questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "our brain focuses on one thing at a time"
},
"options": [
"our brain focuses on one thing at a time",
"our two nostrils act differently towards the same smell",
"our nose prefers to smell stronger smells",
"our sense of... | Can you smell two things at once? This experiment comes from the research of two scientists from Rice University. Denise Chen and Wen Zhou have been experimenting with the science of smell, and have made some very interesting discoveries.
To explore that, you will need two things with strong, characteristic smells and, of course, your nose. The idea is to smell a different smell with each nostril . Hold one smell very close to your right nostril, and the other smell very close to your left nostril. Then breathe in and pay close attention to what you smell.
What you should find is that one smell will be very strong. After another sniff or two, the first smell will go away, and you will smell the other smell. Keep sniffing, and the first smell will come back. Instead of smelling the two smells evenly mixed, they will work in turns, one after the other.
Why? Chen and Zhou found that your sense of smell acts much like your sense of sight. Hold a book in front of your nose, so that your left eye sees things on the left side of the book, and your right eye sees things on the right side of the book. You will find that your sight works in turns, first on the left side of the book and then on the right side. Notice that you can't focus your left eye on one object while focusing your right eye on another object. Your brain jumps back and forth , paying attention to one and then the other. The same thing happens with your nostrils. If they are smelling different smells, your brain pays attention to one and then the other. | high18071.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "know only a little about China"
},
"options": [
"know only a little about China",
"know much about China",
"know nothing about China",
"like China very much"
],
"question": "From the passage we know that most US... | About 400 high school students from Western Pennsylvania and the neighboring state of Ohio joined a heated discussion recently on "China: What Does the Future Hold?"
"It's either going to turn out really good or really bad - who knows?" said Braveen Ragunathan, a senior from an Ohio high school. In his mind all Americans are connected to China in some way.
The forum was held in Pittsburgh, once a US industrial center, now facing job-cuts because of competition brought about by globalization. The aim of the forum is to help American students learn more about the outside world.
Elliott Blackwell, a junior at the Neighborhood Academy, said the forum let him know more about how China's economic development will affect America in the future.
Some students, although impressed by China's economic boom, expressed uneasiness about the nation's practices and differences from the American way of doing business and politics.
"China is a power coming up,so they might challenge us," Paul Amon, a junior from Oil City High School, said. "I'd hope that China can be our partner but I think that we'd clash along the way because we're too different," he added.
George Riley, a teacher explained: "The view of China is usually negative and I think that's fueled by the media."
However, some negative feelings are not from the media. Merri Ebel is a senior at East Allegheny High School north of Pittsburgh. Both her parents lost their jobs recently. The company they worked for said it was cheaper to produce goods in China rather than the US.
"China is just this big question mark. China was just a big country with millions of people that no one really knew about because it was so far away and our class was more American history based," she said.
For better or worse US teenagers are eager to know more about China, the forum shows. | high17342.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the teacher caught them smiling"
},
"options": [
"the teacher seemed to know everything",
"the teacher caught them smiling",
"the teacher caught them talking",
"the teacher was not foolish"
],
"question": "The s... | On the first day of the new term, I met my new headmaster at the school gate. "Follow me, please!" he said. He had a quiet, kind voice. He took me into my new classroom and left. In front of me, thirty pairs of eyes looked at me. I knew he had told the students that I was blind. I could almost feel the question behind their eyes: Blind? I felt the answer too: If she's blind, this should be good! I heard quiet voices in a corner of the classroom. For a moment, I felt afraid. I knew at once that I had to be strong.
"Class," I said as loudly as I could. "I may be blind. But I am not foolish. Take those naughty smiles off your faces, and stop talking, please!" Of course, I could not see their faces; I just guessed that some of them were smiling. The class were quiet. They were very surprised. I knew that I had done the right thing.
As the days went by, the students had more surprises. I could smell when the children were eating sweets. I could easily hear combs going through hair, students passing messages, and so on. Once I found a girl passing a message to a friend. I took the message to the teachers' room. A teacher read it to me. On one side it said, "Do you think she can see?" on the other it said, "I think so. She always knows what we're doing."
Soon the students stopped being naughty, and started to work hard. Before long, they brought in photos of their families for me to look at; I knew then they were my friends. I also knew they had forgotten that I could not see. | high1463.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "a full-length skirt"
},
"options": [
"skinny jeans",
"designer clothing",
"a woolen hat",
"a full-length skirt"
],
"question": "According to the passage, if a girl wants to look cool, she will wear _ .",
... | Looking good can matter a lot when you are a teenager. Of course the budget matters a lot, too. Luckily, fashion trends in the UK mean that getting the right image doesn't have to _ . Here's a quick guide to which looks are hot this year.
For girls, the 70s are back. Wide-legged jeans, platform shoes and skirts that reach the feet are again in fashion among UK teens, topped off with colored, shining eyeshadow. Girls can have fun mixing and matching bright shades. Colors like pink, orange and light yellow-green are all perfectly fit. Shorts and mini-skirts are still popular in cold weather. By wearing a pair of tights underneath ( ..), girls can stay warm as well as fashionable in the winter.
How about boys? To look lively, fans of skateboards and snowboards can dress in skinny jeans accompanied by a T-shirt topped off with a baseball cap or a woolen hat. Music is often an inspiration for fashion, and hip-hop music fans like to dress in baggy jeans, T-shirts, baseball caps and sneakers. For those who can afford it, designer clothing is a must, especially if the logo is showing. | high14893.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "4,000."
},
"options": [
"1,000.",
"2,000.",
"3,000.",
"4,000."
],
"question": "How many people were included in the survey last month?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"a... | National Family Week-an event that encourages families to spend more time together-carried out a study among 8-15 yearolds.The study found 40% of girls thought Facebook was one of the most important things in their lives-compared with 6% of boys.Parents were found to underestimate the importance of Internet technology.
The role of social networking was particularly important in families with a single mother as parent.The survey was carried out last month and based on 3,000 parents and 1,000 children across the UK.
The survey shows that girls are using social networking as something central to their social and family life.Girls saw websites such as Facebook as much more influential than television,magazines, famous people and even their own brothers and sisters.Asked to name the three most important things in their lives, the most popular choices for girls were friends, family and then Facebook and MSN.
Girls are also more likely to believe that technology-in the form of social networking and mobile phones-plays an important role in their lives.While 41% of girls think technology is one of their biggest influences,only 17% of boys believe this.
Girls see their big influences as parents,teachers and technology,while boys choose parents,friends and school as their big influences.The survey says that parents have failed to keep up with their children's use of technology,overestimating their own importance in their children's lives.
The survey also looked at how children thought about their relationships with their parents.It found that both boys and girls would much rather have stories read to them by their mothers.However,girls felt closer to their fathers,while boys felt closer to their mothers. | high15555.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Institution worldwide are hiring administrators from the US."
},
"options": [
"Institution worldwide are hiring administrators from the US.",
"A lot of activists are being hired as administrators",
"American universities are ... | When next year's crop of high-school graduates arrive at Oxford University in the fall of 2009, they'll be joined by a new face: Andrew Hamilton, the 55-year-old provost of Yale, who'll become Oxford's vice-chancellor----a position equal to university president in America.
Hamilton isn't the only educator crossing the Atlantic. Schools in France, Egypt, Singapore, etc. have also recently made top-level hires from abroad. Higher education has become a big and competitive business nowadays, and like so many businesses, it's gone global. Yet the talent flow isn't universal. High-level personnel tend to head in only one direction: outward from America.
The chief reason is that American schools don't tend to seriously consider looking abroad. For example, when the board of the University of Colorado searched for a new president, it wanted a leader familiar with the state government, a major source of the university's budget. "We didn't do any global consideration," says Patricia Hayes, the board's chair. The board finally picked Bruce Benson, a 69-year-old Colorado businessman and political activist who is likely to do well in the main task of modern university presidents: fund-raising. Fund-raising is a particularlly American thing, since U.S. schools rely heavily on donations. The fund-raising ability is largely a product of experience and necessity.
Many European universities, meanwhile, are still mostly dependent on government funding. But government support has failed to keep pace with rising student numbers. The decline in government support has made fund-raising an increasingly necessary ability among administrators , and has hiring committees hungry for Americans.
In the past few years, well-known schools around the world have joined the trend. In 2003, when Cambridge University appointed Alison Richard, another former Yale provost, as its vice-chancellor, the university publicly stressed that in her previous job she had overseen "a major strengthening of Yale's financial position."
Of course, fund-raising isn't the only skill outsiders offer. The globalization of education means more universities will be seeking heads with international experience of some kind to promote international programs and attract a global student body. Foreigners can offer a fresh perspective on established practices. | high8321.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Boxing is a violent sport with high injury rate."
},
"options": [
"Boxing is a violent sport with high injury rate.",
"People enjoy boxing because of its brutal nature.",
"Only professional players are allowed to attend boxin... | Boxing is a fist fighting sport between two matched combatants wearing padded gloves. A boxer's primary aim is to land as many blows as possible to the head and torso of the opponent, using strength and speed to dominate the contest. One of the oldest sports still practiced, boxing dates back to thousands of years ago. Today the sport is popular in many parts of the world and encompasses both amateur and professional matches.
For most of the 20th century boxing attracted huge fan and media attention in the United States. Some boxing champions became legendary, larger-than-life figures, such as Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, and Muhammad Ali. Criticized to varying degrees throughout its history for its violent nature and high injury rate, boxing has somehow always managed to survive----and even thrive----as a sport.
Modern boxing regulations are based upon the 12 rules set out by British boxing officials in the mid-19th century. These rules became known as the Marquess of Queensberry Rules, named after the 8th Marquess of Queensberry, John Sholto Douglas, who sponsored and published them. In addition to in-the-ring rules, modern boxing also has specific regulations regarding eligibility for the fighters themselves.
The modern rules for professional and amateur boxing differ, but both types of contests are divided into time periods called rounds. In professional boxing, each round lasts three minutes; in amateur boxing, two minutes. A one-minute rest period between rounds is standard. Amateur contests consist of three rounds; professional contests may consist of up to 12 rounds. A bell is usually sounded by a timekeeper to begin and end each round.
A key step in making boxing safer and more respectable was the introduction of gloves, ending brutal bare-knuckle competition. Boxing gloves are heavily padded to soften the impact of the blow and to protect the hands of the boxer. As an added protection, the hands are taped before being placed in the gloves, which are essentially huge mittens. Professional gloves usually weigh between 170 and 226g; amateur gloves average 226 to 340g. | high15233.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "was first a national event held every four years"
},
"options": [
"was held by Zeus, king of the Olympian Gods",
"was a religious event",
"was first a national event held every four years",
"was an international event h... | In ancient Greece athletic festivals were very important and had strong religious associations. The Olympian athletic festival held every four years in honor of Zeus, king of the Olympian Gods, eventually lost its local character, became first a national event and then,after the rules against foreign competitors had been put to an end, international. No one knows how far back the Olympic Games go, but some official records date from 776 BC.
The games took place in August on the plain by Mount Olympus. Many thousands of people gathered from all parts of Greece to watch the games, but no married woman was admitted even for watching. Slaves, women and dishonored persons were not allowed to compete. The exact sequence of events is uncertain, but events included boy's gymnastics, boxing, wrestling, horse racing and field events, though there were fewer sports involved than in the modern Olympic Games.
On the last day of the Games, all the winners were honored by having a ring of holy olive leaves placed on their heads. So great was the honor that the winner of the foot race gave his name to the year of his victory. Although Olympic winners received no money, they were, in fact, richly rewarded by their state authorities. | high7774.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "he wanted to get help from the driver"
},
"options": [
"the businessman drove at a high speed",
"he envied the brand-new car very much",
"he wanted to get help from the driver",
"he wanted to ask for some money"
],
... | About ten years ago, a young and very successful businessman named Josh was traveling down a prefix = st1 /Chicagoneighborhood street. He was going a bit too fast in his shiny, black, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE, which was only two months old.
He was watching for kids rushing out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no child came out, but a brick sailed out and-WHUMP!-it hit the Jag's shiny black side door! SCREECH. . . !!!! Immediately Josh stopped the car, jumped out, seized the kid and pushed him up against a parked car. He shouted at the kid, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing?!" Building up a head of steam, he went on. "That's my new Jag, that brick you threw is gone cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw it?"
"Please, mister, please. . . I'm sorry! I didn't know what else to do!" begged the youngster. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop!" Tears were streaming down the boy's face as he pointed around the parked car. "It's my brother, mister," he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up. " Sobbing, the boy asked the businessman, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair?" He's hurt and he's too heavy for me. "
Moved beyond words, the young businessman tried hard to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. Straining, he lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapers and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be OK. He then watched the younger brother push him down the sidewalk toward their home.
It was a long walk back to the black, shining, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE -- a long and slow walk. Josh never fixed the side door of his Jaguar. He kept the dent to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at him to get his attention. _ | high23959.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "It makes the player concentrate on the result instead of the role in it"
},
"options": [
"It encourages our brains to think clearly",
"It makes people feel lonely",
"It makes the player concentrate on the result instead of th... | Reading is good for you. There is increasing evidence to show that reading isn't merely a way of improving literacy and knowledge, but that it might actually be good for one's mental and physical health, too.
In the age of Twitter and short attention spans, reading novels, which requires intense concentration over a long period of time, could be the antidote .
Neuroscientists Baroness Susan Greenfield says that reading helps to lengthen attention spans in children and improve their ability to think clearly. "Stories have a structure that encourages our brain to think in sequence, to link cause, effect and significance," she says "It is essential to learn this skill as a small child."
"In a computer game, you might rescue a princess, but you don't care about her, you just want to win," she explains, "But a princess in a book has a past, present and future. You can relate to her. You see the world through her eyes"
According to professor John Stein, Oxford university, reading is far from a passive activity. "Reading exercises the whole brain," he explains. " When we get lost in a good book, we are doing more than following a story, Imaging what is happening is as good as activating the brain as doing it. In other words, our brains simulate real experiences, and it is just as if we were experiencing them ourselves. This doesn't happen when we are watching a TV or playing computer games."
Getting stuck in a good novel appears to be good for one's mental health. Reading helps one not only fights loneliness, but also forget one's own problems for a while.
Researchers found that just six minutes of reading could reduce stress levels by more than two-thirds, more than listening to music or going out for a walk. The concentration required to read distracts the mind, easing muscle's tension and slowing the heart rate. Reading may be good for physical health, too, by preventing brain aging and disease. | high9981.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Checking all the facts to be written in the guides."
},
"options": [
"Working in different places to collect information.",
"Checking all the facts to be written in the guides.",
"Finishing her work as soon as possible.",
... | When you're lying on the white sands of the Mexican Rivera, thestresses of the world seem a million miles away. Hey, stop! This is no vacation--you have to finish something.
Here lies the problem for travel writer and foodcritic Edie Jarolim. "I always loved traveling and always liked to eat, but it never occurred to me that I could make money doing both of those things," Jarolim said. Now you can read her travel advice everywhere--- inArts and Antiques, inBrides, or in one of her three books,The Complete Idiot Travel Guide to Mexican Beach Resorts.
Her job in travel writing began some eight years ago. After getting a PhD in English in Canada, she took a test for Frommer's travel guides, passed it, and got the job. After working at Frommer's, Jarolim worked for a while at Rough Guides in London, then Fodor's where she fell so in love with a description of the Southwest of the U.S. that she moved there.
Now as a travel writer, she spends one-third of her year on the road. The rest of the time is spent completing her tasks and writing reviews of restaurants at home in Tucson, Arizona.
As adventurous as the job sounds, the hard part is fact-checking all the information. Sure, it's great to write about a tourist attraction, but you'd better get the local museum hours correct or you could really ruin someone's vacation. | high691.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To tell candidates how to introduce themselves when finding a job."
},
"options": [
"To tell candidates how to go to a reception desk.",
"To tell candidates how to introduce themselves when finding a job.",
"To give some sugg... | When you want to find a job, you have to face the employer and you must know how to introduce yourself well. Then you will be lucky enough.
The first impressions can play a major role in how an employer like you as a candidate . What you say during the first step of the interview may make a big difference. In fact, some hiring managers may make a decision to refuse a candidate based on what they didn't do when you met them. That's why it's important to pay attention to interview manners and to carefully think through how you will introduce yourself during a job interview.
When arriving at the interview site you can introduce yourself to the receptionist by giving your name and telling the purpose of your visit. For example: "My name is Tim Jones and I have an interview scheduled with John Smith at 2 pm." You will be guided into the interview room or the hiring manager will come out to meet you in the reception area. Again, take the time to introduce yourself so the interviewer knows who you are.
Offer to shake hands, even if the interviewer doesn't offer his hand first. Tell the interviewer that it is a pleasure to meet him. Smile, and be sure to make eye contact.
Many hiring managers will start an interview with an open-ended question like "Tell me
about yourself." Your response should focus on the key elements in your background. You should carefully analyze the job first to the interviewer, and you can point out the interests, skills, experiences, and personal qualities.
Your introduction should be brief enough to hold the interest of the interviewer so that you can move on to the next question. Your goal is to connect personally with the interviewer as well as to show that you're qualified for the job. Of course, your comments should show your enthusiasm for the job and organization. However, don't overdo it and don't spend too much time talking about yourself. | high13642.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Working in the British embassy."
},
"options": [
"Being a translator for a leader.",
"Graduating from the university.",
"Working in the British embassy.",
"Continuing her study in the university."
],
"question":... | A girl who graduated from a world-famous university wanted to do translation work for authority leaders. She was so happy when she entered the British embassy . She thought it was the greatest happiness in her life as many graduates wanted to get that job while she was one of the few people who got it!
But when she started her new job, she realized that it was just a job of answering calls and recording staff members' starting and quitting times. It was unappreciated and was supposed to have no future. However, she didn't feel sad about it. She learnt how to love the job. And she loved it when she was working. The names and phone numbers of the staff members were written down on the notebook so that she could remember them. When the phone calls came in, she picked it up as soon as possible. When someone asked her about who was not in the office, she would answer them the right name and the time when they left. Nobody could do that except her.
Her wonderful performance not only received the compliments from the embassy's staff, but also the employees from the local government. And a leader of a famous company in Britain was also impressed by it and invited her to work for him. After that she became a personal translator of an important leader from Britain and appreciated by the foreigners.
We cannot choose our destiny , but we can choose the attitude with which we face our life. Maybe the attitude could change our destiny. If we cry to life, life will be gray. If we smile to life, life will smile to us, too. | high23781.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "the Antarctic ice sheet is shrinking"
},
"options": [
"the Antarctic ice sheet is shrinking",
"the coldest place on earth",
"the major Antarctica's ice shelves",
"the Atlantic Ocean are changing"
],
"question": ... | Scientists are learning new things about Antarctica, the coldest place on Earth. For example, the Antarctic ice sheet is shrinking. A new study found that summer ice loss in parts of Antarctica was at its highest level in 1,000 years. The study showed that Antarctic ice was melting mostly from below ice shelves, where the water is warmer than the ice.
