
Bullying is defined as negative behavior repeated over time against the same person. It can involve physical violence.Or it can be verbal -- for example, insults or threats.Spreading lies about someone or excluding a person from a group is known as social or relational bullying.
And now there is cyberbullying, which uses the Internet, e-mail or text messages.It has easy appeal for the bully because it does not involve face-to-face contact and it can be done at any time.
The first serious research studies into bullying were done in Norway in the late 1970s.The latest government study in the United States was released last year.It found that about one-third of students age twelve to eighteen were bullied at school.
Susan Sweater is a psychologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and co-director of the Bullying Research Network.She says schools should treat bullying as a mental health problem to get bullies and victims the help they need.She says bullying is connected to depression, anxiety and anti-social behavior, and bullies are often victims themselves. | high5893.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Music therapy"
},
"options": [
"Music therapy",
"Medication",
"Psychotherapy",
"Counseling"
],
"question": "A standard treatment for depression includes all the following ways EXCEPT _ .",
"question_type"... | Researchers invited 79 people between the ages of 18 and 50 years old who had been diagnosed with depression. 33 of the participants were offered 20 music therapy sessions, in addition to their usual treatment for depression. The other 46 participants received stan dard treatment, and acted as the control group. The one-on-one music therapy sessions each lasted 60 minutes and took place twice a week. Trained music therapists helped each participant to improvise music.
On average, each participant attended 18 music therapy sessions. 29 individuals (88 percent) attended at least 15 sessions. The participants in both groups were followed up at three and six months and assessed forsymptoms of depression and anxiety.
In the final analysis, researchers discovered that af ter three months of participation, individuals who received music therapy showed greatly fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety, and scored better on general functioning. Although improvements still remained after six months, the difference between the groups was no longer statistically significant.
Co-researcher Christian Gold, Ph.D., explained the study findings: "Our trial has shown that music therapy, when added to standard care including medication, psychotherapy and counseling , helps people to improve their levels of depression and anxiety. Music therapy has specific qualities that allow people to express themselves and interact in a non-verbal way - even when they cannot find the words to describe their inner experiences."
Given the success of the study, researchers say it needs to be repeated with a larger sample of people, and that further research is needed to assess the cost-effectiveness of such therapy. Outside experts believe this study shows that music ther apy is an effective addition to traditional therapy and improves outcomes. Mike Crawford, M.D., said, "This is a high-quality randomized trial of music therapy specifically for depression, and the results suggest that it can improve the mood and general functioning of people with depression." | high19321.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "in California."
},
"options": [
"by a kitchen equipment salesman",
"in California.",
"by a marketing genius called Dick McDonald.",
"after the first World War."
],
"question": "McDonald's was founded _ .",
... | McDonald's is the world single biggest food provider with annual sales of around $12.4bn. And the company's symbol Ronald McDonald is now (or so the company claims) the word's most recognized person after Santa Claus.
The first McDonald's restaurant was opened in San Bernardino, California, in 1948 by brothers Mac and Richard "Dick" McDonald. Mac ran the restaurant side; Dick was the marketing genius. He had already invented the drive-in laundry and had been the first person to use neon lights in advertising. Now he spotted the gap in the post-war, baby-boom market for cheap, family-orientated restaurants with simple menus, standardized food and efficient service.
After a slow start, business began to boom. By 1954, the brothers were joined by another entrepreneur, a kitchen equipment salesman called Ray A Kroc who owned the franchise to the Multimixer, milk shake maker used throughout the McDonald's chain. A year later, Kroc had bought the McDonald brothers' chain of 25 franchises for the equivalent of around $70m(PS44m). Dick remained with the company until the Seventies, when he and Kroc fell out over Kroc's claim that the chain was his creation.
Today, an almost Stalinist cult of personality surrounds Kroc (who died in 1984) at McDonald's, while the brothers who gave the company its name have all but been written out of its history. But though Kroc did not found McDonald's, he was certainly responsible for the empire-building philosophy which led to its world domination. He ushered in such essential contributions to international cuisine as the Big Mac (1968) and the Egg McMuffin (1973); and helped launch Ronald McDonald ---- "in any language he means fun" ---- on to television in 1963.
Every three hours, a new McDonald's franchise opens somewhere in the world; it can be found in more than 100 countries including India (vegetarian-only to avoid offending the non-beef-eating populace) and Israel (non kosher, despite fierce local objection). McDonald's chain embodied the thrusting, can-do spirit of Fifties America with staff mottoes such as "If you've got time to lean, you've go time to clean." | high4555.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "regain someone's breath and heart beat"
},
"options": [
"regain someone's breath and heart beat",
"help someone treat a heart attack by himself",
"teach people how to stay in good state",
"train people how to stay calm ... | Can you imagine that you can save your own life during a heart attack by coughing ? Let's see how...
A heart attack can happen to anyone. Let's say it's 4:17 p.m. and you're driving home (alone of course) after an unusually hard day on the job. Not only was the workload extremely heavy, you also had a disagreement with your boss, and no matter how hard you tried, he just wouldn't see your side of the situation. You're really upset and the more you think about it, the more nervous you become.
All of a sudden you start experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to spread out into your arm and up into your
. You are only about five miles from the hospital nearest your home, unfortunately you don't know if you'll be able to make it that far.
What can you do? You've been trained in CPR but the guy who taught the course didn't tell you how to perform it on yourself.
Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, this article seems in order. Without help the person whose heart stops beating properly and who begins to feel
has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness. However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very powerfully. A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and the cough must be deep and last long, as when producing
from deep inside the chest. A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two seconds without stopping until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again. Deep breaths get oxygen into the
and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating.
The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm . In this way, heart attack victims can get to a phone and, between breaths, call for help.
Now, do you understand the whole matter? Tell as many other people as possible about this. It could save their lives! | high16012.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the two comics imitated the Canadian Prime Minister so well"
},
"options": [
"his assistants were not careful enough",
"the Canadian Prime Minister helped the two comics",
"the two comics imitated the Canadian Prime Minister ... | MONTREAL--He may be the world's richest man, but that didn't prevent Bill Gates from falling for an April Fool's day joke by two Quebec radio comics pretending to be Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien.
Montreal French-language station CKMF--FM said last Wednesday that staffers Marcantoine Audet and Sebastien Trudel had a 10-minute telephone chat with Microsoft Corp boss Gates on April 1.
The broadcast was aired on their nightly show last Tuesday and repeated last Wednesday.
"We were happy. We had been calling Microsoft persistently for four weeks," Trudel said.
Trudel said he and his colleague had already fooled Canadian pop singer Celine Dion and Formula One driver Jacques Villeneuve on their show.
"This time, we wanted to give ourselves a challenge with somebody more difficult to reach," Ttudel said.
He said he was surprised that Gates's assistants did not check to see if it was really the prime minister's office on the line.
Trudel said they imitated Chretien's heavily accented English, talking about the economy, asking about Microsoft's Windows operating system and inviting the multibillionaire to visit a well-known Montreal strip joint .
The radio host said that Gates was not amused by the fake interview.
"He did not seem angry but he did not find it so funny," the comic said. | high10463.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To give readers some advice about resisting buying unnecessary things."
},
"options": [
"To talk about her own shopping experiences.",
"To give readers some advice about resisting buying unnecessary things.",
"To complain abo... | Being that I worked in a grocery store for 7 years, I know quite a bit about impulsive purchases. In fact, I helped (sadly to say) push certain products by placing them in a certain fashion. Through said experience, I tend to know some of the best ways to counter the impulsive nature of buying things that are unnecessary.
The following is a 3- point list to counter the need to buy something shoved in your face...
Don't bring the kids.
You wouldn't believe (or maybe you parents would) how much more junk parents buy for their kids that is completely impulsive. Working as a checker at a grocery store, I quickly learned that most of the time kids were with their parents, the parents would buy something else within 10 feet of the check stand.
Bring exact cash.
I like to use my debit card because I am able to track every penny better, but holding and letting go of cash is much tougher for me personally. So, if I am going through a tough time budgeting properly, I will bring the allotted amount of cash to the place of business and only allow that to be used.
Ignore salesman.
If you are at a department store and someone asks if you need help, try to ignore their push as much as possible. Sure, if you know nothing about laptops, get their advice, but even then I suggest doing your research pre-shop. Salesman could care less what you want. It's all about what their quota or commission is. Ignore them. | high2124.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "fall"
},
"options": [
"spring",
"summer",
"fall",
"winter"
],
"question": "Baseball is so popular in America that some professional teams play it until _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | The United States is a sports-loving nation. Sports in America take various forms: organized competitive struggles, athletic games, hunting and fishing. Most sports are seasonal, so that what is happening in sports depends upon the time of year.
Baseball is the most popular sport in the US. It is played throughout the spring and summer, and professional baseball teams play well into the fall.
