questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The sense of belonging to a group."
},
"options": [
"The act of calling each other.",
"the sense of accomplishment.",
"The act of hunting for something.",
"The sense of belonging to a group."
],
"question": ".Wh... | Howling is a behavior commonly observed among a wolf nark. An animals, wolves work together to hunt and rely on howling was an important means of communication each other. There are different explants of a wolf's howl and it appears that there may be more to discover. One theory is that wolves howl to bend better together. It's almost as if howling together helps the pack stay together. Perhaps something similar to people feeling a sense of involvement with each other when singing a song together . But this theory may be wrong, explains Fred H. Harington, a professor who studies wolf behavior. Indeed, there have been tines when wolves have been seen one moment howling in a exhorts, and the next, quarreling anions each other. It appears that usually the lowest-tanking menthes of the pack may actually be "punished" for
Joining in the churs at times. So is howling a way to strcagthen a social boad or just a way to reconfirm status among its members? ----Why do welves howl for sure?
What is cleat, however, is that howling is often used among packmates to locate each other. Hunting grounds are distant and it happens that woloves may separate from one another at times. When this happens, howling appcars to be an ercellent means of gathering.
Howling, interestingly, is a contagious behaviour. When one wolf starts to howl, very likely others will follow. This is often seen to occat in the morning, as if wolves were doing some sotr of "roll rall"where wolves all howl togeter to howl, very likely others will follow. This is often seen to occar in the morning, as if wolves were doing w some sotr of "roll call"where wolves all howl together to repotr their pteence. | high12207.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Online English tests make scoring more accurate."
},
"options": [
"Listening is more difficult to be tested online than speaking.",
"Online English tests need more time.",
"Online English tests make scoring more accurate.",
... | Clive Roberts,a director at ELS Educational Services,says English tests are changing greatly in response to the global growth in the use of English as _ -- the common language used among people with different native languages.For that reason,a lot of new tests are being developed while old tests are being improved to meet the needs of universities and employers worldwide.
Changes in language testing
"A lot of tests are now delivered online,all four skills are being tested,in some cases,by computer,in particular speaking and writing skills,which are the most difficult to assess on a computer environment,"says Mr.Roberts.
Computer testing will reduce the length of time required for testing,because the tests adjust to the test-taker's ability.These computer-adaptive tests also increase accuracy in scoring.Computer-adaptive tests change depending on the test-taker's responses.They can become more or less difficult during the testing session.For this reason,the set of correct answers will be different for each test-taker.
Cultural sensitivity
Another change to language testing relates to cultural sensitivity.The term refers to material on a test that is based on a certain culture or is hard for test-takers from different cultures to understand.
Mr.Roberts says test development companies are now hiring people with intercultural communication backgrounds to review test items.The companies want to make sure the test does not upset test-takers.
Proficiency in language
Changes to English proficiency tests make them better at measuring the learners' ability.However,Mr.Roberts says the changes may mean the tests are more difficult for some students.
"The tests have become more proficiency-oriented.The items are being designed in such a way that they test real-world proficiency and not simply sort of an artificial environment or a specific set of skills that are taught in a classroom.So a lot of authentic texts,a lot of authentic listening passages are being used."
The changes mean students have to be able to understand English the way it is used in everyday life, not just in textbooks. | high13119.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Learning while you dream"
},
"options": [
"Learning while you dream",
"What dreams stand for",
"Dream a good dream",
"Dreams and health"
],
"question": "What's the best title for this passage?",
"question_ty... | Why do we dream?It's a question researchers have been studying for years. Now new research suggests that some dreams may result from the brain's effort to keep learning, even as we sleep.
In a study in Boston, 100 volunteers were trained for an hour on a maze .They tried to find their way through the difficult puzzle as quickly as possible. Then half of the volunteers were allowed to sleep for 90 minutes. The other half stayed awake, reading or relaxing. The ones who slept were asked to describe their dreams when they woke up.
After the rest, the volunteers were asked again to solve the maze. Those who hadn't slept showed no improvement or did even worse after the break. Sleepers who didn't report any maze related dreams did better but showed only a little improvement. However, four nap-takers who reported dreaming about the maze showed a surprising improvement. They scored 10 times higher after sleeping and dreaming about the maze.
Even though the number of dreamers was small, the researchers noted that the gap in learning between the dreamers and non-dreamers was so wide that the finding was significant .
The dreamers had all performed poorly on the test before dreaming about it. That suggests that struggling with a task might be the _ that leads the sleeping brain to focus on it and work on how to deal with it.
"It's almost as if your brain is going through everything that happened today,"Dr Stickgold,a scientist at Harvard Medical School, said. "The things you're obsessed with are the ones that your brain forces you to continue to do with." | high14676.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "observe space weather"
},
"options": [
"replace the satellite in use",
"observe space weather",
"study the sun",
"take pictures of space"
],
"question": "The new satellite is used to _ ?",
"question_type"... | A new satellite is travelling 1.5 million kilometers over a 110-day period to enter an orbit of the sun. It is called DSCOVR--the Deep Space Climate Observatory. It will replace a satellite that has been observing space weather.
DSCOVR will begin its work during the worst of the 11-year-long solar cycle. This is a time when extreme weather on the sun can have the greatest effect on planet Earth.
DSCOVR will gather information about a continuing flow of particles from the sun. We are protected from these particles by the Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere. But we are not fully protected from what scientists call Coronal Mass Ejections. These are strong storms that can happen on the sun's surface.
Thomas Berger is the director of the Space Weather Prediction Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. He says these ejections are much more dangerous than solar particles. He says the Coronal Mass Ejections are extremely large magnetic clouds that are expelled from the sun at extremely high speeds. He says when they impact Earth, it is like a hurricane impacting Earth in terms of space weather.
Violent space weather can make electric systems stop working. It can block satellite signals to Earth. It can interfere with radio signals and air travel.
Mr. Berger says we cannot stop the ejections from affecting us, but we can prepare for them if we know when they will happen. When the DSCOVR satellite records an ejection, it will release a warning. Mr. Berger says the warning will provide NOAA about 15 to 60 minutes to let people know that a very strong storm is coming in to the Earth. He says that is enough time for power grid operators to take protective action. He says it is also enough time for workers to place satellites on a safe operating method if necessary.
Mr. Berger says scientists would like even more time, of course. He says researchers are developing instruments that will give an earlier warning.
The warnings from DSCOVR will be for the whole planet. But Mr. Berger says a new system may be able to give more-targeted warnings. He says future models will be able to tell exactly what part of the world will be more at risk from a solar storm.
That means that, for the first time, humans will get both a warning that a magnetic storm is heading towards Earth and information about where it is likely to hit. | high9764.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "They run their business creatively."
},
"options": [
"They seek after short-term profits.",
"They tend to invest in unrelated areas.",
"They run their business creatively.",
"They show interest in personal computers"
... | With the passing of Steve Jobs, the tech industry has lost one of its most respected heroes. So where will the industry turn for inspiration, now that Jobs is gone?
New Apple CEO, Tim Cook, will keep the business going, but he is unlikely to inspire the same kind of devotion as Jobs. Facebook owner, Mark Zuckerberg, has star power, but he and his company are still too young and untested. At Google, Larry Page is too awkward, and Eric Schmidt too clever, and a lot of the company's recent products are unfinished. But there's one tech leader who just might fill the gap: Amazon's Jeff Bezos.
Bezos runs his business the same way as Steve Jobs ran his, with a focus on long-term value over short-term profits and a willingness to invest in seemingly unrelated new areas. Steve Jobs converted Apple from personal computers into music with the iPod, and then into cellphones with the iPhone. It worked, and made Apple into the biggest and richest tech company in the world. Jeff Bezos is doing the same thing at Amazon.
In 2006, Amazon noticed it had a lot of spare capacity in its data centers. So it started renting out some of that capacity to some companies. Now, hundreds of newly-established Internet companies, including big names like Foursquare and Yelp, run their businesses on Amazon Web Services. Somehow, an outline bookseller became the most important provider of "cloud computing".
In 2007, Amazon introduced its e-reader, the Kindle. The product developed slowly for a couple of years, and then started to take off in 2010 with the third generation. It sells for US$199, which is hundreds of dollars less than Apple's iPad, but it has similar functions to the iPad. No wonder Amazon has to build millions more than it expected to meet demand. | high7991.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The Highlander Motor Inn"
},
"options": [
"Americana Hotel Crystal City",
"Days InnArlington",
"The Highlander Motor Inn",
"HvattRegencyCrystalCity"
],
"question": "Which hotel does not provide service to drive ... | Convenient location 5 minutes from Washington , D. C. and one block to Crystal City METRO , Cryastal City Underground. Alexandria. Free Parking, free Deluxe Continental Breakfast and complimentary Hotel Shuttle Service to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
14000 Jefferson Davis Hwy ( endurance onS. Eads St)
Phone (703) 979 - 3722
DAYS INN ARLINGTON
Days Inn Arlingtonis located two miles from the Pentagon , Lincoln Memorial . There is a restaurant which serves American style food , plus two meeting rooms and an outdoor pool. Complimentary shuttle service runs to the Rosslyn Metro Station. Complimentary parking is avail-
able on the property . An experienced staff welcomes out guests.
Phone (703) 525 -0300
THE HIGHLANDER MOTORINN
Comfortable rooms at moderate rates . Convenient location only minutes away from Washingtonarea attraction. Near VA Square METRO Station and Ballston Commons Shopping Mall . Free continental breakfast, free parking.
Phone (703) 524 -4300
HYATT REGENCYCRYSTALCITY
Conveniently located next to Washington National Airport and two miles from Washington D.C.Complimentary Shuttle to and from NationalAirport, metro, local restaurants and shop-ping. Experience a view to remember at out rooftop restaurants "Chesapeake Grill. " Call for Reservations.
Phone (073) 418 -12341 (800) 233 -1234 | high23964.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "help the students learn better"
},
"options": [
"help the students learn better",
"rid the students of homesickness",
"attract more international students",
"prevent the students forgetting their culture"
],
"qu... | In New York City public schools, 176 different languages are spoken among the more than 1 million students. For 160,000 children, English is not their first language. New York's Department of Education makes learning better for these students by providing dual-language programs, in which students are taught in two languages, English and another one, like Russian or Chinese. Math, social studies, science and all other regular courses are taught in both languages. And they learn about the culture of the other country.
Milady Baez, Deputy Chancellor of English Language Learners and Student Support, says these dual-language programs will help children succeed in the future. "The jobs of the future require that our students know more than one language. They are going to be traveling abroad; they are going to be communicating with people from all over the world. This will open doors for them."
Middle-schoolers might not have jobs on their minds yet. For Kequing Jaing, she likes keeping up her first language, Mandarin."It makes me feel that I am home because I can speak in Chinese, learn in Chinese, while learning in English. So it makes me feel better and makes me understand more about the task I'm learning."[:ZSSxxSSk.Com]
Anastasia Hudikova came to the United States when she was 2 years old. She says the Russian-English program keeps her connected to her heritage and her parents happy."They're really happy about the program. They are really happy that I can preserve my culture and my language, and that I can speak it fluently in school."
The New York schools also offer dual-language programs in seven other languages: Arabic, French, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Korean, Polish and Spanish. There are plans to add even more languages in the future.
While these dual-language programs are popular, some organizations in the U.S. say teaching English comes first. U.S. Studies show that children who learn English early will be more successful later. | high12561.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "lead in the topic"
},
"options": [
"show the author's opinion",
"introduce a TV show",
"tell a famous person",
"lead in the topic"
],
"question": "George Carlin's words are placed at the beginning of the passage... | In 1975, George Carlin appeared on a popular TV show, Saturday Night Live, with his famous words about blue food. "Why is there no blue food? I can't find blue food--I can't find the flavor of blue! I mean yellow is lemon; orange is orange and red is cherry. Where is the blue food? "
Well, Carlin pretty much has it right--there's not no blue food, but there's certainly not a lot of it. Fresh-picked blueberries are blue, though they become purple when they are turned into jam. The blue in blueberries--like the purple in grapes and the red in tomatoes--is found in nature. But it isn't a hot color for food. People don't seem to prefer blue food. Some diet programs even suggest that those determined to lose weight should make their food blue.
Eating, in part, begins with our eyes. Charles Spence--an experimental psychologist from Oxford University--points out that color can change our taste experience. Commonly, we consider red-colored foods up to 20% sweeter than they actually are; and green foods as being more sour. Spence suggests: human expectations may be influenced by our long history of watching - green fruits can become sweet as they grow up and turn red.
But what about blue? Except blueberries, much of the blue food we see these days _ blue artificially. Food producers argue that artificial color doesn't do much harm to health. A lot of research shows that some physical problems of kids are related to food dyes--while other studies show no effects at all. Blue birthday cake or even blue-dyed chicken can be served on the dinner table. So what? | high7749.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Finding an Earth-like planet"
},
"options": [
"Finding an Earth-like planet",
"Orbiting other stars.",
"Developing new telescopes",
"Finding more exoplanets."
],
"question": "What is very important in determinin... | Astronomers say they are on the point of finding planets like Earth orbiting other stars, which is a key step in determining if we are alone in the universe.
A top NASA official and other leading scientists say that within four or five years they should discover the first Earth-like planet where life could develop, or may have already. A planet close to the size of Earth could even be found sometime this year.
At the annual American Astronomical Society conference this week, each discovery involving so-called "exoplanets" --those outside our solar system -- pointed to the same conclusion:Quiet planets like Earth where life could develop probably are plentiful.
NASA's Dew Kepler telescope and a lot of new research from the suddenly hot and competitive exoplanet field caused noticeable buzz at the meeting.Scientists are talking about being at "an incredible special place in history" and closer to answering the question. "Are we alone? For the first time, there's an optimism that sometime in our lifetimes we're going to _ that," said Simon Worden,an astronomer who heads NASA's Ames Research Center. "If I were a betting man, which I am, I would bet we're not alone."
"These are big questions that reflect upon the meaning of the human race in the universe," the director of the Vatican Observatory, the Rev. Jose Funes, said Wednesday in an interview at this week's conference.
Worden told The Associated Press: "I would certainly expect in the next four or five years we'd have an Earth-sized planet in the habitable zone." | high4240.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "He studied hard at home."
},
"options": [
"He attended school in the daytime.",
"He studied hard at home.",
"He read books in the garage where he worked.",
"He turned to some instructors for help."
],
"question"... | Most people report that they do not usually feel confident. But exciting things can happen when we actually believe in ourselves. Here is a man who believed in his own ability even as a boy, and that confidence helped shape his adult life.
At the turn of the last century, a young boy quit school to help with the family expenses. When he was fifteen, he became interested in automobiles and worked in a garage. He subscribed to a correspondence home study course on automobiles and, after a long day in the garage, studied at the kitchen table by lamplight.
When he felt ready, he walked into the Frayer-Miller Automobile Company of Columbus, Ohio. When Mr. Frayer noticed him, he asked, "Well, what do you want?"
"I just thought I'd tell you I'm coming to work here tomorrow morning," the boy replied.
"Oh! Who hired you?"
"Nobody yet, but I'll be on the job in the morning. If I'm not worth anything, you can fire me."
Early the next morning the young man returned to the plant. Noticing the floor was thick with metal shavings and accumulated dirt, the boy got a broom and set out to clean the place.
Because of his self-confidence and work ethic, the boy's future was predictable. He went on to stand out in many fields, including automobile racing, piloting World War I planes and founding what was to become one of America's largest airline companies -- Eastern Airlines.
People who become more confident habitually encourage themselves. Without confidence, we are not likely to move far in the direction of our dreams. But become our own best friend and almost anything will be possible. It is important that we always believe in ourselves. In order to reach victory, we must believe in ourselves even when we make mistakes and fall short. | high19434.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "by the bite of certain mosquitoes"
},
"options": [
"by air",
"by dirty water",
"by the bite of certain mosquitoes",
"by getting in touch with the patient"
],
"question": "Before 1900,many people didn't think yel... | Before 1900, many theories existed as to the cause of yellow fever . Some doctors were sure the disease was air-borne; others felt that it was spread from person to person. Dr. Carlos Finlay, a well-known Cuban doctor of that time, had long held the theory that it was caused by the bite of mosquitoes. But neither the public nor the doctors then accepted his idea.
Walter Reed,all American doctor sent to study yellow fever in Cuba,went to talk with Finlay.Reed,after reading a lot on the subject,had begun to think that Dr.Finlay might be fight.Then Reed and his comrades set to work at once.Outside Havana,they set up a laboratory and began experiments to test the theory.The experiments were successful.Now we know:A period of about two weeks must pass before a mosquito,after feeding on a sick person,could infect another person.The sick person had to have yellow fever a certain number of days before the mosquito biting him was able to carry the disease. | high16707.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "encourage children's interest in poetry writing"
},
"options": [
"encourage children to learn from other poets",
"help children realize the dream of poetry writing",
"encourage children's interest in poetry writing",
"e... | 2014 TFK Poetry Contest
Calling all poets! TIME For Kids has a challenge for you:Write a funny, rhyming poem. It must be an original poem that does not copy another poet's work. Enter it in the TIME For Kids Poetry Contest. As fewer and fewer children are interested in writing poetry of their own, TIME For Kids decides to organize and sponsor such a contest to change the situation.
Contest Rules
1. How to enter: This contest begins 12:01 am on March 6, 2014 and ends 11:59 pm on July 24, 2014. To enter, mail the following information to 1271 Avenue of the Americas, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10020: (a) an original and previously unpublished poem that is humorous and has a rhyme scheme ; (b) Entrant's first name only and a parent's mail address. Limit one entry per person. By entering, Entrant promises that the entry (1) is original, (2) has not been published in any medium and (3) has not won an award.
2. Judging: All entries will be judged by poet Kenn Nesbitt, based on the following criteria: creativity and originality (50%), use of language and rhyme (25%) and appropriateness to the theme of the contest (25%). The length of the entry will not be taken into consideration.
3. Prizes: Our judge will select four semifinalists from which one grand-prize winner and three finalists will be chosen. The one grand-prize winner will receive an online class visit from Children's Poet Kenn Nesbitt and a signed copy of his newest book of poetry, The Armpit of Doom:Funny Poems for Kids, approximately value: $275. The three finalists will each get a signed copy of Nesbitt's newest book of poetry,The Armpit of Doom: Funny Poems for Kids,and both their poems and that of the grand-prize winner will be published at timeforkids.com.
4. Eligibility :Open to legal citizens of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are primary school students and are 8 to 13 years old at time of entry.
5. Winner's list:For names of the winner and finalists,visit timeforkids.com(after August 1, 2014, available for a period of 10 days). | high11068.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The researchers drew their conclusion by comparison."
},
"options": [
"Blue light exposure can make us lose weight at night.",
"Blue light exposure has no effect on sleeplessness.",
"The researchers drew their conclusion by c... | Using a computer or smartphone at night can cause us to pile on the pounds,new research has revealed.
The study found a link between blue light exposure(blue light is produced by smartphones and computers)and increased hunger.It found that exposure to blue light increases hunger levels for several hours and even increases hunger levels after eating a meal.Blue light exposure has also already been shown to cause decreased sleepiness in the evening,increasing the risk of sleeplessness.