Eric Rignot is an earth system expert at the University of California, Irvine. He also works for the American space agency, NASA. There he serves as senior research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, also in California. He says ice melting from below is responsible for 55 percent of the shelf loss from 2003 to 2008. That is a much higher rate than scientists thought earlier.
Professor Rignot and his team used satellite observations, radar and computer models to measure features above the ice to learn what was going on below.
The measurements show differences from one area to the next around the continent. The major ice shelves are called Ross, Filchner and Ronne. They make up two-thirds of Antarctica's ice shelves. But they are responsible for only 15 percent of the melting ice.
The professor says even small changes, like changes in ocean flow driven by wind, can make a huge difference in the melting of the ice shelf.
Sixty percent of the Earth's fresh water is held in the huge Antarctic ice sheet. Professor Rignot says the study will help experts predict how the continent reacts to warmer ocean waters and helps to cause rising sea levels around the world. The study was published in the journal Science. | high9759.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "must have a safe driving record"
},
"options": [
"must sing and dance well",
"must be able to use word processing software",
"must have a safe driving record",
"must look very young"
],
"question": "If one wants... | Toddler Teacher
About the Job
November 16, 2011
TITLE: Toddler Teacher
LOCATION: Sinton & Falfurrias, TX .
REQUIREMENTS: Must have an Associate's or Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Development. Must have a valid driver's license and a safe driving record. Bilingual (English/Spanish) ability is preferred. Three years of prior employment experience in a pre-school program is required. Computer skills, including the use of word processing software, are preferred. Must be able to pass a pr -employment physical, a criminal background check and fingerprint clearance. Since the toddlers are very young,, the teachers should be very patient and help them. GENERAL DUTIES: Responsible for the day-to-day supervision and operation of the assigned classroom.
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
Apply At:
Community Action Corporation of South Texas P. O. Drawer 1820
Alice, Texas 78332
Teacher
About the Job
Location: Falfurrias & Hebbronville, TX
Requirements: An Associate or Baccalaureate degree in early childhood or a related field and three years of teaching experience in a licensed public school setting at a grade level no higher than elementary school. If employed with an Associate degree, must obtain a Baccalaureate degree within four years of employment. Bilingual ability (Spanish/English) is preferred. Good communication skills, in written and oral forms, are necessary.
General Duties: Children here are older than toddlers. Their ages are from 4 t0 5. So the teacher will provide activities that support the growth and development of each child in the assigned classroom.
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
Send Application to:
Community Action Corporation of South Texas P. O- Drawer 1820
Smith, Texas 78333 | high5163.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The situation and elimination of pollution."
},
"options": [
"The type and form of pollution.",
"The cause and effect of pollution.",
"The situation and elimination of pollution.",
"The concept and examples of pollution... | Even before there were people, there were cases of air pollution. There were dust storms. Volcanoes erupted, sending ash and poisonous gases into the atmosphere. When people appeared on the scene and began their conquest of nature, they also began to pollute the air. They cleared land, which made possible even larger dust storms. They built cities, and the soot from their hearths filled the air. The Roman author Seneca wrote in A.D. 61 of the "stink, soot and heavy air "of the imperial city. In 1257, the Queen of England was forced to move away from the city of Nottingham because the heavy smoke was unbearable. The industrial revolution brought even worse air pollution. Coal was burned to power factories and to heat homes. Soot, smoke, and sulfur dioxide fill the air.
The good old days? Not in the factory towns. But there were large rural areas unaffected by air pollution.
With increasing population, the entire world is becoming more urban. It is the huge cities that are most affected by air pollution. But rural areas are not unaffected. In the neighborhoods around smoky factories, there is evidence of increased rates of spontaneous abortion and of poor wool quality in sheep, decreased egg production and a high death rate in chickens.
Traffic police in Tokyo have to wear gas masks and take "oxygen breaks" --breathing occasionally from tanks of oxygen. Smog in Athena at times has forced factory closings and traffic restrictions. Acid rain in Canada is caused by air pollution in the United States, contributing to strained relationships between the two countries. Sydney, Rome, Tehran, Ankara, Mexico City, and most other major cities in the world have had frightening experiences of air pollution.
One of the two major types of smog--consisting of smoke, fog, sulfur dioxide, sulfuring acid (H2SO4), ash and soot--is called London smog. Indeed, the word smog is thought to have originated in England in 1905 as a contraction of the words "smoke" and "fog."
Probably the worst case of smog in history started in London on Thursday, 4 December, 1952. A large cold air mass moved into the valley of the Thames River. A temperature inversion placed a blanket of warm air over the cold air. With nightfall, a dense fog and below-freezing temperatures caused the people of London to put coal into their small stoves. Millions of these fires burned throughout the night, pouring sulfur dioxide and smoke into the air. The next day, Friday, the people continued to bum coal when the temperature remained below freezing. The factories added their smoke and chemical fumes to the atmosphere.
Saturday was a day of darkness. For twenty miles around London, no light came through the smog. The air was cold and still. And the coal fires continued to bum throughout the weekend. On Monday, 8 December, more than one hundred people died of heart attacks while trying desperately to breathe. By the time a breeze cleared the air on Tuesday, 9 December, more than 4,000 deaths had been caused by the smog.
Soot and ash can be removed by electrostatic precipitators . Unfortunately, they use large amounts of electricity, and the electrical energy, which is hardly affordable for most of us, has to come from somewhere. Fly ash removed from the air has to be put on the land or water, although it could be used in some way.
The elimination of sulfur dioxide is more difficult. Low-sulfur coal is rare and expensive. Although sulfur can be washed from finely pulverized coal, the process is expensive. There are also processes for changing dirty coal into clean liquid and gaseous fuels. These processes may hold promise for the future, but they are too expensive to compete economically with other fuels at present. They also waste a part of the coal's energy. | high18717.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "who have a drinking habit"
},
"options": [
"who produce wine",
"who have a drinking habit",
"who go on a diet",
"who are eager to lose weight"
],
"question": "The passage is mainly for those _ .",
"questio... | A glass a day keeps obesity at bay.Alcohol has always been thought to cause weight gain because of its high sugar content,but new research suggests a glass a day could form part of a diet.Looking at past studies they found that,while heavy drinkers do put on weight;those who drink _ can actually lose weight.
A spokesman for the research team at Navarro University in Spain says,"Light to moderate alcohol intake,especially of wine,may be more likely to protect against,rather than promote,weight gain".The International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research reviewed the findings and agreed with most of the conclusions,particularly that current data do not clearly indicate if moderate drinking increases weight.
Boston University's Dr.Harvey Finkel found that the biologic mechanisms relating alcohol to changes in body weight are not properly understood.His team pointed out the strong protective effects of moderate drinking on the risk of getting conditions like diabetes ,which relate to increasing obesity.Some studies suggest that even very obese people may be at lower risk of diabetes if they are moderate drinkers.
The group says alcohol provides calories that are quickly absorbed into the body and are not stored in fat,and that this process could explain the differences in its effects from those of other foods.They agree that future research should be directed towards assessing the roles of different types of alcoholic drinks,taking into consideration drinking patterns and including the past tendency of participants to gain weight.
For now there is little evidence that consuming small to moderate amounts of alcohol on a regular basis increases one's risk of becoming obese.What's more,a study three years ago suggested that resveratrol,a compound present in grapes and red wine,destroys fat cells. | high11055.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "created huge waves when it hit the shore"
},
"options": [
"caused many injuries but no deaths",
"created huge waves when it hit the shore",
"was caused by an earthquake deep in the sea",
"traveled at a speed of 800 kilo... | THERE are natural disasters that humans can predict. There are others whose timing is difficult to know. What happened in Indonesia last month fell into the latter group.
On October 25, a tsunami caused by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in the Mentawai islands of West Sumatra, Indonesia hit shores and damaged whole villages. By last Friday, it had left about 450 dead and forced around 15,000 people to leave their homes.
Tsunami is Japanese for "harbor wave". It is usually caused by a sudden rise or fall of part of the Earth's crust under the ocean. It is most common in the Pacific and Indian oceans.
Normally a tsunami is a series of waves. The waves can be very long - as much as 100 kilometers - and be as far as one hour apart. They are able to cross oceans without losing much energy. When the ocean is deep, tsunamis can travel unnoticed at speeds of up to 800 kilometers an hour. They can cross a whole ocean in a day or less.
The wave may only be a few meters high but when they are near the shore and reach shallow water, they build up height very quickly. Some witnesses in the Mentawai islands reported seeing up to 6-meter high waves crash onto the shore.
Failed alert system
Many countries set up early warning systems in their waters in the hope of giving people enough time to escape to higher ground in the event of a tsunami.
But Indonesia's warning system, completed with German aid, stopped working about a month ago because of disrepair , according to the country's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency. As a result, not a single siren sounded after the earthquake. However, it was unclear if the sirens could have made a difference because the islands affected were so close to the epicenter that the tsunami would have reached them within minutes. | high19409.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the rabbit didn't have a true friend"
},
"options": [
"the animals were the hounds' friends",
"the animals didn't believe the rabbit",
"there were no hounds coming at all",
"the rabbit didn't have a true friend"
],
... | There was once a rabbit who thought the more friends she had, the better. So she made many friends. She even thought she was the most popular animal in the world.
One day the rabbit heard hounds baying not far from her. Usually, she hurried away at the first sound of a baying dog. But this time she didn't want to run for her life as before. "I have so many friends, and they could help me," she thought. She decided to ask one of them to carry her to safety.
The rabbit asked the horse, "Please, dear friend, will you carry me away from the hounds?"
The horse answered, "I wish I could help you, but I have work to do for my owner." Then the rabbit asked the cow for help. The cow answered, "I wish I could help you, but it's almost milking time."
The goat had something important to do, too. So were the sheep and the pig. Every animal the rabbit asked for help seemed to be _ . Even the calf had no time for her. Each of her friends said, "I wish I could help you." But all of them had some excuse that prevented them from helping her.
Sadly, the rabbit said to herself, "I have so many friends in the world, but why don't they help me when I'm in danger?"
By this time, the hounds were getting closer. The rabbit didn't have any time to think. She was forced to run for her life. She quickly took off and, luckily, escaped just in time. | high21196.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Plakuntos-picea-pizza"
},
"options": [
"Plakuntos-pizza-picea",
"Pizza-plakuntos-picea",
"Picea-plakuntos-pizza",
"Plakuntos-picea-pizza"
],
"question": "Which is the correct order of the changes of pizza?",
... | So you thought the hamburger was the world's most popular fast food? After all, McDonald's Golden Arches span the globe . But no, there is another truly universal fast food, the ultimate fast food. It's easy to make, easy to serve, much more varied than the hamburger, can be eaten with the hands and it's delivered to your front door or served in fancy restaurants. It's been one of America's favourite foods for over 50 years. It is, of course, the pizza.
It's kind of silly to talk about the moment when pizza was "invented". It changed over the years, but one thing's for certain--it's been around for a very long time. The idea of using pieces of flat, round bread as plates came from the Greeks. They called them "plakuntos" and ate them with various simple toppings such as oil, garlic , onions and herbs. The Romans enjoyed eating something similar and called it "picea". By about 1000 AD in the city of Naples, "picea" had become "pizza" and people were experimenting with more toppings: cheese, ham, anchovies and finally the tomato, brought to Italy from Mexico and Peru in the sixteenth century. Naples became the pizza capital of the world. In 1889, King UmbertoIand Queen Margherita heard about pizza and asked to try it. They invited pizza maker, Raffele Esposito, to make it for them. He decided to make the pizza like the Italian flag, so he used red tomatoes, white mozzarella cheese and green basil leaves. The Queen loved it and the new pizza was named "Pizza Margherita" in her honour.
Pizza went to America with the Italians at the end of the nineteenth century. The first pizzeria in the United States was opened in 1905 at 53 Spring Street, New York City, by Gennaro Lombardi. But the popularity of pizza really exploded when American soldiers returned from Italy after World WarII and raved about "that great Italian dish". Americans are now the greatest producers and consumers of pizza in the world. | high2793.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "3-D film Draws Eyes"
},
"options": [
"3-D film Draws Eyes",
"3-D film at Disneyland",
"Avatar in Real-D Cinema",
"Revolution and entertainment"
],
"question": "could be the best title of this passage.",
"que... | Originally,making 3-D film was a way for filmmakers to draw viewers away from television.Over time,3-D film dipped in and out of the entertainment industry depending on the ups and downs of the market.
By the end of the twentieth century,3-D entertainment was most popular at amusement park attractions,including Disneyland and Universal Studios.Eventually,in l995,digital film revolutionized the film making industry when Disney Pixar's Toy Story(1995)brought life-like animation and computer graphics to the big screen.The movie's animation embodied the latest technology in computer animation until the release of Oscar winning Up(2009),which featured pop-out 3-D effects.
Finally,in December 2009,Avatar changed the flourishing landscape of 3-D film.Avatar boasts exceptional special effects.Cameron began developing Avatar in l995 and applied new techniques in 2006,where actors' physical movements are transferred to animated characters on the computer screen.Later,in movie theaters,Cameron showcased his final product in Real--D Cinema,the world's most popular digital 3-D projection system.
In a review,blogger Ben Patterson was _ by the overall presentation of Avatar.He said it was pretty much impossible tell what was digital effect and what was live action. | high20317.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "scientists should improve the design of the experiments"
},
"options": [
"plants' flowering is 8.5 times faster than leafing",
"there are 1,634 plant species on the four continents",
"scientists should improve the design of t... | Plants are flowering faster than scientists predicted in reaction to climate change,which could have long damaging effects on food chains and ecosystems.
Global warming is having a great effect on hundreds of plant and animal species around the world,changing some living patterns,scientists say.
Increased carbon dioxide (CO2)in the air from burning coal and oil can have an effect on how plants produce oxygen,while higher temperatures and changeable rainfall patterns can change their patterns of growth.
"Predicting species' reaction to climate change is a major challenge in ecology,"said the researchers of several U.S. universities.They said plants had been the key object of study because their reaction to climate change could have an effect on food chains and ecosystem services.
The study,published on the Nature website,uses the findings from plant life cycle studies and experiments across four continents and 1,634 species.It found that some experiments had underestimated the speed of flowering by 8.5 times and leafing by 4 times.
"Across all species,the experiments under-predicted the speed of the advance--for both leafing and flowering -- that results from temperature increases,"the study said.
The design of future experiments may need to be improved to better predict how plants will react to climate change,it said.
Plants are necessary for life on the Earth.They are the base of the food chain,using photosynthesis to produce sugar from carbon dioxide and water.They let out oxygen which is needed by nearly every organism on the planet.
Scientists believe the world's average temperature has risen by about 0.8 degC since 1900,and nearly 0.2 degC every ten years since 1979.
So far,efforts to cut emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases are not seen as enough to prevent the Earth heating up beyond 2 degC this century-- a point scientists say will bring the danger of a changeable climate in which weather extremes are common,leading to drought,floods,crop failures and rising sea levels. | high18688.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Wandering mind is sharper"
},
"options": [
"Why wandering mind is necessary",
"A new measure to test IQ",
"The importance of working memory",
"Wandering mind is sharper"
],
"question": "What can be a suitable ti... | Children at school need this type of memory on a daily basis for a variety of tasks, such as following teachers' instructions or remembering oral sentences.
During the study, volunteers were asked to perform one of two simple tasks during which researchers checked to ask if the participants' minds were wandering.
At the end, participants measured their working memory ability by remembering a series of letters with simple maths questions.
Daniel, a psychologist in the United States, said that those with higher working memory ability reported "more mind wandering during these simple tasks", but their performance did not suffer.
The results, published online in the journal Psychological Science, appear to confirm previous research that found working memory allows humans to deal with multiple thoughts at the same time.
Dr Smallwood,in Leipzig,Germany,said: "What this study seems to suggest is that, when circumstances for the task aren't very difficult, people who have additional working memory resources arrange _ to think about things other than what they're doing. "
Working memory ability is also associated with general measures of intelligence, such as reading comprehension and IQ scores, and also offers a window into the widespread, but not well understood, field of internally driven thoughts.
Dr Smallwood added: "Our results suggest the sorts of planning that people do quite often in daily life--when they are on the bus, when they are cycling to work, when they are in the shower--are probably supported by working memory. | high21009.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Attend an extra class of outdoor activities."
},
"options": [
"Attend an extra class of outdoor activities.",
"Continue to do their usual activities.",
"Spend one hour in doing eye exercises.",
"Participate in outdoor a... | Children who spend more time outdoors may have a lower risk of becoming nearsighted, new research suggests.
In the study, researchers looked at about 1,900 schoolchildren. The scientists found that the kids who had been instructed to spend more time outdoors over three years were 23 percent less likely to develop nearsightedness during this time than those who had not been instructed to spend more time outdoors. Moreover, among the kids who did become nearsighted during the study, the degree to which their eyesight worsened was slightly smaller among those who spent more time outdoors.
The researchers selected six schools and required the children, whose average age was 7 at the start of the study, to attend one additional 60-minute class of outdoor activities during each school day for three years. The parents of these children were also encouraged to engage their children in outdoor activities after school, especially during weekends and holidays. The other half of the children, from another six schools, continued their usual activity patterns. Afterthree years, 30.4 percent of the kids in the intervention group had become nearsighted, compared with 38.5 percent of the kids in the other group.
It is not clear exactly why spending more time outside would benefit children's eyesight, the researchers said. However, some research has suggested that the higher levels of light intensity found outdoors may increase the release of the chemical dopamine of the eye. In turn, dopamine is known to restrain the type of growth in the eye that is associated with nearsightedness.
Based on the new results, the researchers recommend that children spend more time outdoors because of the potential benefits to their eyesight. However, it's important to protect kids' skin and eyes from UV light, which can be damaging. | high19596.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Its cost of living is higher."
},
"options": [
"It offers a lower salary.",
"Its cost of living is higher.",
"It offers fewer English classes.",
"You have to pay a lot of tax."
],
"question": "Why does saving mo... | In Asia,there are many places for people to go to teach English. Most of the teachers are young and sociable,and there are a lot of parties there. Korea is usually the place most people go,because they have the most benefits and highest salaries by working only twenty hours a week. Japan is also a good choice,but only if you stay there for a long time will you save some money.
China is a new rising star and lots of people are going there. Like Japan,the pay is quite good,but the cost of living in China is much cheaper. You can save a sizable amount and complete all your loans back home. Besides,Chinese people are enterprising and you can learn a lot from them. In China,Taiwan is a good place to go,especially for females who want to earn much,but there are not many adult classes offered.
The Middle East offers very high salaries and great packages for teachers,all of which is tax free. However,you must be a certified teacher and have a few years' experience if you want to teach there. Most of the people who tend to teach there are older and more conservative,so they don't expect a party scene.
Italy and Spain are two beautiful countries where you can try your fortune. Fashion industry in Milan would love to hire wellknown Englishspeaking people to work with international models and designers. Tourism is another industry in these countries,where English knowledge is useful. Moreover,by teaching in Europe you have the ability to travel every weekend to a new country and visit a new culture besides a good salary. Europe has a lot to offer.