Football is the most popular sport in the fall. The game originated as a college sport more than 75 years ago. It's not the same as European football or soccer. In American football there are 11 players as well on each team, and they are dressed in padded uniforms and helmets because the game is rough and injuries are likely to occur. It is still played by almost every college and university in the country.
Basketball is the winner sport in American schools and colleges. Like football, basketball originated in the US, many Americans prefer it to football because it is played indoors throughout the winter and because it is a faster game. And the famous NBA games are considered the best of this game.
Other sports attracting a great many people include wrestling, boxing and horse racing. Although horse-racing fans call themselves sportsmen, the exactness of the term is questionable, as only the jockeys who ride the horses in the races can be considered athletes. The so-called sportsmen are the spectators, who do not come primarily to see the horses race, but to bet upon the outcome of each race. Gambling is the attraction of horse racing. | high11769.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "he likes to compare the prices between the same items."
},
"options": [
"he has much money.",
"he likes the shops.",
"he likes to compare the prices between the same items.",
"he has nothing to do but shopping."
],
... | My husband is a born shopper. He loves to look at things and to touch them. He likes to compare prices between the same items in different shops. He would never think of buying anything without looking around in several different shops. On the other hand, I'm not a shopper. I think shopping is boring and unpleasant. If I like something and I have enough money to take it, I buy it at once. I never look around for a good price or a better deal. Of course my husband and I never go shopping together. Doing shopping together would be too painful for both of us. When it comes to shopping, we go our different ways.
Sometimes I ask my son Jimmy to buy some food in the shop not far from our home. But he is always absent-minded. This was his story.
One day I said to him, " I hope you won't forget what I have told you to buy." " No," said Jimmy. "I won't forget. You want three oranges , six eggs and a pound of meat."
He went running down the street to the shop. As he ran, he said to himself over and over again, "three oranges , six eggs and a pound of meat."
In the beginning he remembered everything but he stopped several times. Once he saw two men fighting outside a clothes shop until a policeman stopped them. One of them was badly hurt. Then he stopped to give ten cents to a beggar. Then he met some of his friends and he played with them for a while. When he reached the shop, he had forgotten everything except six eggs.
As he walked home, his face became sadder and sadder. When he saw me he said, "I'm sorry, Mum. I have forgotten to buy oranges and the meat. I only remembered to buy six eggs, but I've dropped three of them." | high1.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "accept things that make them different"
},
"options": [
"not study hard for high marks",
"accept things that make them different",
"do what they are really interested in",
"not do things which are difficult for them"
... | Last week, President Barack Obama gave a back- to-school speech to students at the Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Students in schools across the country also tuned in to watch the President's speech on TV. He stressed the importance of trying new things, working hard and believing in yourself.
While admitting that times are tough for families across the country, Obama reminded students that hard work now can mean big success later. "Nobody gets to write your destiny but you," he said. "Your future is in your hands. Your life is what you make of it. And nothing--absolutely nothing--is beyond your reach."
Obama spoke about his own life, and lessons he learned from his mother, who had to remind him to stay focused on his studies. He told students the recipe for success: "Showing up to school on time. Paying attention in class. Doing your homework. Studying for exams. Staying out of trouble. "
Obama encouraged students to embrace what makes them different. "We shouldn't be embarrassed by the things that make us different," he said. "We should be proud of them."
He also suggested taking advantage of all of the opportunities at your school, and always being open to trying new things. "Just because you're not the best at something today doesn't mean you can't be tomorrow," he said. "Even if you don't think of yourself as a math person or as a science person--you can still _ those subjects if you're willing to make the effort. And you may find out you have talents you'd never dreamed of." | high4541.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "exchange the ink for some other items"
},
"options": [
"buy some cheap items",
"exchange the ink for some other items",
"look for his receipt",
"complain to the manager about a clerk"
],
"question": "Adrianwent ... | A few days ago, prefix = st1 /Adrianbought six packages of ink for his printer at a $1 Store. Then he found a deal on better ink at the local computer store. SoAdrianwent back to the $1 Store to exchange the ink for some other items.
He put the ink into a plastic bag and tied it up. When he entered the store, he immediately showed the bag to a clerk and told her that he was returning some items. She looked at him but said nothing, soAdrianput the bag into a push-cart and started shopping.
He was midway through shopping when a female employee suddenly stopped him. "Sir," she said sternly , "you are not allowed to carry a plastic bag of items around in this store."
Adrianwas taken back. There was no need for her to yell. He opened the bag and showed her the six packages of ink. "I'm exchanging these for some other items,"Adriansaid.
"You should have left the bag with the clerk when you entered the store. Let me see your receipt!" the employee demanded.Adrianwas embarrassed. He felt like a shoplifter while he showed her the receipt.
By the time Adrianhad finished shopping and exchanged the items, he was angry and asked what her name was. She mumbled something and he heard "Ursula."
WhenAdriangot home, he called the store's corporate headquarters. Two days later,Adrianreceived a phone call from a representative. "I'm sorry," she said, "but there's no one at that store named Ursula. Can you describe her? I'll find out who she is. I assure you, we do not tolerate rude behavior, nor do we tolerate lying to customers."
By this time,Adrianhad calmed down. He didn't really want the employee to lose her job. He told the representative to forget about it. | high19335.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Greece is facing great danger as forest fires continue to break out"
},
"options": [
"firefighters battles fearlessly in Greece to control the fire",
"constant fires in Greece have caused great life and wealth lose",
"Greece ... | Greece declared a national state of emergency on Saturday as scores of forest fires that have killed at least 46 people continued to burn out of control, leaving some villages trapped within walls of flames, cut off from firefighters.
Although most of the fires have been on the Peloponnesian Peninsula, some broke out on the outskirts of Athens on Saturday, forcing the evacuation of homes and closing a major road linking the capital to the main airport for several hours. The national fire brigade said that by evening it had brought those blazes under control, including one that came within about six miles of the city.
The country has been helpless to fire this summer because of drought and three consecutive heat waves that sent temperatures high over 100 degrees. More than 3,000 forest fires have destroyed thousands of acres of wooded areas since June; the earlier fires killed nine people.The latest wave of fires on the peninsula started Friday. Strong, hot winds have spread the flames.
Firefighters expect the death toll to rise, because they have not yet been able to search some areas that had been overrun by flames.
Hardest hit by the fires were a dozen small villages around the town of Zaharo in the western peninsula, where at least 12 people, including some who may have been trying to flee by car, were killed. Scores of other residents, including elderly and disabled people, remained trapped in their homes, phoning into local television and radio stations, crying for help.
Late Saturday, Mr. Karamanlis, Prime Minister of Greece appeared on national television and declared that he was mobilizing all of the country's resources to control the fire. Mr. Karamanlis also suggested that the recent fires might have been purposely set. "So many fires sparked at the same time in so many regions is no coincidence," he said, "We will get to the bottom of this and punish those responsible."
The overstretched national fire services are being helped by an estimated 6,000 soldiers mobilized for the operation. A fleet of water-dumping aircraft was expected from France, Germany and Norway, after Greece appealed to the European Union for "urgent assistance." | high16006.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "presents the Pilgrims' life in the 1600s."
},
"options": [
"is a cranberry plantation in Plimoth.",
"is where some old Pilgrims are still living.",
"presents the Pilgrims' life in the 1600s.",
"is a plantation dating ba... | prefix = st1 /Massachusetts today looks nothing like it did when the first English settlers arrived. Back in the 17th century, forest blanketed the land. Today, roads and towns cover much of the area. But the past is not dead and gone. Just an hour's drive from Bostonlies Plimoth Plantation .
There you'll experience the 17th century life from the days of the Pilgrims . You can look in the Pilgrims' homes, watch the way they cook, and ask them about their daily lives. You can even help them build houses or work in the fields.
When you arrive at Plimoth, you are greeted with "How do you fare?" instead of "How are you?" In this living history plantation, actors portray real people of 17th-century Plymouth. Each actor has taken the identity of someone from that period.
All the actors speak the language of Shakespeare. They're happy to talk about the hardships of their lives or just share the gossip of the day. But don't try to discuss modern topics. They won't understand what you are talking about!
In fall, you can enjoy a harvest dinner very similar to the first Thanksgiving. You'll dine with your hands like Pilgrims. You'll find no pepper on the table. This expensive spice was used only sparingly in cooking. You'll find no last-course "dessert," either. At the time, people ate sweet dishes right along with the meal.
Cranberries were on the menu then and still are today. A short distance from Plimoth, you can visit Cranberry World. At this unique museum, you'll see how cranberries are harvested and can taste different cranberry products.
Of course, the first Thanksgiving included not only the Pilgrims, but also their Wampanoag guests. If you want to find out something about the Wampanoag, explore a re-created Wampanoag HomeSite. It is just a short walk from Plimoth. Step into the Native American home and enter a different world. Native Americans dressed in 17th-century Wampanoag outfits describe how their people lived 400 years ago. Outside, you can help make a traditional boat or learn about native plant remedies .