The leading researcher,Ivy Cheung,from Northwestern University in Chicago,said,"A single three-hour exposure to blue-enriched light in the evening greatly affected hunger and metabolism .These results are important because they suggest that controlling environmental light exposure for humans may represent a _ approach of influencing food intake patterns and metabolism."
The study group consisted of 10 healthy adults with regular sleep and eating schedules. They completed a four-day trial under dim light conditions,which involved exposure to less than 20 lux(,)during 16 hours awake and less than 3 lux during eight hours of sleep.On the third day they were exposed to three hours of 260 lux,blue-enriched light starting10.5 hours after waking up.and the effects were compared with dim light exposure.
Ivy Cheung said more research is needed to determine the functions involved in the relationship between light exposure,hunger and metabolism. | high10376.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "only during lunch time"
},
"options": [
"any day before work hours",
"both before and after work hours",
"only during lunch time",
"on Saturday and Sunday"
],
"question": "The writer could go and buy the ticket ... | I was very disappointed not to be able to go to the jazz concert last Friday. The announcement in the paper said that you could buy tickets at the theatre box office in Richland Hills any day between 10:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Since I work from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., the only time I could go to the theatre was during my 45-minute lunch break. Unluckily, the theatre is on the other side of the town, and the bus service between my office and Richland Hills is not very good. But if you are lucky, you can make the round trip in 45 minutes. Last Monday, I stood at the bus stop for 15 minutes waiting for a bus. By the time I saw one come around the corner, there was not enough time left to make the trip. So I gave up and went back to the office.
The same thing happened on Tuesday, and again on Wednesday. On Thursday, my luck changed. I got on a bus right away and arrived at the theatre in exactly 20 minutes. When I got there, however, I found a long line of people at the box office. I heard one man say he had been waiting in line for over an hour. Realizing I would not have enough time to wait in line, I caught the next bus and went back across the town. By Friday, I realized that my only hope was to make the trip by taxi. It was expensive, but I felt it would be worth to hear the concert. The trip by taxi only took 10 minutes, but it felt like an hour to me. When I got to the theatre, I was _ to see that nobody was waiting in line. The reason, I quickly discovered, was that they had already sold out all the tickets. | high2631.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "50 years"
},
"options": [
"100 yea",
"60 years",
"50 years",
"10 years"
],
"question": "Sir John predicted the human cloning would be a reality in _ at most.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
... | Sir John a British scientist who won last year's Nobel prize for medicine, said he had predicted at the time of his frog experiments that the successful cloning of a mammal would happen within 50 years.and that "maybe the same answer is appropriate" far the step to human cloning. Parents who lose children in accidents may be able to clone "copies" to replace them then.
Although any attempt to clone an entire human would raise complex moral issues, the biologist claimed people would soon overcome their concerns if the technique became medically useful.Cloning was regarded with extreme doubts when it was first developed but became widely accepted after the birth of Louise Brown, the first "test tube baby" He said, "When my first frog experiment.s were done, an American reporter asked how long it will be before these things can he done in mammals or humans I said, 'Well, it could be anywhere between 10 years and 100 years-how about 50 year ?' It turned out that it wasn't far off the mark as far as Dolly was concerned.Maybe the same answer is appropriate." Sir John added that cloning a human being effectively means making an identical twin, and doctors would therefore simply be "copying what nature has already produced"
The average vote on allowing parents of deceased children, who are no longer fertile , to create another using the mother's eggs and skin cells from the first child, thinking the technique was safe and effective, is 60 per cent in favor.The reasons for "no" are usually that the new child would feel they were some sort of a replacement for something. . | high17419.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Love is never too late"
},
"options": [
"Love me, love my dog",
"Love is never too late",
"Love is blind",
"Love at first sight"
],
"question": "Which of the following may serve as the best title of the passage ... | My aunt died back in about 2003. She was eighty-four and so was my uncle. When she passed he felt miserable. They had been married for over 60 years. After my aunt's death, he attended his church more frequently and his mourning was nearly unbearable to witness. His only daughter lived clear across the country in the south so he had only himself to make a comfort.
My cousin talked him into selling the house that he and my aunt had built together about twenty-five years before. It was very hard to part with the home they built together. One day he called my cousin who was living in Texas and told her that he reconnected with a lady from a church that he and my aunt went to forty years previously. She played the piano and his church was looking for new music. Her husband had died about seven years previously. He said he just wanted someone to go out to dinner with and spend time with. We were happy for them but had no idea how it would turn out. They were both almost eighty-seven years old.
They were like lovebirds and spent as much time together as they could. They both had one child each, she a son, he a daughter.
The conflict in their relationship came one day when they neither wanted to leave their respective churches. Before too long they realized that they did not want to be apart. They would find a new church together. They planned to marry. When he took her to a jewelry store and bought her a diamond, the employees were so impressed that they had a big write up in our own local paper, "The 'Truth for Valentines' Day. " They prepared for their wedding. They moved the wedding date up because neither wanted to wait any longer to "be together".
They got married in her house, where her first marriage took place. It was such a beautiful refreshing thing to see, two people who you would have thought had pretty much lived their lives, were beginning a new one together. | high19420.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "can't exercise control over themselves"
},
"options": [
"are ready to change their minds",
"are easily changed by windy weather",
"don't have the power to face their future",
"can't exercise control over themselves"
... | From now on,never spend your time thinking of reasons for your failures and shortcomings.Instead,realize that the seeds of success were planted within you when you were born.Only you have the power to make those seeds grow.
The seeds,and the power to grow them,are contained in the most wonderful machine ever made:the human mind.Success is a choice and not a chance.You were born a winner.You were born rich.You can be a success if only you make the right choice.
You cannot be successful without first developing your self-esteem .Your level of self-esteem is always based on the degree of control that you are able to exercise over yourself , and thus over your life.People with low self-esteem are people who do not believe that they have any power,or responsibility for their lives.They are the lasting victims .They are leaves moved from side to side by the winds of chance blown about with any sudden change in the weather.
You can exercise control over your life only to the degree that you believe that you are responsible for everything that happens in your life.Failures think that everything happens by accident and chance.Successful people realize that they are responsible.
Everything happens as a result of something.If we can find out the cause,we can control the effect.We are responsible for what we choose to think and believe.One generally rises to the level that one expects.We are responsible for setting our expectations.Our success is dependent upon our level of confidence .
If you get along with positive-thinking people , you are definitely going to achieve success.On the contrary,the opposite happens.We are responsible for finding,planting,and taking care of the seeds that contain future victory, born from setbacks .
In short,in all areas of your life,whether they are financial,physical,emotional,or spiritual,you are responsible.Once you recognize this,accept it,and firmly believe it,you are on the road to success. | high16713.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Sagrada Familia."
},
"options": [
"Sagrada Familia.",
"La Pedrera.",
"Barcelona FC Museum.",
"Miro Museum."
],
"question": "Which of the following attractions is the most popular?",
"question_type": null
}... | Sagrada Familia ( 2,056,448 visits/year)
Opening hours: 09:00-18:00 (October-March) 09:00-20:00 (April-September).
Admission: $11, or $10 with the Barcelona Card.
Disabled access: Yes.
The temple has been under construction since 1882 and they've still got another 30 to 80 years to go before it will be finished. The project's vast scale and its special design have made it one of Barcelona's top tourist attractions for many years.
La Pedrera (1,133,220 visits/year)
Opening hours: 09:00-18:30 (November-February) 09:00-20:00 (March-October)
Admission: $9.50. Save 20% with the Barcelona Card.
Disabled access: No.
This building used to be called Casa Mila, but nowadays it's more commonly known as La Pedrera. It was made of bricks and had colorful tiles .
Barcelona FC Museum (1,032,763 visits/year)
Opening hours: 6th April-4th October: (Monday to Saturday) 10:00-20:00; the rest of the year: 10:00 to 18:30.
Admission: $8.50 for entry to museum and an extra $17 for a guided tour.
Disabled access: Yes.
It is now generally considered as the best football museum in the world. You can see so many trophies , pictures and statues of great football players. I'm not a football fan but I still enjoyed walking round this museum.
Miro Museum (518,869 visits/year)
Opening hours: Check website for details as they vary depending on the time of the year.
Admission: $8. Save 20% with the Barcelona Card.
Disabled access: Yes.
This museum has a wide range of Miro's works dating back as far as 1914. This artwork collection includes not only his paintings but also a good selection of sculptures. | high10362.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "work at the same time"
},
"options": [
"work at the same time",
"work all the weekdays",
"work hard",
"ask for leave when being absent"
],
"question": "According to \"Flextime\" system, workers need not _ .",... | A major new development in system of work in Britain is taking place. Flexible working hours, or "Flextime", are catching on fast, and trend is continuing. In 1973, over 500 organizations had adopted the idea, and by 1974, this number had risen to over 200,000.
Flexible working hours were invented in Germany in the late 1960's, but reached Britain only in 1972. The system allows workers to start and finish work whenever they want, with only two requirements. These are, firstly, that all workers must present for certain "key" times in the day, and secondly, that all workers must work an agreed total number of hours per week.
The system had proved a total success wherever it has been tried. A survey of 700 workers on flexible hours showed three main advantages: a better balance between working and private life, avoidance of the need to travel during rush hours and the ability to finish a certain task before leaving.
From the employer's point of view, the system tends to increase productivity, reduce labour turnover and give workers a greater sense of duty. At first, "Flexible" was mainly confined to white-collar workers, but it is now being applied to manual workers too. | high2625.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "has a short life period"
},
"options": [
"has exactly the same DNA as human",
"is harmful to human",
"is often used in agricultural research",
"has a short life period"
],
"question": "From the passage we can kn... | Humans are well-equipped for life on Earth. But in space, it is different. Low or _ changes how the blood flows and causes motion sickness, muscle loss and tiredness. Weightlessness can also cause bone loss. But scientists are experimenting with little worms to better understand how space travel affects astronauts.
The millimeter-long worm is called C. elegans. The see-through worm is often used in medical studies because its life is only about two weeks long. Seventy percent of its DNA is the same as human DNA.
Sabanayagam is a scientist, who built a micro-gravity simulator to test how C. elegans would perform in the actual zero gravity of space.
Scientists put the worms into the simiulator full of water. After a week they take out the worms. They look for changes in the worms' epigenome,which are chemical markers that tell the DNA in the cells how to perform. The epigenome can be changed by the environment. And those changes pass from one generation of worms to the next.
"When the worms are in a liquid environment, some epigenomic marks remain even when we take the animal out of the liquid environment and put it back into normal ground conditions. So its offspring keeps this epigenomic memory of the parents' liquid environment or microgravity environment."
The information the scientists have gathered suggests that the epigenomic marks appear during the early part of a worm's life.
Mr. Sabanayagam says he thinks scientists can find genes in the human similar to those in the worms that responded to microgravity and scientists could possibly observe those genes closely when astronauts travel in space.
Sabanayagam expects C. elegans to visit the International Space Station within two years. He says he hopes information gathered from the worm studies can be used to develop simple, low-cost and quick tests to measure an astronaut's health. | high9770.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "get safe and healthy food"
},
"options": [
"save the living cost",
"reduce farmers' burden",
"solve the employment problems",
"get safe and healthy food"
],
"question": "According to the passage people raise chi... | More and more Americans are showing an interest in healthy and locally-produced food. As the interest increases, raising chickens has been gaining popularity in some American cities.
"Look, we get three eggs this time."
Collecting eggs is a daily pleasure for the Hurst family. Naomi Hurst says her family started to raise chickens in back of their home in Maryland a month ago.
"We have wanted to try having backyard chickens for a couple years now. And really just didn't have the time to build my own coop(;) and look out where to buy chickens. And then we met Rent a Coop," said Naomi Hurst.
Rent a Coop is a chicken rental business. Tyler Phillips launched the company with a partner 18 months ago. It comes with a mobile coop on wheels, two egg-laying hens, feed, bedding, water bowl, feed bowl, and our 24-hour chicken hotline. You can call with any questions. The price is 185 dollars for four weeks.
After the four weeks passed, individuals can extend the rental agreement, return everything or purchase the animals and supplies.
Tyler Phillips designs and makes the coops. He says he wants to do as little damage as possible to the environment.
"We always try to have as many recycled materials as possible. And I want the coops to be safe for kids. I want the chickens to be comfortable and they have access to the grass while being inside the coop. I want it to be easily movable, light weight," he said.
Some cities require people have large pieces of land, if they want to raise farm animals. Others require an agreement with neighbors, limit the number of chickens, or, even ban the birds.
Tyler Phillips expects that would change as interest in small poultry coops grows.
"I see cities around the D. C. area changing laws almost monthly and different cities will change the law to being prochicken . That is happening all around the United States," he said, He believes that there will be chicken rental businesses in most American cities within five years. | high14104.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "You are cornered."
},
"options": [
"You are helped.",
"You are inspired.",
"You are confident.",
"You are cornered."
],
"question": "What does the policeman probably mean by saying \"your back is up against the ... | In February 2006, Lydia Angyiou and her two sons were walking through their village in northern Canada. The sound of children shouting made her turn around. To her horror, Lydia saw a 700-pound polar bear behind her eyeing her seven-year-old son. Getting between the bear and her child, Lydia yelled at the children to run away. She then began hitting and kicking the animal as hard as she could. A neighbor who heard all the noise came and shot the bear. But everyone agreed it was Lydia who had saved her children's lives. A local policeman described it this way: "... I guess when your back is up against the wall, ... we come up with super-human strength."
Where does this "super-human strength", courage and quick thinking come from? Experts say it comes from stress! In stressful situations, the body releases chemicals that prepare it to take action. These chemicals give people the speed and strength they need to fight danger or run away from it.
When we think of stress, we usually think of its negative effects. Studies, though, show that moderate levels of stress are actually helpful. In fact, the way we perform is usually affected by the amount of stress we feel.
Stress causes the brain to release adrenaline which in turn increases our energy and excitement. The chemical gives us clearer minds and helps us to do more. This is why some people say they work better under a deadline.
Adrenaline that is not released for long periods of time can cause us to increase and strengthen our abilities instead of weakening them. We sometimes turn out our very best work when we push ourselves to the limit. Stress can also make us more confident. Handling small amounts of stress now prepares us for handling serious situations in the future. Who knows? Today's stress may even prepare for the next polar bear that comes along! | high20.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Advice on how to adjust to college life."
},
"options": [
"Advice on how to adjust to college life.",
"Things that can be done in a dormitory.",
"Places to live in when going to a college.",
"Ways of making friends with... | Going to college and living away from home for the first time can be terribie.Students tend to have higher academic achievements in college when they enjoy living in the dormitory.Most colleges and universities have many programs that help first-year students adjust to studying and living in a new community.Take advantage of these programs and make new friends as you adjust to your college life.
_ .Greet and meet everyone in the dorm.Find out their class schedules and hobbies.You may be able to find study partners this way.Most students are just like you being away from their home the first time.Don't be afraid toknock on your neighbors'doors and introduce yourself.The residence staff will also help you in adjusting tocollege iife.Get to know them as soon as possible.
Get along with your roommate.Your roommates can be eitherr your lifelong friends or enemies.Try to be friends to them.Respect each other, including their space.Do not use your roommates' belongings without permission.Communicate among each other regarding your daily schedule, study or sleep habits and off campus guest visits. Always say hello.
Get involved.To adjust to college life away from home,you need to got involved in college activities.Join clubs.Attend events that are hosted by your residence life and academic departments.Attend those events with your new friends. Most colleges have many events throughout the semester.Student union is a great place to meet new friends and learn about the upcoming events.
Call home when you need to.College life can be very exciting in the beginning. Most students get lonely and homesick during the middle of the semester or during festivals,It is normal to feel sad.Call home or even visit home when you need to. Talk to your friends back home.Understand that many people love and support you and they are very proud of you. | high6443.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "lived in round places, but were forced to live in square houses"
},
"options": [
"don't have modern instruments in their homes",
"refused to move from round places",
"lived in round places, but were forced to live in square h... | I came to live here where I am now between Wounded Knee Greek and Grass Greek. Others came too, and we made these little grey houses of logs that you see, and they are square. It is a bad way to live, for there can be no power in a square.
You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles, and everything tries to be round. In the old days when we were strong and happy people, all our power came to us from the respectful circle of the nation, and so long as the circle was unbroken, the people were getting rich. The flowering tree was the living center of the circle, and the circle of the four quarters nursed it. The east gave peace and light, the south gave warmth, the west gave rain, and the north with its cold and strong wind gave strength and continuous power.
This knowledge came to us from the outer world with our brief. Everything the Power of the World does is done in a circle. The sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. Birds make their nests in circle, for theirs are the same as ours. The sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle. The moon does the same, and both are round. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were. The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves.
Our places were like the nests of birds, and these were always set in a circle, the nation's circle, a nest of many nests, where the Great Spirit meant for us to nurse our children.
But the "white people" have put us in these square boxes. Our power is gone and we are dying, for the power is not in us any more. You can look at our boys and see how it is with us. Where we were living by the power of the circle in the way we should, boys were men at twelve or thirteen years of age. But now it takes them very much longer to grow up. | high7985.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "\"Giraffes\" is a beautiful name for those who are ready to help other people."
},
"options": [
"Some of the people around us look like giraffes.",
"Giraffes are the most beautiful animal in the world.",
"\"Giraffes\" is a be... | Claude and Louris are "giraffes". So are police officers Hankins and Pearson. These men and women don't look like giraffes; they look like you and me. Then, why do people call them "giraffes"?
A giraffe, they say, is an animal that sticks its neck out, can see places far away and has a large heart. It lives a quiet life and moves about in an easy and beautiful way. In the same way, a "giraffe" can be a person who likes to "stick his or her neck out" for other people, always watches for future happenings, has a warm heart for people around, and at the same time lives a quiet and beautiful life himself or herself.
"The Giraffe Project" is a 10-year-old group which finds and honors "giraffes" in the US and in the world. The group wants to teach people to do something to build a better world. The group members believe that a person shouldn't draw his or her head back; instead, they tell people to "stick their neck out" and help others. Claude and Louris, Hankins and Pearson are only a few of the nearly 1,000 "giraffes" that the group found and honored.
Claude and Louris were getting old and they left their work with some money that they saved for future use. One day, however, they saw a homeless man looking for a place to keep warm and they decided that they should "stick their neck out" and give him some help. Today, they lived in Friends' House, where they invite twelve homeless people to stay every night.
Police officers Hankins and Pearson work in a large city. They see crimes every day and their work is sometimes dangerous. They work hard for their money. However, these two men put their savings together and even borrowed money to start an educational center to teach young people in a poor part of the city. Hankins and Pearson are certainly "giraffes". | high23970.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Jack Broughton created a kind of gloves with paddling for boxers."
},
"options": [
"The first boxing champion was James Figg from Scotland.",
"Jack Broughton created a kind of gloves with paddling for boxers.",
"The coaches e... | Boxing games are truly widely supported by a lot of people over the world . The sport involves two people fighting with each other inside a ring with a referee making sure that the fight goes on smoothly. The fighters have to be of the same weight to be able to fight and they make use of their fists according to the rules of competition.