Teaching English overseas is a really rewarding experience. It is a great way for people to see a new place,and these countries and places are a great place for you to go if you are interested. | high18850.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "You need to light the paper with a match."
},
"options": [
"The bottle could break.",
"You need to light the paper with a match.",
"The egg needs to be shelled .",
"The egg has to be perfectly placed on the neck of the... | The surprising experiment I am about to describe proves that air is all around you and that it presses down upon you. Air pressure is a powerful force. When you swim underwater, you can feel water pushing on your body. The air all around you does the same. However, your body is so used to it that you do not notice this. The pressure is caused by a layer of air called the atmosphere. This layer surrounds the Earth, extending to about five kilometers above the Earth's surface.
The following experiment is an easy one that you can do at home. But make sure that you are supervised , because you will need to use matches. Now for the experiment.
What you need
* hard-boiled egg without the shell
* A bottle with a neck slightly smaller than the egg
* A piece of paper
* A match
Method
1) Check that the egg will sit firmly on the neck of the bottle.
2) Tear the paper into pieces and put them into the bottle.
3) Light the paper by dropping a burning match into the bottle.
4) Quickly sit the egg on the neck of the bottle.
Result
Astonishingly, the egg will be sucked into the bottle. Your friends will be amazed when you show them the experiment. But be careful when you handle matches.
Why it happened?
As the paper burns, it needs oxygen and uses up the oxygen (air) in the bottle. The egg acts as a scale in the neck of the bottle, so no more air can get inside. This reduces the air pressure inside the bottle. The air pressure must equalize, so more air from outside must enter the bottle. The outside air presses against the egg, and then the egg is pushed into the bottle! This proves that air is all around and that it is pressing down on us. | high13905.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "all people should pay for their healthcare at the NHS."
},
"options": [
"all people should pay for their healthcare at the NHS.",
"some people are against the reform of the healthcare.",
"the writer is likely to come from Bri... | It seems that politicians around the world are thinking about the health of their countries. While in China, Chen Zhu has announced his plans for a universal health service and reform across health services. Gordon Brown, the UK Prime Minister, has also announced he is planning to make some changes in our health service.
The crux of Mr. Brown's proposals are related to giving the NHS (National Health Service) a greater focus on prevention, rather than just curing patients.
He is planning to introduce increased screening for common diseases such as heart disease, strokes, and cancer, for example, breast cancer. In Britain there are 200,000 deaths a year from heart attacks and strokes, many of which might have been avoided if the condition had been known about.
Initially, the diagnostic tests will be available for those who are vulnerable, or most likely to have the disease. One example is a plan to offer all men over 65 an ultrasound test to check for problems with the main artery , a condition which kills 3,000 men a year.
The opposition have criticized Mr. Brown's proposals, saying that they are just a trick, and claiming that there is no proper timetable for the changes. They also say that Mr. Brown is reducing the money available for the treatment of certain conditions while putting more money towards testing for them.
The NHS was founded in 1948, and is paid for by taxation. The idea is that the rich pay more towards the health service than the poor. However in recent years there has been a great increase in the use of private healthcare, because it's much quicker. NHS waiting lists for operations can be very long, so many people who can afford it choose to pay for medical care themselves. | high22500.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Hardships make a country stronger."
},
"options": [
"Hardships make a country stronger.",
"Premier Wen jiabao went on his first trip around the quake disaster zone.",
"Life is difficult.",
"The Chinese are deeply moved ... | Premier Win Jiabao continued his second trip around the quake disaster zone on May 23, 2008, visiting surviving students in Mianyang, one of the worst-hit cities.
In a tent school, where more than 500 students from the destroyed prefix = st1 /BeichuanMiddle Schoolwere studying, Premier Wen encouraged them to study harder following the disaster. "let us not forget the earthquake," he told the students. "Then you will know what life is all about--it is bumpy, as the roads are. Today, people save us and take good care of us. In the future, we will help them in return." He wrote on the blackboard to encourage them, "Hardships make a country stronger."
His first trip to the area was on May 12, just hours after the powerful quake rocked Sichuanat 2:28 pm. During the next four days, Premier Wen set foot in almost all of the worst-hit counties, walking over rocks and tiles, comforting weeping children and encouraging rescuers.
The Chinese Premier says saving lives is the top priority. "We must try all means to get into those areas. The earlier, the better. One person can be saved one second earlier. As long as there is a gleam of hope, we will make efforts 100 times greater than that.'
Chinese are deeply moved by what the Premier has said and done. A mother sent a message to her son in Beijing, saying "The 66-year-old Premier Wen has worked really hard for quake relief. He has comforted and moved us. Pass this on to your friends, pray for him." | high24171.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the result after the tsunami"
},
"options": [
"the causes of the tsunami",
"the result after the tsunami",
"the sign of the tsunami",
"the warning of the tsunami"
],
"question": "This passage is mainly about _... | It came with devastating force,a natural disaster of strange intensity that shocked the world and killed tens of thousands.The waters have now receded,but disease and food and water shortages trouble a number of countries around the Indian Ocean.Millions of survivors face serious problems.
The number of survivors in need of food aid after the Indian Ocean disaster has climbed to 5 million people.They stretch from Somalia to Thailand,and the figure could rise further,the United Nations has said.
Relief teams hope to reach all of the estimated 700 000 hungry in Sri Lanka within three more days.It could take longer before enough food aid gets to the nearly 1 million people in need in hard-to-reach parts of Indonesia.Another serious problem is the need for purified water.
Although aid had poured in from all over the world to the disaster areas,"Logistics is the big problem here--just getting the stuff out to people who need it,"said Ron Libby,emergency management specialist at the USA agency for International Development.
Relief efforts are hindered by the difficulty of delivering aid to the more than 1000 islands scattered across hundreds of kilometers of ocean.
For those who survived the tsunami's force,disease is now the No.1 problem.Five million people are short of water,food and basic sanitation across the region.World Health Organization(WHO) crisis chief David Navarro said 50 000 more people could die from disease and other causes,as has been the case in previous humanitarian emergencies.
WHO said it had already received a handful of reports of malaria and dengue fever and hundreds of reports of diarrhea and infected wounds.It said millions of water purification tablets had been sent to Asia,along with sanitation engineers to rebuild water sanitation infrastructure.
Psychologists are warning that mental health problems caused by the tsunami could prove harder to resolve than the physical damage.
Some survivors say they are plagued by recurring nightmares about walls of water.Many locals are afraid to return to beachside homes.Officials also warn that suicide rates could rise dramatically as parents struggle with guilt at losing children.
Psychologists estimate that 20 to 30 per cent of people who face traumatic events eventually develop symptoms,such as alcohol abuse,lack of concentration at work and an inability to develop close relationships.
Although the Thai Government has offered to build temporary beachside housing,many refugee families are refusing to come down from the hills.Others are afraid to go back to jobs on the sea.
Over 150 000 people were killed by the tsunami,but hundreds and thousands more have been left with no means to earn a living.
In the village of Akirapettai in India,all that is left is the twisted wreckage of the fishing fleet.Dakshina Murti,a fisherman,not only lost three family members,but also lost his boats,his nets,everything.
"Everything's gone,"he says.With no government aid so far,all he has is a wreck.There are several million people who suffered the same experience.Homes have been destroyed,as well as wharves,docks,and sheds.
For now,rebuilding the economy remains a distant concept. | high7833.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "over 1000"
},
"options": [
"1000",
"over 1000",
"less than 1000",
"almost 1000"
],
"question": "How many students in primary school are interviewed in Lawrence.",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
... | Does eating a good breakfast improve school study? A study of more than 1,000 pupils in the city of Lawrence suggests it does.
Youngsters who took part in the breakfast program improved their scores in the tests much more than those who didn't. Among those who attended the program, fewer were found late for school than those who didn't. And much fewer were found absent from their classes.
"Starting the day with a meal appears to be quite helpful," says Amy Sampson, a research professor, who carried out the experiment on the students for a year.
Students who miss breakfast may be losing out on important nourishment in fruit, milk, bread and so on. If you are in a hurry in the morning, get you some pieces of bread with some fruit or yogurt. In that case, you won't have to go to the selling machines for some chips or candy bars. | high6293.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the economy of China is developing rapidly"
},
"options": [
"they want to experience different cultures",
"Chinese workers are easier to cooperate",
"they can't find proper jobs in America",
"the economy of China is dev... | As more Americans go to mainland China to take jobs, more Chinese and Americans are working side by side. These cross cultural partnerships, while beneficial in many ways, are also highlighting tensions that expose differences in work experience, pay levels and communication.
In the last few years, a growing number of Americans in their 20s and 30s have been heading to China for employment, attracted by its faster growing economy and lower jobless rate. Their Chinese coworkers are often around the same age. But the two groups were raised differently. The Americans have had more exposure to freemarket principles. "Young Americans were brought up in a commercial environment," said Neng Zhao, 28, a senior associate at Blue Oak Capital, a private firm based in Beijing. "We weren't. So the workplace is a unique learning process for my generation."
Managers hiring workers in China appear to be paying for Western experience. Foreigners tend to earn 10 to 15 percent more than their Chinese counterparts (persons working in similar positions), said Michael Norman, senior vice president at Sibson Consulting, an American firm. That _ does not go unnoticed by Chinese workers. "There is definitely the belief that Americans get paid more for the same work." said Ting Wang, 25, an associate at Wild China, a travel company based in Beijing. On the other hand, Chinese workers have a deeper understanding of the influences, like Confucianism and Communism, which play a part in their country's culture and economy.
It is important and necessary for Americans working in China to adjust, said Mr. Norman, who works on management and work force issues for multinational companies operating in Asia.
"In the West, there is such a bonus on getting things done quickly, but when you come to work in China, you need to work on listening and being more patient and understanding of local ways of doing business," he said. | high23178.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "spend PS1,263.60 more than the lowest price"
},
"options": [
"saved PS1,263.60 if they had followed the advice",
"spend PS1,263.60 more than the lowest price",
"used PS1,263.60 for the survey of 25 questions",
"been che... | Rail passengers are being forced to pay thousands of pounds more in fares as a result of poor advice from the national telephone helpline and individual stations, a consumer organisation reveals today. Research by Which? found that in some cases passengers are being charged almost double the cheapest price because of errors made by staff .
Which? asked 25 questions of both station staff and the National Rail Enquiries (NRES) helpline. Only half of the 50 questions were answered correctly. If customers had followed all the advice given ,they would have been PS1,263.60 worse off .
Bad advice was given for the cheapest fare for a single journey between London and Grantham .For a ticket bought on the day of travel, both NRES and a King's Cross station clerk quoted GNER'sPS44.50 fare ,ignoring a Hull Trains service which leaves 10 minutes earlier and costs just PS20.
Some of the most costly misinformation was given for journeys where season tickets should have been recommended .Passengers making a return journey between Swindon and Penzance twice in a week could buy a ticket from one company for PS70 which would cover all the travel. But both NRES and station staff quoted PS67 for each journey, making PS134.However, the NRES website proved to be a much more reliable source of information .
Which ? also checked "the earlier you book, the cheaper the ticket" claims by five companies and found this was not always the case .On some services, prices went up and down _ .
Ithiel Mogridge,52,gave one example of poor advice :"Last Christmas I found my brother a ticket on the _ to travel from Blackburn to Yate. While the direct route wasPS51, this one involved a change in Newport and cost just PS21. I emailed the details to him and his partner. They went to Blackburn station ,where the clerk insisted the fare was PS51."
Malcolm Coles, editor of _ ,said. "Staff training needs to be improved. In the meantime ,we've designed a checklist, available at _ " | high22266.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "It involves more than 12,000 participants."
},
"options": [
"It was only conducted in 1948.",
"It involves more than 12,000 participants.",
"It was led by John Cacioppo.",
"It showed that any behavior could spread."
... | A newly-published study has shown that loneliness can spread from one person to another, like a disease. Researchers used information from the Framingham Study, which began in 1948. The Framingham Study gathers information about physical and mental health, personal behavior and diet. At first, the study involved about 5,000 people in the American state of Massachusetts. Now, more than 12,000 individuals are taking part.
Information from the Framingham Study showed earlier that happiness can spread from person to person. So can behaviors like littering and the ability to stop smoking.
University of Chicago psychologist John Cacioppo led the recent study. He and other researchers attempted to show how often people felt lonely. They found that the feeling of loneliness spread through social groups.
Having a social connection with a lonely person increased the chances that another individual would feel lonely. In fact, a friend of a lonely person was 52% more likely to develop feelings of loneliness. A friend of that person was 25% more likely. The researchers say this shows that a person could indirectly be affected by someone's loneliness.
The effect was strongest among friends. Neighbors were the second most affected group. The effect was weaker on husbands and wives, and brothers and sisters. The researchers also found that loneliness spread more easily among women than men.
The New York Times newspaper reports that, on average, people experience feelings of loneliness about 48 days a year. It also found that every additional friend can decrease loneliness by about five percent, or two and a half fewer lonely days.
Loneliness has been linked to health problems like depression and sleeping difficulties. The researchers believe that knowing the causes of loneliness could help in reducing it.
The study suggests that people can take steps to stop the spread of loneliness. They can do this by helping individuals they know who may be experiencing loneliness. The result can be helpful to the whole social group. | high4484.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "find their work provide them more satisfaction and self confidence than how much they \nare paid"
},
"options": [
"just know work but nothing else",
"are willing to work hard for long hours without pay",
"find their work prov... | In some urban centers, workaholism is so common that people do not consider it unusual. They accept the lifestyle as normal. Government workers in Washington D. C, for example, frequently work sixty to seventy hours a week. They don't do this because they have to; they do it because they want to.
Workaholicm can be a serious problem. Because true workaholics would rather work than do anything else, they probably don't know how to relax.
Is workaholism always dangerous? Perhaps not. There are, certainly, people who work well under stress. Some studies show that many workaholics have great energy and interest in life. Their work is so pleasurable that they are actually very happy. For most workaholics, work and entertainment keep them busy and creative.
Why do workaholics enjoy their jobs so much? There are several advantages to work. Of course, it provides people with paychecks, and this is important. But it offers more than financial security. It provides people with self confidence; they have a feeling of satisfaction when they're finishing a challenging piece of work and are able to say, "I made that." Psychologists claim that work gives people an identity through participation in work, they get a sense of self and individualism. In addition, most jobs provide people with a socially acceptable way to meet others. Perhaps some people are compulsive about their work, but their addiction seems to be a safe--even an advantageous-one. | high20471.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "he was quite ill before his death."
},
"options": [
"he liked painting a lot.",
"he could speak English fluently.",
"he was quite ill before his death.",
"he and Mabel survived a bombing attack."
],
"question": ... | In 2012, the Tower of London welcomed two new inhabitants: a pair of ravens named Jubilee and Grip. Their arrival celebrated the bicentenary of Charles Dickens's birth. This Grip was the third of the Tower ravens to be named after the novelist's own pet birD. One of his predecessors was resident during World War Two; he and his mate Mabel were the only ravens to survive a bombing attack on the Tower.
Dickens's Grip, who had an impressive vocabulary, appears as a character in the author's fifth novel, Barnaby Rudge. On 28 January 1841, Dickens wrote to his friend George Cattermole: "my notion is to have [Barnaby] always in company with a pet raven, who is immeasurably more knowing than himself. To this end I have been studying my bird, and think I could make a very distinctive character of him."
Unfortunately, just a few weeks after Dickens wrote that letter, Grip died, probably as a result of having stolen and eaten paint some months earlier. The bird had developed a strange habit - tearing sections off painted surfaces (including the family's carriage) and even drinking a quantity of white paint out of a tin. Dickens mourned his loss and wrote a humorous letter to his friend, the illustrator Daniel Maclise, about the raven's death.
He related how, when Grip began to show signs of sickness, the vet was called and "administered a powerful dose of castor oil". Initially this seemed to have a positive effect and the author was thrilled to see Grip restored to his usual personality when he bit the coachman (who was used to the raven and took it in good humor). The following morning, Grip was able to eat "some warm porridge", but his recovery was short liveD.
As Dickens wrote to Maclise, "On the clock striking twelve he appeared slightly upset, but soon recovered, walking twice or thrice along the coach-house, stopped to bark, exclaimed 'Hello old girl' (his favorite expression) and dieD. He behaved throughout with a decent manner, which cannot be too much admireD. .. The children seem rather glad of it. He bit their ankles. But that was play." | high11874.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To tell the public the coffee outlet doesn't lie inside the temple."
},
"options": [
"To attract the tourists.",
"To tell the public the coffee outlet doesn't lie inside the temple.",
"To obey the government.",
"To do s... | STARBUCKS China yesterday renamed a newlyopened outlet near one of Buddhism's most famous temples after a wave of controversy over what critics called a "cultural invasion".
The coffee shop in Hangzhou had opened as the Lingyin Temple Starbucks, leading some people to believe it was located inside the renowned temple.
However, the company said in a statement yesterday that the coffee shop was actually in the Lingyin scenic area, about 20 minutes' walk from the temple's entrance.It was said the outlet would now be known as the Lingyin Starbucks.
Wang Shan, deputy director of the Lingyin office of the West Lake Administration in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province, said, "Actually, the coffee house is a long distance from the temple.It is located in the tourist service area on Lingyin Road outside of the temple, as part of the supporting facilities."
The temple's administration urged the cafe to change its name to make it clear that it was not located inside the temple.
In a heated online debate, critics said the U.S.chain's commercial style would spoil the serenity that an oriental Buddhism temple should embrace.
Supporters, however, said that the talk of an "invasion" was misplaced as the outlet was not inside the temple but on a nearby commercial street where a KFC restaurant and a shopping mall had been open for more than six months.
The incident follows calls in 2009 to stop an earlier "cultural invasion" when the Seattlebased coffee chain had to move its outlet out of Beijing's Forbidden City seven years after it opened.
Critics urged closure of the outlet, which they said was a "humiliation" for a culture exemplified by the ancient buildings. | high5956.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "She found it difficult to see things clearly."
},
"options": [
"She disliked her major in music.",
"She failed to get high scores.",
"She couldn't understand hand signals from conductors.",
"She found it difficult to se... | Renata Di Pietro was studying to be an opera singer. But at 23, while on a music scholarship at the University of Iowa in 1976, her sight began to fail. Soon, it became increasingly difficult to read scores and pick up hand signals from conductors, and the gifted singer was forced to drop out.
After moving to Cleveland, Georgia in 2005, Di Pietro relied on guide dogs to get around. Over the years, she became depressed when she'd lose one of the dogs, who had become her best friend, to old age or death. "It's very painful, because you love each one," she says.
In 2009, Di Pietro was _ by information from a friend that miniature horses typically live for at least 30 years and make calm and strong guides. She started with a male horse, but he was too hard to control. Angel came next, a mini white female horse Di Pietro has mostly trained herself. "Horses have the ability to avoid the things in the way," she says. "If I am about to run into something, she slides her body in front of me."
Di Pietro, now 59, has taught her guide horse to make some sounds with her hoof when she comes to stairs. "Angel can find a chair and locate the nearest door for me," Di Pietro says. Currently, she's training Angel to pull her wheelchair and to fetch.