Much inMassachusettshas changed since the 17th century. But in Plimoth, the past lives on. | high17318.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Holiday Inn Express Universal City"
},
"options": [
"Hilton Universal City",
"Holiday Inn Universal Studios Hollywood",
"Holiday Inn Express Universal City",
"Magic Castle Hotel"
],
"question": "If you like to s... | Hilton Universal City
Outdoor swimming pool; rooms with two double beds (sleep 4); mini-fridges in rooms; on-site restaurants and 24-hour room service with children's menu and snack cafe; fee car parking; the hotel is walking distance to Universal Studios and City Walk with lots of restaurants.
Holiday Inn Universal Studios Hollywood
Rooms with two queen beds (sleep 4), a mini-fridge, a microwave and a game table; on-site restaurants serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with family-friendly food; outdoor swimming pool; fee car parking.
Holiday Inn Express Universal City
Indoor swimming pool; rooms with two queen beds (sleep 4); breakfast is included in the room rate; free car parking; coin-operated laundry.
Magic Castle Hotel
Breakfast is included in the room rate; snacks (such as cookies and ice cream); one or two bedroom suites (sleep 4); suites have fully-equipped kitchen, living and dining areas; restaurants in the neighborhood; fee car parking; outdoor swimming pool. | high21872.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "\"Smart wrap\" that catches the sun's energy"
},
"options": [
"\"Green roofs\" that cool or heat buildings",
"\"Smart wrap\" that catches the sun's energy",
"Sunlight-measuring sensors that control lights",
"Window coat... | At Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, the lights are controlled by sensors that measure sunlight. They dim immediately when it's sunny and brighten when a passing cloud blocks the sun.
A wall of windows at a University of Pennsylvania engineering building has built-in blinds controlled by a computer program that follows the sun's path. Buildings are getting smarter and the next generation of building materials is expected to do even more.
Windows could catch the sun's energy to heat water. Sensors that measure the carbon dioxide breathed out by people in a room could determine whether the air conditioning needs to be turned up.
Many new materials and technology have been designed in the last 15 years. They are now being used in a wave of buildings designed to save as much energy as possible. They include old ideas, like "green roofs", where a belt of plants on a roof helps the building keep heat in winter and stay cool in summer, and new ideas, like special coating for windows that lets light in, but keeps heat out.
As technologies such as sensors become cheaper, their uses spread.
The elevators at Seven World Trade Center, which is under construction in New York, use a system that groups people traveling to nearby floors into the same elevator, thus saving elevator stops. People who work in the building will enter it by swiping ID cards that will tell the elevators their floor, readouts will then tell them which elevator to use. The building also has windows with a coating that blocks heat while letting in light.
More new building materials and technology are in development. A Philadelphia building firm is now working on "smart wrap" that uses tiny solar collectors to catch the sun's energy and transmitters as wide as a human hair to move it. They are expected to change the face of the construction industry in the next ten years or so. | high2130.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "works in the nursing home"
},
"options": [
"is one of Mrs. Jones' children",
"is a relative of Mrs. Jones",
"works in the nursing home",
"is the owner of the nursing home"
],
"question": "We can infer from the p... | The 92-year-old, thin, calm and proud lady, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, even though she is nearly blind, moved to a nursing home today.
Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the hall of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready.
As she walked slowly to the elevator, I provided a true description of her tiny room, including the old sheets that had been hung on her window. "I love it," she said with the happiness of an eight-year-old girl having just been presented with a new puppy.
"Mrs. Jones, you haven't seen the room...just wait."
"That doesn't matter," she replied. "Happiness is something you decide ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged. It's how I arranged my mind. I have already decided to love it. It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away." She went on to explain, "Old age is like a bank account. You take what you've put in. So, my advice to you would be to put in a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories. Thank you for your part in filling my memory bank." And with a smile, she said, "All my memories are happy ones."
Mrs. Jones was always happy in the nursing home and she died at the age of 108. | high1439.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "you can still have your letter posted"
},
"options": [
"nobody can receive your letter",
"you will have to give some money as a punishment",
"you can't have your letter posted",
"you can still have your letter posted"
... | The Post Office in Britain is famous for getting letters and parcels to places to which they should be sent. The problem is that we the public have to observe the rules. For example, we must put a stamp on a letter. If we don't, the receiver will have to pay double. We often see the sign ALL LETTERS MUST BE CORRECTLY ADDRESSED. These days, this means having to use postcodes. If you didn't use a postcode, it's no good complaining that your letter should have arrived sooner. Parcels are a problem because they must be correctly packaged. If Aunt Sophie is going to send you a jar of your favorite jam, she will have to wrap it up well. The most important thing we have to do is to address our letters and parcels legibly and correctly. This means clear handwriting and correct spelling. What we should do and what we actually do are often miles apart. Recently, the Post Office had to deliver a letter which showed a name followed by the word Arijaba. What is this, do you think? Arabic? Hiodustani ? Wrong both times! Say it out loud and you'll see it's just plain English. HARWICH HARBOUR! | high14611.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "rugby makes people enjoy sports better than soccer"
},
"options": [
"rugby players pretend to be injured when they are not",
"rugby is not very popular in America and Asia",
"rugby makes people enjoy sports better than soccer... | The Rugby World Cup is currently being held in New Zealand. The tournament, due to finish on October 23, is living up to the famous English saying, "Rugby is a thug's game played by gentlemen. "
The games are physically aggressive; the tackles on the pitch are brutal; but the end of each match is a civilized affair. Players shake hands and applaud each other. Of course, the other side to this saying is: "Football is a gentleman's game played by thugs. " Indeed, unlike soccer players, rugby players don't often question the referee's decisions or pretend to be injured when they are not.
"Football could learn a lot from rugby," said Brian Moore, a former England rugby player "The wonderful spirit of rugby is: there is a gentlemanly code to it. You play hard on the pitch, but you always respect your opponent..
Rugby is mainly played in Europe. Australia, New Zealand and parts of Africa. "It is more enjoyable to play than soccer because you are always involved in the game," said Peter, a Welsh rugby coach. "Rugby is also a far superior test of strength, stamina and determination. "
Most professional rugby players are large, strong and weigh over 90 kilograms. People who play the sport need to be tough and be prepared to get hurt. Black eyes, broken bones, lost teeth and being knocked unconscious--all these are common injuries. Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is blind in one eye thanks to a rugby accident at school.
In England, children begin playing the game at school at the age of 8. When they enter high school, many begin to play full contact rugby. Children are taught to play for around one hour a week during their PE lessons. Most schools have a rugby team. Children who play for the school team are usually the sportiest kids, and are seen as brave and athletic. | high9065.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "The different opinions on the proposal that the walls will reduce the loss caused by tornadoes."
},
"options": [
"The different opinions on the proposal that the walls will reduce the loss caused by tornadoes.",
"How to solve the p... | Three "Great Walls" built around the United States' Tornado Alley could reduce tornadoes from destroying billions of dollars in property and endangering millions of lives, a physicist has claimed.
Professor Rongjia Tao of Temple University, Philadelphia unveiled a proposal this week calling for the construction of three 1,000-foot barriers up to 100 miles long, which would act like hill ranges and soften winds before tornadoes could form, the BBC reports.
The $16.9 billion plan would call for the faux hill ranges in North Dakota, along the border between Kansas and Oklahoma, and in Texas and Louisiana, ostensibly saving billions of dollars in damage every year, Tao said. The walls would not shelter towns, he said, but instead would soften the streams of hot southern and cold northern air that form tornadoes when they clash in the first place.
But critics laughed at Tao's proposals. Leading tornado experts pointed to areas that are already protected by hill ranges the size of the barriers Tao is proposing, yet still have plenty of tornados, like parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri. And even if the plan did work, it would create more problems than it would solve, scientists said, by creating catastrophic weather side effects.
"Everybody I know is of 100% agreement - this is a poorly conceived idea," Professor Joshua Wurman of the Center for Severe Weather Research. "From what I can gather his concept of how tornadoes form is fundamentally flawed . Meteorologists cringe when they hear about 'clashing hot and cold air'. It's a lot more complicated than that." | high6356.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Talk to your roommates about it."
},
"options": [
"Adjust to it gradually.",
"Never share fears with your parents.",
"Talk to your roommates about it.",
"Get along with your roommates."
],
"question": "What's th... | A popular student in her small high school, Katie started college, expecting to do well in her courses and be best friends with her roommates. But things didn't turn out that way. Psych 101, the course she thought would be a first-semester favorite, turned out to be a struggle.
Living away from home tends to be the toughest adjustment for first-year students. You may feel homesick in your first weeks or months. It can help to call, write, or email your parents and friends, making them know how you're going. You can also talk with your roommates. As first-year students themselves, they're probably experiencing many of the same fears and worries that you're dealing with .
But what if you don't get along well with your roommates?