There are three ways in winning the game. First, you have to knock out the challenger. Secondly, there is the technical knockout . This usually happens when the rival is seriously hurt and unable to carry on and defend himself. Thirdly, each boxer gets on with the fight until the last round is over and done with and the winner is judged according to the scores he gets.
The first boxing champion was James Figg who came from England. It was in 1719 that the word "boxing" was known. The sport then was completely different from what you are used to seeing and observing nowadays. In 1743 Jack Broughton, a boxing title holder, was responsible for coming up with the rules and regulations to make the fight more manageable.
Under these rules, a boxer who falls and does not fight after 30 seconds has elapsed is declared the loser and any fighter is prevented from hitting his opponent when he is already down. Broughton was also the one who created the mufflers -- a kind of gloves with padding which were used during presentations and training.
Today, the sport has a total of 12 rounds with three minutes playing time for each round. Boxers are given a minute for them to rest or for consultation with their respective coaches. A referee has the responsibility of making sure that the boxers carry on with the fight according to the rules of the sport. The judges have the task of evaluating each fighter and give the fighter scores according to their punches . | high860.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Africa."
},
"options": [
"Africa.",
"Asia.",
"The United States.",
"France."
],
"question": "Which areas are the most worrying places where AIDS spreads quickly?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
}
] | On June 5, 1981 the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, U.S. announced the presence of a rare, infectious disease in five American homosexuals . Soon doctors were finding similar cases all over the country and the world. The AIDS epidemic had officially begun. By 1983 it was clear that AIDS had spread around the world. More than twenty years later, AIDS has left twenty-six million dead and another forty million infected. AIDS has become the worst medical disaster ever experienced by mankind.
Hundreds of young people between the ages of 20 and 45 died each week during the early years of the U.S. AIDS. More than 600,000 cases of AIDS have been reported since 1981 in the United States, and it is estimated that there may be as many as 900,000 Americans infected with HIV.
Though the rate of HIV infections continues to increase in the United States, the number of AIDS cases has fallen sharply since 1996, when antiretroviral drugs came onto the market. Unfortunately, the AIDS epidemic continues today in Africa and much of Asia, where antiretroviral treatment is not available and health care is far from enough. AIDS is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide, and the No. 1 cause of death due to infectious disease.
HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, was first separated in 1983 by a team at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. That discovery made it possible to develop a test for AIDS and trace back to victims who may have died before doctors were aware of the disease.
However, scientists still don't know exactly how and where AIDS started. Finding the source of AIDS could be important in developing a vaccine and be important in mapping the future course of the epidemic. | high8308.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "at night."
},
"options": [
"at noon",
"in the morning",
"at night.",
"In the afternoon."
],
"question": "The two ferry disasters occurred _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Rescuers have found the bodies of over 130 people killed in two ferry disasters in Bangladesh.The accidents happened during a storm that hit the country on April 21st.Hundreds more are missing or feared to be dead.
The two ferries sank in different rivers near the capital city of Dhakfi as strong winds and rain hit the South Asian country.The government has since banned all ferries and other boats from traveling at night during the April-May stormy season. One of the ferries,MV Mitali,was carrying far more people than it was supposed to.About 400 passengers fitted into a space made for just 300,police said.The second ferry carried about 100 passengers.
"The number of deaths is certain to rise."said an official in charge of the rescue work."No one really knows how many people were on board the ferry or how many of them survived." Ferries in Bangladesh don't always keep passenger lists,making it difficult to determine the exact number of people on board.Besides the ferry accidents,at least 40 people were killed and 400 injured by lightning strikes.falling houses and trees and the sinking of small boats.Storms are common this time of year in Bangladesh,as are boating accidents.Ferry disasters take away hundreds of lives every year in a nation of 130 million people.Officials blame these river accidents on a lack of safety measures, too many passengers in boats and not enough checks on weather conditions. Ferries are a common means of transport in Bangladesh.It is a country covered by about 230 rivers.Some 20,000 ferries use the nation's Waterways every year.And many of them are dangerously overcrowded.Since 1977, more than 3,000 people have died in some 260 boating accidents. | high12213.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "find your stolen bicycle"
},
"options": [
"get your serial number",
"receive free repair services",
"settle conflicts with walkers",
"find your stolen bicycle"
],
"question": "Registration of your bicycle may he... | Bicycle Safety
Operation Always ride your bike in a safe, controlled manner on campus . Obey rules and regulations. Watch out for walkers and other bicyclists, and always use your lights in dark conditions.
Theft Prevention Always securely lock your bicycle to a bicycle rack -- even if you are only away for a minute. Register your bike with the University Department of Public Safety. It's fast, easy, and free. Registration permanently records your serial number, which is useful in the possible recovery of the bike stolen.
Equipment
Brakes Make sure that they are in good working order and adjusted properly.
Helmet A necessity, make sure your helmet meets current safety standards and fits properly.
Lights Always have a front headlight -- visible at least 500 feet in front of the bike. A taillight is a good idea.
Rules of the Road
Riding on Campus As a bicycle rider, you have a responsibility to ride only on streets and posted bicycle paths. Riding on sidewalks or other walkways can lead to a fine. The speed limit for bicycles on campus is 15 mph, unless otherwise posted. Always give the right of way to walkers. If you are involved in an accident, you are required to offer appropriate aid, call the Department of Public Safety and remain at the scene until the officer lets you go.
Bicycle Parking Only park in areas reserved for bikes. Trees, handrails, hallways, and sign posts are not for bicycle parking, and parking in such spots can result in a fine.
If Things Go Wrong
If you break the rules, you will be fined. Besides violating rules while riding bicycles on campus, you could be fined for:
No bicycle registration ............................................. $25
Bicycle parking banned .............................................$30
Blocking path with bicycle ........................................$40
Violation of bicycle equipment requirement ......................$35 | high14662.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "he believed he was able to take the challenge"
},
"options": [
"he wanted to raise money for Leukemia research",
"he believed he was able to take the challenge",
"he hoped to recover his strength through training",
"his... | In December of l 992.I was a happy husband and father of two young children.A month later,I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia .
After two years of chemo that helped control the disease,my body was weak and lifeless.I felt as if I were a puppet who needed help to lift his arms or hold up his head.
I began to run.After six months my strength had come back.On one of my runs,one where I felt I could run forever,I decided I was going to try to run a marathon.
After telling my Dad about my plan,he told me of a program that trains people to run a marathon,while raising funds for Leukemia research at the same time.So that summer,through the Leukemia Society's Team in Training program,I started to train for the Marine Corps Marathon.During mile after mile of uncertainty,the day finally came to run the marathon.
On October 27,1996,at 8 A.M.,along with l9,000 other brave souls I started on a 26.2-mile journey that I will never forget.
I first saw my wife Patty at the six-mile mark . She seemed happy that I was still looking as if I knew what I was doing,and having a good time doing it.At Mile l7,my mind was going back to those two horrible years that tried to bring my family and me down.I saw her again.The concern in her face told me she knew I was starting to struggle.I felt as if we were thinking the same,nine more miles and these last few years will be behind us.
That thought alone pulled me forward.Mile 22,23,slowing but going,24,25,then there it was.The Iwo Jima War Memorial.I have seen nothing so grand and inspiring in my life.Three hours and forty-one minutes after I started,I crossed what I think has to be the most fitting finish line in all of road racing!
That night the Leukemia Society gave me a pin at a post-race party that simply says,"Leukemia 26.2".
If God wills,my cancer may once again take away my hair and my strength,maybe even my life.But it can never take away my pin,or the fact that I am a marathoner . | high6325.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "A passenger."
},
"options": [
"Adoorman.",
"A passenger.",
"The poker player.",
"The police."
],
"question": "Who proved the driver found $300.000?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer... | Las Vegas cab driver Gerardo Gamboa thought someone must have left a bag of chocolates in the back seat of his vehicle,but it turned out to be $300,000 in cold hard cash.
Now,Gamboa is winning honors for honesty after turning in the money he found Monday.The money was returned to an unidentified poker player working in a club.Yellow Checker Star Transportation named Gamboa its driver of the year and rewarded him with $l,000 and a dinner for two at a restaurant.
A message left Wednesday to interview Gamboa at the cab company wasn't immediately returned.
Gamboa told the Las Vegas Review-Journal he had another passenger by the time he began wondering what kind of chocolates were in the brown paper bag.He cast a glance inside the bag at a traffic light.
"I told my passenger,'You are my witness on this,'"the 13-year taxi driver told the Las Vegas Sun,"and then immediately called my company."
Gamboa took the six bunches of $100 bills to the company's main office,where Las Vegas police and the club officials returned it to the poker player.
Gamboa saidthemangave him a $5 tip after a trip from the Cosmopolitan Resort to the Palms Place Tower,and Gamboa then drove to the Bellagio Resort,where a doorman helping a passenger into the car noticed the bag.
It took several hours to check the identity of the owner and return the cash.He took Gamboa's information,but didn't leave a reward.
"If he doesn't give me anything,that's OK,"Gamboa told the Sun."I'm not waiting for any kind of return.I just wanted to do the right thing,and I appreciate what the company did for me." | high18058.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "pigs are more useful than ordinary people imagine"
},
"options": [
"people in England like pigs more than other animals",
"pigs are more useful than ordinary people imagine",
"pigs are the first animals raised by man",
... | I'm a pig,and my son is a rabbit. I have snakes for daughters,and my wife,believe it or not,is a dragon!Do I live in a zoo?No,of course not!I am talking about Chinese zodiac signs .Depending on the year of your birth,each person has an animal for a sign. That's why I am a pig and my wife is a dragon. If you,like me,were born in the year of the pig,then you are brave,thoughtful and loyal. The year of the pig is filled with good fortune.
Now let's take a closer look at this interesting animal.
Pigs were first raised by man about 9,000 years ago,and are still a very common farm animal in many parts of the world. We don't just use pigs for their meat--almost every part of the animal is used. The hair is used for artists' brushes. The fat is used to make floor wax,rubber and plastics.
Pigs have also been important in the world of entertainment. In 1995 the film Babe starred a loveable talking pig as its main character. The film won an Oscar and was nominated for 6 more. In England you can even go to watch pig racing. A farmer,Rob Shepherd,has been raising money for charity by holding pig races on his farm. The events have been very successful. People don't just want to eat pigs,it seems!
Pigs also play an important role in the English language. For example,if someone says that he will travel to the sun one day,you can say "Pigs _ might _ fly!" to him. Hungry?Well then,you can "pig out" and eat lots of food. And what if someone rescues you?Well,you can say that they "saved your bacon". | high10404.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Africans--Americans--Latinos"
},
"options": [
"Whites--Native Hawaiians",
"Africans--Americans--Latinos",
"Asians--Native Hawaiians",
"Africans--Americans--Native Hawaiians"
],
"question": "Which of the followin... | Researchers have found more evidence that suggests a relationship between races and rates of lung cancer among smokers. A new study shows that black people and Native Hawaiians are more likely to develop lung cancer from smoking. It compared their risk to whites, Japanese-Americans and Latinos.
Researchers at the University of Southern California and the University of Hawaii did the new study. The New England Journal of Medicine published the findings. The eight-year research studied more than 180,000 people. They included present and former smokers and people who never smoked. Almost 2,000 people in the study developed lung cancer.
Researchers say genetics might help explain the racial and ethnic differences. There could be differences in how people's bodies react to smoke. But environmental influences, including the way people smoke, could also make a difference.
African-Americans and Latinos in the study are reported smoking the fewest cigarettes per day. Whites are the heaviest smokers. But the scientists point out that blacks have been reported to breathe cigarette smoke more deeply than white smokers. This could fill their lungs with more of the chemicals in tobacco that cause cancer.
Scientists know that some diseases effect different groups differently. And some drug companies have begun to develop racially targeted medicines. Last June, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved a drug designed to treat heart failure in black patients. The name is BiDil. The agency called it "a step toward the promise of personalized medicine." | high2143.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "GLTP"
},
"options": [
"Kruger Park",
"GLTP",
"South African National Park",
"African wildlife Foundation"
],
"question": "_ is being established to relocate some African animals.",
"question_type": "cloze_... | Herds of zebra, impala and giraffe from South Africa's Kruger Park found a new home as part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP) wildlife relocation project.
About 1,000 animals, from the large blue wildebeest to the stocky warthog, have been relocated to the park straddling South African, Mozambican and Zimbabwean territory.
The game from South Africa arrived in the Massingir area of Mozambique's southern Maputo province after a one-and-a-half-hour trip by truck.
South African National Parks chief executive Mavuso Msimang and the Peace Parks Foundation officially handed over the animals to Mozambican representatives.
"This project is not only about the management of an ecosystem, but also about community empowerment and tourism," Msimang said.
Border fences are coming down with the establishment of the park, which will be the world's biggest game reserve, to allow elephants and other herds to follow ancient migration routes.
The park, due to be officially opened next year, will be bigger than the Netherlands, covering some 38,600 square kilometers (15,440 square miles).
Under a three-year plan, about 6,000 animals are to be moved into the area, where wildlife was decimated during Mozambique's 25-year civil war.
African Wildlife Foundation community development officer Jeremiah Machavi said 62 communities living in the area would be affected by the establishment of Transfrontier Park. Tourists will be able to travel across international boundaries in the park without having to show their passports.
The relocation process started in October last year when about 30 elephants were released into the park. | high21801.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The number of foreign pupils has increased too fast"
},
"options": [
"Foreign pupils bring their cultures into Britain",
"Teachers work harder than before while getting paid less",
"The number of foreign pupils has increased ... | The debate over children from other European countries in prefix = st1 /Britain's school was refried after the country's leading teachers told The Observer that rising numbers of foreign pupils are putting some of schools near the breaking point.
Members of the National Association of Head Teachers will this week tell the government that the problem is starting to change the culture of some schools. Some heads said the situation was out of control.
Though head teachers think the new pupils have great ability and they should be welcomed into schools, they are worried that they don't have enough money to deal with the situation.
"There is a feeling among some of our members that this is out of control and no one knows the final solution," said Mick Brookes, general secretary of the NAHT. Brookes who will give evidence this week to the government added, "some schools just don't know how many immigrant children they will have to admit." He said that while schools could take in one or two foreign pupils, some were struggling with the sudden large increase in the number of children overseas.
Clarissa Williams, head of Tolworth Girls School in Kingston upon Thames, south London, said she received &1,300 a year from the government to cover the costs of teaching English to foreign pupils but was having to spend &30,000 of her own budget to keep pace.
On Tuesday, the association will tell the House of Lords that education budgets have not kept pace with the increase in the number of pupils for whom English is a second language, or not spoken at all, who have entered Britain since the European Union expanded | high19346.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "How to improve safety while you are flying."
},
"options": [
"What to do in the event of a crash.",
"How to avoid turbulence.",
"How to improve safety while you are flying.",
"How to avoid injury."
],
"question"... | Statistically, air travel is by far the safest way to travel, and you can make flying even safer, just by following these simple rules. As your chances of being involved in an air accident are practically nil , many of these tips concern what you should and shouldn't do to make your journey safer when you are airborne .
Fly on non-stop routes
Most accidents occur during the takeoff, climb, descent and landing phases of a flight, so flying non-stop reduces your exposure to these complex procedures.
Choose larger aircraft. w.w.w.k.s.5.u.c.o.m
Although small aircrafts have very good safety records, _ with more than 30 passenger seats are designed to comply with much stricter regulations and are tested more regularly to make sure they still comply. Also, in the unlikely event of a serious accident, larger aircraft provide a better opportunity for passenger survival.
Pay attention to the pre-flight safety briefing
The information may seem repetitious , but it's worth listening to the flight attendants. And even if you've flown before, it doesn't mean you know everything about the aircraft you're on, such as the location of the closest emergency exit.
Store things safely
Never put very heavy articles in the overhead storage bins. They may fall out when someone opens the bin and cause injury. Also, the bin may not be able to hold heavier objects during turbulence .
Keep our seat belt fastened while you are seated
Cabin crew always tell you this, but it's important. You would be seriously injured if the plane hits unexpected turbulence. Always fasten your seat belt if you are told to. _ of flying is this: If you are told to do something, do it first and ask questions later.
Let the flight attendant pour your hot drinks
Flight attendants are trained to handle hot drinks like coffee or tea in a crowded aisle on a moving aircraft, so allow them to pour the drink and hand it to you. Never ask to take a coffee pot from one of them. | high4532.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Picasso's style of painting."
},
"options": [
"Picasso didn't find his own style.",
"People can't understand Picasso.",
"Picasso's style of painting.",
"Famous paintings of Picasso."
],
"question": "What does th... | Most painters discover a style of painting that suits them and stick to that, especially if people admire their pictures. But Picasso, the great Spanish painter, was like a man who had not yet found his own particular style of painting. He kept on struggling to find the perfect expression till his death in 1973.
Some of Picasso's paintings are rich, soft color1ed and beautiful. Others are ugly and cruel and strange. But such paintings allow us to imagine things for ourselves. They force us to say to ourselves, "What does he see that makes him paint like that?" And we begin to look beneath the surface of the things we see.
Picasso painted thousands of pictures in different styles. Sometimes he painted the natural look of things. Sometimes he seemed to break them apart and throw the pieces in our faces. He showed us what the mind knows as well as what the eye sees. At the age of 90 he remained as curious about the world as he had been when he was young.
That's why people have called him "the youngest painter in the world.. | high21632.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Most of the words in Cihai withstand the test of time and usage."
},
"options": [
"It will be edited and published in 2009.",
"Most of the words in Cihai withstand the test of time and usage.",
"It records all new words at ho... | Are the Super Girls super enough to make it into China's most authoritative dictionary?
The editors of Cihai are working on a new edition, and they say they haven't decided yet.
"The editing preparation of the 2009 edition of the dictionary has just started," an editor of Cihaisaid. "Which new words will be added, and which old ones will be deleted, remains unknown."
The TV programme that brought the Super Girls into the public eye has certainly had an influence on Chinese society since its _ in 2004.
The editor said the new edition will include terms such as "Shenzhou VI," the name of China's second manned spacecraft, and Ba Jin, a late master of contemporary Chinese literature.
The argument began earlier this week, when media reported that Cihai, as a dictionary that prides itself on its educational and historical value, would not include terms such as "Super Girl."
An official said that some online words were popular, but Cihaipreferred words of both popularity and stability and those that can withstand the test of time and usage.
A reporter from China Economic News said: "We all agree on the great contribution of Ba Jin, but who can look down on the social influence of the Super Girl?"
A Professor told China Daily: "Of course 'Super Girls' should be edited intoCihai. If some strange words can be in there, why not 'Super Girls'? Even though it may die out after a few years just as, say, 'Shenzhou VI' will be replaced by 'Shenzhou IX' one day."
Cihai records new words reflecting the latest developments in the social and natural sciences, including biology, electronics, computer science and economics. | high17380.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a piece of news"
},
"options": [
"a piece of news",
"an advertisement",
"a poster",
"an explanation"
],
"question": "The passage is _",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"ans... | BEIJING----China will further open its financial sector in "an active and safe" way, the country's central bank vowed on Friday.