Despite her disability, Di Pietro still sings, performing with her husband, musician Carl Hummer, at special events. Angel is always by her side. "I fight a battle every day to take courage to engage the world," Di Pietro says. "Angel is my warhorse. We fight that battle together." | high4490.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "most people in America or England read newspapers every day"
},
"options": [
"most people in America or England read newspapers every day",
"all people in America or England read newspapers every day",
"every person in Americ... | Almost every family in America or England buys at least one copy of a newspaper each day. Some people buy as many as two or three different papers.
Why do people read newspapers?
Newspapers supply us with news about events in our hometowns, in our country, and in other parts of the world. Today we can read about important things that took place in foreign countries on the same day they happened, even in countries far away. But hundreds of years ago, news of things took months or even years to travel from one country to another. In those times, news was often passed from one person to another and never completely true. Newspapers today supply us with more than just what happened in our country or in other countries. If we want to know what the weather will be like, we can read the weather reports. If we want to find out what films are being shown, or what plays or concerts we can go to we can look in the newspapers.
In many countries people put notices in newspapers if they are trying to get a job, hunting for a house or rooms that they can rent, or even when looking for a person who is lost. | high20465.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "3"
},
"options": [
"1",
"2",
"3",
"4"
],
"question": "How many reasons did Fu Zhenguo list to show his support for the change?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_in... | Starting from April, 2010, you won't be hearing the word "NBA" on sports programs on CCTV. Instead, sport host will give the full Chinese name when they refer to the NBA - National Basketball Association. You also won't hear any other English abbreviations on CCTV's Chinese programs, such as GDP (gross domestic product), or WTO (World Trade Organization). You will hear their Chinese translations.
CCTV received a notice from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television telling it to avoid using English-language abbreviations in their reports to protect the "purity" of the Chinese language. A few other TV stations also received the notice.
Fu Zhenguo, an editor of People's Daily, is one of the people who suggested the change. "Firstly, using English in a Chinese-speaking environment is against Chinese law," he said. "Then, using English on Chinese TV programs is unfair to people who don't understand English. What's worse, it will have a bad language influence on kids and teenagers."
A lot of netizens have criticized the move, saying that it will cause problems for them.
"I understand what CD, VCD and DVD mean when I hear them. But I won't know what the TV programs are talking about if I hear those products' full Chinese names," a netizen wrote in a BBS post. Following the same post, another netizen wrote jokingly: "I'm not listening to my MP3 now. I'm listening to my Moving Picture Experts Group-1 Audio Layer 3 ." | high11860.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a judge"
},
"options": [
"a writer",
"a teacher",
"a judge",
"a doctor"
],
"question": "When the author went to Howard University, her dream was tobe",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"a... | In the fall of 1985. I was a bright-eyed girl heading off to Howard University, aiming at a legal career and dreaming of sitting on a Supreme Court bench somewhere. Twenty-one years later I am later I am still a bright-eyed dreamer and one with quite a different tale to tell.
My grandma, an amazing woman, graduated from college an the age of 65. She was the first in our family to reach that goal. But one year after I started college, she developed cancer. I made the choice to withdraw from college to care for her. It meant that school and my personal dream would have to wait.
Then I got married with another dream: building my family with a combination of adopt and biological children. In 1999, we adopted our first son. To lay eyes on him was fantastic---and very emotional. A year later came our second adopted boy. Then followed son No. 3. In 2003, I gave birth to another boy.
You can imagine how fully occupied I became, raising four boys under the age of 81. Our home was a complete zoo---a joyous zoo. Not surprising, I never did make it back to college full-time. But I never gave up on the dream either. I had only one choice: to find a way. That meant talking as few as one class each semester.
The hardest part was feeling guilty about the time I spent away from the boys. They often wanted me to stay home with them. There certainly were times I wanted to quit, But I knew I should set an example for them to follow through the rest of their lives.
In 2007, I graduated from the University of North Carolina. It took me over 21 years to get my college degree!
I am not special, just single-minded. It always struck me that when you're looking at a big challenge from the outside it looks huge, but when you're in the midst of it, it just seems normal. Everything you want won't arrive in your life on one day. It's a process. Remember;little steps add up to big dreams. | high6287.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the death toll remained stable year after year"
},
"options": [
"the death rate can not be predicted",
"the death toll remained stable year after year",
"a quota for each type of death has not come into being",
"people ... | The predictability of our death rates is something that has long puzzled social scientists. After all, there is no natural reason why 2,500 people should accidentally shoot themselves each year or why 7,000 should drown or 55,000 die in their cars. No one establishes a quota for each type of death. It just happens that they follow a consistent pattern year after year.
A few years ago a Canadian psychologist named Gerald Wilde became interested in this phenomenon. He noticed that mortality rates for violent and accidental deaths throughout the Western world have remained strangely static throughout the whole of the century, despite all the technological advances and increases in safety standards that have happened in that time. Wilde developed an interesting theory called "risk homeostasis". According to this theory, people naturally live with a certain level of risk. When something is made safer, people will get around the measure in some way to get back to the original level of danger. If, for instance, they are required to wear seat belts, they will feel safer and thus will drive a little faster and a little more recklessly, thereby statistically canceling out the benefits that the seat belt offers. Other studies have shown that where a crossing is made safer, the accident rate invariably falls there but rises elsewhere along the same stretch of road as if making up for the drop. It appears, then, that we have an inborn need for danger. In all events, it is becoming clearer and clearer to scientists that the factors influencing our lifespan are far more subtle and complex than had been previously thought. It now appears that if you wish to live a long life, it isn't simply a matter of paying attention to certain precautions such as eating the right foods, not smoking, and driving with care. You must also have the right attitude. Scientists at the Duke University Medical Center made a 15-year study of 500 persons personalities and found, somewhat to their surprise, that people with a suspicious or mistrustful nature die prematurely far more often than people with a sunny disposition. Looking on the bright side, it seems, can add years to your life span. | high7199.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "how to read a poem out loud"
},
"options": [
"that we must read poems slowly",
"where to pause when reading a poem",
"how to use tones when reading a poem",
"how to read a poem out loud"
],
"question": "The pass... | There is no doubt that most of the readers will be students with little or no experience in reading poetry out loud, especially to such a large group. And we know that a poem will live or die depending on how it is read. The readers, by the way, should not read poems without getting any practice. They should be given their poems a few days in advance so that they have time to practice, maybe in the presence of a teacher.
Read the poem slowly. Most young people speak quickly, and a nervous reader will tend to do the same in order to get the reading over with. Reading a poem slowly is the best way to make sure that the poem will be read clearly and understood by its listeners. Learning to read a poem slowly will not always make the poem easier to hear, however. A poem should not be read too slowly, and a good way for a reader to set an easy pace is to pause for a few seconds between the title and the poem's first line.
Read in a normal, relaxed tone of voice. It is not necessary to give any of these poems a dramatic reading, as if from a stage. The poems selected are mostly written in a natural style and should be read in that way. Let the words of the poem do the work. Just speak clearly and slowly.
Obviously, poems come in lines, but pausing at the end of every line will create a choppy effect and interrupt the flow of the poem. Readers should pause only where there is punctuation , just as you would when reading prose , only more slowly. | high22272.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Unconcerned."
},
"options": [
"Tolerant.",
"Unconcerned.",
"Sympathetic.",
"Dissatisfied"
],
"question": "Which best describes Americans' attitude towards racial troubles before the 1960s?",
"question_type":... | Harper Lee, whose 1961 novelTo Kill a Mockingbirdon the racial troubles of the American deep south, has died at the age of 89.
Until last year, Lee had been _ .To kill a Mockingbirdsold more than 40 million copies around the world and earned her a Pulitzer prize, remaining a towering presence in American literature. Another novel,Go Set A Watchman, was controversially published in July 2015 as a "sequel" to Mockingbird, though it was later confirmed to be Mockingbird's first draft.
But from the moment Mockingbird was published to almost instant success, the author consistently avoided public attention. Lee had lived for several years in a nursing home near the house in which she had grown up in Monroeville, Alabama--the setting for _ of her famous book. Her neighbor for 40 years, Sue Sellers, said, "She was such a private person. All she wanted was privacy, but she didn't get much. There was always somebody following her around."
James Naughtie, BBC Books Editor, commented on the novels of Harper Lee: "I think she stands, particularly among American readers, as someone who shone a light into a very dark place. She was writing at a time when people were beginning to lift the lid on everything in the South which they'd chosen not to understand. That all changed in the 1960s. So I think her status for writing that book in its extraordinarily direct way will remain. | high14918.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the driver and GPS"
},
"options": [
"the driver",
"GPS",
"the driver and GPS",
"strange places"
],
"question": "In most cases, driving to wrong places or being lost is caused by _ .",
"question_type": "clo... | Global Positioning Systems (GPS) are now a part of everyday driving in many counties.These satellite-based systems provide turn-by-turn directions to help people get to where they want to go. But, they can also cause a lot of problems, send you to the wrong place or leave you completely lost. Many times, the driver is to blame. Sometimes a GPS error is responsible. Most often, says Barry Brown, it is a combination of the two.
Barry Brown is with the Mobile Life Centre in Stockholm, Sweden. The center studies human-computer interaction, or HCI, especially communications involving wireless devices.
He told us about an incident involving a friend who had flown to an airport in the eastern United States. There he borrowed a GPS-equipped car to use during his stay. "And they just plugged in an address and then set off to their destination. And, then it wasn't until they were driving for thirty minutes until they realized they actually put in a destination back on the West Coast where they lived. They actually put their home address in. So again, the GPS is kind of 'garbage in garbage out'."
Mr. Brown says this is a common human error. But, he says, what makes the problem worse has to do with some of the shortcomings, or failures, of GPS equipment. "One problem with a lot of the GPS units is they have a very small screen and they just tell you the next turn. Because they just give you the next turn, sometimes that means that it is not really giving you the overview that you would need to know that it's going to the wrong place." | high22514.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "A tool to assist in making complex decisions."
},
"options": [
"A tool to assist in making complex decisions.",
"A comparison of actual decisions and ideal decisions.",
"Research on how people make decisions.",
"Differe... | Researchers in the field of psychology have found that one of the best ways to make an important decision, such as choosing a university to attend or a business to invest in, involves the use of a decision worksheet. Psychologists who study optimization compare the actual decision made by people to theoretical ideal decisions to see how similar they are. Proponents of the worksheet procedure believe that it will yield optimal, that is, the best decisions. Although there are several variations on the exact format that worksheets can take, they are all similar in their essential aspects. Worksheets require defining the problem in a clear and concise way and then listing all possible solutions to the problem. Next, the relevant considerations that will be affected by each decision are listed, and the importance of each consideration or consequence is determined. Each consideration is assigned a numerical value to reflect its importance. A decision is mathematically calculated by adding these values together. The alternative with the highest number of points emerges as the best decision.
Since most important problems are multifaceted ,there are several alternatives to choose from, each with unique advantages and disadvantages. One of the benefits of a pencil and paper decision-making procedure is that it permits people to deal with more variables than their minds can generally comprehend and remember. On the average, people can keep about seven ideas in their minds at once. A worksheet can be especially useful when the decision involves a large number of variables with complex relationships. A realistic example for many college students is the question "What will I do after graduation?" A graduate might seek a position that offers specialized training, pursue an advanced degree, or travel abroad for a year. A decision-making worksheet begins with a concise statement of the problem that will also help to narrow it. It is important to be clear about the distinction between long-range and immediate goals because long-range goals often involve a different decision than short-range ones. Focusing on long-range goals, a graduating student might revise the question above to "What will I do after graduation that lead to successful career?" | high24165.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "he became a worker at a factory"
},
"options": [
"he left school to work as a farmer",
"he became a worker at a factory",
"the Cultural Revolution began",
"a U.S. news magazine praised him"
],
"question": "When ... | Guan Moye, better known as Mo Yan, is a Chinese novelist and short story writer. He has been referred to by Donald Morrison of U.S. news magazine, TIME, as "one of the most famous and widely pirated of all Chinese writers". He is best known to Western readers for Red Sorghum Clan , which was later adapted for the film, Red Sorghum. In 2012, Mo was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Mo Yan was born in Gaomi County, Shandong Province. He was 11 years old when the Cultural Revolution started, at which time he left school to work as a farmer. At the age of 18, he began to work at a factory. During this period, his access to literature was largely limited to novels.
At the close of the Cultural Revolution in 1976, Mo joined the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and began writing. During this period, the works of Chinese literature, as well as translations of foreign authors such as William Faulkner, made an impact on his works. In 1984, he received a literary award from the PLA Magazine, and at the same year he began attending the Military Art Academy, where he first used the pen name of Mo Yan. "Mo Yan" means "don't speak" in Chinese. He explained that the name came from a warning from his father and mother about not saying what he thought when he was outside. It also related to the subject matter of his writings.
Mo's first novel was Falling Rain on a Spring Night, published in 1981. Several of his novels were translated into English by Howard Goldblatt, professor of East Asian languages and literature, at the University of Notre Dame. He published his first novella , A Transparent Radish, in 1984, and released Red Sorghum Clan in 1986, making him a nationally recognized novelist. Five years later, he obtained a Master's degree in literature from Beijing Normal University. | high16869.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "They were both noticed by Editions Philippe Picquier."
},
"options": [
"They were both translated into French.",
"They became famous on a French book fair.",
"They were both well-known to film directors.",
"They were bo... | Last year, Jin Yucheng'sFanHuawas taken to Salon du livre, France's largest book fair, along with other contemporary Chinese literary works such as Bi Feiyu'sSubeiYouth"DonQuixote".
The two books attracted the attention of Editions Philippe Picquier, a French publisher that specializes in translating books from China, Japan, South Korea, India, Vietnam and other countries in Asia. This publisher reportedly purchased the copyright ofSubeiYouth"DonQuixote", a non-fiction work about the writer's childhood in East China's Jiangsu province, for 130,000 euros ($143,000).
Editions Philippe Picquier was also interested inFanHua, but didn't follow up owing to translation issues.
The book is Jin's debut novel, which is set in Shanghai and tells stories of two decades: the 1960s and the 1990s. There are no major plots, but excerpts from the lives of its different characters, threaded by dialogues. There are detailed depictions of streets, entertainment activities and relationships in the representative times in Shanghai, covering the"Cultural Revolution"(1966-1976) and the"Reform&Opening Up"phases.
As Hong Kong-based film director Karwai Wong put it, the novel is full of a"rich and strong"flavor of local people's lives.
In May 2011, when Jin, then an editor at a literary magazine in Shanghai, started to post interesting stories he heard about Shanghai on the local website longdang.org, little did he realize that it would become more than just fun. His stories soon attracted more readers whose comments urged him to post more.
In five months, Jin, then 59, wrote more than 330,000 characters online. The novel was first titledShanghaiAbaoafter its major character Abao. The following year, Jin started serializing his novel inHarvest, one of China's leading literary magazines.
Finally, Jin's efforts resulted in a book in 2013, and with it came lots of awards, including the 9th prestigious Mao Dun Literature Prize.
Some critics compare it with fellow Shanghai-based author Eileen Chang's novels andDreamoftheRedChamber, calling Jin's book one of the best novels based on Shanghai. Wong also announced that he would adapt Jin's book for cinema by 2020.
By August, before the Mao Dun Literature Prize winners were announced,FanHuahad sold nearly 300,000 copies.
Key features of the novel include the use of the local Shanghai dialect for the narrative and focus on the characters' external responses to events rather than their psychological profiles.
The copyright manager forFanHuaat Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House says,"According to my knowledge, Editions Philippe Picquier gave up because the translation work is expensive and they worry that the sales in the French market may not be able to cover the cost."For instance,ChanghenGe(TheSongofEverlastingRegret) by Wang Anyi was also introduced by Editions Philippe Picquier to French readers. The translation work took one and a half years, and the publisher spent three years completing the French edition ofit."But we have soldFanHua'scopyright of the traditional Chinese edition to Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau. Also Humanist Publishing House from South Korea has purchased the copyright for the Korean edition. Cultural difference is another barrier apart from language. In Asia, we have more in common when it comes to culture." | high19582.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "get a bad sting by the Blue Bottle"
},
"options": [
"be bitten by the blue ringed octopus",
"stop breathing because of Puffer Fish",
"get a bad sting by the Blue Bottle",
"be poisoned by stingrays"
],
"question"... | Some beach creatures are wonderful ----- like dolphins, but others are dangerous. Find out more about the dangerous ones -----the blue ringed octopus, puffer fish, the Blue Bottle, and stingrays.
The blue ringed octopus
The blue ringed octopus is not a very big creature but it is very dangerous. These octopuses are found all around Australian coast. They often lie in rock pools close to shore. The blue ringed octopus is usually a dull color1 but it shows its bright blue rings when it is in danger. If it is taken out of the water, it is able to bite a person and poison them. If this creature bites someone, they will feel numbness around the mouth, face and neck.
Puffer Fish
Puffer Fish are found in all Australian seas. They are very easy to catch but must not be eaten because their flesh and internal organs contain a poison. Anyone who does eat the flesh can become sick very quickly. They may even stop breathing.
The Blue Bottle
The Blue Bottle is found in most Australian waters. Blue Bottles float lightly on the surface of the water but their tentacles can be as long as 10 metres. Blue Bottles are much less dangerous than some other jellyfish but they can give a swimmer a bad sting if the swimmer accidentally touches them.
Stingrays
There are many different kinds of stingrays in Australian waters. They usually swim and feed on the bottom of the sea. Accidents can happen if people stand on them or try to pick them up. Stingrays have a sting on their tail. These stings have poison on them. If someone is stung the wound can easily become infected. | high18844.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The most successful quarter was the fourth."
},
"options": [
"The first half ofe year saw the most earnings.",
"All four quarters showed similar earnings.",
"The least successful quarter was the first.",
"The most succe... | September 30, 2014
Greetings shareholders ,
GLA Electronics of America Inc. is placed to show a summary of its yearly income report for the year 2014. Thanks to our recently-enlarged international markets, the total earnings reached US$160 million in 2014, with a net profit of US$ 40 million
CarPhone Quarterly Sales
GLA Electronics sold l.6 million CarPhones the whole year, with half of these being sold during the fourth quarter, which ended September 24, 2014. In addition, the first quarter saw sales of 400,000 _ , with the remaining units sales divided equally between the second and third quarters.
CarPhone Sales Have Improved Greatly since 2011.
We are excited to announce that we sold more CarPhones in 2014 than in the year of 2011 to 2013 combined. In 2011, only 150,000 units were sold. Thanks to strong advertising afterwards, sales increased by 50% in 2012, and then double in 2013.
Distribution of CarPhone Sales by Region
Sales onside of North America made up nearly 50% of the total sales volume in 2014. Half of the units sold internationally were in Asian markers, with 300,000 units sold in Europe. The remaining units were sold in South America.