In some cases, it can be a good thing if you and your roommates aren't much alike. Different views on things may be helpful, so respect your differences no matter what.
If you and your roommates don't get along well, it can help to find someone who you feel does understand you, which should be easy on a campus with so many people. Many schools have student organization nights where all of the campus clubs gather and promote their organizations, so you can meet people with the same interests there as you. You'll also meet tons of people in class or in your dorm building.
As homesickness, painful throats, sprained ankles and wisdom teeth that act up are common among college students, you should check out your student guidebook or your school's website to find out information about the university health center.
If you think you cannot deal with your problems, make a stop at the school counseling center. First-year troubles are something the counselors know well. You can get help there. | high7048.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "popular music"
},
"options": [
"its black beer",
"its long tradition",
"popular music",
"its scenery"
],
"question": "Ireland is famous for _ now.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer"... | The Luck of the Irish
Look at a map of Britain, and the island on the left is Ireland. It's a small but beautiful country with a long tradition of folk music. Up until 10 years ago just about the only thing that Ireland was famous for was its specialty black beer.
Now Ireland is famous around the world for its music with names like "Kenya","U2" ,"Van Morrison"and more recently "the Corers". "Boyzone",one of the world's top boy bands ,is from Ireland too.What's more,Boyzone member shane has twin sisters,Adele and Heavy,who are members of "B Witched"
The "Boyzone"story is interesting because they were created in 1993 by Dublin nightclub owner John Reynolds.They advertised in newspapers to find members for the group and 300wannabe pop stars applied!
Ronan,who was just 17 when he dropped out of school to make his bid for stardom,and shane,who had been working as trained mechanic in his father's garage when he left to join Boyzone,were both lucky enough to be chosen. The other members are shoe-shop attendant stephen lately,former mechanic Mike Graham and one-time clothes store assistant Keith Dully.
Many people expect bands that have been created by the music industry to produce boring music which doesn't become popular. Even the boys themselves knew they the would not easily achieve international pop music success.
Boyzone quickly proved that they were more than just pretty faces and have sold millions of records around the world.At the moment ,they are not big stars in America,but they say that will change,when they begin a tour of the United States.
Ronan will shortly also start recording as a solo artist. That does not mean the band will spilt yet,but we can expect Boyzone to split sometime in the next 18 months or so.Ronan has also recently become involved as one of the managers of new Irish boy band "West Life" whose song "Swear It Again"has recently been Number 1 in the British charts. | high12506.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "From Books and pictures"
},
"options": [
"From her relatives",
"From her mother",
"From Books and pictures",
"From radio programs"
],
"question": "How did the author get to know America?",
"question_type": n... | I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt's house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.
I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see--the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.
The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost--having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to "the hard times. "
My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.
From my experiences I have learned one important rule: Almost all common troubles eventually go away! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy. | high813.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "we cannot see clearly"
},
"options": [
"we think about our eyes",
"we cannot see clearly",
"we wear glasses",
"we have to do much reading"
],
"question": "We don't know that our eyes are of great importance unti... | When we can see well, we do not think about our eyes often. It is only when we can notsee perfectly that we come to see how important our eyes are.
People who are nearsighted can only see things that are very close to their eyes. Many people who do a lot of close work, such as writing and reading, become nearsighted. Then they have to wear glasses in order to see distant things clearly.
People who are farsighted face just the opposite problem. They can see things that are far away, but they have difficulty reading a book unless they hold it at arm's length. If they want to do much reading, they must get glasses too.
Other people do not see clearly because their eyes are not exactly the right shape. This, too, can be corrected by glasses. Some people's eyes become cloudy because of cataracts . Long ago these people often became blind. Now, however, it is possible to operate on the cataracts and remove them.
When night falls, colors become fainter to the eyes and finally disappear. After your eyes have grown used to the dark, you can see better if you use the side of your eyes rather than the centers. Sometimes, after dark, you see a small thing to one side of you, which seems to disappear if you turn your head in its direction. This is because when you turn your head, you are looking at the thing too directly. Men on guard duty sometimes think they see something moving to one side of them. When they turn to look straight at it, they can not see it any more, and they believe they were mistaken. However, this mistake happens because the center of the eye, which is very sensitive in daylight, is not as sensitive as the sides of the eye after dark. | high9703.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "needs management"
},
"options": [
"is easy to get",
"deepens with time",
"needs management",
"affects one's happiness"
],
"question": "According to the author, true friendship _ .",
"question_type": "summ... | Speaking from my past experience, it is very difficult to find good friends that you can trust but once you have found them, they are worth keeping forever! Therefore, I think friendship is the most important relationship that anybody could have.
The qualities I look for in a friend are a good sense of humor but sensitivity when it matters. Also that friend would have to be strong-minded and highly spirited. I think that these qualities are the key qualities to look for in a good friend.
Even the strongest friends can still have arguments, although usually about more serious topics, rather than the usual teenage childish arguments. Some matters can seriously affect a friendship. If one of your friends started experimenting with harmful and dangerous drugs, what would you do ? A good friend would try to help as much as possible, whereas a bad example of a friend would simply shrug and turn a blind eye.
Not only the bad things affect friendship ---- good activities do too. Such as bonding with one another, not just by going out on a night with them but by spending quality time with them and talking to each other, which indicates a good ability to communicate. This is a key aspect of a good friendship.
Good friends do not always have to be in the same age group as you. I have a good friend and she is 47 years old and I am 16.
Unfortunately, some people lose contact with their friends as they grow older, which is a sad way to lose a good friend.
I think friendship is one of the most important things in life because if you have no friends you will have no happiness. | high6430.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Drug."
},
"options": [
"Drug.",
"Exercise",
"Run.",
"walk"
],
"question": "Which of the following is the common method to treat depression and anxiety?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
... | Have you ever had a doctor write you a prescription for three laps around a local trail ? How about a prescription for sit-ups?
These treatments may not be as typical as the drugs that are usually used to treat our problems, but maybe they should be: a new report shows that regular exercise can be just as effective as prescription drugs for patients with depression and anxiety.
"Individuals who exercise report fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression, and lower levels of stress and anger, " said the paper's co-author, Jasper Smith, director of the Anxiety Research and Treatment Program at Southern Methodist University. " Exercise may help patients with depression re-establish positive behaviors. For patients with anxiety disorders, exercise reduces their fears of fear and related bodily sensations such as a racing heart and rapid breathing."
In a separate study, published in Physical Therapy journal, scientists studied 161 women who' d recently given birth to babies, and decided them into two groups. New mothers tend to develop post-partum depression , and the scientists wanted to find out whether exercise could prevent such problems. One group of women was given specialized exercises as part of an eight-week parenting education program, while the other was given only written education. The physical element seemed to do the trick; the researchers report that the number of women identified as "at risk" for post-partum depression was reduced by half in the exercising group.
Another recent study shows that even when a patient has a chronic illness like cancer or a heart condition, regular exercise can dramatically increase wellbeing by reducing anxiety. Researchers from University of Georgia analyzed 40 clinical trials involving almost 3,000 patients, and found that the patients who reported exercising regularly had a 20% reduction in symptoms of anxiety compared to those who didn't exercise. As a result, they were more likely to follow their recommended treatment plan.
Of course, there are still some situations where prescription drugs are necessary, and we recommend you leave it to your doctor to determine when that may be. But in many cases, the best medicine may simply be to get up off the couch and go for a walk. | high10311.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "they help him to stop drought and floods"
},
"options": [
"they help him to make money",
"they give him cool",
"they give him wood and other things",
"they help him to stop drought and floods"
],
"question": "Th... | Trees are useful to man in three important ways: they give him wood and other useful things, they give him cool places, and they help to stop drought and flood.
Unluckily, in many parts of the world, man has not found that the third of these points is the most important. Man wants to make money from trees, so he has cut them down in large numbers, only to find that without them he has lost the best friends he had. And also, he is usually too careless to plant and look after new trees. So the forests slowly disappear.
This does not only mean that man will have fewer trees. The results are even worse: for where there are trees, their roots break up soil-make the rain in-and also bind the soil, thus stopping it from being washed away easily; but where there are no trees, the rain falls on hard ground and flows away, causing floods and carrying away the rich top-soil. When all the top-soil is gone, nothing is left but useless desert. | high2656.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "he was walking his dog"
},
"options": [
"he was teasing a kangaroo",
"he was walking his dog",
"swimming in the pond",
"dragging his dog out from water"
],
"question": "Rickard and his pet dog were attacked when... | MELBOURNE, Australia - A kangaroo frightened by a man walking his dog attacked the pair, throwing the pet underwater and hitting the owner in the stomach with its back legs. The Australian, Chris Rickard, was in stable condition Monday after the attack, which ended when the 49-year-old struck the kangaroo in the throat.
Rickard said he was walking his blue dog, Rocky, on Sunday morning when they surprised a sleeping kangaroo in Arthur's Creek northeast of Melbourne. The dog chased the animal into a pond, when the kangaroo turned and knocked the pet underwater.