"China will gradually broaden the chance for the participation of foreign capital in the domestic financial market," said the People's Bank of China in a report. "We will strengthen the connections between China's financial market and international ones by attracting more foreign capital in Renminbi-denominated financial products," the report said.
Meanwhile, channels will also be expanded to allow Chinese investment in foreign financial markets.
The bank said it would ease restrictions on enterprises and individuals possessing and using foreign currencies and increase the number of qualified foreign institutional investors and the value of their investment quotas . "We will make use of the financial market to achieve balanced international payments," said the bank.
Last year, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) raised the annual quota for individuals buying foreign currency from US $ 20,000 to US $ 50,000.
"China will work hard for a more efficient and vigorous financial market that can better serve international needs," the bank said.
The country will adjust its financial market rules so they are accepted around the world, encourage reforms and promote more flexible, diversified ways of trading, according to the bank.
China fully opened its financial market to foreign capital on December 11 last year, ending a five-year transitional period after entering WTO. | high11929.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Levels of brown fat can be increased by socialising."
},
"options": [
"Levels of brown fat can be increased by socialising.",
"The mice lacking social life lose more weight.",
"The research findings haven't been published so ... | Keeping a busy social life among lots of friends may keep people thinner than spending hours doing some exercises, according to scientists. They say that socialising and meeting with friends help increase levels of brown fat in the body which burns calories to produce heat.
Living in an exciting social environment was found to reduce fat in mice's belly by half over four weeks, even if they ate more. US researchers say that social excitement aids weight loss by turning white fat into brown. White fat stores calories and makes us fatter, while brown burns energy to produce heat. Turning white fat into brown is extremely difficult,normally
requiring long- term stay in cold conditions or exciting part of the body's nervous system.
However, scientists from Ohio State University now think that having a busy social life is an even more effective way of changing white fat into brown. The team came up with their theory by studying the effects of various living environments on mice. Those, who lived alongside a greater number of mice, had more space and toys to excite themselves and then lost far more weight over the course of the study than their "couch potato" fellows.
Study author, Dr Matthew During, whose team's findings appear in the journal Cell Metabolism, said, "I'm still amazed at the degree of fat loss that occurs." Explaining how new technology had threatened face-to-face socialising, he added, "It's not just a sedentary( )lifestyle and high calorie foods, but an increasing lack of social activities." Co-author Dr Lei Cao said,"Loneliness is a potential factor for cancer and death; it's equal to cigarette smoking to a certain extent. Social activities are very vital.,, | high135.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Because she decided to be separated from her parents for a while."
},
"options": [
"Because she broke up with her boyfriend and wanted to be alone.",
"Because she decided to be separated from her parents for a while.",
"Becau... | During my early twenties, to make my parents stop feeling angry, and simply to escape, I decided to live in my birthplace for a period of time, something I'd sworn I would never do. My parents were thrilled. They prayed that I'd come back triumphantly with a picture-perfect bridegroom. That was the furthest thing from my mind as I packed my faded jeans, tank tops, boots, and a photo of my freckle-faced then-boyfriend who was of Scottish descent.
The moment I landed in Seoul, I was aware of how much I felt like a misfit. All my life I had tried to blend into the dominant culture and couldn't. And finally, when I was in a place where everyone looked like me, I still stood out. I took it for granted that I'd feel a sense of freedom. I thought I'd blend into the landscape. This was not the case. People stared at me with curious eyes. I became conscious of my American-girl swaggering body movements and inappropriate dress.
Collecting my courage, I traveled to the demilitarized zone on my own. I touched the high barbed-wire fence that stretched across the belly of the peninsula , dividing Korea in half. I visited thousand-year-old temples and magnificent palace gates that had survived modernization and centuries of battle. I met with distant cousins who welcomed me with outstretched arms into their homes and related heroic tales about my mother and Halmoni (Grandmother) during the war. How Halmoni had led her young children out of north to the United Nation-backed south. How my mother, at the age of thirteen, saved the life of her baby sister.
I listened with such an overwhelming thirst that when I returned to the States a year and a half later, I began to ask my parents and Halmoni (who had immigrated to the States some time after we did) all about the past. The past was no longer a time gone by, a dead weight. I now saw that it held ancient treasures. And the more I dug and discovered, the more I felt myself being steered toward a future I had never imagined for myself. I began to write. I didn't even know I could write. My family helped me knit stories into a book using Halmoni's voice. As her powerful words moved through me I was able to reflect and meditate on the ridiculous life I had fashioned for myself. I could feel my sense of self rising. This sparked a newfound awareness and excitement. I became a spokeswoman on Korean culture, traveling to various college campuses across the country. "Be proud. Embrace your heritage." I said to young Korean American students wearing extra-large, trendy sportswear. But the whole time I was lecturing, I had very little understanding of what that self-concept meant. I was merely talking the talk. I hadn't yet fully embraced my own identity. | high14689.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "on a highway"
},
"options": [
"in a garage",
"on a highway",
"in a busy street",
"near a gas station"
],
"question": "This story most probably took place _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{... | He almost didn't see the old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front her Mercedes and got out.
Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe; he looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt.
He said, "I am here to help you, ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson."
Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.
As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid.
Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened, had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were many people who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.
He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, "And think of me."
He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight. | high15597.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "His interest."
},
"options": [
"His nature.",
"His father.",
"His family.",
"His interest."
],
"question": "What led Albert Hofmann to a career in chemistry?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
... | Albert Hofmann was a Swiss Scientist who was fascinated by nature. This led him to a career in chemistry in which he sought answers to his uncertainties. He worked at Sandoz Laboratories where he nurtured his research work, and there he made a lot of success by working with various plants and changing them into something useful. He became famous when he became the first person to produce lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) . In addition, he was also the first person to taste it and learn about its hallucinogenic effects. He was deeply connected to the nature and argued that LSD, besides being useful for psychiatry , could also be used to promote awareness of mankind's place in nature. However, he was disappointed that his discovery was being carelessly used as a drug for entertainment. Because of his discovery, LSD fans have fondly called him "The father of LSD". Besides carrying out his scientific experiments, he also authored numerous books and more than 100 scientific articles. In 2007, he featured in a list of the 100 greatest living geniuses , published by The Telegraph Newspaper.
Childhood & Early Life
Albert Hofmann was born in Baden, Switzerland, on January 11, 1906. He was the eldest of four children. His father was a poor toolmaker in a factory and they lived in a rented apartment. He spent much of his childhood outdoors, and grew up with a very deep connection with nature.
He had mind-blowing experiences in childhood, wherein nature was changed in magical ways that he didn't understand. These experiences caused questions in his mind, and chemistry was the scientific field which allowed him to understand them.
He studied chemistry at Zurich University, and his main interest is the chemistry of plants and animals. At 23, he earned his Ph. D with honors. | high14851.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "There is still a lot to learn about writing good poems."
},
"options": [
"There is still a lot to learn about writing good poems.",
"Poems must depend on the Internet, workshops and libraries.",
"Writing poems is meaningful b... | A poem starts with a thought, an idea, or an emotion felt from the heart.Poems can be happy or sad, deep-thinking or even humorous.The choice is up to you and your imagination as to what you will create.
Your first step is to write down the idea or thought that you have and you want to turn into a poem.Next, you should turn the thought into a free verse poem.Free verse poems are much easier to write as there are no _ rules to write them.Some free verse doesn't even have any rhyme or meter.
Now, rewrite your thoughts into lines.Now is the time to look at your lines and remember that the poem should have a beginning, a middle, and an end, just like a story, a book, or a movie.
Reread your poem several times and listen to the words and to the rhythm of each line.Now is the time to shorten or lengthen each line in order to create a smooth-sounding poem.Even though it is a free verse poem, you can choose to make each line rhyme with the next line if you want to.
Now go back and reread your poem again. Check for proper punctuation as well as for the proper spelling of each word. Think up a suitable title for your poem. It would be a good idea to set your poem aside for a while and then return to it later.
Then, reread it again with a fresh mind and make some necessary changes.
If you decided to continue writing poetry, it would be a good idea to investigate some books about creating poetry, and to attend some local workshops. Check out the available resources on the Internet as well as what is available at your local public library. | high13858.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Because they couldn't bear Mary 's behavior any longer."
},
"options": [
"Because they had finished the task.",
"Because Mary had something more important to do.",
"Because they couldn't bear Mary 's behavior any longer.",
... | A lady named Mary from California flew to Japan, in her favourite jeans and a casual jacket, to give her first speech. Fourteen hours later, four perfectly dressed Japanese gentlemen greeted her at the airport. Smiling and bowing low, they handed her their business cards. With her bag in one hand, Mary took their cards with the other. She thanked them, glanced briefly at the cards, and put them into her jeans pocket quickly.
When the five of them arrived at the hotel, they invited Mary to tea in the lobby . While sipping tea, the gentlemen presented her with a small gift which she eagerly opened. She was thrilled with the gift and shouted excitedly, "Oh, it's beautiful!"
At this point, the four Japanese gentlemen stood up and, bowing only very slightly, said "Sayonara" and left immediately. Poor Mary was left astonished. What did she do wrong?
Everything! Her jeans were the first _ . Even if you're coming off a bicycle in Japan, you do not meet clients casually dressed. The second mistake was Mary's handling of their business cards rudely. In Japan, the business card is one of the most important communicative tools. It is always presented and accepted respectfully with both hands. However, Mary put their cards away much too quickly. In Japan, people use business cards as a conversation starter. You chat about each other's cards and work and do not put theirs away until they gently and respectfully place yours in safe keeping. Putting it carelessly into her jeans pocket was the ultimate disrespect.
Then, the fourth horror of horrors was that Mary should not have opened the gift in front of her clients. In a land where saving face is critical, it would be embarrassing to discover the gift they gave was not as nice as the one they received. What is worse, Mary hadn't even given them a gift! | high8485.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "the problem of junk mail"
},
"options": [
"the problem of junk mail",
"the profits of junk mail",
"protection against junk mail",
"the harmful effects of junk mail"
],
"question": "The passage is mainly about ... | "Dear anybody. Your email address has been chosen by our computer. So, for no reason, we'd like to give you a million dollars. All you need to do is give us your bank account numbers. Can we interest you in some diet pills? And, by the way, I want to marry you."
I hate to let you down, but there is no "million dollars". The diet pills don't exist - and your future "husband" or "wife" has just proposed to a million others. These and a hundred other stories have been made up to steal your personal information or money or maybe just to infect your computer with a virus. Welcome to the world of junk email.
Junk email - or spam - is probably the biggest global business that's ever existed. Billions of spam emails are sent every day, making up around 80% of all email traffic. These incredible volumes of spam slow down the whole internet and cost businesses millions of dollars just trying to keep up with the next trick.
Your email programme probably includes a spam filter, which sorts out the mail you do want from the junk. But it's impossible to stop it all and if you put together the seconds it takes to see through the deception in each one, they add up to a significant amount of lost time dealing with the spam that does get through.
But who could fall for such obvious tricks? Probably very few of us - one in a million, perhaps. But when you are sending billions of these every day, for next to no cost, it doesn't take a genius to work out that someone is getting very rich.
But who? It's incredibly difficult to find out. Most spam is sent using anonymous networks of infected computers, called "botnets", some of which are made up of tens of millions of computers across dozens of countries. Maybe your own laptop is sending out marriage proposals right now. It's enough to put you off using email again!
So what can you do to defend yourself? You could set up a separate email account for online use, or maybe leave out the @ symbol when you write your email address online. An up-to-date web browser and antivirus program will help too. And of course, never open strange email, even from a friend's account. Never click on the links. And never ever reply! | high23743.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "most of its history remains a mystery"
},
"options": [
"it has something to do with the Great Wall",
"they know nothing about its history and site",
"nowhere else can they find a stone circle",
"most of its history rema... | Much older than the Great Wall, Stonehenge is one of the world's most fascinating, but least understood historical sites. Every year, thousands of tourists come to admire Stonehenge's beauty and to wonder about how and why it was built.
Scientists have dated the site, which is located in prefix = st1 /England, to around 3000 BC. The stone circle was constructed in a number of stages over hundreds of years. It took millions of man hours to raise the heavy stones.
Though there are many theories, it is still a mystery how stone-age man dragged such heavy stones over 380 kilometers from where they were made. Prehistoric people had only basic wooden tools. To move the stones they probably used tree trunks to roll them along.
Some historians believe that Stonehenge was a temple, the site of ancient sacrifices . Others believe it was a burial place or perhaps even a giant sundial to tell the time. Whatever their ancient use was, the stones have always been a source of fascination for British people. One record from 1135 said the great stones were carried to Englandby giant magical creatures!
In modern times Stonehenge has become a huge hit with tourists. | high16920.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Negative."
},
"options": [
"Doubtful.",
"Positive.",
"Negative.",
"Neutral."
],
"question": "What's the author's attitude towards the English study tours abroad?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer"... | As the summer time approaches, more and more commercials and advertisements can be seen on the mass media encouraging students to join English study tours abroad. The purpose of these tours is to provide students with an opportunity to learn English in a native speaking environment and use English in real situations. Parents always believe that their children will automatically speak good English after attending these study tours. However, for me, as an English major and former participant of many English study tours, I find these summer tours ineffective.
Parents who send their children abroad for a summer to study English usually believe that the native speaking environment, including the courses, teachers, and host families, can help their children to learn English better. This might be true if the students really study hard and they really get an all-English environment. But the fact is that, most of the time, the tour part is more important than the study part. Although these tours take place in foreign countries, students are rarely exposed in an all-English environment. You will find that, in the morning classes, Taiwanese students would like to stick together and speak Chinese with each other, even though there are some students from other countries. In the afternoon, the students go on a sightseeing excursion with their companions from Taiwan; they speak Chinese of course. In the evening, when students return to the host families, they would stay in their room and share the day with their roommate, another Taiwanese student. People who speak the same language with you is like a log in the ocean when living in a foreign country where you can not express yourself well, so that you would naturally stick with them. This is especially true with children. Another unrealistic expectation parents have for these tours is that the experience of living abroad can make their children more independent and mature. However, maturity does not come overnight. It takes time and practice. The most important of all is that they need a good _ . None of these exist in the study tours. | high21154.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "keep warm"
},
"options": [
"protect skin",
"show beauty",
"keep warm",
"bring luck"
],
"question": "From the passage we know that wearing clothes is man's basic necessity to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_... | As we all know, nature has supplied every animal except man with some covering for his body such as fur, feathers, hair, and shells as a thick hide. But man has nothing but a thin skin.
If someone were to ask you, "Why did human beings start to cover their bodies with clothes?" most would answer, "To keep themselves warm, of course."
It is only when we begin to think about it a little that we realize that clothes are worn for a great many reasons that have nothing to do with our need for warmth at all.
For example, we wear clothes to some degree in order to decorate ourselves -- to make ourselves, if possible, look more dignified or nicer.
Clothes of a special kind are often worn to show that the wearer has authority or power. The individual wearing them is treated with respect because he occupies a certain office. The judge on the Bench, for example, might look a very ordinary and unimpressive figure without his wig and gown. Clothes are an important part of ceremony, whether it is connected with belief, the law, parliament, and royalty, the fighting forces or the state. How very different the Queen's Coronation ceremony would have looked without the robes, coronets and the cloth of gold.
Sometimes, even in some modern countries people wear some article of clothing, or some jewel, because they believe that it will bring them luck or protect them from evil or illness, or because it is connected with their beliefs.
None of these reasons for wearing clothes -- to decorate ourselves, to show our position in the world, for ceremonial purposes, for "luck", to give ourselves dignity and authority -- have anything to do with our need for warmth. | high16934.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "all the above ways"
},
"options": [
"touching things",
"smelling or tasting things",
"trying to recognize people's voices",
"all the above ways"
],
"question": "Without his eyes, he could also \"see\" by _ .... | In 1812, in a village near Paris, France, a little boy had a terrible accident. He hit himself in the eye with one of his father's sharp tools, and became blind. His name was Louis Braille, and he was only four years old.
He was a clever little boy, and he soon learned to "see" without his eyes. He touched things, or smelled them, or tasted them. His family described things to him. Although he couldn't see people's faces, he learned to recognize their voices.
After his seventh birthday, Louis went to the little school in the village. But there weren't any books for him. His classmates read his lessons to him and his sisters helped him with his homework. He learned his lessons well, but he couldn't learn to read or write.
In 1819, the village priest told Louis Braille's story to the director of a famous school for blind boys. At this school, boys learned math, grammar, geography, history, and music. And they learned to read!
Louis went to the school in Paris in February, 1819. He loved his classes and received high grades. He learned to play the piano and to knit hats and sweaters. And he learned to read -- with his fingers!
The raised-print letters in the books at school stood up from the surface of the paper. Louis could feel them with his fingers. He was able to recognize some of them easily, but some of them were difficult. The letters had to be very large, and sometimes there were only a few letters on a page. The books were huge and heavy. And they were expensive. There were only fourteen books in the school library!
Louis read the three or four books for his class again and again. He tried to think of a better way to make books for blind people. He experimented with new alphabets.
After about three years, Louis invented a system of raised dots. The other students thought Louis's system was wonderful. They were able to read it easily, and they learned to write, too.
Today, there are thousands of Braille books for blind people.
Louis Braille was only fifteen years old when he invented his wonderful system! | high21140.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the lack of reflection"
},
"options": [
"a non-stop reading pattern",
"the straight, left-to-right screen",
"a wide range of interesting news",
"the lack of reflection"
],
"question": "According to Patrick Kings... | Speed-reading is a necessary skill in the Internet age.We skim over articles, e-mails and WeChat to try to grasp key words and the essential meaning of a certain text.Surrounded with information from our electronic devices, it would be impossible to cope if we read word by word, line by line.But a new trend calls on people to unplug and enjoy reading slowly, listing benefits beyond the intelligent stimulation.
A recent story from The Wall Street Journal reported on a book club in Wellington, New Zealand, where members meet in a cafe and turn off their smartphones.They sink into cozy chairs and read in silence for an hour. Unlike traditional book clubs, the point of the slow reading club isn't exchanging ideas about a certain book, but to get away from electronic devices and read in a quiet, relaxed environment. According to the Journal, the Wellington book club is just one example of a movement started by book lovers who miss the old-fashioned way of reading before the Internet and smartphones.
Slow readers, such as The Atlantic's Maura Kelly, say a regular reading habit sharpens the mind, improves concentration, reduces stress levels and deepens the ability to sympathize. Another study published last year in Science showed that reading novels helps people understand other's mental states and beliefs, a fundamental skill in building relationships.
Yet technology has made us less attentive readers. Screens have changed our reading patterns from the straight and information.left-to-right sequence to a wild skimming and skipping pattern as we hunt for important words and information. Reading text punctuated with links leads to weaker comprehension than reading plain text. The Internet may have made us stupider, says Patrick Kingsley from The Guardian. Because of the Internet, he says, we have become very good at collecting a wide range of interesting news, but we are also gradually forgetting how to sit back, reflect, and relate all these facts to each other.