A Vision of the Future
GLA Electronics will continue to invest in the growth of our company. In 2015, we expect sales to increase by up to 300% , partly due to the upcoming opening of three large factories in China, Taiwan, and Malaysia. In addition, the demand for CarPhones continues to increase worldwide and shows no sign of slowing down. We are grateful for the success of 2014. Hopefully, the coming year will see continued growth.
Sincerely,
Brian Fisher
CEO
GLA Electronics of America Inc. | high9822.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "his answer didn't show his knowledge of physics"
},
"options": [
"the teacher wasn't satisfied with him",
"his answer wasn't complete or correct",
"the teacher didn't fully understand his answer",
"his answer didn't sho... | One day,I received a call from a colleague.He was about to give a student a zero for his answer to a physical problem,while the student claimed a perfect score.I was elected as their arbiter .I read the examination problem,"Show how it is possible to determine the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer ." The student had answered,"Take the barometer to the top of the building,attach a long rope to it,lower it to the street,and then bring it up and measure the length of the rope.The length of it is the height of the building."
The student had really answered the question completely,but the answer didn't confirm his competence in physics.I suggested the student try again.I gave him six minutes to answer the question,warning that the answer should show some knowledge of physics.Five minutes later,he said he had many answers and dashed off one,which read "Take the barometer to the top of the building and lean over the edge of the roof.Drop the barometer,timing its fall with a stopwatch,then use the physical formula to calculate the height of the building."
At this point,my colleague had to accept it,and then the student made almost full marks.I couldn't help asking the student what the other answers were.He listed many others,and then added,"Probably the best one is to take the barometer to the administrator and say to him,'Sir,here is a fine barometer.If you tell me the height of the building,I will give it to you.'"
Then,I asked the student if he really did not know the conventional answer to this question.He admitted that he did,but said that he was fed up with high school and college instructors trying to teach him how to think.
The name of the student was Bohr who later was famous all over the world.He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922. | high13939.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the natural world is under violent attack from man"
},
"options": [
"the seas and rivers are being poisoned",
"we can protect natural environments",
"the natural world is under violent attack from man",
"governments and... | The seas and rivers are being poisoned by radioactive wastes, by chemical discharges and by the dumping of dangerous raw swage . The air we breathe is polluted by smoke and fumes from factories and motor vehicles; even the rain is poisoned.
It's little wonder forests and lakes are being destroyed and everywhere wildlife is disappearing, and yet the destruction continues.
Governments and industries throughout the world are intensifying their efforts to extract the earth's mineral riches and to destroy its living resources.
The great rain-forest and the frozen continents alike are seriously threatened, despite the warnings of the scientific community and the deep concern of millions of ordinary people.
In fact, we can create environmentally clean industries, use the power of the sun, wind and waves for our energy needs and manage the finite resources of the earth in a way that will safeguard our future and protect all the rich variety of life-forms which share this planet with us. | high23622.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "aimed to make the employees more productive"
},
"options": [
"is supported by some big employers in the USA",
"is meaningful as there haven't been many similar ones",
"examined more women than men for a long time",
"aim... | Researchers found that walking around with a forced smile and fake happiness simply leads to people feeling unhappier. So, putting a brave face on your sadness could be harmful. The research also found that women suffered more than men when pretending to be happy.
Dr. Brent Scott, who led the study, said employers should take note because forcing workers to smile when dealing with the public can result in bad outcomes. He said, "Smiling for the sake of smiling can lead to emotional tiredness, and that's bad for the organization." He also said the research showed customer-service workers who had "fake smiles" throughout the day fell into a bad mood and didn't want to work, so their productivity dropped.
The study is one of the first of its kind to examine emotional expressions over a period of time and compare the different effects on men and women. Dr. Scott's team examined the effects of "surface acting", or fake smiling, compared to "deep acting", or making people smile by thinking of peasant memories.
Dr. Scott said, "Women were harmed more by surface acting, meaning their moods worsened even more than men's. However, they were helped more by deep acting, which means their moods improved more by thinking of pleasant memories. "
According to Dr. Scott, women tend to suffer more when pretending to be happy because they are expected to be more emotionally expressive than men. Therefore, forcing a smile while feeling down is more likely to go against their normal behavior and cause more harmful feelings.
Although deep acting can improve moods a little in the short term, Dr. Scott says, it's not a long-term solution to feeling unhappy. "There have been some suggestions that if you do this over a long period you start to feel unreal. You're trying to develop positive emotions, but at the end of the day you may not feel like yourself any more." | high732.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Victor has become an image spokesman of a company"
},
"options": [
"Victor made contact with e-games when he was aged two.",
"Victor is making money on the Internet.",
"Victor got his first professional contract at six",
... | According to a report by London's Sunday Times on December 24, 2011, the world's youngest professional gamer is an 8-year -old American boy, Victor De Leon.
Victor has been gaming since age two, when his dad used to hand him a game-controller to soothe crying mood . He then gradually turned himself into Lil poison, king of the world of acrobatic combat . He got his first professional contract at the age of six.
Lil Poison is beginning to make money from web tournaments, business activities and celebrity financial support. His name will soon appear on a line of some clothing and on special "skins" used to house gaming panels . Victor's success as a celebrity is burning great interest in what Americans are beginning to call "e-sports" or "cyber athletics". | high16841.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To gain some experience of being a vet."
},
"options": [
"To gain a leadership position.",
"To earn more money for his further study.",
"To gain some experience of being a vet.",
"To help Dr Reid out of financial troubl... | Many students attend Miami University for its zoology program, hoping to become a doctor someday, but Joseph Frame has come for a different reason -- to become a vet.
"Ever since I was a little boy, I've been interested in animals," Frame said, "but when I grow up, I realized that I didn't want to just take care of dogs and cats. I wanted to work with animals you wouldn't find in your house."
Before coming to Miami, Frame worked with his vet Dr. Reid. He learned about the details of being a vet from him. Working with small animals, Frame observed many procedures there.
Frame also worked with another vet at Oxford University during his first year at Miami, which involved a leadership position. "I'm in charge of a high school kid," Fram said, "He sometimes needs to be motivated. I like his support system."
To realize his goal, Frame began working at the Wilds in Cumberland, Ohio after he met Reid.
The Wilds is a non-profit conservation center and is the home for rare and endangered animals. The Wilds combines the concepts of conservation science and education programs to mainly children.
After his first year at Miami, Frame began to educate children about the animals. "I think teaching children is an enjoyable experience, especially when they're really interested in animals," Frame said.
Frame also explained if a vet school didn't work out, he would be interested in working in animal education. "I would at least have a Zoology degree," Frame said, "The wilds is connected to many zoos all over the country, so I'm sure I can find a job in education."
For now, Frame plans to continue working at the wilds this coming summer with a new job at hand, which involves teaching the public about the endangered animals they are protecting and doing shows with owls.
While Frame is still an undergraduate student at Miami, he continues his passion for animals. Becoming an exotic vet may be a few years down the road, but Frame continues to work had for this dream, hoping it will become a great reality. | high17587.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Japan thinks of geothermal energy"
},
"options": [
"Alternative energies in Japan",
"World's largest geothermal plant",
"Japan takes the lead in geothermal technology",
"Japan thinks of geothermal energy"
],
"qu... | The forces that make Japan one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries could become part of its long-term energy solution.
Water from deep below the ground at Japan's tens of thousands of hot springs could be used to produce electricity.
Although Japanese high-tech companies are leaders in geothermal technology and export it, its use is limited in the nation.
"Japan should no doubt make use of its resources of geothermal energy," said Yoshiyasu Takefuji, a leading researcher of thermal-electric power production.
The disastrous earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011 caused a reaction against atomic power, which previously made up 30 percent of Japan's energy needs, and increased interest in alternative energies, which account for only 8 percent.
Artist Yoko Ono has called on Japan to explore its natural energy, following the example of Iceland which uses renewable energy for more than 80 percent of its needs.
For now, geothermal energy makes up less than 1 percent of the energy needs in Japan, which has for decades relied heavily on fossil fuels and atomic power.
The biggest problem to geothermal energy is the high initial cost of the exploration and constructing the factories.Another problem is that Japan's potentially best sites are already being developed for tourism or are located within national parks where construction is forbidden.
"We can't even dig 10cm inside national parks." said Shigeto Yamada of Fuji Electric, adding that regulations protecting nature would need to be relaxed for geothermal energy to grow.
Researcher Hideaki Matsui said, "Producing electricity using hot springs is a decades-long project.We also have to think about what to do for now as energy supplies will decline in the short term."
The Earth Policy Institute in Washington, US, believed Japan could produce 80,000 megawatts and meet more than half its electricity needs with geothermal technology.
Japanese giants such as Toshiba are already global leaders in geothermal technology, with a 70 percent market share.In 2010, Fuji Electric built the world's largest geothermal factory in New Zealand. | high2977.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "fake Cellphones"
},
"options": [
"electronic products",
"Olympic buildings",
"Spring Festival Gala",
"fake Cellphones"
],
"question": "The Chinese word \"Shanzhai\" may have its origin in _ .",
"question_... | The Chinese word "Shanzhai" literally means a small mountain village, but it's now used to describe products that have names similar to famous ones.
It became an accepted name for fake goods after "Shanzhai Cellphones" produced by small workshops in southern China became popular in the mainland market over the past two years.
Besides "Shanzhai" electronic products, there are "Shanzhai" movies, "Shanzhai" stars and even a "Shanzhai" Spring Festival Gala , a copy of the 25-year-old traditional show presented by CCTV on Chinese Lunar New Year's Eve.
"Shanzhai" has become a culture of its own, standing foranything that _ something famous,which has caused a public debate over whether it is healthy or sick being a copycat.
In southwestern China's Chongqing, a "Shanzhai"-version "Bird's Nest" built by farmers with bamboo attracts wide attention and the "Shanzhai"-version "Water Cube" is popular with tourists. Both are copies of the famous Olympics places in Beijing.
Xie Xizhang, a literature critic, said that taking the "Shanzhai" Gala as an example, when the traditional CCTV program becomes less and less attractive to the audience, the "Shanzhai" version appears naturally to attract people.
"In spite of its poor techniques and operation, 'Shanzhai' culture meets the demands of common people and could be a comfort to their minds," Xie said.
Tian Huiqun, a professor at Beijing Normal University, said that "Shanzhai" culture never copies classic things, only products in fashion. In that sense, it's like a computer virus without meaning.
Though controversial, "Shanzhai" culture is a challenge as well as a motivation, said Xie, according to the newspaper.
Tian said different kinds of cultures developing together are an ideal situation and they are for the public to choose. | high21035.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "brief news"
},
"options": [
"a personal anecdote",
"sports news",
"a history novel",
"brief news"
],
"question": "The text may probably be taken from _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | A new study has found that the best way to make yourself feel happier is to think of something good that happened to you the day before.
Volunteers who were asked to remember a pleasant event from past 24 hours began to feel happier right away.Other activities such as saying "Thank you" and smiling also made volunteers feel happier, but not as much.
Professor Richard Wiseman of Hertfordshire University planned the study.He got 26,000 people to go online to try out a few different activities to make them feel happier.They were told to be nice, remember a pleasant event from the day before, give thanks or smile for 15 seconds twice a day.The volunteers did these activities for one week.
The result showed that thinking about one good thing that had happened the day before worked the best for making people happier.(146 words) | high11690.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "find out what mothers today do when they're online"
},
"options": [
"better understand some parenting questions",
"help mothers how to find the products they prefer",
"provide best online services for children's growth",
... | Companies trying to market products to mothers need to head onto the Internet with a survey showing the mothers today are online daily, using Facebook to connect to friends and Google to diagnose illnesses.
A survey by parenting website BabyCenter.corn found 63% of online mothers now use social media networks such as Facebook regularly, compared to only 11% three years ago."They don't watch TV as much, they are not reading magazines as much, but instead they check Facebook where people are really drawn together over parenting questions," BabyCenter's Editor-in-Chief Linda said."One of the major activities is looking for comments on products.They are information seeking, particularly when it comes to babies, and companies need to realize this."
Companies also need to know their market well as mothers are sharing information--and complaints--online regularly.
A drug company learned the hard way last November when online mothers found an ad targeting moms to be offensivedl , which result in a hot debate on the micro-blogging site Twitter.The company had to take the video ad down from its website and apologized for any offense caused.
The online survey also found that mothers aren't going to the doctor as often.Instead they are using the Internet to find out what is wrong with their children and, when they do go to the doctor, asking which drug they should use rather than for a diagnosis.In online communities children's health issues are the leading topic of interest rating as high as 91 percent followed by childhood development tips at 79 percent and product reviews at 72 percent. | high21753.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "What kind of volunteering one can do."
},
"options": [
"How to be a good volunteer.",
"What we can do when we grow up.",
"What kind of volunteering one can do.",
"How to improve society by volunteering."
],
"que... | Volunteering can help you deal with stress and problems, have more confidence, and introduce you to exciting new ideas and people. But what kind of volunteering should you do?
Firstly, think about what you enjoy. What are you interested in? What do you want to be when you grow up? For example, if you love animals, you can volunteer to care for abandoned pets or injured wildlife. If you want to grow up to be a doctor or a nurse, you can look for a youth volunteer program at a local hospital.
Secondly, think about what you're good at. What skills do you have? What kinds of jobs do you do best? Try to find a volunteer position that will let you make the most of your strengths and talents. For example, if you're a great speaker, then you could try educating others about a problem you care about. If you're a cook, you might find a way to help feed hungry people in your area.
Thirdly, look for what your own community needs. What should be improved in your town, city, or school? What types of volunteer projects would do the most good? For example, if there are a lot of homeless people in your area, you could raise money to help them. If your town has empty areas filled with dirt or rubbish, you could organize or join a group to plant trees and flowers to make these areas more attractive.
The problems of the world, or even just of your community, might seem gigantic. Some people might even feel like there's no point trying to do anything, since what they can contribute seems so small. But every person is important, and can do some good and make a difference. Like you! | high11848.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the danger of too much drinking, smoking and eating"
},
"options": [
"terrible diseases and so on",
"enjoying pleasures after a busy day",
"the difficulty of controlling ourselves",
"the danger of too much drinking, smo... | Good health is the most valuable thing in the world. When you've got it, you never think about it. When you haven't got it, you think about it all the time. Our biggest enemies are not terrible diseases and so on. We are our own biggest enemies because we sometimes destroy our own good health. Some of us eat too much, drink too much and smoke too much. And though our reason tells us we should control ourselves, we find it difficult. The fact is that most human beings need stimulation . Who doesn't enjoy a drink after a busy day? Only a smoker knows the pleasure of a cigarette with a cup of coffee.
The danger is when these innocent pleasures run our lives and so destroy our health. When you find yourself eating between meals or eating too much rich food, when you can only keep yourself going by taking frequent drinks or by smoking one cigarette after another, then it's time to stop and think what you might be doing to yourself. The funny thing is that when we don't control ourselves, simple pleasures are no longer simple pleasures.
All right, I know what you're thinking. You're probably saying, "It's easy to say, but I can't help myself. I need that extra bit of food, that extra drink, that extra cigarette. Life has so many pleasures that I can't do without them." But I'm saying you can help yourself. Not only that, you must help yourself. Because if you don't help yourself, no one else can. So be your own best friend. | high13087.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "he finds it can be safer to shop online"
},
"options": [
"it is more convenient to shop online",
"he finds it can be safer to shop online",
"online shopping is much cheaper",
"there is almost everything online"
],
... | I love online shopping, but for years I did all my shopping offline since I wasn't sure if it is really safe to buy online. In the last few years I started buying almost everything online after I understood that buying online can be safer than buying offline as long as you follow a few safety rules.
Check for delivery times--If you need your product on a certain time--you'll have to make sure if the site you are referring to is committed to your schedule.
Compare prices before you buy--There are many comparison sites and tools (such as PriceGong) that compare prices--this can save you a lot of money.
Don't leave the computer unsupervised while shopping online--You don't want that someone else will touch anything by mistake and will make the purchase.
Make sure you can contact the store if something goes wrong--You want to make sure that you will have someone to talk with if something goes wrong.
Always print out your order details and confirmation--Just in case that you'd need to contact the site, it is always better to give them detailed information about your order.
Make sure you buy from a well-known merchant--or check how others rated this merchant, there are some rubbish sites and you don't want to buy from them.
If you use _ --use the merchant ratings, product ratings and product description to know that you are buying the right product at the right store. | high23144.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "pray to their god"
},
"options": [
"admire the goddess Athena",
"pray to their god",
"search for sculptures",
"learn about its complex history"
],
"question": "For most of its history people went to the Partheno... | The Parthenon in Athens is a building with a long and complex history. Built nearly 2,500 years ago as a temple celebrating the Greek goddess Athena, it was for thousands of years the church of the Virgin Mary of the Athenians, then a mosque , and finally a ruin. The building was changed and the sculptures much damaged over the centuries. By 1800 only about half of the original sculptural decoration remained.
Between 1801 and 1805, Lord Elgin, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire , which controlled Athens, acting with the full knowledge and permission of the Ottoman authorities,removed about half of the remaining sculptures from the fallen ruins and from the building itself. Lord Elgin loved Greek history and transported the sculptures back to Britain. The arrival of the sculptures in London had a huge effect on the European public, greatly increasing interest in ancient Greek culture and influencing contemporary artistic trends. These sculptures were gained from Lord Elgin by the British Museum in 1816 and since then they have all been on show to the public, free of charge.
Since the early 1980s, however, the Greek government has argued for the return of all the Parthenon sculptures in the British Museum. They have also challenged the British Museum Board of Trustees' legal title to the sculptures.
The British Museum, however, insists that it exists to tell the story of cultural achievement throughout the world, from the dawn of human history over two million years ago until the present day. The museum considers itself an important resource for the world: the breadth and depth of its collection allows the world public to re-examine cultural identities and explore the complex network of interconnected world cultures.
It also says that, within the context of this unparalleled collection, the Parthenon sculptures are an important representation of ancient Athenian civilization. Each year millions of visitors admire the artistry of the sculptures and gain insights on how ancient Greece influenced -- and was influenced by -- the other civilizations that it came across. | high14930.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "dance with other human -like robots"
},
"options": [
"dance with other human -like robots",
"move its body freely",
"stop automatically when walking",
"express certain feelings through smells"
],
"question": "\"... | Scientists have created a " human-like robot" that can dance and do the housework.
" Mahru" has been developed to imitate humans and can move its lips, eyebrows and pupils . The machine can also move its upper and lower body freely and automatically stop itself when walking.
In addition, it has been programmed to give out two kinds of pleasant smells to match its emotions.
The 1.5 tall robot was produced by researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and is the first South Korean- developed machine of its kind.
"'Mahru' will open the way for the commercial use of humanoid robots doing housework," You Bum-Jae, leader of the development research team ,said. "'Mahru' can dance while walking on its legs and is able to work in place of a human."
Through an advanced motion capture system, "Mahru" can follow a variety of human movements and move its hands freely enough to deal with any obstacles that may get in its way when walking.
State-funded KIST showed the robot during a presentation at its head office in Seoul.
People here were treated to an entertaining demonstration which saw the robot show off the full range of its skills, most notably s series of dance moves.