When Rickard tried to pull his dog free, the kangaroo turned on him, attacking with its back legs and tearing a deep cut into his stomach and across his face.
"I thought I might take action to drag the dog out from under his grasp, but I didn't expect him to actually attack me," Rickard, 49, told The Herald Sun newspaper. "It was a shock at the start because it was a kangaroo, about 5 feet high, they don't go around killing people."
"I was stuck having to hold on to the dog with both hands because it was half drowned and I couldn't really see anything because the kangaroo just attacked me."
He added, "All I could do was just keep pushing for the bank and he was trying to push me under the water, so at that point I struck him in the throat and that made him back off a little bit.
"I don't think I'll ever be able to watch kangaroo programs quite the same as I used to -- it might bring back a couple of bad memories."
Kangaroos rarely attack people but will fight if they feel threatened.
Dogs often chase kangaroos, which have been known to lead the pets into water and defend themselves there.
Rickard said he ended the attack by hitting the kangaroo in the throat adding Rocky was "half-drowned" when he pulled him from the water. | high4227.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "In China,the average life span is twice as long as it was half a century ago."
},
"options": [
"A few emperors in ancient China could live up to 10,000 years.",
"Creatures aren't able to lives up to 120 years.",
"The dream of... | To live forever was the dream of many emperors in ancient China.People were ordered to call them Wansui,which means 10,000 years,but no human could live that long.How long can humans really live? According to the latest scientific discovery,humans are able to live up to the age of 120 or perhaps even longer.
Several recent studies showed that our life span can be extended far beyond normal limits.Cynthia Kenyon,a professor at the University of California in San Francisco doubled the life of a worm from two weeks to a month.By changing the function of a single gene,known as daf-2,the scientist not only added extra days to the worm's life but also kept it a healthy as worms which were half its age.
There are two similar genes in the bodies of mammals.By changing the function of on gene,scientists extended the life of a mouse by 1 8 per cent(or 4.5 months).Another gene is called IGF-1.Researchers still don't know how it affects our body.But by reducing its functions the life of a mouse increases by 33 per cent for 8.6 months).The average life span of a mouse is 26 months.
In the experiment of extending life,an ancient saying,"you are what you eat." also seems to be true.Vegetables contain fewer calories than meat,and help to prolong life,scientists say. Research has found that taking in fewer calories affects our lives in a similar way to reducing IGF-1.
US biologist John Phelan suggests low calorie diets could increase human life span,but there is no proof yet.
Researchers are still waiting for the results of a study started in 1987.Monkeys are fed with low calorie food to see what happens.A monkey's typical life span is 40 years,so there is a little while to wait.
In China,average,life expectancy has now reached 70,double that of 1949. Increasing the length of our lives may bring us closer to the dreams of our ancient emperors.But it may also cause social problems such as housing and employment,social scientists have warned. | high16760.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "naturals and man-made materials"
},
"options": [
"fresh flowers and new plants",
"naturals and man-made materials",
"naturals and people's favorite",
"wood and materials with special smell"
],
"question": "Accor... | Perfume --A Promise in a Bottle
"Perfume," says expert perfumer Sophia Grojsman, "is a promise in a bottle." That promise might be reflected in a perfume's name: Joy, Pleasures, or Beautiful, for example. Millions of dollars are spent on the marketing of a perfume, trying to get customers to connect attraction or attitude to a fragrance.
Even without the marketing, fragrance has power over our thoughts and feelings. Some scientists insist that memory and smell are especially closely linked. Certain aromas have the power to call up deep memories. Perfume makers are aware of this and use aromas that can touch us deeply.
The Power of Aromas
Of every ten new perfumes put on the market, perhaps only one will succeed. It's risky to try, as a company introducing a new fragrance can easily run through a budget of 20 million dollars. Profits , however, can be very high. One successful fragrance, CK One from designer Calvin Klein, made 250 million dollars in its first year.
In the perfume world, the most basic and important quality is the material with its own special aroma. Some are natural, coming from flowers, plants, or wood, for example. Others are synthetic materials, that is, the materials which are not natural but made with the help of science. According to expert perfumer Harry Fremont, a good fragrance "is a balance between naturals and synthetics".
Image and Marketing
Sephora is France's leading perfume store. In a store of shining stone, metal, and glass, famous perfumes are shown and guarded like works of art in the nearby Louvre Museum. Salespeople are dressed in black, and each type of perfume is sold in a particularly shaped bottle. In perfume sales, the importance is on presentation at least as much as on the product.
If you're confused about which perfume to buy, perfumer Annie Buzantian offers her advice: you really can't get an idea whether a perfume works or not until you wear it. "It's like the difference between a dress on the hanger on the hanger and a dress on your body," says Buzantian. "Your first impression is often the right one." | high18995.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Four."
},
"options": [
"Three.",
"Four.",
"Five.",
"Six."
],
"question": "How many books of Mo Yan are mentioned in this passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
... | The Swedish Academy in Stockholm on Thursday named Mo Yan winner of the Twenty-Twelve Nobel Prize in Literature.
The academy praised the Chinese writer for what it called his "hallucinatoty realism ". It noted his ability to combine folk stories, history and modern events in his works.
An academy official said Mister Mo was "overjoyed and sacred" when he learnt he had won the award. He will receive his Nobel diploma, a medal and more than one million dollars at the ceremony in Stockholm in December.
Mo Yan is a leading author of modern Chinese novels. He often writes from memories of his youth. He also sets many of his stories in the area where he was born--Shandong Province in northeastern China.
Mister Mo's 1987 bookRed Sorghum is an example. It is about the extreme violence in rural eastern China during the Communist Revolution in the 1920's and 1930's. The story describes the criminal culture of the time, Japan's occupation and the terrible conditions faced by farm workers.Red Sorghumwas later made into a movie.
Mo Yan's other major works includeBig Breasts and Wide Hips,Republic of WineandLife and Death Are Wearing Me Out.
The Royal Swedish Academy compared him to two 20th century writers: American William Faulkner and Colombia Gabriel Marquez.
Mo Yan's real name is Guan Moye. Mo Yan means "Don't speak." The writer said he chose the name to remember to stop his tongue from getting him in trouble.
China is celebrating the victory of his native son. Minutes after the award was announced, millions of Chinese expressed pleasure and pride for Mo Yan on social media websites. | high3548.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "avoid being found they had only one ticket"
},
"options": [
"avoid being found they had only one ticket",
"come up with a method of getting a ticket",
"hide from the five Englishmen",
"impress the five Englishmen"
]... | I have come across some really excellent examples of British humour in the form of jokes. Here is a very funny joke about how the English and the Scottish save on train fare.
Five Englishmen boarded a train just behind five Scots, who as a group had only bought one ticket. Just before the conductor came, all the Scots went into the toilet. As the conductor passed the toilet, he knocked and called, "Tickets, please!' One of the Scots slid a ticket out under the door. It was punched and pushed back. When it was safe, all the Scots came out and took their seats. The Englishmen were quite impressed by what the Scots had done. On the trip back, the five Englishmen decided to try this themselves and bought only one ticket. They noticed that the Scots had not bought any tickets this time. Anyway again, just before the conductor came, the Scots went into one of the toilets, the Englishmen into the other. Then one of the Scots leaned out, knocked on the Englishmen's toilet and called, "Tickets, please!" When the ticket was slid out under the door, he picked it up and quickly closed the door.
English humor shows the ups and downs of life in Britain. Humour helps us to look at the lighter side of things. So, if you want a good laugh, and want to change your attitude to what would otherwise be a difficult situation, turn to a good English situation comedy and have a good time. | high16827.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "varied contents"
},
"options": [
"1imited link",
"imaginative design",
"low cost",
"varied contents"
],
"question": "According to the passage,the advantage of e-books is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_quest... | A crisis is on the way.Global warming? The world economy? No,the decline of reading.People are just not doing it anymore,especially the young.Who's responsible? What is responsible? The Internet,of course,and everything that comes with it--Facebook,Twitter,etc..
There's been a warning about the coming death of literate civilization for a long time.In the 20th century,first it was the movies,then radio,then television that seemed to end the written world.None did.Reading survived;in fact it not only survived,it has developed better.The world is more literate than ever before -- there are more and more readers.and more and more books.
The fact that we often get our reading material online today is not something we should worry over.The electronic and digital revolution of the last two decades has arguably shown the way forward for reading and for writing.Interconnectivity allows for the possibility of a reading experience that was barely imaginable before.Where traditional books had to make do with photographs and illustrations,an e-book can provide readers with an unlimited number of links:to texts,pictures,and videos.
On the other hand,there is the danger of trivialization .One Twitter group is offering its followers single-sentence-long"digests"of the great novels.War and Peace in a sentence? You must be joking.We should fear the fragmentation of reading.There is the danger that the high-speed connectivity of the Internet will reduce our attention span--that we will be incapable of reading anything of length or which requires deep concentration.