Slow reading means a return to an uninterrupted, straight pattern, in a quiet environment free of distractions. Aim for 30 minutes a day, advises Kelly from The Atlantic. "You can squeeze in that half hour pretty easily if only during your free moments, you pick up a meaningful work of literature," Kelly said. "Reach for your e-reader, if you like. Kindles make books like War and Peace less heavy, not less substantive, and also ensure you'll never lose your place." | high11083.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "God loved humans despite human's wrong--doing,so he asked his beloved Son to die in human's place"
},
"options": [
"God wanted \"Good Friday\" and \"Easter\"mainly to be remembered by humans",
"Jesus did something wrong by claiming... | Maybe you have ever seen a cross. A cross can be a piece of jewelry or an image in a painting. But do you know the cross is a very popular symbol for Christmas?
It came from the story of Jesus' death on the cross two thousand years ago in Jerusalem. Jesus was Jewish,and at that time Jewish people were under Roman rule. Jesus was badly punished because he declared to be the Son of God and the King of Jews. Surely,the Son of God could have saved himself from the death!But the Bible says that Jesus had a reason to die that day. It was in God's purpose that it would happen.
Christians call the day that Jesus died "Good Friday". At first,it is hard to understand how a terrible day could ever be called good. Well,the story does not end there. Jesus died and he was buried. But three days later,Jesus was alive,and the whole world was changed.
Today,Christians everywhere remember this important time. They celebrate Easter. Easter is the day that Jesus rose from the dead. After his death on the cross,Jesus' body was placed in a tomb. On the third day from then,God raised him from the dead. Jesus stayed on earth physically for several weeks. Many people saw him. Easter is the happiest time of year for Christians because they believe that Jesus had victory over death and evil and that now he lives with God the Father in heaven. But before celebrating Easter, Good Friday should be remembered. Jesus died a horrible and painful death. He suffered, though he did nothing wrong. Christian believe that Jesus was God's substitute for humans, because humans all do wrong. He died because of humans and he died for humans.
Christians often wear crosses around their necks or hang them in their homes because they believe it is a very important sign. The cross helps them remember how much God loves them. It helps them remember how much his Son had to suffer. Seeing a cross always makes them think of Jesus' death, and what it means. | high18919.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "A job-seeking advisor."
},
"options": [
"A job-hunter.",
"A magazine editor.",
"A website owner.",
"A job-seeking advisor."
],
"question": "What does the author seem to be most probably?",
"question_type": n... | Will you get a good job? What will you do? Many new graduates feel lost when they consider the endless list of career choices. They've invested a lot of money for their diploma and now an important question stares them in the fact.
I've seen so many new graduates who do not know how to use the degree they have just earned. An example was Dave, who loved sports and had played baseball throughout his college years. He had his heart set on working for Nike. But he had never made clear in his own mind what kind of job he could do for Nike, so nothing ever happened. Another example was Allison, who was a history major. She wanted to work as an event planner but, unfortunately, no one hired her. Why? No experience.
Failing to do some solid career exploration first or to get a clear idea of the types of jobs you can do is a big error that many college students make. After our suggestion, Dave and Allison both found their jobs. To ensure a brighter future, follow these effective strategies:
-- Make educated career choices. Identify the job you want. Conduct research. Ask parents to advise you on actual job duties. Consider what your matured talents are, and look for positions where you can use them.
-- Don't rely on the Internet. Networking is an effective tool -- be sure it's a job-hunting strategy you use. New studies from the Department of Labor state that only 4% of job-seekers found their job on the Internet. The fact is that 63% of all jobs are filled by contacts.
-- Employers are making quick decisions. Most people lose the job in the first minute of the interview. It's deadly to let the employers focus quickly on how well you can perform the job.
-- Practice your interviewing skills. Be ready for the tough questions by first writing out good answers to possible questions and having a role-playing interview with your friend. | high22449.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "They will stop us from starting a new future."
},
"options": [
"They come from our past experiences.",
"The past and the future are different.",
"They will stop us from starting a new future.",
"We should learn some use... | Success starts within our mind. Now, we will discuss four steps to change our lives and create a new future.
# 1. Think big. Get rid of negative beliefs.
Your beliefs have developed from what happened to you in the past. You should realize that the past is not equal to the future, unless you really live there. The first thing you need to do is to drive all the negative beliefs away from your mind. Those beliefs are not useful for creating a new future. Think that everything is possible if you put enough effort in it. When you change your beliefs into positive ones, you will feel more powerful. You will then be able to move on to the next level.
# 2. Write your plan to achieve your goals.
Your great goals should be divided into smaller goals. Make a timetable for each goal so that you can measure your progress. Write a detailed plan to achieve these goals.
# 3.Take action according to your plan.
Nothing bears fruit without action. Every successful person has to work hard towards his or her goals. There is no exception . Be prepared to work according to your plan. Be willing to invest in the resources necessary for your progress. Do not give up.
# 4. Review what you have done and know how good you are.
While you are in the process of your work, take some time to review how well you have done. Review your progress based on your plan and see if you need to change anything. You can change your methods but you should not change your goals. | high23757.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "0870 243 9000"
},
"options": [
"0870 850 9191",
"020 7494 5061",
"0870 243 9000",
"020 7401 9919"
],
"question": "If Mary is available on Friday, which of the following should she call to buy a ticket?",
"qu... | Whatsonstage.com is the UK's biggest and best online guide to the performing arts including theatre, opera, classical music, dance and so on.
* The Lion King
Musical: The stage adaptation of the Disney film taken from an original African story. A young lion grows up and learns that taking over the pride requires wisdom and maturity .
Place: Lyceum Theatre, Wellington Street, London
Telephone: 0870 243 9000
Date: Friday, 18 Nov. 2015
Ticket price: PS37.5
* Oliver
Musical: Dickens' story of a boy in a London workhouse and his adventures on the way to discovering his family. The songs include Food glorious food, You've got to pick a pocket or two, Who will buy this wonderful morning, I am reviewing the situation and Consider yourself at home.
Place: Theatre Royal, Catherine Street, London
Telephone: 020 7494 5061
Date: Thursday, 17 Nov. 2015
Ticket price: PS25,but now save 20%
* Jersey Boys
Musical: It tells the story of Frankie Valli and the Four seasons: the blue-collar kids from New Jersey formed a singing group and became famous. The musical features many of the group's popular songs such as Big girls don't cry, Oh, what a night and Can't take my eyes off you.
Place: Prince Edward Theatre, Old Compton Street, London
Telephone: 0870 850 9191 ---
Date: Saturday, 19 Nov. 2015
Ticket price: PS22.5
* Alls Well That Ends Well
Play: A romantic story. Helena, daughter of a poor physician, loves Bertram, son of a Countess .
Place: Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, Park Street, London
Telephone: 020 7401 9919
Date: Sunday, 20 Nov, 2015
Ticket price: PS40.5 | high13694.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "His depression in middle age."
},
"options": [
"His love for wild animals.",
"His depression in middle age.",
"His wish to travel around Mexico.",
"His dream of writing a book travels"
],
"question": "What led J... | Everyone dreams of seeing the world. But some people take that dream to the extreme.
In 2000, Canadian Jean Beliveau was suffering from a mid-life crisis . He thought a good walk might help. So, he decided to go for one... around the whole world. It took him 11 years and 54 pairs of shoes. He ate insects in Africa, survived a puma attack in South America, and fell in love for nine days in Mexico. Jean has successfully overcome his mid-life crisis and is now writing a book about his 75,000- kilometre journey.
A Russian man, Vladislav Ketov, is currently cycling around the globe. So far he's ridden through 93 countries. And he's been at it for 20 years. Why so long? Two reasons. Firstly, he's not just going through countries, he's actually riding along the coast of every continent. Secondly, he set off without any money. He has to draw portraits of the people he meets along the way to carry on with his trip. Of course, he is planning to write a book on his eventual return, too.
Then there's Ezra Cooley. He set out in 2006 with the idea of riding his horse around the world. Why? "I've always wanted to accomplish something," Ezra said. So far he's only ridden across the United States and part of Australia. He recently took a year off to write a book about his trip.
Circling the globe has a long history. In 1901, Captain Voss (from Canada) set off around the world in a 12-metre dugout canoe . Even more impressive, the canoe, which Voss bought from a Native American woman, was built in the early 19th century. He armed the canoe with a Spanish cannon for protection. The journey took three years and, of course, Voss wrote about his trip in a book. | high24038.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "unreliable ( )"
},
"options": [
"objective",
"costly",
"unreliable ( )",
"illegal"
],
"question": "It can be inferred that ads mentioned in the text are _ .",
"question_type": "summarization_questions"
... | "In only six days I lost seven pounds of weight."
"Two full inches in the first three days!"
These are the kinds of statements used in magazine, newspaper, radio and television ads, promising new shapes and new looks to those who buy the medicine or the device (;). The promoters (;) of products say they can shape the legs, slim the face, smooth wrinkles, or in some other way to beauty or desirability.
Often such products are nothing more than money--making things for their promoter. The results they produce are questionable, and some are dangerous to health.
To understand how these products can be legally promoted to the public, it is necessary to understand something of the laws covering their regulation . If the product is a drug, FDA(Food Drug Administration) can require proof under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act that is safe and effective before it is put on the market . But if the product is a device, FDA. has no author to require premarketing proof of safety or effectiveness. If a product already on the marker is a danger to health, FDA can request the producer or distributor to remove it from the market voluntarily, or it can take legal action , including seizure of the product.
One notable case a few years ago involved an electrical device called the Relaxacisor, which had been sold for reducing the waistline. The Relaxacisor produced electrical shocks to the body through contact pads. FDA took legal action against the distributor to stop the sale of the device on the grounds that it was dangerous to health and life.
Obviously, most of the devices on the market have never been the subject of court proceedings ,and new devices appear continually. Before buying, it is up to the consumer to judge the safety or effectiveness of such items. | high647.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "He rushed ahead to get the first one by himself."
},
"options": [
"His teacher gave it to him first",
"The publisher sent it to him first",
"His friend helped him get the first one.",
"He rushed ahead to get the first o... | I sat at my seat waiting for the school paper to be passed around. I waited anxiously, knowing that once I received it I would know how good a writer I really am.
When the paper arrived at my classroom, I nearly knocked down five of my classmates to get to the first paper. With a school paper in my hands, I returned to my seat. About a month earlier, I had handed in one of, what I believed to be, my best stories. I named it Symbol of Success. The head of the English Department at my school, Professor Cullen had said that she would include some reviews of students' stories in the latest school paper. Professor Cullen was known for her rough criticism. Impressing her was very hard but I wanted to be the first to do so.
I sat at the edge of my seat as I read through the other story reviews. There wasn't one story that got more than three stars .I became calm and wasn't anxious to know my review. It was long after that I heard someone shout out "Five stars?! Seriously !" from behind me. I turned around and saw the shocked expression of Gene's face, "Peter, your story got five stars!" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I turned my attention back to my story and saw the five stars at the end of the review that I had not read yet. I looked through the review written by Professor Cullen. She wrote that I had a gift for story writing.
I was proud that I achieved what I thought was impossible .For so long I believed I wasn't as good as I thought I was and that my talent was not enough to cover up my lack of wring skills .But this review proved that I was truly a good writer and that there was a future ahead of me in the field of fiction writing. The review and the five stars meant the world of me. Those five stars became the symbol of my success. | high121.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "protect themselves by law"
},
"options": [
"protect themselves by law",
"quit the job immediately",
"avoid meeting them skillfully",
"suffer in silence"
],
"question": "When meeting with difficult bosses, wester... | "You didn't reach secondary-school level!" the supervisor at the prefix = st1 /Manilamanufacturing company _ . Camelia Santos was frightened by her supervisor's anger. Even more serious was that without her help, she couldn't get her job done. The supervisor gaveSantosinstructions for labeling products, but sometimes _ weren't clear. When she asked for some specific explanation, the supervisor would ignore her. IfSantosended up making mistakes, through no fault of her own, the supervisor would shout at her in front of everyone.
Santosagonized for months. Finally, she approached the company's human resources department for help. Both she and the supervisor were called into a private meeting to work things out. Santossaid she was willing to learn but she had to have clear instructions. She also needed to know that she wasn't going to behumiliated in front of her colleagues if there were problems. The supervisor agreed to Santos's requests and from that day, they worked together without problems.
Difficult bosses, colleagues or employees exist everywhere. Meeting with difficult people in the workplace is inevitable and dealing with them is no easy task.
Workers in western countries exercise their rights to protect themselves more than Asians. In Asian countries, victims are often fearful of losing face and family respect, so they suffer in silence.
Even without legal protection, there arestrategiesyou can use to help you -- everything from facing them bravely to avoiding meeting them skillfully. | high23031.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Because Tess had bothered him and his brother."
},
"options": [
"Because he was a nervous man.",
"Because Tess didn't buy his medicine.",
"Because Tess had bothered him and his brother.",
"Because Tess was poorly dresse... | Tess was eight years old. Her little brother Andrew was very sick and their parents were completely out of money. She heard Daddy say to her tearful Mother, "Only a miracle can save him now."
Tess took her money and made her way six blocks to Rexall's Drug Store.
"And what do you want?" the chemist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. "I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen for ages."
"Well, I want to talk to you about my brother," Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. "He's really sick. He has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?"
"We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you," the chemist said, softening a little.
"Listen, I can help you." The chemist's brother was a well-dressed man. He asked Tess, "What kind of miracle does your brother need?"
"I don't know," Tess replied. "Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money."
"How much do you have?" asked the man from Chicago. "One dollar and eleven cents," Tess answered. "And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more, if I need to."
"Well,what a coincidence ," smiled the man. "A dollar and eleven cents - the exact price of a miracle for your little brother. Take me to where you live. Let's see if 1 have the kind of miracle you need."
That man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon in neurosurgery . The operation was completed without charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well.
Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost... one dollar and eleven cents... plus the faith of a little child. | high15583.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To own repeated customers."
},
"options": [
"To learn how to run a business.",
"To own repeated customers.",
"To learn profit and loss.",
"To lower the risk of losing money."
],
"question": "Which one is not the... | Summer time is a great opportunity for kids to learn how to work and earn a little bit of spending money. If your child needs a summer job, here are a few options to consider:
Lemonade/Cookie Stand
Benefits
Creates a concept of running a business: Your child will be his own boss, set his own price , and run the show. It's a great introduction to running his own business.
Limited Start-Up Costs: The things used to make lemonade are cheap, so your child should be able to get back his investment with a handful of sales.
What Kids Learn About Money: Your child will learn a very valuable lesson about pricing. The price of his lemonade will decide how much he can sell, if he will recover his investment and the amount of profit.
Yard Work
Benefits:
Repeated Customers: If a homeowner needs help raking this year, he'll probably want help again next year. Your child should be able to maintain a regular set of customers after one season.
Safety: Yard work is generally safer than a lawn-mowing job. Without having to operate machines, your child will be much safer.
What Kids Learn About Money: Because of the variability in pay, your child will need to learn how to negotiate a fair price with homeowners if they ask.
Lifeguard
Benefits:
Responsibility: Kids learn a lot about responsibility when lifeguarding. They are within rights to tell whether a certain activity is safe and are allowed to take action as they see fit.
Exercise: Lifeguards need to be proficient at swimming and must exercise to stay in shape.
What Kids Learn About Money: To be a lifeguard, one must be certified. Your child may have to pay for lifeguard training, although some employers provide it on-site. | high14845.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "has improved his ability to cure diseases"
},
"options": [
"has learned to use plants to treat his patients",
"has made friends with many villagers far away",
"has improved his ability to cure diseases",
"has been able ... | Musa Kayairanga of Rwanda is a traditional healer. He uses natural medicines to treat his patients. He learned how to use computers at a rural telecommunications center in his country. Musa Kayairanga says he exchanges information with doctors as far away as Canada. He also says the computer has improved his knowledge of using plants to treat diseases. Many people in rural areas are now able to communicate with the rest of the world. This is one example of how technology is changing life in developing countries.
Andrew Burns is an economist at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. He led a recent study of technology in developing countries. The study found that technology has spread faster in such countries than in rich nations. It also found that technological progress has helped raise wages in developing countries. And it reduced the percentage of people living in extreme poverty from twenty-nine percent in 1990 to eighteen percent in 2004.
Progress in communications technology has aided the growth of call centers in developing countries. Call centers are offices where most telephone calls for a business can be answered. For example, a woman in the United States who calls her computer company about a problem might speak with someone in India or Pakistan.
Call centers serve businesses in local and international markets. And they have added to economic growth by providing well-paid jobs and new skills for workers who might not have had such employment. Ahsan Saeed is a young call center worker in Karachi, Pakistan. He says the job improves his language skills, his sales skills and his ability to deal with people.( from VOA Special English ) | high21626.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "It introduces an exhibition under the theme \"kiss\"."
},
"options": [
"It tells people how important kisses are to life.",
"It describes what Shanghai Xintiandi Style Mall looks like.",
"It introduces an exhibition under the... | Shanghai Xintiandi Style Mall is filled with a festive mood, featuring large-scale equipment, knit works and various activities, under the theme "kiss".
"Kissing is seldom taken as the theme of artworks because in oriental culture, people restrain themselves from expressing their emotions," says Jiang Shan, who is in charge of the exhibition.
"Through the exhibition, we hope to encourage people to be confident and brave in expressing their love."
Inside the mall, which covers a large area from Zizhong Lu (Road) to Fuxingnan Lu (Road), dozens of color1ful decorations, including balloons, lollipops and lip-shaped decorations are hung on the walls and from the ceiling.
Among the decorations, a bright-color1ed wool artwork attracts most eyeballs and brings about a feeling of warmth.
The designer, Gu Yeli, says the art piece, Kiss Forest, was inspired by US artist Andy Warhol's 1963 experimental film Kiss, which featured various couples kissing for three and a half minutes each. Gu also organizes a small workshop to teach knitting to children.
Artist Wang Xuejun sets up a stainless-steel mirror at the mall's gate leading to Zizhong Lu. Visitors, including men, are invited to put on lipstick and kiss the mirror, thus kissing themselves.
The Beast Floral Shop, a flower shop in Shanghai, contributes two walls of flowers that are made into the shape of a book, named Kiss Book. Artifacts of bees and butterflies are fixed among the blossoms, kissing the flowers. The work represents love and harmony in nature.
Architect Ma Ke creates a Kiss Bridge with transparent acrylic boards and ceramic fishbowls. Bridges are often spots for dating lovers in traditional Chinese folk stories and the goldfish in the bowls are witnesses of the lovers' kisses.
In the south plaza, an18-meter-high interactive tree-shaped light equipment encourages people to kiss. Each kiss turns a certain light on, reminding audiences of their sweet childhood memories of kisses.
At the side of the tree is a counter, in which each kiss is counted and represents a donation to charity organizations. | high17394.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "52"
},
"options": [
"39",
"139",
"52",
"11"
],
"question": "According to Cheng Jianguo, _ people who had been slightly injured had been recovered and left hospital.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
... | WENZHOU(Xinhua) -- The train collision in east China's Zhejiang Province has killed 39 people and left 192 others injured as of Sunday night, said a spokesman with the Ministry of Railways.