The research team added that they had designed another " Mahru", this time with sensors allowing it to distinguish between faces and objects.
The showing of " Mahru" came a week after researcher in Japan said they had created the "most human-like" robot in the world. A team at robotics department of Osaka University in Japan claimed that " robogirl", Repliee R-1, " looks, moves and interacts like a human, and has silicone skin that feels almost human to the touch." | high12399.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "be a household necessity"
},
"options": [
"be a household necessity",
"be offered for free",
"be used as a flashlight",
"work without batteries"
],
"question": "According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Secur... | Get the Emergency World Radio FREE
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[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "He was going to a job interview."
},
"options": [
"He was going to a job interview.",
"He was going to get his salary.",
"He was going to school by bus.",
"He was walking back home."
],
"question": "What was Rea... | Reagan was walking down the street on his way to interview for a minimum wage job.He happened to cross paths with Bouvier, who was laying rock salt on the ground outside his restaurant, Papa Roux, after an ice storm had hit the area earlier in the morning.
Bouvier said the 18-year-old approached him and asked how far it was to 10th and Sherman, Bouvier said the distance was at least seven miles, so he told Reagan that he would be better off taking a bus instead of walking, especially considering the freezing temperature.Reagan said "thank you" and kept on his way to the job interview.
Later, Bouvier and his wife were driving to grab coffee, and they came across Reagan again -still walking.So they offered him a ride.Reagan shared with the couple that he was on his way to a shop to interview for a job, and he did not have money for bus fare.Reagan also shared that his mother had passed away and he was left to care for his two younger sisters.After his mom died a couple of years ago, he ended up dropping out of high school without obtaining a diploma.
After hearing the teen's story, Bouvier told Reagan that even if he was offered the shop job, he would hire him and double his salary.Bouvier was impressed with the teen's ambition and work ethic .Reagan accepted the job.He cannot believe how everything turned out for him, saying, "I'm just too excited, just excited to start."
Bouvier wanted to share the encounter with his friends, so he wrote about it on Facebook.The story is going around, with more than 15,000 likes so far.People are applauding the teen's work ethic and Bouvier's generosity.
One person wrote, "You are a blessing from above, and some good will come to you." Another added, "So kindness does exist? Warms my heart!"
In addition, IndyGo, the local public transportation system, gave Reagan a free one-year pass. | high23150.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "lives apart from the other macaws"
},
"options": [
"is the last known hyacinth macaw",
"lives apart from the other macaws",
"has adapted to being left alone",
"can say \"Hello\" when he hears music"
],
"question... | The Asuncion zoo is looking for a mate for Coco, an endangered hyacinth macaw ,and it is the last known male of his species left in Paraguay.
Coco was sent to the zoo eight years ago. A recent DNA test showed that he is male. Zoo worker Celia said To avoid mixing species, the zoo has had to keep him apart from the other macaws, which has left him lonely and bored. "He is quite sociable, although he has only learned to say 'Hello', but when he hears music, he dances" Celia said
He has a yellow circle around his eyes that set off the rest of his blue feathers. He is more or less a cousin to Blu , he macaw that starts in the movie, Rio.That species, cyanopsitta-spixii ,is all blue and even more endangered than the hyacinth macaw.
Like the bird in the movie, scientists hope to find Coco a mate to- rebuild the species. Because international laws against animal training are now so strict, nobody is willing to lend the zoo a female. "The best solution is to find a female hyacinth macaw in our country. " Celia said, "there are at least two other known hyacinth-macaws but without DNA test, it is impossible to know if they are female, and the owners are not willing to help,because the mating process can take some time and be a little hard on females." | high9188.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the hands, the eyes, and the brain of the human can work together"
},
"options": [
"human beings have the hands, the eyes, and the brain working all the time",
"other animals also have hands, the eyes, and the brain",
"human ... | The hand, the eyes, and the brain work together to make human beings different from other animals. No other animals have all three parts to work together. No animals can do what human beings can do. Humans can do many things and feel many things with the hand. The hand can hold onto things and make things because the thumb works with the fingers. This fifth finger is strong. Most animals don't have thumbs. The thumb can press against the other fingers. Without a thumb to press against the fingers, it is difficult to hold onto anything. The thumb and fingers can also fit the flat surface of a box and the curved surface of a pencil. We can feel that something is hot or cold, soft or hard, smooth or rough. The hand, with thumb and fingers, is one of the best tools we have. Most animals see a flat picture. Their eyes can only see how high and how wide something is. Some animals see a different picture with each eye. Some don't see in colour. Humans see one picture with both eyes working together. We can see how high and how wide something is. We can also see how far in front of or in back of something a thing is. The brain tells other parts of the body how to work. Some of the things the body does are _ ; that is, we don't have to think about them. For example, we don't have to think to make our heart beat or our stomach work. The brain tells the eyes and hands how to make useful and beautiful things. That is how human beings become tool makers and artists. That is how human can have richer and better lives than other animals. | high8296.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "someone is profiting from our search for perfection"
},
"options": [
"a perfect grade is worth losing sleep",
"the whole college and career industries are perfect",
"some schools ask students to invent some medicine",
"... | We have a strange obsession with the concept of perfection. Driven by our culture, we struggle for an unattainable ideal. If I had the perfect parents, perfect grades, perfect ..., then I would be happy. We seek what we can't have without remembering that we don't actually need to be perfect. Imperfection allows us to be humankind.
Parents, teachers and other high-achieving peers will have us believe that we must be perfect if we wish to remain competitive. However, what job or school requires you to develop a cure for some of cancer by the age of 18? Although those grades will be admirable achievements, are they worth losing sleep? We feel that we need the perfect grades to get into the perfect college that will provide us with the education necessary for getting the perfect job. Making use of our thirst for perfection, the whole college and career industries have grown up making money by helping us reach our goals.
In fact, you need to focus more on your passions. Don't worry about anything secondary to your passions. You won't become an expert in anything if you spend your time trying to succeed in everything you do. You'll only become an expert when you devote your time to that one project that truly brings you joy.
As members of this society, we have a responsibility to be excellent in what we do, not perfect. Although perfection can be a goal, it should not be the only goal. We only have 24 hours in a day and seven days in a week. Thus, we need to prioritize what we what to do and cut out the activities we cannot do.
With everything, though, make sure you are doing enough. Pursuing your passions is not an enough reason to completely give up on everything else. Try as hard as you can and let your future worry about itself. Worry about your task at hand and you will be successful in achieving your dreams. Most of all, remember that you are going to be okay. | high14924.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "walk through green fields."
},
"options": [
"wear a red sweater",
"walk through green fields.",
"put on a pair of jeans",
"buy a yellow bag"
],
"question": "If you're trying to calm yourself down, you may _ .... | Getting ready for a big test? Want to get some extra energy for your next sports event? Or do you just need to relax? Match the mood you're in( or the mood you'd like to be in) to the descriptions below and find out what color may help.
Feeling tired: Red can help you meet the demands of a busy day. If you've got a tough day ahead, try wearing a red sweater or painting your fingernails a rich red to boost your energy.
Feeling tense or depressed: Green may give you a sense of peace. Take a long walk through a tree-filled park or read a book in a grassy area.
Wanting to use your creativity: Violet helps increase creativity. Think of a creative project you'd like to start and use the color violet as your main theme.
Experiencing lack of interest: Yellow helps to improve thought process and mental sharpness. Start keeping a diary on yellow notepaper, and get some sunlight on your face.
Needing to boost your imagination: Indigo strengthens dream activity. Put on your favorite pair of jeans and a pair of indigo sunglasses.
Feeling sad, self-conscious, nervous: Orange may help start your emotions and make you more social. Buy yourself an orange book bag or purse and carry it with you on the days when you're feeling low.
Having trouble sleeping: Blue helps calm your nerves and brings relaxation. Buy some blue sheets for your bed and curl up with your favorite magazines for a relaxing night. | high11684.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "It offers seafood mainly"
},
"options": [
"It offers seafood mainly",
"It is closed on Sundays",
"It has specialty pizza",
"It offers a large variety of bottled wines"
],
"question": "What is special about Skull... | Hilton Head Island, in South Carolina, is one of the popular vacation spots on the East Coast of the US. There are 250 restaurants on the island You can try the excellent restaurants introduced below.
Skull Creek Boathouse (843-681-3663)
There's no shortage of interesting and tantalizing choices to satisfy any seafood lover's palate. Lunch is served daily from 11:30 am to 4 pm,dinner from 4pm to 9 pm, and weekend brunch is served from 10 am to 3 pm. The menu is mostly seafood, as you would think by the name of the restaurant.
Quarterdeck(866-561-8802)
The view from this restaurant is amazing. You have choices, such as beef or burgers, salads and soups. The hours are typically from 11:30 am to 5 pm for lunch, and from 5 pm to 9 pm for dinner. It couldn't get any better -- delicious food, surrounded by equally delicious scenery.
Frankie Bones(843-842-4033)
It is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner from 11:30 am to 8 pm, and Sunday lunch is served from 11:30 am to 3 pm. For lunch you can enjoy sandwiches, salads, rice, and pasta dishes. It has potato chips on the side, which they would be happy to substitute for veggies. The entree was served with soup or salad. The salad also has cheese, pine nuts, and dried berries.
Mellow Mushroom(843-686-2474)
If you want something different from your usual food, go to the Mellow Mushroom. It has specialty pizza, salads and sandwiches. If you enjoy wines, you'll surely find something you like, because it has a wall full of beer on tap, as well as a large variety of bottled wines. It is open 7 days a week -- Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 am to 9:00 pm and Friday and Saturday 11:00 am to 11:00 pm. | high16855.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "It is formed to develop commercially practical eye-controlled technology."
},
"options": [
"It was once called the GazeGroup.",
"It produces eye-controlled technology for disabled users only.",
"It is founded in Denmark by St... | In the near future, we may be using our eyes to operate our smartphones and tablets, even when it comes to playing popular games like Fruit Ninja.
The GazeGroup has been developing eye-controlled computer technology for nearly 20 years. But those devices have been mainly designed to aid those with disabilities, and are very expensive.
"After a while, we figured out that probably the best way is to go for a mass-market approach," says Gaze's Sune Alstrup Johansen, "where everybody would have this available."
Johansen and some of his colleagues have formed a new company, The Eye Tribe, which is hoping to develop the technology on a mass commercial level.
The technology works by sending an infrared light from the computing device toward the user's face. After measuring the user's eye movements, the technology is then able to easily know where a person's eyes are moving, allowing the eyes to control a cursor .
A software can determine the location of the eyes and tell where the user is looking on the screen. It even knows which image he is looking at.
There has been a gradual change toward hands-free technology in recent years, particularly in the gaming world. Following Nintendo's popular Wii system, Xbox released the Kinect device, which lets users control their Xbox and play certain games using only their hands, legs and voices.
Since most smartphones and other mobile devices can't come standard with an infrared device, Johansen said a replaceable filter would be an inexpensive, convenient choice for most consumers.
And even as companies like The Eye Tribe work to create a commercially practical product for the average user, making the eye-controlled technology more accessible and less expensive will have similar benefits for disabled users.
"Then I can go to any computer, and then I can control it and I can use it, instead of just bringing my own," said Stig Langvad, who heads up Denmark's umbrella organization for people with disabilities. "So I'll be a part of society on an equal foot, instead of being a special solution." | high17593.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Her superb acting."
},
"options": [
"Wearing expensive furs.",
"Her good fortune.",
"Her superb acting.",
"Her experience as a waitress."
],
"question": "What changed Antonia's way of life?",
"question_type"... | Antonia left Athens and came to America to make her fortune. She wanted to be a famous actress, so she went to live in Hollywood, California.
At first, Antonia had very little money, so she was forced to watch every penny while _ of movie agents' offices. For over a year, she worked only in small parts. She found life extremely hard. She had to take buses or walk everywhere, and she ate only one meal a day. Even though she worked nights as a waitress, Antonia could not really make ends meet.
Suddenly, one day, the star of a film became ill, and the director asked Antonia to take the part. Her acting was superb. After the first show of the film, she became an overnight success. Everyone gave her mad notice, and she received many offers for future starring roles.
Since then, Antonia has changed her whole way of life. Now she wears expensive furs and drives a Rolls-Royce. She lives in a twenty-seven room house in Beverly Hills, with seven servants. All her needs are cared for. For Antonia, America is truly the land of streets paved with gold. Through her hard work, she has earned the fame she desired so much. | high21021.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "exercising to music makes people healthy and bright"
},
"options": [
"music and exercise lead to relaxation or sleep",
"33 volunteers work on music in medical fields",
"exercising to music makes people healthy and bright",
... | If music makes you smarter and exercise helps you to think, surely exercising to music can turn you into an intelligent person.
A team of scientists from Ohio State University did experiments on 33 volunteers who were getting better from heart disease following operation. They found that people who exercised while listening to Italian musician Antonio Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" did much better on language ability tests than without music.
"Facts suggest that exercise improves the learning ability of people with heart disease," said the psychologist Charles Emery, who led the study. "And listening to music is thought to _ understanding. We just wanted to put the two results together," he added.
The volunteers said they felt better emotionally and physically after working out with or without the music. But their improvement on the test doubled after listening to music during exercise. Scientists have proved that music can be good for health, education and well-being. It helps reduce stress, sadness and nervousness; encourages relaxation or sleep; wakes up the body and improves memory and thoughts.
In medical fields, music is used widely for patients who have had head hurts before and after operation. "The Four Seasons" was used because of its moderate tempo and positive results in earlier research. "Exercise seems to cause positive changes in the nervous system and these changes may have a direct result on learning ability," Emery said.
Scientists have been studying the results of music on understanding since the early 1950s. By 2000, psychologists were using Mozart's music, especially his violin pieces, to help children with speech disorders. Mozart was chosen because his music is not overexciting and has clear structures. A study showed students who listened to Mozart went on to score higher marks in an intelligence test. With important exams drawing near, your parents will not probably allow you to listen to music. But perhaps now you have good reasons to argue with them. | high2963.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The concentration of PM 2.5 has risen, but it will decrease soon."
},
"options": [
"The tourism in Beijing was influenced by the hazy weather.",
"Both the Great Wall and Palace Museum had been affected by the smog.",
"The con... | BEIJING, Feb. 26 (China Daily) -- As the smog orange warning continues, tourist attractions in Beijing are experiencing a significant decline in visitor number.
A new report launched by Beijing authorities on the morning of February 24 indicates that the concentration of PM 2.5 has risen, with no sign of decreasing, the orange warning will still be in effect, according to Xinhua News Agency.
According to data released by the Beijing Tourism Website, by 2:00 pm, February 24, popular tourist attractions including The Great Wall and Palace Museum had been affected by the smog in terms of tourist numbers.
As for the Palace Museum, the number of visitors was only 11,200 that day, far from the figure of 40,000, which is the daily average number of visitors it normally receives.
There were a few visitors in Beihai Park on the morning of February 24, and two visitors from Hebei province planned to end their morning tour earlier than scheduled because of the smog. One of them said, "The visibility is so poor that we can't take good photos, or even see clearly. We'd better leave early."
In response to worsening air conditions, travel agencies have also taken some measures to avoid a further decline in tourist numbers. An employee with China Youth Travel Service, Wang Tao, said the agency will inform tourists of the weather conditions at their destinations. A tour guide with China Travel Service also told the media that it was a tour guide's duty to inform foreign visitors of the smog conditions in Beijing, and the agency will provide free face masks to those in need. But _ , because the root cause is air pollution. China will introduce various emergency responses and long-term measures against air pollution. Officials and experts called for combined efforts by governments, industries and the public to cooperate more efficiently and to jointly solve the problem. | high9836.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Because you can mature by facing and learning from mistakes."
},
"options": [
"Because you can get some growing pains.",
"Because experts also make mistakes.",
"Because you can mature by facing and learning from mistakes.",
... | If You Make a Mistake, Don't Worry!
Yeah, you'll want to forget about them, but mistakes can be useful. Making a mistake doesn't mean it's the end of the world. In real life you have to grow and mature, and with that comes some growing pains.
You know you should have studied hard but you went out with some friends instead. You know you should have put the money into the bank for a rainy day instead of spending it on all kinds of things you didn't need.
It's the growing pains called mistakes that most people make when they are growing up. Face them. You are going to make them. Learn from them. All of the people you wish to copy, such as all the experts in your business field, have made mistakes. They'll continue to make mistakes for all their successes.
One of the major differences between people like them and the vast majority of others is that they don't let their mistakes stop them. Instead, they use their mistakes as learning tools.
At the very least, when you make a mistake, you'll know what not to do. And you can help others by warning them of the mistakes you've made. Don't let mistakes stop you from doing anything. Learn from them, don't hide in a closet. Facing up to your mistakes now and later will mature.
What mistakes are you making right now? Take a look at anything you might be doing wrong. Take a step back and evaluate your situation, then fix whatever needs to be corrected. Then move forward.
Always remember your mistakes to remind yourself of what not to do for the future. | high22528.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Animals can predict extreme weather or terrible events."
},
"options": [
"In folklore, animals were used to predict the weather.",
"Animals can predict extreme weather or terrible events.",
"Humans could rely on animals to av... | Many of the old sayings using animals to predict the weather are folklore , but not all. It's still unknown how animals can predict the weather, but limited research and acute observations have proved the animal kingdom's ability to notice changes before we do. Through their highly developed sense of hearing, smell and awareness of changes in atmospheric conditions, animals do appear to have a sixth sense that does allow them to predict certain weather conditions, earthquakes and tsunamis.
Lying cows are one of the most well-known natural weather indicators. If a cow lies in a field, it means rain is on the way, because cows sense the moisture in the air and are making sure hay have somewhere dry to lie down.
Fish are known to eat more before a storm. Some say cats increase their grooming activities when extra static electricity is in the air, and horses are known to run fast before a violent storm or when windy conditions are coming.
Meteorologist Randy Rauch of WTSP-TV in Clearwater confirms that animals can serve as severe weather barometers .
"It's actually been long believed that animals have a sixth sense when it comes to severe weather," Rauch said. " It's long been talked about in folklore. You'll hear all kinds of stories that dogs, cats, cows, crickets---all have some sort of knowing power before severe weather."
That theory was put to the test during the massive tsunami in 2004. It has been said that the actions of animals were one of the main reasons that residents in the area knew to take cover.
"Many of the elephants scattered to higher places 5 to 10 minutes before the first wave hit the shoreline," Rauch said. "This has been a long story with animals in the wild and somehow knowing that weather or some kind of terrible event is going to occur." | high23636.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "how to monitor our online reputation"
},
"options": [
"how to google ourselves",
"how to monitor our online reputation",
"how to use different search engines",
"how to protect our online reputation"
],
"question... | On Web sites across the Internet, people can access a variety of information about you. It's in your interest to be aware of your online reputation and to take the necessary actions to make it what you want it to be.
The first step in protecting or improving your online reputation is to find out what information is already posted on the Internet and to assess the impression it leaves on people. Follow these tips to monitor and evaluate your online reputation:
Play the name game. Begin by typing your first and last name into several popular search engines to see where you are mentioned and in what context.