In such a fast-changing world,in which reality seems to be remade each day,we need the ability to focus and understand what is happening to us.This has always been the function of literature and we should be careful not to let it disappear.Our society needs to be able to imagine the possibility of someone entirely in pace with modern technology but able to make sense of a dynamic,confusing world. | high11190.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "cycling in America"
},
"options": [
"advantage of bikes",
"cycling in America",
"American transportation",
"how to ride a bike"
],
"question": "The passage gives us a brief introduction _ .",
"questio... | While the rest of the world carried on cycling during the 1950s and 1960s , America forgot how ; even high-school children would drive to school . Recently there has been something of a recovery in cycling , and in many areas it is a very useful way of getting around , especially where bike paths or bike routes have been built . You may well want to buy , hire or borrow a bike .
There are two important results of this earlier drop in cycling in the USA . One is that many people do not know how to cycle . That is , cyclists often behave more like walkers than motorists : they ride in the sidewalk or on the wrong side of the road ; they do not care for stop signs or traffic lights ; they ride without lights at night ; they give no signals .
The other result is that cycling is regarded by many people not so much as a way of getting from one place to another but as a way of life , a form of exercise , etc . As a result , large numbers of young Americans have ten-speed racing bikes . These are very high and fast and great if you are cycling long distance , riding up mountains or racing . At first , though , you may find them convenient for cycling in town , sightseeing or shopping --they are expensive , uncomfortable and hard to control until you get used to them , and unsuitable for rough stony roads .
There are also ordinary bikes around . If you get hold of one of these ,you may find that the brakes work by pedaling backwards . This is perhaps safer than ordinary brakes when it is wet , but it seems to be less effective . This arrangement also means you can't pedal backwards in order to get the pedal in the right place for getting on or getting off . | high21053.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "make less pollution"
},
"options": [
"clean school",
"make less pollution",
"join clubs",
"help teachers"
],
"question": "The writer wrote the passage to ask the students to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_... | In most parts of the world, many students help their schools make less pollution. They join "environment clubs ". In an environment club, people work together to make our environment clean.
Here are some things students often do.
No-garbage lunches. How much do you throw away after lunch? Environment clubs ask students to bring their lunches in bags that can be used again. Every week they will choose the classes that make the least garbage and report them to the whole school.
No-car day. On a no-car day, nobody comes to school in a car. Not the students and not the teachers! Cars give pollution to our air, so remember: walk, jump, bike and run. Use your legs! It's lots of fun..
Turn off the water! Did you know that some toilets can waste twenty to forty cubic meters of water an hour? In a year, that would fill a small river! In environment clubs, students mend those broken toilets. We love our environment. Let's work together to make it clean. | high8582.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "A website showing how many hits two different things have."
},
"options": [
"A fight between two people on Google.",
"A way to make sure you win an argument.",
"A website showing how many hits two different things have.",
... | Googlefight is a simple service available on the Internet which offers you the chance to compare two different items and see how many hits they get on the Google search engine. The seemingly simple device has proved invaluable to users, especially to help win arguments.
For example, imagine that you and your friends are arguing about who are the most popular music or movie stars, you can decide the argument by writing the names in the Googlefight boxes. Let's say that you are arguing about Jackie Chan and Jet Li. You will quickly discover that Jet Li is mentioned 16 million times on Google pages, whereas Jackie Chan is mentioned a mere 12 million times! In this unscientific way, you can claim victory for one Star over another.
But teachers have come up with ways of using Googlefight which are much more useful from an academic point of view, particularly when it comes to studying languages. You can, for example, find out the frequency of two words with the same meaning, and deduce from the answers which one is more common. For example, let's take the words "buy" and "purchase", which mean the same thing (although "buy" is only a verb and "purchase" is both a verb and a noun). It is immediately clear from Googlefight that "buy" is much more commonly used, with a massive three and a half billion hits, compared to only one billion occurrences for the more formal word.
But the real value of Googlefight to the language learner is in determining which is the more common of two phrases. For example, "raining cats and dogs" is an old-fashioned English expression about the weather. Do English speakers still use it? Or are they more likely to say "pouring down"? Googlefight suggests the latter. "Pouring down" has 898,000 Google hits, whereas "raining cats and dogs" only has 326,000.
With phrases, it's important to remember that you need to use quote marks to make the search more accurate. For example, if you type in the similar phrases "look after" and "take care of " without quote marks, the second phrase seems to be more common, but with quote marks, the result is reversed. | high12499.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The Spanish ruled Mexico."
},
"options": [
"Mexicans declared their independence from Spain.",
"The Spanish ruled Mexico.",
"The Aztecs lived in Mexico.",
"Americans fought a war with Mexico."
],
"question": "Ac... | Hundreds of years ago, Native-American tribes lived in Mexico. The Aztecs built beautiful cities. They had a calendar and a written language. However, the Spanish destroyed the Aztecs in l521. For the next 300 years, Spain ruled over Mexico. That's why Mexicans speak Spanish.
Every September l6 the Mexican people hold a celebration in Mexico City, their country's capital. It is their Independence Day. On that date in 1821 they told Spain they would no longer be ruled. Breaking free from Spain caused a war. When it was over, the Mexicans had their own government. They made their own laws.
Today America and Mexico are friends, but it wasn't always that way. President James Polk wanted America to reach from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. He tried to buy what is now the American southwest from Mexico. Mexico would not sell. So from l846 to 1848 Mexico and America fought a war to ascertain where their borders would be. When the war ended, Mexico had lost a lot of land. Now the Rio Grande River forms the border between the two nations. America is on the north side of the river. Mexico is on the south side.
Mexico has mountains and a hot, dry climate. Crops can grow on only a small part of the land. Still, Mexicans grow much of the coffee, oranges, and sugar used in the US. Mexicans have influenced building styles in southwestern US and added words such as patio and canton to American English. Americans also enjoy eating many Mexican foods like burritos, tacos, tortillas, and tamales. | high9844.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "To get a reasonable result."
},
"options": [
"To get a reasonable result.",
"To collect data in different ways.",
"To receive information about a particular site.",
"To learn more about specific places."
],
"que... | A new smart phone system under development can locate you even when you're inside a building, which GPS can't do. While the concept sounds powerful, it's not yet clear how practical it might be.
The set-up, called SurroundSense, sends information from cameras and microphones--gear in the latest smart phones--to a server that produces a fingerprint of the location.
"You can't tell much from any of the measurements individually, but when combined, the optical , acoustic and motion information creates a unique fingerprint of the space," said Ionut Constandache, a student in computer science.
The system distinguishes between two indoor spaces in this manner: It knows that a bar is likely to be dark and noisy and people move little, sit a lot, whereas a department store will be brightly lit, contain vibrant colors, and will see a lot of people moving up and down passages. The more the system is used, the more it learns about specific places.
More work is needed before the set-up would be ready for prime time, however. For now, it can't work if a person's cellphone is in a handbag or otherwise unable to employ the camera. Finally it would be best served if paired with phones that were worn on the wrist or hung around the neck. Batteries, too, are a problem.
Students on the research team went out across Durham, North Carolina, with their cellphones collecting data in different types of businesses. The students mirrored the actions of the selected customers so that they would not prejudice the measurements.
"We went to 51 different stores and found that SurroundSense achieved an average accuracy of about 87 percent," Constandache said.
"As the system collects and analyzes more and more information about a particular site, the fingerprint becomes more precise," said Romit Roy Choudhury, professor of computer engineering. "Not only is the _ different at different locations, but also can be different at different time at the same location." | high7869.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The deadline for application."
},
"options": [
"The activities the students will have.",
"The fee each attendant should pay.",
"The e-mail address of Tech-Camp.",
"The deadline for application."
],
"question": "... | Tech-Camp
No.6 Devon Road, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong a technology day camp for students 12-17
About Tech-Camp
Tech-Camp is a day camp with a focus on computers and electronics technology. We offer 2-week summer programmes for students of 12 to 17 years of age. We have a computer lab with the latest and fastest equipment, an electronics lab, and a video production studio. Our staff are special, too. They are experts in computers and electronics, of course, but they are also people who care about children and enjoy working with them.
The benefits of Tech-Camp
In all of our programmes, we show students how to work in teams and how to solve problems by themselves. We encourage them to think creatively.
What students will do at Tech-Camp
Each day Tech-camp is filled with useful, interesting and challenging activities. For example, in the Computer Programme, students learn the basic computer programming, and how to use the Internet. In the Tech-Camp Programme, they make radio-controlled model cars and produce their own short videos.
Programme Session 1 Session 2 Session 3
Computer Programme 15 June-26 June 15 June-26 June 15 June-26 June
High-tech Programme 29 June-10 July 27 July-7 August 15 June-26 June
Fee: HK $2,000 per student
(10% discount available for groups of 10 or more students.)