A total of 132 people are still being treated in hospitals, said Wang Yongping, spokesman with the ministry at a press conference. Eleven people remain in critical condition, said Cheng Jinguo, head of the health bureau in the city of Wenzhou, where the collision happened Saturday night. Cheng said at the press conference that 52 people who suffered slight injuries had been discharged from hospital. Wang expressed condolences to the concerning families and sincere apology to all the passengers.
The train's "black box" has been discovered and the ministry is investigating the cause of the crash, Wang said. Wang said the ministry will make public the cause of the accident as soon as the investigation is done and publish the names of the killed and injured.
He said the crash has caused large number of casualties and great property losses. The ministry will find out the cause through thorough investigation and take effective measures to prevent similar accidents.
Despite the accident, the spokesman said the ministry is still confident in the high-speed train. "China's high-speed train is advanced and qualified. We have confidence in it," he said.
The damaged rails have been repaired and were ready to restart operation but the reopening was delayed by the stormy weather, according to Wang. Wang did not provide the exact time when the line would start operating again.
The accident occurred at about 8:30 p.m. Saturday on a bridge near Wenzhou when bullet train D301 rear-ended D3115, which reportedly lost power after lightning strike. | high20538.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "helpful"
},
"options": [
"helpful",
"strange",
"large",
"dangerous"
],
"question": "The computer is a _ machine.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
... | The computer is a useful machine. It is the most important invention in many years. The oldest kind of computer is the abacus , used in China centuries ago, but the first large, modern computer was built in 1946. A computer then could do maths problems quite fast.
Today computers are used in many ways and can do many kinds of work. In a few years the computer may touch the life of everyone, even people in faraway villages.
In the last few years, there have been great changes in computers. They are getting smaller and smaller, and computing faster and faster, Many scientists agree that computers can now do many things, but they cannot do everything. Who knows what the computers of tomorrow will be like? Will computers bring good things or bad things to people? The scientists of today will have to decide how to use the computers of tomorrow. | high23019.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Their trip was satisfying at the beginning."
},
"options": [
"Fernando often argued with the author about their trips.",
"The author chose a little fishing village off the coast.",
"They would stay in the orphanages for Chris... | Fernando and I were arguing about why I never took any real vacations.When he suggested we go off somewhere for three entire weeks,"You decide,"I said.
He chose a little fishing village off the coast and he planned out a schedule.Our trip was full of wormer and fun,but when we got there,the shabby hotel failed to satisfy us,so we left a day early for the beach.As we drove,we passed two orphanages .Christmas was only a few days away,and I felt that I should stop to do something for the children.
Then Femando came up with a plan to help the poor children we saw.We made a list of names,and then we went into town to buy new clothes,toys,and school supplies.For the rest of the day,we filled backpacks.We were excited about the celebration we had plantted for the next day,December 26,when we'd invite the families to the beach in front of the hotel and hand out the presents.
Fernando and I were still in bed at around 9:00 the next morning when we heard a cracking sound."What is that?"I asked.As if in response.water started pouring into our room.The children's backpacks we had arranged so neatly on the floor began floating around.The next thing I knew was that the roof was torn off.and Fernando and I were swept out.
I thought I was going to die.
Under the water, I forced myself to calm down and then I popped out.Suddenly I saw Fernando only four feet away.
"What just happened?"I asked Fernando.
"Tsunami !",he shouted to me."Just be strong.Whatever it was,"he told me,"It's all over now."But a few seconds later,another wave buried us.I tried to grab him as he reached out to me,but he fell back under the water,and I never saw him again. | high22307.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "To improve his state of mind."
},
"options": [
"To help kids in trouble.",
"To make a living.",
"To build up others' confidence.",
"To improve his state of mind."
],
"question": "Why did the author want to do so... | It was September of 2003 and I was struggling to find work after experiencing downsizing . I had fallen on some of the grandest challenges of my life. I found myself sitting in my house constantly worried. I decided to force myself to find some volunteer work to occupy my thoughts. The first place I sought out was the Arizona Humane Society. It offered me a program, "Equestrian Therapy Program" ,whose mission is to build self-esteem and confidence in children who have been through difficult times in their lives. Being with animals was the only time I truly felt 1 had a place in the world. But I had never been around a horse in my life.
I found myself a little apprehensive during my first day--being around such large strong animals was much harder than the three cats I'm accustomed to caring for. I found that I wasn't different during my first day around these fantastic creatures from the kids who came into the program. But there is a strange transformation when one is around horses. I found myself playing the role of student, observer, teacher, mentor, worker, friend, and companion; not only to the kids,but to the horses and staff!
Before long, I was good at handling the horses and kids and having a grand time working with human and animal elements equally. I realize this experience has helped me to develop my horizons in ways I never thought likely. I started this wanting to give others help and realized in doing so I was the one who really benefited the most. 1 believe the companionship and peace that comes from working with our animal brothers is something that can and will make the world a better place! | high19391.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "heavy woods"
},
"options": [
"high walls",
"chains of hills",
"heavy woods",
"vast land"
],
"question": "TOC \\o \"1-3\" \\h \\z What they could see on the boat was only.",
"question_type": "factiod_question... | Our boat floated on between walls of forest. It was too thick for us to get a view of the land we were passing through, though we knew from the map that our river must be passing through chains of hills from time to time. Nowhere did we find a place where we could have landed: although the jungle did not actually spread right down into the river, banks of soft mud prevented us from going ashore. In any case, what would we have gained by landing? The country was full of snakes and other dangerous creatures and the jungle was so thick that one would be able to advance slowly, cutting one's way with knives the whole way. So we stayed in the boat, hoping that when we reached the sea, a friendly fisherman would pick us up and take us to civilization.
As for water, there was a choice. We could drink the muddy river water, or die of thirst. We drank the water. Men who have just escaped from what appeared to be certain death lost all worries about such small things as diseases caused by dirty water. In fact, none of us suffered from any illness as a result.
One day we passed another village, but fortunately nobody saw us. We did not wish to risk being taken prisoners a second time: we might not be so lucky as to escape in a stolen boat again. | high11915.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "I write some encouraging words on the food"
},
"options": [
"we feed the homeless every Saturday or Sunday night",
"I write some encouraging words on the food",
"we offer food for about 30 or more people every Saturday or Sun... | Every Saturday or Sunday night my family and I go out and feed the homeless people in the city of Orlando. There are thousands of people across the United States without any food or shelter. My family and I have been doing this for several months.
We all get together in the kitchen and prepare the food. Some of the meals are sandwiches, cookies and a bottle of water. Sometimes my mom prepares a steaming hot delicious meal. We then bag them all up to feed 30 or more people.
I like to write special notes on the bags like "God loves you." Before my family and I get into the car we ask God for protection in a family prayer. A lot of people misunderstand homeless people. Not all homeless people are drug addicts or bad people. Some are really nice. Some of them just had bad things that happened to them.
At first when my family and I went out on the street we had to earn their trust. A lot of people are unkind to them for no good reason. But now that they see us every week, they trust us. We even know some of their names. We all have to remember that these are people that have feelings. Some of them shake our hands for giving them food, and thank us. Some of them do really funny dances because they are happy.
We have become really close with this man named Tony and his wife. They have all of their personal belongings in shopping carts. After meeting with them several times he has told us a lot about his life. He graduated from Harvard University and has a PHD. He used to teach French and Spanish. He lost his job after the economic crisis began.
After we get done feeding the homeless, _ makes me appreciate what I have at home. Sometimes it makes me sad, and makes my mom cry. I love feeding the homeless, and making a difference in someone's life. | high2194.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "He is a businessman who runs a school."
},
"options": [
"He is an English teacher in an obedience school.",
"He is a businessman who runs a school.",
"He is a dog-keeper who is learning how to properly care for his dog.",
... | If you talk about a dog's life, go to Beijing to see the pampered dogs. Dogs clipped, dressed up, washed and dried. Here, it's the owners who go to obedience school, and these people pay almost a thousand US dollars a month to learn how to properly care for their pets. Dogs are hot in Beijing, a symbol of a new middle-class family.
Dogs or pets can take the place of children, even husbands. Qin Lu, 23-year-old dog owner, certainly thinks her dog makes some more loyal partner. She's spending 1,300 yuan, that's almost 200 US dollars a month, sending her dog to the training school. Think about it, almost half her monthly salary as a secretary.
Personally, if I have a dog, I want to give it the very best of everything. Otherwise, I wouldn't have a dog.
Before we get too sentimental, though, other dogs in China have a far more grisly fate, many still destined for the dinner table, dog meat, a popular delicacy . But appetites are changing. What was once for the eating is now for the treating. Beijing alone is home to more than a million dogs. Owners spend an average 25 dollars a month on pets. Do the math. Dogs are big business. Ning Wei who runs this obedience school on the outskirts of Beijing said. "It has been open for almost three years. There are many dogs. And now we are opening another branch."
As their owners embrace everything western, so too, are the dogs. Ning Wei's specializing in producing a new breed of bilingual puppies. Yes, dogs that understand Chinese and now English. "I'm going to do a test now to see if it understands both English and Chinese effectively, if its Chinese is better than my English, and if its English is better than my Chinese." | high20276.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "is in charge of the activity to estimate the infection rate with the collected and examined studies about all major studies."
},
"options": [
"works as the leader of the Institute of Dentistry at Queen Mary, University of London.",
... | Poor Oral Health Leads to Social and Emotional Problems
A new report says nearly four-billion people have major tooth decay, or cavities. That number represents more than half of the world's population. Health officials are warning that failure to repair cavities can lead to social and emotional problems.
Wagner Marcenes is with the Institute of Dentistry at Queen Mary, University of London. He led a team of researchers as part of the Global Burden of Disease 2010 study. About 500 researchers attempt to collect and examine studies about all major diseases. They used the information to estimate rates of the infection.
The report says untreated tooth decay is the most common of all 291 major diseases and injuries. Professor Marcenes says cavities or holes in permanent teeth are also known as caries.
"Caries is a chronic disease that shares the same risk factors as cancer, cardiovascular disease. What we're having now is an increase in disease from highly developed countries happening in sub-Saharan Africa and probably it will be in other areas of Africa, too."
He says an increase in tooth decay in Africa could be a result of developing countries becoming more like Western nations.
"It is likely to be related to a change in diet. Our industrialized diet leads to chronic disease, which includes caries. And that may be the main explanation."
Western diets are rich in sugar, a leading cause of health problems in the mouth. Wagner Marcenes says oral health problems can have a major effect on a person's quality of life. First, cavities make eating difficult. Second, people may change what they eat. They may eat softer foods that are not hard to chew. However, softer foods are often fattier foods.
But professor Marcenes says the biggest issue in tooth decay is both social and mental. He says the researchers found strong evidence that the mouth has a big influence on socialization. He says many people want to hide bad teeth. They smile less and communicate less.
Wagner Marcenes is calling for an "urgent, organized, social response" to the widespread lack of oral health. He believes in a natural method to fight tooth decay by having a healthier diet. He is also calling for the development of new and less costly dental materials and treatments. | high4283.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Watersports Club"
},
"options": [
"Watersports Club",
"Diving Centre",
"Sailing Club",
"Riding School"
],
"question": "If you want to swim and enjoy activities which are fast and a bit dangerous,you should join ... | Riding School:
You can start horse-riding at any age. Choose private or group lessons any weekday between 9 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. (3:30p.m. on Saturday). There are 10 kilometers of tracks and paths for leisurely rides across farmland and open country. You will need a riding hat.
Opening Hours: Monday through Friday: 9:00a.m.---8:30 p.m.
Phone: (412) 396---6754 Fax: (412)396---6752
Sailing Club:
Our Young Sailor's Course leads to the Stage 1 Sailing qualification.You'll learn how to sail safely and the course also covers sailing theory and first aid.Have fun with other course member , afterwards in the clubroom.There are 10 weekly two-hour 1essons (Tuesdays 6 p.m.~8 Pp.m.).
Opening Hours:Tuesdays:6:00 p.m.--8:00 p.m.
Phone:(412)396--6644 Fax:(412)396--6644
Diving Centre:
Our experienced instructors offer one-month courses in deep-sea diving for beginners.There are two evening lessons a week,in which you learn to breathe underwater and use the equipment safely.You only need your own swimming costume and towel.Reduced rates for couples.
Opening Hours:Monday and Friday:6:30 p.m.--8:30 p.m.
Phone:(412)396--6312 Fax:(412)396--6706
Medical Center:
The staff of the Medical Center aim to provide convenient and comprehensive medical care to students and staff of the university.The center is well equipped and the staff here are trained to deal with a broad range of medical problems.Both female and male doctors as well as nursing staff are available for consultation.Also,all kinds of medicines are sold here and are cheaper for students than other drugstores.
Opening Hours:24 hour from Monday to Sunday
Phone:(412)396--6649 Fax:(412)396--6648
Watersports Club:
We are a two-kilometer length of river for speedboat racing, and water-skiing, A beginners' course consists of ten 20-minute lessons. You will learn to handle boats safely and confidently, but must be able to swim. The club is in a convenient central position and is open daily from 9a.m. to 4 p.m. with lessons all through the day.
Opening Hours: Monday through Friday: 9:00a.m. ---4:00 p.m.
Phone: (412)396---6899 Fax: (412)396---6890 | high21168.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "wars between countries"
},
"options": [
"natural and human damage",
"limited preservation",
"booming tourists visiting",
"wars between countries"
],
"question": "The present situation of the Great Wall is not op... | It was originally built to defend an empire ,but now parts of the Great Wall of China are crumbling so badly they need someone to hurry to their defense.
About 2,000 kilometers, or 30%,of the ancient fortification built in the Ming Dynasty has disappeared due to natural and human damage, according to the Beijing Times. And the situation could worsen, experts are warning as not enough is being done to preserve what remains.
"It's a great pity to witness the Great Wall in such terrible situation ," Mei Jingtian, a volunteer who has worked for three decades to safeguard the structure and has founded the Great Wall Protection Association, tells CNN.
About 8,000 kilometers of the structure dates from the Ming period between the 14th and 17th centuries and is considered by some to be the original Great Wall.Of this, 2,000 kilometers is made up of naturally occurring earthworks - and so only 6,000 kilometers of actual Ming dynasty wall was ever built. Stretches built in other eras make up a total length estimated up to 21,000 kilometers.
Many visitors to china associate the Great Wall with a widely restored stretch of Ming era wall at Badaling near Beijing, but this is far from typical of most of the structure.
According to a 2014 survey done by the Great Wall of China Society, only about 8.2% of the Great Wall is in good condition, with74. 1% classified as poorly preserved, "The Great Wall is a vast heritage site - over 20,000 kilometers - thus increasing the difficulty in preservation and restoration," Dong Yaohui, deputy director of the Great Wall of China Society, tells CNN.
"Reliance on a very small amount of manpower by the local heritage departments is not enough to guard and protect the site."
A recent increase in interest from tourists in visiting wild sections, known as the "Wild Great Wall," has Accelerated its deterioration ,according to the report. | high18931.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "persuade us to care about the elderly"
},
"options": [
"tell us something about his work",
"tell us about a fishing experience",
"persuade us to take Grandpa fishing",
"persuade us to care about the elderly"
],
... | Several years ago, I worked as a truck driver for a company. On Saturdays I usually spent several hours doing something to keep my truck in good condition.
One Saturday, as I was cleaning my truck, I noticed the boss's elderly father came out to ask his grandson to take him fishing after work. The grandson told him all about how much he would love to do that, but he just couldn't because he had other plans already. The old man hobbled off to the house.
Then I heard the grandson telling his dad, "I'm not taking that old man fishing! It's worse than taking a kid."
That just broke my heart.
I _ working immediately and went home to fetch my fishing gear and a chair. Then I came back and invited the old man to go fishing. He accepted happily.
When we got to the river, I let him sit in the chair at the edge of the water. It wasn't long before he got a fish. He got one fish after another. His eyes were shining like a child. About half an hour later, he told me he was tired and needed to go home. So I took him and the fish home.
Two weeks later, the old man died. His family told me later that all he talked about during that time was his fishing trip. I am satisfied that I have taken an old man on his last fishing trip, but I am sorry that his family have lost their last chance. Whenever you get the chance, don't forget about taking Grandpa fishing. Someday, you may be in the same place and you'll want your family to care about you, too. | high6494.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "keep both man and elephants safe"
},
"options": [
"get long lasting excitement",
"make the angry elephants tame",
"send them back to the jungle",
"keep both man and elephants safe"
],
"question": "For Parbati, c... | The elephant was lying heavily on its side, fast asleep. A few dogs started barking at it. The elephant woke up in a terrible anger: it chased the dogs into the village where they ran for safety. That didn't stop the elephant. It destroyed a dozen houses and injured several people. The villagers were scared and angry. Then someone suggested calling Parbati, the elephant princess.
Parbati Barua's father was a hunter of tigers and an elephant tamer . He taught Parbati to ride an elephant before she could even walk. He also taught her the dangerous art of the elephant round-up -- how to catch wild elephants.
Parbati hasn't always lived in the jungle. After a happy childhood hunting with her father, she was sent to boarding school in the city. But Parbati never got used to being there and many years later she went back to her old life. "Life in the city is too dull. Catching elephants is an adventure and the excitement lasts for days after the chase," she says.
But Parbati doesn't catch elephants just for fun. "My work," she says, "is to rescue man from the elephants, and to keep the elephants safe from man." And this is exactly what Parbati has been doing for many years. Increasingly, the Indian elephant is angry: for many years, illegal hunters have attacked it and its home in the jungle has been reduced to small pieces of land. It is now fighting back. Whenever wild elephants enter a tea garden or a village, Parbati is called to guide the animals back to the jungle before they can kill.
The work of an elephant tamer also involves love and devotion. A good elephant tamer will spend hours a day singing love songs to a newly captured elephant. "Eventually they grow to love their tamers and never forget them. They are also more loyal than humans," she said, as she climbed up one of her elephants and sat on the giant, happy animal. An elephant princess indeed! | high7952.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "difficult to be put into practice"
},
"options": [
"impossible to be accepted",
"difficult to be put into practice",
"liked by nobody",
"not yet necessary to be put into practice"
],
"question": "The suggestion ... | City traffic is a great problem. More cars are produced every year and the streets are getting more and more crowded. So during "rush hours", when people are going to or from their work, traffic is brought to a standstill. It has been suggested that commuters--the people who travel to work every day from outside the city--should share their cars and give each other lifts. So each car would carry four or five people instead of only one. It is an excellent idea., however, so far nobody has been able to think of a way to make people do so.
To discourage motorists from leaving their cars in the streets all day, parking meters are used. When you park at a meter, you must put a coin in the slot . This pays for a certain amount of time. The meter records this and it shows when the time that you have paid for is finished. If the car is still there then, you have to pay a fine.