Example:
Robin Counts
Focus your search. To get moreprecise results, put quotation marks around your name, so that the search engine reads your name as a phrase and not as two or more unrelated words that just happen to appear in the text.
Example:
"Robin Counts"
Search all of your names. If you have ever used a different name, if you use your middle name or initial, if you use a nickname, or if your name is frequently misspelled, search all variations to make sure you don't miss anything important.
Example:
"Robin Counts"
"Robin J. Counts"
"Robin Counts Jensen"
Be strategic. If your search turns up information about other people who share your name, you caneliminate many false hits by using keywords. You can add keywords that apply only to you; for example your city, your employer, or a hobby.
Example:
"Robin Counts" "Woodgrove Bank"
"Robin counts"----skydiving
Go blogging. If any of your friends, family members or coworkers have blogs or personal Web pages on social networking sites, check them out from time to time to see if they are writing about you or posting pictures of you.
Be alert. Use the feature provided by some search engines that enables you to receive automatic notification of any new mention of your name or other personal information. | high24159.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To encourage us to have a travel partner."
},
"options": [
"To introduce a travel company.",
"To encourage us to have a travel partner.",
"To explain how to be a perfect travel partner.",
"To tell an interesting experie... | To see the world is one thing;to have someone to share it with is another.Indeed,travel becomes more interesting when you have a travel partner.A travel partner can be a close friend,a family member,a pal you've met online,or a business friend.
You can have someone to talk to
Traveling alone is fun,but wouldn't you feel lonely?Having a travel partner can remove the feeling of loneliness.This is especially true if you can get a travel companion who is very familiar with the place you're traveling to.You don't have to ask any information from the locals,and you can increase the time you spend in the country.
_
One of the major headaches in traveling is the costs involved.You can't simply ignore the rising price of hotels or plane tickets.You should also think about your daily needs,such as your food.Of course,you can't simply go back without bringing any souvenirs to your friends and family.All these can ruin your budget.However,when you have a travel friend,you can have someone to share the expenses with.
You can meet a good friend
Having a travel mate is a good way of meeting a new friend or even a lifelong partner.You can never count the number of couples who actually found their way into each other's heart while traveling together in another country.
You can have someone to watch out for you
When you're in a foreign land,you'll never be really safe.You don't know the rules as well as the culture of the people.A travel mate will be perfect to remind you of your duties in the country and to watch your back just in case you get lost.So why don't you find a travel companion now?
Let's find out how ... | high6536.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "you are likely to find information about a species with a little air, water, or soil"
},
"options": [
"you are likely to find information about a species with a little air, water, or soil",
"some kind of high-tech device can be use... | Many science fiction stories tell about explorers arriving in a new world. The explorers then use some kind of high-tech device to test for breathable air or signs of life. But here on Earth, science fiction is becoming reality through a new sampling technology called environmental DNA, or e-DNA for short. Scientists can use it to identify rare or invasive species, study bio-diversity or estimate fish populations with just a little air or water.
Ryan Kelly is an ecologist at the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs at the University of Washington in Seattle. He works in a laboratory there with other researchers. They study the genetic material released by living creatures. "Essentially we can take a sample of soil or air -- and in our case -- water, and we can sequence(to arrange the order of genes)the DNA out of it and tell you what is there."
Ryan Kelly says he and his research team are studying water samples collected from Puget Sound. He says the cost of gene sequencing has "been reduced greatly in recent years." That makes DNA testing more widely available.
Environmental DNA can be used in two ways. One is to identify the creatures that live in a certain place. The other is to confirm the presence or lack of a specific creature.
Caren Goldberg heads the new e-DNA lab at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. She is one of the first biologists in the northwestern United States to take the technology from the testing phase to actually using it.
"It is extremely useful for species that are really hard to find. I have spent many hours looking for species that I was pretty sure were there -- looking under rocks, looking in water, doing all kinds of surveys."
Caren Goldberg sees e-DNA as a way to get answers more efficiently, safely and with less destruction compared to traditional survey techniques. Until recently, scientists depended on diving deep, netting or using an electric current to temporarily catch fish.
"We're absolutely at this point where proof-of-concept has been established. I don't think everyone necessarily is ready for it yet, but I think the majority of people are."
This newer way to identify what lives in the environment is becoming popular around the world. Animal experts in Vietnam are using the e-DNA to find the last, wild Yangtze giant softshell turtles. One researcher on the Caribbean island of Trinidad is using the sampling technology to find endangered golden tree-frogs. And in Madagascar, it is being used to identify amphibian diseases.
Ms. Goldberg has used e-DNA testing to confirm the local extinction, disappearance, of a leopard frog in the American state of Idaho. She has also been asked to document the spread of the New Zealand mud-snail in the state of Washington. The creature has been found in lakes and other waterways across the state.
Now, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management wants Caren Goldberg to look for the Columbia spotted frog in two other western states. The rare amphibian is a candidate for the federal government's threatened species list.
Scientists working with the technology say they do not expect robots to replace field biologists anytime soon. But the old-fashioned field work could soon be more targeted.
A related research goal is to show how long environmental DNA can last and how far it can travel in different environments. | high9605.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "social life"
},
"options": [
"technology",
"education",
"entertainment",
"social life"
],
"question": "You may find this text in a magazine about _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"ans... | How many times do you check your Moments or Facebook page in a day to see whether your latest post has got another "like" or "thumbs up"?
Although you might be embarrassed to admit how many times you do this, don't worry. Psychological findings have shown it's completely normal.
In fact, the pleasure we derive from getting a "like" is equal to that of eating chocolate or winning money, and we can't help wanting more.
According to the findings of the UCLA Brain Mapping Center, which observed 32 teens aged between 13 and 18, the feedback circuit in the teens' brains are particularly sensitive, and the "social" and "visual" parts of their brains were activated when they received "likes" on a social network. The research also showed that though the thumbs up might come from complete strangers, the good they derive from it worked equally.
So does it mean we should try our best to win as many thumbs up as possible?
Not necessarily so if we know the reasons behind our desire for attention.
In "Why do people crave attention" by M. Farouk Radwan, he explained several cases in which people naturally longed for attention. Radwan said people who were an only child, who were used to being the center of attention in their house, may try to reproduce these conditions. Feeling "overlooked and unappreciated" might also lead you to be eager for attention. Other times, the state of being jealous or wanting to cover your mistakes may also contribute to such longings.
In fact, too much desire for attention can create anxiety, and in turn ruin your happiness even when you get it. So what can we do about it? The answer is quite simple.
"If people could adopt goals not focused on their own self-esteem but on something larger than their self, such as what they can create or contribute to others, they would be less sensitive to some of the negative effects of pursuing self-esteem," wrote psychology professor Jennifer Crocker in the Journal of Social Issues. | high14071.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Andy was a boy who loved school very much"
},
"options": [
"Andy's mother might feel sorry for her son",
"Andy was a boy who loved school very much",
"many students would be late for school on that foggy day",
"Jennie d... | Andy loved the first grade. He loved his teacher,Mrs.Parks. He loved playing games on the playground. He loved learning about dinosaurs and the solar system .
Every morning Andy's mother dropped him off in front of his school on South Street. One foggy morning,the traffic was so bad on South Street that she decided to drop him off behind the school. Andy walked for about ten minutes and got to the gate. He held the icy handle,but it didn't move!Using both hands,he tried his hardest and finally the gate opened.
After Andy closed the gate behind him,he looked in the direction of the teaching building. But all he could see was fog. He got to the spot where the slide had always been,but it was not there."The slide is gone!" he cried. He walked a little more to look for the swings,but they were not where they had always been."The swings are gone!" he cried again.
Andy kept walking. He was so anxious to see the school that he fell and landed on the ground. He still couldn't see the school. A terrible thought appeared in his head."The school is gone!" he cried sadly. No more games with Jennie,Angel and Dillon,he thought. No more reading about dinosaurs. No more watching videos on the solar system...
Suddenly the boy saw something up ahead."It's Jennie!"he shouted. Then he saw the outline of a school building. His school was still there!He was full of excitement!
"Hi,Jennie!" he stood up and caught up with the girl."I couldn't see the school. I thought it was gone." Jennie just laughed."You're so silly." "What happened to the slide and the swings?" Andy asked.
"We will have new playground equipment today," Jennie answered."The old equipment was taken away last night. Don't you remember Mrs. Parks telling us about it yesterday?" "I guess I forgot," Andy said,smiling."Anyway,I'm glad the school is here." | high1259.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "They treated him as a normal boy"
},
"options": [
"They gave him much more care",
"They treated him as a normal boy",
"They made excuse for his failure",
"They protected him from failure."
],
"question": "How di... | Nick Santonastasso has one arm equipped with one finger. He has no legs. He also has no limitations .
" I know anything's possible ," the 12-year-old told TODAY 's Ann Curry.
He can play baseball and football, play the keyboard and drums, and play video games with his brothers.
When Nick was born, he suffered a disease only found in 11 other people. The Santonastassos had three other children, and they decided to treat Nick the same as others, with love but without excuse
" We're supposed to be heroes to our children, but Nick is a hero to us," his father Michael said. But heroes have heroes, too, and Nick's is Tiki Barber, the former football superstar who retired last year and became a reporter for TODAY. Curry told Nick that for his birthday, the show wanted to give him a new skateboard. The person who presented it to him was Barber.
" You're an inspiration," Barber said. " There are a lot of kids who might be at a disadvantage.
You give them strength."
Curry observed that most parents try to protect their kids from failure, but the Santonastassos didn't do that with Nick.
"Absolutely not, "Nick's mother Stacey said. " If you do have a small failure, it just makes you stronger to succeed at the next stop."
" It builds self-confidence in yourself to try it again," Nick added.
Recently, Nick entered a drawing in a statewide contest in New Jersey. His drawing was a tree with a spreading canopy and deep toots. Above the tree were the words, "The roots of a family are..." Below the ground, the roots spelled out the final word for the message: " Love."
It won the contest. The judges didn't know Nick' physical condition. He won on merit , the same way he does everything else in life. | high12400.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "13"
},
"options": [
"13",
"60",
"11",
"5"
],
"question": "According to the passage, death toll from Bird Flu in China rises to _",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_... | Two more people have died in China from a new strain of bird flu, raising the death toll from the virus to 13, state media reported Sunday.
The official Xinhua News Agency said the two deaths were reported in Shanghai and that three new cases were also confirmed in the financial hub. A total of 11 new cases were reported Sunday - including two in a central province that previously had been unaffected. In all, 60 cases of the virus, known as H7N9, have been reported in China.
The two cases reported Sunday in central Henan province, which is next to Beijing, followed an announcement Saturday that a 7-year-old girl had become the first person in the capital to be infected with the virus. All previous reported cases were in Shanghai and other eastern areas of China.
A World Health Organization official said Sunday that it wasn't surprising that the virus had spread to Beijing.
Michael O'Leary, head of WHO's office in China, said it's not the case that everyone confirmed to be infected with H7N9 was "clustered in one small area with the same source of exposure."
"So we've been expecting new cases to occur. ... Furthermore, we still expect that there will be other cases," he said.
Four new cases were reported Sunday in eastern Zhejiang province and two more in Jiangsu.
Health officials believe the virus, which was first spotted in humans last month, is spreading through direct contact with infected fowl.
O'Leary said "the good news" was that there was still no evidence that humans had passed on the virus to other humans.
"As far as we know, all the cases are individually infected in a sporadic and not connected way," he said, adding that the source of infection was still being investigated.
The girl from Beijing, whose parents are in the live poultry trade, was admitted to a hospital Thursday with symptoms of fever, sore throat, coughing and headache, the Beijing Health Bureau said.
O'Leary said early treatment can be effective, as demonstrated by the girl, who was in stable condition.
In the only other reported cases outside of eastern China, health officials in Henan province said tests on two men Thursday had later revealed they had the virus.
They said a 34-year-old restaurant chef who had displayed flu symptoms for about a week was in critical condition in a hospital, while a 65-year-old farmer who was in frequent contact with poultry was in stable condition after receiving treatment.
They said 19 people who had been in close contact with the two men did not show any flu symptoms.
China has been more open in its response to the new virus than it was a decade ago with an outbreak of SARS, when authorities were highly criticized for not releasing information. | high23805.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "To offer all children a full and good education."
},
"options": [
"To offer all children a full and good education.",
"To urge states to introduce high standards.",
"To enable every child to succeed in a global economy.",
... | Providing a highquality education for all children is important to America's economic future.President Obama has decided to provide every child with access to a complete and competitive education,from cradle through career.
The years before a child reaches kindergarten are among the most _ in his or her life to influence learning.The President will urge states to introduce high standards across all publicly funded early learning settings,develop new programs to improve opportunities and outcomes,engage parents in their child's early learning and development,and improve the early education workforce.
President Obama will reform America's public schools to deliver a 21st century education that will prepare all children for success in the new global workplace.He will push to end the use of ineffective,"offtheshelf" tests,and support new,stateoftheart assessment and responsibility systems that provide timely and useful information about the learning and progress of students.
Teachers are the single most important resource to children's learning.President Obama will invest in a national effort to reward outstanding teachers,while enlisting the best and brightest in the field of teaching.And he will challenge State and school districts to remove ineffective teachers from the classroom.
The President believes that investment in education must be accompanied by reform and innovation .He supports the expansion of highquality charter schools .He has challenged States to lift limits that stop growth among successful charter schools and has encouraged strict responsibility for all charter schools.
President Obama has decided to ensure that America will regain its lost ground and have the highest proportion of students graduating from college in the world by 2020.The President believes that regardless of educational path after high school,all Americans should enroll in at least one year of higher education or job training to better prepare our workforce for the 21st century economy.
To reach these goals,the President has decided to increase higher education access and success by restructuring and greatly expanding college financial aid,while making federal programs simpler,more reliable,and more efficient for students. | high7628.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "was small in size"
},
"options": [
"was small in size",
"was too young",
"did not play well enough",
"did not show much interest"
],
"question": "The producers didn't let Taylor play the part of Velvet at first ... | People fell in love with Elizabeth Taylor in 1944, when she starred inNational Velvet-the story of Velvet Brown, a young girl who wins first place in a famous horse race, At first, the producers of the movie told Taylor that she was too small to play the part of Velvet. However, they waited for her for a few months as she exercised and trained--and added three inches to her height in four months! Her acting inNational Velvetis still considered the best by a child actress.
Elizabeth Taylor was born in London in 1932. Her parents, both Americans, had moved there for business reasons. When World War II started, the Taylor moved to Beverly Hills, California, and there Elizabeth started acting in movies. After her success as a child star, Taylor had no trouble moving into adult roles and won twice for Best Actress:Butterfield8 (1960) andWho's Afraid of Virginia Woolf ? (1966)
Taylor's fame and popularity gave her a lot of power with the movie industry, so she was able to demand very high pay for her movies. In 1963, she received $1 million for her part inCleopatra--the highest pay received by any star up to that time.
Elizabeth Taylor is a legend of our time. Like Velvet Brown inNational Velvet, she has been lucky, she has beauty, fame and wealth. But she is also a hard worker. Taylor seldom acts in movies any more. Instead, she puts her time and efforts into her businesses, and into helping others--several years ago, she founded an organization that has raised more than $40 million for research and education. | high915.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The energy for their houses."
},
"options": [
"The climate of their areas.",
"The energy for their houses.",
"The fashions for their houses.",
"The building materials for their houses."
],
"question": "What did ... | When building houses, people used to think about not only the climate of the areas but also the building materials and the fashions for their houses. However, since electricity became more and more expensive , people began to pay much more attention to the energy they could get for their houses and the new ways they could find to protect their houses from both cold and heat.
Now, houses of an old yet new type have been widely built. In some parts of the world, people share their houses with their _ . During cold weather, they gather their cows, goats, or other animals and keep them on the first floor of their houses. The reasons are that the animals can be protected from the cold and that they can help to heat the houses as well. The body heat given off by the animals rises to the second floor of the houses, where people live. By sharing their houses with their livestock, people gain a source of heat.
People who live in or near cities do not usually keep livestock. However, home builders use the fact that heat rises. This _ can be used in building houses in these areas, instead of keeping livestock on the first floor builders fill it with large rocks. As they are open to the sun's rays during cold weather, these rocks take in heat. They also give off the heat, and, of course, the warm air rises into the living areas of the houses. So these houses are energy saving.
House building becomes a great challenge to building designers and energy engineer. They try to meet this challenge by learning from old traditions and by using modern technology. And someday in the future, people will be able to live in more energy saving houses. | high2988.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "of both Eastern and Western varieties"
},
"options": [
"of both Eastern and Western varieties",
"from all over the country, in air-conditioned comfort",
"that is air-conditioned, friendly and efficient",
"from which you... | The Garden Hotel
When you are next in Nanoko, be sure to stay at the Garden Hotel.Whether you come on business or on holiday, you will find everything as comfortable and convenient as you would expect in a first-class international hotel.
Every bedroom has its own private bathroom, telephone, wall-to-wall carpeting and color1ful, modern materials and furniture in the local style.
In the Mitsu Restaurant, you can choose your meals from as wide a variety of dishes, both Eastern and European, as you will find anywhere in the country.In the Beach Bar, you can drink with your family and friends in air-conditioned comfort, to the music of internationally known artists.Or you can take your drink outside into the beautiful garden that gives the hotel its name, or to the tables that surround the swimming pool.Throughout the hotel, you will find the service is both friendly and efficient.
By day, the pool is alive with the holiday spirit and the happy shouting of children; and by right, soft lights and music make it the perfect place for a party, or simply for an after-dinner drink and conversation.
The Garden Hotel has its own private mini-bus service.Give us a ring and we will arrange to collect you at the airport or in the city center.Every day a bus leaves the hotel for day trips up into the hills to see the ruined city of Morote, or the villages and temples of the hill people;or along the coast to the seaside towns and wonderful beaches of Cape St Germain.
If you prefer, we can arrange for you to visit the Wainiri Islands that lie just off the coast.Here you can swim and sun-bathe in private and in peace;or you can fish for one of the many varieties of sea-life for which the Wainiris are justly famous.
The Garden Hotel is right on the beach, only five minutes for Nanoko's modern shopping centre.Here you will find all that money can buy, at prices you can afford.
GARDEN HOTEL, BEACH AVENUE, NANOKO, P.R.T.TEL:46-0488 | high16666.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "tracking the early spring blooms of some local plants"
},
"options": [
"watching early spring blooms and changes in animals",
"studying the biological timing of earth",
"collecting data of the local weather",
"tracking ... | Monitoring global warming usually requires a Ph. D. and enough maths to glaze your eyes. But that Francisco Lopez and Ruby Nostrant track what climate change is doing to five different plants in Tucson, Arizona and they are only in the second grade.
"We are collecting data because the weather is changing and the plants are blooming," Ruby explained.
Scores of other students at Borton Primary Magnet School and Sunnyside High School in Tucson are heading outdoors to be part of a new scientific push to figure out how the biological timing of the earth is changing. It's a research project that the average person, even a kindergartner, can join in.