For more information about Tech-Camp, please contact Director of Summer Programmes, Ms Julia Brown, by phone, fax or e-mail.
Telephone: 26548898
Fax: 26948850
E-mail: juliab@techcamp.com.hk | high13787.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "phone card collecting as a hobby"
},
"options": [
"the history of phone cards",
"phone card collecting as a hobby",
"reason for phone card collecting",
"the great variety of phone cards"
],
"question": "The text... | Most British telephone cards are just plain green, but card collecting is becoming a popular hobby in Britain and collectors even have their own magazine, International Telephone Cards. One reason for their interest is that cards from around the world come in a wide variety of different and often very attractive designs. There are 100, 000 different cards in Japan alone, and there you can put your own design onto a blank card simply by using a photograph or a business card.
The first telephone cards, produced in 1976, were Italian. Five years later the first British card appeared, and now you can buy cards in more than a hundred countries. People usually start collecting cards because they are attractive, small and light , and they do not need much space. It is also a cheap hobby for beginners, although for some people it becomes a serious business. In Paris, for example, there is a market where you can buy only telephone cards, and some French cards cost up to 4, 000 pounds. The first Japanese card has a value of about 28, 000 pounds. Most people only see cards with prices like these in their collectors magazine. | high754.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "cultural values"
},
"options": [
"commercial purposes",
"cultural values",
"personal experiences",
"physical reactions to the color1"
],
"question": "Muslims regard green as a symbol of heaven mainly because of ... | Why is pink or purple a color1 for girls and blue or brown for boys?
The answer depends largely on cultural values as well as personal experiences. To the Egyptians, green was a color1 that represented the hope and joy of spring, while for Muslims, it means heaven. Red is a symbol of good luck in many cultures. In China, children are given money in a red envelope to bring good fortune in the New Year. For many nations, blue is a symbol of protection and religious beliefs. Greek people often wear a blue necklace hoping to protect themselves against evils .
People's choice of color1s is also influenced by their bodies' reactions toward them. Green is said to be the most restful color1. It has the ability to reduce pain and relax people both mentally and physically. People who work in green environment have been found to have fewer stomach aches.
Red can cause a person's blood pressure to rise and increase people's appetites . Many decorators will include different shades of red in the restaurant. Similarly, many commercial websites will have a red "Buy Now" button because red is a color1 that easily catches a person's eye.
Blue is another calming color1. Unlike red, blue can cause people to lose appetite. So if you want to eat less, some suggest that eating from blue plates can help.
The next time you are deciding on what to wear or what color1 to decorate your room, think
about the color1 carefully. | high23644.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "a huge clock"
},
"options": [
"a double decker bus",
"a huge clock",
"the name of Ben",
"a building"
],
"question": "Big Ben is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"ans... | Big Ben
Big Ben is not the name of a man. It is the name of a huge clock in London. London is the capital of England. This clock has four faces. So,no matter where you stand,you can read the time on the face of Big Ben. Each face is the size of a double decker bus. The hands are about four meters long. It is about the size of two people standing on top of each other. If you go to London,you may want to visit the Houses of Parliament. There you will find Big Ben sits at the top of the clock tower in the Houses of Parliament. Maybe you will hear it as well as see it. The huge clock makes such a loud noise. "Ding dong,ding dong,"it goes every quarter of an hour.
The clock was named after a big man. He was Sir Benjamin Hall. This man did much building work in London many years ago. | high23122.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "By comparing genetic structures."
},
"options": [
"By doing experiment on butterflies.",
"By comparing genetic structures.",
"By observing the butterflies.",
"By analyzing the result."
],
"question": "How do sci... | Back in the 1860s, a British scientist named Henry Walter Bates noticed something interesting in the animal world: a kind of butterfly, Common Mormon, can change the pattern on its wings so that it looks like another butterfly species, the Common Rose, which is poisonous for birds to eat.
Bates argued that animals develop this ability to protect themselves from being eaten. This theory had been widely accepted by scientists. But one question remains: how do these animals manage to do that?
After more than 150 years, scientists are finally able to answer that question--it is all down to a gene called "doublesex", according to a study published on March 6 in the journalNature.
In fact, scientists have long known that genes are responsible for this useful ability. But until the new study, scientists hadn't been able to find out which genes in particular were responsible.
Scientists at the University of Chicago compared the genetic structures of the Common Mormons that changed their wing patterns with those of ones that did not. And all the results pointed to a single gene, "doublesex".
This was much to the scientists' surprise. They used to expect that something as complex as this would be controlled by many different genes. For example, one gene would control the color of the upper part of the wing, one would do so for the lower part.
However, the "doublesex" gene doesn't quite do everything by itself. Instead, it acts like a switch--it "tells" other genes to change the wing patterns. Isn't that clever?
Scientists believe that this special ability of the "doublesex" gene on Common Mormon was developed throughout the long history of evolution. "The harmless species gains an advantage by resembling something predators avoid," Sean Carroll, a scientist toldNature. "it was obvious evidence for natural selection. " | high14956.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Computer defeats man in chess!"
},
"options": [
"5,000 dollars goes to a computer!",
"New invention a laughing computer!",
"World's best chess player beaten!",
"Computer defeats man in chess!"
],
"question": "Wh... | Moscow,Russia(Space news)-"The computer is a better chess player,"insisted Viktor Prozorov,the loser ." It seemed as if it were laughing after every good move.I know I should have beaten it for the sake of mankind ,but I just couldn't win," he announced and shook his head sadly.
Prozorov's disappointment was shared by several grand masters who were present,some of whom were so upset that they shouted at the machine.Many chess players said that this meant the end of chess championships around the world,since the fun had been taken out of the game.
The computer walked-or rather,rolled-away with 5,000 dollars in prize money and limited its remarks to a set of noises and light. | high15490.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Horseriding in the Tarn, France"
},
"options": [
"explore a perfect wilderness",
"stay for a few days in Finland",
"Horseriding in the Tarn, France",
"Learn to sail in Greece"
],
"question": "If you want to have... | Wilderness activity week, Finland
Set off on a really wild adventure to Finland, where night is a distant memory during the endless days of summer.
From your cottage, set high in the hills above Koli National Park, you can explore a perfect wilderness, and pull over at a lakeside beach whenever you like a dip .
Horseriding in the Tarn France
Learn to ride, or perfect your horse-riding skills at Les Juliannes in the Tarn Valley. Activities include everything from show-jumping to hacking through the rolling hills and medieval villages. Between sessions, you can relax by the pool, cycle along the country lanes or roam the grounds. Guests stay at a rural 17th-century farmhouse.
Learn to sail in Greece
Sunvil Sailing has live-aboard learn-to-sail breaks off the island of Lefkas that are designed for both the complete novice as well as those with a degree of sailing. | high16199.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "they don't have enough sleep"
},
"options": [
"they have hallucinations",
"they feel sleepy during the working hours",
"they don't have enough sleep",
"they are certain to be kept from going to bed"
],
"question... | No one knows why we sleep, but it's certain that we need to. People who are prevented from sleeping begin to suffer obvious effects after a few days--they think less clearly, and they fall asleep during the working hours; some may have hallucinations .
There are no rules about sleep. Generally speaking, grown-ups sleep about 7 and a half hours each night and probably more than 60 per cent get between seven and eight hours. But perhaps eight per cent are quite happy with 5 hours or less, and four per cent or so find that they want ten hours or more. If you feel all right, you're probably getting enough sleep. The important thing is not to worry how much other people get--their needs may be different. Exercise doesn't seem to increase the need for sleep--office workers, for example, sleep for about as long as people doing physically active work.
Children sleep more than grown-ups--perhaps 14 to 18 hours soon after birth, going down to grown-up levels by early teenage. Sleep patterns also tend to be different in the elderly, who may sleep less at night than they did when younger, find sleep getting more broken, and often make it a rule to sleep during the daytime. | high5918.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "they are friendly to humans"
},
"options": [
"they are friendly to humans",
"they have good diving skills",
"they have unique bodies",
"they are beautiful and clever"
],
"question": "Scientists like to research ... | A lot of people are interested in sea animals, especially the ones that are beautiful and smart. Although some are wild, and can be deadly, each is also unique in its own way. Whales, sharks and dolphins are the main subjects of sea-animal research, with dolphins standing out from whales and sharks for their friendly behavior with humans. No doubt the desire to learn some interesting things about dolphins has led you to this article, and you too are eager to know more about these sea creatures.
It is sometimes believed that Dolphins have been evolved from land mammals . Among sea mammals, dolphins are the most advanced in intelligence. You may be surprised to learn that they are close s of camels and cows. The debate on the origin of the dolphin is an unending one, however. Some believe that they evolved from land-based hoofed mammals, others believe that they evolved from other different kinds of mammals many millions of years ago. There are about 32 types of dolphins that live in salt water, each unique in its color1 and body shape. Five other types live in fresh water.