Traffic wardens look after the meters. They walk around the streets and check that every meter shows that money has been paid for the car parked there. If a meter shows 'TIME EXPIRED', the motorist who has left his car there is fined. Of course, the traffic warden can not wait for the owner of the car to return. He carries many printed forms, and on one of these he writes down all the details, such as the number of the car, where it is parked, how much the driver must pay and where he must send the money. He leaves this form on the car, where the driver will be able to see it easily; he usually pushes it under one of the windscreen wipers so that it will not be blown away. And in case it rains before the motorist returns, the form is put in a little plastic envelope to protect it. When the driver comes back, he gets an unpleasant surprise, but it is his own fault for leaving his car too long at parking meter. | high24010.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "money does not surely mean happiness"
},
"options": [
"money is very important in the material world",
"the purpose of our life is to make money",
"money does not surely mean happiness",
"we should value money in our li... | Recently a professor of philosophy in the United States has written a book called Money and the Meaning of Life. He has discovered that how we deal with money in our day to day life has more meaning than we usually think. One of the exercises he has asked his students to do is to keep a record of every penny they spend for a week. From the way they spend their money, they can see what they really value in life.
The professor says our relation with others often becomes clearly defined when money enters the picture. You might have wonderful friendship with somebody and you think that you are very good friends. But you will know him only when you ask him to lend you some money.If he does,it brings something to the relationship that seems stronger than ever before. Otherwise it can suddenly weaken the relationship if he doesn't. Since money is so important to us, we consider those who are rich to be very important. The professor interviews some rich people in his research for his book.
Question: What is the most surprising thing you have discovered about being rich?
Answer : The most surprising thing is why people give me so much respect . I am nothing.I don't know much.All I am is rich.
People just have an idea of making more and more money, but what is it for? How much money do I need for any given purpose in my life? In his book,the professor uncovered an important need in modern society:to bring back the idea that money is a tool rather than the end.Money plays an important role in the material world,but expecting money to give happiness may be missing the meaning of life. | high13870.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "it's not easy for Itzhak Perlman to get on the stage because he is disabled"
},
"options": [
"it's very difficult for Itzhak Perlman to play the violin with three strings",
"it's not easy for Itzhak Perlman to get on the stage beca... | On Nov.18,1995,Itzhak Perlman,the violinist,came on stage to give a concert at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City.
If you have ever been to a Perlman concert, _ him.He was stricken with polio as a child,and so he has braces on both legs and walks with the aid of two crutches .
He walks painfully, yet majestically, until he reaches his chair.Then he sits down,slowly, puts his crutches on the floor, undoes the clasps on his legs,tucks one foot back and extends the other foot forward.Then he bends down and picks up the violin, puts it under his chin,nods to the conductor and proceeds to play.
But this time,something went wrong.Just as he fmished the first few bars ,one of the strings on his violin broke.You could hear it snap ---it went off like gunfire across the room.There was no mistaking what that meant.There was no mistaking what he had to do.
We figured that he would have to get up,put on the clasps again,pick up the crutches and limp his way off stage-to either find another violin or else find another string for this one.But he didn't.Instead.he waited a moment,closed his eyes and then signaled the conductor to begin again.
The orchestra began,and he played from where he had left off.And he played with such passion and such power and such purity as they had never heard before.
When he finished, there was an awesome silence in the room.And then people rose and cheered.He smiled,wiped the sweat from this brow, raised his bow to quit us,and then he said in a quiet tone."You know, sometimes it is the artist's task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left.'' | high6480.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "He cheated in business."
},
"options": [
"He sold bombs. ks5u",
"He caused death of people.",
"He made detectors.",
"He cheated in business."
],
"question": "Why was McCormick sentenced to prison?"... | LONDON --- A British judge on Thursday sentenced a businessman who sold fake bomb detectors to 10 years in prison, saying the man hadn't cared about potentially deadly consequences.
It is believed that James McCormick got about $77.8 million from the sales of his detectors which were based on a kind of golf ball finder to countries including Iraq, Belgium and Saudi Arabia. McCormick, 57, was convicted of cheats last month and sentenced Thursday at the Old Bailey court in London.
"Your cheating conduct in selling a great amount of useless equipment simply for huge profit promoted a false sense of security and in all probability materially contributed to causing death and injury to innocent people," Judge Richard Hone told McCormick. "you have neither regret, nor shame, nor any sense of guilt."
The detectors, sold for up to $42,000 each, were said to be able to find such dangerous objects as bombs under water and from the air. But in fact they "lacked any grounding in science" and were of no use.
McCormick had told the court that he sold his detectors to the police in Kenya, the prison service in Hong Kong, the army in Egypt and the border control in Thailand. "I never had any bad results from customers," he said. ks5u | high16908.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a newspaper report"
},
"options": [
"a business story",
"a scientific article",
"a newspaper report",
"an official document"
],
"question": "The passage is probably _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions... | Two Chinese living in South Africa were killed in a robbery on February 5, bringing the total number of Chinese killed in the country to four in less than a month.
Chen Jianqing, 35, from Southeast China's Fujian Province, who ran a shop with her husband in a small town 45 kilometers away from South African capital Johannesburg, was shot dead. www.zxxk.com
"One of her business partners died later in the hospital," the Chinese consulate officials in Johannesburg said yesterday. "Local police are trying to find more information about the case. And we have told the victims' relatives and are helping them come to Johannesburg," Consul Wu Gang told China Daily. Chen's husband was injured during the robbery but did not suffer seriously, said Wu.
The robbery happened at about 5:45 pm local time and the armed robbers ran away after taking more than 50,000 South African rand (US $8,200) and some jewelry, Xinhua News Agency reported.
The killing happened just three days after Chen Jingmin, a 23-year-old man from Qingdao, Shandong Province, was shot dead north outside Johannesburg by armed robbers. On January 10, a Hong Kong businessman was attacked and robbed at his home in Johannesburg and died the next day in the hospital. All these happened just in less than a month.
According to records, there were more than 40 robberies attacking Chinese in South Africa last year, in which eight were killed. More than 100,000 Chinese are doing various kinds of businesses in South Africa, according to a Chinese official in the country. An increasing number of them are becoming targets of robbers after buying big houses or luxury cars, the official said. | high5189.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "seek employment"
},
"options": [
"teach at a school",
"start a business",
"seek employment",
"work as web designers"
],
"question": "The purpose of the advertisements is to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_qu... | *A swimming coach from Moldova is looking for a job in Beijing. Qualifications as: Coach/Judge at National Standard; Olympian (Ranking 12th in the world in 1995), World Cup Silver Medalist. Experienced children's coach at all levels; Qualified driver (B, C, D, E categories); Bodybuilding instructor; Fluent in Russian, English, French, Ukrainian.
Contact Max Cazmirciuc at: 13126711168 or email:mcazmirciuc@yahoo.com
*A retired president and CEO of two Canadian companies, interested in teaching English or French in China.
Cellphone: 13520559132, email: Jeanguyfurois@aol.com
*Web design graduates are available. For details visit: www.inhb.com, or call Liu or Tang at: 0311-3160000. Email: luogq@beinfo.net
*Female Beijinger, 39, has a decade's experience in import-export business, human resources management, interpretation and secretarial work. I have a good command of computer skills and am good at English, both writing and speaking.
Mobile: 13611163663
*Laid-off workers are providing PC maintenance services such as system upgrade, virus detection and removal, data copying and recovering, system utilization and security.
Call: 67327317 | high20262.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "it sometimes messes up the times and social orders."
},
"options": [
"it is complicated and can be classified into science fiction.",
"it is often based on the familiar story in history.",
"it sometimes messes up the times an... | The news that China bans time-travel TV dramas and movies got a lot of attention on the internet. Yet, time travel in China is a bit different from time travel in common sense.It is anything but science fiction and always goes backwards in time.There is minimum imagination involved--no ever-ending circles that mess up present and future, no advanced technology, no new social orders or new human forms from the twenty--whatever century, everything is a known historical fact when you travel through in China.
It is not even called time travel; rather the Chinese people refer it as time crossover.Time crossover has been an extremely popular theme for online novels for years(in fact , it is an indispensible part of China's online culture), and didn't get picked up by TV and the big screen until recent two years.Most of time-travel dramas and movies are adapted from popular online novels and like in other cases adaptations are never better than the original books.
The main plot of time-travel novels or TV dramas can be very well summarized in one sentence: from nobody to somebody.Time travel in China is more about escaping from the reality than about realizing wild dreams.
In China , there is no need of time machine either.People travel backwards in time via the possession of antiques presence at historical places of interest encounter of life-threatening accidents or simple a look into the mirror.Some time-travel novels even start with "I wanted to go back to history so much that one morning when I opened my eyes I was back." Technology is not relevant at all.
Though China is not short of histories to go back to, people have their own preferences and it is pretty much a gender thing.If the main character is male then he usually goes back to special times in history when he is able to help build up or tear up a dynasty.A typical example is A Step Into the Past , the first time-travel TV drama in China, which tells the story of how a SWAT member helps to unite China and build up Qin Dynasty .
On the other hand , female characters primarily go back to Qing Dynasty partly because Qing Dynasty has the most number of princes to fall in love with.Yongzheng Emperor is the favorite.As can be seen in Startling by Each Step , a Qing time crossover classic, a girl goes back to Qing Dynasty and falls in love with Yongzheng Emperor and his brothers. | high4297.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The iris scan"
},
"options": [
"The voice scan",
"The fingerprint scan",
"The iris scan",
"The facial scan"
],
"question": "Which is the most accurate form of biometrics?",
"question_type": null
},
{
... | "Iris scan , please," the bank's computer voice tells you . You step up and the computer reads your eye , comparing it to the stored file it has of your iris. The images had better match--otherwise you won't be able to get your money.
Iris scanning and other technologies , such as fingerprint and voice scanning , have appeared in many science fiction movies in the past. Today , these advanced technologies are part of the real world. They are common at work, the bank, the airport, and your local prison. The iris scan, fingerprint scan, and voice scan are all examples of biometrics a fast developing area of automatic personal identification technology . Basically , biometrics uses various ways to verify a persons identity , based on the individual's unique characteristics ,including fingerprints , voices, irises, body heat patterns, facial images, handprints , signatures and so on.
Biometrics identification systems have a number of advantages over password systems. The primary advantage is that an individual has to be physically present in order to be identified. Another important advantage is that there are no passwords to remember , forget, lose or steal.
The voice scan is the simplest and most affordable form of biometrics . It only requires a computer, a microphone and the correct software. The software records a subject's voice and then compares it to a stored voice sample for identification purposes.
For additional safety, fingerprint and handprint scans can also be employed . Fingerprint scans take the image of a fingerprint and compare it to a stored file of prints. Handprint scans identify the unique features of a hand.
Iris scans currently give the highest level of accuracy among all the available biometrics systems. Another technology , full facial scans , is currently in use at border crossings and airports. Facial scanning equipment can actually track and identify moving faces within a crowd.
The potential of biometrics is exciting and encouraging . With continued development , testing , and application , current technologies will become even more effective in the future. Soon , the days of password and car keys will be gone . Just don't leave home without your fingerprints! | high18925.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "often helped her a lot"
},
"options": [
"was still busy working",
"often had a good rest",
"often helped her a lot",
"taught her to drive a car"
],
"question": "When the author's husband was at home, he _ .",... | Sometimes life makes more sense when you look at it in reverse . That's certainly been true for me.
Last Christmas, at 39, I caught a disease which attacked my knees and eyes. At its worst I could hardly walk or see. For months I' d have to crawl across the floor to use the bathroom or get a drink of water when my husband wasn't home. For a while I could only see shapes and colors so I couldn't drive.
My parents kept begging me to let them come out to stay with me in Los Angeles, but our apartment is small and I knew there was nothing they could really do to help me. For the excellent health insurance my husband had through his job, I was receiving the best medical care possible.
My only problem was that I couldn't drive to my doctors' appointments and I didn't want my husband to keep missing work to drive me. Three days after I explained this to my parents, a check came from them with a note saying this was "taxi money". Several months later another check showed up from my brother to help make up our income since I wasn't able to work. It probably goes without saying that I was extremely grateful to have family members who could and would support me during the hard time.
In terms of my day-to-day existence, I live in a village within Los Angeles called Brentwood so I was able to walk to the local post office, market, bank, and library. But once there, I had to depend on the kindness of strangers to help me. Los Angeles is a big city, but I lived in a village with a wonderful community of people who were kind and patient.
Slowly I became well. Life was good again and I thought I had a clear understanding of the blessings this illness has provided. | high11901.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Because more electronic devices are available to them."
},
"options": [
"Because more electronic devices are available to them.",
"Because electronic devices are more exciting than before.",
"Because they have less other acti... | It's 10:30 pm, and 11-year-old Brandon Blanco is sound asleep at home. Suddenly, a loud noise wakes him up. Naturally, Brandon reaches for his cell phone. The message becomes clear: "R U awake?"
Brandon' s use of technology doesn' t stop there. He also has a computer, a TV and three video-game consoles ( ) in his room. With so many choices, it' s no surprise that when he isn' t at school, he spends nearly every waking minute using one or more of these devices
Brandon is hardly alone. According to a recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, kids aged 8 to18 are spending more time than ever before using electronic devices. How much time? More than seven and a half hours a day on average, the study found.
The jump is the result of a huge explosion in mobile devices, says Victoria Rideout, the lead author of the study. Today, nearly seven out of ten kids have cell phones. Just five years ago, it was four out of ten.
Often, kids multitask, or use more than one device at a time. " If you've got a chance to do something on your computer and take a phone call and have the TV on in the background, why not?" media expert Cheryl Olson says.
Most experts agree technology has much to offer kids. But some worry the kids could be missing out on other activities like playing outside or hanging out with friends. " It' s a matter of balance," says Olson." You've got to work on it. "
Multitasking while doing homework is another concern. Some kids listen to music, watch TV or use the phone while doing their homework. "It' s important to make sure that you can stop and concentrate on one thing deeply, " says Rideout.
With new and exciting devices hitting stores every year, keeping technology use in check is more important than ever. " Kids should try," adds Rideout. " But parents might have to step in sometimes. " | high2180.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "whether he feels comfortable with it"
},
"options": [
"whether he often surfs the Internet",
"whether he can get security",
"whether it is subtle or extreme",
"whether he feels comfortable with it"
],
"question"... | It is reasonable to say that every teenager can be affected by peer pressure at some point. Every day, in any high school, peer pressure has a major influence over the behavior of teenagers. It can be as subtle as being persuaded to be late for class or as extreme as a dangerous drug. Whether subtle or extreme, peer pressure can have damaging, sometimes life changing, and even serious results.
"Teens don't often consider the long-term results that some behavior can cause," said Terri Price, a researcher. "Peer pressure can be very difficult to handle for many teens because of their fears of not fitting in". Peer pressure has always been part of teen life, but teens experience _ differently than their former generations did in the past. Sources of peer pressure have increased because of the Internet and other electronic communications.
Recognizing peer pressure can be as simple as noticing that you have been asked to do something that you are not comfortable with. "Listen to your instinct , which is a sign for whether something is right or wrong. If it feels wrong, then most likely it is. "says Price.
Teens are in a time of life when they are still discovering who they are. Many teens are influenced by peer pressure because of their insecurities . This can make them helpless especially when their self-control is weak or they lack healthy support, causing them to take risky behavior or turn to unhealthy support.
Dealing with peer pressure is a topic of concern for teens. People can say, "Just say no," but the truth is that the statement is easier said than done. | high1489.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "read Weekend section"
},
"options": [
"call 1-800-311-1969",
"go over the House and Home section",
"read the Art section",
"read Weekend section"
],
"question": "If you want to find out the more information of f... | The New York Times is now better than ever-All the more reasons to order home delivery now.
NEW-Separate sections for the Arts, Monday through Thursday, and Sports 7 days a week that you can pull out, take with you or pass along.
NEW-The Dinning In, Dinning Out section, Wednesday, a banquet of great meals you can make yourself order up or eat out.
NEW-The House & Home section, Thursday, filled with useful, interesting features and articles about making the most of all sorts of living spaces.
NEW-An Enlarged, two-part Weekend section, Friday with more ideas about movies, shows, art exhibitions, outdoor and indoor recreation.
Latest news and sports results daily. And of course, daily world and national news, Sunday's special sections and all the other great features you'll continue to find in the Times.
Find out just how much you can obtain from the Times every day.
Call 1-800-311-1969 or use the postage-paid order card to order convenient home delivery at 50% OFF our regular price. | high22313.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "important"
},
"options": [
"boring",
"useless",
"important",
"interesting"
],
"question": "For Indians, having small talk with American colleagues is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"... | Although Americans are well known for getting down to business, Indians working in overseas teams, MNCs, and BPOs should know the importance of small talk. While Indians have a true interest in talking to Americans and getting to know them, they also hesitate to do so for some reasons. Americans engage in less personal small talk than Indians. And the topics and questions used in English vary widely based on language differences and cultural differences. Here are three things to keep in mind while you are trying to make small talk with your American clients and colleagues.
Amencans love to ask about, and then complain about the weather. They may talk about how the weather prevented them from having fun or how the weather supported their outdoor events. You can talk about the weather with them to begin a conversation. While talking, they always try to follow up on their answer by asking another open-ended question or make a statement, such as "Wow, that sounds like fun ! " or "You went to St. Louis. In which state is that?" Be creative in your questions. Feel free to ask one or two, but not very personal ones about relations. Stick to the facts or events that were already referred to.
Sometimes, some words used in India will totally confuse an American. For example, Americans use the word "weekend" instead of "holiday" for Saturdays and Sundays ( non-working days) , and use the word " vacation" or " days off" instead of " out-of-station" .
Always be interested, optimistic and happy. Talk with a smile! Vary the sound of your voice. Do not sound like a computer. If you are unsure how you sound, a good tip is to record yourself and listen to it later. Doing this helps you know how your voice sounds, and if you don't sound as you want to be heard, it may be time to work on _ your voice. | high14879.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "he had a negative attitude towards autumn"
},
"options": [
"he suffered a lot from cold November",
"he missed the shining summer days very much",
"he had a negative attitude towards autumn",
"he enjoyed butterflies and ... | Autumn means different things to different people. "It all depends on your personality," said British naturalist Richard Mabey. "Personality shapes your view of the season," he said. "You may see it as a fading-away,a packing-up ,or as a time of packing in another sense--the exciting gathering of resources before a long journey."
If this is true,perhaps it tells us a little about,for instance,Thomas Hood,the 19th Century English poet. About November,he wrote:
No warmth,no cheerfulness,no healthful ease
No shade,no shine,no butterflies,no bees
November!
On the other hand,another English poet John Keats,already sensing he was seriously ill,was inspired by a late September day to pen one of the most famous poems in the English language,To Autumn. He wrote to a friend afterwards that there was something comforting and healing about it.
According to Richard Mabey,Keats has the biological evidence on his side. Autumn is not a time of slowing down,but a time of new beginnings and great movements of creatures. For example,just at the moment that Keats's "gathering swallows" ( in To Autumn)are departing for Africa,millions of creatures are fleeing from the frozen north like Iceland,Greenland and Russia to winter along the east and south coasts of Britain. According to scientists,before falling,the leaves transfer their chlorophyll and carbohydrates into the woody parts of the tree for safe keeping over winter. What remains is the natural antioxidants in the leaves: the yellow and orange carotenoids ,and another protective chemical specially produced for autumn,the bright-red anthocyanin .High colour is not a signal of deterioration and decline,but of detox ability and good health.