The National Phenology Network is calling on volunteers to help track early spring blooms and eventually changes in animals caused by global warming. It's called Project Budburst. When it was first open to the public last year, thousands of people participated in 26 states.
"All people can contribute to it by tracking the timing of flowering events or leaf-out events for plants and animals in their backyard," said Phenology Network director Jake Weltzin. He calls the volunteers "citizen-scientists."
The idea is that tracking flowers blooming--especially lilacs ; which everyday people have helped track for decades--is fairly simple. The Website http://www.Windows.ucar.edu/ citizen _ science/budburst/index.html gives directions on what to look for in different parts of the country.
University of Maryland professor David Inouye said it's so easy to figure out what's blooming that a lack of special knowledge isn't a problem.
University of Arizona ecology graduate student Lisa Benton coordinated the Tucson high school students as they looked at plants five minutes from their high school. Each student has specific guidelines and she's been happy so far with the data she is getting. For his part, second-grader Francisco said he had fun helping out.
"I like going out in the desert," he said. "I want to be an Einstein." | high4321.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "has something wrong with his brain"
},
"options": [
"is clever than most people",
"is a person with abundant knowledge",
"has leg or arm disability",
"has something wrong with his brain"
],
"question": "Accordin... | My first born son is mentally handicapped, yet in so many ways he is far wiser than I am. He has an intuitive knowledge of what is important in life. When we go out he looks people in the eyes, calls them by name, and shares his smile far more easily than I do. He goes through life with a soul full of love, joy and kindness that he gives to everyone he meets. He makes others feel better. He makes each day shine brighter. He makes this world more beautiful just by being in it. He may not understand everything in life, but he knows how to live happily and lovingly. He shows me everyday that life is simple. It is we who make it complicated.
You see, life is just the choices we make each day. We can choose to love or we can choose to be afraid. We can choose to help or we can choose to turn away. We can choose to forgive or we can choose to hate. We can choose to be kind or we can choose to be cruel. We can choose to trust or we can choose to be suspicious. We can choose to give or we can choose to take. We can choose to laugh or we can choose to cry. We can choose to smile or we can choose to stress. We can choose to shine our souls or we can choose to dwell in darkness.
My son knows these choices by heart and always makes the right ones. I hope to one day get there as well. Until then I will do my best to live simply, to be wise, and to choose well. Until then I will do my best to love family, myself, and others. May you do the same. | high18893.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "was easy to learn"
},
"options": [
"was hard to learn",
"was only suitable to watch",
"was easy to learn",
"can only be done with support"
],
"question": "At first the writer thought that skating _ .",
"q... | When I was eight years old, I had a big accident. I get scared even now when I think about that time. There were many people skating near my house, and seeing them skate so wonderfully, I couldn't wait to have a try, just a piece of cake, I thought .
I went with a friend who was very skillful. He spent a long time teaching me how to skate , but I still didn't learn much , which made him very angry. Finally , he left me and skated all around. I skated alone and soon got bored because I kept falling down so I took off my skates and just walked around on the ice in my shoes. It was cold and my feet were frozen.
Suddenly, I stepped on something that was not hard. What was it ? It was a weak place in the ice . When I stepped there, I sank under the ice. I thought that I was going to die, but I did my best to grab something to get out from under the ice. I would have climbed out myself by grabbing the edge of the ice, but at that time I was only a child of eight . I cried out.
Fortunately, someone helped me. He grabbed my arms and pulled me up. Those several minutes seemed a year to me. I thanked him. At that time, my friend came back. I was annoyed at him because he was supposed to take care of me, but he didn't. He was embarrassed. When I took a taxi home, the taxi driver was surprised and asked what had happened. I didn't want to say anything because I was tired and scared. Since then, I have never touched skating. | high2750.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "May, July and November"
},
"options": [
"May, July and November",
"May, July and October",
"July, October, and November",
"April, May and October"
],
"question": "People born in the months of _ are usually ve... | January 1 -- January 31
You are charming and intelligent.You are actually quite ambitious.You like to go to parties and chat with your friends.On the other hand, you are friendly, but you are also a very private person.
February 1 -- February 28
You are determined and hard working.You are born under the sign of loyalty and evenness .You like parties and enjoy a lot of friends.On the other hand, you are quite famous for your courage.You really like to explore and you are an adventurer.
March 1 -- March 31
You are very loyal, independent, and open-minded.You are a born leader, and when you set a goal, you go to it.You adore challenges and competitions.You are most likely to be the one who calls out, "Let's go!" you are always in a circle of friends.You love animals. _
April I--April 30
You are artistic, well-mannered, intelligent, and diplomatic.You are usually sweet and kind, of course.You are sometimes famous for your artistic sense and good taste.You love throwing grand parties.Vacations and routines are very important to you.You are also fairly popular.
Mayl -- May 31
You are talented, sincere, and most of all, enthusiastic.You are the master of ceremonies. You shine in the crowd.When you walk into a room, heads turn, and you hear whispers and gasps.You have a strong will to defeat any challenge in your way.You have a hunger for fashion.
June 1 -- June 30
You are very elegant, wise, and compassionate .You are very attractive and people are attracted to you.Your friends rely on you for advice.You will be someone like Jacqueline Onassis.You are also very lucky in many ways.
Julyl -- July 31
You are mostly agreeable, energetic, and popular.You like to try new things wherever you go.You know how to dress and you always look your best.You are talented and you love sports. You are always one step ahead of anyone else.You adore freedom and independence.
August 1 -- August 31
You are empathetic, easygoing, and compliant.You can get along with almost everyone. Many people admire you for your talent and creativity.On the other hand, you are sensitive and compassionate.You always like to dream.You enjoy peace and quiet at night.
September 1 -- September 30
You are individualistic, sociable, and very entertaining.You are capable of anything.You have an excellent memory.You like long, friendly conversations with your closest friends.You turn boring things into the life of the party.
October 1 -- October 31
You are thoughtful, intelligent, and the class comedian.You are also very popular, and nice around friends.You love to save the best for last.You are amusing and very fun to be around with.You love to spend hours each day reading and studying for final exams, when the school year has just started.You almost never turn on your friends.
November 1 -- November 30
You are unselfish, knowledgeable, and friendly.You are loyal to your friends and family. You can see the difference between right and wrong.You are very honest and you speak out when you feel something has gone wrong.You are the person who likes trendy clothes.
December 1 --December 31
You are smart, optimistic, and willing to help others.You are like a rare diamond.You are intentionally the nicest while you are with friends.You are also very affectionate.You are too good to be true.Your friends trust in you easily.You are also popular in the "Being Nice" way. | high10217.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "tasty vegetable"
},
"options": [
"poisonous fruit",
"poisonous vegetable",
"tasty fruit",
"tasty vegetable"
],
"question": "Tomato is a kind of _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answe... | People have strange ideas about food. For example, tomato is a kind of very delicious vegetable. It is one of useful plants that can be prepared in many ways. It has rich nutrition and vitamin in it. But in the 18th century, Americans never ate tomatoes. They grew them in their gardens because tomato plants are so pretty. But they thought the vegetable was poisonous . They called tomatoes "poison apples".
President Thomas Jefferson, however, knew that tomatoes were good to eat. He was a learned man. He had been to Paris, where he learned to love the taste of tomatoes. He grew many kinds of tomatoes in his garden. The President taught his cook a way for a cream of tomato soup. This beautiful pink soup was served at the President party. The guests thought the soup tasted really good. They never thought their president would serve his honored guests poison apples. Jefferson never spoke to his honored guests about the fact. | high5759.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "try to eat foods that their girlfriends like"
},
"options": [
"have to eat more unhealthy food",
"have few changes of their dietary habits",
"don't like foods high in fat and sugar at all",
"try to eat foods that their ... | Moving in with a boyfriend causes women to eat more unhealthily and put on weight. But the opposite is true for men, whose long-term health benefits when they move in with a female partner.
Dieticians at Newcastle University said both partners try to please one another, and so change their dietary habits to suit their other half.
It leads men to eat more _ meals, such as salads, fruit and vegetables, while women choose to make creamier, heavier dishes like curry or rich pasta sauces, which may please their partner.
Women still have the strongest long-term influence over the couple's diet and lifestyle, as they still have the traditional role of shopper and cook in most households.
The report, by Newcastle University's Human Nutrition Research Centre, reviewed the finding of a variety of research projects from the UK, North America and Australia, which looked at the eating and lifestyle habits of couples.
The research shows that women are more likely to put on weight and increase their consumption of foods high in fat and sugar when they move in with their partner.
Women also use food as a comfort when dealing with emotional stress and have been found to gain weight when a relationship ends, while the same finding has not been observed in men.
Many couples reported food as being central to their partnership, and eating together in the evening was particularly important to many.
Report author and registered dietician Dr. Amelia Lake said, "The research has shown that your partner is a strong influence on lifestyle and people who are trying to live healthier lives should take this factor into consideration." | high2036.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "corrected his actions when he turned"
},
"options": [
"climbed the ladder",
"started the moves that would push him into the air",
"knew he was too close to the board",
"corrected his actions when he turned"
],
"... | I climbed the ladder, heard my dive announced, and began the moves that would push me into the air. Pushing off the diving board with my legs, I lifted my arms and shoulders back, and knew immediately I would be close to the board and might hit my hands. I tried to correct myself as I turned, spreading my hands wide apart. Then I heard a strange sound and my body lost control. Moments later I realized I had hit my head on the board.
At the beginning, I felt embarrassed. I wanted to hide, to get out of the pool without anyone seeing me. Next I felt intense fear. Had I cut my head? Was I bleeding? Was there blood in the pool? Swimming to the side, I noticed many shocked faces. People were worried about my head; I was worried about something far more threatening. An official examined my head. In a hurry, I pushed him away, and everyone else who approached me. "Don't touch me!" I felt like screaming. "Get away from me!"
These were the trials for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea. Until this dive, I had been ahead. But now, something else was more significant than winning. I might have endangered other divers' lives if I had spilled blood in the pool. For what I knew--- that few others knew - was that I was HIV-positive.
According to my mother, my natural parents were Samoan and only teenagers when I was born, so they gave me up for adoption. When I was only eighteen months old, I started gym classes. At ten, I explored doing gym exercises off the diving board at the pool.
Because of my dark skin, kids at school called me names. My diving made me feel good about myself when my peers made me feel stupid. At sixteen, I knew I had a shot at the 1976 Olympics.
Everyone was alarmed when I hit my head on the board in Seoul. Regardless, I made it to the finals. During my last dive in the finals, I enjoyed for the last time the quietness underwater and then swam to the side of the pool. The crowd cheered, and I knew I'd won --- two gold medals. AIDS forced me to stop diving; I had to give up diving professionally after the Olympics. | high21974.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "dangerous"
},
"options": [
"safe",
"dead",
"dangerous",
"good"
],
"question": "It would be _ if they couldn't slide down the ridge.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"an... | Sir Emest Shackleton was not only a great explorer, but also an intelligent man. He once found himself and two of his men at the top of an icy mountain ridge . They had no way to get down to its side. Their destination had been the tiny Whaling Station of strummers, near the South Pole. Shackleton knew if they didn't get down from the ridge, no one would ever hear from them again.
Shackleton knew there was only one thing to do. He explained that they would all have to slide down. He instructed the two men to wind their ropes into a coil .Then each of the men sat down on a coiled and slid down the icy slope into the darkness. When they found themselves at the bottom, unhurt, Shackleton said, "You know, we shouldn't do that kind of thing too often." The laughter broke the tension all the men were feeling. They arrived later than expected, but safely at the Whaling Station. | high10571.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To wash hands with soap."
},
"options": [
"To keep healthy by washing hands.",
"To wash hands with soap.",
"To take action to wash hands.",
"To wash hands often."
],
"question": "What does the author intend to t... | October 15th is Global Handwashing Day.Activities are planned in more than twenty countries to get millions of people in the developing world to wash their hands with soap.
Experts say people around the world wash their hands but very few use soap at so-called critical moments.These include after using the toilet, after cleaning a baby and before touching food.
Global Handwashing Day is the idea of the Public-private Partnership for handwashing with soap.The goal, they say, is to create a culture of handwashing with soap.The organizers say all soaps are equally effective at removing disease-causing germs.They say the correct way to wash is to wet your hands with a small amount of water and cover them with soap.Rub it into all areas, including under the fingernails.Then, wash well under running water.Finally, dry your hands with a clean cloth.
The Partnership says soap is important because it increases the time that people spend washing.Soap also helps to break up the dirt that holds most of the germs.And it usually leaves a pleasant smell, which increases the chances that people will wash again.
It also says that washing hands with soap before eating and after using the toilet could save more lives than any medicine.It could help reduce cases of diarrhea, which is the second leading cause of child deaths, killing more than one and a half million children a year, by almost half. | high5981.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "To attract tourists to Paris."
},
"options": [
"To show the price of traveling to Paris .",
"To tell tourists the routes to Paris.",
"To introduce the city of Paris.",
"To attract tourists to Paris."
],
"questio... | Paris in the springtime was, is and always will be, something rather special. Why not experience it for yourself with this excellent break for four days? This attractive city has something to offer to everyone and with prices at just PS129.
Your break begins with comfortable bus transfer from local pick-up points and travel to Paris is via cross-channel ferry, arriving at your hotel in the evening. The Ibis is an excellent quality hotel with private equipments in all rooms: satellite TV, radio, telephone and alarm clock. It has a bar and restaurant and is situated about two miles south of Notre Dame enabling you to explore Paris with ease.
The following day, after continental breakfast (included), the bus takes you on a comprehensive sightseeing tour of the city, during which you will see the Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees, L'Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, in fact almost every famous landmark you have ever heard of. You then leave Paris and take a short drive to the magnificent Palace of Versailles, the home of Louis XIV. The tour ends mid-afternoon back in Paris where you will have the remainder of the day at your leisure. In the evening there is a "Paris by Night" tour showing you the beautiful buildings with bright lights.
Day three takes you to Montmarter, perhaps the most attractive quarter of Paris and home of the Sacre Coeur and the Moulin Rouge. In the afternoon you are free to explore this beautiful city as you wish, perhaps a pleasure voyage on the River Seine, wander around the beautiful gardens or look among the antique shops . In the evening you will have the opportunity to visit the best nightclub in the city, the splendid Paradis Latain. On the final day it's back to the UK via channel ferry.
Included in the price of PS129 per person :
*Return comfortable bus travel to Paris
*Return ferry crossings
*3 nights housing in a twin bedded room in a Central Paris hotel with private facilities
*Continental breakfast during your stay
*Guided sightseeing tour of "Paris by Day" and Paris by Night"
*Visit to the Chateau of Versailles (admission not included )
*Tour around Montmartre
*Services of experienced bi-lingual tour guide at all times | high16100.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "a job that you choose is your decision and is suitable for you while one that you find often isn't"
},
"options": [
"finding a job is a decision while choosing a job is a chance",
"finding a job is more important than choosing a jo... | Experts believe that there are about 40,000 different types of jobs in the world. Choosing the right one is a difficult task.
"Finding a job" is not the same as "choosing a job". Many young people end up in a job that they are not suited to do. "Chance" may play a more important part than "decision". So here are a few steps to help you think about jobs.
First, it is important to recognize what kind of person you are and what special qualities make you different from everyone else.
The most important thing is to know your interests and skills. But the point is that there is a difference between an interest and a skill. If you like art and enjoy looking at pictures, it is an interest. But if you can draw a horse that looks like a horse rather than a big dog, that is a skill. The best job is one that uses your skills in doing something together with your interests. As well as this, it is an advantage if you believe that a particular job is worth doing in the world.
To examine your skills and abilities still further, ask yourself this question: in the following three areas--skills with people, skills with information or skills with things -- which are your best skills?
After that, the next step is research. To find out as much as possible about different kinds of work, go to the library and read books, magazines and newspapers. Ask your friends about the work they do. If you are interested in banking, it is better to talk to a bank clerk of twenty-four, rather than a bank manager of sixty-four. Do not ask your parents' friends for information. A younger person will be able to describe a normal day at work and tell you about the interesting or boring things when you first start working.
Finally, trust your own ideas and your own thinking! It is your own life, so find something that you enjoy doing. | high19233.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "politely turn down the request"
},
"options": [
"kindly host the guest",
"discuss with her husband",
"politely turn down the request",
"try to meet all the demands"
],
"question": "AUNTY suggested that Reluctant... | DEARAUNTYf
My husband's niece is 13 and what I would call "a handful". She wants to stay with us for while, and her mother and grandmother have told me what a great influence I would be on her. Her visit ,no doubt, would bring about a long list of demands' and she'd want to bring a friend too. I don t feel comfortable hosting her, but I don 3r know how to tell my husband's family members without hurting their feelings.
-Reluctant Aunt
Dear Reluctant,
Let's get you out of this mess. Your husband's family is making a request that borders on a demand and sugarcoating it with self-serving flattery * Put your foot down, and tell the truth. Say you don't feel equipped or comfortable hosting the little darling, and regretfully decline .Under no circumstances should you take part in any discussion that attempts to change your mind through flattery.
DEAR AUNTY
have two stepdaughters, 21 and 24. On holidays, the older one always buys me gift but adds her sister's name on the card. I feel insincere thanking the younger daughter -Vd rather get no gift than be a part of this pretence. Is it tacky to ask the 24-year-old to stop giving her sister credit while it isn t deserved? Will the younger one ever learn to be thoughtful?
-Mindful Mum
Dear Mindful,
Lighten up! Your older stepdaughter is a considerate and generous sister who covers for and protects her younger sister. Good for her! The girls' relationship is between them. As for your role, you can't punish anyone into being thoughtful. You can, however, model thoughtful behavior. Spend some time with her, and get to know her better. | high4447.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The benefit of musical training."
},
"options": [
"The effect of physical exercise.",
"The researcher named Kraus.",
"The benefit of musical training.",
"Musicians' improved skills."
],
"question": "What is the ... | Learning to play a musical instrument can change your brain, with a US review finding musical training can lead to improved speech and foreign language skills.
Although it was suggested in the past that listening to Mozart's music or other classical music could make you smarter, there has been little evidence to show that music can boost brain power.
But a data-driven review by Northwestern University has pulled reaserch together that links musical training to learning that spills over into skills including language, speech, memory, attention and even vocal emotion.
Researcher Nina Kraus said the data strongly suggested that the nervous connections made during musical training also prepared the brain for other aspects of human communication.
" The effect of musical training suggests that, like physical exercise and its effect on body fitness, music is a resource that tones the brain for _ fitness and thus requires society to re-examine the role of music in shaping individual development, " the researchers said in their study.
Kraus said learning musical sounds could improve the brain's ability to adapt and change and also enable the nervous system to provide constructing patterns that are important to learning.
The study, published in Nature Review Neuroscience , looked at the explosion of research in recent years focusing on the effect of musical training on the nervous system which could have impacts for education.
The study found that playing an instrument prepares the brain to choose what is related in a complex process that may involve reading or remembering a score, timing issues and coordination with other musicians. | high12366.txt |
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