A grown-up dolphin eats nearly 20 to 22 kilos of fish every day. The eating habits of dolphins depend on where they live, and on the season. Seasons in which fish are abundant are like party time for dolphins. Dolphins decide how much they are going to eat based on the fat content of the fish available. They've a good sense of understanding about their hunger.
The social skills and intelligence of dolphins make them very attractive for zoos and aquariums, where they are often trained to show off their diving skills. Dolphins also communicate with each other by special sounds. | high17287.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "In summer."
},
"options": [
"In spring.",
"In summer.",
"In autumn.",
"In winter."
],
"question": "When can you see a fireworks display in Findley Lake?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"a... | Findley Lake, New York is a small beautiful village that sells itself as a holiday place for all seasons. The Findley Lake Area Chamber of Commerce supports a number of events all the year round that begin in March. At Findley Lake during the summer, there is boating, fishing and water sport activities. You can watch a boat parade and a fireworks display at the Findley Lake 4thof July boat parade. The "Harvest Festival" and October's "Autumn at the Lake" show that fall season is coming. In November, Findley Lake's "Christmas through the Village" starts off the holiday shopping season.
Shopping at Findley Lake is a wonderful experience. It is easy to walk along Main Street and visit all the shops. There are over twenty shops that sell different kinds of gifts. Some of the special shops are the candle making factory, the year-round Christmas shop, and the Victorian shop.
At the center of Findley Lake is the Blue Heron Inn which is a pleasant place to stay in. Breakfasts, lunches and dinners are open to the public and the meals are delicious. Dine outside on the porch looking down the lake or inside the comfortable dining rooms. Take time to shop at their store, Nostalgia, for unique items. As you walk around town, you can see a working waterwheel. If you have an interest in history, stop and visit the World War II Museum as well.
The Village of Findley Lake offers something for everyone. It is a fantastic way to spend an afternoon. With year-round shopping and delicious dining at the Blue Heron Inn while looking down at the beautiful view of the lake, it is certain to please the visitors to this attractive village. | high21721.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "British"
},
"options": [
"British",
"American",
"Swiss",
"French"
],
"question": "From the passage, we can infer that Tim Berners-Lee is .",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_i... | Tim Berners-Lee is the man who wrote the software program that led to the foundation of the World Wide Web. Britain played an important part in developing the first generation of computers. The parents of Tim Berners-Lee both worked on one of the earliest commercial computers and talked about their work at home. As a child he would build models of computers from packing material. After graduating from Oxford University he went on to the real thing. In the 1980s, scientists were already communicating using a primitive version of e-mail. While working at a laboratory in Switzerland, Tim Berners-Lee wrote a program, which let him store these messages. This gave him another idea: write a program that will let academics from across the world share information on a single place. In 1990 he wrote the HTTP and HTML programs which form the basis of the World Wide Web.
The next year his programs were placed on to the Internet. Everyone was welcome to use them and improve them if they could. Programmers used this codes to work with different operating systems. New things like web browsers and search engines were developed. Between 1991 and 1994 the number of web pages rose from 10 to 100,000.
In 1994 Tim Berners-Lee formed the newly formed World Wide Web consortium , or W3C. More than 200 leading companies and laboratories are represented by W3C. Together they make sure that everyone can share equally on the web. "The Web can help people to understand the way that others live and love. It helps us understand the humanity of people." he says. | high17293.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "critical"
},
"options": [
"positive",
"cautious",
"critical",
"doubtful"
],
"question": "The author's attitude toward today's college education is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"an... | It is a plain fact that we are in a world where competition is going on in all areas and at all levels. This is exciting.Yet,on the other hand,competition breezes a pragmatic attitude.People choose to learn things that are useful,and do things that are profitable.Today's college education is also affected by this general sense of utilitarianism .
Many colleges students choose Business,Law not Computer Programming as their majors convinced that these professions are where the big money is.It is not unusual to see the college students taking a part--time job as a warm--up for the real battle.I often see my friends taking GRE tests,working on English or computer certificates and taking the driving tests to get a license.Well,I have nothing against being practical.As the competition in the job market gets more and more severe,students do have reasons to be practical.
However,we should never forget that college education is much more than skill training.Just imagine,if your utilitarianism becomes the main trend on campus,leaving no space for the cultivation of students' minds,or development of their soul.We will see university is training out well--trained spiritless working machines.If utilitarianism controls society,we will see people lost in the money--making adventures;we will see humanity losing their grace and dignity,and that,would be disastrous.I'd like to think society as encouraging and people regard profit or fame only as a horse that pulls the courage.Yet without the driver picking direction,the courage would go straight and may even end out in a dangerous situation.
A certificate may give you some advantages,but not broad horizons,positive attitudes and personal integrity ,which are the wealth you cannot acquire through any quick fixed way. Although in today's world,the highest level of competition may not be that of skills or expertise ,but vision and strategy, your intellectual quality largely determines how far you can go in your career. | high23136.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "objective"
},
"options": [
"opposed",
"negative",
"objective",
"critical"
],
"question": "The writer's attitude to the song ofLittle Appleis _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer":... | The latest Chinese "god song"(an Internet term to describe pop songs that spread virally through the Internet is still making debates between those who view it as a milestone for Chinese pop music going global and those who regard it as a bad image of China.
Last week,Little Apple, written and performed by the Chopsticks Brothers, won the AMA International Song Award and _ performed the song at the 2014 American Music Awards in Los Angeles. Another Chinese pop singer, Zhang Jie, won the International Artist Award.
But while fans of these singers are thinking highly of the awards and the performance by the Chopsticks Brothers at the AMA celebration, there are others who are less excited. They have questioned the value of the awards and what effect it will have on Chinese culture's "going abroad", saying it may leave foreign audiences with a poor impression of Chinese pop music, and even Chinese culture.
The Little Applephenomenon, both home and abroad, can be more easily understood and judged if we look at it from a business view rather than a cultural view. The professional promoters behind the duo have developed a clear strategy to promote the duo and their works, not just this particular song.Little Applewas originally released to promote the duo's filmOld Boys: The Way of the Dragon.
From the very beginning a marketing strategy was used to promote the song, which immediately went viral on the Internet due to its repetitive rhythm ,easy-to-remember lyrics , simple and funny dance and, most importantly, grass roots nature. The video accumulated more than 1 billion bits on China's major video websites.
Although the song was generally disliked by music professionals who criticized it as "musical junk food",Little Apple's popularity nationally paved the way(...) for promoting the duo internationally. | high14942.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Kind and helpful."
},
"options": [
"Lazy but kind",
"Careful but helpless",
"Hard to get along with",
"Kind and helpful."
],
"question": "What does Eileen Madden most probably think of the workers of Holy Ghost ... | Some teachers are unforgettable. They lead by example and never lose their smile. They change lives. Eileen Madden is one of them.
.
"It's a joy to get up early every morning to be the first one here," say the 55-year-old Holy Ghost School third grade teacher. Madden arrives shortly after 6 am to prepare her classroom and work on the school breakfast program.
"My family all went to St. Teresa's School," she says. "I always said, 'One day, I'm going to come back and get one of those big desks.'"
With a watchful eye always on the lookout for "one of those big desks", Madden returned to St. Teresa after graduating from college and taught second grade at the Olneyville neighborhood elementary school until it was burnt in a fire in 1990 and had to be closed. Madden then went to Holy Ghost School where she started as a second-grade teacher and then moved up one grade level.
"I take care of setting up and serving breakfast," she says. "In winter it is still dark when I arrive here." Madden praises Holy Ghost School Principal Carol Soltys and the school's workers for their continued support. "It's a family," she said.
Her class is small this year with 15 students, including some from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Haiti, Guatemala, Nigeria and Ghana. Madden admits that she's encouraged by her former students, now grown-ups, who want their own children to enjoy a similar experience in a safe, good environment. "They tell others, 'I send my child to Eileen Madden's School, '" she adds. | high15484.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "on the north of"
},
"options": [
"on the south of",
"on the north of",
"a part of",
"as large as"
],
"question": "Mexico is _ the USA.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | It is easy for us to find that Mexico has so many neighbors. The United States is to the north while Guatemala and Belize are to the south. Mexico is about one quarter of the size of the United States with the population of more than ninety million people. The language of Mexico is Spanish, which makes Mexico the world's largest Spanish-speaking country.
Mexico City is the capital and largest city of Mexico. The city is also very high. It is 7349 feet high (2240 meters), making it one of the highest capital cities in the world. The population, of Mexico City grows bigger every day. About thirty million people live there. It has more people than any other city in the world, even more than Tokyo.
Mexico also has its specialties. Many of the foods we eat started in Mexico such as beans, maize, avocados, tomatoes, peanuts, chili peppers, vanilla, and chocolate. Mexico is also famous for its cactus plants and has more kinds of cactus than any other country. | high22228.txt |
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