A century after Keats,the American poet Loren Eiseley wrote in his journal:
"Suppose we saw ourselves burning-like maples in a golden autumn. And that we could break up like autumn leaves...dropping their substance like chlorophyll. Wouldn't our attitude towards death be different?" | high15030.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "In the long run, money cannot guarantee happiness."
},
"options": [
"The more money we earn, the less returns we have.",
"The more money we earn, the happier we would be.",
"In the long run, money cannot guarantee happiness."... | Does money buy happiness? Not! Ah, but would a little more money make us a little happier? Many of us smirk(,) and nod. There is, we believe, some connection between financial fitness and emotional fulfillment. Three in four American college students--nearly double the 1970 proportion-- now consider it "very important" or "essential" that they become "very well off financially". Money matters.
But a surprising fact of life is that in countries where nearly everyone can afford life's necessities, increasing wealth matters surprisingly little. The connection between income and happiness is "surprisingly weak," observed University of Michigan researcher Ronald Inglehart in one 16-nation study of 170,000 people. Once comfortable, more money provides diminishing returns . The second piece of pie, or the second $100,000, never tastes as good as the first. Even lottery winners and the Forbes' 100 wealthiest Americans surveyed by University of Illinois psychologist Ed Diener have expressed only slightly greater happiness than the average American. Making it big brings temporary joy. But in the long run wealth is like health: its complete absence can create suffering, but having it doesn't guarantee happiness. Happiness seems less a matter of getting what we want than of wanting what we have.
Has our happiness, however, floated upward with the rising economic tide? Are we happier today than in 1940s, when two out of five homes lacked a shower or tub? Actually, we are not. Since 1957, the number of Americans who say they are "very happy" has declined from 35 to 32 percent. Meanwhile, the divorce rate has doubled, the teen suicide rate has increased nearly three times, the violent crime rate has gone up nearly four times, and depression has mushroomed. Economic growth has provided no boost to human morale. When it comes to psychological well being, it is not the economy.
I call this soaring wealth and shrinking spirit "the American paradox." More than ever, we have big houses and broken homes, high incomes and low confidence, secured rights and reduced civility. We are good at making a living but often fail at making a life. We celebrate our prosperity but long for a purpose. We treasure our freedoms but long for connection. In an age of plenty, we feel spiritual hunger. | high7577.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "It's difficult for passengers to get the best price."
},
"options": [
"Passengers are unable to search for airfares.",
"Airlines often play games with passengers.",
"Airfares are set in different situations.",
"It's dif... | Searching for airfares often seems like a game that passengers are bound to lose.
Prices change from day to day, even minute to minute. Looking through multiple websites for the best deal can be a big challenge. Even when you do book, there's no guarantee that you are going to get the best price.
"You just don't know when to _ . It's not like buying anything else I can think of," said George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog.com.
Harriet Levy paid $179 for a recent round-trip flight on American Airlines between New York and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Sitting just one row behind her, Shirley Harrison paid $215. A few rows back, Ellis and Dianne Traub paid $317 each. There were at least 12 fares on the flight, ranging from $169 to $360.
There's no reason for it, Harrison said.
Fares can fluctuate significantly in just a few hours. One Delta flight from New York to Los Angeles jumped from $755 to $1,143 from a Friday to Saturday in late April, then fell to $718 on Sunday.
The flight was one of a dozen the Associated Press followed over three months for a vacation between July 16 and 22. The number one finding: avoid booking tickets on weekends. It's the most expensive time to buy.
There's no way to guarantee the best fare. But before booking, travelers should pay attention to this additional advice:
* Book on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. That's when airlines most often offer sales.
* Buy in advance, but not too early. The best time is four to six weeks before traveling. In general, prices for any given flight are highest eight to 10 weeks and two to three weeks in advance.
* Make use of social media. Airlines are giving more benefits like exclusive sales to travelers who interact with them on Twitter and Facebook. Those specials are often gone within hours.
* The so-called discount airlines - JetBlue, Air-Tran, Southwest and Frontier - adjust their fares less frequently than other airlines, so you can feel more confident that the price will stay the same. But their prices aren't always the lowest. Researching multiple airlines' fares is the only way to get a good deal. | high1106.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "He was slowed down by a truck."
},
"options": [
"He was lonely on the road.",
"He was slowed down by a truck.",
"He got tired of driving too long.",
"He came across too many traffic lights."
],
"question": "Why ... | Last night I was driving from Harrisburg to Lewisburg,distance of about eighty miles. It was late. Several times I got stuck behind a slow-moving truck on a narrow road with a solid white line on my left, and I became increasingly impatient.
At one point along an open road, I came to a crossing with a traffic light. I was alone on the road by now, but as I drove near the light, it turned red and I made a stop. I looked left, right and behind me. Nothing. Not a car, no suggestion of car lamps, but there I sat, waiting for the light to change, the only human being for at least a mile in any direction.
I started wondering why I refused to run the light I was not afraid of being caught, because there was clearly no policeman around, and there certainly would have been no danger in going through it.
Much later that night, the question of why I'd stopped for that light came back to me. I think I
stopped because it's part of a contract we all have with each other. It's not only the law, but it is an agreement we have, and we trust each other to honor it: we don't go through red lights.
Trust is our first inclination .Doubting others does not seem to be natural to us. The whole construction of our society depends on mutual trust, not distrust. We do what we say we'll do; we show up when we say we'll show up; and we pay when we say we'll pay. We trust each other in these matters, and we're angry or disappointed with the person or organization that breaks the trust we have in them.
I was so proud of myself for stopping for the red light that night. | high492.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "helps it collect much more water than other plants"
},
"options": [
"enables it to survive with fewer leaves",
"works in many other desert plants in the world",
"helps it collect much more water than other plants",
"pre... | ScienceDaily (July 5, 2009) -- Researchers from the University of Haifa-Oranim have managed to make out the "self-irrigating" mechanism of the desert rhubarb , which enables it to harvest 16 times the amount of water collected by other plants in the Negev Desert. This is the first example of a self-irrigating plant worldwide.
The desert rhubarb grows in the mountains of Israel's Negev desert, where average rainfall is particularly low (75 mm per year). Unlike most of the other desert plant species, which have small leaves so as to reduce water loss, this plant is unique in that its leaves are particularly large; each plant's rosette of one to four leaves reaches a total diameter of up to one meter.
Prof. Simcha Lev-Yadun, Prof. Gidi Ne'eman and Prof. Gadi Katzir came across this unique plant while studying the field area with students of the Department of Science Education-Biology of the University of Haifa-Oranim, and noticed that its waxy leaves are unusually large. They observed an exceptionally ridged structure on each leaf.
The scientists explained that these deep and wide depressions in the leaves create a "channeling" mountain-like system by which the rain water is channeled toward the ground surrounding the plant's deep root. Other desert plants simply absorb the rain water that goes through the ground in its immediate surroundings.
The desert rhubarb is able to harvest quantities of water that are 16 times the amount of water harvested by the small-leafed plants of the Negev desert region. When the research team watered the plant artificially, they observed how the water flows along the course of the leave's depressions to the ground surrounding the plant's single root and then goes through the ground to a depth of 10 cm or more. Under the experimental conditions, water goes through the ground only as deep as 1 cm.
"We know of no other plant in the deserts of the world that functions in this manner," the researchers concluded. | high22844.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Her love for Utah's wilderness and her ski experiences."
},
"options": [
"Her being ready for any ski risks.",
"Her love for Utah's wilderness and her ski experiences.",
"Her dreaming of the best ski job on the planet.",
... | After serving as a ski guide in Utah's back country for more than two decades, a Park City woman is being recognized by Outside Magazine as 2015's Best Ski Guide.
Deb Lovci grew up in Colorado and began skiing when she was five years old. Later she moved to Utah and fell in love with the back country of Wasatch Mountains. Lovci has now served as a Ski Utah Interconnect guide for 27 years. "Anything that you slide on snow, I'm in love with, " she said.
Lovci leads ski tours through the back country of six different resorts located in the Wasatch Mountains. Lovci typically takes a group of eight to ten people on a ski tour each day, and on average, she takes 300 customers on tours through the back country each season. She loves showing off Utah's wilderness. "I love the back country," she said. "I love the snow science behind it. I love the safety ... I just love it."
Along with leading ski tours, Lovci is passionate about anything related to activities. She also runs a bed-and-breakfast in Park City, the Old Town Guest House. As " _ ", she also runs Alpine skis, Nordic skis competitively, and snowboards, and leads mountain bike tours during the summer.
Outside Magazine selected five travel guides in various outdoor fields to name as the best in their Best of Travel April issue. Lovci said she was unexpectedly cheerful when she was selected as 2015's Best Ski Guide by Outside Magazine. "We all work really hard in what we do and we love it and it's really nice to get acknowledged," she said. "I work with a lot of excellent guides and the award could have gone to anybody -- any one of us. I often recall my ski experiences which were fearful at the beginning, but they helped me achieve a success."
In a news release, Ski Utah director of communications, Paul Marshall said, "Deb Lovci is one of the most enthusiastic, focused, knowledgeable guides in the industry. Without her as the forefront of our Interconnect Tour, we would not have the success we have. She has been an enthusiastic part of the Interconnect Tour for 27 years and is thought highly of by our customers." | high13441.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Crying tears of joy helps to balance emotions."
},
"options": [
"The reason why people cry with tears.",
"Crying tears of joy helps to balance emotions.",
"Strong negative feelings are useful to people.",
"People recove... | When people reunite with their loved ones, it's usually all extremely happy moment. But what is their most common response to seeing them again? It may seem strange,but most of the time they break down in tears.
Now a group of psychologists from Yale University say they have found the reason why, and that crying tears of joy may well be the body's way of keeping emotional balance. "They seem to take place when people are overtaken by strong positive emotions, and people who do this seem to recover better from those strong emotions," Oriana Aragon, the lead researcher said.
Aragon and her fellow psychologists looked at hundreds of participants' emotional responses to different things, including happy reunions and cute babies. Many participants said they would react in a negative or aggressive way to the positive things ---- to cry at happy moments and want to pinch a cute baby's face or even tell them "I want to eat you up!" But then researchers found that these people were able to calm down from strong emotions more quickly.
There are many other examples of times when people respond to a positive experience with a negative emotional reaction. At an exciting concert, fans scream at their idols . People who have just had a big lottery win are often in floods of tears. "These findings advance our understanding of how people express and control their emotions, which is importantly related to mental and physical health, the quality of relationships with others, and even how well people work together." said Aragon. | high12987.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "you may make a fool of yourself trying to be smart"
},
"options": [
"you may make a fool of yourself trying to be smart",
"it means that you should not be above asking questions",
"you are actually trying to make fun of your ... | A good relationship between students and teachers makes the classroom a very inviting place. When you like your teachers, it's easier to pay attention to their explanations and improve your marks. When you consider your teachers as friends, you'll certainly have more respect for them. When your teachers consider you to be a friend, they'll feel more open in class and that will probably influence the classroom in a positive way. Now here are some tips to develop a friendly relationship with your teachers:
Ask questions. If you have any questions about that subject, ask them. Show them that you're interested in their subjects. That will make them notice you. But never ask questions that you already know the answers to. If your teachers realize that you are not asking real questions, they might think that you're not actually trying to learn, but only trying to make an impression.
Talk about non-school subjects. When you see one of your teachers in the hall, greet him/her and ask if he/she is going to that concert or if he/she has seen that movie. That way you'll show that you consider him/her as a reined. Some teachers don't like to have friendly relationships with students, but most of them are happy to chat with their students. After a while, they may start to talk with you about non-school subjects in the classroom.
The rest is totally up to you; it is very easy to develop a friendly relationship with any of your teachers. If you want to be friends with your teachers, just treat them as friends, but don't forget that no matter how good friends you are, they will still be your teachers and deserve your respect. | high6669.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Perhaps your friendship is over because of your problem."
},
"options": [
"You are always late when you and your friend plan to go out.",
"Perhaps your friendship is over because of your problem.",
"Your friend is fond of com... | Most friendships die a nature death: people move, change jobs, or start different stages of life. Other friendships, however, end unexpectedly. When a friendship is over and you don't understand why, it can be especially painful. Sometimes a friend ends your relationship without telling you why.
The loss of friendship might be worth _ . Knowing when a friendship is over and why it ends may help you build stronger friendships in the future.
*See if you can find a problem.
When a friendship is over, examine your relationship. Perhaps you remember your friend complaining that you're always late. Maybe you seldom return your friend's phone calls. When a friend ends your relationship, try to find out the reasons why the friendship is over.
* Writer a letter to your friend .
Express you feelings about the friendship. Do you miss seeing them? Do you have any regrets? Would you act differently if you were still friends? Make it an honest communication.
* Express you feeling of being hurt or anger.
Write or talk about how you feel in a letter. When a friendship is over, it's important to communicate exactly how hurt you feel, and why. Write until you have nothing left to say. When a friend ends your relationship, you do have the right to express yourself.
* Communicate that you are open to pick up the friendship .
When a friendship is over and you want to reconnect some day, send Christmas, or birthday cards. Say hi and send greetings through mutual friends. When a friendship is over, don't give up until you're ready.
* Decide to make your present friendships better.
An adviser once told me that simply talking about your relationship strengthens your relationship. Talk to your present friends. Are they happy with your friendship? If a friend ends your relationship, learn something from it. | high5360.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He comforts him with a hug."
},
"options": [
"He tries to amuse him by behaving awkwardly.",
"He leaves him alone.",
"He comforts him with a hug.",
"He advises him to go for a walk."
],
"question": "What does Ba... | ON a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your pain?
Baymax, the plus-sized white robot, asks the question each time he detects his patient's pain. Considering that he is hardly like a typical Marvel superhero, how could this robotic caregiver from Big Hero 6 have stolen viewers' hearts and taken home this year's best animation Oscar?
Set in fictional San Fransokyo, the film follows Hiro, a 14-year-old robotics genius . After his brother dies, he goes on a journey to save his city from an evil masked man with his brother's invention, Baymax.
Baymax was named "Disney's most straightforwardly adorable character" in years by The Telegraph. He has a pure white pear-shaped body and stumpy elephant legs. And his eyes -just two black dots with a line through them - can blink quickly or slowly. Baymax's physical appearance "works with his personality because he's purely good and naive ," co-director Don Hall told The Hollywood Reporter.
Sometimes Baymax is awkward. Moving in tight spaces gets challenging with his potbelly . And when his batteries run low, he behaves like an amusing drunk. "This means that he is not at all intimidating and is easy to like," commented The Straits Times in Singapore.
Baymax is a comforting friend, the kind that perhaps everyone needs.
After he diagnoses Hiro with feeling sorrow, he says: "Physical comfort helps too," and pulls Hiro into a hug. He pats his head, saying: "There, there."
The team's car crashes into the water at one point, and they have to walk shivering back home. Baymax notices that everyone's body temperatures are low, so he turns on his internal heaters. Everyone cuddles up with him. "This is like spooning with a warm marshmallow ," says Fred, one of the characters.
One minute, he is used as a bouncy castle , and the next he transforms into a superhero.
To fight against the villain, Hiro upgrades Baymax so that the robot can attack and fly. The robot has a hard time figuring out these new skills, but after he realizes that Hiro is happy with his improvement, he immediately becomes an expert. "The treatment is working,"he says.
Tencent Entertainment calls the amazing Baymax a "perfect companion"."He is quiet, clumsy, and adorable. But at important times, he steps up and stops at nothing to protect his friends from harm, even if it means that he has to sacrifice his life. This is an idealized relationship in harsh reality," the site commented. | high10148.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Because people are in the dark about the feelings of Princess Kaguya."
},
"options": [
"Because people are in the dark about the feelings of Princess Kaguya.",
"Because the story itself offers a combination of wonder, humour and so... | At Japan's Studio Ghibli, which has produced extraordinary animated films since 1985, the best-known figure has always been one of the company's founders, Hayao Miyazaki.
But an equally key figure is co-founder Isao Takahata, who has recently made a new feature, The Tale of Princess Kagnya. It is an unforgettable feature with an unusual hand-drawn aesthetic .
The title character is a tiny baby girl who appears in a bamboo plant. She is found by a woodcutter, who takes her home and brings her up. He believes the little girl is a princess, and sets about preparing what he regards as a suitable world for her.
This original story is the oldest work of fiction in Japan; every child knows it in its simplified folktale form.
"It is a fascinating story with elements of wonder, humour, and sorrow,'' Takahata says, "but these three elements are scattered about." The chief challenge for anyone trying to adapt it is that "we are completely unable to comprehend what was in the heart of Princess Kaguya. Because of this, despite its being well known, few people consider it interesting. There have been several attempts at making a film out of the story, but they ended up being abandoned."
He was connected with one of these attempts, but no one paid any attention to his concept.
"Fifty-five years later, I thought my concept was still appealing, and used it as a basis for turning the story into a feature film."
His concept involves the princess's origins, her expectations and her access to "the full range of human emotions".
To realize his vision, Takahata says, "I needed to take the extremely individualistic brushwork and key designs of Osamu Tanabe and Kazuo Oga, two brilliantly talented artists, and have them permeate throughout the film. The two of them drew many pictures, but they weren't nearly enough. The most challenging part was to have all the other animation staff copy their styles in a free and easy way."
The Tale of Princess Kaguya has been released, and people are saying that the two founders, now in their seventies, have directed their final films. But is it as clear-cut as that? When I ask Takahata about a scene of escape and urgency with a particularly distinctive visual style, he says he had intended to use "this type of rough-drawn, forceful animation, in a project before this film.
"That project hasn't been realized yet, but if it comes to pass, this style is essential."
A hint, perhaps, there's still more to come. | high11256.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "grandmother"
},
"options": [
"father",
"mother",
"uncle",
"grandmother"
],
"question": "It was his _ who first influenced Escoffier to be interested in cooking.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
... | Famous as "the king of chefs and the chef of kings," Auguste Escoffier helped raise the position of cooking from a laborer's task to an artist's job. Escoffier was born on October 28, 1846, in the small village of Villeneuve-Loubet, near Nice, France. Among the key figures in the boy's life was his father, who worked primarily as a blacksmith . His grandmother, an enthusiastic cook, was perhaps more responsible than anyone for introducing the boy to an appreciation of the delights of cooking.
Young Escoffier attended the local school until age 12, upon which time his father thought it necessary that the boy learn a trade. In school he had shown a talent for drawing, yet he was told to regard this art only as a hobby, and to find his career in a more practical profession. Thus his father took him to Nice in 1859, where he would work as an apprentice in his uncle's restaurant, the respectable Le Restaurant Francais.
At Le Restaurant Francais, Escoffier was not treated as the close relative of the boss. Rather, he experienced a classically demanding apprenticeship. For this strictness of training he would later, in his memoirs , express gratefulness. During this time Escoffier also attended night school, and had to deal with his studies as well as the demands of a promising career.
When Escoffier was 19 and had taken on yet more responsibilities in his uncle's restaurant, a customer recognized his skills and offered him work in Paris. This was the owner of Le Petit Moulin Rouge, one of the finest restaurants in Paris, where Escoffier was to become a sous-chef, ranking below the head chef. After three years in this position, he rose to the level of head chef, wearing the respected chef's hat. | high3711.txt |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.